Mediating the cruise experience

The concept of a holiday at sea evokes a range of reactions among consumers. For some people the prospect of a cruise conjures up images of relaxation, luxury and exclusivity. Conversely, for others a set of more negative associations surface in relation to this type of travel, for example seasickness, or a sense of con!nement brought about by the spatial constraints and bounded nature of a ship at sea. Given the inaccessibility of cruise ships and the limited opportunities for consumers to ‘pre-view' this type of holiday space prior to consumption, a cruise can be considered a relatively high-risk purchase. This is particularly so for those yet to experience a cruise holiday !rst-hand. Moreover, despite competitive pricing amongst providers, and an assertion of value for money, cruise holidays remain relatively expensive purchases. Consequently, it is not just the ideas and impressions that people form about what a cruise holiday entails that it is important to understand, but signi!cantly how these ideas and impressions come into being.