Itinerary planning and Venice: Cruise destination

Table of Contents

Introduction

A) Internal and External Factors of Itinerary Planning

B) Analysis of Venice as a Cruise Destination

C) Cultural Dimensions

Sources and References

Introduction

When analyzing the cruise industry, one fact is important: a cruise vessel itself is worthless, does not generate any profit, unless it carries paying passengers. But to get customers buying a cruise it is necessary to lure them on board with something special. In most cases this speciality is the itinerary of the planned cruise. For cruise companies it is therefore a most useful tool for differentiation and selling (cf. Dirksen, F., Oltmanns, R., Schmenner, M., Kaulbars, J., Kortlang, N., 2007, p. 1, 2)

So obviously the planning of an itinerary is of high importance as are its features. Therefore this report will look at internal and external factors of itinerary planning as well as at one of its main features, the destinations, analyzing the cruise destination Venice, Italy.

A) Internal and External Factors of Itinerary Planning

Due to the fact that there are no set guidelines for creating a cruise itinerary, planners usually have to rely on experience and the factors known to be important for a cruise, internal and external ones.

Internal factors, which a cruise company is able to influence, are the corporate responsibility in strong relation with ethical and social issues, including the relations to the destinations’ community and to authorities, and the budget, determining the basics of a journey.

Another factor is logistics, including supply plans as well as the crew exchange. Also of logistical importance is the choice of turnaround ports.

The market segment the cruise company is targeting is also an internal factor, because every target group has different preferences.

One of the most important internal factors is the characteristics of the vessel. This includes length, draft and height of a ship, determining the accessibility of certain ports, the speed and the vessel classification, determining the area the vessel is operating in. Other internal factors regarding the cruise vessel is the shipyard time which is compulsory every 2 years.

Finally, a factor influencing the planning process is the choice of the cruise route, including the areas of service the ship operates, the length of the cruise, its theme and the type of route. It can be a classical, cyclical, butterfly, positioning or world cruise. (cf. Dirksen, F., Oltmanns, R., Schmenner, M., Kaulbars, J., Kortlang, N., 2007)

External factors in itinerary planning are issues not determined by the cruise company. These factors include infrastructure and superstructure of a destination, considering port facilities, port agents and incoming agencies, the facilities for provisioning and bunker and its costs, as well as transportation links and accommodation possibilities of a destination.

The attractions of a destination are also external as is its tourism policy. Tourism policy includes the legal, economical, political, environmental, social and technological characteristics of a destination. Moreover, it takes into consideration the capacity of the destination, security issues, laws and regulations, port fees and taxes as well as clearance procedures.

Another factor is the customer demand, needs and current preferences regarding attractions and activities.

Furthermore, religious and public holidays have to be considered when planning an itinerary.

Important are nautical issues such as the distances between the ports, referring to the internal factors of vessel speed and fuel storage, natural factors like port size, estuaries and channels. Another issue are sea conditions, regarding winds, tides and currents.

The climate also plays an important role for passenger comfort. Sea conditions, weather and humidity should be suitable. Therefore the time of year is important.

B) Analysis of Venice as a Cruise Destination

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Venice is situated in the north of Italy at the Adriatic coast. Its historical roots can be traced back to times prior to the Roman Empire; the influence Venice had on the whole Mediterranean and the Mediterranean had on Venice has been huge.

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