Xcel-lent Retailing onboard Celebrity Xcel
- Adrian Pittaway
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
It's time for another new ship launch!
Starboard Group has unveiled their second new ship opening in a few weeks (see our blog about Star Princess here).
A new multi-sensory retail experience has been unveiled aboard Celebrity Xcel, Celebrity Cruises’ fifth ship part of the groundbreaking Edge Series. Crafted around the ship’s design, Starboard’s offering merges modern luxury, sensory exploration and technology to create a retail world that transcends traditional shopping. Guests are invited to discover exclusive first-at-sea brand debuts, immersive digital experiences and destination-inspired storytelling, all designed to celebrate the spirit of discovery that defines Celebrity Xcel.
“Our collaboration with Celebrity Cruises continues to set new benchmarks for luxury retail at sea,” said Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard. “On Celebrity Xcel, we’ve gone beyond traditional retail to create multisensory environments that redefine onboard shopping. With an unparalleled combination of first-at-sea brand partnerships, immersive design and exclusive experiences, this marks a landmark launch for both Starboard and Celebrity Cruises.”
The retail story on Celebrity Xcel is guided by Celebrity Cruises’ brand essence of unmatched elevated hospitality—blending design, innovation and sophistication with personalized service. Shopping becomes an immersive journey as guests explore spaces inspired by the ocean’s textures and surfaces and discover new retail experiences through scent, touch and storytelling.
First-at-Sea and New-to-Celebrity Luxury Debuts
Onboard Celebrity Xcel, Starboard introduces exclusive luxury retail experiences that include a first-at-sea Dior beauty shop-in-shop, offering makeup, skincare and fragrance from the renowned French house in a fully immersive setting. New-to-Celebrity Cruises debuts include Swiss skincare powerhouse La Prairie, which brings its cutting-edge, science-driven anti-aging formulas and pristine aesthetic to the cruise line’s guests for the first time.
In another Celebrity first, Starboard reimagines sustainable luxury by offering an expertly curated selection of rare, authenticated vintage handbags and other accessories from Fashionphile.
In addition, Starboard will introduce a first-at-sea offering from Buffalo Trace Distillery—Weller 18 Year Old—an ultra-aged, 90-proof wheat whiskey onboard Celebrity Xcel. Guests on the ship will be the only cruise travelers in the world to have access to this new release, which offers exceptional grace and depth as the oldest age-stated whiskey in the Weller portfolio.
Innovative Immersive Retail Concepts
Other retail highlights include Mankind Redefined, an elevated men’s lifestyle concept featuring a Johnnie Walker tasting experience, and Starboard’s Digital Liquor Experience, which merges indulgence and technology to provide guests with a unique way to explore and select premium spirits, including an Angel’s Envy single-barrel bourbon curated exclusively for Celebrity Xcel.
Curated by Starboard to celebrate global artistry, the Bazaar marketplace blurs the boundaries between scent, texture and culture, offering locally inspired products tied to the ship’s itineraries. Another first for a Celebrity Cruises ship is the new Flagship logo boutique that merges high-end fashion and destination-inspired design, representing the evolution of branded merchandise.
Adding to the sensory story is Celebrity Xcel’s Signature Scent, a fragrance personally selected by President of Celebrity Cruises, Laura Hodges Bethge, that defines the ship’s ambiance. Available for guests to take home as a candle and diffuser, this signature fragrance extends the onboard experience beyond the sea.
A Journey Through the Textures of the Sea
Every detail aboard Celebrity Xcel’s retail environment celebrates the essence and beauty of the sea. Guests can shop thoughtfully curated selections from ocean-conscious clean beauty and skincare brands such as Project Reef and OSEA. The ship also features a selection of fine jewelry infused with organic textures from Aurélie Bidermann. Making its Celebrity Cruises debut, the jewelry brand captures sea-inspired, bohemian elegance, reinforcing Celebrity’s connection to marine-inspired luxury.
Launching in 2025, Celebrity Xcel will debut in the Caribbean, where her itineraries embrace coastal beauty and oceanic inspiration—the perfect backdrop for this new chapter in experiential retail.
CRUISE RETAIL ACADEMY COMMENT...
Well done to the Starboard retail team for their fifth Edge-class ship launch with Celebrity Xcel. It's great to see some great new concepts onboard, and we are particularly keen to see the new Bazar Marketplace concept. We wish all of the retail team onboard the very best of success in a successful opening!
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