Gas at $1.65 per gallon. Cruises for $50 a day (or less). And hotels that are throwing in everything from complimentary breakfast to discount massages. Will 2009 turn out to be the best travel year ever — or will the miserable economy have us all hiding beneath our beds with what little money we managed to get under the mattress before it all went to hell?

Beats me, although after talking to industry analysts and other observers, I’m taking my cues from those economists who see a possible recovery starting by the middle of the year. If that’s the case, a rebound in consumer confidence — and, by extension, people’s willingness to travel — is bound to follow.

In the meantime, those who do travel will find both bargains and bumps along the way. If you’re among them, the following will likely determine whether you experience more of the former or the latter.