COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
A view of the Vibe Beach Club aboard the Norwegian Prima .
what will happen in the future : Will cruise lines raise the government tax rate to offset the NCF payout ? Will they place the fees somewhere else ?
It ’ s possible that , down the line , it will affect consumers , “ but initially , the more the cruise line charges , the more it ’ s going to pay out ,” Pollard said . “ Unless they find another way to bury it , I think the consumer is safe — that this is just a backroom accounting to help travel advisors think NCL first .”
What Else Is Changing in the Industry ? While Norwegian Cruise Line ’ s NCF policy is the biggest news in the business right now , advisors should know about some other changes in cruising as well , Pollard said .
Some packages now include beverages and more , but it ’ s worth seeing if your client will actually get their money ’ s worth from an open bar . Also , check if that open bar includes top-shelf liquors . Other ships are including gratuities , but it ’ s important to look into that more deeply because it could be a way for a cruise line to pay workers less and force customers to cover the cost of staff ’ s well-deserved earnings .
Finally , he said , some ships are cutting turndown service . Those newer to cruising may not mind , but those accustomed to having the room tidied up twice a day will want to know if that ’ s off the table now .
“ My advice for an advisor is they need to be educated on the differences between cruise lines and ships because even within the cruise line , there are ships of different style and age ,” said Pollard . “ It ’ s what meets the customer ’ s needs . That , to me , is so crucial : A new advisor needs to understand there ’ s so much more to the selling process than just trying to make a quick dollar on non-commissionable fares .”
What ’ s Next on the Horizon Even for advisors who aren ’ t in on Norwegian ’ s program , Pollard advised that they still create marketing plans to help hone sales strategy , show a supplier they ’ re thinking long-term and look for ways to drive market share .
If he had to look into a crystal ball and make predictions about NCFs , Pollard doesn ’ t expect a sea change in the industry right away . Instead , it ’ ll be more of a “ wait-and-see ” approach , in which competitors will evaluate to see if they ’ ve experienced any decrease in business . If they notice a dent in bookings , maybe they ’ ll throw NCFs overboard as well . Perhaps , he posited , other cruise companies may find their own twist on how to offer up more money to advisors , such as raising the percentage of commission altogether but keeping NCFs in place .
While the policies certainly made a splash in earning headlines , it ’ s really all about the bottom line .
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