Carnival Digs Deep in Agent Survey

Carnival Cruise Lines sent an online survey this week to agents registered on GoCCL.com, asking 63 questions across a wide variety of topics. A number of questions ask agents to compare Carnival directly to its competitors, even lines across different cruise segments.

Travel Market Report was able to access the lengthy survey, which asks agents to identify how much Carnival product they sell and the ease of selling Carnival cruises compared to other lines. It even asks if Carnival “is easy to do business with.”

Carnival’s agent survey also asks if current commission levels are effective at driving agents to sell Carnival. Response choices range from “very effective” to “not at all effective.”

One prompt on the survey asks agents to specify in writing why they have not booked Carnival recently. Another asks if Carnival makes agents “feel valuable as a business partner.”

Quarterly surveys planned
Carnival said it plans to run similar surveys on a quarterly basis.

The surveys are an outgrowth of the line’s Carnival Conversations initiative with agents. “Our primary goal with Carnival Conversations is to hear directly from travel agents about what matters most to them when doing business with us,” said Joni Rein, vice president of worldwide sales.

“This survey features in-depth questions based on the initial feedback we’ve received in the first six weeks of the program and will help guide us as we continue to take actions to better support the travel agent community.”

Which line is best?
Some of the survey questions address Carnival’s competitors. One question asks agents to weigh in on the “attractiveness of the fare structure” of seven lines, including Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Lines

Agents are also asked to compare nearly every facet of shipboard experience, from entertainment to meals and staff quality.

Brochure details
Several questions dive down into what exactly agents want to see in potential travel agent and consumer brochures. The questions offer respondents more than a dozen options, including detailed floor plans and photos of cruisers eating meals.

At the end of the survey, Carnival rewards participating agents with 1,000 bonus points for their travel agent rewards program.

Carnival announced this week it would return to using a travel agent call to action on all 30-second TV ads this fall, timing the announcement with the agent survey.