LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton onboard retailer Starboard Cruise Services has revealed an elevated cruise shopping experience onboard Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Edge.
The Celebrity Shops feature a lineup of international brands, exclusive products and bespoke retail experiences that aim to stimulate the five senses and focus on the themes of modern luxury, purpose, female empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Celebrity Edge will make its maiden voyage, a seven-night cruise sailing on 9 December, from its new Terminal 25 in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The naming ceremony by the ship’s godmother, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, will be held on 4 December, when Celebrity Edge will unveil the custom Malala Fund merchandise collection developed by Starboard with proceeds benefitting her global campaign for girls’ education. The collection is one of several custom collections to be unveiled (see below).
Beth Neumann
“The shopping experience we’ve brought to life for Celebrity Edge is completely in a category of its own,” said Starboard President and CEO Beth Neumann. “Celebrity is all about transformative travel and finding joyful and meaningful experiences, so our retail programmes echo that with a ‘five senses’ theme and touchpoints in every store. From finding your own signature scent to learning the art of watchmaking, guests will enjoy exceptional service and be inspired to see the world in a whole new way.”
“Being able to design every aspect of this groundbreaking ship has been transformative for the Celebrity brand,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “And having the opportunity to custom-design the innovative Edge retail programme with Starboard undoubtedly contributes to our guests’ ultimate cruise experience.”
The Celebrity Shops span over 650sqm and comprise:
Deck 4: To the Edge (Branded Lifestyle); The Gem (Fine Jewelry); Time Is Now (Timepieces); Attraction (Beauty); Spirited (Beauty); Sense of Self (Fashion Accessories)
Deck 5: Bulgari Boutique; Cartier Espace; Tiffany & Co. Boutique
The Cartier Espace boutique on Deck 4
Key Retail Themes
Modern Luxury: Renowned brands such as Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany make up the Modern Luxury retail experience on Celebrity Edge. Each has a branded retail space on board: stand-alone boutiques by Bulgari and Tiffany and a dedicated Cartier Espace.
Purpose: This theme focuses on brands that pursue meaning beyond commerce. These include Malala Fund Collection, supporting Malala Yousafzai’s global campaign for girls’ education; Shinola, the watch brand leading Detroit’s manufacturing renaissance; and environmentally-conscious companies committed to reducing plastic waste, 4Ocean and S’well.
Empowerment: Featured brands such as Kallati Jewelry, Malala Fund Collection, Melissa Odabash, Rae Feather, John Hardy, Veuve Clicquot and S’well are founded, led or inspired by dynamic women.
Environmental Sustainability: Featured brands such as 4Ocean and S’well are rooted in sustainability and environmental awareness. The John Hardy fine jewellery brand has founded a campaign to replant bamboo in Bali, where the company is based.
Custom Collections
These shops feature collections created exclusively for Celebrity Edge:
Edge Steel Collection: A limited-edition fashion jewellery collection made from the first cut of steel used to build the ship. Pieces are inspired by elements of the ship’s architecture and design, such as the Magic Carpet, the outdoor movie screen on the Pool Deck and design features in the Solarium.
Kallati Edge Captain’s Collection: A limited-edition fine jewellery collection by Reout Kallati, CEO and designer of the Kallati jewellery brand. The pieces were inspired by the iconic architectural features of Celebrity Edge.
Malala Fund Collection: A special assortment of best-selling books and custom keepsakes inspired by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, the ship’s godmother, and her global education campaign for girls’ education. Celebrity will donate 100% of the proceeds to her Malala Fund.
Celebrity Edge Branded Collection: Apparel, home and collectable products, designed to celebrate the Celebrity Edge.
“Take Your Senses to the Edge”
The Celebrity Edge shopping experience is created as a Sensory Shopping Journey that draws guests into a series of experiences that engage all five of their senses, the retailer stated:
- Feast Your Eyes: Fine jewellery from luxury brands including Bulgari, Cartier, John Hardy, Kallati, Le Vian, Roberto Coin, Stephen Webster and Tiffany & Co.
- Sounds of Time: Expertly crafted timepieces from brands including Bulgari, Cartier, Citizen, Fendi, Gucci, Hublot, Michelle, Shinola and TAG Heuer.
- Scent Soiree: Skincare and fragrances from renowned names such as Chanel, Lancôme, Dior and Estée Lauder, plus new “discovery” brands such as Atelier Cologne and Jo Loves.
- Spirit of Taste: Premium spirits from labels like Bacardi, Belvedere, Crown Royal, Grey Goose, Hennessy, Jack Daniel’s, Johnnie Walker, The Macallan, Patron Tequila, Veuve Clicquot and Woodford Reserve. Several are offered exclusively on Celebrity Edge.
- Perfect Touch: Leathergoods and accessories from brands such as Coach, Marc Jacobs and Swarovski, plus discovery brands such as Aspinal of London, Rae Feather, Mary Frances, Melissa Odabash and Orlebar Brown.
In another retail move, Starboard will debut several first-at-sea brand concepts for Celebrity Edge, including the Vintage Watch Collection, limited edition vintage timepieces specially curated by Starboard with brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin; Atelier Cologne, a fragrance house offering exclusive scents and bottles that can be monogrammed; and handbags by Marc Jacobs.
Starboard has also customised an array of exclusive Celebrity Edge retail experiences, including:
- Art/Jewellery Walk with Kallati Edge Captain’s Collection: A guided tour of the ship and the design elements that inspired the limited-edition, numbered jewellery collection.
- Women with Edge: Meet for an inspiring start to the morning, spotlighting the influential women behind many of Celebrity Edge’s brands. Learn the stories of these accomplished women, from Malala Yousafzai to several notable entrepreneurs.
- Atelier Cologne Consultations: Enjoy a personal consultation with our fragrance experts and take home your personalised scent selection.
- Jo Loves Fragrance Tapas Experience: Learn about Jo Loves fragrances in a fresh, innovative way.
- Tradition of Time Seminar: Explore the history of timepieces, from sundials to smartwatches, celebrate the evolution of timekeeping and experience a brief watchmaking demonstration.
- Sail to Bali with John Hardy: A hands-on workshop where the store is transformed into a Balinese environment, where traditional jewellery-making techniques inspire John Hardy’s designs. The workshop includes the eight-step process used by John Hardy’s own artisans.
With the addition of Celebrity Edge, Starboard manages retail operations on 10 of Celebrity Cruises’ 13 ships. By 2020, Starboard will operate with over 750 brands on more than 90 ships.
More images and video to follow