How To Make Selling Cruises Lucrative

There are several travel advisors who enjoy booking cruises, and some even specialize in this area of travel. Others find it quite intimidating and not always worth the time spent on putting a cruise vacation together. There tend to be more moving pieces to the booking process and additional steps to remember, such as signing up for a specific dining time or booking specialty dinners.

If selling cruises is something you’re interested in offering at your agency, you shouldn’t let these things discourage you. Planning cruise vacations can be exciting, and these bookings can also be profitable. Encouraging your clients to take a cruise could open them up to a whole new world of travel they haven’t seen before. From enjoying a long weekend out in the open ocean to spending a week navigating a European river, there are all types of experiences when it comes to cruising.

Enhancing the Vacation Experience

One way to make cruises more lucrative is by enhancing the vacation experience altogether. This will not only bring in more income but also make it a more enjoyable vacation for your clients. The first thing to think about is upgrading the cabin. Cruise ship cabins can be tiny, so your clients will most likely enjoy an upgraded option such as an oceanview or balcony.

Advisors can also lend a hand in pre-booking excursions and adding other onboard amenities to the reservation like drink packages and spa treatments. Not all cruise lines pay commission on these items, but even if they don’t, it aids in providing a stress-free experience for your clients when everything is taken care of ahead of time. Cruise lines have been finding more ways to work with advisors recently, and Norwegian Cruise Line even began paying commission on non-commissionable fares (NCFs) at the start of 2023.

Transportation isn’t always the most exciting part of a trip. If your clients’ flights are not at the most convenient times, you can also think about adding on a pre- or post-night at a nice hotel in the area. In addition to earning a bit more commission, your clients won’t have to rush to or from the airport — and they’ll get an extra day of vacation.

Ways To Increase Commission

If you’re already booking one cabin, why not book two, four, six or more for the same sailing? Promoting groups can be a great way to earn more on cruises. Some clients might choose to invite family members or friends, but even if your clients aren’t traveling together, you can sometimes still get a discounted group rate to promote for a specific sailing.

Another way to increase the commission is by booking more reservations with the same cruise line. Similar to hotels and tour operators, many cruise lines will pay higher commission to agencies that book them more often. Check with your cruise BDMs to see what is available to you and start setting goals.

Booking cruises are not easy. Even if you don’t normally charge a fee for your services, you could consider charging a fee to book cruises. To consumers, booking a cruise is even more confusing, and most people will happily pay a fee for your assistance.

There are several new cruise ships to keep an eye out for this year, including Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Viva and Oceania Cruises’ Vista, among others. In line with the busy start to the new year, many cruise lines have also revealed their latest wave season deals for your clients to take advantage of.

About the Author

Codie Liermann is the managing editor of The Compass. She began her career in the industry as a travel advisor prior to working as an editor. With a passion for creating valuable content for travel advisors, she aims to develop meaningful relationships with all types of travel companies in order to share their unique messages with the travel agency community.