CHINA. Specialist cruise retailer, Starboard Cruise Services, has opened a large new retail space on the Dream Cruises ship, Explorer Dream. The vessel – the largest to homeport in Asia Pacific – was christened in April following a US$56 million renovation that specifically caters to the Asian and Chinese passenger market.
Explorer Dream’s new amenities and facilities include the Dream Boutiques, a 390sq m retail area that has been redesigned to focus on fashion and lifestyle. Popular, sought-after international brands are present across a variety of categories including fine jewellery, Swiss watches, leathergoods, accessories, and beauty.
Fashion brands include Michael Kors, Guess, Coach, Calvin Klein plus fashion jewellery from Swarovski and Folli Follie. Among the Swiss timepieces are TAG Heuer, Longines, Bering and Titoni of Switzerland while the beauty area features well-known international and Asian brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Bvlgari, SK-II, Shiseido, The History of Whoo, Sulwhasoo, Dr.Ci: Labo and Missha.
“Asian at heart and international in spirit”
“The retail experience onboard Explorer Dream was specifically designed to appeal to its guests – Asian at heart and international in spirit – with a collection of brands that represents the best from around the world,” said Starboard Cruise Services Vice President & General Manager Cruise Retail Asia Derek Wong.
Dream Cruises President Thatcher Brown added: “Guests want to relax, and part of relaxing has to do with a retail experience which puts them in a place that’s exciting and aspirational. We view retail as part of the guest experience and an opportunity to entertain them.”
Explorer Dream’s itineraries will be in North China, sailing from Shanghai and Tianjin during the spring and summer seasons, with a selection of voyages to Japan. From October, the ship will homeport in Sydney and Auckland where she will embark on a variety of seven-night weekly itineraries to ‘down under’ destinations.
The inaugural festivities for the ship included a fashion show from the vessel’s Godmother – renowned Chinese designer Grace Chen. Chen is known as the ‘power dresser of China’ with celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Helen Mirren and other personalities in entertainment, society, politics, and finance.
The retail partnership between Starboard and Dream Cruises (owned by Genting Cruise Lines) began with the vessel Genting Dream in 2016, followed by World Dream in 2017. Key innovations have included launching the world’s first Dior boutique at sea and the first Tiffany & Co boutique in the Asian cruise market.
Miami-based Starboard began operating in Asia in 2006 and now claims to be the cruise retail leader in the region with a market share of approximately 75%.
Starboard Cruise Services – part of luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton – has retail operations on eight leading cruise lines including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Silversea.
