Cruise Tourism

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL)-Brand plan for a new concept: The Aqua Theatre Café

by Matteo Fabbi

Papathanassis, A. & Brejla, P. (2012). Travel agency extranet acceptance: The role of content, usability and appearance, Journal of Information Technology & Tourism. 13(2): 105-117

by Alexis Papathanassis

Travel agencies remain the most popular distribution channel for cruises and a major determinant of passengers'... more Travel agencies remain the most popular distribution channel for cruises and a major determinant of passengers' postvacation evaluation. Our starting point is that cruise operators' extranets can contribute to their relationship with travel agencies, while improving the evaluation of cruise services. Within e-tourism research, the B2B dimension and the utilization of extranets is underrepresented, especially within the cruise domain. Consequently, this article seeks to contribute to a better understanding of travel agents' requirements on cruise/tour operators' extranets. A Web-based survey of 260 German, Austrian, and Swiss travel agents, selling cruise holidays, was conducted in order to examine the role and significance of content, usability, and appearance for the acceptance of tourism extranets. The results of the survey revealed that question items related to the content dimension were more significant that the items associated with usability and appearance. Following a discussion of the findings, further research and practical implications are outlined

Sohns, K. , Breitner, M. & Papathanassis, A. (2011). Online Content Mining Technologies for the Cruise Industry: State-of-the-Art and Acceptance, European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Recreation. 2(3): 55-77

by Alexis Papathanassis

Online reviews of hotels are widespread on the Internet. In addition to writing reviews about hotels, travellers also... more Online reviews of hotels are widespread on the Internet. In addition to writing reviews about hotels, travellers also review cruises. Cruise operators could analyze online cruise
reviews with the help of state-of-the-art online content mining (OCM) technologies and use the results to enhance their marketing intelligence and quality management. The potential
of such technologies is ultimately dependent on their acceptance by cruise managers. Hence, a model of predicted acceptance of OCM technologies is proposed. The model is based on existing technology acceptance models and was developed based on 19 in-depth interviews with decision-makers from the cruise industry.

Papathanassis, A. (2011). Guest-to-guest interaction on board cruise ships: Exploring social dynamics and the role of situational factors, Tourism Management, doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.11.016

by Alexis Papathanassis

Cruise ships are increasing in size, itineraries are becoming more standardised, and new customer segments are... more Cruise ships are increasing in size, itineraries are becoming more standardised, and new customer segments are emerging. These factors induce a new social reality and represent a potential differentiator for the production and offering of cruise experiences. In this light, the study of guest-to-guest interactions will expectedly gain importance over time for cruise planning and operations. This explorative-interpretative study is divided into two phases. First, a survey of 173 randomly-selected respondents aimed at comparing the significance of social interaction on board, with that of other cruise product features. Social interaction emerged as a secondary issue and no significant differences were identified between customer categories. However, a deeper exploration of the collected data questioned this finding. Subsequently, the analysis of 76 semi-structured interviews resulted to a tentative model of factors affecting satisfaction with the interaction between guests on board. Finally, suggestions for further research and practical implications are discussed.

Stakeholders, the natural environment and the future of Caribbean cruise tourism

by Dr. Clare Weeden

Working on the Water: On Legal Space and Seafarer Protection in the Cruise Industry

by William Terry

Published in Economic Geography, 2009 vol. 85 no. 4

With a focus on Filipino seafarers, the largest cohort of workers on cruise ships, this article argues that recent... more With a focus on Filipino seafarers, the largest cohort of workers on cruise ships, this article argues that recent legal decisions in U.S. courts on the employment and protection of international cruise ship workers have repositioned the historical relationships between seafarers and their employers and have created a new extraterritorial legal space in which seafarers’ rights are diminished. In this context, Filipino seafarers find themselves embedded in a dynamic transnational system that facilitates their entry into the cruise industry yet structures a diminution of their protection under the law. This process represents a rollback of historical protections that have favored seafarers in U.S. courts. This case calls into question how laws and legal framings serve to buttress labor relationships between people and places, thereby shaping economic geographies. Thus, this article illustrates the power of a legal geographic framework to examine economic relationships and therefore to shed light on how economic globalization is facilitated and shaped at multiple scales. It offers a geographic perspective on how the legal and the economic are implicated in one another and suggests that further attention to legal geographic aspects of economic and labor geographies would be useful for analyzing the maintenance of inequalities in the global system.

Geographic limits to global labor market flexibility: The human resources paradox of the cruise industry

by William Terry

Highlights

► This paper highlights globalized labor recruitment in cruise industry. ► Despite optimal labor market flexibilities companies fear labor shortages. ► Local cultures and economies determine where companies can effectively source labor. ► Investments in places are required to maintain a steady flow of workers. ► This paper provides a rare study of a truly globalized labor market and its limits.

Keywords: Cruise industry; Labor geographies; Labor market flexibility; Tourism; Labor migration; Globalization

The cruise industry enjoys arguably the most flexible and globalized of all labor markets. Yet, in an apparent... more The cruise industry enjoys arguably the most flexible and globalized of all labor markets. Yet, in an apparent paradox, cruise lines face a potential labor shortage, despite the fact that the bulk of their labor is sourced from the Global South where a large labor surplus would seemingly make recruitment a simple process. This paper examines this paradox in greater detail with a focus on the tension that exists between the industry’s demand for a flexible labor force, and the need for workers who maintain the skills required of a cruise ship job. It is argued that the contemporary geography of global labor recruitment is constrained by the particular political, economic and cultural circumstances of individual source countries that make certain cohorts less attractive or available as a workforce. In practice the need for skill and flexibility are not always reconcilable and cruise lines have found that there is a geographic limit to labor market flexibility. The article is based on interviews with various stakeholders involved in either working on cruise ships or in recruiting workers. Special emphasis is placed on Filipino cruise ship workers and labor recruiters as a means to discuss labor recruitment for the entire industry.

Andriotis, K. and Agiomirgianakis, G. (2010) Cruise Visitors’ Experience in a Mediterranean Port of Call. International Journal of Tourism Research, (in press).

by Konstantinos Andriotis

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123268013/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

This study aims to provide a better understanding on cruise travel experience by studying cruise ship passengers... more This study aims to provide a better understanding on cruise travel experience by studying cruise ship passengers motivation, satisfaction and likelihood of return to the port of Heraklion (Crete, Greece). From the findings, it is evident that ‘exploration’ and ‘escape’ were among the main motivations of visitors, and ‘product and services’ as well as ‘tour pace’ were significant dimensions in shaping overall satisfaction levels. Nevertheless, onshore activities were restricted to sightseeing and shopping, because of the limited available time. Based on these findings, relevant proposals are made in order to provide positive port experiences.

Keywords: cruise experience; motivation; satisfaction; activities; intention to return.

Papathanassis, A. (2011). The cruise industry: the other side of growth, the third international cruise conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia 16 - 18 May 2011, International Journal of Tourism Research, 13(5): 508-510

by Alexis Papathanassis

Ng, Irene C.L. and Robert J. Kwortnik Jr, (2008) “Balancing Cruise Revenue Sources: The Case of Empress Cruise Lines” Case Research Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp105-127

by Irene C L Ng

Ng, Irene and Yip, Nick K. T.(2011) 'Mechanism design in an integrated approach towards revenue management: the case of Empress Cruise Lines', The Service Industries Journal, 31: 3, 469 — 482

by Irene C L Ng

This paper investigates an integrated form of revenue management through the case of Empress Cruise Lines (ECL). The... more This paper investigates an integrated form of revenue management through the case of Empress Cruise Lines (ECL). The case highlights a multidisciplinary approach towards
how demand and supply factors should be integrated in the form of four decision sets in revenue management decisions – the value set, the segmentation set, the sensitivity set and the forecasting/allocation set. Also, the use of mechanism design allows the firm to separate markets for better forecasting of revenue from each segment. The case also shows that segments could be incentivized to behave differently, and to behave in alignment with ECL’s policies so that capacity could be optimally allocated and revenue maximized.

Antarctic cruise tourism: the paradoxes of ambassadorship, “last chance tourism” and greenhouse gas emissions

by Eke Eijgelaar

Bibliographical information: Eijgelaar, E., Thaper, C. & Peeters, P. (2010) Antarctic cruise tourism: the paradoxes of ambassadorship, “last chance tourism” and greenhouse gas emissions. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Volume 18, Issue 3, pages 337 - 354

This paper examines a paradoxical issue in tourism's adaptation to climate change and emissions reduction demands.... more This paper examines a paradoxical issue in tourism's adaptation to climate change and emissions reduction demands. Operators increasingly take tourists to destinations threatened by climate change, with Antarctica and other polar regions as favourites and cruise ship and aircraft as main transport modes. The selling point is to see a destination before it disappears, a form of last chance tourism. This has been claimed to increase the environmental awareness of tourists and make them “ambassadors” for conservation and the visited destination. Antarctic cruise ship passengers tripled from 2000 to 2007. The paper finds that high levels of greenhouse gas emissions are created by cruise ship tourists in general, and especially high levels for those visiting the Antarctic, up to approximately eight times higher per capita and per day than average international tourism trips. A survey found no evidence for the hypothesis that the trips develop greater environmental awareness, change attitudes or encourage more sustainable future travel choices. Of the Antarctic cruise passengers surveyed, 59% felt that their travel did not impact on climate change; fewer than 7% had or might offset their emissions. Alternative opportunities for visitation to glacial/polar destinations that comply with the desire to reduce future emissions are discussed.

The transition from ferry product to cruise product: an exploratory study of experiential marketing

by Graham Busby

Busby, G. (2009) The transition from ferry product to cruise product: an exploratory study of experiential marketing, In Armaitiene, A. & Povilanskas, R. (Eds) Perspectives of seaside tourism: challenges for science and business, International Conference Proceedings, 144-148

Cruise ship tourism in Belize: The implications of developing cruise ship tourism in an ecotourism destination

by Amy Diedrich

Tahitian Choreo-Musical Performance on Cruise Ships: Staged Authenticity and Postmodern Tourism

by David Cashman

Biodiversity, biosecurity, and cruising in the Arctic and sub-Arctic

by C. Michael Hall

Hall, C.M., James. M. & Wilson, S. 2010, Biodiversity, biosecurity, and cruising in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 5(4), 351-364 <DOI: 10.1080/1743873X.2010.517845>.

The Arctic and sub-Arctic are increasingly subject to environmental change. A important component of such change is... more The Arctic and sub-Arctic are increasingly subject to environmental change. A important component of such change is biological invasion in which tourism and related transport is increasingly significant. The expansion of the cruise ship and marine expedition market poses substantial threats as a potential vector of invasive species. The study examines cruise operators in the Arctic and high-latitude North Atlantic. Many operators are not members of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). An analysis is provided of the environmental and biosecurity communications of cruise operators in the region to identify if appropriate information to reduce the likelihood of biological invasion is being provided to consumers. It is concluded that the great variability in information suggests a significant gap in the biosecurity regime for the region.

Keywords: polar regions; polar conservation; biological invasion; Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators; codes of conduct; environmental guidelines


This is a first draft plus table 3 is missing (in different format). Please consult journal website for authoritative copy.

Papathanassis, A & Gibson, P. (2009). Cruise Sector Futures: Exploring growth-related opportunities & challenges. International Journal of Tourism Research. 11(1): 105-106

by Alexis Papathanassis

Gibson, P. & Papathanassis, A. (2010). The Cruise Industry – emerging issues, problems and solutions: The 2nd International Cruise Conference, International Journal of Tourism Research, 12: 405-407

by Alexis Papathanassis

Papathanassis, A & Beckmann, I. (2011). Assessing the ‘poverty of cruise theory’ hypothesis, Annals of Tourism Research, 38(1): 153-174

by Alexis Papathanassis

The field of tourism has been described as pre-paradigmatic and multidisciplinary. The acclaimed ‘poverty of tourism... more The field of tourism has been described as pre-paradigmatic and multidisciplinary. The acclaimed ‘poverty of tourism theory’ is attributed to the fragmentation, managerialism and lack of unifying theoretical perspectives characterising empirical research. Constituting a sub-category of tourism, cruise research is presumably subject to similar criticism. The niche character of the cruise sector implies a limited amount of domain-specific research, possibly exacerbating the relevance and intensity of those issues. Mainstream bibliographic databases were systematically queried, resulting to a collection of 145 cruise-related academic publications published between 1983 and 2009. The identified publications were analysed in terms of their content and meta-data. Apart from providing a comprehensive analysis of cruise research, the validity and relevance of the posed hypothesis are also challenged.