The Main Takeaways from DFNI Cruise Conference 2025

So, last week was the 8th annual DFNI Cruise Conference, held in Barcelona. It was the most important event in the cruise retail calendar with attendees from all the major operators Starboard, Harding, MSC, Effy, Avolta and DI attending in large numbers. Not only operators, but also there were key onboard revenue leaders from major cruise lines such as NCL, Carnival, Seabourn, P&O, Holland America. And finally, many of the main cruise retail brands were in attendance with key names such as William Grant, Essilor Luxottica, Kering, Chanel and Moet Hennessy.

And of course, the Cruise Retail Academy team was there also! Making sure we were able to illuminate your retail world from the very heart of the conference!

ROB and ADRIAN FROM CRUISE RETAIL ACADEMY (Photo; DFNI Online)

So, what did we learn from the event?

There were a number of key takeaways for us which emphasise what is most important, and where the focus for our industry needs to be.

1 - HUMAN FACTOR

As has been the case in all 8 DFNI cruise conferences so far, the key takeaway from this year's sessions were that in cruise retail, people buy people. If you want to be successful in selling onboard cruise ships then you have to invest in the people who are selling your products. This was emphasized in a powerful session that we, at Cruise Retail Academy chaired, bringing together retail seafarers from Starboard, Harding and Effy to show that what was important to them onboard was important to all of them. Training, confidence and motivation.

HUMAN FACTOR SESSION (Photo: DFNI Online)

The stories told by Nic, Emiliano and Zarko of their combined 40 year + service onboard was focusing on how important it was to develop their selling skills and how this was done through a combination of learning, practising and training. For the first time, the real perspective from the frontline was shared with the audience in truly powerful and direct way. And this shared experience, allows for the participants to tailor their strategy ever more.

Other sessions during the conference also emphasized similar points. From training to enrichment, from onboarding to event building - the power of the human factor in creating long lasting experiences remains the top theme when trying to build success in the cruise retail industry.

Perhaps the most powerful indication of how important the human factor is in cruise retail was made by Peter Möhn, CEO of Mind-set. In the data presented, Peter emphasised that whilst 66% of guests interacted with staff in onboard retailing, 81% of them were influenced by this interaction.

The way this interaction influenced people was in key ways such as advising on the best product, providing demonstrations / samples, brand information, providing guidance on new or promotional products. He also showed through research that single most important driver for guests spending was Experience In-Store, being more important than value / promotion or brand.

Above any other topic, the importance of people in delivering amazing service and long lasting brand experience onboard remains the number 1 takeaway above all else from this conference!

2 - MARKET CONFIDENCE

The 2nd key takeaway from the cruise conference was that the industry remains bullish and confident. The CLIA predictions for market growth (READ OUR BLOG) were bought to life by some excellent sessions from the onboard revenue leaders at Carnival, P&O, Cunard and Holland America. These sessions were showcasing the strong product cultivated by each cruise line and how the opportunity for success was being presented for cruise operators and brands to be successful through their framework. It remains telling that the continued focus of this confidence is in the US market, and that this continues to be where the strong growth will be nurtured. In fact, very little was mentioned about new markets. Mainly because the existing markets remain so strong, and so brimming with opportunity.

CARNIVAL HEAD OF RETAIL BRENT JENKINS EXPLAINS THEIR GROWTH PROSPECTS (Photo: DFNI Online)

3 - PERSONALISATION & STORY TELLING

Personalisation was perhaps the most repeated word of the entire DFNI Cruise Conference. Emphasised repeatedly in the opening state of the industry panel, it was an important and pressing topic of the main operators who talked about how cruise guests are looking for product, experience and service which is personalised to their vacation experience.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY PANEL (Photo: DFNI Online)

Personalisation was showcased at so many different points of the conference. From the destination tailored silk scarves of Pepparose, to the bespoke cruise retail furniture from Travel Retail Innovations. From the new maritime ranges from Nora Norway, to the bespoke cruise retail setups from Breitling. The continued conversation thread simply was that the most successful ranges and products are those which have personalized elements. It also connects hugely into our first takeaway on the human factor as to how guests are craving stories.

PEPPAROSE EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALISATION (Photo: DFNI Online)

4 - WHAT WORKS, WORKS!

It is fair to say that a lot of the conference agenda this year was emphasising a number of topics and points which have been repeated continuously at all 8 DFNI Cruise Conferences. Probably the most obvious example was the reinforcement of the cruise mindset in terms of retail operation, for example using the word guest and not customer. The mindset and the expectation is unchanged from each operator and cruise line. The key to success in the cruise industry is knowing that what works, works well. This was bought to life in the main workshops where explaining the key ways that cruise retail is successful, alongside the techniques that must be followed. Many elements of cruise retail do not look like they are going to change any time soon, and this continues to be the theme at this year's conference! What works, works!

CRUISE RETAIL WORKSHOPS (Photo: DFNI Online)

5 - IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

A truly fascinating part of the DFNI Cruise Conference was an immersive experience session curated by Raconteur Maison. The purpose of this inspiring creative session was to provide an example of what could be achieved by thinking differently and developing an immersive experience for a brand to connect with their guests, in this case Frexinet.

As highlighted by many of the brands, speakers and participants - success onboard cruise ships in retail comes from storytelling. And the best way to do this is to provide long-lasting experiences that provide an emotional connection. There were many great examples of this, but also many challenges that remain as to how to deliver these to ships consistently and effectively.

Also, a fantastic ship tour onboard P&O Arvia, showed to many of the delegates a real live showcase of immersive experiences onboard. The many participants were taken on a whirlwind tour of the onboard retail shops and were able to see some wonderful products showcased in a specatular environment!

6 - OPPORTUNITIES

With this year's conference being the best attended in a number of years, alongside the large number of new brands and expanding operators that were there, it is clear to see that cruise retail is presenting many opportunities for success.

The conference provided a clear 'toolkit' for all new entrants to follow, and build their confidence in, understanding the high potential that the industry is showing. Most importantly, the many experienced speakers at this year's conference showed also some really important rules and areas of focus for those wishing to find success in our industry:

• Personalisation

• Training

• Adaptable Global Thinking

CONCLUSION

The DFNI Cruise Conference is the most important event in bringing together the global cruise retail industry. It is the only place where global operators, brands, cruise lines and support services are able to come together and spend quality and enjoyable time with each other to look to collectively grow their business. Whilst, there are many headwinds that the industry faces in the current geopolitical situation, my takeaway from this year's conference is that there is still so much untapped opportunity and excitement in continuing to develop the mantra of cruise retail - People Buy People!

We look forward already to DFNI 2026!

If we can assist you further in helping supporting your cruise retail journey and building your training and recruitment strategy, we would love to be of assistance! Please feel free to reach out to Adrian or Rob at info@cruiseretailacademy.com, thank you!