Why should my agency join this service?

CruiseCompete gives you the opportunity to provide quotes on specific cruises to thousands of experienced, sophisticated cruise passengers who have already done their homework: they know exactly what they wish to book. CruiseCompete allows you to reach these buyers with your pricing information while investing a minimal amount of staff time. The benefits include:

• More leads at a lower cost
• Delayed payments create better cash flow
• Higher quality leads (informed buyers, complete information)
• You decide which quote requests to respond to
• You control volume, costs, and timing
• Maximize use of agent time
• Improve your volume on key cruise lines
• Increased overall agency profitability

Don't let the Internet take your agency out of the picture. Use it to capture that portion of the market that is ready to buy right now--at the right price.

Will joining CruiseCompete hurt my agency's margins?

Joining CruiseCompete need have no effect on the deals your agency offers to your existing customers.

According to our research, most cruise buyers already get quotes from multiple agencies before booking a cruise. While CruiseCompete makes shopping around easier, the overall dynamic isn't changed. As you're already competing for business and winning, your current structure may be just fine for success through the system. This is especially true if you respond to requests quickly and add comments useful to the customer.

With the savings you get in agent time, cash flow, and advertising costs through CruiseCompete, your margins may improve even though you have to compete for the business. But even if you choose to offer special packages to CruiseCompete customers, that doesn't mean you have to change how you work with your regular customers.

Customers you quote through CruiseCompete are instructed that they must contact the specific agent who submitted the quote and mention their specific CruiseCompete Quote Request ID number to get the deal offered through the system. This makes it easy to differentiate the lead source, and allows you to vary what you offer to maximize revenue without compromising existing margins.

As consumers using the CruiseCompete system can be confident that they have been offered a great cruise deal, they are very likely to book with a CruiseCompete agent. Join us, and that agency can be you.

What information is available about each quote request?

Each time a cruiser requests a quote you will be able to view:

• Requested line, ship, sail date, number of cabins, and cabin types; plus passenger age categories, past passenger status, and passenger home state
• Time and date of the request
• The number of quotes submitted by other Agencies

In addition, if a sufficient amount of time has elapsed since the first response to the quote request, you will also be able to view the lowest rate previously submitted.

What does the service cost?

Joining CruiseCompete is free if you respond to at least 300 quote requests in your first 90 days. (As we average more than 20,000 quote requests per month, you'll have plenty to choose from). Otherwise, there is a one-time $500 membership fee.

For each booking you make, you pay a fee equal to 2.6% of the gross commissionable fare for the cruise and other included ad-ons. Low-commission add-ons (under 10%) have lower fees. You report your bookings right in the system itself.

The fees aren't due until after the sail date, so you keep more cash in your pocket longer (especially vs. an advertising model, where you pay for the advertising today to generate commission months from now).

Your up-to-the-minute account status data will be available online. This will let you view and change the bookings you've entered, and see the amount due at the end of the month. Revenue shares are billed on the first day of the month on a credit card we keep on file for your agency.

How do I respond to quote requests?

To respond to a specific request, you simply enter pricing information for the particular trip, including the total cruise fare with all port charges, fuel surcharges, taxes, documentation and agency fees. You may also make and include your own comments, suggestions and recommendations. Then you simply click on "submit".

Can I post special offers?

Yes. You can post an unlimited number of specials to be promoted via our web site and newsletter at no charge for posting. If a user requests pricing on your special, only your agents from your agency will be able to quote. The only cost is the same 2.6% revenue share on actual bookings.

How do cruisers respond?

Cruisers are notified via e-mail when new quotes are available. One click takes them back to their account to view the latest quotes. It is then up to the client to decide which agent or agents to contact. You can specify whether you wish to be contacted via phone or e-mail. It is up the individual cruiser to contact you directly.

How do I get started or learn more?

To join, please review our Seller Terms & Conditions then complete and return the Seller Membership Agreement.

Travel agencies can Contact Us with questions or to request a demo login to view the agent interface.