Wave Season is when you get the best cruise deals

We are only a month into into wave season (Jan-Mar) and travel agents are reporting duble digit sales over last year. Clients are booking longer and more complex cruise vacations. Seasoned travelers understand Wave Season is when you get the best deals. Cold weather around the country may also be spurring consumers to book warm weather vacations.

Increased demand for river cruise and smaller ship experiences has shifted some booking patterns. Clients looking to book luxury and river cruises are already making plans for next year.Agents are getting calls for 2015 that don’t have to do with the discounts.The river cruise ships are small, so if people don’t make their decision a year ahead of time they could be disappointed there isn’t space for them.

The demand is definitely there and people want to know what they’re going to get ahead of time, instead of taking what they can get at a discount.

Family cruises, as family and multigenerational trips grow in popularity, booking further out is becoming more commonplace. People now realize that taking a vacation is important to them, and last-minute bookings don’t work if you have a family. Clients seem to be prioritizing quality over price savings more than in previous years.

Agents also said that cruise lines are offering a wider variety of incentives for booking than in the past. You might have gratuities included or upgrades. Lines are starting to look outside of the box to add value, instead of doing the same thing year after year.

One agent said improved marketing materials have helped her promote her agency.

Social media impact
One different thing I’ve noticed this year is cruise lines are sending agents promo materials specifically for social media. It’s a lot easier for agents to get the word out when cruise line provide agents materials for the online market.

Facebook users will like or repost some of the material agents posts, leading people who don’t even follow an agent that post on Facebook to call and inquire about a cruise.

People are also booking for spring break and the summer, about three to six months out.


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