by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 9:40 AM ET, Wed December 17, 2025
The 2026 wave season is officially here, which means your clients can enjoy big savings on cruises booked between now and March.
But how can travel advisors make the most of this bountiful booking period? This is not the time to kick back and let your clients come to you — instead, take advantage of all the deals and start 2026 on a high note by following these tips and advice for wave season.
Recommend Loyalty Programs
Many cruise lines have loyalty programs, from Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Club to Royal Caribbean International's Crown & Anchor Society. In some instances, joining these loyalty programs can help your clients save even more money during wave season — and most are free and easy to join.
“Many cruise operators extend additional savings to their members during promotions,” says Sheralyn Berry, general manager of the Americas for HX Expeditions.
Seize the Opportunity to Upsell
Wave season deals mean your clients will be saving money. With less strain on their pocketbooks, they may be more receptive to your upsell pitches, says Berry.
“They may be more inclined to allocate those savings toward enhancing their overall travel experience,” she says. “This presents an ideal moment to suggest upgrades, optional excursions, pre- or post-cruise packages and other commissionable add-ons that can elevate their journey.”
Research Higher Commissions for Specific Products
Some cruise lines are offering higher wave season commissions for specific destinations and products. Take some time to familiarize yourself with these products so you can maximize your earnings while selling discounted packages, says Berry.
Travel advisor working from the home office. (Photo Credit: Drs Producoes/E+)
Strengthen Your Relationships With Preferred Partners
Wave season is a great time to reach out to your local business development managers and catch up. Together, you can craft a wave season plan for maximizing your earning potential, says Alex Pinelo, chief sales officer for AmaWaterways.
"AmaWaterways is more than a supplier, we are a true business partner creating the most magical and memorable river cruise experiences that will keep travel advisors’ clients coming back to them,” he says.
Simplify and Personalize Your Messages to Clients
You don’t need to get fancy with outreach during wave season — a simple message to pique your clients’ interest and let them know deals are coming will suffice.
Pinelo recommends something along the lines of: “January is the perfect month to reserve your next vacation, as this is when many of the cruise lines announce limited time special offers or added amenities,” followed by “I’m looking forward to sharing some interesting offers with you in January.”
Pinelo also recommends personalizing your message based on each client’s situation and preferences. For example, you might say or write something like: “I know you have always wanted to travel with your grandkids, so this offer from AmaWaterways can turn that dream into a reality,” he recommends.
Complete Top Vendor Training
Now is the time to visit (or revisit) the training portals of your top vendors, suggests Jesse Morris, who owns We Book Travel LLC, an independent agency in the Avoya Travel Network.
“New ships, new pricing and promotion structures, new destinations and more are available in most of the training portals,” he says. “If you have been putting off completing that training, you are doing yourself a disservice and are behind advisors who will be better prepared than you.”
Along those same lines, take advantage of the wave season resources provided by your suppliers, says Berry. From email templates to social media posts and flyers, these professionally designed materials can help enhance your marketing efforts.
“Reach out to your local sales teams to access these readily available tools,” she says.
Prepare a Few Trips in Advance
Your clients will likely all be asking you the same question: “Are there any good deals out there?”
Prepare to answer this question by building out a few trips you can quickly and easily share, suggests Morris. Depending on your client base, you may want to prepare a range of trips that are budget-friendly, mid-range and luxury to send at a moment’s notice.
These pre-built trips are especially handy for clients who do not have a specific itinerary in mind, Morris adds.
“Sometimes people just do not know what they want to do and are looking to us for ideas and expertise,” says Morris. “If you know a question is coming, be prepared to answer it.”
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