Transport » Cruises

Americans’ opinions of cruise lines plummet after Carnival Triumph

U.S. Coast Guard / Reuters

A small boat from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous patrols near the cruise ship Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico, in this February 11, 2013 handout photo. U.S. Coast Guard / Reuters

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Although the cruise industry will eventually bounce back, those who have never taken a cruise are even less likely to try one than they were one a year ago.

-Samantha Shankman

by Samantha Shankman, Skift
Mar 05, 2013 9:54 am

It’s not surprising that a recent poll by Harris Interactive found that U.S. adults have less trust and a worse perception of major cruise lines following the Carnival Triumph disaster last month.

The drop in perceived quality (18 percent) and intent to buy (13 percent) was the most notable for Carnival, but impacted other brands including Disney, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean to a lesser extent.

The poll also found that 57 percent of American adults believe air travel to be “much more reliable” than taking a cruise. The perception of which is safer was split 50-50.

Cruise Brand Perceptions Chart

 

Cruise Brand Trust Chart

 

Cruise Purchase Intent

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  • http://www.facebook.com/eileen.flynn.714 Eileen Flynn

    If the media were to inform people of the fact that the cruise industry is largely unregulated and can blatantly disregard passenger safety in order to reap profits, poll numbers would likely be significantly more negative. I base this conclusion on my recent experience with Princess Cruises (owned by Carnival). My husband and I booked passage on Voyage B 237 on the Caribbean Princess scheduled to leave Red Hook, Brooklyn on 10/27/2012. “Surely you are not going to sail into Superstorm Sandy. You will act ethically and refund our fare.” This was the essence of my conversation with Customer Relations. The rep’s response was to cite the fine print in the travel contract and offer the empty assurance that we would be in good hands. The ship did sail into a hurricane putting passengers in a dangerous situation and a miserable time was had by all. The media missed the story because of innumerable catastrophes on land which overwhelmed them. The fact that airports were closed and public transportation shut down but no authority exists to stop the ship from sailing needs to become public knowledge so that a broader comprehension of the cruise industry informs public opinion.

  • 1eye2open

    I think the cruise industry might be onto something…. They should offer excursions cruises as a mystery cruise adventure, roll the dice and just maybe your cruise might have an adventure never to forget.

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