Editor's note: This is a periodic piece that is frequently updated with fresh content.
When is the most affordable time of year to reserve a cruise? Wave season may be upon us.
So, you wonder, what is wave season? Every year, around the beginning, all the cruise companies advertise reduced rates or other special offers to fill their itineraries for the upcoming 12 months. It fits in well with the time of year when plenty of families and couples start making plans for their annual holidays.
Wave season is the ideal time to research prices and see what type of unique cruise deals you can score if you've had your eye on a cruise holiday. Your next cruise vacation might be quite inexpensive. Or, you can score a tonne of freebies to make your trip budget go even further.
Discover what wave season is when it occurs, what cruise offers to search for, and how to get the best price possible during this very affordable period to book a trip by reading on.
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When is wave season?
During wave season, cruise companies typically have some of their most aggressively discounted sales events of the year. The "wave" of offers that are offered during this advertising time is where the term "waves" comes from; they encourage potential vacationers to go "on the waves." The cruise companies can fill a large number of berths for the next year, and the passengers can save money and receive additional value from their bookings.
Wave season specials are meant to persuade you to book a cruise not only for later in the year but also for dates that are as far off as two years in the future. It's also possible that last-minute trips are on offer. Deals on sailings all over the world, from Alaska to Antarctica and from the eastern Caribbean to the western Mediterranean, may be found throughout the wave season. These promotions can be found in virtually every major cruise company, including big-ship, small-ship, river, and expedition lines.
Related: How to Use Frequent Flyer Miles and Points to Book a Cruise
When is the season for waves?
The beginning of wave season is often around January, and it continues until the end of March. In the same way that Christmas decorations are starting to emerge in retail stores earlier than they used to, we've also noticed that major cruise sales have begun even earlier over the previous few years. This trend has continued throughout the last few years. It is usual to practise for cruise companies to publicise sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November. These sales typically remain to live into the following year, at which point they are renamed as wave season sales and may undergo some minor adjustments.
The timing of the wave season is determined by several factors, including those listed above. Because of the harsh winter weather in many northern locales, vacationers are daydreaming about and eager to arrange trips to warmer climates. After the hectic Christmas season of shopping, entertaining, and flying is done, many families wait until the beginning of the year to finalise their arrangements for the vacation they will take later that year. In addition, cruise companies have finished tallying up passenger numbers for the preceding year, and they are ready to get the ball rolling on passenger numbers for the year to come. Because of this confluence of interests, the months of January through March are ideal for running promotions that reward consumers for making cruise reservations.
What kinds of cruise offers are there to choose from?
The most crucial thing to understand about wave season deals is that you shouldn't limit your search to discounted cruise rates, even if that is a fantastic place to start. The multitude of extras cruise companies includes in their promos serves as the true incentive, making it difficult to resist taking a vacation (or three).
The three categories of booking incentives you'll encounter throughout the wave season are shown below.
Cruise discounts and offers
Some cruise lines go straight to the point and give you a refund on your reservation. These cruise offers may be in the following forms:
- reduced cruise prices, such as 40% off, $500 back, etc.
- reduced deposits (you may reserve your cruise for $1 or $25 and pay the balance 90 days before departing, for example).
- Get a cheaper second fare when you pay full price for the first when there are two-for-one cruise deals available.
- Third and/or fourth cabin occupants sail for free or at a reduced charge.
- Kids sail for free or at a reduced rate.
Freebies and valuable extras
Some cruise lines choose to maintain higher rates during the wave season while providing complimentary services that you would otherwise have to pay for. These consist of extras that make your purchase more valuable and prevent you from paying a larger onboard fee when you ultimately set sail.
Free booking benefits might include:
- Free flights from a few U.S. gateways.
- A night at a hotel before the cruise.
- You may use your onboard credit to pay for premium restaurants, shore excursions, and more.
- drink bundles.
- payment in advance for special meals.
- tip payments in advance.
- Free internet service.
- complimentary shore excursions or a credit toward a trip.
improvements to the cabin
Free cabin renovations are the final promotion you should anticipate seeing throughout the surf season. The price you pay is for one sort of cabin, but you get to stay in a "nicer" one that would normally cost more.
There are two types of cabin upgrades:
- Increase within a type of cabin (e.g., from a cheaper inside cabin to a larger or better located inside cabin).
- Upgrade to the following category of cabin (e.g., pay the inside cabin price but stay in an outside or even balcony cabin).
You still get to choose the location of the upgraded cabin, and upgrades are typically offered during wave season specials as a sort of discount on higher-category rooms.
Related: Five reasons not to accept a cruise ship room upgrade
Deals for the wave season are available where?
There will likely be wave season offers available almost everywhere as nearly every cruise seller wants a piece of the wave season spending frenzy.
Every cruise line will very certainly have a wave season promotion that is good whether you book directly with the cruise line, through an online booking agency, or a travel agent. Not just the big cruise lines are currently running specials at this moment. You never know when a tiny river cruise company you've been admiring may drop the price on one of its Rhine and Danube River cruises, or a small expedition cruise line with Antarctica itineraries that are on your bucket list.
Travel agents may offer promotions to the lines in addition to the lines themselves. Your preferred travel website, such as Expedia, may provide an additional discount or two, or the local travel agency may throw in a complimentary bottle of champagne. When searching for offers, be sure to cast a broad net since you'll discover many of them.
Related: 5 unusual locations to buy cruises
How can you know if the price you're paying is the best one?
It's true that when it comes to bargains, cruise lines may occasionally be tough. That supposedly "free" beverage package may require you to pay actual cash for an automated bar gratuity based on its estimated worth, and that 50% off offer may be predicated on an exorbitant cruise cost that no one ever pays. During wave season, you need to do some research in advance to ensure you're receiving the greatest value.
Take note of the current per-passenger prices and any extras offered for the trips that appeal to you the most as you reduce your cruise options for the next autumn season. Don't forget to use any special discounts that you may be qualified for (think: senior, teacher, military, Florida resident). Cost out the cabin categories above and below the one you intend to reserve. To get an idea of how much you could pay in addition to the cruise fee, research rates for onboard extras like beverage packages, internet access, and specialized restaurant meals.
When cruise lines announce their bargains and bonuses, you may contrast the promotional rates with earlier costs. By doing so, you can decide if the deal genuinely offers you a decent value.
How to get ready for the wave season
The question now is, what should you do to get ready to make the most of wave season? There are several approaches to take.
Do some research to find out which cruises you'd want to book.
If you've already given some thought to the destinations you want to visit on your cruise, the exact cruise lines you want to sail with, the available itineraries, and the times that you'd consider, you'll be in a better position to take advantage of a wave season discount. Do you want to take the kids on a cruise, go on a vacation by yourself, or organise a trip for many generations to get together? Or maybe you're daydreaming of a tropical vacation in the Caribbean or a trip to Alaska that's been on your "bucket list" forever.
Do not select the cruise company based solely on which one offers the greatest wave season discounts if you are unsure which cruise line would be most suitable for you. The atmosphere aboard may not be conducive to your personality. Read instead The Points Guy's beginner's guide to selecting a cruise line, which will assist you in determining which cruise line brands and ships are the most compatible with your preferences.
After acquiring this information, you will be better equipped to keep a lookout for wave season deals that correspond to the trip characteristics you have chosen.
Join cruise line email lists
You could keep an eye on cruise line websites and social media feeds over the next few months to make sure you don't miss out on any bargains, but an even better approach would be to sign up for the email lists of the cruise lines you're interested in travelling with. They will notify you in advance whenever a sale is going to start using this method.
Find yourself a good travel agency.
When planning a cruise, you should give serious consideration to hiring a travel agent, even though you might not employ one for other kinds of vacations. Cruise travel specialists at travel agencies are frequently the first to know about upcoming promotions. They also generally have access to unique discounts or benefits that you won't be able to locate on your own, and they typically provide their suite of extras as an incentive for you to book via them rather than going directly to the hotel.
Even with Disney Cruise Line, which is notoriously poor in terms of specials and discounts, the appropriate travel agent may be able to secure you several hundred dollars in onboard credit. You have the option of working with a major online travel vendor, all of which have customer service professionals that you can call for assistance, or you may locate a local travel agency working on their own. You may find a cruise-certified agent by asking your friends if they can recommend somebody, calling the office of your local AAA chapter, or looking on the website of the Cruise Lines International Association.
Take aware, as well, that the terms and conditions of cruise company promotions might be quite varied. A savvy travel consultant will be aware of which itineraries provide the most advantageous version of the offers that are currently available and will be able to direct you correctly.
Put your name down for the appropriate credit card.
When you work with a travel agent to book a cruise during a sale and pay with a credit card that provides you with a cruise-related bonus, you may receive cruise discounts, cash back, and benefits. This is especially true if you are a lover of stacking deals, which allows you to enjoy even greater savings. It is recommended that you apply for a card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express well in advance of wave season if you do not already own a card that provides you with additional benefits for making transactions related to cruises.
Even with wave season discounts, the total cost of a cruise reservation and all associated travel expenses (think: a pre-cruise hotel stay and airfare to the departure port) may be rather large. You might want to think about opening a new credit card account and utilising your cruise purchase as the qualifying transaction to meet the minimum spend requirement for the booking bonus. You should submit your application well in advance of wave season to ensure that you have the new card in your possession when it comes time to pay for that sailing.
Related: The top credit cards for making cruise reservations
Bottom line
Deals are offered by cruise companies throughout the year, so there is always a chance to get a good discount on a specific voyage, even if you wait until the last minute. But if you want a smorgasbord of deals to pick from all at the same time, wave season is one of the greatest times to locate a cheap cruise or a more comprehensive cost. This is because more people are travelling during this period. If you do your homework in the autumn or during the winter break, you will be well prepared to pounce on a deal as soon as you see one in the new year and you will be able to do this because you will have done your study.
Making plans for a cruise? You can get started with these tales:
- These are the five stateroom positions on a cruise ship that passengers covet the most.
- The eight stateroom placements that are the most undesirable on any cruise ship
- The complete list of items that you need to bring on a cruise
- An overview of the most well-known cruise lines in the industry
- 21 helpful hints and suggestions that will make your trip more enjoyable
- 15 reasons why cruisers are a money pit.
- The complete guide to picking the perfect accommodation on a cruise ship