Marketing

Starboard Luxury taps Virtuoso to create curated retail moments

Photo by istock.com

August 26, 2022

Starboard Cruise Services Luxury Division, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is teaming up with Virtuoso, a luxury travel network, to create curated tailored-made destination retail moments with Virtuoso's cruise partners.

The partnership unites the best in uncharted luxury travel, goods and artisanal offerings, according to a press release, to allow guests to purchase hand-made goods, insight to traditional craft techniques and learn personal stories of the craft creators.

"Our collaboration with Virtuoso is a natural partnership for Starboard Luxury. The alliance is rooted in shared values to preserve cultural heritage and uplift local economies through a wide range of novel and bespoke experiences," Lisa Bauer, president and CEO of Starboard Cruise Services, said in the release. "Starboard Luxury's proven formula for exceptional retail vacation programs has positioned us to capture a destination's essence by introducing guests to an assortment of locally sourced goods, native brands and hosting emerging artisans on ship and on shore."

Starboard Luxury will work jointly with Virtuoso's on-site partners (destination management companies) to discover native artisans and create branded retail activations that will take place onboard and on land.

"Our alliance with Starboard Luxury is one of our many solutions to the increased travel demand for more experiential, meaningful and genuine interactions with locals while cruising the world," Matthew Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, said in the release. "This desire for more meaningful experiences transforms the way they experience and enjoy our luxury cruise line partners. We're excited about the great potential this collaboration brings to our network of preferred partners and operators."