140. Wave Season Explained: How to Secure Premium Cruises, Disney, and Luxury Tours for 2026

Wave season is here—and it’s hands down the best time for discerning travelers to secure luxury vacations for 2026, both domestic and international. Join Michele Schwartz of Makin’ Memories Travel Co. as she unpacks why savvy travelers book during wave season to access exclusive perks, insider access, and tailored experiences with top-tier partners like Disney, Globus, Avalon, and your favorite premium cruise lines.

From cruising adults-only to immersive cultural tours and bespoke Disney magic, Michele shares the secrets behind wave season’s extraordinary value. Plus, get a sneak peek into upcoming curated group adventures and once-in-a-lifetime trips you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re new to luxury travel or a seasoned jet-setter, this episode will inspire your wanderlust and show you why wave season is the ultimate window to craft your next extraordinary adventure.

Connect with Michele on IG: @jetsettingwithmichele or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/MMTinsiders

Contact Michele to plan your next vacation: www.makinmemoriestravel.co/contact, michele@makinmemoriestravel.co, or schedule a 15 minute consult: https://tidycal.com/texasmfs/15-minute-meeting

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

Hello jet setters. Welcome back to another episode of Jet Setting. With me, it is Michele here, your memory maker and your wanderlust instigator, owner of Making Memories travel company. So I have one bit of housekeeping before we get started with today's fabulous episode, and that is if you love what you hear today about all these Wave season specials and how to get the most out of them. And I would be incredibly grateful if you would share this with anyone that you want to or love traveling with. And hey, while you're at it, you can connect with me on social links are in the show notes. So get into my We Make Memories Facebook group or follow me on Instagram. You can direct message me.

I would love to hear from you. And as I said, links are in the show notes. Okay, now that maybe I have you intrigued about this quote unquote fabulous episode that I mentioned, let's unpack what wave season truly means and why it is a game changer for travelers of every kind. I am going to break down what you need to know for wave season, which is really a golden window of opportunity where booking smart means you get more than just a reservation. You get perks, insider access, and the peace of mind. The only a CTA certified. That stands for Certified Travel Advisor. It means I've taken extra courses through the Travel Agent University and passed a test to get that accreditation.

So not all of us have it. And so I can offer you a service that perhaps not everyone who isn't a CTA can. So now let's get cozy. I'm about to spill the ultimate travel tea. So again, what is wave season and why should you care? I like to think of wave season as the ultimate Black Friday sale of travel only instead of, well, I guess Black Friday now is like all of November, but we get three months of wave season. It's traditionally January through March. It's called wave season because it used to be just the cruise lines offered specials, but now it's cruise lines, tour operators, big destinations. Everybody rolls out their best perks and their exclusive offers so that they can tie you into your travel for 2026 and actually even beyond.

Because some cruise lines, both ocean and river and tour operators, have dates into 2027, which is even better because you're locking in the 2026 rates during wave season. And here's the scoop for my clients, it's about more than discounts. It does give you priority access to the choices cabins because there's more availability right now. I can get you customized experiences before everybody gets booked and yes, deals you are not going to find hunting online at 2am or or at Costco or at any of your online travel agencies. That is why partnering with me makes all the difference. You're navigating all these complex offers and we're securing your ideal travel and trip dates before they vanish. As I mentioned my certification, it represents training and luxury travel supplier relations, guest experience, management, also things I got from when I worked at Disney. Which means you get expert access to me and a flawlessly curated journey.

So booking early during this prime booking window is going to set you up for that stress free travel, locking in those premium perks, for example Flexible deposits, potential cabin upgrades or exclusive experiences. And that means everyone else who doesn't listen to this podcast is going to be scrambling to book last minute. So that is how you vacation like me, AKA Extra af. So cruising in luxury what wave season is going to unlock for you as we talk cruises? Because if you know me, I'm obsessed. Cruising is where my passion really shines. Whether it's the adult only sanctuary of Virgin Voyages which has some incredulous vibes, stackable perks, or maybe it's the refined elegance and luxury of Silver Sea or the enchanting World of Disney Cruise Line which has unique family magic. Or maybe like river cruising with my personal favorite Avalon offering intimate shore excursions, Wave Season is the exclusive time when all of these cruise lines roll out Red carpet offers Wall street which are specific to savvy travelers like you. During this booking period you can expect, as I mentioned earlier, reduced deposits, which I love because you get to keep more of your money now instead of the cruise company having it, cabin upgrades, sizable onboard credits that you can use for the spa, any upscale dining or specialty charges or exclusive exclusive excursions.

Every detail that makes your voyage smooth sailing from start to finish is going to be on sale during Wave season. As I said, I'm fond of Virgin Voyages and their Wave Season packages are especially exciting because they have stackability. So if you've ever been on a Virgin Voyages cruise and you've listened to my advice that the best time to buy your your next cruise is when you're on one. It's called an MNVV or My Next Virgin Voyage. So it's a credit from a previous trip and you can stack it with the Wave Season specials so you get to double up on benefits like the extra bar tab, the onboard credit, and significant discounts on the second passenger in your cabin. Now of course the waves beckon. Many of us like me some of you prefer your luxury on land. I love a good guided tour too, and that is where these premium tours are.

If culture, cuisine, tailored experiences are your vibe, premium land tours are where luxury travel truly, truly shines. Now companies like Globus and Colette, which are my two favorite land tour providers, they're going to blend that comfort at the hotels and tour buses with the authentic immersion. They're going to roll out exclusive offers on handpicked tours across the us, Europe and Asia. So you can explore the tulip filled canals in Amsterdam and the Netherlands or enjoy expertly guided journeys that are have all that local flavor like the waffle making that we did in Bruges without any hassle. So or planning so booking during wave season for these tours will mean free upgrades to perhaps a nicer hotel or a nicer room. Some give you included flights or if you want to fly on miles, you get that credit Special extras that are going to enrich your journey. Some of them are going to include your gratuities as a special for wave season. All kinds of different ones and I analyze every option and then I'm going to match the ideal experience to your travel style along with those wave season enhancements.

My two top picks as I mentioned, are Globus and Colette and they are definitely making extra AF wave season offers. So Globus right now has no single supplement and up to $1,000 off and even more savings if you, like me, do not have to travel during school vacations and when it's crowded or too hot and you can go on shoulder season. Plus, I am a member. My agency is a member of the Signature Consortia which means my clients can currently get a $250 credit from Colette on top of these wave season specials. Now let's switch gears to another place that is near and dear to my heart. Theme parks. Now when you think Disney, your mind probably heads straight to Walt Disney World in Orlando and rightly so. I mean I only talk about it like every six weeks when I go.

Disney Magic actually has many, many other opportunities. This year I am booking a lot of Disneyland because it's the 70th anniversary and people are really excited about those celebrations out there in California. There is the Aulani Resort in Hawaii which is tailor made for family vacations in Hawaii because there's Kids club and then there's ad areas which is also like the Disney Cruise line. It's blending excitement and elegance and enchantment on the seas. And they have two new ships and let's not forget the tour provider Adventures by Disney, they have guided luxury experiences around the globe. And each of these is going to require, as I keep telling you, tailored planning because they're all very unique experiences. I have, in addition to my CTA certification, I have on site training and online training through Disney's College of Disney Knowledge. And then I also am a member of the Universal partner community.

So I get insider only promotions and early booking windows that are exclusive to advisors with Universal. And I've mentioned before, I have annual passes that I pay for. So I'm not small sponsored by either Disney or Universal. And I go every six weeks just so I can get my knowledge firsthand. Hashtag I know because I go. But beyond Universal and Disney, there are thrills across multiple parks. I mean come on, Tokyo Disneyland, here we come. And the soon to be kid friendly theme park near Dallas by Universal.

It's a fresh landscape of family adventure. I've gotten to see some artist renderings and believe it or not, I'm excited to go. And I am not their target audience. So navigating the best timing, maybe a pre opening excursion up to, I think it's actually Grapevine but near Dallas, package customization. Those are going to require my expert eye for you and it's a perfect fit for my extensive training and of course course my passion as a Disney adult and a theme park aficionado. So one big example, I just booked a client who is doing a week long split stay. Universal, Orlando, Walt Disney World and then a four day Disney cruise after that. So we locked in all three separate reservations.

The Universal Orlando Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disney Cruise Line for three adults and three kids. The six people total taking advantage of the lowered Disney Cruise Line deposit because of wave season, we were able to secure all of their deposits for less than a thousand dollars down. Again, they're getting to keep more of their money in their pocket for now up until the full due date, which for Universal In Orlando is 30 days. It's a further out for the cruise line, but it guaranteed their current pricing, their cabin numbers, the space available and now they have peace of mind that that's done them and they're not going for 11 more months. So with so many options, having someone who truly knows the ropes is truly priceless. That is truly why I want to be in your corner so that I can help you. That way you don't have to make a one click purchase. I get to meticulously wave the details, pun intended on that wave those details for you that are timed perfectly for you and your time frame.

None of the everything is bespoke. None of this is cookie cutter. So as a cta, I dive deep into your travel style. I'm going to deliver personalized journeys and booking during wave season means you get that access to the exclusive offers. As I said, you're not going to find them on an online travel agency or around the Internet and that hands on support every step of the way from booking until you get back. I am here to keep your travel stress free and your experience extra AF. Now if you're wondering what 2026 holds next, let me give you a little inside scoop. Of course you might have also listened to last week's episode about the travel trends, but I have been curating some spectacular group adventures that I can't wait to share.

From adults only cruise escapades to a luxurious Paris to Normandy river cruise and some immersive cultural journeys. Okay, maybe it's not full on cultural, but let's talk some Gilmore Girls and some fall leaf peeping. These trips are going to be designed for those who want travel set jetting with flair and a little sprinkle of my own. Wow this. So if you want first dibs on a consult to explore options, you know where to find me. Hint hint. Show notes. And my website always has all the goodies.

So as we wrap this up, here are three key things I want you to remember about making wave season work hardest for you. It's all about working smarter, not harder, right? So book early. Prime cabins in these states won't wait forever. The earlier the better. Stay flexible with your travel dates if you can. That way we can snag you the most premium perks which are usually going to be for off season or what I call shoulder season. And of course work with me. I've got the scoop and I know where to look for those hidden gems.

And hopefully I get to know you well enough that I can personalize all the options to you. Because when it comes to your 2026 travel, settling for just okay is not what we are looking for. So if you are ready to transform those dreams into reality, reach out soon. Get on my calendar. Your wave season perks starting now. And those best options do really go fast. So head over to my website or hit the contact me button. DM me.

Let's chat. And until next time, make every journey a memory worth savoring.