Quote:
Originally Posted by packard89
I've been on a few cruises, a few with just me and my family and a couple as a part of a group. I was wondering what perks does the leader of the group receive? On the cruise I just took in February, the group leader gave me $100.00 for booking with her. I am about to plan a cruise for next Easter and I know I'm going to have a lot of cabins. (Carnival Triumph) Advise would be greatly appreciated!
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First, you need to define "a lot".
As for group benefits, they vary by cruise line and by sailing date, as well as by how far ahead you book the group. Some sailings will offer groups a discount on the base rates, others will not. Most cruise lines assign some number of "amenity points" to each sailing, and the TA can use those points for many things. Those range from further discounting the fares, on board credits, gifts, and more. The number of points varies based on how hard a sell the cruise line thinks they will have. The easier the sell, the less the points.
Most cruise lines offer what is known as Tour Conductor (TC) credits on a 1 for 15 basis. What this means is that for every 15 full fare passengers, you get 1 passenger free. Note that this is only the base cruise fare that is free. It does not include the "Non-Commissioned Fare" which use to be called Port Charges, but now includes other fees too (though the cruise lines do not itemize this further). It also does not include the taxes. So the free passenger still has to pay those two fees. It is for these credits that I ask you to define "a lot". The 1 for 15 ratio means a minimum of 8 cabins to get a TC.
For many groups, the value of the TC is spread among the group to reflect a lower overall price. For others, the group leader keeps it. For some groups, the TA keeps the value as extra commission because of the work involved in handling the group. Some cruise lines have lower ratio's for TCs and even the bigger cruise lines will sometimes offer lower ratios for select sailings.
If you are the group leader, you should work with your TA to find out what group prices are available, how many amenity points, what they will be used for, and how TCs will be supplied. Since you mentioned an Easter Cruise, be aware that Holiday sailings of any kind tend to have less benefits, as those cruises tend to sell very well. The cruise line doesn't need to do as much to sell out the ship as for say a Caribbean cruise in mid-September (peak hurricane season). |