Crystal Clarifies Lost Advisor Commission Statement

What seemed to be an offer of credit for advisors’ lost commissions is, in fact, not.

In a letter sent to previous Crystal Cruises cruisers, the new Crystal stated “The Exceptional Initiative will now be providing credits to guests who have lost deposits, and Travel Advisors who have lost commissions under Crystal Cruises’ former ownership regardless of the ship.”

While the statement seems to indicate that Crystal is offering advisors a credit towards a future sailing to cover their lost commissions, a spokesperson for the luxury cruise line said this is not the case.

Travel advisors are not eligible to apply for travel credits, the spokesperson told Travel Market Report.

However, Crystal will pay advisors a full commission on all rebooked voyages for the total amount of the sailing, even those that have a credit applied. For instance, should a client apply a $5,000 credit to a $10,000 booking, advisors will receive a commission on $10,000 even though the client only paid $5,000 for the sailing.

Furthermore, with the expansion of the Exceptional Initiative to include lost bookings/payments on Crystal Cruises’ river and expedition product, clients have more opportunities to recoup their lost monies in the form of credits for future Crystal bookings.

“Due to the feedback we have received from Guests and Travel Advisors, we have decided to extend the Exceptional Initiative to cover all vessels previously operated by the former Crystal Cruises,” said Brandon Townsley, vice president of North American trade sales and partnerships. “This is further proof of our recognition of past guests’ loyalty to the Crystal Brand and our commitment to provide them an opportunity to experience the new Crystal.”

Clients who had deposited and/or paid for a Crystal river or expedition cruise have until August 1 to apply for a credit. Crystal will review all existing certificates and reissue a higher value credit where appropriate.

In order for guests to qualify for the credit, the following conditions apply:

• Guest must be a client of the former Crystal Cruises
• Guest must have filed a claim form with Moecker & Associations through the ABC process, which form was received no later than June 11, 2022 by Moecker & Associations
• The claim must still be valid with sums currently outstanding to the guest (refunds from the Assignee, credit card companies, insurance, or others will be netted from the original amount of the claim).

The specific terms and conditions of the Exceptional Initiative along with FAQs can be found on Crystal’s website.