MIAMI (November 28, 2023) – Starboard Cruise Services, an LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton company and retail curator at sea, and Celebrity Cruises refine and innovate the immersive lifestyle shopping experience onboard the fourth ship in the cruise line’s revolutionary Edge Series, Celebrity Ascent. The highly curated vacation retail offerings feature a selection of renowned brands that resonate with Celebrity’s brand pillars of premium vacations and bringing destinations to life onboard. Catering to the modern traveler, Celebrity Ascent will also provide first-at-sea retail concept launches and cutting-edge digital activations that enable personalized gift-giving.
“Starboard has consistently been at the forefront of supporting Celebrity Cruises in its mission to launch the most sought-after ships,” says Lisa Bauer, Starboard’s President and CEO. “Our long-time partnership has boasted multiple groundbreaking 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.”
Drawing from the exceptional offerings that contributed to the Edge Series’ success, Celebrity Ascent will reintroduce beloved signature labels complemented by many new brands across the fragrance, jewelry and watches, apparel and spirits categories. Spanning a grand total of 8,966 square feet across two decks, guests can discover the Luxury District on Deck 5 as well as beauty, fashion, resort/Caribbean lifestyle, Swiss time pieces, spirits, and Celebrity branded offerings on Deck 4. Each distinct zone offers a diverse selection, from apparel, accessories, Swiss time pieces, jewelry, watches cosmetics and eco-friendly products to destination mementos, and much more.
“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,” states Keith Lane Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises.
First-at-Sea Launches
- Celebrity Ascent will debut fragrances from luxury brand Loewe combining their signature artisanal ethos with inspirations from nature – for women, men, and for the home.
- Launching exclusively on Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Beyond, The Sunset Collection curated by Nate Berkus and inspired by his design aesthetic for The Sunset Bar will feature a sophisticated array of travel and home accessories, exuding chic elegance.
- In line with growing preferences that cater to the mind, body, and soul, Celebrity Ascent taps into Starboard’s “Beauty for All” concept expanding categories with a diverse range of hair care offerings with first-at-sea brand, Olaplex as well as Moroccan Oil Tools, along with body care assortments from Mario Badescu and L’Occitane.
- Celebrating resort-style fashion as well as purpose driven brands, guests will find first-at-sea brand Coradorables, a woman-founded, family-run Hawaiian brand made in Honolulu with hand-selected textiles and custom patterns celebrating local culture.
Refined Luxury
- The world’s newest Piaget boutique at sea will make its grand debut on Ascent with fine jewelry and watch collections, alongside timeless Richemont sister-brand Cartier showcasing iconic Swiss-made watches.
- Bvlgari continues its presence on Celebrity ships with a stand-alone lifestyle boutique offering jewelry, watches, handbags and accessories.
- The Time is Now boutique showcases highly-covetable and iconic Swiss timepiece brands – Tag Heuer, Hublot and Breitling. In addition, for the first time at sea, guests will be able to enhance their Swiss time piece gifts with a personalized message printed on satin ribbon, available in English, Spanish, or French.
- John Hardy unveils their first revamped store at sea, illustrating a modern design ethos spearheaded by the brand’s Creative Chair, Reed Krakoff. The shop will showcase exclusive jewelry, the new Spear Collection and engage guests through an interactive chain-weaving installation.
- Catering to the discerning male guests, the Mankind boutique on Deck 5 delivers a dynamic brand lineup in various categories. From watches and jewelry, grooming essentials, accessories to the latest in fashion, Mankind offers an exclusive space to find the perfect gift for him.
- In the Attraction boutique, the N1 Skincare Collection by Chanel will inaugurate a fully immersive range of unique collections, personalized experiences, and top-tier services. Complementing this milestone, an extended makeup selection from Chanel and Dior will be showcased, elevated by dedicated Beauty Specialists, ensuring guests receive comprehensive consultations and engaging seminars focused on skincare aspirations.
- Additionally, guests will be able to purchase the perfect fragrance gift with a personalized touch with onsite bottle engraving.
Multisensory Spirited Exploration
- Aboard Celebrity Ascent, the Spirited shop undergoes a remarkable transformation, becoming an enticing realm of flavors and aromas. This new approach introduces a fully immersive experience blending digital elements, personalized tastings, and unprecedented engagement. In partnership with Diageo, Celebrity Ascent will feature the “What’s Your Whiskey” interactive experience. Guests take a short quiz and will discover whether they lean towards smoky, spicy, fruity or sweet whiskeys.
- The shop’s offerings expand with the introduction of a range of wines including limited production vintages.
Purpose Driven Retail
- Celebrity Ascent presents a carefully curated selection of brands infused with meaningful purpose. Guests will discover Eva Innocenti, Fahlo, Tagua, Mary Frances, and Les Iles du Monde. These brands are destinations within themselves with inspiring founder stories as well as artisanal goods that resonate with Celebrity Ascent’s itineraries, enriching the overall cruise experience.
- Inside the Sense of Self boutique, guests will also discover woman-founded brand Farm Rio debuting on Celebrity, featuring its vibrant clothing line made in Brazil that embodies the feminine spirit and vibrant colors of Rio.
- Enhancing these unique offerings is an expansive collection of vintage luxury designer handbags and accessories from What Goes Around Comes Around.
Celebrity Ascent is set to embark on her inaugural Caribbean season, commencing November 26, 2023, departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale from December 2023 to April 2024. This new addition to the 2023-2024 Caribbean season will transport guests to the most coveted tropical destinations, including the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands. Afterwards, Celebrity Ascent will set sail for Europe, offering a summer filled with bucket-list Mediterranean cruises in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain, and France.
About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of a fleet of 16 resorts at sea taking guests to the world’s best places on the world’s best places. Celebrity revolutionized the industry with its cool, contemporary design and accommodation; dining, spa, and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all complemented by warm, personalized service. Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise brands owned by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL). For more information about Celebrity Cruises, please visit www.celebrity.com.
About Starboard
Charting a new course in the duty-free industry since 1958, Starboard has been the world’s leading vacation retailer at sea with the purpose to curate a vibrant world for guests, cruise line partners, brand collaborators and employees. Starboard’s transformative retail elevates the experience on more than 100 ships across 13 world-class cruise line partners: Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Resort World Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Silversea, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages.
As part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Starboard is known as the preferred partner for luxury retail at sea and is recognized as one of the 75 Maisons worldwide. Starboard is consistently recognized for quality and innovation by the travel industry, championing numerous awards, including DFNI-Frontier Americas Travel Retailer of the Year, Asia/Pacific Cruise Retailer of the Year, Global Cruise Retailer of the Year and Exceptional Achievement by a Cruise Retailer.
Going beyond sailing, Starboard’s sister company, Onboard Media, creates multimedia products for top companies in the travel and hospitality industry, driving brand awareness to generate sales and grow revenue. Both businesses are headquartered in Miami with additional Starboard offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Genoa, Italy.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Maureen Gonzalez | FINN Partners
(954) 368-9809 | Maureen.Gonzalez@FinnPartners.com
Paula Amador | Starboard Cruise Services
(786) 845-7524 | Paula.Amador@starboardcruise.com
