MIAMI (June 6, 2023) – Starboard Cruise Services, an LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton company and retail curator at sea, celebrates a milestone partnership with the newest Chinese cruise operator, Blue Dream Cruises. Starboard debuted retail operations in China aboard the first international cruise line sailing in 2006, and its illustrious 17-year presence in the market is reflected in the sophisticated and culturally enriched onboard retail experience that caters to the discerning preferences of Chinese travelers. The collection is a tribute to China’s rich heritage, comprising of a thoughtfully curated selection of global and Asian brands, luxury designers, and treasured mementos that guests can take home to cherish their cruise vacation.
“We are really excited to resume cruising in China and thrilled to start this new journey with Blue Dream Cruises,” states Lisa Bauer, Starboard’s CEO and President. “With our extensive history and expertise in the market, the refined retail experience is tailored to the Chinese guest seeking unparalleled luxury and unforgettable vacations at sea –making every voyage with Blue Dream Cruises extraordinary.”
As of May 26, Blue Dream Star is the first vessel to offer outbound cruises from China since the onset of the pandemic. The diversified onboard shops offer a vast selection of highly sought-after brands and products across beauty and fragrance to watches, fashion, and confectionery categories. Guests can indulge in the world-renowned fashion houses that are beloved by Chinese consumers, including Gucci, Prada, Hugo Boss, Armani, Love Moschino, Ray-Ban and more.
“Blue Dream Cruises is committed to providing our guests with world-renowned cruise experiences. Partnering with Starboard enables us to set a new standard of cruise retailing, ensuring that guests have the ultimate vacation journey at sea,” states Helene Xu, General Manager of Blue Dream Cruises.
Asian-Inspired Retail at its Finest
Guests seeking Asian and international skincare and beauty brands can explore the Beauty and Fragrance Gallery and discover Shiseido, Japanese beauty leader offering revolutionary products in skincare, sun care and makeup, Sulwhasoo, Korean holistic skin care line featuring unique fragrances and smooth textures, and Sisley, French label that produces and distributes high-end skincare products, make-up and fragrances.
Appealing to guests’ interest in collectable timepieces, the Boutique Gallery will boast Swiss watchmakers, such as Longines, one of the world’s oldest watchmakers and prized for its ultra-thin watch mechanisms and styles, Tissot, known for developing the first tactile watch 20 years ago and Titoni, one of the few remaining independent family-owned watch companies in Switzerland.
CLICK HERE for ship photos.
About Blue Dream Cruises
Founded in 2016, Shanghai Blue Dream International Cruise Co., Ltd. is a mixed-ownership company invested jointly by Fujian Zhongyun Investment Group, Qingdao Shibei Construction Investment Group and Zhoushan Putuo Transportation Investment Development Group. It is committed to building a lightweight “national cruise” brand, promoting national culture and fashion, so as to provide Chinese consumers with high-quality cruise cultural and traditional Chinese-style journeys and superior “Blue Friend” style cordial and professional services. Building a global industrial chain linking the upstream, midstream and downstream of cruises in the future is the mission of Blue Dream Cruises, and letting people from all over the world visit China and appreciate the magnificence of the Eastern world is its constant corporate vision. In the process of turning from a “national cruise company” to a “state-administered cruise company”, Blue Dream Cruises’ business covers seven major sectors, including the overall operation and management of international cruises, cruise ship and yacht operations, cruise home port urban complexes, cruise ship management, crew management services, cruise IT digital services, and ship goods supply. It is a professional cruise company with comprehensive management capabilities.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sarah Wu Blue Dream Cruises
(+86) 186-0024-6592 | Sarah.wu@bdcruises.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 90 ships across 11 world-class cruise line partners: Azamara, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Resort World Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, 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. Expanding Starboard’s core expertise, the Luxury Division was launched in 2019 to be the center of excellence for upscale retail experiences and support ultra-luxury cruise line partners. 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
