Research note: customer experience management in cruise pre-consumption

Sharples, Liz

doi:10.1108/ijcthr-02-2019-0023

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Additionally, in the context of the cruise literature, this study offers insights into best practices. Whilst Sharples (2019) provided a theoretical basis for research on the cruise pre-consumption experience, the empirical analysis presented here offers useful insights for cruise companies and for the hospitality industry in general.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boosting the pre-purchase experience through virtual reality. Insights from the cruise industry

Simoni

Sorrentino

Leone

et al. 2021

JHTT

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Purpose This study aims to provide an exploratory analysis of the role of virtual reality (VR) in the cruise context as a contribution to the limited literature on this topic. In particular, the research investigates immersive VR as a critical touchpoint at the pre-purchase stage of the customer journey. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the research aims, the authors use a case study approach by analysing the “immersive configurator” (essentially a virtual catalogue) implemented by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Findings Three innovative functions emerged from the study of the MSC’s virtual catalogue. First, it improves the customer experience and engagement through its interactivity. Second, it allows customization of the prospective cruise experience by selecting and changing types of ship, the level of service, the position of the cabin and much more. Third, it becomes a new digital marketing system endowed with large amounts of data. Research limitations/implications This study advances the current state of knowledge by presenting an empirical case study on the role of immersive VR at the pre-purchase stage of the customer journey. Second, it offers interesting implications for managers who want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by VR. Originality/value The present study analyses the pre-purchase stage in tourism marketing focused on the use of VR in the tourist experience at the time of service delivery. Second, it enriches the tourism literature by integrating supply-side and demand-side perspectives. Third, from a methodological point of view, this paper offers an in-depth qualitative study in a context where scholars have mostly applied quantitative methods.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boosting the pre-purchase experience through virtual reality. Insights from the cruise industry

Simoni

Sorrentino

Leone

et al. 2021

JHTT

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“…This segmentation would not be different from the specialized annual niche cruises that are offered to fans of a specific band or fans of a specific comedian or individuals comprising a certain demographic. This deeper approach to analyzing the cruise segments also aligns with customer experience management; extensive time between pre-booking to booking to actually cruising would allow knowing more about the consumers liminoid intentions at different stages (Sharples, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cruising back to the basic needs

Severt

Tasci

2020

IJCTHR

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Purpose Tourism activities inherently include the liminoid state of mind that impels people to go out of ordinary behavior, some of which is inversionary. The purpose of this paper is to explore travelers’ cruise behavior as related to their needs while entering and experiencing a cruise trip. Design/methodology/approach A total of 395 vacationers were sampled and surveyed about their selected top three factors for cruising, motivations for cruising and needs while cruising. The sample was grouped into inversioners and rejuvenators to see if there was any evidence of liminoid behavior in cruising needs and what they may be. Findings The results show that the important reasons to choose cruises for vacation are aligned with past literature showing that people choose cruises for vacation mostly for the good value of the food and beverage bundled with good climate, entertainment appropriate for quality time with family and for rest and relaxation. In addition, the results on motivations to go on a cruise show that lower-level needs on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs have more importance than the higher-level needs. Research limitations/implications The current study was conducted on an online platform. Future research with panels of cruise travelers across all the stages of liminoid behavior, before, during and after a cruise trip, may provide valuable findings in terms of changes in needs and motivations. Practical implications The inversionary tendency of cruise travelers implies for the cruise industry the need to create an alternative (or inversionary) routine restoring the basic needs, while still providing enough opportunities for self-actualization that may foster balanced travel experiences for human growth and development. Providing a more balanced product and service offering may be strategic for the cruise companies because the activities geared for higher-level needs may provide memorable experiences and hence induce consumer loyalty after the trip is completed. Social implications The focus on eating and drinking during cruises may be providing cruise travelers with instant gratification during the span of the cruise. However, the consequences for the individual travelers, the industry, destinations and the environment may not be as gratifying. For a more responsible tourism, cruise travel may need an image makeover highlighting different packages within a cruise to better align with the desired needs of different segments of cruisers. Originality/value The study contributes to the understanding of the second or “transition” stage in liminal theory in tourism and is one of the first to examine the liminoid state of mind using a basic-needs approach for studying cruise traveler needs. Further, it contributes by exploring liminoid behavior of a group of people in the context of the same type of travel, cruise, rather than investigating liminoid behavior across different types of travel, thus allowing segmentation possibilities for the cruise industry.

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“…The development of cruise tourism brings strong power and new trends and implications for research on consumer engagement [2]. Cruise tourism, as a new industry produced by the combination of transportation and tourism, has considerable development space, applying the relatively new concept of customer experience management to the pre-consumptive stage within a cruise tourist's journey [3]. Nowadays, cruise tourism has been developed preliminarily in Asia, and supported gradually by different countries and their governments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cruise Tourism for Sustainability: An Exploration of Value Chain in Shenzhen Shekou Port

Liu

Dong

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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Based on the support of governmental policies and the rapid growth of China’s economic development, residents’ living standards, and tourism consumption demand, cruise tourism has continuously developed and its service level has gradually improved, which have become the main driving forces for the sustainable growth of China’s cruise tourism industry. This paper took Shenzhen Shekou Port (SSP) as a research site and used an online text analysis method by Rost Content Mining 6 software to analyze 2552 Ctrip travel network, and then did further study through face to face interviews from the perspective of “tourists source” and “procurement” in the value chain theory. Only by understanding the developing trend of cruise tourists can we cultivate cruise culture, expand cruise tourism market, and finally realize the benign development of cruise tourism. The research results show that the cruise business in Shenzhen should strengthen the senior citizens market and marketing to kids and parents, and improve the satisfaction of cruise passengers in terms of enriching entertainment facilities, elevating service quality, and upgrading duty-free shopping centers. This paper not only focused on the study of cruise tourists in Southern China, but also enriches the research of the cruise value chain.

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Research note: customer experience management in cruise pre-consumption

Cited by 10 publications

References 41 publications

Boosting the pre-purchase experience through virtual reality. Insights from the cruise industry

Boosting the pre-purchase experience through virtual reality. Insights from the cruise industry

Cruising back to the basic needs

Cruise Tourism for Sustainability: An Exploration of Value Chain in Shenzhen Shekou Port

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