Looking for a deal on a cruise getaway in the Caribbean this winter? A record number of other people have the same idea and that’s created an unprecedented demand.
While the plethora of Black Friday and upcoming January Wave Month cruise sales offer some amazing deals, many came with a catch–they’re for cruises a year or more in the future.
Searching for winter deals on-line revealed many lines are sold out for popular winter weeks and suite categories. Some offered a ray of hope: join the waitlist. How about Spring? Nope, same story. Summer? How about summer, 2026?
It’s due to a Lazarus-like rebound of cruising as the most economical way of seeing the world. While 27-million people cruised in the pre-pandemic year 2019, cruises plunged to near zero as ships around the world spent a year at anchor. The recovery saw only 3.3-mlliion in 2021. But then pent-up demand in 2023 saw 28.8-million sail and 2024 is on track to top 30-million—which is a 9.2 per cent increase over 2019.
A dozen new ships added to fleets have boosted total passenger capacity by 25,450 more beds in the past year. But guess what? The growing demand has them so fully booked many are saying sorry, there’s no room for you. Some examples:
For their year-end sale, Princess Cruises promoted 50 per cent off fares and a shipboard credit. But nearly all the cruises on sale happen in 2026 and 2027.
Next stop Celebrity Cruises, which is offering a generous 75 per cent off the second guest in a shared cabin. Great; but when I went to sign up for an available March cruise on Celebrity Ascent, it turned out it’s in March of 2026. The price was irresistible and I did put down a deposit for it– but it’s not going to keep me warm this winter.
Oceania Cruises offered its Best-Ever Black Friday Sale, including opportunities for up to four-category cabin upgrades, as well as exclusive amenities packages that included up to $5,500 in added value, from all-inclusive drink packages to shipboard credit and free or reduced airfare. Want a suite or a penthouse? Nothing’s available on some ships until March and you may have to join a waitlist. So the upgrades aren’t infinite.
Holland America Line’s Sitewide Cyber Sale offered over 800 cruises worldwide with 25 per cent off fares that include gratuities and can be booked with only a $25 non-refundable deposit. These can be combined with HAL’s Have it All package. The line has so many ships sailing the Caribbean in the winter that most do have space, but on many sailings, suites, particularly the Neptune suites are sold out.
On Royal Caribbean, most of the sailings on sale in the Caribbean don’t happen until May. There’s a best price on a January cruise on Grandeur of the Seas, but look closer and it’s January of 2026. For Allure of the Seas, the sale dates are all in 2026.
And hurry up and wait is a feature on luxury lines. Upcoming holiday cruises on Regent Seven Seas Cruises newest, the Seven Seas Grandeur, are waitlisted. There are even waitlists for many suite categories on the ship next summer.
On Seabourn Cruises many cruises offer upgrades to higher veranda categories, but checking a sailing in April on Seabourn Ovation finds the top veranda categories as well as penthouses unavailable.
So should you take a risk on a wait list to snag a great price for a cruise you really want? Like airlines, cruise lines expect a certain number of last-minute cancellations. Offering a wait list rather than being sold out means they do expect some space to open up.
But the final count of available accommodations only becomes clear a month or two before the cruise, when final payments are due and some people with deposits change their minds.
Booking air so close to departure may mean less choice and higher prices for last-minute tickets. And if you don’t happen to score a wait-listed space and you booked air in advance, there are likely to be cancellation and change fees. Here’s where purchasing air with a guaranteed rate through the cruise line can help.
And booking through an experienced travel agent can be essential.
Waitlists clear more often than people realize, especially for longer cruises or itineraries scheduled far in advance, says Mary Jean Tully, Founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel, a top agency worldwide for upscale cruise lines “At our agency, we handle a high volume of cruises and are constantly monitoring and managing waitlists. Clearing them is a regular occurrence for us,” she says.
“With so much uncertainty in the world, plans are always changing. This is where the expertise of a specialized travel agency becomes invaluable, Tully notes. “Many travelers place cabins on hold just to secure them, knowing they can cancel without penalty as long as they’re outside the cancellation window. That’s why it’s essential to work with a reputable agency that actively manages waitlists rather than passively waiting for spaces to open.”
“Our agency doesn’t just rely on automated systems—we check waitlists continuously,” Tully says. “If one of our clients cancels a reservation, we immediately review our internal waitlist to see if another client can take their spot, provided name changes are permitted. This proactive approach often helps us secure spaces for our clients even when availability is tight.”
It can take the worry out of waiting.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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