Norwegian Reps on Facebook Rankle Agents

Travel agents expressed dismay at a push into social media by Norwegian Cruise Line’s sales representatives or “personal cruise consultants.” The cruise line defended its sales consultants’ social media activity, saying it does not encroach on travel agent territory.

In recent months, a number of Norwegian’s cruise consultants have created Facebook business pages where they promote deals and destinations. The pages feature prominent Norwegian branding and images.

While the Facebook pages identify the individuals as “personal cruise consultants,” some Norwegian salespeople also represent themselves as being a “travel agent” or a “travel agency.” (See for example: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeNoukasPersonalCruiseConsultant)

Complaints about the social media activity by Norwegian’s sales reps have been circulating on travel agent online forums, Travel Market Report learned this week.

Norwegian responds
Norwegian responded promptly to questions about the Facebook pages, saying the Norwegian representatives are merely using Facebook to reach current and prior direct customers – not to poach business from traditional agents.

Camille Olivere, senior vice president of sales, said that Facebook isn’t a sales channel for Norwegian. “We’ve used Facebook as an engagement tool; it’s not a selling tool.”

Norwegian’s outreach via Facebook extends only to consumers in its database of prior guests, not to sales leads or travel agency customers, Olivere emphasized.

“We will not use travel agent data, since we do not have any intent or activity to take business away from travel agents. They [agents] have a lot of tools the personal cruise consultants absolutely do not have, and that’s by design,” she told Travel Market Report.

‘Rogue situations’
Olivere said Norwegian’s marketing team is working to remove all instances where the line’s personal cruise consultants represent themselves as travel agents.

“We’ve had a couple rogue situations on Facebook,” admitted Olivere. “But we have guidelines and if PCCs don’t follow them, their Facebook privileges are revoked.”

Olivere cited Norwegian’s Partners First program as evidence of the line’s commitment to travel agents.
 
“We are growing at such a rate we don’t want to do anything to negatively impact the travel agent channel,” said Olivere. “If people have a problem, they need to let us know so we can ensure we’re being as good an advocate for travel agents as we can be.”

Agent perspective
Travel Market Report spoke with several agents who said they were alarmed by Norwegian’s Facebook activity.

“Does NCL really think that agencies won’t find out about this, or not think negatively about this company for promoting employee business Facebook pages in an effort to steer direct business?” said one agent, who did not want to be quoted by name.  

Other agents were more sanguine in their reaction, saying Norwegian’s social media activity represents business as usual for major cruise lines.

“The reality is that there’s cross-pollination [between agents and cruise line direct sales representatives]. This is just another insinuation of a supplier into what traditionally has been a retail channel method to go to market,” said an agent, also speaking off the record.

“It’s one of those helpless feeling situations, because there’s nothing we can do about it.”

One agent said he had seen this type of behavior before. “It looks like Carnival, just in a different color scheme.”