Caitlin Allen, Category Manager – Beauty, on what’s really driving growth

Beauty at sea is evolving fast. Digital-native brands accelerating, and experiential activations regularly delivering 90%+ sales uplifts. As cruise demographics evolve, guests are seeking discovery, not just familiarity – creating a powerful opportunity for brands willing to move beyond traditional channel thinking and invest in experience-led retail.

For a long time, many beauty brands treated cruise retail as a secondary channel – standard ranges, minimal activation, often a version of airport strategy placed onboard.

But that’s changing. And quickly.

What we’re seeing now is a shift in both the brands succeeding at sea and the behaviours driving that success. Digitally native brands like Sol de Janeiro and Kylie Cosmetics are seeing significant growth, and the beauty brands investing in activations are creating guest experiences that drive repeat visits, boost performance, and help enhance overall Cruise positivity.

Cruise retail isn’t just following beauty trends anymore – it’s starting to shape them.

A changing guest, a changing opportunity

At Harding+, the beauty evolution is driven by who our guests are today.

The average cruiser is now 45 – significantly younger than many brands assume. We’re also seeing more families and multi-generational groups onboard, which is opening the door for brands that are trend-led, digitally native, and more socially relevant.

Brands like By Terry and Touchland – names not traditionally associated with cruise – are finding real traction.

The takeaway is clear: this is no longer only a ‘mature shopper’ environment. Guests are looking for discovery, innovation, and something they can’t access everywhere else.

What’s winning at sea

The brands that are performing best are those leaning into experience.

Activations from Versace, Chanel, Moroccanoil, and D&G have delivered uplifts of over 90% in recent months, demonstrating the power of immersive, story-led retail in an environment where guests have both the time and mindset to engage.

Niche fragrances can standout, particularly those with strong storytelling – whether that’s founder-led narratives, ingredient focus, or a clear point of difference. Guests visit our stores on average 3.3 times per voyage, and crucially, they have the time to explore the new and the different.

We’re also seeing significant growth in fragrance mists, with volume sales up over 210% since 2024. Brands such as Sol de Janeiro, Calvin Klein, Kylie Cosmetics, and Lancôme are resonating strongly in this category – offering accessible luxury, strong visual identity, and products perfectly suited to a holiday, poolside setting.

The next wave: ingredient-led beauty

Korean skincare is emerging as one of the most exciting growth areas.

K-beauty brings together innovation and storytelling in a way that fits perfectly with the cruise environment – whether that’s ingredient-led narratives like heartleaf, PDRN, and rice, or a focus on routines and rituals that guests can learn and adopt.

Our first at-sea partnership with ANUA, launching across 14 ships in our US fleet, is a strong example of this. By combining complete skincare routines with onboard education and demonstration, we’re creating a more immersive and engaging experience than guests would typically find in faster-paced retail environments.

Early results are encouraging, with strong engagement and curiosity translating into solid sales performance.

Why cruise works for beauty

The strategic advantage of cruise retail is simple: time.

Time for storytelling.

Time for education.

Time for discovery.

With over 90% of guests telling us they intend to shop during their voyage – and nearly half identifying as impulse buyers – this creates a uniquely receptive environment.

Impulse, in this context, is about openness. Guests are more willing to explore, engage, and try something new when the experience feels relevant and rewarding.

That’s why storytelling, exclusivity, and activation matter just as much here as price-led mechanics.

The opportunity—and the challenge

There is still a gap between brands that see cruise as a strategic opportunity and those that treat it as a distribution channel.

Brands that are repurposing airport strategies and underinvesting in activation are missing out.

What we’re seeing instead is that cruise can act as a real-world testing ground – an environment where brands can observe how guests interact with products when they are unhurried, curious, and open to engagement.

The brands winning at sea are those embracing that.