Royal Caribbean has decided not to follow market leader Carnival UK and cut commission for 2012, but has said it expects more dedicated support from key trade partners in return.
The line’s UK bosses told Travel Weekly they had seen more support from the trade since Carnival’s move to 5% commission, but they were not prepared to reveal numbers.
Although the possibility of a review of commission levels has not been ruled out in the longer term, there will be no substantial changes to agency terms for next year.
Dominic Paul, UK managing director of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, said it was still too early to properly assess the full impact of Carnival UK’s commission changes.
“We adopted a wait and see approach and said we would assess how our business was affected and that we would do what was right for our business.
“It is still too early to say what the effects are but we are seeing increased support for Royal Caribbean brands, which means we are not planning any radical changes to our commission structure for 2012.”
Paul added: “We’re big on being honest and upfront. What we are saying to our business partners is not that we are never going to make any changes, but it is up to them and the business environment as to whether we make any changes in the future.”
Jo Rzymowska, UK general manager at Royal Caribbean, added: “We have consulted with some key partners and said we would take that feedback on board, but what we are looking for is dedicated support from those partners who we support.”
Royal Caribbean vowed to continue investing heavily in the support it offers agents, including in its new trade sales structure and award-winning training.