Traditionally, wave season is considered to be the first few months of the year following the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, but the cruise industry is getting its start early this year. We’re gathering all the best cruise deals — categorized by ocean, river and expedition line — right here as they are revealed and updated.
Editor's Note: This story was last updated on Mar. 3, 2026.
Ocean Cruise Deals
Azamara Cruises
Azamara Cruises is offering up to $1,000 onboard credit per stateroom on select 2026 and 2027 cruises and cruise-tours. The promotion runs now through March 31, 2026, and applies to more than 200 sailings worldwide.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line’s Funnel Faves Wave Arcade rewards travel advisors with tickets, prizes and a cruise-for-two giveaway through bookings, games and trivia. The promotion runs through March 15, with prize redemptions from March 23 to April 6.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises’ 2026 sale offers up to 75% off the second guest; up to $700 in additional savings; and free third, fourth and fifth guests on select sailings. The promotion applies to itineraries sailing through May 10, 2028, and is available for a limited time during wave season.
Celestyal
Celestyal’s wave season sale offers savings of up to 50% on 226 sailings departing December 2025 through October 2027, with select cruises including up to $585 onboard credit and up to $240 in shore excursion credit. The promotion runs now through Feb. 19, 2026.
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises’ Wave Into Summer Sale offers up to 50% off the second guest and free third and fourth guests on select 2026 and 2027 cruises. The promotion applies to sailings worldwide and is available for bookings made through March 16.
Crystal
Crystal’s Sail & Save deal offers up to $5,000 per room or suite in fare savings, plus up to $500 ofonboard credit on select voyages. The promotion runs now through March 31 and applies to nearly 200 cruises sailing worldwide in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Cunard
Cunard’s wave season offer includes up to $600 in onboard credit per stateroom on select 2026 and 2027 voyages sailing April 2026 through December 2027. The promotion is available to book now through Feb. 25, 2026, and applies across all four Cunard Queens.
Explora Journeys
Explora Journeys’ wave season deal offers up to 30% savings, a reduced 10% deposit and a complimentary one-category suite upgrade on select sailings. The promotion is available for new bookings made through Feb. 24 on eligible voyages.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ wave season 2026/27 campaign offers early booking savings on select luxury and expedition voyages worldwide. Discounts apply to curated sailings departing in 2026 and 2027, with booking deadlines of Feb. 25 or May 31, 2026, depending on the voyage.
Holland America Line
Holland America Line’s Start Your Journey wave season promotion offers up to 30% off fares, reduced deposits, free balcony upgrades, onboard credits and free kids’ fares on select cruises. The offer applies to sailings for summer 2026 through spring 2027 and is available for a limited time during wave season.
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten’s wave season special includes up to 30% off select 2026 sailings, plus a trade-only monthly exclusive offer with 50% savings and the return of "Sell Three Sail Free." The promotion is bookable through March 1 on Original and Signature voyages including summer Svalbard Line departures.
Margaritaville at Sea
Margaritaville at Sea’s 2026 wave season deal offers up to 60% off fares, free third and fourth guests on select sailings and up to $800 of onboard credit, plus free cabin upgrades on certain cruises and up to 40% off pre-purchased onboard packages. The promotion runs through Jan. 31 for 2026 departures with preview pricing for 2027 sailings.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises’ wave season deal features fares from $199, up to $500 of onboard credit and a kids sail free offer. The promotion is bookable through Jan. 28 and applies to select sailings including spring break and fall 2026 departures. A free balcony upgrade is also available through Jan. 27.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) wave season promotion offers 50% off cruise fares, plus up to $1,000 of onboard credit per cabin. Available through Jan. 20, the deal applies to all sailings and can be combined with NCL’s Free at Sea amenities package.
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Paul Gauguin Cruises’ wave season offer features $1,000 shipboard credit per stateroom or suite, plus complimentary champagne and chocolates on all 2026 sailings. Bookings made through Apr. 30 also include a $500 promotional incentive for travel agents on each new deposited booking.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises’ 2026 wave season Come Aboard Sale offers up to 40% off fares, up to $500 of instant savings, 50% reduced deposits and free third and fourth guests on select sailings. The offer runs now through Feb. 16, 2026, on voyages sailing 2026 and 2027.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s 2026 wave season deals offer up to $1,000 off cruise fares, with opportunities for third and fourth guests to sail free and savings on onboard extras. The promotion runs through March and applies to a wide range of upcoming voyages.
Seabourn
Seabourn’s Explore More Event offers up to 15% savings, reduced 15% deposits and up to $1,000 of shipboard credit per suite on select 2026 to 2028 ocean and expedition voyages. The promotion is available now through Feb. 17, covering destinations from Alaska to Antarctica and beyond. Plus, through March 3, agents can earn 3% bonus commission on suites.
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages’ wave offer, available through Feb. 26, features 80% off the second Sailor, up to $350 in drinks and $300 onboard credit on select itineraries. The promotion applies to Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and Mexico sailings, including new West Coast voyages on Brilliant Lady.
Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises’ Beyond Inclusive wave season offer includes a complimentary all-inclusive upgrade, a free pre-cruise hotel night and transfer where available and up to $1,000 in onboard credit. The promotion runs now through March 31, 2026, on select sailings departing through March 31, 2027.
River Cruise Deals
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways is enhancing select 2026 and 2027 Europe and Colombia departures with a complimentary pre- or post-cruise land package of up to four nights with hotels, tours and transfers. The offer is bookable by March 31, with optional AirPlus roundtrip Europe airfare available from $999.
Century Cruises
Century Cruises’ 2026 wave season promotion features two-for-one fares, discounted international airfare, $500 per person bonus savings and $25 deposits. Travel advisors earn 25% commission with non-commissionable fares eliminated on bookings made during the first quarter of 2026.
Riverside Luxury Cruises
Riverside Luxury Cruises’ 2026 wave season offer provides 150 euros per person in onboard credit on 2026 and 2027 sailings. The promotion is available on bookings made through Feb. 28, when using code WAVE26.
Riviera Travel
Riviera Travel’s wave promotion offers up to 50% off 2026 and 2027 departures, plus a $500 airfare credit, a complimentary hotel night and a reduced deposit on select 2026 sailings. The offer is available now through Feb. 28.
Scenic Group
Scenic Group’s (parent of Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises & Tours) February of Opportunity rewards travel advisors with 25% commission on select 2026 river sailings and raffle entries for free cruises. Bookings made through Feb. 28 qualify. Winners sail April 14 on Emerald Kaia and July 25 on Emerald Astra.
Trafalgar River Cruises
Newcomer Trafalgar River Cruises’ sale extends to free extensions and upgrades on select 2026 and 2027 European sailings. The promotion is available through Feb. 27, for travel through Dec. 31.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ sale offers up to 30% savings on select 2026 river cruises in Europe. The wave season promotion is available to book through Feb. 28, with celebratory sailings throughout the brand’s 50th anniversary year.
Viking
Viking’s deal offers up to 35% off select river, ocean and expedition voyages, plus discounted up to free international airfare, a $25 deposit and extra savings for past guests. The promotion runs through Jan. 31 on eligible 2026 through 2028 itineraries.
Expedition Cruise Deals
Ecoventura
Ecoventura is offering a rare wave season promotion with savings up to 25% on select 2027 Galapagos expeditions. The limited-time deal applies to new FIT bookings made through Jan. 31 and includes additional discounts for solo travelers and back-to-back sailings.
Havila Voyages
Havila Voyages is offering up to $650 per cabin in savings on select sailings from 2026 through the first quarter of 2028. The wave season promotion runs through March 15, with travel available through March 31, 2028.
HX Expeditions
HX Expeditions’ 2026 wave season See the World sale offers up to $4,000 off per person on all-inclusive expedition cruises, plus $250 of onboard credit on select sailings. The promotion runs through March 23, 2026, and applies to 2026 through 2028 departures worldwide.
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ sale offers up to 20% savings on select 2026 and 2027 expedition voyages worldwide. The wave season promotion is available on new bookings made through Feb. 9.
Ponant Explorations
Ponant Explorations and Smithsonian Journeys are offering $1,000 of shipboard credit per stateroom or suite on all 2026 alliance voyages. The wave season promotion applies to more than 30 sailings worldwide and is available for bookings made through March 31.
Editor's Note: AI was used to summarize the deals in this article. All the information has been fact-checked by a TravelAge West editor.
