At Retail Days during Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami this month, the Cruise Retail Trends survey named guest experience as the sector’s biggest challenge. But as Harding+ CEO Chris Matthews put it on the leaders’ panel, the real issue isn’t operational constraint – it’s ambition. The opportunity lies in thinking more boldly about what retail can truly deliver for guests onboard. 

At Harding+, guests visit our stores an average of 3.3 times during a week-long voyage and spend 45–60 minutes per visit. No bricks-and-mortar retailer on earth has those numbers. The dwell time, the repeat visits, the captive premium environment – cruise retail has fundamentals that land-based operators just cannot replicate. And that is a powerful asset for cruise lines in building guest loyalty and driving return visits. 

So why does balancing guest expectations with operational and space constraints consistently rank as the top concern? Because the industry is framing the question incorrectly. 

The real challenge: people, not space

Staffing shortages, training, and retention are also cited as key operational challenges. At the same time, inconsistency in customer service is frequently flagged. These aren’t separate issues, but are one and the same, sitting at the very heart of the guest experience.  

You cannot deliver a premium guest experience if your people are overloaded, undertrained, or spending their time on back-office admin instead of engaging with guests. And you cannot expect retail to feel seamless and valued if service quality varies from voyage to voyage, ship to ship. 

People make the experience. Not systems. Not inventory. Not even the product range. The onboard team – their knowledge, their time, their ability to surprise returning guests and make activations sing the way they should – is what transforms retail from a transaction into a memorable moment. 

At Harding+, this philosophy is embedded into our operating model. The Harding+ Academy provides structured qualifications and career pathways that travel with the individual, not tick-box training. Sonar, our internal listening tool, converts daily frontline interactions into real-time insight and continuous service improvement. And our back-office technology delivers one consistent benefit: giving our people more time with guests, not less.  

Bravery means trying things first

We all know the experienced cruiser is a demanding customer. A static retail environment or standardized service will not impress them on their second or third voyage. Everything we invest in is designed to give that guest a reason to be surprised again. 

That’s why 25% of all Harding+ onboard retail space is now geared towards experiential moments – tastings, masterclasses, pop-ups, curated storytelling environments – that enhance the overall cruise experience. Experiential retail isn’t just more engaging. It’s commercially essential – driving sales, strengthening reputation, and creating genuine talkability while reflecting the unique character of each ship. 

But it only works if people are empowered to deliver it. Which brings us back to the central question of guest experience and the need to think beyond practical operational constraints. Physical limits may exist. But if you stop there, you are choosing constraint over opportunity. 

Leading with the people-first model creates a true guest experience advantage. And that is the only advantage that compounds over time. 

If you’re not seeing that in action, the issue is unlikely to be space. It’s strategy.