Non-commissionable fare??

[tigger312]

Returned in April 2016 from a cruise on the Divina that cost a cheap $549 plus $104 for port charges, gov't. taxes and fees for a balcony. Can't do any better than that! Just booked today on same ship for Feb. 2017, same price, $549 for a balcony, plus $111 for the port charges, gov't. taxes and fees. Now they've tacked on and additional $150 for "non-commissionable fare". What is that? Both times I booked directly with MSC. When I questioned what it was I was told "taxes, everything goes up". Then I received the confirmation email and it said "non-commissionable fare". Does anybody out there have a real explanation for this extra $150 charge?

[Mikesa1721]

Returned in April 2016 from a cruise on the Divina that cost a cheap $549 plus $104 for port charges, gov't. taxes and fees for a balcony. Can't do any better than that! Just booked today on same ship for Feb. 2017, same price, $549 for a balcony, plus $111 for the port charges, gov't. taxes and fees. Now they've tacked on and additional $150 for "non-commissionable fare". What is that? Both times I booked directly with MSC. When I questioned what it was I was told "taxes, everything goes up". Then I received the confirmation email and it said "non-commissionable fare". Does anybody out there have a real explanation for this extra $150 charge?

 

Tigger,,,my TA explained to me that the (NCF) is a monetary number which the cruise line designates, which is built into your cruise fare. So in your case,,your sailing costs $550.00. The NCF is $150.00 so the travel agent will make a commission on the remaining $400.00. I have been told that normally you wouldn't see the NCF amount on your invoice so it may be a glitch in MSC's system.

[mafig]

I've seen it occasionally too, but I was never charged that amount. It's the amount that the TA doesn't earn a commission on.

[cruiseguyinorl]

As Mike said, any price you see online includes the "NCF". That term is something relevant to TA's only. If you have been cruising for a while, the NCF is what used to be the "Port Charges". Once the cruise lines were sued for charging extremely "padded" port charges, the port charges mysteriously became NCF's. Obviously the government taxes and fees still apply.

 

Curiously enough, the NCF's steadily increase as the commisionable part of the cruise remains the same or lowers. Less dollars off the bottom line I guess as they don't have to pay the TA's as much while still generating more revenue. There's my rant for today. :rolleyes:

 

Bret

[Barcelona17]

I don't know what the answer is, but my recent experience was that I received NCF when I phoned reservation in through MSC. When I cancelled that booking and made a similar one online, there was no NCF. The price was less the amount of the NCF.