Wave season cruise deals 2025: Book early and save big on your next sailing

It might seem odd to think about summer travel in the middle of winter. However, now’s the ideal time to start planning your travels for 2025. This is especially true since the cruise vacation is firmly in its high-demand era. Travelers might find it challenging to secure a deal — and, in some cases, even a sailing. While researching this story, I came across quite a few sold-out cabins across lines in 2025.

Many cruise lines are currently offering wave season cruise deals, and passengers looking to get a jump on their vacation planning can snag significant savings.

Wave season is the industry name for the first quarter of each new year when cold winter weather in many parts of the U.S. has potential cruisers dreaming of warmer climates. Cruise lines have taken note, luring travelers with discounted fares and inclusions like free Wi-Fi and drinks.

Although we’ve been seeing wave season extending well past March for the last few years, you don’t want to take a chance and miss out on some great cruise deals.

Here’s a roundup of cruise lines’ latest offers. We’ll update this list as more lines release wave season promotions, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back often.

AmaWaterways

Take advantage of deep discounts on river cruises in 2025 and 2026 with this wave season offer from AmaWaterways. Enjoy an extended cruise with complimentary two-, three- or four-night precruise and postcruise land packages available on select European itineraries. If you cannot extend your cruise, AmaWaterways is offering up to $2,000 off per cabin instead. This offer is valid on select sailings in 2025 and 2026; book by March 31.

Aurora Expeditions

Through March 31, travelers can save on an ultimate adventure to Antarctica or the Arctic with Aurora Expeditions’ wave season offers. Save up to 20% on select 2025 and 2026 expeditions to Antarctica, plus receive an airfare credit of $2,000 per person. Enjoy up to 20% off an Arctic expedition in 2025, plus receive a free cabin upgrade on select Arctic voyages.

Solo travelers aren’t left out in the cold. The line is waiving single supplements on select 2025 and 2026 Antarctica expeditions and on select Arctic expeditions in 2025.

Azamara

Book by Feb. 28 and snag up to $1,000 in onboard credit (per cabin) on select Azamara cruises in 2025. Travelers can also take advantage of over $4,500 worth of the line’s Always Azamara inclusions, such as complimentary room service, exclusive cultural events, unlimited beverages (beer, wine and spirits) and gratuities. With an affinity for extended port stays and AzAmazing evenings that connect passengers with authentic local experiences, Azamara is a great way to explore destinations in small-ship style.

Celebrity Cruises

Fans of Celebrity Cruises will rake in savings of 75% on cruise fares for a second passenger during the line’s Semi-Annual Sale. Just pay the first full fare and enjoy the discount on a second one. You can also receive up to $500 in additional savings on your cruise. The offer is valid on sailings through May 10, 2027.

Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal is enhancing its Live Your Vacation Dream wave season promotion with a free cabin upgrade on select departures from 2025 through 2027. The updated deal is called Love Your Vacation Dream.

The free cabin upgrade is in addition to the perks of the current promotion — 50% off fare prices for voyages through 2027, plus onboard credit of up to 100 euros (about $103) per person preloaded on each passenger’s CelestyalPay to use in specialty restaurants, coffee bars and lounges. (CelestyalPay is a prepaid food and beverage tab the line launched in 2024.) Book by March 16 to take advantage of the promotion.

Costa Cruises

Through Feb. 16, travelers can enjoy a free balcony cabin upgrade on select Costa Cruises Mediterranean sailings through May 2025 thanks to the line’s Valentine’s Day Sale promotion.

Cunard

This year, fans of the luxury cruise line Cunard can receive free spending money with the line’s “Treat yourself, on us” promotion.

Book now through March 26 and get up to $800 of onboard credit (per cabin) on select sailings of up to 20 nights. (Book the line’s longest cruises and get even more credit to spend on the ship.) Book a premium Grills Suite, and you’ll receive a free drinks package and prepaid service charges. This offer applies to select voyages between June 2025 and March 2027 on all ships in Cunard’s fleet.

Emerald Cruises

Take advantage of two-for-one fares on luxury river and yacht sailings with Emerald Cruises’ Wave of Savings promotion, which runs through March 31. Free airfare is also on the table for passengers who pay in full within 30 days of booking or 120 days prior to departure (whichever is sooner). Suite guests can also save up to $1,000 per suite on select yacht and river sailings.

This deal is available on select river cruises through 2026 and select yacht cruises through 2027.

Explora Journeys

Through Feb. 28, enjoy up to 40% off on select cabin categories and select voyages with luxury cruise line Explora Journeys. With the brand’s Unique Oceans Offer, you’ll also receive a destination experiences credit of up to $1,000 per cabin. Guests can combine this deal with other offers, including the Explora Early Booking Benefit, the Additional Guests and Younger Travelers (reduced fares for third and fourth guests) program and the Welcome Back Benefit offer.

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions)

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) is offering up to $4,000 off select all-inclusive sailings through 2027 with its See the World promotion. The offer applies to itineraries featuring destinations such as Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Greenland and the Arctic. This offer expires March 31.

Margaritaville at Sea

Whether you’re a Jimmy Buffett fan or you just want a short inexpensive getaway, Margaritaville at Sea can deliver. During the line’s latest Flash Sail promotion, you can snag 60% off all fares and up to $200 in onboard credit.

Plus, third and fourth passengers sail free when sharing a cabin with two adults — great for saving money on a girlfriend getaway or family cruise vacation. This is also a great deal for solo cruisers, as there’s no single supplement.

MSC Cruises

If a family cruise is on your bingo card this year, listen up. MSC Cruises is currently offering a “kids sail free” deal. Passengers 17 years old and younger will sail free on select sailings (as third and fourth guests in a cabin). You can also get up to 35% off your cruise. The offer is available on new bookings made through Feb. 12 and applies to sailings through 2026.

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

With National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ Gift of Exploration promotion, cruisers can snag up to $2,000 in expedition credit and save up to 10% on their booking (if the cruise is paid in full at the time of booking). Also, solo travelers can save 25% or 40% on solo cabins on select departures (subject to availability). The line’s wave season offer is valid on select voyages and expires March 4.

Princess Cruises

Want to save up to 40% on your next Princess Cruises sailing? Jump on the line’s Come Aboard Sale, which is available through Feb. 28. In addition to the savings, you can score free cabin upgrades and discounted booking deposits.

Families take note: This deal also includes free fares for third and fourth passengers (in the same cabin as first and second passengers). This deal applies to select voyages from now through 2027.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

For wave season 2025, Regent is offering suite upgrades and reduced deposits with its Upgrade Your Horizon promotion. Passengers can enjoy a two-category suite upgrade and pay only 50% of the usual deposit amount. Residents of the U.S. and Canada can snag an additional 20% discount on select sailings. This offer is available on all ships and destinations and expires Feb. 28.

Additionally, the line is offering a second From Regent With Love deal to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Book by Feb. 21 to snag up to $500 in onboard credit, a two-category room upgrade and a 50% reduced deposit on select 2025 cruise departures.

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Scenic’s Wave of Savings sales promo includes two-for-one fares on river and yacht voyages. You can also save up to $2,000 per cabin on luxury yacht itineraries and up to $1,500 per cabin on select river sailings and receive free airfare when you pay in full based on suite category and destination. This offer ends March 31.

Seabourn

Luxury line Seabourn’s Sail of the Year promotion includes savings of up to 15% on select ocean and expedition cruises and up to $1,000 in onboard credit per cabin when you book by Feb. 18. The sale applies to select voyages through 2027.

Sea Cloud

Small sailing ship line Sea Cloud is offering savings of up to 65% on select sailings with its Catch the Early Wave promotion. The offer applies to all ships and itineraries departing from April to December 2025. Book by March 31.

Silversea Cruises

Available until Feb. 28, Silversea’s Up to $5,000 Reasons to Sail offers cruisers savings of up to $5,000 ($2,500 per person) on the line’s Door-to-Door and Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares. Passengers will also enjoy a 15% reduced deposit. This offer applies to hundreds of ocean and expedition sailings departing through 2027.

Star Clippers

Sailing ship line Star Clippers is offering up to $250 in airfare credit (per person) and up to $250 in beverage credits (per cabin) when you book a sailing on any of the line’s three sailing vessels by March 31. The wave season promotion applies to select cabin categories and is only valid for residents of North America, Central America and South America.

Swan Hellenic

With Swan Hellenic’s Explore Together promotion, the second guest on a reservation can snag 50% savings when the first passenger pays full fare. The offer applies to almost all cruises to destinations such as Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, the Mediterranean, Western Europe and the Americas. Book by March 16.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Luxury river cruise line Uniworld is offering up to 30% off fares per person when you book select 2025 voyages and pay in full by Feb. 28 as part of its Sail Into Savings event. Uniworld is also waiving single supplements on select 2025 cruises. (The solo offer expires Feb. 28 and applies to select cabin categories).

Viking

Save on river, ocean and expedition cruises with Viking‘s Explorers’ Sale wave season promotion. When you book select sailings by Feb. 28, you can receive discounts on cruise fares, free airfare and reduced deposits of as little as $25 per person. This offer is available to North American travelers and valid on select river, ocean and expedition cruises departing through 2027.

Virgin Voyages

Always on the cutting edge of the cruise industry, Virgin Voyages is offering cruisers (“sailors” in Virgin lingo) a BOGO deal — 80% off second-passenger fares. Book one fare at full price, and your companion will sail for an 80% discount.

The line is also throwing in up to $300 worth of free drinks per cabin (beer, wine, Champagne and cocktails), depending on the length of your voyage. This deal is available through Feb. 13 and applies to all 2025 and 2026 itineraries.

Windstar

Known for its high-end sailings in French Polynesia, Windstar Cruises is giving cruisers a choice of either one free hotel night (precruise or postcruise) or up to $1,000 in onboard credit during its Pick Your Perk promotion. You can apply the onboard credit to shore excursions, spa services or alcoholic beverage packages.

Planning to splurge on a premium suite? You have a third option — a free all-inclusive fare upgrade (valued at $99 per day) that covers unlimited select alcohol, Wi-Fi and all gratuities. Book by March 31 to take advantage of this offer.

Shore Excursions Group

Wave season deals aren’t limited to cruise lines, as is the case with Shore Excursions Group, which specializes in smaller group shore excursions. Through March 31, travelers will get up to a 10% discount (on top of the up to 40% off the company already offers cruisers) on select shore excursions.

The special applies to single excursion bookings, as well as multiport packages (a bundle of excursions at two or more ports). Excursions are available at a variety of destinations throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and Australia, among others. Tours included in the deal are marked with a red ribbon that reads “special.”

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