Is it possible to change the name on a boarding pass ticket?

An example. If I have a cruise ticket but am unable to travel on the arranged dates, will I be able to pass the ticket on to someone else?

It will have my name on it, and so I was wondering if it was possible to have the name of the passenger changed, and if yes, what sort of charges will I be looking at?

If you've heard of the fuse radio 98 cruise contest, over at http://fuseradio98.com then you'll understand that the dates of travel are unknown. So if I couldn't make it, maybe I could give it to someone else.

I know you can change a passengers name if you made a mistake in terms of spelling a name, but a complete name change?

Thanks in advance!