Cruise passengersʹ experiences in coastal destinations – Floating “B&Bs” vs. floating “resorts”: A case of Croatia

While intranational micro-cruises present a new and exciting tourism segment and a potentially powerful promotional tool for some countries and coastal destinations, the growing body of cruise research has focused almost all attention on large international cruises and onboard experiences. Hoping to assist in filling this void, this research explores micro-cruise travelersʹ demographics/tripographics characteristics and satisfaction with the coastal destinationʹs individual attributes in regards to revisit/repurchase and word-of-mouth intentions (RWOMI). Data were collected on 25 different ships in two Croatian ports over four months in 2009. The influence of satisfaction factors and demographics/tripographics on travelersʹ RWOMI was assessed by logistic regression. Further, micro-cruise and large international cruise travelersʹ characteristics were compared. The results revealed significant differences in travelersʹ demographics/tripographics and satisfaction with the different coastal destination attributes between the two cruise segments. Satisfaction with general country attributes, gastronomy and tourism destination product increased likelihood of micro-cruise travelersʹ RWOMI. Theoretical and managerial implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.