Wave Season
What Is Wave Season?
Wave Season runs January through March every year. It’s when cruise lines put out their most competitive promotions—cabin upgrades, onboard spending credits, included specialty dining, sometimes even airfare credits. Think of it as the cruise industry’s version of Black Friday, but it lasts three months rather than one weekend.
And yeah, the deals are real. This year, we’re seeing luxury lines like Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, and Oceania participating with promotions that actually matter. Two-category suite upgrades. $1,000 onboard credits. Things that move the needle for clients planning high-end travel.
So the client’s logic makes sense, right? Wait for Wave Season, get the best deal. Simple.
Except there’s a problem.
The Inventory Problem Nobody Talks About
Wave Season doesn’t create new cruise inventory. It just discounts what’s available.
By the time January rolls around, much of the inventory people actually want is already gone. The advisors who’ve been in this business for a while know this. They start working their cruise clients in November, sometimes even in October. They get people positioned before the holidays.
So when Wave Season officially kicks off, and everyone else wakes up to the idea of booking a cruise, what’s left? Good deals on any remaining cabins. Which might be great options! But they might not be the specific suite category or sailing date the client had in mind.
Every January, clients call excited about Wave Season. And every February, some of those same clients are disappointed because the trip they envisioned isn’t available in the way they wanted it.
The Real Question: What Are You Optimizing For?
There’s this assumption that the goal is always to get the absolute best price. And look, I get it. Nobody wants to overpay. But I’d argue the goal should be to get the trip you actually want at a good price.
What’s the point of saving $800 on a Wave Season deal if the suite category you wanted sold out in December? You saved money, sure. But you’re settling for your second or third choice. Is that really winning?
The clients we work with at Andavo—people planning $20,000 to $50,000 cruise vacations—they’re not usually optimizing for the cheapest option. They’re optimizing for the right experience. The itinerary they’ve been dreaming about. The specific ship. The suite with the veranda they want to have morning coffee on.
Timing matters more than most people realize.
How Our Advisors Approach Wave Season
We don’t tell clients to avoid Wave Season. That would be silly—the promotions are real and valuable. What we do is start the conversation earlier.
If someone mentions they’re thinking about a cruise in 2026 or 2027, we’re bringing it up now. In December. Before Wave Season officially starts. We’re looking at which sailings match what they want, checking availability on the suite categories that make sense for them, and positioning options while they still exist.
Then when January hits and the Wave Season promotions go live, we’re not scrambling. We’re applying those promotions to trips we’ve already scoped out and confirmed have the inventory clients want.
Are we jumping the gun by a few weeks? Maybe. But I’d rather be three weeks early than explain to a client in February why the thing they wanted isn’t available.
What This Means If You’re Planning a Cruise
If you’ve been thinking about booking a luxury cruise for 2026 or 2027, here’s what we’d suggest:
Don’t wait for Wave Season to start exploring options. The time to look at itineraries and availability is now. Not in January when you’re competing with everyone else who just learned about Wave Season.
Work with an Andavo advisor who knows how Wave Season actually works. Someone who’s tracking which lines are running which promotions, which sailings still have good availability, and how to position you before the rush.
Be specific about what you want. If there’s a particular itinerary, ship, or suite category that matters to you, say so. The earlier your advisor knows this, the better chance they have of actually securing it.
And if you’re really set on a specific experience—like that couple planning their 30th anniversary Mediterranean cruise in an owner’s suite—don’t make Wave Season the priority. Make getting the trip you actually want the priority. The savings are nice. But they’re not worth settling for something less than what you envisioned.
We’ve been in business for over 30 years, and have seen every version of this conversation play out. And here’s what we’ve learned: the clients who have the best cruise experiences aren’t necessarily the ones who got the best deal. They’re the ones who got exactly what they wanted, at a price that made sense.
Wave Season can absolutely help you get there. But only if you approach it strategically, rather than just waiting for January and hoping the item you want is still available.
That’s what our advisors are here for—to help you navigate this stuff so you end up with the trip you’ve been imagining, not just whatever’s left. If you’re thinking about a cruise for next year and want to talk through your options before the January rush, reach out. We’re already working on 2026 and 2027 sailings, and we’d be happy to help you figure out the right timing and approach for what you have in mind.