Cruise Retail Expands in 2026: Partnerships, Emotion, and Data-Driven Strategy
The cruise retail industry is gearing up for another explosive year, with Starboard Group and Harding+ setting out their ambitious plans for 2026. As the sector recovers from the pandemic's disruption, both companies are embracing experience-driven retail strategies, leveraging partnerships, emotion, and data-driven insights to drive growth.
Starboard Group, a Miami-based retail giant, is doubling down on brand partnerships as its core focus for 2026. With a mantra of "partnership power, people focus, and experiential momentum," Starboard aims to reposition retail as an integral part of the cruise experience, rivaling restaurants and dining in importance. This approach involves personalization, luxury, and immersive experiences, with collaborations with top brands like Diageo, Bacardi, LeVian, and Swiss Crown USA.
At its core, Starboard's strategy emphasizes "culture," "capability," and "collaboration" as the engines driving its next phase of growth. The company is shifting away from a product-first approach to developing an immersive retail experience that showcases culture, capability, and collaboration at every level. This includes reimagining store layouts, enhancing staff training, and integrating technology to create a more personalized and luxurious shopping environment.
Harding+, on the other hand, is taking a more structured approach with its 2026 strategy, positioning itself as "the only global retailer 100% dedicated to cruise." The company's focus on three key pillars – emotion, evidence, and experimentation – sets it apart from competitors. Harding+ believes that by tapping into emotions, leveraging data-driven insights, and experimenting with new concepts, the retail experience can be transformed.
For Harding+, this means designing stores around "mood," "mindset," and "the moment" rather than categories or brands. This translates to more experience-led zones on its ships, featuring tastings, masterclasses, capsule collections, and workshops that foster a sense of community and personal connection with the brand. The company is also investing heavily in AI-assisted analytics to optimize inventory management, supply chain efficiency, and storytelling.
The shared goal of both Starboard and Harding+ is to harness the power of cruise retail to deliver more immersive, intelligent, and interactive experiences for customers. As the sector continues to evolve, one direction that emerges from their strategies is the importance of emotion, data-driven insights, and experiential innovation in shaping the future of cruise retail.
Ultimately, 2026 promises to be a pivotal year for cruise retail, with both Starboard and Harding+ poised to redefine the industry's approach to customer experience. As the sector continues to grow and evolve, one thing is clear: the future of cruise retail will be shaped by those who can harness the power of emotion, data, and innovation to deliver unforgettable experiences that keep customers coming back for more.
The cruise retail industry is gearing up for another explosive year, with Starboard Group and Harding+ setting out their ambitious plans for 2026. As the sector recovers from the pandemic's disruption, both companies are embracing experience-driven retail strategies, leveraging partnerships, emotion, and data-driven insights to drive growth.
Starboard Group, a Miami-based retail giant, is doubling down on brand partnerships as its core focus for 2026. With a mantra of "partnership power, people focus, and experiential momentum," Starboard aims to reposition retail as an integral part of the cruise experience, rivaling restaurants and dining in importance. This approach involves personalization, luxury, and immersive experiences, with collaborations with top brands like Diageo, Bacardi, LeVian, and Swiss Crown USA.
At its core, Starboard's strategy emphasizes "culture," "capability," and "collaboration" as the engines driving its next phase of growth. The company is shifting away from a product-first approach to developing an immersive retail experience that showcases culture, capability, and collaboration at every level. This includes reimagining store layouts, enhancing staff training, and integrating technology to create a more personalized and luxurious shopping environment.
Harding+, on the other hand, is taking a more structured approach with its 2026 strategy, positioning itself as "the only global retailer 100% dedicated to cruise." The company's focus on three key pillars – emotion, evidence, and experimentation – sets it apart from competitors. Harding+ believes that by tapping into emotions, leveraging data-driven insights, and experimenting with new concepts, the retail experience can be transformed.
For Harding+, this means designing stores around "mood," "mindset," and "the moment" rather than categories or brands. This translates to more experience-led zones on its ships, featuring tastings, masterclasses, capsule collections, and workshops that foster a sense of community and personal connection with the brand. The company is also investing heavily in AI-assisted analytics to optimize inventory management, supply chain efficiency, and storytelling.
The shared goal of both Starboard and Harding+ is to harness the power of cruise retail to deliver more immersive, intelligent, and interactive experiences for customers. As the sector continues to evolve, one direction that emerges from their strategies is the importance of emotion, data-driven insights, and experiential innovation in shaping the future of cruise retail.
Ultimately, 2026 promises to be a pivotal year for cruise retail, with both Starboard and Harding+ poised to redefine the industry's approach to customer experience. As the sector continues to grow and evolve, one thing is clear: the future of cruise retail will be shaped by those who can harness the power of emotion, data, and innovation to deliver unforgettable experiences that keep customers coming back for more.
I'm all about experiential shopping on cruises and it's cool to see Starboard Group and Harding+ pushing the boundaries with their 2026 strategies 
They're putting people first, not just products, which is a game-changer for me as a consumer 
Their focus on emotion, data-driven insights, and collaboration is all about creating those unforgettable experiences that keep us hooked 
We need more of this kind of innovative thinking in the retail industry, especially when it comes to travel and leisure 
I think both Starboard and Harding+ are onto something with their focus on emotion, experience, and data-driven insights in 2026. It's all about creating immersive retail environments that go beyond just selling products. I love how they're using partnerships and collaborations to bring unique experiences to customers - it's like stepping into a whole new world when you're on a cruise! 
But what really gets me is the shift away from product-first approaches, towards more experiential ones. It's all about crafting an emotional connection with customers that keeps them coming back for more. And with AI-assisted analytics, they can optimize their strategies and make data-driven decisions to stay ahead of the curve. One thing I'd like to see is how these companies will balance innovation with customer needs - after all, it's not just about creating new experiences, but also making sure they're relevant and enjoyable for everyone on board!
Starboard Group's partnership approach sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me. They're basically betting on every celebrity endorsement and luxury brand being a goldmine. Newsflash: they won't be. And don't even get me started on the "culture" and "capability" BS - it just sounds like corporate speak for "we're gonna try harder to make our stores sound cool". Meanwhile, Harding+'s focus on emotions and data-driven insights might actually work... but I'm not holding my breath 
cruise retail is gettin so lit rn 
starboard group is all about them partnerships & making the shopping exp more personalized & luxury like, u feel? diageo & bacardi are collabs ?? 
. Like, if you're already there for vacation, why not make your shopping experience feel like part of the fun? It makes sense to me that they'd want to use data-driven insights to tailor their stores to what customers are looking for. And I'm all about those immersive zones with tastings and masterclasses – it sounds like a blast! 
But honestly, I'm just curious to see how this will play out in practice...
I mean, can you imagine walking onto a ship and being totally immersed in an experience that's not just about buying stuff? 
It sounds like Starboard and Harding+ are really getting it right with their focus on emotion, data, and innovation. I love how they're using partnerships to create these luxury retail experiences that feel so personal and special. And the idea of stores being designed around "mood" and "mindset"... genius! 
I'm really hyped about the growth plans of these two companies in 2026! 
It's amazing how they're focusing on creating an immersive experience for customers, with personalization, luxury, and interactive elements. I think it's going to be a game-changer for the cruise retail industry. The idea of designing stores around "mood," "mindset," and "the moment" is genius! 
I'm looking forward to seeing how these strategies play out and which one will come out on top. But overall, I think the cruise retail industry is heading in the right direction and I'm excited for the future! 
And can we talk about how cool it is to have stores that adapt to your "mood" and "mindset"? 
but we'll see how it plays out. Cruise retail's gotta find a balance between luxury and affordability or people just won't go 
?
. It's not just about throwing money at new experiences and hoping they stick, it's about using actual data to inform your strategy and make real changes. That's the future of retail right there 
. They're recognizing that the customer experience is what's going to drive growth in this industry, not just product sales or profits. And that's a really refreshing change of pace 
I mean, who wouldn't want to walk into a store that's designed around how they're feeling in that moment?
! Think it's super cool how they're focusing on experience-driven retail strategies 
. Can't wait to see what 2026 brings! 
they gotta make us feel like we're part of something special or else people arent gonna wanna spend all their hard earned cash on a cruise 