Starboard Cruise Services and Onboard Media is using the cruise’s industry’s time under lockdown to shape and refine company plans for the future in anticipation of the recovery.

Plans are in motion to foster a deeper understanding of Starboard’s different cruise customers, brands and strategic objectives ready to capitalise on the restart of global cruise itineraries, President and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bauer told TRBusiness during an ‘Adapt & Survive’ interview.

Bauer confirms Starboard’s onboard operations ‘are effectively shut down’, as she addresses how it is managing a number of contracts, including those on Royal Caribbean, while controlling a high volume of inventory onboard spanning many luxury boutiques and brands.

“We are really working closely with the cruise lines,” she said. “At this point in time, none of the shops are selling on our ships. We have limited staff, really for asset protection. We’re really spending the time examining our inventory and thinking about what our restart plans look like.”

Unsurprisingly, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the company’s shoreside and onboard teams remain a priority for the Miami-headquartered firm.

As it navigates a quagmire of uncertainty, Starboard confirms it has received financial support and resource from Group company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

Adapt and Survive asks members of the travel retail industry community, often working from home, for their candid commentary on the constantly evolving Covid-19 pandemic.

The video series is a direct response to the industry’s critical need for direct, factual and analytical commentary and – in typical TRBusiness fashion – interprets clearly and concisely the challenges faced by travel retail during Covid-19.

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