The ultra-luxury cruise line is extending its agent-first philosophy to Destination Experiences, its portfolio of shore excursions, giving travel advisors a new revenue stream on every element of the booking, in what is believed to be an industry first for the ultra-luxury cruise sector.
Speaking onboard the just-launched Explora III, Justin Poulsen, the line's Head of Itinerary Planning and Destination Experiences, said it was in recognition of the hard work agents already do when working with their clients on cruise bookings.
"Cruising is complicated, we know that, and more than 80% of our Destination Experiences are already booked in advance: we would like to get that to 90%, so we realise we need the help to move this," said Poulsen. "Agent engagement is key to us to growing that - people spend more overall on their package, including their Destination Experiences, when they book through the agent rather than waiting on board to book."
He said this also allowed an opportunity for agents to sell the higher-end options: "Guests might like to know about private, more bespoke arrangements. We know that that will often lead to higher guest satisfaction, higher repeats too. We know they've already chosen Explora for their journey, this enhances that. And we also know the world is a complicated place, so between us and the agents we know we can really take care of guests when we work together in this way."
'Unique' market position
Agents onboard Explora III reacted with applause as Poulsen made the announcement. "This is brilliant news for the travel advisor community," said Lisa McAuley, Managing Director, World Travel Holdings UK, which includes the SixStarCruises luxury brand. "This could give Explora Journeys a unique position in the market."
Shore excursions have traditionally been a contentious area in the cruise industry's relationship with travel agents. Most cruise lines have historically either paid minimal or no commission on excursions at all, meaning agents who book a complete holiday including excursions were essentially giving away free service on a significant portion of the trip value.
Some luxury cruise lines have historically bundled excursions into their all-inclusive fares rather than pulling out commission on them separately.
Explora Journeys stops short of that with this latest move, but this does mean tremendous potential commission for advisors who focus on the sale of pre-booked Destination Experiences with the line, especially the higher-level options.
The announcement also reinforces the brand's commitment to the travel trade at a pivotal moment in its growth. With three further ships joining the fleet by 2028, Explora Journeys is scaling rapidly and its ability to attract and retain loyal agent advocates will be central to filling those ships.
Destination Experiences programme
Explora Journeys has also already eliminated Non-Commissionable Fees (NCFs), meaning agents earn on the full booking value rather than a reduced base. Extending commission to Destination Experiences takes this agent-first philosophy to a logical conclusion.
The line’s Destination Experiences sees trips grouped into four categories – Destination Essentials (seen as 'must-do' options in every port), Overland Immersions (all-inclusive, culture-rich experiences), Curated Explorations (small group, limited-access tours) and Private Arrangements (individual excursions tailored to the guest/small groups).