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The purpose of the study was to discover the relative importance of influencing factors toward booking a cruise vacation. Based on a review of literature, this study focused on exploring the relative importance of six influential factors in cruise customers’ decision-making process: cruise vacation price, cruise duration, distance from the cruise port, itineraries, environmental friendliness of cruise line and cruise online reviews.

The complexity of cruise customers’ decision-making process for involving these six attributes with several levels was examined with choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis. CBC was selected due to its realistic approach to purchase decisions, in the form of trade-offs. The online survey collected data anonymously. The survey was distributed through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (Mturk) platform. The sample consisted of 450 cruise customers, who had experienced a cruise vacation before.

The findings of the study showed that online reviews were the most influential attribute for cruise customers in their cruise decision, followed very closely by the environmental friendliness of the cruise line. The next influential factor was the duration of the cruise vacation, which was followed by distance from the cruise port, cruise itinerary and cruise vacation price. The best and the worst cruise vacation profiles were generated based on the CBC analysis.

The findings of this study provide some insights with regard to cruise customers’ importance about influencing factors when deciding on a cruise vacation.

The research provides insides in understanding the influential factors at the last stage of cruise customers’ decision-making process. In this regard, cruise industry can pay more attention in promoting the attributes of a cruise offer as influential factors. Additionally, the findings of this study contribute to the general knowledge about cruise customers’ decision-making process.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This study aims to examine how cruise ship dinescapes, as a specific type of organized and staged service environment, influence customers’ attitudes, on-board behaviour, satisfaction and behavioural intentions.

Data was collected using a cross-sectional survey from 552 passengers on-board one of the big cruise ships with a Caribbean itinerary.

Cruise ship dinescape, as an on-board food experience platform, is built on three dimensions: restaurant atmospherics, interactions with other guests and restaurant staff. The findings show how these dimensions influence passengers’ emotional experiences and quality perceptions. The results also show how travellers’ cruise ship dinescape satisfaction affect their overall vacation satisfaction and future travel behaviour.

The findings imply that cruise companies should pay extra attention to organised food service environments like dinescapes staged for passengers. Through these scapes cruise companies may provide favourable platforms enabling dining satisfaction, but also social interaction and co-creation of memorable experiences.

This study builds a comprehensive model in cruise ship context, which links dinescape experiences to overall cruise ship dining experiences and dining behaviour mediated by emotional and perceived quality outcomes with further consequences.

Cruising is one of the industries most susceptible to the current COVID-19 health crisis, due to the closed environment and the contacts between cruisers and crewmembers. This study aims to understand if the perceived crowding and the health risk perception related to the pandemic situation might threaten passengers’ intentions to cruise. The study also examines corporate reputation and trust, as well as social motivation and self-confidence, as possible predictors of consumers’ intention to cruise.

The study is based on the development of a structured questionnaire submitted online via social media. Overall, 553 individuals’ responses were used for understanding the factors that can affect consumers’ intention to cruise by performing several regression models.

The results show that the perceived crowding related to the pandemic does not seem to influence people’s intention to cruise. On the contrary, trust in the cruise company, corporate reputation, cruisers’ self-confidence and research of social motivation are positive predictors of intention to cruise, thus reducing the perceived risk’s deterring impact. The importance of such factors differs in respect of repeat and not repeat cruisers.

The study presents several managerial implications as it analyses the variables that could help cruise management cope better with COVID-19’s negative impact.

Despite the severity of COVID-19’s impact on the cruise industry, no studies have yet focussed on how the current pandemic situation may influence customers’ intention to cruise in the future.

This paper aims to provide a better understanding of self-organised cruiser’s expenditures, analysing the effect of city interface satisfaction (CIS) on total monetary impact on land (TMIoL) for cruisers travelling without touristic guide and investigating the size of cruise ships, such as those labelled super-sized ships (SSSh), as a moderator variable.

The study was conducted through an interview-based semi-structured questionnaire administered to 812 self-organised cruisers visiting one of main ports of call in the Mediterranean region.

The findings highlight that CIS positively influences TMIoL; the relationship is moderated by SSSh; age, cruise experience and time on land are confirmed to be critical predictors of cruiser’s expenditures in the tourism destination.

The increase in cruiser flows and vessel sizes has a significant economic and non-economic impact on cruise destinations. More players are involved in the value creation process and its sharing, such as port destinations, local governments and cruise liners. Value measurement and knowledge of its determinants (e.g. port facilities, destination attractiveness, cruiser satisfaction and experiences) are essential, in terms of competitiveness, for practitioner’s decision-making processes and scholars interested in analysing the cruise phenomenon. This paper contributes to the existing literature as it provides results concerning value creation that is not managed by any one single player, such as cruise companies, port destination or local government. Such knowledge can be useful above all for local governments because self-organised cruisers visit the city destination not as cruise tourists but as land tourists.

The purpose of this study is to further explore the effects of customer participation (CP) and service personal values (SPVs) on cruise customer satisfaction (CS) and customer loyalty (CL) by applying the empirical research approach.

A self-administered questionnaire was prepared and used to collect data. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling analysis was used to test the proposed model and hypotheses.

The empirical results indicate that CP positively influences SPVs, CS and CL. SPVs have a significant and positive impact on CS as well. Moreover, the study also finds that collectivism has a strong positive effect on CP. Price sensitivity negatively moderates the relationship among CP, CPV, CS and CL.

The generalizability of the current study findings should be considered or scrutinized in light of the fact that limited samples and cross-sectional data were used. This limitation positions the findings as a continuation of the developing path toward a better understanding of customer behavior rather than a definitive conclusion.

The study results show that CP has a positive direct effect on SPVs, CS and CL. Even though many researchers have verified the importance and function of CP, there is a lack of literature, which assesses the influence of CP in a cruise industry context. By focusing on this gap, this research makes it feasible to empirically analyze the different effects of CP in relation to SPVs, CS and CL in Chinese cruise preferences.

The study results suggest that CP is a new predictor of CS and CL in the cruise industry. Thus, creating a positive experience through participation is crucial. As customers are co-producers, it is beneficial for the cruise companies to raise labor productivity and reduce cost by guiding and stimulating them to take part in the service-producing process.

Based on the perspective of service-dominant logic, the purpose of this study is to shed light on the formation process of loyalty behavior of Chinese cruise tourists. The empirical results indicate that CP positively influences SPVs, CS and CL. SPVs have a significant and positive impact on CS as well. Moreover, the study also finds that collectivism has a strong positive effect on CP. Price sensitivity negatively moderates the relationship among CP, CPV, CS and CL.

标题:中国邮轮游客的忠诚度:顾客参与和服务个人价值观的影响

本研究通过实证研究方法, 旨在深入探讨顾客参与(CP)与服务个人价值观(SPVs)对邮轮游客满意度(CS)与顾客忠诚度(CL)的影响。

本文编制了一份自填问卷用于收集数据。采用探索性因子分析(EFA)和结构方程模型(SEM)分析进行模型和假设检验。

结果表明, CP对SPVs、CS、CL均有正向影响。SPVs对CS也有显著的正向影响。此外, 本研究还发现, 集体主义对CP有很强的正向影响, 价格敏感性对CP、CPV、CS和CL之间的关系起负向调节作用。

鉴于样本有限和横断面数据的采用, 应仔细考虑和检查本文研究结果的普遍性。这一局限意味着本研究结果是顾客行为研究道路上的延续, 而不是一个确定的结论。

研究结果表明, CP对SPVs、CS、CL有直接的正向影响。尽管许多研究者已经证实了CP的重要性和作用, 但是对于CP在邮轮业中的影响的评价文献还很缺乏。基于对这一研究空白的关注, 本文通过实证研究, 分析在中国人的邮轮偏好中, CP对SPVs、CS、CL的不同影响。

研究结果表明, CP是邮轮行业CS和CL的一个新的预测因子。因此, 通过参与来创造积极体验是至关重要的。由于顾客是共同生产者, 通过引导和激励他们参与服务生产过程, 有利于提高邮轮公司的劳动生产率, 降低成本。

基于服务主导逻辑的视角, 本研究旨在揭示中国邮轮游客忠诚行为的形成过程。实证结果表明, 顾客参与(CP)对顾客个人价值(SPVs)、顾客满意度(CS)和顾客忠诚度(CL)具有正向影响。SPVs对CS也有显著的正向影响。此外, 本研究还发现, 集体主义对CP有很强的正向影响, 价格敏感性负向调节CP、CPV、CS和CL之间的关系。

关键词 顾客参与, 服务个人价值, 顾客忠诚度, 价格敏感度,中国邮轮游客

研究论文

La lealtad de los clientes chinos de cruceros: el impacto de la participación de los clientes y los valores personales del servicio

El propósito de este estudio es explorar, en profundidad, los efectos de la participación del cliente (CP) y los valores personales del servicio (SPV) en la satisfacción del cliente de cruceros (CS) y la lealtad del cliente (CL) aplicando el enfoque de la investigación empírica.

La obtención de datos se realizó a través de un cuestionario autoadministrado. El modelo y las hipótesis propuestas fueron contrastados a través del análisis factorial exploratorio (EFA) y el análisis de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM).

Los resultados empíricos indican que la CP influye positivamente en los SPV, CS y CL. Los SPVs también tienen un impacto significativo y positivo en la CS. Además, el estudio también encuentra que el colectivismo tiene un fuerte efecto positivo en el CP. La sensibilidad al precio modera negativamente la relación entre CP, CPV, CS y CL.

La posibilidad de generalizar las conclusiones del presente estudio debe considerarse teniendo en cuenta que se utilizaron muestras limitadas y datos transversales. Esta limitación hace que los hallazgos avancen en la senda para una mejor comprensión del comportamiento del cliente y no sean una conclusión definitiva.

Los resultados del estudio muestran que el CP tiene un efecto directo positivo en las SPVs, CS y CL. Aunque muchos investigadores han verificado la importancia y la función de la CP, falta literatura que evalúe la influencia de la CP en el contexto del sector de los cruceros. Al centrarse en esta carencia, esta investigación permite analizar empíricamente los diferentes efectos de la CP en relación con las SPVs, CS y CL en las preferencias de los cruceristas chinos.

Los resultados del estudio sugieren que la CP es un nuevo predictor de la CS y la CL en el sector de los cruceros. Por tanto, crear una experiencia positiva a través de la participación es crucial. Dado que los clientes son coproductores, es beneficioso para las compañías de cruceros aumentar la productividad laboral y reducir los costes guiándolos y estimulándolos a participar en el proceso de producción del servicio.

Basado en la perspectiva de la lógica dominante del servicio, el propósito de este estudio es arrojar luz sobre el proceso de formación de la lealtad de los turistas chinos de cruceros. Los resultados empíricos indican que la participación del cliente (CP) influye positivamente en los valores personales del servicio (SPV), la satisfacción del cliente (CS) y la lealtad del cliente (CL). Los SPVs también tienen un impacto significativo y positivo en la CS. Además, el estudio también encuentra que el colectivismo tiene un fuerte efecto positivo en el CP. La sensibilidad al precio modera negativamente la relación entre CP, CPV, CS y CL.

participación del cliente, valores personales del servicio, lealtad del cliente, sensibilidad al precio, turistas chinos de cruceros.

Trabajo de investigación

The purpose of this paper is to explain the onshore satisfaction of cruise passengers, in the port of call of Cartagena de Indias.

A questionnaire was given to 1,361 passengers of 28 cruise ships during October and November of 2009, then factor analysis and cluster analysis were employed.

The results suggest that although visitors held a high overall satisfaction of the onshore experience, there are two dimensions that require the attention of tourist policy makers: the city infrastructure (traffic, noise, cleanliness and infrastructure) and the general shopping experience. In particular, the worst experience seems to be related to street vendors. Moreover, there is evidence that tourists from the USA are more exigent of being fully satisfied.

The survey was only conducted in the months of October and November. Future research can also include the repetition of the study in different seasons to compare results. The study shows that there is a good potential for the growth of tourism activity of the destination because over 52 per cent of the participants declared their intention of return to the city as land tourists and more than 60 per cent will recommend the destination to their friends.

The application of known methodologies to an emergent destination, in which many stakeholders are involved and concerned about cruise tourism evolution and its effects on the destination.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing servicescape of cruise tourism and provides practical suggestions to improve the perception of Chinese tourists toward cruise servicescape.

A multistage mixed-method design was used in the sequence of in-depth interviews (n = 18), expert panel (n = 5), on-site survey (n = 317) and online survey (n = 300). Grounded theory, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess cruise tourism servicescape.

The cruise tourism servicescape construct was identified with six dimensions: facilities and décor, natural scenery, onshore excursions, onboard entertainment, social interactions and dining services. These dimensions were in the order of importance, as perceived by Chinese tourists.

Cruise lines operating large ships can be more attractive to Chinese consumers than luxury cruise lines operating smaller vessels. Cruise operators can enhance perceived servicescape by integrating natural and built environments, such as air, sea and on-shore tours. Services provided by foreign crew members may serve as a strong selling point for Chinese tourists. Consumer-to-consumer activities may be introduced into the Chinese market. Cruise operators may also provide quality meal service in terms of variety, quality and flexibility.

Considering that minimal research has been conducted on cruise servicescape scale development, this study serves as the first empirical research effort in this regard. The findings also identify the specific needs of Chinese tourists, which is a fast-growing market in the cruise industry.

This paper aims to conduct a review on cruise shipping and the cruise shipping industry. The current trends are analyzed for the industry, showing that this industry is still young and has great potential to boom. Meanwhile, the Asia market is the fastest growth region among the global, to which increasing cruise ships are repositioned by major cruise lines. However, for such a promising industry, the literature review on some state-of-the-art research works suggests that the research works that have been conducted for the cruise shipping are quite limited, and the majority of the works belongs to empirical and descriptive studies, which does not provide optimization-based quantitative analysis on some operation planning problems.

This paper conducts a review on cruise shipping and the cruise shipping industry.

In reality, there are some important operation planning problems faced by cruise lines or cruise ships, and four of them are addressed in this paper in response to the fast growing trend. The addressed operation planning problems are cruise fleet management, cruise ship deployment, cruise itinerary design and cruise service planning.

The importance and the attention for the research on the problems are also elaborated in the paper.

The aim of this study is to examine cruise destination branding as a new resource for a region to promote an area as a differentiated cruise destination. The authors specifically study how the perceived brand awareness of a destination moderates the relation between cruisers’ motivation and destination satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WoM).

A statistical model was adapted from relevant literature and applied in the context of cruise destination branding. The model was tested by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the fit of the model through confirmative factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis and moderated regression analysis were also conducted. The sample consisted of British cruisers (n = 182) visiting the city of Pori in Finland.

The findings suggest that factors that impel people to take cruises (social recognition, self-esteem, discovery, socialization, convenience and value) have a significant impact on satisfaction with the destination, whereas brand awareness is recognized as a moderator in the relation between social recognition and destination satisfaction and WoM. Research findings provide a framework to discuss and analyze the cruise tourism business in a holistic way. Whereas the earlier studies have focused on onboard experiences, in this study, the focus of attention is on the onshore experiences of the cruisers.

The study is focused on one Baltic Sea cruise destination, the British Cruise Company and a limited segment of senior British passengers.

By measuring cruisers’ internal travel motives and their perceptions of the brand awareness of the port-of-call during the cruise, or the destination, the results offer destination marketing organizations valuable information to develop their offerings to meet the needs of future travelers and visitors.

The study contributes to the cruise destination literature by linking the perceived brand awareness of a destination to motivational factors of the tourist and further to destination satisfaction and WoM behavior specifically in the context of onshore experiences.