Celebrity Cruises unveils agent incentive scheme

Celebrity Cruises is introducing a new incentive scheme which gives agents the power to control their own rewards.

The line says its Celebrity Rewards scheme will be its biggest investment in the trade, giving agents the chance to earn anything from perfumes and handbags to Apple products and cruises.

To help tailor the scheme to suit all agents the line recruited a team of eight agents from multiples, independents, homeworkers and cruise specialists and asked them what they wanted from an incentive programme.

Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, director of sales for the line, said: "We wanted feedback so we could give agents exactly what they wanted, and one of the key things the group said was that they wanted an incentive scheme which they could be in control of.

"In the past we've controlled the prizes our agents - win or earn - but Celebrity Rewards hands that power to the agent.

"We've rarely given away cruises before and our working group highlighted that as something we should introduce and we have done."

Through the scheme agents will be rewarded with points for every cruise they book and the points accrued can be used towards prizes, with more than 200 items available.

Agents can register now at celebrityrewards.com and the scheme officially launches on November 1. Agents who register before November 10 will get a bonus of 1,000 points.

Tempest-Mitchell said the scheme would help encourage agents to upsell because agents can earn more points by bookings a higher category cabin or a longer sailing.

She said the line would offer double and triple point incentives at certain times of the year.

"Celebrity Rewards is an evolution of the extensive incentive options we offer to our agent partners. Agents told us they wanted to be recognised for their training and commitment to our business, and for their support in our push to attract higher value guests

Agents can only use their points once they've become a captain on the line's Cruising for Excellence training programme. Items available include brands such as Michael Kors, Dolce and Gabana and Beats by Dr Dre.