TORONTO — Forward bookings for Caribbean cruises are holding up very well – despite recent unwanted attention on that part of the world. Longer itineraries are selling like hotcakes. And when should clients book their Europe sailings? ‘ASAP’ is an understatement.

Wave season – these crucial depths-of-winter weeks when the cruise deals and promotions are plentiful, and cruise requests roll in like a tsunami – tend to set the tone for cruise bookings for the next 12 months.

Several of the industry’s biggest ocean cruise lines tell Travelweek that Wave 2026 is full steam ahead, despite ever-present geopolitical tensions in many parts of the world. We heard from river cruise lines too.

“What’s encouraging for us isn’t just raw booking volume, but how people are booking,” says Sean Russo, Virgin Voyages’ Director of Sales, Canada. He says passengers are planning further ahead, opting for better cabins, and locking in 2026/2027 travel earlier than usual. “That tells us confidence in future travel is still there. External factors may create some short-term hesitation, but demand for well-priced, experience-led cruising hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Booking patterns are, as always, a moving target. At MSC Cruises, last-minute demand is surging, “especially in the Caribbean, Antilles, Mediterranean and Northern Europe,” says Ian Patterson, Country Manager, MSC Cruises Canada. He adds: “At the same time, bookings for late 2026, early 2027 are pacing ahead of expectations.” That’s especially true for MSC’s newest flagship, MSC World Asia, sailing the Med at the end of 2026.

BOOK EARLY – REALLY EARLY –  FOR EUROPE

Are Caribbean bookings taking any sort of hit after the U.S. administration’s strike on Venezuela and the FAA’s Caribbean 24-hour airspace closure for U.S. airlines?

Interest in Caribbean travel “remains robust,” Priscilla Reyes, Head of Sales, Costa Cruises North America, tells Travelweek.

Virgin Voyages’ Russo characterizes the mood out there as “not a shift away [from the Caribbean], but definitely a broadening of interest. The Caribbean remains a core driver, but we’re also seeing increased attention on Europe, repositioning voyages and longer itineraries.”

Virgin Voyages

Holland America Line’s VP Revenue Management, Dan Rough, says the surge in demand for European cruises has bookings for the 2026 season up more than a third compared to this time last year. The rise is especially notable in the cruise line’s Northern Europe voyages, an increase of nearly 50% year over year. “Given the strong pace of bookings we’re seeing and our ‘Start Your Journey’ Wave promotion underway, I’d recommend anyone considering a summer European cruise book soon,” says Rough.

Holland America

Costa’s Reyes notes that European inventory in general is more limited at this stage of the year compared with Caribbean space, as many sailings are already being reserved for summer peak months. “Early availability for Mediterranean and Northern Europe often sells well ahead of the classic Wave Season booking peaks,” she points out.

Her advice for agents working European bookings? “Encourage early commitments. Because European sailings tend to fill sooner, especially in the Mediterranean, it’s beneficial to secure bookings now rather than waiting for potential price drops. If a guest waits and there’s no space, it will lead to disappointment.”

Offering options on different departure cities or alternative date ranges (i.e. April / May or September / October) can give travellers more choice where inventory is tighter, she adds.

The surge in Europe demand has been a boon for Greece & Med specialist Celestyal. The cruise line says its Wave promotions have so far delivered a 51% increase in global revenues YOY. Bookings are tracking 23% ahead of internal Wave Season targets. Celestyal also reports a 40% increase in active travel advisors, with more agencies booking the brand than ever before. This growth has translated into a 92% year-over-year increase in travel advisor bookings.

Driven by sustained demand, Celestyal has added seven additional departures of its ‘Heavenly Greece, Italy & Croatia’ itinerary and four extra sailings of its ‘Idyllic Aegean’ itinerary to its Wave promotion.

MSC’s Patterson says MSC’s inter-porting model comes in handy as demand for Europe sailings soars. Passengers can board or disembark a cruise at different, pre-approved ports along the itinerary, rather than just the primary homeport. “With over 40 departure ports across Europe, MSC Cruises provides Canadian travellers with exceptional flexibility: if one port reaches capacity, travel advisors can simply propose another nearby embarkation point. For example, Palma de Mallorca is an especially convenient gateway for Canadians, with direct Air Canada service making it easy to connect guests to Mediterranean sailings even during peak periods,” says Patterson.

MSC Cruises

LONGER ITINERARIES & SPECIAL SAILINGS

What else is trending this Wave season? For both Costa and MSC, Caribbean sailings out of La Romana, D.R. are selling very well. MSC’s Patterson says Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar itineraries aboard MSC Euribia and MSC World Europa are performing particularly strongly, plus The Canary Islands and Madeira are also exceeding expectations, “driven by demand for warm weather.” And for Costa, transatlantic sailings that combine Caribbean with Europe “are appealing to Canadian guests who want a longer cruise vacation that combines tropical and European stops in one itinerary. These longer repositioning or extended voyages have increasingly attracted Canadians seeking bucket list experiences with one booking,” says Reyes.

Longer itineraries are booking well during Wave 2026 for Carnival too, and special one-off sailings as well. Over the years Carnival has expanded its offerings to include new destinations and distinctive sailings beyond traditional itineraries. This year Carnival will offer its first-ever solar eclipse cruise from Dover, England, featuring a specially positioned day at sea for viewing the total solar eclipse on Aug.12, along with calls to France, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium. Carnival also recently announced its 2027/2028 Europe program onboard Carnival Sunshine, with first-ever calls to La Goulette, Tunisia; Tangier, Morocco; Bari, Italy; Bar, Montenegro; and Ajaccio, Corsica, France.

Carnival Cruise Line

RIVER CRUISE LINES GET A WAVE TOO

We wanted to know if river cruise lines also benefit from Wave season. “Riverside is very much riding the same ‘Wave’ as our ocean cruise peers,” says Peter Ouzounov, Riverside’s Senior Director of Sales, Canada. “In Canada, we’re already seeing double-digit growth compared to this time last year, and we expect this trend to continue through the full Wave season.”

Ouzounov offers up some of Riverside’s biggest sellers these days: “Last-minute Tulip Time bookings through Holland and Belgium this spring, strong demand for 2026 Christmas Markets sailings, and growing interest in our south of France program, particularly in the fall. Forward bookings for 2027 are also coming in steadily.”

Scenic Group Canada, Lisa McCaskill, VP, Sales & Marketing says 2025 was Scenic Group Canada’s best sales year ever, “with no signs of slowing” in these first weeks of 2026.

Pam Hoffee, President of Avalon Waterways, says while river cruising typically books earlier than ocean cruising, “we do see a meaningful Wave-like surge in the first quarter of the year – and 2026 is shaping up to be no exception. Canadian demand is particularly strong, with bookings already pacing well ahead of last year, and momentum accelerating as travellers lock in plans for the year ahead.”

In fact, says Hoffee, Canadian passenger bookings for Avalon’s 2026 sailings are currently running more than 10% ahead of the same time last year, with the past eight weeks showing an even sharper increase – nearly 40% ahead year over year.

This article appears in the Jan. 29, 2026 edition of Travelweek; click here.