You might consider one of the new, relatively small and cheap DSLRs. They can go to ISO speeds four or more times higher, though that must be balanced against their kit lenses being one or two stops slower than some high end one piece digicams. Once you step up to a faster mid-priced lens like the Nikon 18-70 f/3.5-4.5 or Olympus 14-54 f/2.8-3.4, or a stabilized lens like the Canon 17-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS, you should definitely have a hand-holding speed advantage.
Otherwise, I would try a one piece digicam with lens stabilization/vibration reduction, like the Nikon 8800 you mention. Fortunately, cameras shops are a fairly good imitation of museums for testing low light, hand-held, no flash performance!
P. S. Amongst small, inexpensive, entry level DSLRs, a Nikon D50 with 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens seems almost certain to soon join the Canon 300D and 350D, Olympus E-300 and Pentax *-ist DS. I have downloaded a 148 page D50 user's manual that looks for too accurate and elaborate to be a hoax, and it was reported by a number of people to have been on a Nikon website for a while.
P. P. S., added later. To emphasize the utility of a DSLR, I have the Olympus E-1, which has been criticised for having "less low noise levels at high ISO" than other DSLRs, and I have no problem using ISO 800 to get good hand-held, no flash shots in normal homes, with less light than a typical museum. Almost any DSLR's ISO 800 performance is a wonderful revelation compared to film or digicam ISO 800.