Carnival Cruise Line is keeping commission rates for travel advisors at 2019 levels through 2022.
Since commission rates are based on sales volume, the move means travel agents won't experience a drop in their commission rate due to the shutdown of cruising for most of 2020. Carnival commission rates vary from 10 to 16 percent, depending on sailed booking volumes.
"We want to show that we really appreciate their loyalty and commitment to us," said Adolfo Perez, Carnival's senior vice president of global trade sales and marketing. "We want to ensure they still have certainty about what their commission structure will look like in 2022. ... They have been working so hard, this is one thing they shouldn't have to worry about."
Carnival had previously announced that commission tiers would be maintained through 2021, so the line now is extending that commitment for another year.
The announcement is part of the line's Onboard with You program, which includes tools that support travel partners as a key success factor in Carnival's plan of a gradual, phased-in return to cruising.
Other Carnival initiatives for agents include a nine-part training course on the fundamentals of selling cruises, an FCC Toolkit for managing future cruise credits and updating the booking engine.
Perez has also hosted virtual events for advisors called "From Adolfo's Desk LIVE." He had Carnival President Christine Duffy on as a guest while other episodes focused on the line's entertainment division and its private destinations, which are seen as key to restarting cruising.
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