PHOTO BY @ WILLBYINGTON , COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
Fans gather for the Sixthman Sail Across the Sun Cruise .
What Other Changes Are Expected ? More money is , of course , the big headline . Payments will continue to be delivered electronically once the cruise vacation has been paid in full by the guest . But this program will also shape the ways Norwegian works with travel advisors . With marketing plans in hand , the cruise line ’ s business development managers will work with advisors to focus on education and how to market the vacation experience to its full potential .
“ We saw an overwhelming amount of submissions from those interested in participating in our 2023 NCF program ,” Hamilton said . “ Our sales team has worked closely with many of our partners to enhance their plans and guide them on what ideas to implement in order to grow their business .”
What the Industry ’ s Saying Gary Pollard , a certified travel counselor who works as president and CEO of Ambassador Tours , called NCFs “ frustrating .” He ’ s been in the business since 1981 , so he ’ s seen his fair share of murky charges . Now , he also serves as chairman of the board with The Travel Institute , a nonprofit education organization for travel professionals .
Those who are new to the industry , he said , might feel excited about booking a package for a cruise and airfare and thinking they ’ ll earn 10 percent or 15 percent on the full rate . They may not realize that part of that amount includes NCFs that won ’ t earn them any cash . “ As a travel advisor , we don ’ t want to be worried about it . We just want to be treated fairly ,” said Pollard .
“( Travel advisors ) play a pivotal role in the booking process and are very well respected within the cruise community ,” said Heather Wyatt , a senior communications advisor for Cruise Lines International Association ( CLIA ). But , she added , CLIA can ’ t speak to specific marketing practices of its members , like this new NCL policy .
While NCL ’ s policy may put more money into advisors ’ pockets , Pollard also noted that , ultimately , booking a cruise boils down to a customer ’ s needs . If an NCL cruise fits a client ’ s needs , he ’ s happy to sell it , of course . But delighting a customer must come first .
“ I would never sell a product just because I ’ m going to earn more money if the product doesn ’ t match the consumer who is asking me about it ,” Pollard said . He added that if more companies follow NCL ’ s lead , it could be a game-changer .
“ Thank you , Norwegian Cruise Line , for stepping up ,” said Pollard .
What Will Change for Clients ? It ’ s too early to tell . Pollard said he assumes Norwegian Cruise Line won ’ t raise cruise prices to offset the new policy because if they raise cruise prices , they ’ ll just pay more in commission to advisors . But he wonders
42 / THE COMPASS / SPRING 2023 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass