Cruise retailer Starboard has revealed a corporate re-alignment as it prepares to enter the land-based retail segment.

Starboard Cruise, Starboard Luxury and Starboard Resort business divisions will now fall under the Starboard Group umbrella, as the organisation aligns its resources to harness new opportunities, including growing demand within the vacation retail business, a statement read.

Newly created Starboard Resort has partnered with Westgate Resorts – a large US-based resort developer – and will open land-based Starboard-branded boutiques for the first time by the end of this year and into early 2025.

“Starboard is experiencing tremendous growth, which is enabling us to broaden our vacation retail business while staying true to our North Star purpose, to ‘Curate a Vibrant World’,” said Lisa Bauer, Starboard Group President and CEO.

“We’ve strategically reflected on the key drivers of our future success, focusing on strengthening our core cruise business while venturing into new channels, including our entry into land-based retail this year as well as aligning our organisation around key future focused opportunities.”

Boutiques to arrive on shore

Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard.

As reported, Starboard Cruise Services and sister firm Onboard Media fell under new ownership at the end of last year when Global Travel Retail Holdings, a contingent of investors led by Florida-based businessman Jim Gissy, moved for an ownership position in LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s cruise division.

LVMH remains a minority shareholder in Global Travel Retail Holdings.

Starboard Group says it is investing strategically across the three business divisions.

Its cruise retailing enterprise, for which it is best known, services more than 90 vessels and 15 cruise line partners with additional capabilities such as e-commerce, access to special affinity closed user groups and vacation-packaged products.

In a bid to drive revenue for partners, each of the portfolios will be stewarded by a senior executive: VP, General Manager Claudia King-McWilliams for Royal Caribbean and Asia; VP, General Manager Stuart Breen for Carnival Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, and TUI Cruises; and VP, General Manager Ivette Pimentel for Celebrity Cruises and Holland America.

Starboard Cruise has secured the onboard retail contract for Royal Caribbean International’s third Icon Class ship, Icon III, set to launch in 2026.

Starboard Luxury, which boasts six luxury and ultra-luxury cruise lines in the portfolio and partners with desirable luxury vacation brands to introduce immersive products, retail concepts and experiences, has enjoyed ‘explosive growth’ since its inception, says Starboard.

Carnival Venezia, which set sail last year, is in the Starboard portfolio.

As the newest business unit, Starboard Resort will bring the group’s 65-plus years of experience in vacation retailing and operating boutiques at sea to land-based shops.

Representing ‘a natural next step’, the resort business will design and executive shopping environments ‘that capture the essence of each resort and its location with tailored retail strategies that deepen owner and guest engagement and elevate resort ambiance while driving growth and profitability’, says the group.

Changes in key roles

To underpin the re-alignment and reinforce is leadership position in vacation retail, Starboard Group has duly appointed Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Lisa Kaufmann to the new position of Chief Marketing and Experience Officer.

She is tasked with heading a new department concentrating on retailtainment, immersive and engaging events and activations and creating compelling retail environments, digital experience and e-commerce.

A new tide (L-R): Stacy Shaw, SVP, Luxury & Resorts; Sherrie Day, Head of Private Brand and Product Development; and Lisa Kauffman, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer have all assumed new roles.

The company’s joint venture with Open Network Exchange (ONE) will help facilitate the delivery of an extensive marketplace e-commerce solution on land to enhance the guest experience pre-trip, during the vacation and post-trip.

Meanwhile, Vice President of Merchandising Sherrie Day has been named Head of Private Brand and Product Development to offer expanded and differentiated assortments of exclusive product offerings for cruise and land partners.

Stacy Shaw, who leads Starboard’s luxury division, has also been appointed in an expanded role as SVP, Luxury & Resorts and will be leading the Starboard Luxury and Starboard Resort business units.