Cruise retail is no longer a niche within a niche, but a fast-growing global market that fashion brands are increasingly taking more seriously. Now he’s expanding even beyond the ship.
According to TechSci Research, the global luxury retail market specifically for cruise ships was valued at $17 billion (approximately €15.71 billion) in 2025. By 2031 it is expected to reach 31.88 billion US dollars (approximately 29.46 billion euros), which corresponds to an annual growth rate of 11.05 percent. The number of passengers is also increasing.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reported that passenger traffic reached 31.7 million in 2024; seven percent more than in 2019. In its “State of the Cruise Industry 2025” report, the CLIA forecasts 37.7 million ocean passengers for 2025.
North America remains the largest market. This is mainly because many large cruise companies are headquartered in the USA. At the same time, more and more passengers are wealthy private individuals. This is prompting cruise lines to expand their premium retail environments. This attracts global luxury brands that want to appeal to a captive audience with strong purchasing power.
In this environment, on-board retail specialists are scaling their business activities; in return, they are increasingly oriented towards land.
Bigger ships, bigger sales areas
One of the companies at the center of this change is Starboard Group, an established maritime retail operator. In July 2025, the company announced that it would manage an experiential retail area on board the new Star Princess. This will extend over approximately 444 square meters on two decks. This highlights how seriously cruise lines are investing in retail infrastructure.
For Stacy Shaw, growth feels natural. With 32 years of experience, the Senior Vice President of Luxury and Resorts is a veteran of the cruise industry. She began her career directly at cruise lines in sales, marketing and onboard revenue. Starboard was once their retail partner there. It was only after she joined the company that she realized how unique this segment is.
“It’s not traditional retail, it’s holiday retail. It’s very specific,” she told FashionUnited. This peculiarity is part of its appeal for brands. Guests are typically on vacation for five to seven days or longer. They often celebrate milestones and therefore shop in a different frame of mind than they do at home. “It’s less about depth and more about curation: capsules. storytelling. experiences,” says Shaw.
A curated alternative to department stores
Unlike traditional department store models, cruise ship retail environments are tightly curated and highly controlled. Space is limited, especially in the luxury space, where Starboard partners with six luxury cruise lines. Therefore, assortments must reflect both the guest profile and the different destinations of a single trip.
On board, retail teams combine destination-relevant products with a core range tailored to the cruise line’s brand DNA. Cultural nuances also play a role. For example, when working with Japanese cruise passengers, the team had to quickly adjust the size scales after the first assortments were too large.
The same cultural perspective was applied to new partnerships. These include Mein Schiff Relax, part of the German TUI Cruises portfolio, and Mitsui Ocean Cruises in Japan. In each case, the approach combines global brand awareness with a highly localized understanding. The result is a retail environment that feels integrated into the travel experience rather than an afterthought.
From sea to land
Now Starboard wants to bring its expertise further ashore. The company has quietly entered the resort market and currently operates three resort locations.
The first land-based retail location opened in early 2025 under the new Starboard Resort division at Westgate Resorts in Las Vegas. In August, Starboard launched its second land-based resort at Westgate Vacation Villas Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. There will be a special personalization station where guests can customize holiday souvenirs.
A similar concept was then implemented at the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District in Savannah, Georgia. With this, the company expanded its footprint to show that land-based retail continues to have traction. Most recently, the location hosted a scent engraving event on a rooftop terrace for Valentine’s Day.
The stores are designed to offer both resort guests and local visitors experiential, vacation-focused retail. It combines high-end brands with personalized services and engaging activations.
Resort approach brings holistic retail
The move into the resort market, Shaw emphasizes, is not a new direction, but rather an adjacent expansion. “Resorts and cruise ships have a lot in common. Guests are on vacation. They’re there for several days. They’re celebrating something.”
Many resort retail stores, Shaw said, still operate like traditional gift shops. In larger hotel groups, retail is often managed locally at each location, which can lead to inconsistencies. Starboard’s approach is to pursue a more holistic retail strategy. This should align with the brand DNA while maintaining consistency across multiple locations.
The company does not want to compete with retailers on high streets or in shopping centers. Instead, it views resort retail as another form of vacation retail: curated, experiential and embedded in the broader hospitality ecosystem.
Store design varies by location. In some cases, Starboard takes over existing sales spaces and redesigns the product range. In other cases, the company works on new buildings right from the start. It uses its in-house planning and design team to optimize layout, customer flow and guest experience.
Geographically, the US remains the immediate focus due to its familiar regulatory framework and operational simplicity. Mexico and the Caribbean, with their high concentration of all-inclusive resorts, are seen as logical next steps. Europe and Asia are longer-term goals. The approach, Shaw stressed, will be strategic and not hasty.
A growing distribution channel
Despite its size, cruise retail is still overlooked by many in the fashion industry. Shaw says even seasoned retail executives are often surprised at how large and structured the channel has become. Recognition, she believes, is the first step.
“Vacation retail is a sales channel in its own right. It’s curated scarcity. Intentional selection. Retail embedded in travel and lifestyle,” she notes. For brands facing crowded wholesale markets and changing consumer behavior, this positioning could become increasingly attractive.
The conversation also covered Starboard’s recent “Unleash the Potential” summit in Cancún. More than 200 retail managers, cruise line executives and brand partners gathered to discuss the future of holiday retail.
As passenger numbers increase and ships get larger, cruise retail is investing in more space, more luxury and more experience-oriented concepts. Now that operators are coming ashore, holiday retail is expanding its footprint. It offers fashion another way to reach consumers when they are most willing to spend: on vacation.
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