WAVE Season--Best Time to book a cruise!

Wave Season begins in January and runs through March each year. It's the time when most cruise lines offer their best deals, with discounts and promotions, to tempt you to dive in and book your next cruise! It's like Black Friday -- Cruise Edition.

During Wave Season, most cruise line offers are aimed at tempting travelers to book their cruises in advance in order to get the best pricing and availability. If you've ever tried to snag a last minute cruise with a midship, mid-level stateroom, you'll know they are basically non-existent. But booking ahead during Wave season might just get you your dream cruise, perfect stateroom, and at a great price with bonuses, too!

If your schedule requires you to travel during peak travel times, your best bet is probably to book ahead during Wave Season. The rule of thumb for cruises is that the earlier you book, the better rate you will find. As staterooms fill up, prices rise accordingly. Especially now, with many Baby Boomers traveling to complete their bucket lists, last minute cruise deals are almost a thing of the past!

I was a little late coming to the ocean cruise craze, but have cruised with Disney, Viking, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity -- and loved them all. I like the smaller ships offered by Viking ocean cruises, but also love all the activities and shows that the larger cruise ships offer. I love only unpacking once! I love trying out all the restaurants and the convenience of the buffets. I love the trivia contests, art/craft/onboard activity options, live Broadway-style shows, and even trying my luck at the casinos. With Disney cruises, I love the character interactions and other Disney-themed offerings. And having access to amenities like state-of-the-art gyms and relaxing spas, not to mention water slides, rounds out the vacation experience.

Maybe our best onboard cruise experience to date has been the Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Celebrity Beyond, where we saw the food pantries, kitchens, laundry and bridge operations. Fascinating to see the well-choreographed complexities needed to provide guests with seamless, pampered experiences.

River cruising offers a more intimate way to visit multiple European cities. With smaller ships, river cruising offers unique experiences, exotic locales, excellent dining and many shore excursion options. On our Danube river cruise, the journey itself became part of the entertainment when we got to watch the procedures needed to traverse the intricate lock systems that make European rivers navigable.

Oceans or rivers, if you've wanted to try out cruising, or even if you're a seasoned cruiser, booking your vacation during Wave Season is likely your best bet for deals and availability.

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