Prestigious award and announcement of multi-year deal with Costa Cruises establishes company’s dominance in Asia.
MIAMI – For the fourth consecutive year, Starboard Cruise Services has been awarded the DFNI Asia Pacific Cruise/Ferry Retailer of the Year. Starboard, an LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton company and premier global cruise retailer, received the award from Duty Free News International during the recent TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore.
The DFNI Awards recognize excellence in the travel-retail and duty-free sectors throughout the world and are judged by a panel of respected executives from across the industry.
Starboard’s winning entry coincides with its year of record-breaking results, including its outstanding performance in the Asian market. Starboard’s top position in cruise retail is due to its experiential retail approach focused on entertainment, discovery, guest-to-guest connections and exceptional hospitality via the best retail talent in the cruise industry. Starboard is the preferred and trusted partner for globally renowned brands, including Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Cartier, Dior and many more.
“We’re honored to be chosen as DFNI’s 2018 Asia Pacific Cruise Retailer of the Year,” said Beth Neumann, Starboard President and CEO. “It is a proud moment as we celebrate a banner year of results during our 60th anniversary year. This recognition validates our position as the leading cruise retailer in Asia, and throughout the world. We are also proud to consistently win contracts for the newest and largest cruise ships by the most prestigious cruise lines in the world. Our success is our approach to experiential retail that rivals any other shopping experience on land or sea, our highly trained sales associates who forge amazing relationships with passengers, and exciting brands that make shopping at sea one of the most enjoyable aspects of a cruise.”
As the Asia cruise market continues to grow at a rapid pace, so does Starboard, currently operating 10 ships in the market and soon to add more. A newly executed retail agreement with Costa Cruises includes retail operations for Costa’s first ship purpose-built for the Asia market, Costa Venezia, launching next year. Starboard will be the retail operator for Costa Smeralda, the line’s 2019 newbuild for the European market. Starboard is also the exclusive partner for Royal Caribbean International in Asia, currently operating on three vessels in the region and expanding its roster of new ships with Spectrum of the Seas’ Asia debut in 2019.
In 2017, Starboard debuted new first-at-sea concepts in Asia for Dream Cruises’ World Dream. These included the first Tiffany & Co. boutique on an Asian ship featuring High Tea with Tiffany with guests indulging in Tiffany treats and British delicacies. World Dream also features the marine debut of a Dior Jewelry and Watches boutique, with private viewing events and trunk shows in celebration of Dior’s then 70th anniversary.
By 2020, Starboard will operate over 360,000 square feet of cruise ship retail space, with more than 750 brands on 90+ ships, and delivering the strongest retail results in the industry. Starboard is launching three new ships in 2018 including Carnival Horizon, with the largest retail space in its fleet, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas and Celebrity Edge. Starboard also recently signed multi-year retail contracts to operate on nine Carnival ships; all Costa Europe ships, three Costa Asia ships, and three of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ newest ships. In 2019, Starboard is confirmed to launch four of the industry’s most important mega ships.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
