UK/FRANCE. Harding+ has taken over management of retail operations onboard Renaissance, the latest ship in Ambassador Cruise Line’s fleet. The move follows a merger between Ambassador Cruise Line and Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC) earlier this year to create the Ambassador Group.
The group operates three small-to-mid sized vessels – Ambassador’s Ambience and Ambition, and the 1,200-passenger CFC Renaissance, which has been fully refurbished following multimillion-Euro investments.
Ambassador and CFC ships continue to offer respective British and French products, preserving their distinct identities to meet passenger expectations.
As Ambassador extends its operations to predominantly French guests sailing across Europe and the Caribbean, Harding+ is ensuring the ship’s retail offering matches that of its sister vessels.
The work on Renaissance builds on the retail experience already established on Ambience and Ambition. The cruise retailer’s approach is guest-focused, based on understanding the needs of travellers and the destinations.
For Renaissance, this means a larger team delivering a personalised shopping experience, with an emphasis on luxury beauty brands, fine jewellery and destination-inspired collections.
The ship features four retail areas designed to enhance the guest experience: a 132sq m accessories boutique showcasing brands such as Pandora and Swarovski; a 15sq m fine jewellery boutique; a 30sq m spirits and tobacco store; and a 20sq m holiday essentials shop.
Renaissance is the first ship to implement the full suite of Harding+ stock integrity system from the outset. Every item received on board is digitally processed and labelled using the retailer’s handheld technology to improve accuracy and operational efficiency.
Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews said, “Relationships and shared goals are at the heart of all we aim for to make every cruise better. Extending a long partnership into new ship opportunities is always a great feeling and a testament to the work of all our teams in delivering consistently strong work.
“Working with a strong sense of French culture for Renaissance and its guests is a positive challenge. Since everything we aim for in our modelling is bespoke to each ship, it’s also a comfort zone in finding and curating exactly the right range and offer to engage them.
“This partnership is a strong example of combining global capability with localised insight to land real impact and commercial results.”
Ambassador Cruise Line Chief Experience Officer Bob McGowan added, “We pride ourselves on creating ‘Ambassador Moments’ on every sailing, which are designed to make the guest experience extra special.
“Our retail offering plays as much a part in this as the amazing entertainment, outstanding cuisine and exceptional service our guests enjoy while in our care.
“Following a period in dry dock earlier this year, we took the opportunity to enhance the retail space on board Renaissance to offer our guests a broader choice of merchandise options during their sailing.
“From fashion and beauty to duty-free, holiday essentials and high-end retailers such as Pandora – whose products have proved popular with guests on board Renaissance’s sister ships, Ambience and Ambition – Harding+’s expertise and our strong long-term working relationship are key.
“Together, they ensure our retail proposition will land perfectly for the needs and expectations of our French guests as part of an elevated shopping environment.” 🛳️
