Company decided to do away with non-commissionable fares
A prominent Saskatoon travel agent is welcoming Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to eliminate all non-commissionable fares, saying it will be financially rewarding for the travel agency community.
NCL recently announced that it is “eliminating all non-commissionable fares across all cruise fares. No fine print. No catch. Just more commission for you (agents).” The change – which the cruise company says will be permanent – took effect Dec. 26, for all sailings departing May 1, and beyond.
“It’s another meaningful step in strengthening our partnership and keeping your success at the center of everything we do,” NCL told agents during the announcement.
Jamie Milton of Uniglobe Carefree Travel in Saskatoon says she and her colleagues are more inclined to book NCL following the move.
“We applaud NCL and their decision to fairly compensate travel advisors and travel agencies for the work they do,” she said after the announcement. “We are actively looking at promoting NCL for future groups in response to this change. It is a win/win situation for our agency and NCL.”
Pat Probert of Toronto-area Bob Family Travel is also pleased by NCL’s move.
“With so many suppliers from airlines to cruise lines adding in more and more NCFs, it is about time that someone stepped up to the plate again to work with agents who do most of the heavy lifting in selling cruises and pricing them out for clients,” he continued. “More cruise lines and land-based suppliers as well as airlines need to look at these NCFs… This is another bold move on NCL’s part and hopefully this one will stick, unlike the last time they did this, which was very cumbersome to work with. Any move to get rid of NCFs is a great move for everyone, not just the agents. I applaud NCL for taking this position and doing it with speed.”
Probert noted that ultimately it is the client that selects which cruise company will be booked.
“Will it influence who we sell?” he added of NCL’s decision. “No, as we sell what the client wants and our clients have loyalty with many brands. It is all about the client and not about the agent and how much we make. Money should never be the motivator in what you sell clients. You must always do what is right for the client and get them the best deals on the best ships and send them where they want to go.”
Probert hopes to see Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, and others review their policies.
Meanwhile, Judith Coates of Wired for Travel in Toronto says she approves of the move in principle but is slightly wary.
“It’s a great concept, but NCL did this about two years ago and then they took it off the table,” she stated. “So I’m feeling a little cautious about it and wondering if it’s a marketing technique. I do know that ACTA is actively advocating for all cruise companies to remove NCFs. The bottom line is that NCFs are a way for them to pay travel advisors less commission.”
ASTA and industry execs issue statement applauding NCL’s move
Together with leading travel industry partners, ASTA issued a joint industry statement applauding NCL’s decision to permanently eliminate non-commissionable fares (NCFs) and calling on the broader travel industry to examine their own fare structures to maximize fairness and transparency.
The statement represents a rare and significant show of alignment across the travel advisor community, consortia, networks and agency leadership, underscoring a shared commitment to transparency, fairness and sustainable advisor compensation. For decades, NCFs have eroded effective commission rates and obscured true earnings for travel advisors, creating frustration and confusion across the marketplace.
“Non-commissionable fares have been one of the most persistent and opaque challenges facing travel advisors,” said Zane Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA. “Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision reflects a growing recognition of the value advisors bring to the distribution ecosystem and the need for compensation models that are straightforward and equitable. This is the kind of leadership that moves the industry forward, and ASTA is proud to help unify voices calling for meaningful change.”
ASTA played a central role in convening the signatories behind the statement, an effort that highlights the organization’s ongoing work to advocate for travel advisors and elevate issues that directly impact advisor livelihoods. The elimination of NCFs by Norwegian Cruise Line places it alongside a small group of cruise lines that have adopted fully commissionable fare structures.
“This joint statement matters because it gives our members something they rarely see at this scale: unity,” said Michael Schottey, Vice President of Membership, Marketing and Communications at ASTA. “When advisors, agencies and industry leaders speak together, it sends a clear message that fair compensation and transparency are not niche concerns; they are foundational to a healthy travel marketplace.”
