Customer Feedback Systems Onboard Cruise Ships

While customer satisfaction is relatively easy to see, it is notoriously difficult to define (Ghobadian & Ashworth, 14(5):35–51, 1994) and potentially even more difficult to measure (Rust et al. 2004). This is especially true to the cruise business, as this contemporary industry offers an extensive and frequently inter-related array of products and services allowing much scope for potential error. As the industry continues to grow, the market becomes more competitive, making it imperative for cruise companies to provide service quality and customer satisfaction to build customer loyalty and create repeat business. Essentially, products and services are only as good as customers say they are and the best way to measure this is through customer feedback. This notion is reinforced by the Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1990) who assert that customer feedback is one of the most important analytical tools used to establish what their customers really want. Cruise companies use a number of different methods to enable them to measure and monitor the perceptions and expectations of their passengers. This research paper attempts to critically analyse the various customer feedback systems used onboard cruise ships, endeavouring to underpin the perceptions and implications as held by the key stakeholders, shoreside management, shipboard management and customers. This study aimed to distinguish the key variants in customer feedback systems as used onboard several well-known cruise brands and examine the magnitude of the implications of these results; reflect the perceptions of the stakeholders and; ultimately to make recommendations for best practice. A multi-method approach was used in order to improve the validity of the findings and to provide a greater depth of information. Qualitative data was collected in the form of 10 interviews. Five interviews were undertaken with shipboard personnel from both Princess and P&O Cruises and another five interviews completed with shoreside managers who were employed by brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella. Finally, quantitative data was collected in the form of a questionnaire returned by 112 participants. The questionnaire was constructed to examine the understanding of customer feedback from the UK passenger’s perspective. Paper-based questionnaires have remained the normal practice for many years. However, results show that in 2010, both Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines decided to implement a new, more technologically advanced system in the form of an electronic questionnaire. Though the architecture of each survey method differed slightly, the concept and key objectives remained the same. Findings identified that both positive and negative implications of the new electronic format were identified but customers’ perceptions implied that although many preferred completing paper-based questionnaires the notion of receiving the survey when at home was even more attractive.