The cruise industry hasn't had the best reputation as of late following several issues with Carnival cruise ships, but for the most part, cruisers are still satisfied with their cruises. According to the JD Powers 2013 Cruise Line Satisfaction Report, four out of five cruisers were satisfied with their cruise overall and Disney Cruise Line was ranked the highest.
Disney Cruise Line is ranked the highest for customer satisfaction in the report. The family-friendly cruise line scored 871 out of 1,000, which is higher than the report average of 824. Disney particular scored high points for its entertainment and food, ABC reports.
The second highest ranked cruise line was Royal Caribbean International which scored 838 points, with most of the points coming from good service. Holland American ranked third with 835 points. That cruise line also got high points for service.
Only two cruise lines didn't reach the average. They include Norwegian Cruise Line and not surprisingly, Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival has had several issues, including an engine room fire on Carnival Triumph, which left the ship adrift in the Gulf. The boat had to be towed back to Alabama and passengers were subjected to horrendous conditions such as no power, limited food and no working toilets.
One of the big factors that people consider when looking for a cruise line is price. About 53 percent of people choose a cruise based on price while 39 percent choose a particular brand based on past experience. On average, cruisers pay between $1,628 and $2,330 per person for a group of two or four.
The survey found that 80 percent of cruisers were satisfied with their experience, but that still means that one in five cruisers didn't enjoy their time.
"To raise the bar, the industry must focus on meeting the needs of the nearly 20 percent of passengers who experience a problem with their cruise line experience," Ramez Faza, senior account manager of the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power said according to ABC. "Cruise lines need to understand the causes of customer dissatisfaction and determine what will motivate them to come back."
Here are the most satisfying cruises and their satisfaction rating:
Disney Cruise Line, 871
Royal Caribbean International, 838
Holland America Line, 835
Celebrity Cruises, 828
Princess Cruises, 826
Norwegian Cruise Line, 818
Carnival Cruise Line, 810
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
