ALEXANDRIA, VA — A joint statement from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and U.S. and Canadian travel industry leaders applauds NCL for its recent decision to get rid of Non-Commissionable Fares (NCFs) – and calls on other cruise lines to do the same.
NCFs have long been a thorn in the side of the retail travel industry, representing a sizeable portion of the cruise fare but not generating any commission for travel advisors.
Several cruise lines, including Virgin Voyages, Explore and Viking (and now also NCL), have come out against NCFs, to great cheers from the travel advisor community.
Here’s ASTA’s joint statement in full …
“The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). together with leading travel industry partners, applauds
Norwegian Cruise Line for its decision to permanently eliminate all Non-Commissionable Fares (NCFs) and
make the entire cruise fare (excluding taxes and fees) commissionable to travel advisors for sailings
departing May 1, 2026, and beyond.
“This places Norwegian Cruise Line alongside Explora Journeys, Viking and Virgin Voyages that also do not include NFCs in their fare structures.
The practice of NCFs has long been a barrier to fair and transparent compensation for travel advisors.
Removing NCFs entirely reflects a trend toward more equitable and transparent commission models industry-wide, honoring the full scope of the work advisors do in service of shared clientele.
“As leaders representing travel advisors, agencies, networks and supplier partners, we encourage all cruise lines and travel suppliers to examine their compensation structures with an eye toward transparency, fairness and mutual success.
“The elimination of NCFs should be seen as an opportunity for the industry to build more equitable commercial relationships that reflect the indispensable value travel advisors bring to global travel distribution.
“This collective progress benefits not only travel advisors and their businesses, but the travellers they serve.
“When advisors are fully and fairly compensated, they can invest more in delivering exceptional service, personalized planning and valuable expertise. This enhances client satisfaction and drives long-term growth for the entire travel ecosystem.
“We commend Norwegian Cruise Line for this forward-thinking initiative and look forward to continued collaboration that fosters a strong, healthy and thriving travel advisor community.
“We also strongly encourage all travel advisors to actively support and prioritize partnerships with suppliers that demonstrate this level of transparency, fairness and respect for the advisor role.
“By choosing to do business with companies that fully recognize and compensate the importance that advisors bring, advisors reinforce positive behaviour, help set higher industry standards and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable distribution model.”
The joint statement was signed by a long list of retail travel industry executives, including …
ASTA Executive Committee
- Zane Kerby, President & CEO, ASTA
- Lee Thomas, Travel Executive, NousTravel and ASTA Board of Directors Chair
- Eric Maryanov, President, All-Travel and ASTA Board of Directors Vice Chair
- Amanda Klimak, President, Largay Travel and ASTA Corporate Advisory Council Chair
ASTA Consortium Council
- Alex Sharpe, CEO, Signature Travel Network and ASTA Consortium Council Chair
- Andrew Davis, President & CEO, MAST Travel Network
- Michael Estill, CEO, WESTA
- D. Stuart Godwin III, CEO, Leisure Travel Alliance
- Andrew Henry, VP, US Operations & Industry Relations, Uniglobe Travel International
- Michael Johnson, President, Ensemble Travel Group
- Nicole Mazza, Chief Marketing Officer,
TRAVELSAVERS
- Kathryn Mazza-Burney, President, NEST
- Lindsay Pearlman, President, Travel Leaders Network
- Matthew Upchurch, CEO, Virtuoso
Travel Industry Leaders
- Gerard Bellino, President of Leisure Travel, Direct Travel
- Gloria Bohan, CEO, Omega World Travel
- Ian Cambata, CEO, TL365
- Phil Cappelli, CEO, Avoya Travel
- Brian Crawford, President & CEO, TravelStore
- Jacqueline Dobson, President, The Vacation Group
- Jennifer Dugan, CEO, Dugan’s Travels
- Matthew Eichhorst, President, Expedia Cruises
- Michelle Fee, CEO, Cruise Planners
- Susan Ferrell, Owner & President, Travel Experts
- Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group
- Betsy Geiser, Vice President, Uniglobe Travel Center
- Troy Haas, Chairman & CEO, Brownell Travel
- Dennis Lewis, President, WorldTravelService
- Angie Licea, President, Global Travel Collection
- Elaine Osgood, CEO, Atlas Travel & Technology Group
- Christina Pedroni, Executive Vice President, Envoyage
- Robin Sanchez, President, Your Travel Center / Montecito Village Travel
- Lee Smolinski, CEO, OASIS Travel Network
