Selling Cruises: Do Cruise Lines Want Our Business?
by John Hawks

How does it feel being a home-based travel agent? Some days, it's like Cinderella.

You can work twice as hard as your storefront agent stepsisters, but they may still be the belles of the ball when it comes to fam trip invitations, co-op dollars from suppliers, and (sometimes) basic respect within the travel industry.

Nowhere does this question carry more weight than the cruise line community. Do cruise lines really value the contributions of home-based agents? Are we viewed as selling assets, with the same value as traditional travel agencies and the big online travel sites?

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