Mainland Chinese cruise passengers’ perceptions of Western service

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the service perceptions of mainland Chinese passengers on three international cruise ships. Design/methodology/approach Participant observation and casual conversations were conducted on three international cruise ships departing from Shanghai. Additionally, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 76 mainland Chinese cruise passengers over the three cruise trips. Findings The results suggest that mainland Chinese cruise passengers continually made cultural comparisons between Eastern and Western service. A preference for Western service was expressed, which passengers likened to luxury service that one would receive in China. In contrast to what they would expect to experience in China, passengers viewed cruise staff as polite and attentive, egalitarian, sincere and patient, interactive and engaged with the passengers, and committed to cleanliness. Although some passengers believed that the provision of more Chinese-speaking staff would improve the experience, most passengers did not perceive the ratio of Chinese-speaking staff to passengers to be an issue and were satisfied with the efforts of non-Chinese-speaking staff to provide high-quality service. Practical implications Understanding the service perceptions of mainland Chinese cruise passengers provides insights to cruise companies and travel agencies that service Chinese passengers. Originality/value Limited research has examined how mainland Chinese cruise passengers perceive Western service on cruise ships. This study provides insight into how to improve the service experience and enhance satisfaction of cruise passengers from mainland China.