TMR’s Second Ocean Cruise Report Card for Travel Agents Released

Travel Market Report today released the second edition of its Ocean Cruise Report Card for Travel Agents, the third in a series of supplier policy report cards designed as a useful resource for travel professionals.

For the full report, click here.

This report follows The River Cruise Report Card for Travel Agents and the inaugural edition of The Ocean Cruise Report Card for Travel Agents, both of which were published in early 2017. The 2018 edition includes updated information, new editorials, and more cruise lines than last year’s edition.

The report, available here, gives agents the most up-to-date trade policies of ocean lines. This edition includes information from: Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises, Viking Ocean, and Windstar.

We invite you to take a look and keep a copy at your desk during your day-to-day dealings with clients and suppliers.

Highlights include:

Commission percentage
The highest range for agent commissions comes from Viking Ocean Cruises. With Viking, agents start at 12 percent commission and can earn as much as 18 percent on a booking. All of the other lines start agents at 10 percent and cap commissions between 15 and 17 percent.

Overbooking
Seven out of the thirteen lines that responded to whether or not they overbook answered, “no.” Of the lines that did not respond, all have policies in place that look to protect travel agents commission in the event of overbooking.

Non-commissionable fees
Out of all the participating ocean cruise lines, only Viking Ocean Cruises sells a fare without any products and services that are not commissionable to agents.

Co-op marketing
100 percent of the lines surveyed offer some type of co-op marketing. Most require a conversation with a business development manager or an approved marketing plan to take advantage of the programs.