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Travel deals can be easy to find, if you know the right time to book. For cruises, one of the best times to lock in low fares is at the start of a new year. That’s when “wave season” begins: a stretch that continues through March when cruise lines offer up some of their best deals and discounts.
Consider this the golden time to plan cruise trips through the rest of the year and beyond. “Wave season isn't necessarily about last-minute cruise deals,” says Illana Schattauer, a cruise influencer who runs the channel ‘Life Well Cruised’ on YouTube. “It's a great time to plan ahead for holiday cruises and bookings that are several months, even a year, in advance.”
Although the deals are aplenty, narrowing down the numerous options can be a bit more challenging. After all, there are hundreds of different cruise lines around the world, all targeting different types of travelers and promoting offers with various perks. (How do you compare a stateroom upgrade to a free drinks package or an onboard food credit?)
Below, find top strategies and tips from the experts on how to get the most of this wave season’s deals.
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Get organized
Before you wade into the endless list of deals, discounts, and bonus offers from cruise lines around the world, take some time to identify what your budget is and what type of cruise you actually want to take. “Travelers should know what they’re looking for before starting to do the research on the cruise they would like to book,” says Jasmine Ramnarine, a frequent cruiser who blogs about her voyages with her family on the site A Rich and Jazzy Life.
This includes narrowing down your ideal destinations and a timeline of when you’d like to travel. “Once they know the month that they would like to travel in, it’s best to compare the cruise lines’ pricing and go with what best suits your needs.” Ramnarine recommends choosing at least three cruise lines to do an overall fare comparison.
But even just keeping track of all the available offers can feel like an insurmountable task, let alone combing through for the ideal discounts. One of the easiest ways of keeping tabs on new offers is subscribing to cruise lines’ email alerts. “To make it more manageable, travelers should only sign up to email offers from the cruise lines that appeal to them, and skip ones that aren't the right fit,” Schattauer says. She recommends travelers even create a separate email account just for cruise offers to keep the potential deals sorted away from other inbox clutter. That way, travelers can open their specific wave season account and start narrowing down the best options.
How to understand whether the deal is worth it
The actual work of comparing cruise offers might sound easier than it is in reality. With lines offering a wide array of perks, upgrades, and fare discounts, how can travelers find the most valuable deal? “The best way to compare deals is to look at the total cost, as well as extra perks that are included,” says Schattauer. “Cruise travelers should keep track of pricing, so that they can book when they see a price decrease.”
While it’s easy to see the value of straightforward cheaper fares, those types of wave season savings are becoming less common. “More likely are cruise line extras that are included with the price during wave season,” says Schattauer. “Extras like drink packages, pre-paid gratuities, and onboard cash credits make cruises cheaper and can save hundreds of dollars.” She recommends breaking up the cruise itinerary into a price per day that factors in these extras—but you should only calculate the value of perks you’ll actually use.
Travelers can find a wide range of these free perks across lines, depending on what type of cruisers the company is aiming to target. “When we’re traveling with our kids, we love to see deals that include ‘kids sail free’ [offers],” says Ramnarine. “Typically, Royal Caribbean or MSC offer that. When we are just sailing alone as a couple, we’d love to see that Virgin Voyages includes a bar tab for the number of days that we are sailing—and throw in Wi-Fi.”
Be open to discounts in unconventional places, too: The biggest savings might come where you wouldn’t expect them. “More often, non-refundable deposits offer the best values to clients with substantial savings,” says Tom Baker, a travel specialist with CruiseCenter. That’s because with these stricter fares, lines can lock in cruisers and reduce cancellations, according to Baker. “The fare differences can be several hundred to thousands of dollars.”
If parsing all of the perks and potential savings seems too confusing to do on your own, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone for help. “Web pricing often offers basic fares and does not always include the value add like upgrades, onboard credits, non refundable or refundable pricing,” Baker says. “So it's really a complicated skill.” A travel specialist can sort through all of the variables and present the savings comparisons to potential clients. Speaking of which…
When it doubt, use a travel specialist
Specialists are truly the unsung heroes of the travel industry. The level of savvy and insider pull that these cruise mavens have is hard to match. “Travel agents have access to all the deals and cruise line promotions, and may have extra offers and booking incentives,” Schattauer says. “When you work with a travel agent that understands your travel preferences, they can sort through and present personalized deals.”
“Find a knowledgeable agent with experience who knows the ins and outs,” says Baker. Try to avoid agencies with massive call centers where you’re handed off to a new agent each time you call, he advises. “Use an agent that is interested in your needs and wants and not just processing a transaction.”
And it’s a misconception that cruise specialists add a hefty cost to your trip budget. “Many of them don’t charge any extra fees; they get paid through the cruise line,” Ramnarine says.
With a little bit of legwork and expert advice, you'll soon be sitting poolside aboard a glamorous ship—and you won't have to break the bank to get there.