ASIA PACIFIC. Starboard Cruise Services has revealed almost 8,000sq ft of striking new retail space onboard Spectrum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s first ship in the Quantum Ultra Class and the cruise line’s first purpose-built vessel for the Asian market.
Spectrum of the Seas carries Marc Jacobs and Titoni of Switzerland, two brands making their debuts on the Royal Caribbean fleet. Other firsts-at-sea in Asia include Breitling and Jo Malone.
With capacity for 4,246 guests, Spectrum of the Seas made its debut at its homeport in Shanghai earlier this month. Starboard has collaborated with Royal Caribbean on three ships in the region, culminating in this ship and building on a relationship with the cruise line over nearly 20 years.
“Starboard partners with the most innovative cruise lines in the world,” said Starboard Vice President & General Manager, Asia Derek Wong. “Similar to Royal Caribbean, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in Asia, Starboard has more than a decade of cruise retail experience in the region. Our alliance is uniquely suited to offer guests the exceptional experiences they seek in this increasingly important market.”
For the first time in the cruise market, Starboard has introduced The Boutique, a shopping area limited to guests staying in the ship’s Golden Suites. Guests can book shopping experiences with a retail specialist or host and are offered an intimate look at the ship’s offerings in a luxurious setting.
Spectrum of the Seas houses the biggest Swiss timepieces retail space on a Royal Caribbean ship, featuring leading brands that include Piaget. Beauty Avenue has the largest dedicated beauty space in the fleet and features a range of Asian and international brands.
Spectrum of the Seas will also carry Asia’s largest collection of exclusive Royal Caribbean branded merchandise when the assortment debuts in August.
It also features a 890sq ft Bvlgari boutique, the largest ever designed by Starboard and the biggest at sea in Asia. Other luxury spaces include Tiffany & Co. and Omega boutiques, as well as a Cartier Espace.
International brands popular in the Asian market are also included, among them Salvatore Ferragamo, Michael Kors, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Guest experiences provided by Starboard, including immersive and engaging events, activations and product showcases, include:
• Cartier Grooms: This event showcases Cartier’s uniformed ‘Groomsmen.’ Guests receive a co-branded Spectrum of the Seas/Cartier postcard that can be brought to the onboard Cartier shop and mailed from a Cartier-branded mailbox.
• Bvlgari Sweet Summer Event: Guests can explore Bvlgari’s latest Roman-inspired collection while celebrating summer throughout the year. Bvlgari branded photo-opportunities allow guests to take home a Bvlgari keepsake.
• Omega Seamaster Event: Guests are encouraged to explore the ocean and learn about Omega’s new Seamaster Diver 300M; the event, said Starboard, makes guests feel like VIPs, allows them to walk Omega’s blue carpet and pose for photos in front of the Omega-branded backdrop.
The new offering is part of an enhanced cruise footprint this year from Starboard 2019, with more big ship launches this year.
As revealed in our on location report, Starboard manages over 8,000sq ft of space onboard Costa Venezia, Costa Cruises’ first ship designed exclusively for Chinese travellers, with the May launch of sailings from Shanghai. Highlights include the largest beauty space at sea, an Italian-led fashion offer and the Bvlgari Jewelry Fashion Show, a first-of-its-kind partnership between Costa Cruises, Bvlgari and Starboard.
Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream (formerly the Superstar Virgo) launched in March with upgraded retail space and new facilities and amenities, including The Palace, Dream Cruises’ ship-within-a-ship concept.
Other new ship launches include Costa Smeralda, Costa Cruises’ first ship powered by liquefied natural gas, with a focus on a sustainable retail product assortment and Norwegian Encore, the fourth and final ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus Class. Both ships launch in October.
Other recent or upcoming retail renovations include the Carnival Sunrise and Norwegian Getaway (May); Celebrity Equinox (later this summer) and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas (relaunching in November).
