Agents have welcomed the new fares structure unveiled this week by P&O Cruises and Cunard, but have urged the cruise lines to rethink their base commission too.
Following criticism from agents and consumers, P&O Cruises and Cunard have decided to scrap their Vantage and Getaway fares and replace them with new fares designed to encourage early bookings.
Claire Brighton, senior commercial manager for Advantage Travel Centres, said the changes are positive but don’t go far enough.
"I think that it is great to see that they are taken agent feedback on board and I am pleased to see them making a move to pay commission on the flight element of the fly/cruise product," she said.
"It’s also great to see that they are trying to move consumers booking patterns early.
"However, the underlying issue that this does not address still remains the base commission levels and I don’t think that a move like this will be fully welcomed by agents until the commission element is addressed."
