As we emerge on the other side of the worst restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic (hopefully!), the travel and tourism industry in particular is quickly returning to pre-2020 levels of business. In particular, overseas package holidays appear to have bounced back significantly this summer as many of us have eagerly sought to return to pre-Covid holiday choices and behaviours (airport delays and airline cancellations notwithstanding!).
One of the hardest hit sectors of the travel industry over the last couple of years has of course been the international cruise market. No other type of holiday was hit quite as hard as ocean cruising during 2020 and 2021. This sector is incredibly buoyant however, and this year has also seen a rapid return to the volumes of demand pre-2020.
Whilst many of us are comfortable at booking airlines and accommodation ourselves, cruise customers are more likely to use third party tour operators and agencies to help design and book their cruise rather than trying to put all of the different elements together independently. This perhaps reflects the security of having a third party organiser to help should flights be delayed and cruise departures missed. Their role is even more important post-pandemic as travel regulations around Covid have changed, country-by-country on multiple occasions. A Travel Agent can ensure that cruise customers are up to date with all of the latest requirements around certification and restrictions on the various stages of the cruise.
In April, 56 Degree Insight were appointed by Brooklyn Travel, the parent company of two of the UK’s leading cruise tour operators – Cruise Kings and Scotland’s Cruise Centre – to undertake qualitative research amongst a selection of their customers. They were keen to establish the views of customers about the service they received, what they did well in addition to where they could improve, and how they compared against the competition.
The customer base was segmented into enquirers, new bookers and established, regular customers. We also ensured there was coverage of the traditional couples market, young and old, as well as coverage of the growing family market.
Around 20 online depth interviews were undertaken with customers during May where we talked about their experience of cruises, its appeal, and the decision-making process from consideration through to booking. We then examined the Cruise Kings / Scotland’s Cruise Centre customer experience and probed on areas that needed to be addressed.
It is safe to say that in all of the customer experience research we have undertaken over many years, we have never uncovered such a degree of positivity and endorsement for any company than was the case for the two Brooklyn Travel brands. Of course there were some small areas which would benefit from some attention, but the bespoke service and expert advice that the Travel advisers provided alongside value for money and the efficiency of the whole experience ably demonstrate why these brands are so highly regarded – and why so many customers return time after time.
It was a pleasure working with the Brooklyn team – and based on our findings, we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Cruise Kings or Scotland’s Cruise Centre next time you are considering a cruise holiday.
Customer Experience research – both qualitative and quantitative – is an area where the 56 Degree Insight team have a great deal of expertise and previous experience. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you’d like to find out more about how we can help in this important area of research.