What is wave season? Why you should book your next cruise now

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for cruise lovers – and I don’t mean the holidays.

Wave season, when cruise lines run their best deals, is upon us again. The period typically stretches from January through March, but some brands have already released their offers, giving travelers a chance to get a jump on their cruise plans.

“Wave season basically is like Black Friday shopping for cruisers,” said Scott Campbell, manager of cruise relations at AAA.

This time around, the deals include stateroom upgrades, flight credits, fare discounts and more. Here’s what travelers should know:

Why do cruise lines offer their best deals during wave season?

Campbell said cruise lines aim to use wave season to “fill up the upcoming year” with bookings, particularly coming off of the holidays.

“People have been hanging out with their family for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, talking about, “Hey, we should do a cruise together, this would be awesome,’ ” he said. “So, come wave season … that's when the cruise lines take advantage of all those holiday conversations and throw out a bunch of great deals.”

Cruise operators may list cruises for the current year or further into the future, depending on their priorities. “It could be limited to what they want to promote,” Campbell said, “it could be here’s our book of business, let’s just fill it up.”

All cruise lines typically have some sort of deal, though he noted they may not be as strong or broad from some luxury brands.

Tips for booking during wave season

With so many offers on the table, choosing the right deal can be overwhelming.

“It’s good to sort of have an idea of what you’re looking for,” Campbell said. He recommended breaking it down and bargain-hunting with a desired location in mind.

Travelers can also mix and match with other money-saving techniques, like booking repositioning cruises or less popular sailing dates. “Let’s just say you have a blanket 75%-off-second-person (discount), you're gonna get a better deal with those off-season sailings than you will for the peak spring break Caribbean family cruise,” he added.

But even if a deal has caught your eye, be sure to read the fine print. Deals can come with various exclusions and conditions, and a price that looks low at first can balloon by the time you finally make the booking.

Campbell also recommended working with a travel agent. Agents see deals all year long and can lead clients to the best ones for them during wave season. “They can help filter out the noise and get you in the right place,” he said.

Wave season deals to book

◾ Crystal: The revamped luxury line is offering up to a three-category room upgrade. For select 2024 cruises, guests booking a Double Guest Room with Veranda can move to an Aquamarine Veranda Suite for free, and those in an Aquamarine Veranda Suite can upgrade to a Sapphire Veranda Suite.The deal also comes with complimentary dry cleaning for five pieces and one free bag of laundry every 10 days of a cruise, as well as complimentary pressing for five pieces per day. The deal runs through Jan. 31. The line’s World Cruise, Grand Journeys and combination cruises are not eligible.

◾ HX: HX, formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions, is offering passengers up to $2,000 per guest in flight credits and reduced deposits of 20%. The deal applies to sailings departing between March 29, 2024, and March 30, 2025, including places like Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands and Svalbard.Guests must book by March 31. The flight credit varies by destination and travelers do not have to book their air travel through the company to qualify. Members of the 1893 Ambassador loyalty program can also get discounts of as much as 10% if they book by Jan. 31.The deal is now open for members and opened for nonmembers on Tuesday.

◾ Princess Cruises: Travelers can save up to 40% off fares on select sailings between 2024 and 2026. Passengers will also get cabin upgrades in like-to-like categories. “For example, if booking the fare for the lowest priced mini-suite, the offer upgrades the location of the stateroom for free, based on availability,” the line said in a news release. The third and fourth guests in a stateroom can also sail for free.The offer runs through Feb. 29 and is available to residents of all 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Bermuda and the District of Columbia.

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◾ Virgin Voyages: The adults-only line is offering a 70% discount for a second guest in a stateroom, along with a beverage credit of up to $600.Guests will get $100 in premium drinks for cruises four nights and shorter; $200 for five and six-night sailings; $300 for sailings between seven and 13 nights; and $600 for cruises 14 nights or more. The deal runs until Jan. 31 and applies to select voyages through Nov. 2, 2025.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why cruise lines list their best deals during wave season