Smooth Sailing: Customer Experience on the High Seas with MSC Cruises’ CXO

Personalizing the guest experience is hard enough in a hotel. On a ship with more than 6,000 guests, many of them cruising for the first time, smooth sailing takes a system.

In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Chief Customer Experience Officer Julie Gregoire explains how MSC Cruises, the world’s third-largest cruise line, built one. It uses guest feedback and AI to personalize each cruise, while the crew creates the moments guests remember.

Julie shares how her team analyzes more than 2.5 million guest comments a year, surveys guests before, during and after each cruise, and sends mystery shoppers to check 700 brand standards. The comments help shape new ships and fine-tune the ones already sailing.

For routine questions, MSC built MSC Concierge, an AI assistant in the MSC for Me app that works in 90+ languages. It knows each guest’s preferences and bookings, so it can answer questions and suggest experiences. That matters because, Julie says, one in three guests have never cruised before.

Personalization goes beyond the app. A family traveling with grandparents might be invited to an afternoon tea and board games, and newer ships are designed with separate areas for families, relaxation and privacy. But Julie calls technology “an add-on.” What guests remember, she says, is the people: “If you have a very good relationship with someone on board, you will always remember.”

Key Highlights From Our Conversation

• MSC Cruises’ AI Concierge Strategy
• Turning 2.5 Million Guest Comments Into Action
• Why MSC Looks Beyond Satisfaction to NPS
• Designing Ships Around Changing Guest Needs
• Building Loyalty Through Personalized Experiences

Listen to the full episode to learn how MSC Cruises is bringing together guest insight, AI and human service to shape the future of cruising. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Modern Customer Podcast. Stream now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.