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Introduction
Cruising has been dramatically gaining popularity as a leisure and travel activity. Up to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the global cruise sector grew from 21.3 million passengers in 2013 to 28.5 million in 2018, reaching the 30 million mark in 2019 (CLIA, 2018, 2019; 2020a). The ocean cruise capacity reached 537,000 passengers, carried by 314 vessels and, by 2020, 37 new-builds were planned, adding 99,895 lower berths to the worldwide passenger capacity and $11.7bn in annual revenue to the ocean cruise industry. The three major competitors that dominate the global cruise industry include the Carnival Corporation and Plc. (CCL), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Cruisemarketwatch, 2018). Although the threat to these corporations from new entrants is limited, competition within the market is intense (Lester and Weeden, 2004). The cruise sector continues to grow, particularly in Asia. In 2017, there were more than 50 mega cruise ships operating in Asia, indicating a growth of around 25% per year. By 2030, China was predicted before COVID-19 to become the world’s second-largest cruise market after the US (Allianz, 2021). The Chinese cruise market is emerging rapidly, seeking quality and pursuing luxury experiences (Hung et al., 2020).
At the core of the cruising experience is a new, dynamic and demanding customer base demanding the transformation of cruising to a safer, more sustainable and transformative experience. The emergence of a younger, increasingly active and connected clientele (Generation Y and Z) calls for the adaptation of marketing strategies as well as the reengineering of the products and services offered on board. Demographic-based segmentation requires appropriate tools for targeting specific groups of cruisers. An evolving consumption culture and demographic structure is calling for innovations, digitalisation and a more activity-focused experience portfolio and a close coordination between multiple stakeholders, before, during and after the actual cruise. This includes the port and the destinations; local, regional and national governments; cruise companies; ground handlers; suppliers; cruise travel agents and distributors (Di Vaio, et al., 2018; CLIA, 2018). Papathanassis (2022) illustrates the “bright side” of cruise tourism (growth and the emergence of “floating destinations”), the “dark side” (sustainability and corporate social responsibility) and the “grey side” (regulations, health and safety and working conditions).
Resuming sailings in the...