by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 5:35 PM ET, Fri January 16, 2026
After hearing repeatedly from travel advisors, Norwegian Cruise Line leaders initially considered making some small tweaks to the brand’s commission structure before ultimately deciding to “go big” and eliminate all non-commissionable fares, according to John Chernesky, senior vice president of sales for North America for Norwegian Cruise line.
Chernesky offered an inside look at the brand’s recent headline-grabbing decision during a virtual town hall hosted by the American Society of Travel Advisors on Friday. Nearly 500 people—most of them travel advisors—attended the free talk, which was moderated by Michael Schottey, vice president of membership, marketing and communications for ASTA.
“In order to solve a problem, you have to know you have a problem,” Chernesky said. “The feedback from the travel advisor community… was loud and clear that, Houston, we have a problem with our effective commissions.”
Norwegian Cruise Line announced the change just before Christmas, ahead of the busy wave season. It took effect December 26, 2025, for all sailings departing May 1, 2026 and beyond.
Under the line’s new approach, the full cruise fare (excluding taxes and fees) is now commissionable, boosting travel advisors’ revenue on every booking. Norwegian has also simplified its fare structure so that travel advisors can more easily understand their earning potential upfront. The cruise line also recently brought back Free at Sea Plus, which is commissionable, meaning travel advisors have even more opportunities to earn.
This is not the first time Norwegian Cruise Line has tried to update its commission structure. In 2022, the brand announced that it would pay commission on NCFs for reservations booked more than 120 days in advance, but travel advisors had to submit a marketing plan to the company in order to qualify for the NCF commissions. That program took effect in early 2023 and, according to Chernesky, it only lasted for about six months.
“There were hoops you had to jump through and things you had to understand,” said Chernesky. “It wasn’t clear to the advisors… ‘Am I going to earn a commission on this? Does this qualify?’ That’s why when we reintroduced this in late December, we wanted it to be as simple as possible."
John Chernesky (Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Norwegian Cruise Line does not plan to raise fare prices to cover the cost of the change, Chernesky said. Rather, the brand is making some changes to its group booking program, along with “a couple other minor things,” to fund the shift, he said. Norwegian’s leaders are also hopeful the elimination of NCFs will ultimately inspire travel advisors to make more bookings with the line, a boost that would also help cover the cost.
How much more money can travel advisors expect to earn from Norwegian, now that NCFs are a thing of the past? The bump will vary depending on the destination, the voyage length and the booking length, Chernesky said. But based on some preliminary estimates, travel advisors should see their commissions increase by roughly 24 to 34 percent, he said. Add in Free at Sea Plus and that increase could be closer to 46 percent, he said.
“It’s a nice increase to your bottom line,” he added.
As for whether sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will eventually follow suit, Chernesky said he wasn’t sure.
“Clearly, these things are always under review,” he said. “We’ll see as time moves on if they completely follow suit or do a different version of it.”
Norwegian Cruise Line is in a major growth period, with Norwegian Luna coming online this spring, followed by the newly announced Norwegian Aura in 2027. Additionally, the brand is investing heavily in Great Stirrup Cay, its private island destination in the Bahamas.
Against that backdrop, travel advisors are more important than ever, Chernesky said. He hopes the elimination of NCFs will send a strong message that Norwegian Cruise Line values their partnership.
“We believe in you, we value you, we want to reward you,” he said. “We cannot be successful if you’re not successful. That may sound like cliche, but it’s really true. We think we have a lot to offer, and we want you on our side.”
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