Why We Relaunched the Cruise Retail Academy: Website, App and Pathways
For nearly a decade, I was Head of Retail at MSC Cruises. In that time I learned something that has shaped everything we have built since: the hardest part of a cruise retail career is not the job itself. It is finding the way in, and then knowing what comes next.
We founded Cruise Retail Academy in 2024 to fix that. We have now relaunched the website, launched the new app and put clear pathways in place across all of it. This post explains why we did it, and exactly what has changed.
Why we did it
1. Our look was pulling in different directions
Being honest, our graphics and pages had grown in a few different directions over time. Some of it did not look like the rest, and it did not match the quality of the careers we are helping people into. Whichever page you landed on, it should feel like the same Academy. So we gave everything one consistent look and feel.
2. People need to be ready before they sail
A new joiner arrives on a ship and has to learn the product, the systems, the sales standard and life onboard all at once. The ones who arrive already knowing the product settle faster, sell with more confidence and get noticed sooner. We wanted learning to start before embarkation, not after it.
3. Most people are on their phones
The vast majority of the people using the Academy are on mobile. A site designed for a desktop and shrunk down is not good enough for someone studying on a commute or waiting for their next contract. So we rebuilt the experience mobile first, and launched the app alongside it.
4. The way in was too scattered
Training in one place, jobs in another, career advice somewhere else. It was too hard to see how the pieces connected. We wanted one front door, so a newcomer can see the whole journey from the first screen.
5. The career path was a mystery
There are only around 400 shop managers in the whole cruise retail industry, and for most people the route there has been unclear: what to learn, which roles to take, how long it takes and what it pays. Our 2026 career roadmap and salary guide set that out in writing. The relaunch builds it into the product itself.
What we have done
The website: rebuilt for mobile, with one front door
The Academy site now works first and foremost on a phone. Every key page has been restyled so the headline, the next step and the button are clear on a small screen, without scrolling through clutter. From the front page you can reach everything in one place:
Cruise Retail Diploma. The free diploma, built level by level.
Free training. The learning resource bank, so you can start studying product knowledge straight away.
Talent Hub. Your route to finding a first job at sea.
Academy Onboard. The home of the learning and the app.
Start at academy-onboard.com, or go straight to cruiseretailacademy.com/training or cruiseretailacademy.com/cruiseretaildiploma.
Not only this, we have also completely relauched our mobile app - more details on this later on.
A new look: the same Academy, with a modern feel
It is the same Academy you know, with a fresh look that matches the quality of the careers we support.
The wave. The first thing you will notice is the wave. It is a nod to life at sea: calm but confident. It runs through the site as the thread that ties every page together.
Colour. Lime, green, teal and navy give the Academy a bright, confident palette that stays easy to read.
Typography. Strong, clean headlines so the message lands quickly, with lighter text for the detail so it is easy to read. We kept the personal touches, such as the handwritten notes, for warmth.
Easy to find: training, jobs and information
We started from the question a visitor has when they arrive: where do you want to start? The home page now gives a clear choice, and each choice leads somewhere simple.
Looking for training? Browse and search the e-academy courses and find your next course.
Looking for a job? The job search asks a few quick questions and the roles are easy to find, so you see the opportunities that matter to you right away.
Looking for information and insight? Guides, news and advice sit in one place.
Real people, real stories. We have put people front and centre. Real graduates who have joined the Academy share what it was like to move from learning to working at sea.
Everything also works properly on your phone, because we know most of you will be using it there.
The app: learning and job search in your pocket
The new app relaunch puts the same journey in your hand. You can learn on the move, track where you are, and for the first time apply for roles directly from the app without switching between sites.
DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP - CLICK HERE!
The pathways: from first contract to shop manager
This is the heart of the relaunch. Every part of the Academy is now organised around a pathway rather than a list of pages.
The diploma. The Cruise Retail Diploma runs in free levels: Introduction, Product Knowledge, Sales and Leadership. Level 2 Product Knowledge and Level 3 Sales are now live, with Level 4 Leadership on the pathway. Each level builds on the one before, so you always know what to learn next.
The learning bank. A free resource bank of product knowledge, so that you can learn what you will be selling before you sell it.
The Talent Hub. We have made learning about, and finding, your first job at sea much easier. You can browse roles across the shipboard departments, apply through our app, and see transparent salary and career progression guides for each role, so you know where a job can take you before you apply.
The career route. The pathway follows the real route to shop manager: around eight contracts over five years, from your first sales role through to specialist and supervisory responsibility and then management. At the top, shop managers can earn from $2,700 to $4,200+ gross a month, according to our roadmap guide.
What this means for you
If you are new to cruise retail: start with the free introduction and the learning bank, before you apply or sail.
If you have a contract coming up: work through Level 2 Product Knowledge and Level 3 Sales so you arrive ready to learn the ship, not the basics.
If you are already onboard: use the pathway and the skills guides to see what your next promotion needs, and plan your next contract around it.
What comes next
The relaunch is a foundation, not a finish line. Level 4 Leadership is on the pathway, and we will keep adding to the learning bank and the Talent Hub. Watch this space for new roles, new learning opportunities and expansion of our Learning Library.
If there is something you want to see in the Academy, tell us. This has been built for the people who work in cruise retail, and it gets better when they shape it. As always, on behalf of Rob and myself, thank you very much for your support, and we hope the Cruise Retail Academy can support your career path strongly.
Start today by visiting our home page and starting your journey!
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