Carnival Breeze in Venice - June 2012

Cash-equivalent incentives used by U.S. travel agents will be banned by the line from 1 August 2012.

According to the line’s vice president of worldwide sales Joni Rein, the move aims to reduce confusion in the marketplace, making the booking process as simple as possible for consumers and eliminating any doubt that there is a better deal available elsewhere.

“We have heard from our customers, and our travel agent partners, that there is a great deal of confusion in terms of what is ‘the best deal’ for a Carnival Cruise, “Ms Rein said in a statement to e-Travel Blackboard.

“This confusion has led to frustration and wasted time. Additionally, many of our smaller travel agent partners are not in a position to provide these types of ‘value-adds’, and have felt they were at a disadvantage to larger agencies.”

Ms Rein went on to explain the line’s goal that all agents sit on a level playing field, competing on the strength of their customer relationships and customer service.

Promotional items with a monetary value of below USD$25 are exempt from the ban.

What do you think of the new policy?