Are you dreaming of getting away on a cruise, discovering new breathtaking destinations and experiencing the luxury service and facilities onboard? These dreams could be made a reality with the incredible discounts for cruise wave season.
If you’re wondering, what is cruise wave season? We have all the answers below.
As well as explaining what it is, we also share when cruise wave season is, the benefits of it, and how to find the best wave campaign deals for your cruise holiday.
What is cruise wave season?
Wave season may sound like it has something to do with the conditions at sea, but, in fact, it actually refers to a time of year when fantastic cruise holiday deals come in waves!
Cruise lines recognise that this is a time when people are keen to plan their holidays, so they offer some of the best deals with their wave campaigns.
Cruise lines love to get their ships filled up sooner rather than later, so almost all cruise lines have a wave season, rewarding customers who book early with discounted deals and onboard perks.
When is cruise wave season?
If you think this all sounds brilliant and are wondering when wave season is for cruise holidays, then the time to start looking is around mid-January.
Although there’s no official time frame for wave season, most cruise lines will launch their seasonal discounts during the first three months of the year, typically starting in the middle of January until mid-March.
However, you only need to book your cruise holiday during this period; your cruise holiday can be scheduled for later in the year. Many cruise holiday fans book their summer holidays during this time to access these cruise wave benefits.
Some people even book one or two years ahead!
The benefits of wave season
Although the reduced cruise fares are one of the outstanding benefits of wave season, there are other terrific cruise wave benefits to look out for too.
Family and group discounts
There are some significant family advantages to be found with cruise wave campaigns. For example, cruise lines often offer reduced fares for additional members of your party, sometimes even discounts on just a second person travelling.
You’ll also sometimes find cruise holiday deals that include free sailing for children or a considerable reduction in their fares.
Onboard perks
Other excellent cruise wave benefits include deals on your onboard spend when booked during wave season. For example, you’ll regularly see offers on onboard drinks packages, wi-fi or speciality dining.
Cruise lines may also offer prepaid gratuities as part of a wave season deal or onboard credit that you can use for items bought on board, such as shore excursions, speciality dining or drinks.
Other great cruise wave benefits
When booking a cruise holiday during wave season, there are other potential freebies to look out for too.
For example, some cruise lines offer free port parking or an overnight stay the night before your cruise ship departs. You may even find free flights to your departure port, as part of a package deal for your cruise holiday.
Wave season is getting earlier
As with many seasonal sales, there is a recent trend with wave season starting earlier. This year, cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Emerald Cruises, started wave season in the preceding autumn or offered ‘mini waves’ to entice guests looking to book cruises for 2023 or 2024.
Other cruise lines, including Holland America, MSC Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard and Hurtigruten, used Black Friday this year to kick start their sales, enabling customers to enjoy the benefits of wave season nearly two months early!
This trend for an earlier start this year may have been prompted by it being the first season since 2019 without any travel restrictions. Customers are keen to get back to cruising and get their holiday booked early, so cruise lines are vying for their business.
How to book a cruise wave campaign
When booking your holiday for 2023 or 2024, cruise wave campaigns can offer excellent value. But how can you find the best deal in wave season?
Here are our top three tips for getting extra discounts during wave season:
Try to be flexible with your dates…
If you can travel off-season, you will likely find a better deal. Seasons vary from place to place, so explore different options to find one that works best for you.
Do your research and be prepared…
If you know you want to book a cruise next year or in 2024, start researching where you want to go and what the different cruise lines offer early.
Once you have one or more cruise lines in mind, keep an eye on their prices to see how they fluctuate. Then be ready to book when you find a good deal, as these offers are commonly only available for a short time!
Check out cruise travel agents or tour operators…
Cruise travel agents or tour operators can be really helpful when looking for the best cruise deals in wave season.
They will help you seek out the optimum fares for your requirements and are often able to create package deals that include flights, transfers and perks, such as upgrades or onboard packages.
If you have any further questions about wave season, or would like help finding the best deals, please get in contact with our cruise specialists.
