History
The Five Senses concept was born in the late 2000s when Mr Bras was managing shopping centres, and the level of the provided information was so crucial for the successful operations of the business.
Later as the Chairman and CEO of one of the largest ports in Greece, he had the opportunity to develop the concept further and create test projects that proved the model.
Since 2016 the company has assisted more than 100 ports/destinations worldwide to improve their cruise business, enhance the provided experience and connect better with the local economy. During the pandemic, the company invested in creating a virtual office and grew the business by more than 400%, offering its specialized services globally.
Profile
Our team of experts analyze and offer tailor made products and support for your development within the industry. With more than 20 years of experience we thrive for measurable results and innovation on our solutions in the following areas:
1. Cruise SWOT and Trend Analysis. Analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats both in an “Internal” and “External” environment will identify all those parameters that will assist in identifying, based on the project objectives, the strategy that will meet and exceed the expectations. Also very important is to identify the future trends concerning the new builds, the itineraries and global movements of ships and travel destination perceptions.
2. Representations. Our company prepares presentations and organizes meetings with the industry’s key decision-makers (virtually, on exhibitions and in location) so that all aspects of the port/destination are discussed. In a balanced well-prepared manner, the “Technology” and “Art” aspects of the port/destination are showcased, and all possible questions about operations, excursions and marketing are answered. Our goal is to make sure that each destination will be considered for calls and then to make the calls successful for both the Cruise Line, the Passengers and the Port/Destination making it a win-win-win operation.
3. Cruise ReStart Services. We have been involved in developing the Greek Health protocols and were part of the team that developed the EUHG tool kit (https://cutt.ly/DRft1jO) that allowed the European cruise market to start operations last spring. Currently, we are assisting ports around the world (USA, Canada, UK & Greece) with the development of the port protocols, procedures and measures that will allow for a smooth operation.
4. Destination Performance Measurement (DPM). The Cruise lines measure the ports and destination performance on every call. These measurements are used to score the port and decide upon results for future calls. It is, therefore, essential to know how the port/destination is performing on several vital factors that will allow setting the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) of the port/destination. In a double measurement process where we measure, analyze, correct & improve and then measure again and in comparison with the cruise lines results, we identify the areas for improvement and suggest changes in the identified areas. We communicate this process to the cruise lines as they fully appreciate seeing the changes that will improve their passengers’ experience.
5. Secret Shopper. Increased customer experience can make all the difference towards a successful cruise call or turnaround operation. The awareness and the flow of appropriate information guided from a purely operational but also from a cultural/historical and gastronomical background of any Cruise port destination can stimulate, if organized correctly, all of the Five Senses and offer a unique service that will transform the visit to an experience.
A Customer-oriented Cruise port should have a straightforward main goal: “Exceed Guest Expectations Every Time”.
As the ports are the first and last point of contact, they play a significant role in the final experience of the passengers. Every port has its challenges, and its operational efficiency is often judged by minor details even though a system of operation might be in place.
We have reversed engineer the process and assess the port/destination performance from an external experts point of view and then, through a structured, detailed process, access the areas that might need improvement to reach a satisfactory level of experience provision. This way, the port will be actively part of the experience offered, and the passengers are receiving this as part of their cruise trip. Throughout the exercise, the performance is measured from an expert’s eye perspective, and then through a formal process, specific areas that need to be improved to reach a satisfactory guest experience are proposed. This process adds significant value and increases the positive outcome of the total experience offered, leading to higher grading from the passengers and more business from the cruise lines.
6. Experience Enhancement Projects. Every port/destination has a story to tell, but very few are proactive in using the local characteristics and enhancing visitors’ experience. It’s all about the level of direct and indirect information that is used to target consciously and unconsciously the consumer habits in a structured way.
At the same time, we must recognize the importance that social media play in creating the means to create moments to be shared.
Our analysis following the Secret shopper visit will propose a series of small projects that will take into account all the above in a very constructive way that will provide a better travel experience for all.