A Study of Port Passenger Journey

Creating a smooth and effortless transition of passengers from land to vessel contributes to the quality of port services. The study applied service design tools to capture the port passenger experience throughout the whole journey, from before going to the port, at the port, to after leaving the port. The purpose of the study was to analyze the port passenger experience, to identify the pain points and gaps, and to develop recommendations for the improvement of port services. The study collected real-time observations of embarkation and disembarkation activities at one port location in order to develop customer journey maps for four port passenger personas who differed by the type of traveling mode and/or the type of ticket used. Mapping the port passenger's service encounters allowed the identification of problematic issues and the recommendation of technological solutions for the improvement of port services. In particular, self-service technologies, designed to assist passengers, and queue management technologies can minimize queuing time, contribute to the effective organization of the embarkation process and improve the overall customer experience. Recommendations for the improvement of the port website were also defined.