Cruise Customers Research Articles

The effects of cruise attributes on impulse buying behavior: the mediating role of impulsive buying tendency

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of cruise attributes on impulse buying of service customers through impulsive buying tendency. Specifically, this study investigates whether service attributes (variety of selection and price) influence the impulsive buying behavior of customers by stimulating their impulsive buying tendency.Design/methodology/approachPartial least squares-structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis using a sample of 143 cruise customers. Mediating analysis was conducted to examine whether customer personal traits (impulsivity) mediated the relationship between service attributes and impulsive buying behavior.FindingsThe findings showed that price attributions had a significant positive direct impact on impulsive buying tendency and behavior, while a variety of selections had a significant direct effect on impulse buying behavior. The results revealed a significant mediating role of impulsive buying tendency in the relationship between price attributions and impulse buying.Originality/valueAlthough studies on the decision-making style of service customers have been widely discussed, a limited number of studies has examined customers’ impulsive buying behavior in the service sector. Considering the importance of impulsive purchasing as a valuable marketing tool, the results of this study can help service providers and researchers enhance their knowledge of the mechanism of impulse buying behavior.

Examining the relative role of CSR activity and service experience on cruise customers’ behavior

PurposeIn the service industry, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered a strategic valuable resource. Although previous studies emphasized CSR activities in the service industry, a limited number of studies have examined the combined effect with the service experience. Thus, this study aims to examine the potential antecedents of cruise customers’ positive responses toward the cruise company.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model includes CSR activities, service experiences, satisfaction and revisit intention. The model is tested using samples of cruise customers from the USA. Tests of the proposed model produce significant results for path coefficients from two-dimensional service experience (i.e. physical quality and staff behavior) and not from CSR activities (i.e. environmental and philanthropic).FindingsHypothesis testing indicates that among cruise customers, perceived physical quality and staff behavior are more relevant for creating satisfaction and revisit intention than environmental and philanthropic CSR support.Research limitations/implicationsThe results provide important implications for scholars concerning the effects of CSR activities on customer behavior for efficaciously managing customers’ positive experience with facilities and employees.Originality/valueThere has been a paradigm shift in the cruise industry. The recent trend shows an increasing number of cruise businesses leading to intense competition. Yet, researchers have not adequately examined the impact of service experience and CSR experience simultaneously. Thus, this study contributes to the existing CSR literature by identifying the important determinants of cruise customers’ behavior.

Water Quality as a Food Safety Special Issue on Cruise Ships: Applied to Cruises in the Governorates of Luxor and Aswan

Cruises in Egypt have a distinguished international reputation and even in the critical times that Egyptian tourism suffered, these cruises were on the River Nile filled up with tourists coming to them from every part of the world. However, cruise customers can be exposed to dangerous situations involving water borne illnesses. The objectives of the study are to reveal the current water quality situation, investigate the interaction of activities and water quality, and their effects on food safety and human health. The results got fresh water for ships in one of two ways: by producing it onboard by mean (4.58) or by acquiring it from local sources in ports by mean (4.71). The research results were obtained through the questionnaires distribution, as well as obtaining a water sample and analyzing it both microbiologically and chemically. The results of this study showed that the extent of water hygiene and safety in floating hotels in Luxor and Aswan governorates, and the impact of using that water on the health of the inmates, and sources of pollution. (131) questionnaires were distributed to floating hotel managers, while (86) questionnaires were retrieved by (65.6%). To measure the extent of awareness and attention to water quality in floating hotels in the governorates of Luxor and Aswan and highlight the sources of pollution in order to pay attention to the health and safety of inmates and workers. A random water sample was obtained from a cruise to ensure the health and safety of water that used on a board of cruises. It has already been proven that there are no microbes, and the report has already confirmed that the water sample is suitable for human consumption. While, the bacteriological analysis of water was done by a medical analysis laboratory, expert in microbiologically and chemically analysis.

Impacts of cruise industry corporate social responsibility reputation on customers’ loyalty: Mediating role of trust and identification

Abstract Despite the high relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in service businesses, investigations of its influence on the cruise sector are scarce. Relying on institutional theory, this study proposes a model with cruise customers’ trust and identification as the key factors between CSR reputation and customers’ loyalty. Using data from 292 cruise customers, results support the impact of customers’ perceived CSR reputation of cruise companies on two relational constructs and loyal behavior. Only customers’ identification mediates the relationships between reputation and brand loyalty. Thus, findings suggest that cruise customers likely form high-level loyal behavior when they perceive companies’ CSR activities and their similarities with such companies. From these significant findings, the authors draw several theoretical and practical implications, including the importance of enhancing the company’s focus on its CSR reputations. This study also provides directions to promote identity strengths for enhancing the impact of CSR reputation on company performance.

The role of trait and emotion in cruise customers’ impulsive buying behavior: an empirical study

ABSTRACT The concept of impulsive buying is important because it offers an opportunity to enhance profits. Despite the effect of impulsive purchase in the service environment, limited research has been conducted to understand customers’ impulsive buying behavior. Given the unique characteristic of cruise experience, this study aims to investigate the relationship between individuals’ traits, emotions, and impulsive buying behavior. PLS–SEM tests the hypotheses using a sample of 143 cruise customers. Based on trait activation theory, results reveal that impulsive buying tendency has an impact on positive and negative affects and impulsive buying behavior. Furthermore, customers’ emotion mediates the relationship between impulsive buying tendency and behavior. Findings improve the understanding regarding the psychological mechanism of cruise customers’ impulsive buying behavior.

Chinese cruise customers loyalty: the impact of customer participation and service personal values

La lealtad de los clientes chinos de cruceros: el impacto de la participación de los clientes y los valores personales del servicioObjetivoEl 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.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueLa 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).ResultadosLos 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.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónLa 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.Implicaciones prácticasLos 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.Implicaciones socialesLos 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.Originalidad/interésBasado 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.Palabras claveparticipación del cliente, valores personales del servicio, lealtad del cliente, sensibilidad al precio, turistas chinos de cruceros.Tipo de investigaciónTrabajo de investigación

서비스 스케이프가 소비자 행복과 재구매 의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구: 중국 지역 크루즈 이용객을 중심으로

서비스 스케이프가 소비자 행복과 재구매 의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구: 중국 지역 크루즈 이용객을 중심으로

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.

Verification of the Role of the Experiential Value of Luxury Cruises in Terms of Price Premium

The purpose of this study is to verify the willingness of customers of luxury cruises to pay for the perception of a well-being component and to pay a price premium based on the experiential value of luxury cruises. The following research objectives are presented and their resolution is subsequently pursued: first, the study distinguishes the various subordinate factors contributing to the experiential value of luxury cruises. Second, it aims to understand these subordinate factors’ impact on customers’ well-being perception. Third, the study aims to understand whether the customer is willing to pay a price premium based on his or her well-being perception. Fourth, it aims to verify the role of gender in the relationship between the perceived experiential value of luxury cruises and the proposed variables. Seven hypotheses were established to achieve these research objectives. Data collected from 273 luxury cruise customers were used. As a result, five hypotheses were accepted and two were rejected. In conclusion, the theoretical/practical implications that were proposed based on the results of the study are discussed in detail.

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.

Factors influencing cruise vacations: the impact of online reviews and environmental friendliness

PurposeThe 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.Design/methodology/approachThe 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.FindingsThe 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.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide some insights with regard to cruise customers’ importance about influencing factors when deciding on a cruise vacation.Originality/valueThe 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.

Cruise visitors in Agios Nikolaos, Greece. Characteristics, preferences, satisfaction, and overall experience

Abstract The cruise industry is exhibiting a steady significant growth during the recent years worldwide, and it is assessed to have remarkable economic implications for the local economies. The quality of cruise visitors’ experiences at a destination is crucial for the inclusion of that destination on the cruise itineraries. The aim of this paper is to investigate the cruise ship visitors’ off-board experiences in a Mediterranean port of call – Agios Nikolaos on the island of Crete, Greece, providing a better understanding of the main features of cruise customers’ behaviour and expectations from a port of call. Primary research was conducted at the port of Agios Nikolaos during the 2014 cruise season. The 306 filled questionnaires provided useful information related to the visitors’ demographic characteristics, travel motivation, destination perception, satisfaction, and intention to revisit and recommend the town to others. The findings and discussion of this study are useful to the tourism authorities of Agios Nikolaos and other Mediterranean ports of call with similar characteristics, which wish to maximise the benefits of cruise tourism, to industry practitioners, and academic researchers interested in cruise tourism.

Role of Geography in the Relative Salience of the Antecedents of Cruise Passengers' Satisfaction

While it is quite straightforward to determine the factors that satisfy cruise passengers, such as dining, entertainment, etc., it is a challenge to determine their relative importance. A cruise firm with limited resources needs to concentrate its resources chiefly on those aspects of the cruise travel experience that its customers value more. Unfortunately the findings in the academic literature about the relative importance of the determinants of cruise passengers’ satisfaction provide little guidance as they rarely converge across studies. We offer an explanation for this lack of convergence among the different studies about the relative importance of determinants. We believe that cruise customers who go to different locations form different market segments, with their own unique preferences. The differences in previous studies are due to the data being collected from different locations. We collect a unique dataset from an online website about cruise reviews, and use it to provide empirical support for our explanations. We find that while all consumers prefer value for money the most, the second most important factor is public rooms for tourists headed to Alsaka, cabins for the ones headed to Mediterranean, and service for the ones headed to Caribbean. The findings of this study would be of value to the management of cruise companies in refining advertising message, provision of different cruise services, etc.

Shipscape influence on the leisure cruise experience

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the leisure cruise service environment – the shipscape – and its effects on cruisers' emotions, meaning‐making, and onboard behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses qualitative data from 260 cruise customers that were mined from archived online discussion boards. Data were analyzed based on grounded theory and interpretive methods to derive an understanding of shipscape meanings and influences from the cruiser's perspective.FindingsThe findings extend Bitner's servicescape framework and reveal novel atmospheric and social effects that influence cruise travelers' experience.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the exploratory research objective and interpretive methodology, generalizability beyond the cruise context is limited. However, research findings suggest not only that ambient shipscape conditions influence cruisers' pleasure, but also that ship layout, décor, size, facilities, and social factors influence the meanings cruisers attach to cruise brands and to the overall cruise experience.Originality/valueThis paper explores atmospheric effects on consumer behavior in a context as yet examined by tourism and hospitality scholars.

Complaint Behavior as a Factor in Cruise Line Losses

This paper examines the complaint behavior and financial loss to a cruise line that result from brand switching by their most loyal customers. These effects are based on the fact that passengers can be classified by their type of brand loyalty. Based upon the previously published works of Jones and Sasser (1995) and validated by Cartwright and Baird (1999), the following classification is used in this paper. “Apostles” are the most brand loyal customers who also bring in additional cruise passengers. “Loyalists” are considered highly satisfied customers. They are also repeat passengers, but do not bring in as many additional cruise customers as Apostles. “Mercenaries” are driven by price. This group is only loyal so long as that cruise line maintains the cheapest price. The fourth group, “Hostages,” is loyal to the cruise line because there is no viable alternative. The final group in this classification is “Guerrillas” who are Apostles who have been scorned. An Apostle becomes a Guerrilla because of an inappropriate response by the cruise line to complaint behavior. Classifications of brand loyalty will be discussed leading to the development of the five types of cruise passengers. This paper will show that inappropriate responses to complaint behavior can result in the loss of over $1,775,000 to the cruise line.