What do Starbucks espresso, Victoria’s Secret underwear, Swarovski crystals, Mary Frances purses and Man Fieri burgers have in frequent? They’ve all made appearances on cruise ships.
As a retail remedy lover, I get pleasure from nothing greater than when a favourite model exhibits up on a ship as a part of a cruise line collaboration. I can consider many stellar at-sea partnerships over time, and plenty of of those alliances are nonetheless thriving. However when one celebration (or each) decides the connection has run its course, your favourite title manufacturers can disappear from cruise ships within the blink of a watch.
Whether or not you feel nostalgic or just questioning whether or not your favourite cruise line nonetheless has the present, restaurant or amenity you’re keen on, here is an inventory of 18 cruise partnerships which have come and gone.
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Carnival Cruise Line
Toilet present baskets
A Carnival consultant mentioned he could not discover any data on whether or not the hampers had been an official partnership, but it surely’s doubtless Carnival was collaborating with some firm to supply them.
Hasbro
In 2011, as a part of its fleetwide “Enjoyable Ship 2.0” revamp, Carnival partnered with board sport and toy producer Hasbro to create “Hasbro, the Recreation Present.” The dwell on-stage model of well-liked board video games — together with Join 4, Yahtzee and Operation — required viewers participation, and contestants competed to win prizes.
The partnership not exists, however Carnival’s latest ships now supply a dwell model of “Household Feud,” which pits two cruise households in opposition to each other, very like the TV present.
Movie star Cruises
Canyon Ranch
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The partnership fizzled 5 years later; the road’s spas are presently run by OneSpaWorld (previously Steiner), which operates spas on most cruise strains’ vessels.
Cunard Line
Todd English
Movie star chef partnerships are frequent within the cruise trade. Probably the most notable was Cunard Line’s affiliation with American chef Todd English, who opened his first at-sea restaurant in 2004 on Queen Mary 2. A second location adopted on Queen Victoria.
Nevertheless, in 2010, the road’s then-new ship Queen Elizabeth debuted with out the venue. By 2013, the one on Queen Victoria had been changed with The Verandah, a throwback to the road’s authentic onboard eating places. By late 2015, the road additionally determined to switch the eatery with the Verandah on Queen Mary 2, ending the collaboration with English.
Holland America Line
America’s Check Kitchen
The road added new tutorials as just lately as 2019, however a consultant from the cruise line confirmed that Holland America not has the team-up in place. Nevertheless, passengers who fancy themselves foodies can try the road’s culinary-themed shore excursions, supplied by means of a longstanding partnership with Meals & Wine journal.
O, The Oprah Journal
When Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam started crusing in 2019, media mogul Oprah Winfrey served as its godmother. She bestowed the cruise line along with her blessing and a partnership with O, The Oprah Journal.
All through the tenure of the now-defunct hyperlink between the 2 manufacturers, Oprah hosted a few themed voyages, together with the “Journey of Your Life” crusing and the “Ladies’ Getaway Cruise,” each of which gave passengers entry to editors from the journal, in addition to authors and motivational audio system.
MSC Cruises
Cirque du Soleil
In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirque du Soleil declared chapter. It is unclear whether or not that affected its ties to MSC, however, as with Movie star Cruises’ Cirque du Soleil partnership, which dissolved in 2005, MSC’s isn’t any extra.
Eataly
When MSC Preziosa, the third of MSC’s 4 Fantasia-class vessels, splashed onto the scene in 2012, it debuted with Eataly-branded eating places on board. The trifecta of eateries — an Italian restaurant, a steakhouse and a pizza venue — additionally made their method onto MSC Divina and MSC Meraviglia.
MSC Seaside was additionally slated to accommodate the choice eating choices, however the partnership ended earlier than the ship started crusing in late 2017.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Carlo’s Bakery
With the rollout of its first Breakway-class ship in 2013, Norwegian Cruise Line introduced a number of improvements and new affiliations to the excessive seas, together with a branded mini-version of Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” fame. On the onboard outpost, passengers might buy muffins, cupcakes and pastries made utilizing Buddy Valastro’s recipes.
In 2015, Norwegian Encore, the road’s first Breakaway Plus-class vessel, emerged from the shipyard with out Carlo’s and, as an alternative, put The Bake Store as a replacement. By 2016, the road’s contract with Valastro expired, and The Bake Store changed Carlo’s on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.
‘Kinky Boots,’ ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘Rock of Ages’
In 2011, Royal Caribbean was the primary cruise line to carry Broadway exhibits on board, however Norwegian wasn’t far behind. The checklist of titles it has hosted is spectacular and consists of “Kinky Boots,” which opened on Norwegian Encore in 2019; “Legally Blonde,” which made its at-sea debut on Norwegian Getaway in 2014; and “Rock of Ages,” which had a run on Norwegian Breakaway starting in 2013.
On the time of publication, “Six” and “Jersey Boys” had been nonetheless featured on some NCL ships, however the different three exhibits have closed.
Nickelodeon
Practically a decade in the past, kid-favorite model Nickelodeon joined up with Norwegian to supply youngsters’s programming on 5 of the road’s vessels. The ships featured dwell character appearances with the likes of SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, themed miniature golf and water park areas, a few theme cruises hosted by stars from Nickelodeon TV applications and, after all, slime as a part of onboard sport exhibits.
The link-up lasted 5 years, from 2010 by means of 2015, when the pair parted methods.
The Rockettes
Following their stint as co-godmothers of Norwegian Breakaway in 2013, New York Metropolis’s well-known synchronized dancers, The Rockettes, joined the ship for a collection of sailings on which they carried out.
The unique deal was for The Rockettes to hitch the vessel’s first six sailings, adopted by the primary crusing of every month after that. The partnership, which additionally included issues like Rockettes-themed exercises within the ship’s health middle, is not in place.
Voli Vodka
In 2015, NCL broke with maritime custom by making rapper Armando Christian Perez, also called Pitbull, the godfather of Norwegian Escape — the primary godfather of a cruise ship. As a part of the joint effort, Pitbull shot an onboard video for his track “Freedom,” which was half TV business for Norwegian. His personal Voli Vodka model was additionally served on ships throughout the fleet for a time.
Perez will at all times be godfather to the ship, however Voli is not discovered at bars on board.
Princess Cruises
Norman Love Confections
Cruising and indulgence go hand in hand, which is why a partnership between Princess Cruises — identified for being the romantic cruise line, due to its ties to TV present “The Love Boat” — and chocolatier Norman Love made complete sense. The link-up started in 2014, showing on ships throughout the Princess fleet beneath the title Chocolate Journeys. It included choices like chocolate massages within the spa, desserts made with Norman Love chocolate and the possibility to buy his tasty artworks on board.
The partnership dwindled over time, with the road phasing out bits of it till it lastly ended.
Royal Caribbean
DreamWorks
Within the quest for quirky godmothers, Royal Caribbean discovered Princess Fiona — an animated character from the DreamWorks film “Shrek” — and honored her with blessing Attract of the Seas throughout its 2010 christening. A DreamWorks collaboration adopted.
Favourite characters equivalent to Shrek and King Julien from “Madagascar” danced down the Royal Promenade throughout parades on a handful of its vessels. Passengers loved themed performances, together with a “Madagascar” present on the AquaTheater on Oasis-class ships and a ” Prepare Your Dragon” ice present within the Studio B onboard ice rinks.
The partnership lasted a formidable 9 years however resulted in 2019.
Seabourn Cruise Line
Charlie Palmer
One of many oldest and most longstanding movie star chef partnerships within the cruise trade was the collaboration between Charlie Palmer and Seabourn Cruise Line. In 2011, Palmer grew to become the posh line’s consulting govt chef and led the cost to create an upscale eating expertise for passengers.
Palmer and Seabourn parted methods in 2011 after a decade of working collectively.
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