AMERICAS: US CRUISE LINES
“Outside traditional shops, this includes embedding retail in areas such as food, beverage and entertainment.” For Starboard Cruise Services,
the launch of its Norwegian Encore operations was certainly a highlight for its Americas division in 2019. According to the company, the most significant trends in the cruise retail industry are sustainability, expanded branded merchandise, shopping that reflects the authenticity of the destination and wellness. Brenda Baty, Chief Commercial
Officer, Starboard Cruise Services tells TRBusiness: “These are all trends that we’ve incorporated in our retail offerings across our different cruise line partners.” Picking up on the trend for
sustainability, this has always been a focus for Carnival Cruise Line. Butler explains: “There’s an entire team driving numerous initiatives across our company. Part of this is sustainability and how it affects all areas of our onboard operation. “Retail is a piece of that. There
are simple things we all think of like shopping bags, which can be changed from plastic bags to paper bags that are easier to recycle. These are things we already have in place.” He continues: “When you start
to go a few steps further, there’s packaging for vendors that we work with which perhaps come in plastic, but maybe need to evolve into something more recyclable. “In that respect, we’re deep into
the conversations with our vendor partners in helping us get to a product offering that has a stronger sustainability factor.” An example of Carnival’s strong
focus on sustainability is its Cherry on Top candy concept. Until 1 January 2020, passengers could fill plastic bags with candy, which were considered for one-time use only. “Since 1 January, the bags have been a different material and intended for use multiple times,” explains Butler. If however, a guest only uses the bag once, it is easier to recycle than plastic. In order to stay ahead of the
game in the Americas on areas such as sustainability, Starboard has a clear company strategy involving
MARCH 2020
Carnival Cruise Line unveiled a duty free remodel of its Carnival Liberty ship, in partnership with Heinemann Americas in 2018.
the following principles: customer centricity; operational excellence; continuing to reimagine the cruise retail offer after 60 years in the industry and ensuring all team members count. “Technology is also extremely important,” says Baty. “We continue to look for digital engagement opportunities throughout the cruise guest’s consumer journey, including pre- cruise, onboard and post cruise.”
Pre-cruise shopping Digital engagement was a significant focus for Carnival in 2019, which resulted in the launch of a pre- cruise website. Guests now have the opportunity to purchase merchandise and have it sent directly to their homes, as Butler explains: “Other cruise lines are doing this, but we are delivering it in a very cool way, as far as the merchandise we’ve developed is concerned. “It’s great to be able to offer some
of our best sellers and brand-new items pre-cruise, so guests do not necessarily have to wait until they get on board.” In terms of opportunities, there
is plenty for the likes of Carnival, Heinemann Americas and Starboard Cruise Services to get their teeth into in 2020, despite the challenges presented by Covid-19. Starboard Cruise Services has
wasted no time getting started, particularly in partnership with Celebrity Cruises. New retail offerings, for example, have been introduced on the cruise
TRBUSINESS 43
“Technology is also extremely important and we continue to look for digital engagement opportunities throughout the cruise guest’s consumer journey, including pre-cruise, onboard and post cruise.”
Brenda Baty,
Chief Commercial Officer, Starboard Cruise Services
line’s Celebrity Silhouette ship, as part of The Celebrity Revolution. This is a $500m renovation of the Celebrity fleet. “We are very proud of Point B, the new destination shop we created especially for Celebrity Cruises,” says Baty. “The shop brings each of the ship’s destinations to life with apparel, handbags and fashion jewellery and brands that are authentic to the region.” Starboard also introduced its
new Sail The Ocean Blue pop-up concept on Celebrity Silhouette with a rotating product collection. Inspired by the ocean, the first shop features different shades of blue
Below: Victoria’s Secret is well represented on Carnival Horizon.
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