Wave Season Kicks Off With Deals Galore
by Daniel McCarthy /
Wave season, the time when cruise lines release promotionsdesigned to make a cruise vacation top of mind during winter, has officially kicked off for 2017.
Here's a roundup of some of the deals that cruise lines are offering during the month of January.
Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara is offering 50% off the second passenger on select sailings on select itineraries booked through March 31. Bookings in the Club Ocean-view category or higher will also get free WiFi.
Azamara is also giving any passenger who books July’s 31-night Mediterranean voyage $3,100 in onboard credit per cabin.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival is kicking off wave season with “Carnivalidays” from now until January 31.
The promotion offers more than 15 deals on a range of sailings from 3 to 15 days in the Caribbean, along with free upgrades and reduced deposits, including sailings on the newest ship, Carnival Vista.
Prices for Carnivalidays start at $249 per person. A full list of the sailings is available on Carnival’s website.
Cunard Line
Cunard’s Upgrades on Us promotion gives repeat Cunard passengers free gratuities on sailings booked by February 28. Those who book Queens Grill suites cabin also get free drinks. All passengers get 50% reduced deposits.
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises is offering cruise fare savings of up to $1,250 per person as part of its Clear Choices Promotion.
Sailings on Crystal Symphony, Serenity, Espirit and Mozart offer savings of up to $1,000 per person, air credit of up to $1,100 per person or shipboard credit of up to $1,250 per person on bookings made by March 31.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises is offering two-for-one deals on select Caribbean and European itineraries, including sailings on MSC Meraviglia and MSC Divina.
It also is offering up to $350 in value adds—free shipboard credit, free WiFi and free mealtime drinks—for bookings on its newest ship, MSC Seaside, which is set to hit the waters at the end of the year.
All bookings on 10- and 11-night MSC Divina cruises made through MSC’s new EZ Groups program will also earn double group amenity points.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegianis offering its Free at Sea promotion during the month of January and beyond. Passengers booking a Norwegian cruise can choose from five different offers—free unlimited open bar, free specialty dining, shore excursion credits, free WiFi packages or extra guests sail free.
Norwegian is also offering deals on a number of cruises including its 7-day western Mediterranean sailing on Norwegian Epic starting at $849 and its 9-day Scandinavia and Russia sailing on Norwegian Getaway from $1,149.
Oceania Cruises
Oceania is offerings cruisers who book in January one of four free offers: shore excursions, beverage packages, unlimited internet or shipboard credit, and discounting select cruises, including sailings on Marina, Regatta or Rivera, up to $750.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
During wave season, all guests in staterooms get 30% off standard cruise fare plus 50% off deposits.
On sailings of five nights or less, bookings on interior or ocean view staterooms will earn $25 per stateroom savings, while bookings on balcony staterooms or suites will earn $50 per stateroom. Royal will double those savings on sailings of six nights or longer.
Royal also is offering free upgrades on Anthem of the Seas sailings on or after March 1.
Seabourn Cruise Line
During January, Seabourn is offering a number of discounts and specials for select 2017 and 2018 sailings, including $1,000 per suite onboard credit, 15% off of Combination Voyages, 50% off deposits and $500 round-trip flight credits.
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking is offering two-for-one cruise plus roundtrip air for $995 on its Stockholm-to-Bergen sailings, and two-for-one cruise fares plus air for $45 on its West Indies Explorer itineraries, departing from San Juan. Both deals expire on January 31.
Viking River Cruises
Viking’s river cruise segment is offering two-for-ones, plus free international air, on select sailings, for bookings made in January. A full list of itineraries can be found on the Viking website.