It has been a cruiseline requirement for years that travel agencies don't put the cruise price separate of the port charges. This is in travel agency contracts with the cruise lines...
TA's and Group Cruise Leaders may promote their Group cruises on CLF via Roll Calls and forums. However, the following information is essential and must be adhered to:
DEFINITIONS OF THE THREE TYPES OF GROUP CRUISES:
1. "Outside" GROUP CRUISES. Any group cruise with a TA who is NOT a CLF TA. Can be started by any member or the GROUP LEADER. The TA may start a Roll Call for a Group cruise, provided the TA is also booked to sail on the cruise. (Otherwise, the TA may post it in the Cruise Deals Forum.)
2. CLF GROUP CRUISE. A group cruise booked THROUGH a CLF TA, with a CLF member as the GROUP LEADER. Group members may include CLF members, friends, family, and others, who book with the CLF GROUP TA. These group cruises get their own Group Forum upon request to, and approval by, CLF Staff.
3. OFFICIAL CLF GROUP CRUISE. These group cruises also get their own forum, are booked through a CLF TA and include forum administrator and/or stewards among the booked members of the group.
CLF TA's
A CLF TA is one who: A) is already a contributing member of CLF; B) is associated with a legitimate agency; C) has submitted their credentials to CLF staff, and has been approved as a CLF TA.
PRICING
When posting pricing, all basic pricing must include port charges. Taxes and fees can be listed separatly.
One thing needs to be clarified, quite often the Port Fees and Taxes are "lumped together" as really they should be, these fees are the smaller of the two fees the cruise lines tack onto the basic cruise fare, the larger of the two sets of fees are actually called the "non-commissionable" fare. We have yet to find anything documented that actually breaks down what these fees are.
I am sure as a TA you know what the port charges are at the ports and here on CLF we want the port fees listed seperate if you give a quote to our members!! Also your signature is fine if you fix the link, it is not found and we need a phone # listed either in your sig or in the link!! Thanks!!
I am sure as a TA you know what the port charges are at the ports and here on CLF we want the port fees listed seperate if you give a quote to our members!! Also your signature is fine if you fix the link, it is not found and we need a phone # listed either in your sig or in the link!! Thanks!!
No Problem. I'm just trying to educate the general public as to some of the practices used by some agents and cruise lines. What some people here seem to be refering to as "Port Fees" are actually the non-comissionable fees instead.
What we are talking about is actual port fees for each port , they are not all the same!! Whether they are non commisionable is not the issue!! When our members ask for a quote we want them to know exactly what the charges are to compare with other ta's to get the best price!! Our Ta's are aware we are very watchful as many cruise forums do not allow Ta's!! We are straight forward and honest here!! Thanks for fixing the link!! Glad you are here!!
In order for everyone to advertise or quote the correct pricing as required by the cruise lines, the price must include the cruise fare and the non-commissionable fees, which are also commonly referred to as port fees. The price quote/advertisement should then also list the taxes, fuel supplement (if applicable), and any other fees as seperate costs.
But I'm not aware of any cruise line that lumps taxes in with the non-commissionable fees. They all advertise a fare that includes the cruise fare and non-commissionable fees (port fees) as one price and require all travel agents to do the same. There's always a caviat and the end that 'government taxes and fees are extra'.
The problem was that some agents were advertising only the cruise fare without the non-commissionable fees so that they were erroneously and wrongly showing a rate much lower than everyone else, which goes against the cruise lines policies.
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I'm just trying to educate the general public as to some of the practices used by some agents and cruise lines. What some people here seem to be refering to as "Port Fees" are actually the non-comissionable fees instead. 
Thanks!
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