FORT MYERS, Fla.- Cruise industry experts are bracing to see how the Costa Concordia disaster impacts them during January's peak booking season.

With the death toll climbing to 16 on Tuesday, chilling images of the Costa Concordia's January 13th crash into a reef off the coast of Italy continue to send shock waves through the industry.

Now, some travel agencies say the Concordia's parent company, Miami-based Carnavel Cruise Lines, is slashing prices.

"Whether it is because of the impact of the accident? That's hard to say," said Paula Vazquez, a travel agent with North Fort Myers' Adventure Travel of Florida.

Vazquez says bookings are steady, but they are seeing fares drop to dramatic lows they haven't seen since September 11th, 2001.

"If you get into March, I've seen 7-day cruises starting as low as $400," Vazquez said Tuesday.

AAA of Fort Myers is also reporting competitive fares, with cruise packages starting as low as $150.

"This is the time, if you're going to capture a deal, now is the time to do it," said Marsha Kut of AAA.

A recent online Wall Street Journal poll showed out of 3,000 readers, more than half were hesitant to book a cruise after the Costa Concordia disaster.