Cruising: Small-Vessel Population Characteristics

Abstract

This study identifies some of the characteristics of a small vessel cruise population. Demographic, geographic, and economic hypotheses are tested via a survey instrument. The analyses include a priori expectations, the rationale for the expectations, and com ments which support or reject the expectations based upon a questionnaire. Survey questions and analyses relate to personal attributes of the passengers, basic facts relevant to marketing aspects of the cruise company, and general information pertinent to the cruise trade's economic impact on Rhode Island. The results indicate there is a need for further empirical studies to be carried out toward determining whether or not other small vessel cruise populations exhibit similar features.