INTERNATIONAL. MSC Cruises has revealed more details of its upgraded retail offering onboard the company’s new flagship, MSC Seashore. The cruise company had flagged its ambitious plans for the retail design and range earlier in the year, as reported.
The ship introduces what the company called “an industry-first dynamic, seamless space” that is more than +72% larger than that of her sister ships and includes two extra shops.
Highlights include:
- A New York-themed piazza with 971sq m of retail space across three decks, in the heart of the ship’s Times Square area
- A “seamless, open-space design” allows guests to flow effortlessly from shop to shop, without physical barriers and with interactive ways to experience the products
- A multisensory fragrance bar with videos and details about various perfumes, as well as a tasting bar in the duty free shop
- The dedicated jewellery area has more than tripled its size and will now feature three separate luxury watch and jewellery spaces
- Deck 8 features selling points in Liberty Plaza where guests will find a number of ‘discovery islands’ featuring rotating products and offerings, including those that benefit from further storytelling, such as recycled plastic sunglasses or coral-safe sunscreen
- The design of the new MSC shop is inspired by the shape of a snail shell, and houses a range of MSC-themed merchandise, including for only the second time onboard an MSC ship, a range of ship-specific products.
MSC Cruises Head of Retail Adrian Pittaway said: “In sync with the rest of the ship’s innovative ethos, we created a dynamic concept for MSC Seashore that is at ‘One with the Sea’. The Seashore retail connects to the ocean in a fluid interconnected retail concept that seamlessly brings together the upscaled different retail concepts, the stunning entertainment spaces of the ship and the panoramic outside ocean vistas, by bringing in the most amount of natural light from the sea of any of our ships.
“Large panoramic windows, natural hublots out to the ocean mean that the newly increased spaces will bring all of our premium brands to life in a reflective and inspiring way. By maximising the efficiency of the useable retail space inside and outside, we have been able to innovate with a truly open plan feeling that is entertaining inside and outside during trading hours, giving the guests a continuing sense of anticipation, storytelling and brand connection.
“We have created a number of exciting events and experiences during the cruise and use these new dynamic areas to present something new every day of the cruise, while keeping the guests entertained. As the seashore is the dynamic space between the land and the sea, so on MSC Seashore our retailing is also designed to bring retail excitement into new, open dynamic spaces closer to the sea than ever before.”
MSC Cruises said that 65% of the ship’s public spaces have been reimagined, and 13,000sq m of outdoor space “to bring guests even closer to the sea”.
Other highlights include a much-expanded casino space in 1,135sq m of space, a Hall of Games, six pools and the 2,300sq m MSc Aurea Spa with a hair & nail salon, plus a barber shop.
