Wave Season Enters New Phase as Lines Adjust Offers in Real Time
Assuming cruise lines will keep Wave season offers static after launch would be a mistake. Just two weeks into the peak booking period, several brands have already adjusted or expanded their cruise deals as they respond to demand and competitive pressure.
Princess Cruises returns to its Wave promotion under the Come Aboard Sale banner. Similar to the preceding New Year’s Sale, passengers can still access up to 40% off cruise fares and instant savings. The current iteration also includes up to $200 in onboard credit per stateroom.
Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, has shifted away from traditional fare discounting in favor of Bundle & Save, a value-add promotion. Travelers can choose between onboard credit paired with 25% discounts on select onboard experiences, or bundled beverage and premium Wi-Fi packages. Rather than lowering cruise fares, Carnival is giving consumers a deal that caters to how they cruise.
While Limitless Discovery remains its core Wave offer, Silversea Cruises has layered in a January-only suite upgrade incentive on top of fare savings of up to 40%. The move suggests an effort to accelerate bookings in higher-end categories without altering headline pricing.
On the river and coastal side, American Cruise Lines has expanded the scope of its Wave promotions to include Ohio River and Maine Coast itineraries. Shoppers can receive up to $1,600 in savings and domestic airfare on select sailings, in addition to eligible Great Lakes and Lower Mississippi cruises.
How the Season is Shaping Up
Across the industry, onboard credit remains the most common Wave inclusion. Whether capped per stateroom or tiered by voyage length and stateroom category, onboard credit continues to function as a “cash-like” incentive that adds flexibility while encouraging onboard spending. Reduced deposits are another recurring feature, signaling that cruise lines want to lower the barrier to booking early without sacrificing final payment flexibility.
Family-focused incentives are also widespread. Free third and fourth passengers, along with kids sail free promotions, appear across several mainstream brands, reinforcing Wave season’s role as a key booking window for multigenerational travel. At the same time, bundled lifestyle amenities — including Wi-Fi, beverage packages, shore excursion credits and experience discounts — are being used more strategically as pre-cruise add-ons designed to lock in onboard spend before passengers sail.
To help make sense of how Wave season deals compare across the industry, the table below sorts the latest offers by cruise line, including booking windows, fare savings, onboard credit and key value-added amenities. You can sort the table by each column to quickly identify the deals that best align with their priorities.
| Cruise Line | Offer Name | Start Date | End Date | Fare Savings (Up To) | Onboard Credit (Up to) | Value-add Amenities | Combinability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | Complimentary Land Package | 12/31/25 | 03/31/26 | 4-night hotel, daily breakfast, guided tours and transfers on Europe and Colombia | AirPlus, past passenger savings, and future cruise credits | |||
| American Cruise Lines | Great Lakes, Lower Mississippi, Ohio River, and Maine Coast | $1,600 off per cabin | Free domestic airfare | |||||
| Aurora Expeditions | 35th Anniversary | 12/22/25 | 03/31/26 | 35% off | Loyalty and back-to-back savings | |||
| Azamara | Biggest Sale of the Year | 12/09/25 | 03/31/26 | $1,000 per stateroom | Loyalty benefits | |||
| Carnival Cruise Line | Bundle & Save | 01/13/26 | 01/19/26 | $500 per stateroom + 25 % off Onboard | Choice between $500 OBC + 25% off OR Beverage Package + Premium WiFi | |||
| Celebrity Cruises | Semi-Annual Sale | 01/16/26 | 01/19/26 | $700 per stateroom + 50% off second person | 3rd/4th passengers sail free | Loyalty benefits and onboard booking credits | ||
| Celestyal Cruises | Unmissable Sale | 12/10/25 | 02/05/26 | €250 per cabin | Drinks, Wi-Fi, and gratuities included | |||
| Crystal | Sail & Save | 12/15/25 | 03/31/26 | $5,000 per suite | $500 per suite | Caribbean Included Air | ||
| Cunard | Treat Yourself, On Us | 12/09/25 | 02/25/26 | $600 per stateroom | World Club loyalty savings | |||
| Emerald | Wave of Savings Sale | 12/08/25 | 02/01/26 | 30% off | 2-for-1 fares; free single supplement on select sailings | |||
| Explora Journeys | A Suite Invitation | 01/05/26 | 01/28/26 | 30% off | Free suite upgrade; 10% reduced deposit | |||
| Holland America Line | Start Your Journey | 12/18/25 | 02/26/26 | 30% off + Free Balcony Upgrade | $500 per stateroom | $25 reduced deposit per person (Jan 5-12); Free kids’ fares on select sailings | ||
| MSC Cruises | Cruise From $199 + Onboard Credit | 01/07/26 | 01/28/26 | From $199 pp | $500 per stateroom | Kids sail free on select sailings | ||
| Norwegian Cruise Line | 50% Off All Cruises | 01/13/26 | 01/20/26 | 50% off | Ongoing Free at Sea | |||
| Oceania Cruises | Upgrade Your Experience | 12/11/25 | 03/04/26 | 30% off | $1,200 Shore excursion credit per stateroom | Unlimited wine, beer & spirits or excursion credits; reduced deposits | ||
| Princess | Come Aboard Sale | 01/15/26 | 01/19/26 | 40% off + $500 Instant Savings per stateroom | $200 per stateroom | 50% reduced deposits; free 3rd and 4th | ||
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Upgrade Your Horizon | 01/01/26 | 02/28/26 | $500 per suite | Free two-category suite upgrade; reduced deposits | Loyalty benefits | ||
| Riviera Travel | Festive Season Sale | 12/05/25 | 01/31/26 | 50% off | $500 pp air credit, free 1-night hotel, 50% reduced deposit | |||
| Royal Caribbean International | BOGO60 + Kids Sail Free | 01/02/26 | 02/02/26 | 60% of second person | Kids sail free or 3rd/4th passengers sail free on select sailings | All In Sale (Up to $1,000 savings), Crown & Anchor, Resident, military | ||
| Scenic | Wave of Savings Sale | 12/08/25 | 02/01/26 | 30% off | 2-for-1 fares; free single supplement on select sailings | |||
| Seabourn | Explore More Event | 12/03/25 | 02/17/26 | 15% off | $1,000 per suite | Reduced deposit | ||
| Silversea Cruises | Limitless Discovery | 12/03/25 | 02/28/26 | 40% off + Suite Upgrade (2/1/26) | Loyalty, referral, back-to-back, and onboard booking savings | |||
| Uniworld | 50th Anniversary Sale | 12/19/25 | 02/28/26 | 30% off | Reduced single supplement on select | |||
| Viking Ocean and River | Viking Sales Event | 01/01/26 | 01/31/26 | 35% off | Free International Air, $25 deposit | |||
| Virgin Voyages | Wave 2026 | 12/05/25 | 01/29/26 | 80% off second person (40% blended) | $400 Bar Tab per cabin | Loyalty, resident, military, pay-in-full, and group programs | ||
| Windstar Cruises | Cruise Beyond | 03/31/26 | $2,000 per stateroom | $99 All-inclusive package; 1-night pre-cruise hotel night; transfers | Yacht Club alumni discount | |||
| Cruise Line | Offer Name | Start Date | End Date | Fare Savings (Up To) | Onboard Credit (Up to) | Value-add Amenities | Combinability |
Looking Ahead
Several signals are worth watching. Booking windows may continue to tighten as January progresses, particularly if early Wave demand remains strong and cruise lines shift from volume capture to yield protection. Value-add choice structures, like Carnival’s, are likely to become more common as brands look to protect headline fares while still offering compelling perks. There are also early signs that suite-forward messaging could expand if lower-category inventory tightens, with richer top-tier benefits used to steer demand upward.
Two weeks in, one thing is clear: Wave season is no longer just about who discounts the most. It is increasingly about how cruise lines balance urgency, flexibility and perceived value in a competitive booking environment.
As Wave season continues to evolve, cruise lines are expected to keep fine-tuning their offers in response to booking trends and competitive pressure. Please also bookmark CruiseNews’ Wave deals hub, where we give you a broad view of Wave season with the latest news, comparisons and analysis.
