Cruise traveler satisfaction at a port of call

ABSTRACT

No studies have been conducted on cruise traveler expectations for a port of call in Asia. Current literature on general tourism shows that the research to measure traveler satisfaction is divided into two dominant approaches, the disconfirmation model, based on the Expectancy Disconfirmation Paradigm, and the perceptions-only model. However, previous disconfirmation models used different sample populations to measure traveler expectations and perceptions, resulting in biased results. The main objectives of this research was two-fold: (1) to develop a measurement scale for evaluating the expectations of cruise travelers during their visit to a port of call; and, (2) to examine the satisfaction of cruise travelers using the same sample population of the pre-visit expectations and post-visit experiences. The measurement scale for cruise travelers was developed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Three factors, “Overall convenience/People,” “Culture/Exploration,” and “Commodities/Attractions,” were extracted from the analysis. Among these factors, the “Culture/Exploration” factor explained the largest part of overall satisfaction. The results also showed that the perception-only model outperformed the disconfirmation model in explaining overall satisfaction. Additionally, overall satisfaction was found to have a greater impact on the intention to recommend the visit to others than on the intention to revisit.