At the beginning of each calendar year, the cruise industry rolls out a number of special deals, fares, and offers, in order to encourage people to book cruises. This time of year is called “Wave Season” in the cruise industry, and it’s a great time to book a vacation at a bargain. Read on to learn more.
How did Wave Season come to be?
The deals available with “Wave Season” came about with one important fact and one important realization. The cruise industry realized that people were more inclined to book vacations in the early months of the year. People were more able to schedule vacations because their schedules for the year were still mostly open, and they had fresh vacations to use. In addition, the winter weather in most places had potential travelers thinking about sunnier times and places. Once the cruise industry realized that people in general were more apt to plan a vacation in the early months of the year, they offered that extra incentive to go forward and book it by offering special deals, perks, and lower fares. Thus, “Wave Season,” the Black Friday of the cruise industry, was born.
Wave Season generally lasts from January to March. It’s the best time of the year to book a cruise.
What can I do to take advantage?
Here are a few tips to help you get the best value out of your cruise booking:
- Figure how much the cruise you want to book would normally cost. Sounds simple, right? How do you know you’re getting a deal if you don’t know how much what you’re buying is supposed to cost? Simple or not, it’s something many shoppers of all types of products overlook. The bigger the purchase, the bigger a mistake this can be. Make sure you know how much you should be paying for this cruise, so you know whether or not you’re getting a good deal. In addition, many of the Wave Season specials are for perks like upgraded cabins, credit for food and drink, and the like. Make sure you know the typical prices for these things so you know how much money a free upgrade is saving you.
- Read the fine print. It’s easy to find a deal that sounds great on paper, but when you look more closely isn’t applicable to what you want to buy. Make sure that the sales and specials you’re interested in apply to the cruise you want to take. In addition, many of the deals are limited-time offers that come with expiration dates; make sure the deals you want haven’t expired by the time you book your trip.
- Comparison shop. A free upgrade on one cruise line may not be much of a perk if you can still get the same features cheaper through another cruise line. Do your research to find out if the deal you’re getting really is a good deal.
If you follow all these tips, you can find a great cruise vacation at a steal of a price. Check out AffordableTours.com to book your Wave Season cruise today!