CRUISE MINI CASE: Sunshine Cruise Lines Is a Cruise Operator

Multiple Choice

CRUISE MINI CASE: Sunshine Cruise Lines is a cruise operator that offers three- to seven-day cruises along five Caribbean routes. It has developed a reputation as a party cruise operator and the majority of its revenue comes from vacationing college students. This type of customer demand is highly cyclical, and Sunshine finds that repeat purchase is high while its consumers are in college, but practically disappears after graduation. In an effort to encourage its customers to continue taking Sunshine Cruises after they have graduated, the cruise operator has begun offering Adventure Cruises, with port stops on islands known for eco-tourism and biodiversity, both on land and offshore, appealing to young professionals who like to hike and scuba dive or snorkel. In contrast to its party cruises, Sunshine focuses its marketing message for Adventure Cruises on activities at port stops and the convenience of being able to explore several Caribbean destinations from the comfort of a single ship. Adventure Cruises are roughly 15% more expensive than party cruises, priced to discourage a raucous college-age party crowd, and do not allow children under 18. The first season of Adventure Cruises was a great success and, much to Sunshine's surprise, attracted not only the intended young professional crowd, but also many empty nester couples who were looking for a reasonably priced, active vacation.
-In the CRUISE MINI CASE, Sunshine markets Adventure Cruises as a way to see multiple islands from the comfort of a single ship, alleviating the hassle of flying between islands and staying in a different hotel every couple of nights. Targeting consumers who view this convenience as appealing is an example of ________.

A) countersegmentation
B) cultural segmentation
C) usage rate segmentation
D) demographic segmentation
E) benefit segmentation