Six Tips to Get the Best Wave Season Deals

By Brooke Franco

Score a fantastic deal on a cruise during Wave Season! - *Photo by Canva*

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for frequent cruisers. Not the holidays - Wave Season! During this period, typically from January through March, cruise lines offer some of their best deals for travelers to entice them to book vacations. It's kind of like Black Friday or Cyber Monday but for the cruise world. As we enter into Wave Season for 2025, here are six tips on how to get the best deals during Wave Season and score a great price on your dream cruise.

1. Book Early

Be ready to book when Wave Season deals come out from your favorite cruise lines. If you know when and where you want to cruise, be prepared to commit and go ahead and book to take advantage of the savings on the cruise you want.

Popular cruise itineraries sell out fast, especially during wave season. Destinations like Alaska, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean, with deals for high seasons in the regions, are likely to book quickly. If you book early, you can more likely secure the cabin type you want at a great price.

One of the perks of Wave Season is the ability to take advantage of reduced deposits and other value-added amenities. Many Wave Season deals include reduced (or sometimes refundable) deposits, making it easier and less expensive for you to book your desired sailing(s).

2. Do Your Research

If you don’t know when you want to go on a cruise but still want to take advantage of Wave Season deals, we recommend researching ahead of time and understanding what kind of cruise best fits your style. That way, once the deals come out, you can book without starting at square one.

We recommend researching which cruise lines and ships best fit your travel preferences. Additionally, we recommend having a general idea of where you want to sail and what itineraries look most interesting for you and your travel party.

Before locking in a Wave Season deal, we also recommend noting the cruise prices for the sailings you are most interested in. Find out what promotions are available (before Wave Season) to better understand whether you are getting the best deal and price. =

Not sure where to start? We recommend our Find a Cruise tool as a great place to start your research. Here, you can search for sailings by cruise line, ship, destination, length, and homeport. If you want to research current cruise deals, our advanced Deals Searching tool tracks the prices of thousands of cruises to destinations worldwide.

3. Sign Up for Alerts

Going into Wave Season, sign up for communications from cruise lines you might want to book with. Sign up for their emails and follow them on social media; that way, you can see when deals for Wave Season are released.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for communications from Cruiseline.com. We send a weekly newsletter and regular deal-specific emails with fantastic deals from various cruise lines and destinations. Sign up for emails here today and start saving!

If you want a specific cruise, sign up for our Price Alerts. This free tool is a fantastic way to track cruise prices during the Wave Season and ensure you get the best deal on your cruise. Whenever the price of the cruise changes, we send you a notification about the new fare. Sign up and track as many cruises as you like!

4. Be Flexible

You can score a great Wave Season deal if you are flexible with your cruise plans. This is especially true if you can be flexible with your sail dates. If you can adjust your travel schedule, you'll have more options to take advantage of discounted cruises during Wave Season.

Also, if you aren’t too picky about your stateroom category, you may likely find some better deals. Consider lower-priced cabin categories (such as inside cabins) to take advantage of lower fares.

5. Utilize a Travel Advisor

Travel Advisors can provide expert guidance during Wave Season, recommend the best cruises to suit all of your needs, and ensure that you don’t miss any hidden deals. They also may have access to extra perks or special promotions during Wave Season, like onboard credits, shore excursions, beverage package discounts, or complimentary amenities.

Working with a travel professional means you have more time to do other things, and often, you are helping to support a local small business.

6. Maximize Cruise Line Loyalty Status

Cruise lines reward loyalty, and if you hold status with a particular cruise line, you may be eligible for special Wave Season perks or the opportunity to get access to deals before they go on sale to the general public. Sometimes, lines offer frequent cruisers with status the option to book Wave Season deals a day or two before anyone else so their best customers have the first pick of sailing dates and categories. Keep an eye out for communications from your cruise line of choice to see if they will offer specials such as this!

May the Deals Be in Your Favor!

The key to scoring a great deal for Wave Season is research and a little bit of luck. We hope you utilize these tips and can score a great price on your dream cruise. If you see lots of great days, why not book more than one cruise? Happy cruise deal hunting!