Cruise Brand Research Articles

Layout Characteristics and Design Principles of Atrium Integrated Space

With the development of China's cruise tourism industry, it is necessary to study the design and construction of cruise ships, especially the central atrium, which is an important part of public area design and represents the quality and characteristics of the entire ship's design. However, compared with Europe, China's research foundation for large-scale cruise ship design is still lacking. Therefore, studying the spatial layout characteristics of the central atrium is of great significance for improving China's cruise industry. This article focuses on the design principles and characteristics of integrated space layout in the central atrium of cruise ships. By applying basic theories from architecture, shipbuilding engineering, aesthetics, international maritime safety conventions and technology to analyzing representative central atria from 25 typical domestic and foreign cruise brands through data collection and research methods including mathematical statistics methodology, clustering methodology and cases research methodology. Through comparison and generalization of the cases, the study eventually summarizes six overall principles and four structural principles for designing integrated space in the central atrium of a cruise ship. The six overall principles include safety, rationality, applicability, artistry, coordination and technique-economics. The four structural principles include clear space circulation, natural spatial connection, theme coordination & unification and prominent key levels. This study provides insights into designing integrated space in the central atriums of cruise ships that hopefully can be applied in improving China's cruise design work while also supporting guidance for future related fields. Keywords: central atrium of cruise ship, integrated space, design principles, functional layout, decoration style

A Study on the ESG Strategy Comparison of Major Cruise Brands

A Study on the ESG Strategy Comparison of Major Cruise Brands

Research on the High-quality Development Path of Asian Tourism under the New Type of Operation: Take Global Famous Cruise Brand America Princess Cruise Company as an Example

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the existing problems of the Asian Cruise Service Quality. Based on the relationship between customer participation , customer service personal value and customer loyalty, this paper expounds on how European and American cruise companies can improve customer loyalty by enhancing “customers’ personal value perception to realize the harmony and unity of the enterprises’ profits and social benefits.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - Based on marketing, the paper studies the low service quality problems of Asian cruise companies. Based on the case analysis and the marketing theories regarding Service-dominant Logic, Customer Value Theory, Customer Loyalty Theory, taking Amercian Princess Cruise company as an example, found the main problems of Asian cruise companies: Low customer loyalty and poor customer experience. Therefore, we make three suggestions.
 Findings - This paper analyses the promotion path of Carnival Cruise Line, which includes powerful cultural values, surprise service, zero burdens etc. to promote the customer’s personal value perception, therefore obtain the loyalty of the customers. The above empirical research results uncover the relationship among customer participation, personal service value, and customer loyalty, and customers’ participation always helps to strengthen their loyalty (Dubé and Renaghan, 2000; Guo Anxi et al., 2013; Kashyap and Bojanic, 2000; Williams and Soutar, 2009).
 Research Implications - In the management of this paper, this study has significance in improving the development of Asian tourism, improving user experience and service quality which will also provide a reference for other “scholars’ follow-up research

Evaluating and Categorizing Cruise Lines by ship attributes: A Comparison Between Cruisers and Experts

Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) is an important information source used by consumers to make travel decisions. However, eWOM from travel experts and everyday travelers can be inconsistent, potentially leading to blurred product evaluations and market positioning. This paper examines this issue in the context of the cruise industry with the goal of identifying differences in the evaluation of cruise brands by cruise experts and consumers, as well as the product factors that influence these judgements. The research used a data-driven empirical approach and secondary data from a leading cruise review site consisting of scaled ratings across 9 ship attributes and 24 brands by more than 150,000 cruisers and 174 experts. Data analysis using the TOPSIS method and regression and multigroup models shows that experts and cruisers evaluate cruise brands differently and are influenced by different ship attributes when forming evaluations. For example, value-add attributes (e.g., service, enrichment activities, fitness/recreation) significantly influence overall evaluations for cruisers, while core attributes (e.g., cabin, dining, entertainment) significantly influence overall evaluations for experts. Discussion of the empirical results highlights these differences in cruiser vs. expert perceptions as revealed online, as well as the need to update traditional cruise industry categorization to optimize brand positioning and better align product-marketing strategies for effective target marketing.

A Big-Data–Based Analysis on the Impact of Cruise Tourism Image on Chinese Tourist Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

Wu, L.; Dong, C., and Xiong, G., 2020. A big-data–based analysis on the impact of cruise tourism image on Chinese tourist satisfaction and behavioral intentions. In: Gong, D.; Zhang, M., and Liu, R. (eds.), Advances in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 106, pp. 314–318. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This research, targeted at Chinese cruise tourists, divides the cruise tourism image into five dimensions: cruise infrastructure, services, leisure and entertainment, cruise brand, and atmosphere. The purpose is to explore the impact of cruise image on Chinese tourists' satisfaction and behavior intention. In this research, all comments on popular cruises “Royal Caribbean International-Spectrum of the Seas,” “Princess-Sapphire Princess,” “Costa-Venezia,” and “Star Cruises-Explorer Dream” on popular China-Japan lanes posted by Chinese cruise tourists on Ctrip in 2019 are extracted with Python software. Word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis, and sentiment analysis in big data text analysis are applied. The results indicate that the image of infrastructure, service image, leisure & entertainment image, cruise brand image and the image of tourism atmosphere of cruises have a significant positive impact on the satisfaction and behavioral intentions of Chinese tourists. In this regard, the recommendations for cruise brands are as follows: (1) To update entertainment items on cruises and improve the maintenance of infrastructure from time to time. (2) To make on-shore activities more interesting. (3) To strengthen the uniqueness of cruise brands. (4) To expand the target customer group. (5) To provide more customized services.

Turning Your Customers into Brand Evangelists: Evidence from Cruise Travelers

ABSTRACT This study suggests that building long-term relationships between a cruise brand and its passengers through brand experience is more important than the standard offerings. This study applies the framework of consumer–brand relationship on brand evangelism and incorporates a relatively new approach on consumer referral behavior: (1) the effect of brand experience on the creation of brand attachment and brand distinctiveness and (2) the influence of attachment and distinctiveness on cruise travelers’ positive and oppositional referral intentions. The findings provide a foundation for effective marketing strategies and help brand marketers better predict company benefits through the creation of enthusiastic consumer groups.

Corporate social responsibility signaling, evaluation, identification, and revisit intention among cruise customers

Improvements in customer knowledge and interest in cruise tourism have facilitated the growth of the cruise industry. However, the cruise industry has limited research attention from tourism and hospitality scholars. Furthermore, in the cruise setting, although a large number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages are sent to customers, it seems reasonable to suspect that not all CSR activities are effective to achieve the sustainable growth of the company. Therefore, this study aims to expand the existing knowledge of cruise CSR by examining the impact of customers’ perceived value of socially responsible consumption behavior on brand-related outcomes. Data from 292 cruise customers in the United States are collected through online surveys. Findings support the evidence that CSR signaling influences customers’ positive evaluation and identification with a cruise brand, but no direct impact on their behavioral intention is observed. Also, the mediating role of evaluation and identification in the relationship between CSR signaling and revisit intention is examined. In this study, the signaling and social identity theories are supported by an empirical study to addresses the importance of customers’ socially responsible consumption trait in sustainable growth.

Cruise brand experience: functional and wellness value creation in tourism business

Purpose Experience and value creation have become integral themes for tourism service providers. This study aims to understand the role of different types of experiences in formulating customers’ perceived value. Studies on this area are scarce, especially in the cruise industry. Design/methodology/approach A research model that includes two value variables, namely, functional and wellness values, and four cruise brand experience variables, namely, sensory, affective, behavioral and intellectual factors, was tested through partial least-squares (PLS) structural equation modeling approach. A total of 389 usable cruise customer responses were obtained and analyzed using SmartPLS software. Findings Results revealed the relative effects of sensory, affective, behavioral and intellectual factors on perceived functional and wellness values. The positive impact of perceived value on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention and the moderating role of service expertise in the relationship between cruise experience and perceived value were examined. Research limitations/implications Future research can examine how types of leisure facilities (e.g. casinos, restaurants, bars and shows), cultural differences (e.g. Eastern and Western) and customers’ travel characteristics (e.g. visiting purpose and companions) may influence the relationships between cruise brand experience and perceived value. Practical implications From a practical point, the relationships among multidimensional cruise brand experience, functional and wellness values, customer satisfaction, revisit intention and service expertise provide a clue on how cruise brands can enhance customers’ perceived value to retain current customers. Originality/value This study contributes to literature by providing a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for predicting and explaining cruise customers’ behavior. From a managerial perspective, this study identified critical factors that are essential to value creation and discussed the implications of predictive factors on developing marketing strategies that enhance customers’ positive attitude and behavior toward the cruise brand.

What does cruise passengers’ satisfaction depend on? Does size really matter?

In a market characterized by gigantism and the trend toward the Las Vegas resort concept, our paper seeks to analyze passenger satisfaction when faced with the dilemma of a wider array of facilities and services, but at the cost of a cruise “en masse”. A sample of 105 thousand passenger ratings of 134 vessels and 9 different cruise brands reveals a clear negative relationship between passenger satisfaction and vessels’ gigantism and, to a lesser extent, modern design. Satisfaction also seems to significantly depend on three groups of factors: the cruise line experience; the vessel’s intrinsic characteristics, although its construction cost has no effect, and passengers’ own profiles: their ratings clearly depend on their motivations for choosing a particular cruise but are not influenced by expert opinion of the vessel. So, predicting customer satisfaction for such a complex tourism product is a challenge for future planning in this sector.

Exploring behavioral differences between new and repeat cruisers to a cruise brand

The modern leisure cruise industry is one of the most dynamic and profitable sectors of the global tourism industry. However, the cruise industry has entered a maturity stage in North America, the largest cruise market in the world, as growth of the new-to-cruise segment diminishes. Industry analysts emphasize that cruise lines need to not only attract new customers, but also to motivate existing ones to repurchase. Achieving these dual goals demands a better understanding of the differences between these market segments. This study used proprietary reservation data containing more than one million individual records of cruisers’ demographic and behavioral information. Analysis showed that compared with new cruisers, repeat cruisers to a cruise brand are less price sensitive, live closer to embarking ports, are more likely to choose longer cruises and better cabin types, and to book cruises further out from the sailing date; in addition, there are notable behavioral differences between first-time and multi-time repeat cruisers.

Negative Effects of Perceived Crowding on Travelers’ Identification with Cruise Brand

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of perceived crowding on cruise ships on passengers’ perceived luxury brand value and brand identification. Based on the results of previous studies, we propose some causal relationships and test our proposed hypotheses using empirical data collected from 342 luxury cruise passengers. The results indicate that perceived crowding has a negative effect on perceived luxury brand value, thereby hindering brand identification. In addition, a psychological variable – the need for uniqueness – moderated the relationship between perceived luxury brand value and brand identification. We conclude by delineating important theoretical and managerial implications.

Economic Risk in the Cruise Sector

This article considers economic risks which could potentially threaten the competitiveness and sustainability of cruise destinations such as New Zealand. Included in this article are those economic risks which are factored into cruise lines’ decisions as to whether to send their ships to a destination and the destination’s capacity to host these ships and their passengers. A cruise life-cycle framework has been developed to provide a structure for discussion: (a) product development; (b) infrastructure development; (c) distribution; (d) consumption; and (e) disposal. Five strategies for managing economic risks are presented: the formation of an adequately funded peak committee; the cultivation of a cruise culture; the provision of appropriate training; the creation of a national cruise manual; and the design, development and implementation of a cruise brand. Each of these strategies is based on an approach to risk management which calls for a positive view of risk and how it can be transformed into competitive success.

E2c: Maximising Electronic Resources for Cruise Recruitment

Many successful organisations consider Internet recruitment to be an important element of their recruitment strategy, in order to promote, attract, manage and inform applicants in what is seen to be a cost and time effective manner (Anderson, 2003; Bartram, 2000; Parry & Tyson, 2008). This article contributes to the understanding of this subject by considering the content and characteristics of online recruitment resources within the cruise industry with reference to the resultant attitudes and behaviours of prospective employees. This study sought to critically analyse the effectiveness of online resources to attract and inform future employees within the hotel sector of the cruise industry and make recommendations to employers in relation to developing practice. A research plan was formulated that aimed to take a multimethod approach to revealing practice and potential client perceptions. This approach included conducting a comparative analysis of cruise websites using a modified version of a conceptual e-recruiting model, as defined by Young and Foot (2005). In addition, a cruise industry recruitment specialist was interviewed to capture key contextual and strategic data. Thereafter, data from a focus group involving final year Cruise Management students from the University of Plymouth, were collected to highlight perceptions of online recruitment resources from the potential employees' perspective. The investigation reveals that many elements such as content usefulness, web site attractiveness and usability have a major influence on prospective employees' perceptions and opinions of a company or cruise brand and that cruise brands have yet to harness the full capability of the medium to best effect.

Smooth Sailing?: Passengers' Assessment of Cruise Brand Equity

ABSTRACT This study proposes and tests the influence of the cruise ship brand equity model on behavioral intentions by utilizing the constructs of brand loyalty, image, awareness, message, and perceived quality. The study found overall that brand loyalty and perceived quality were most influential on the behavioral intentions of cruise passengers. Specifically, repeat purchase intentions, the likelihood of recommending the brand to others, and brand preference were found to be significant in the model. The finding is consistent with extant literature which credits brand loyalty with being the most influential variable on cruise passenger's behavioral intentions. Brand image was the most highly correlated construct with behavioral intentions and was found to lack discriminant validity although theory distinguishes the two as separate constructs. The results from this study may be useful to cruise line corporations, particularly in formulating successful marketing campaigns and in encouraging relationship building with customers.

Cruising in the 21st century: Who works while others play?

The cruise industry is growing in scale and importance annually. Influences such as multiculturalism, globalisation, the increase in numbers of mega-cruise ships and changing passenger demography, suggest that the work environment is not as it might once have been and yet there is very little research to reveal insights into this complex and seemingly unique world. This paper aims to find out what it is like to work and live on a modern cruise ship by examining the views of employees across a number of cruise brands.