Cruise retail has come a long way since the early days of tables of promotional products spread out in a ship’s atrium, transforming today into specifically designed programs tailored to each ship, itineraries, guests and destinations. Miami-based Starboard Cruise Services has been a key architect of the change. And nowhere is this more evident than in the immersive lifestyle shopping experience Starboard created with Celebrity Cruises onboard the new Celebrity Beyond.
Starboard has curated a thoughtful collection of locally-sourced destination merchandise for Celebrity Beyond’s Caribbean itineraries.
The curated vacation retail offerings showcase notable fashion brands, wellness collaborations and sustainable offerings in collections that range from first-at-sea concepts and iconic heritage brands, to locally-sourced destination products, and more.
The Celebrity Shops onboard the new Beyond encompass a reimagined “new luxury” approach. Covering a total of 8,966 square feet across two decks, the space is divided into two distinct zones: experiential luxury boutiques on Deck 5, and lifestyle, Swiss time pieces and immersive multi-category shops on Deck 4.
Each zone offers a wide range of merchandise, from apparel, accessories, spirits, eco-friendly products to beauty, logo, destination, watches
and more.
Due to COVID, Celebrity Beyond actually began sailing a Mediterranean itinerary out of Southampton, UK last May, prior to the official naming.
Starboard’s President and CEO Lisa Bauer spoke with TMI editor Lois Pasternak aboard the Celebrity Beyond during the inaugural U.S. sailing about how the retail program was developed and what changes have taken place since the European launch.
“We are all about curating the right collections onboard Celebrity and leaning into the destination. And to do this we are sourcing locally,” explained Bauer.
“This past summer, when we were sailing in the Mediterranean, our guests would see specific Italian brands featured while we were in Italy, but the next day we would feature Greek brands as we were in Greece. We curated for each leg of the journey, for each destination. And now that we are sailing the Caribbean itinerary, we are featuring curated collections from the Caribbean islands and South America,” said Bauer.
These curated collections are at the heart of Beyond’s immersive multi-category shops on Deck 4, covering beauty, destination, logo, resort wear and liquor.
Curating by Destination
“From The Caribbean with Love” is a highly curated destination campaign that brings to life Celebrity’s itineraries. The merchandise celebrates the people, culture and traditions from the ports visited, offering artisanal apparel, accessories and authentic gifts, says Starboard.
Among the locally sourced destination products from the Caribbean and the Americas now onboard are:
Nopalera: Latin “clean” beauty brand that takes its inspiration from the nopal cactus, an ancient symbol of Mexican culture.
Pauwuamba: hand-crafted artisanal sandals made in Mexico.
St. Johns Fragrance: a collection of distinctive fragrances begun 75 years ago in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, when U.S. Navy Capt. John Webb blended local bay rum with the island’s tropical bay leaves and spices.
Tagua: a vibrant jewelry line made from palm tree nuts native to tropical rain forests.
Eva Innocenti: Salvadoran designer creates luxurious, finely-crafted handbags and leather goods, incorporating 24 gold-plated hardware. Made by local artisans in El Salvador.
LazyPoet: Sleepwear brand committed to environmentally friendly practices. Designed by local Colombian artists and digitally printed with a 100% water-free process.
There is even something special for pet lovers with Collar Pet, accessories handmade by artisans from Chiapas, Mexico.
Responsible retail
In addition to the destination merchandise, the retail program features brands that pursue meaning beyond commerce and reflect Celebrity’s commitment to women empowerment and sustainability.
Not least of these is Celebrity’s Godmother Collection, a collection of Simone Biles apparel, produced exclusively for Celebrity in partnership with Athleta.
“We are very excited about the Simone Biles collection capsule onboard for the first time,” said Bauer. “It was delivered onboard yesterday morning [right before the sailing] to coincide with the naming ceremony.”
Another standout in the collection is fashion-inclusive brand, Summersalt, a women-owned business which offers swimwear and resort wear made with earth-friendly practices for every woman’s body.
Accessory brand 4Ocean supports beach and ocean cleanups with proceeds from global sales. For each product sold, the non-profit organization will remove one pound of trash from the ocean, rivers, or coastlines. Starboard’s exclusive relationship with 4Ocean has already resulted in over 25,000 pounds of plastic removed from global waterways.
Other brands that feature recycled fabrics are Task, made with all natural fibers sewn in a facility powered by solar and wind energy; AFS, apparel made using fibers created from repurposed plastic bottles; and SeaBags, handcrafted tote bags and accessories made from used ship’s sails in Portland, Maine.
“We are particularly pleased with the response to the Summersalt line, which offers suits in sizes to fit more women. The company is very good about sharing information about trends and sales,” said Bauer.
First-at-Sea Launches
Keeping the retail offer fresh and exciting, the Attraction Shop and Sense of Self boutique onboard Celebrity Beyond also showcase a number of First at Sea launches.
Making its ocean debut on Beyond in Sense of Self, Stella McCartney, a luxury British brand committed to responsible fashion, creates beautiful apparel, footwear, handbags, and sunglasses made with the least impact on our environment, such as cutting edge materials and animal alternatives.
Italian fashion brand Marni also debuted at sea on Beyond, with beautiful apparel and handbags that celebrate Italian artisanal workmanship.
What Goes Around Comes Around, a leader in vintage luxury, is an anchor of the Sense of Self shop. It is the largest lifestyle boutique at sea that celebrates vintage luxury. The socially responsible resale concept offers men’s and women’s designer handbags, scarves and accessories from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and more.
In Attraction, goop, the life-style brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, Celebrity’s Well-being Advisor, offers a curated capsule of products from the popular GOOP-GLOW skincare and GOOP-GENES collection.
Other first at sea brands are Beekman 1802, the world’s largest goat-milk skincare company with clinically tested, scientifically proven formulas; and Supergoop, the only prestige skincare brand 100 percent dedicated to sun care made with clean ingredients.
These special beauty brands are joined by curated capsules by luxury hair-care brands Oribe and Moroccanoil, the original green makeup brand Juice Beauty, and American Fine Fragrance by Fulton & Roark, made with new ingredients and formulation methods sourced safely and responsibly.
