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Consequences of cruise line involvement: a comparison of first-time and repeat passengers

Bee-Lia Chua (Department of Food Service and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia)
Sanghyeop Lee (Department of Food Service Management, Youngsan University, Busan, South Korea)
Heesup Han (College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea)

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

ISSN: 0959-6119

Article publication date: 12 June 2017

2057

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test the relationships among involvement, perceived price, perceived quality, affective satisfaction, perceived value, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty in the cruise line industry. In addition, this study attempted to identify whether the differences in these variables exist across first-time and repeat cruise customers.

Design/methodology/approach

The web-based survey was used. A total of 403 complete responses were used for data analysis. Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) two-step approach was used to achieve study objectives.

Findings

The t-test analyses demonstrated that repeat cruise customers expressed significantly lower perceived price and higher affective satisfaction, perceived value and behavioral loyalty than first-time cruise travelers. The structural equation modeling results revealed that involvement has an important role in loyalty generation process. However, the structural model did not significantly differ across first-time and repeat customers.

Practical implications

Overall, the results indicated the critical needs to develop individuals’ interest in cruise vacation with a particular cruise line. Cruise line operators who undertake promotion efforts that enhance people involvement with their cruise line should result in greater likelihood of choosing the same cruise line in the future.

Originality/value

With a lack of research about cruise line involvement and loyalty, this research contributes to theoretical understanding of intricate attitudinal and behavioral loyalty generation process across first-time and repeat cruise passengers.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a 2017 research grant from Youngsan University, Republic of Korea.

Citation

Chua, B.-L., Lee, S. and Han, H. (2017), "Consequences of cruise line involvement: a comparison of first-time and repeat passengers", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 29 No. 6, pp. 1658-1683. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-09-2015-0452

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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