The cruise industry's annual peak selling period — called Wave Season — has either just begun or is just around the corner, depending on the perspective of your industry source. Some lines say the annual peak cruise selling season actually begins in late November or early December. Others take a more traditional approach, considering the official start of "the Wave" January 1.
At least one cruise industry analyst, UBS Warburg’s Robin Farley, is already tracking the start of Wave Season. And Farley’s report today to investors about week-over-week, initial pricing says “all signs [are] pointing up.”
The UBS Cruise Pricing Survey tracks pricing across different itineraries and brands. The first analyzes pricing year over year, but more importantly, tracks close-in pricing week to week. Farley acknowledges that while it’s still early in looking at Wave Season, “all geographies are showing solid pricing levels suggesting an improving demand outlook.”
In the Mediterranean, she noted that “pricing continues to improve steadily over recent weeks, suggesting a stable base of bookings is coming online.” In Alaska, she said pricing has been “relatively stable” and firming in recent weeks. And in the Caribbean, pricing has remained stable and even up slightly from one week to the next.
Wave Season typically runs through the end of March or into April. It’s generally the time of the year when cruise lines give great deals to entice consumers to book early for cruises throughout the year.
