We’ve put together an in-depth guide below on how to become a travel agent for this elegant cruise line. But if you’d prefer to get answers right away, just click vacationlab.io/join to chat live with our team and learn firsthand how to become a travel agent for Celebrity Cruises, and gain access to all our other travel partners as well. Best of all, clicking the link is completely free - no dues or fees from us, ever!
Overview
If you ever wanted to be a travel agent for a luxurious, elegant cruise line, then you’ve come to the right place. There are many cruise lines suited for everyone, like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, but Celebrity caters to a specific audience: those who appreciate an elegant atmosphere, with beautiful gardens on their cruise ships instead of waterparks, and peace and quiet above all else.
How about helping people plan their next romantic and luxurious vacation from the comfort of your home? Or even by the beach, if you prefer, or aboard a Celebrity Cruises ship. Being a Celebrity Cruises travel agent is all about having the right mindset to assist those seeking their next incredible vacation aboard magnificent ships like the Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Xcel.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a Celebrity Cruises travel agent. We’ll cover:
- Benefits of Becoming a Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent
- Skills Required to Become a Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent
- Finding a Celebrity Cruises Host Agency
- The Best Host Agency for Celebrity Cruises
- Tips for Those Starting Out
- Training Courses for Celebrity Cruises
- Getting Paid
- Free Stock Library
- Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent FAQs
Now let’s get started!
Benefits
Celebrity Cruises is only getting better
Celebrity Cruises continues to grow in size and importance each year, with exciting new ships launching recently, such as the Celebrity Apex. There’s a lot to look forward to, including the upcoming Celebrity Xcel. The cruise line is rapidly gaining popularity, thanks to innovations like the Magic Carpet and the rooftop gardens on their ships.
Being part of the Royal Caribbean Group also allows Celebrity ships to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, further attracting guests. Celebrity is set to expand even more in the coming years, and it’s likely that an increasing number of travelers will be considering a Celebrity cruise in the future.
Celebrity Cruises also helps Travel Agents… a lot!
Celebrity Cruises offers a variety of training courses and benefits for travel agents, which you can explore by following this link. These benefits include the opportunity to earn cash on a Celebrity Rewards Mastercard (based on the number of bookings) and access to a new travel agent loyalty program called Celebrity Rewards.
What’s more, Celebrity Cruises has even created its own guide for travel agents, offering valuable tips for those looking to dive into the exciting world of trip planning and magic carpets. Just follow this link to see what I mean!
Celebrity Cruises is All About Elegancy
Celebrity Cruises is a great cruise line that typically attracts guests in their 40s who are looking for a bit of luxury, elegance, and peace and quiet. If you appreciate these qualities in a vacation, then you'll love being a travel agent for Celebrity Cruises. And hey, Celebrity even has beautiful gardens on top of their ships, so if you're a garden enthusiast, you’ll have even more to talk about! Cool, huh?
Skills
Of course, being a travel agent for any cruise line requires a certain set of skills, and if you want to specialize in Celebrity Cruises, there are some specific ones you'll need. Let’s take a look.
Communication Skills
As a travel agent, strong communication skills are essential. You'll need to solve problems as they arise, provide guests with clear and concise information, and always remain polite while assessing their needs.
Celebrity Cruises, in particular, tends to attract adults in their 40s who are seeking peace, relaxation, or a romantic getaway on a beautifully designed ship. Because of this, it’s important to refine your communication skills and maintain a polite, professional tone when assisting Celebrity guests. These travelers may require more attention than those on, say, Carnival Cruise Line, as they’re more likely to ask detailed questions about stateroom amenities and upscale dining options.
Stay Up to Date with Everything Celebrity-Related
No, not Celebrity as Lady Gaga or Zendaya, but Celebrity Cruises, friend! Celebrity Cruises is a big company that is part of the Royal Caribbean Group, with numerous ships, entertainment options, and dining experiences. While it’s impossible to keep track of every restaurant and menu across all the ships, it’s important to stay informed about the latest developments.
What’s the newest Celebrity ship? Which one is best for a quick trip to the Caribbean? And what exactly is the Magic Carpet? Spoiler alert: it’s a moving platform that serves as a restaurant on some Celebrity ships. To succeed, you need to understand what you’re selling, so researching Celebrity Cruises is crucial.
You need to research things like:
- Different Celebrity Cruise ships
- Celebrity Itineraries and Stateroom Prices
- The best restaurants onboard Celebrity Cruises
- The vibes of Celebrity Cruises (with gardens, art galleries, etc)
- The AquaClass cabins
- Magic Carpet
- The All-Inclusive experience in some of their cruise fares
- …and more!
Finding a Host Agency
Hey, you’re already browsing one of the best host agencies around! We have a lot of information about Celebrity on our sister website, Famvia, and plenty of travel agents across the globe who can help you with this fun cruise line. We’d love to have you here, of course, but here are some tips for choosing a host agency. Look for host agencies that:
- Have a good track record and good online reviews
- Offer an interview process and listen to you
- Share commissions with you fairly (typically starting at 70% for the travel agent)
- Are as fancy as Celebrity!
Best Host Agency
VacationLab is the best host agency if you want to focus on Celebrity Cruises, other cruise lines, theme parks, and even beach resorts. Here’s why!
- It doesn’t matter if you have experience as a travel agent, we're here to help you.
- We have a fun interview process and listen to what you have to say!
- We offer SORS - our very own Travel Dashboard to help you manage bookings and travel rewards.
- We provide exclusive courses, like Mastering Travel Social Media, to support travel advisors of all backgrounds.
- We offer a commission split starting at 70%.
- We have hundreds of guides and reviews on our sister site, Famvia, covering major cruise lines, theme parks, and beach resorts. This includes Celebrity Cruises, where we have multiple guides talking about the company, dining options, stateroom options, itineraries, activities and more.
- We’re always ready to listen, chat, and lend a helping hand!
Tips for those starting out
Become a Celebrity Cruises Expert
Hey, if you're planning on becoming a Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent, you should at least know about the company, what they offer, and how much a vacation with them usually costs, right? No worries if the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Celebrity is how amazing Tom Holland and Zendaya look together. We all have to start somewhere, and the great thing about the internet age is that information is right at our fingertips.
VacationLab's sister site, Famvia, offers free guides about Celebrity Cruises, providing detailed information in a fun and easy-to-understand way. You can learn a lot there, and the guides and articles include:
- Planning a Cruise on Celebrity Cruise Line
- Room Options Onboard Celebrity Cruise Line
- Dining Options Onboard Celebrity Cruise Line
- Activities Onboard Celebrity Cruise Line
- Itineraries and Destinations for Celebrity Cruise Line
- Celebrity Xcel Preview
- Celebrity Apex Review
There’s a lot of information there, with dozens of pages talking about Celebrity!
Prepare for your Interview
As with any job application, preparation is key for your interview. This means researching not only the travel agency you’re applying to but also key details about Celebrity Cruises. You don’t need to know everything, but you should familiarize yourself with important aspects like Celebrity’s All Included options, unique amenities such as the Magic Carpet, and some of their top restaurants (pro tip: Celebrity’s buffet restaurants are often considered some of the best ones across all cruise lines).
Getting Paid
Commission Payout
Your commission is paid once the final payment is received by Celebrity Cruises.
Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent Rates
While specific commission percentages are protected by NDA (“Non Disclosure Agreement”) between all travel partners/travel suppliers and the host agency, you can assume that commission percentages range from 10% up to 20% (depending on the type of booking).
A 7-Night St. Kitts, San Juan & Puerto Plata Cruise from Port Canaveral onboard Celebrity Apex for two guests in a Veranda Stateroom averages $2,800.
Note: Cruise lines also deduct what are called “NCFs” or Non-Commission Fares and typically range from $100 - $250 per person. Let’s deduct $150 per guest, making the total cost $2,500.
Gross commission amount: 10% $2,500 = $250 Gross Commission
Assuming you have a 70% Commission Split with you agency
70% = $175 to YOU
30% = $75 to the Agency
Not too shabby, considering this is a pretty common vacation for two guests, you could book hundreds of them and we used the lowest commission rate for Celebrity Cruises.
Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent Salary
Your salary will depend on many variables, such as the number of bookings and the cost of trips. According to the website Indeed, the average salary for a Celebrity Cruises travel agent is around $31,500 per year. Keep in mind that Celebrity Cruises is currently a more niche cruise line, and you can certainly work with other cruise lines as well.
Training
Celebrity Group Sales Program
Want to learn more about how Celebrity Cruises works with travel agents? They have an official website designed just for that! Simply follow this link to access brand-new pictures, helpful tips, and even explore Celebrity Rewards - Celebrity’s very own travel agent loyalty program!
Celebrity Cruise Line Travel Agent Course
Once you’re part of an agency, you should complete the Celebrity Cruises Five Star Academy Training program. It’s a comprehensive training course designed to help agents with everything related to Celebrity Cruises. To access it, simply click this link, register an account, and follow the steps.
Here’s some of the stuff that you will find there:
- Cruise Planner
- Booking tools
- Sales & Marketing tools
- Celebrity Learning educational program
- Promotions, Offers & Weekly Deals
Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent Course Requirements
To apply to the Five Star Academy Training Program, you must first be part of a host agency. Then, simply head to the link above, fill out the required fields, and select the courses you’re interested in. The Five Star Academy is free.
The Celebrity Five Star Agency
Sometimes, you might come across (or become!) a Celebrity Five Star Travel Agent. These travel professionals have completed five levels of courses to learn all about the Celebrity Cruise experience, including service, cuisine, spa and destinations.
CLIA Training
You might also want to look into CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and complete specific courses there. CLIA certification brings numerous benefits, as you can see here.
Free Stock Library
VacationLab gives you access to thousands of images and videos from major cruise lines like Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises, theme parks like Disney World and LEGOLAND, and beach resorts like Beaches Resorts. By joining us, you'll also gain access to our exclusive database, making it easy to showcase images and videos to your clients based on what they’re looking for.