ASTA asks Disney to reconsider commission cap

In late October Disney capped this amount at 10% after previously paying as much as 16%, depending on an agent's sales volume.

In a survey conducted by ASTA more than five months after the policy was implemented, 93% said they are 'very' or 'somewhat' concerned by the new policy, and 70% said they are recommending or will recommend another cruise line whenever possible.

'Our agents will book what their clients specifically request, whether that is Disney or any other cruise line,' ASTA president and ceo Zane Kerby said. 'However, travelers often rely on their trusted travel agent to guide them through their vacation choices, and because of the breadth and quality of cruise inventory available, agents have many alternatives to suggest.'

According to the ASTA survey, 68% of agents said their customers are open to booking with cruise lines other than Disney. Only 2.5% said their customers would not be open at all to considering another cruise line.

Kerby said the policy caused one of ASTA's consortia partners, Virtuoso, to drop Disney as a preferred supplier after 14 years.

'We encourage Disney Cruise executives to reconsider this commission policy and reward their strongest sales representatives accordingly,' the ASTA chief said.