Overview
This golden config establishes a complete foundation for expedition cruise operators using a best-practice regional channel model ideal for US-based operators with international expansion. Instead of multi-currency channels, each regional channel is locked to a single currency for clean pricing and reporting.
Why This Model?
- Pricing clarity: Each channel has one currency, no confusion
- Clean reporting: Revenue by region/currency is automatic
- Production-proven: Battle-tested at scale with major cruise operators
- P&L separation: Two brands for NA vs International markets
What Gets Deployed
Summary
| Category | Count | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Records | 5 | CurrencyBook, Language, BookingNumberScheme, ChannelRoleConfig |
| Tax Groups | 1 | Default Tax Group |
| Commission Groups | 3 | Regular, Airfare, Non-Commissionable |
| Brands | 2 | North America (USD), International (GBP) |
| Tax Rules | 2 | One per brand |
| Channels | 24 | 10 NA + 14 International |
| Channel Configs | 24 | One per channel |
| Total Records | 60 |
Required Currencies
| Currency | Code | Used By |
|---|---|---|
| US Dollar | USD | NA Brand, US channels |
| Canadian Dollar | CAD | NA Brand, CA channels |
| British Pound | GBP | INT Brand, UK channels |
| Euro | EUR | INT Brand, Europe channels |
| Australian Dollar | AUD | INT Brand, AU channels |
Brand Structure
🇺🇸 Voyage Expeditions (NA) — USD Base
For North American market (US + Canada). Tax exclusive.
| Channel | Code | Currency | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct - US | DUS | USD | B2C |
| Direct - CA | DCA | CAD | B2C |
| Travel Agent - US | TAUS | USD | B2B |
| Travel Agent - CA | TACA | CAD | B2B |
| Groups (Direct) - US | GDUS | USD | B2C |
| Groups (Direct) - CA | GDCA | CAD | B2C |
| Groups (Travel Agent) - US | GTAUS | USD | B2B |
| Groups (Travel Agent) - CA | GTACA | CAD | B2B |
| Charter - NA | CHRNA | USD | Charter |
| In-House | INH | USD;CAD | Internal |
🌍 Voyage Expeditions International — GBP Base
For UK, Europe, and Australia markets. Tax inclusive.
| Channel | Code | Currency | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct - UK | DUK | GBP | B2C |
| Direct - Europe | DEU | EUR | B2C |
| Direct - AU | DAU | AUD | B2C |
| Travel Agent - UK | TAUK | GBP | B2B |
| Travel Agent - Europe | TAEU | EUR | B2B |
| Travel Agent - AU | TAAU | AUD | B2B |
| Groups (Direct) - UK | GDUK | GBP | B2C |
| Groups (Direct) - Europe | GDEU | EUR | B2C |
| Groups (Direct) - AU | GDAU | AUD | B2C |
| Groups (Travel Agent) - UK | GTAUK | GBP | B2B |
| Groups (Travel Agent) - Europe | GTAEU | EUR | B2B |
| Groups (Travel Agent) - AU | GTAAU | AUD | B2B |
| Charter - INT | CHRINT | GBP;EUR | Charter |
| In-House - INT | INHINT | GBP;EUR;AUD | Internal |
Channel Types Explained
| Type | Purpose | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | B2C consumer bookings | Website, call center |
| Travel Agent | B2B agent portal | Commission-based sales |
| Groups (Direct) | Group bookings from organizer | Affinity groups, corporate |
| Groups (Travel Agent) | Groups booked via agents | Agent-led group departures |
| Charter | Full-ship charters | National Geographic, corporate buyouts |
| In-House | Internal bookings | FAM trips, staff, marketing comps |
Commission Groups
Commission Groups enable product-level commission differentiation. Items and Packages reference these groups via CommissionGroup__c.
| Group | External Code | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Commission | COMMISSION-REGULAR | Main products: packages, excursions, accommodations |
| Airfare Commission | COMMISSION-AIRFARE | Air add-ons (typically lower commission rate) |
| Non-Commissionable | COMMISSION-NONE | Items that don’t earn commission: insurance, taxes, port fees |
How Commission Calculation Works
graph LR
A[Item/Package] -->|CommissionGroup__c| B[Commission Group]
C[Reseller Agreement] -->|CommissionGroupAssignment| B
D[Agency Account] -->|AccountAssignment| C
B -->|Rate %| E[Commission Calculated]Commission rates are defined in Reseller Agreements (see B2B Trade Partner Setup) and linked to these Commission Groups.
Dependency Order
Records must be created in this exact sequence:
graph TD
A[1. CurrencyBook] --> G[7. Brands]
B[2. Language] --> I[9. Channels]
C[3. BookingNumberScheme] --> I
D[4. ChannelRoleConfiguration] --> I
E[5. TaxGroup] --> H[8. Tax Rules]
F[6. Commission Groups] -.->|Referenced by Products| J[Expedition Packages]
G --> H
G --> I
I --> K[10. ChannelConfigurations]Pre-Deployment Checklist
- ✅ Kaptio package version ≥ 2.400
- ✅ Multi-Currency enabled in org setup
- ✅ All 5 currencies activated: USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, AUD
- ✅ Default currency set (typically USD)
- ✅ Booking prefix convention decided (default: VE)
Post-Deployment Verification
- Open Setup → Custom Settings → Brands and verify both brands
- Check Channels tab shows all 24 channels
- Create a test booking on each brand/channel combination
- Verify booking numbers use VE- prefix
- Confirm email routing for each channel
Teaching Points
- One currency per channel = clean pricing, no currency confusion in quotes
- Split UK/Europe = mainland Europe guests see EUR, UK guests see GBP
- Charter channels = critical for expedition cruise (Nat Geo partnerships, corporate buyouts)
- In-House multi-currency = staff/FAM can book in any regional currency
- Tax handling differs by brand = NA exclusive, INT inclusive for EU compliance
- Commission Groups = differentiate product types for B2B commission calculation
- Regular vs Airfare = airfare typically earns lower commission (5%) vs regular products (10-15%)
- Non-Commissionable = insurance, taxes, port fees don’t earn agent commission