A method for reducing cross-phase modulation in an optical signal includes receiving an optical signal comprising a plurality of channels, wherein the information being communicated in a first set of one or more of the channels is modulated using one or more single-polarization modulation techniques and wherein the information being communicated in a second set of one or more of the channels is modulated using one or more dual-polarization modulation techniques. The method also includes splitting the optical signal into at least a first copy of the optical signal and a second copy of the optical signal and terminating the second set of channels in the first copy. Furthermore, the method includes applying a differential group delay to the second copy, the differential group delay introducing a walk-off between symbols communicated in a first polarization component of the second set of channels and the symbols of a second polarization component of the second set of channels. In addition, the method includes terminating the first set of channels in the second copy, combining the first set of channels in the first copy and the second set of channels in the second copy, and forwarding the combined channels.