Celebrity Ascent, the newest ship in the Edge Series, set sail on its maiden voyage on 26 November
AMERICAS. Starboard Cruise Services, part of LVMH Group, and Celebrity Cruises have joined hands to launch an immersive lifestyle shopping experience onboard Celebrity Ascent, the newest ship in the cruise company’s Edge Series.
Starboard Cruise Services’ offer onboard Celebrity Ascent was designed to resonate with Celebrity Cruise’s brand pillars of ‘premium vacations and bringing destinations to life onboard’, the retailer said.
The curated vacation retail offering features a selection of renowned, sustainable and locally sourced brands that deliver Sense of Place alongside well-known luxury brands across fashion, watches, jewellery, perfumes & cosmetics, wines & spirits and local souvenirs.
First-at-Sea
The ‘What’s Your Whisky’ experience, launched in partnership with Diageo, helps guests discover their whisky preferences by taking an interactive quiz
The retail space spans a total of 8,966sq ft across two decks and offers several first-at-sea products and brands. Highlights include fragrances from Spanish luxury brand Loewe and The Sunset Collection of home accessories by American interior designer Nate Berkus.
In line with cruise passengers’ growing demand for wellbeing and Starboard’s ‘Beauty for All’ ethos, Celebrity Ascent is also offering haircare brands such as Olaplex and Moroccan Oil Tools alongside luxury skincare and body care products from Mario Badescu and L’OCCITANE en Provence.
First-at-sea fashion brand, Coradorables, is a woman-founded, family-run Hawaiian label that offers handmade textiles and patterns that celebrate the local culture of Honolulu.
The Luxury District on Deck 5 features standalone boutiques from Piaget/Cartier, Bvlgari and John Hardy. Piaget and Cartier share the same boutique which offers both brands’ fine jewellery and watch collections.
The John Hardy store is the brand’s first revamped store in the cruise channel and is designed following the brand’s renewed modern aesthetic by Creative Chair Reed Krakoff. It offers John Hardy’s jewellery lines, including its well-known Spear Collection, and offers an interactive chain-weaving installation to boost customer engagement.
In The Time is Now boutique, guests can shop well-known Swiss brands such as Tag Heuer, Hublot and Breitling. For the first time at sea, guests can personalise their Swiss time pieces with a custom message printed on a satin ribbon, available in English, Spanish and French.
At the Mankind boutique in Deck 5, guest can shop a dynamic brand line-up for men with an offering that includes watches, jewellery, grooming essentials and accessories.
At the Attraction boutique, guests can shop Chanel’s N1 Skincare Collection alongside makeup collections from Chanel and Dior. Further beauty services include consultations and skincare masterclasses. Shoppers can also personalise their fragrance bottle purchases through luxury onboard engraving services.
The Spirited shop offers an immersive shopping experience that combines digital elements with personalised tastings and enhanced customer engagement. Starboard has teamed up with Diageo to offer the interactive ‘What’s Your Whisky’ experience onboard Celebrity Ascent, where guests take a short quiz to discover their preferred whiskies.
Purpose-driven retail
Vintage luxury reigns supreme at the What Goes Around Comes Around boutique
To drive Sense of Place and underline its mission to deliver purpose-driven retail, Starboard Cruise Services is offering a selection of local, ethical and sustainable brands in the Sense of Self boutique in Deck 4. These are Eva Innocenti, Fahlo, Farm Rio, Tagua, Mary Frances, and Les Iles du Monde.
The brands offer sustainably produced artisanal goods. For example, woman-founded Farm Rio, which is making its Celebrity Cruises debut, offers vibrant Brazilian fashion pieces that celebrate the colours and heritage of Rio.
At the What Goes Around Comes Around boutique, eco-conscious guests can shop an expansive selection of vintage luxury designer handbags and accessories.
Starboard Cruise Services President and CEO Lisa Bauer commented: “Starboard has consistently been at the forefront of supporting Celebrity Cruises in its mission to launch the most sought-after ships.
“Our long-time partnership has boasted multiple ground-breaking concepts that have taken the creation of enduring memories to a whole new level. And we can’t wait for guests to experience them aboard Celebrity Ascent.”
Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President Hotel Operations Keith Lane commented: “Starboard, our long-time partner, has created an exceptional retail experience for our revolutionary Edge Series, aligning seamlessly with our innovation and refinement of the fleet. The results and positive feedback from our guests have truly exceeded our expectations.”
Celebrity Ascent has embarked on her inaugural Caribbean season on 26 November. It is departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale with a Caribbean itinerary that will take guests to a bevy of tropical destinations, including the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands. Afterwards, Celebrity Ascent will set sail for Europe, offering a Mediterranean cruise itinerary with stops in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain, and France. ✈
