Cruise lines are using promotions to market their trips and compete with other segments of the travel industry that advertise special offers during the holidays.
The typical post-New Year deals on cruise vacations have arrived more than a month ahead of schedule.
Over the past few weeks, many cruise lines have rolled out discounts and free add-ons meant to entice bookings. These kinds of deals more often surface during wave season, an industry term for the first three months of the year that is traditionally the most popular time to book a cruise vacation, industry experts and travel advisers say.