Underlining the strong partnerships that it has with its cruise brands, Harding+ and Princess Cruises hosted an innovative “Inspiration Day” with key supplier brands onboard the new Sun Princess, which debuted in North America in October.
Nearly 40 representatives from such brands as Clarins, Dior, Rituals, Estée Lauder, Puig, Shiseido, Marc Jacobs, Moet Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, Remy Cointreau, Diageo, Bacardi, Tito’s and more, gathered this past Saturday on the stunning, 4,300-guest Sun Princess, which is sailing seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises out of Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades from now through April 2025.
Key executives from Princess Cruises and Harding+ led the supplier guests on a curated tour of ship venues as a way to inspire ideas on immersive activations and branding opportunities outside of the traditional shops.
Greeting the suppliers, Jeremy Ong, Head of Global Corporate Alliance and Strategic Partnerships at Princess Cruises, commented: “Help us find creative opportunities where you feel we can make your luxury brands come alive on our ship – while driving onboard revenues.”
Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews, added: “The guest experience is crucial. The average cruise guest visits the onboard shops three times during a sailing and can spend hours in the store. We want the experience to be different from that of landside retail.”
Sun Princess — the first LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessel for Princess Cruises, recently completed its inaugural cruise season in the Mediterranean before debuting at Port Everglades. Its unique venues include The Dome, a ground-breaking geodesic, glass-enclosed structure at the top of the ship inspired by the terraces of Santorini. The outward and suspended Sphere Atrium, the namesake of this new class of ship, takes the central Piazza hub of the ship ( home to two levels of retail shops) into a new dimension, with expansive ocean views and an open concept, inspired to deliver the desired lifestyle of relaxed indoor and outdoor living.
Harding+ and Princess also showcased the VIP Sanctuary level, where the private club on the 18th deck and Sanctuary lounges offer myriad branding and activation opportunities.
The ship features an expanded retail environment with more than 200 premium brands, with several firsts a sea including an upscale showroom dedicated to luxury horology showcasing TAG Heuer and Breitling and more than 25 new brands available to cruise guests like Italian handbag brand, Pinko and athleisure favorites Beyond Yoga and Varley.
Speaking with TMI, Harding + CEO Chris Matthews said:
“For us, cruise retail is about partnerships: Partnerships with our cruise ship brands, our amazing suppliers, and ourselves, all coming together to give our guests an amazing and beautiful onboard ship experience when they travel. That is why we arranged this event today, to get that partnership even closer.
“The guest experience onboard ships is fundamentally different than landside retail. It is fundamentally different from airport duty free retail. Our guests are looking for an experience. They are looking for something to make their holiday even more memorable, a richer experience.
“Our job, as retailers, is to meet their expectation of something special. And that is what today is all about. To find new ways to give them an environment that will surprise and delight.”
Princess Cruises, and the Sun Princess, last month was voted the #1 Mega Cruise in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
