Written by Ioannis Brass (*)
In today’s competitive cruise market, destinations need to do more than just look pretty. They need to connect. Passengers are no longer looking for just a scenic visit to destinations – they want experiences that will evoke emotion, curiosity, and meaning. This is the essence of Cruise Vibe Coding.
At Five Senses Consulting, we define Cruise Vibe Coding as the strategic design of operational processes to transform them into emotional journeys. It transforms touchpoints—from signage at the port to the way you provide information on your website and even on shuttle buses—into storytelling experiences that engage the senses, align with destination goals, and create memories that drive satisfaction, repeat visits, and economic impact.
Why Storytelling Matters
Storytelling isn’t a marketing ploy; it’s neuroscientific. When we hear a story, our brains activate sensory and emotional circuits, making the information more memorable. For a destination, this means:
Using your history, culture, gastronomy, and adventures as storytelling fuel
Igniting visitors’ memory cells so your place becomes a living character in their journey
Arousing curiosity and a desire to explore, sample, taste, and buy what your place has to offer
Orkney: A Destination of Good Practice
As part of an ongoing improvement plan to deliver service excellence in Orkney, Scotland – a place rich in Neolithic monuments, Viking heritage, dramatic nature, and proud local produce – one of our recommendations for enhancing the experience was to conduct a detailed assessment of the passenger journey. Like many destinations, it faced a particular challenge: while its experiences were strong, its first operational touchpoint – the shuttle bus from the port (Hatston Pier) to the town (Kirkwall) – was only just functional. Passengers would wait and travel for 7-10 minutes and arrive in the city with no emotional preparation for what was to come.
During our visit, we spoke to passengers and the local government. We asked visitors: “What do you know about Orkney so far?”
Many responded: “We know it has a lot of history, but we would like to know more.”
This was a missed opportunity. This route could have become a storytelling stage – preparing passengers with anticipation, curiosity and emotional connection before they set foot in the city.
Our Strategic Proposal: Fun Facts to Enable Cruise Vibe Coding
We proposed a simple but highly effective idea: Turn the buses into storytelling vehicles by placing special fun fact stickers.
Each fun fact is designed to connect passengers with the character of Orkney in one of five key categories:
History & Heritage
Culture & Traditions
Gastronomy & Local Produce
Nature & Wildlife
Adventure & Bizarre Facts
Fun Facts: Bringing Stories to Life
Some of the fun facts created to inspire, educate, and engage:
“Did you know that the ancient village of Skara Brae is older than the Pyramids? Imagine living here 5,000 years ago… without Wi-Fi.”
“Orkney ice cream tastes like happiness… made with real cream from cows grazing on the island’s lush green pastures.”
“The world’s shortest scheduled flight is here in Orkney – just 1.7 miles and under two minutes. Blink your eyes and you’re there.”
“15% of the world’s fur seal population lives around the Orkney Islands. Watch them sunbathe like true islanders on one of the beaches today.”
“Want a lasting memory? Orkney jewellers create designs inspired by Viking art and the island’s natural surroundings. Wear a piece of Orkney’s soul.”
“Have you ever eaten lamb fed on seaweed? North Ronaldsay sheep graze on the beaches, giving their meat a rich, unique flavour that top chefs love.”
“Orkney is closer to the Arctic Circle than London. It’s no wonder the skies here seem so dramatic and vast.”
Why We Use Each Category
History and heritage build credibility, inspire awe, and convey a sense of timeless significance.
Culture and traditions create an emotional connection to local life beyond the sights.
Local food and produce trigger the anticipation of taste and smell, leading directly to purchases.
Nature and wildlife encourage exploration, tours, and photography that enhance visibility. Adventure and strange events provide fun, surprise, and conversation topics that passengers share on board and at home, extending the appeal of the destination.
Goal and Outcome: Deeper Emotional Journeys Increase Economic Impact
The strategic goal is clear: To transform a passive journey into an emotionally energizing experience before arrival.
The outcome:
Passengers arrive energized, mentally prepared for what they want to see, taste, or buy.
Local spend increases as recommendations are transformed from passive information to active decisions of curiosity.
The Orkney destination brand is strengthened, leaving visitors with stories worth telling and remembering.
The emotional journey is deepened so that passengers don’t just “visit” Orkney – they feel its character and take it with them
Cruise Vibe Coding: More than a Tool, a Philosophy
Cruise Vibe Coding goes beyond simple branding. Its aim is to align every touchpoint to evoke emotion, meaning, and economic value:
Strategic Planning – Intentionally designing every moment for the passenger to align with the goals of the destination.
Touchpoint Alignment – Ensuring that buses, guides, port signage, and excursions are part of a coherent experience.
Evoking Emotional Identity – Visitors connect deeply with the place, not just the products or services.
Perception Enhancement – Shaping how visitors feel leads to satisfaction, recommendations, and return visits.
In the case of Orkney, the Fun Facts Project is a small intervention with a huge impact. Low cost, easy to implement, and transformative, it transforms a simple journey from functional to emotional. Many other projects, such as ‘Smart Signs’ – designed to unify destination messaging and enhance visitor navigation using QR/NFC technology and a multilingual environment – ??and the engaging Destination Cruise Excursion Book, are also part of the broader Cruise Vibe Coding proposition, ensuring that every touchpoint creates emotional connection and financial value.
Final Thoughts: Your Destination Stories Are Your Superpower
Every destination holds powerful stories in its land, people, and traditions. The question is not whether you have stories worth telling, but:
How do you tell them?
Where do you integrate them into the visitor journey?
How do you align them to create a connection, encourage exploration, and increase purchases?
Orkney leads the way, demonstrating how Cruise Vibe Coding transforms even the simplest operational process into an emotional gateway.
In a world where cruise passengers have countless choices, destinations that dominate the narrative will be the ones they remember, recommend, and revisit.
(*) Ioannis Brass
CEO Five Senses Consulting & Development | International Cruise Destination Strategy Consultant | Seatrade Cruise Ambassador
With over 25 years of experience, I have advised more than 60 cruise ports and destinations worldwide, advancing the vision of transformative travel experiences. I help destinations, ports, countries, and tourism organizations create cruise strategies that deliver authentic experiences and increase revenue, leveraging tools such as Cruise Excursion Books, Cruise Vibe Coding, Smart Signs, and Destination Performance Metrics.
If your destination is ready to evolve, connect more deeply with nature and the local community, and transform cruise arrivals into life-changing experiences, contact me: IBras@FiveSensesConsulting.com
