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Stepping on board one of today’s biggest cruise ships can feel more like strolling down a high street. Atriums rise several decks high, duty-free halls stretch the length of a shopping arcade, and entire boulevards of boutiques sit between the bars and restaurants. It is a world away from the…
Read MoreStepping on board one of today’s biggest cruise ships can feel more like strolling down a high street. Atriums rise several decks high, duty-free halls stretch the length of a shopping arcade, and entire boulevards of boutiques sit between the bars and restaurants. It is a world away from the modest gift shop of cruising’s earlier years, and if it has been a while since your last voyage, it is well worth a look at how far things have moved on. From the Royal Caribbean and P&O Cruises ships already familiar to you to newer names like Virgin Voyages, the retail revolution at sea has plenty to explore.
The biggest ships in the world now carry an impressive spread of shops, though it is closer to a curated boutique district than a shopping centre on land. Expect four broad categories: duty-free counters for drinks, perfume, and cosmetics; luxury boutiques for jewellery, watches, and fashion; the cruise line’s own shop for clothing and souvenirs; and a smaller outlet for everyday sundries.
Yes, and duty-free is one of the most consistent features across the industry, since most ships operate their shops duty- and tax-free once sailing in international waters. Spirits, tobacco, perfume and cosmetics are the usual mainstays, generally at lower prices than the high street at home.
It is worth knowing your allowances before you buy: broadly, UK travellers can bring home up to 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine and 4 litres of spirits, plus 200 cigarettes and a separate allowance for other goods.
One rule that catches out plenty of first-time shoppers: alcohol and tobacco bought onboard or ashore is usually held in secure storage by the crew and only returned on the last day of the cruise, rather than being available to enjoy there and then.
Although a full wraparound deck is now the exception rather than the rule on the newest ships, there are some promenade decks still in operation. Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is the best-known example still sailing, with a classic teak promenade that circles the ship and is used for a brisk walk, a morning jog or afternoon tea with a sea view.
In many ways, the promenade deck was the original high street at sea: a place to walk, be seen and meet other guests long before indoor shopping boulevards existed. On the newest megaships, that role has often shifted outdoors to boardwalk and park-style spaces instead of a full wraparound track, but the instinct behind it, a place to walk and gather in the open air, remains the same.
On more modern ships, the atrium is a central, multi-storey hub, usually rising through several decks beneath a wall of glass or a sweeping staircase, and it is often the first space guests see on boarding. It is not simply a grand lobby. This is where much of the working day of a cruise happens: guest services and the shore excursions desk, a bar or cafe for a coffee between activities, live music in the early evening, and a natural spot to arrange to meet fellow travellers before dinner.
On many of the newest ships, the atrium is also where the high street begins, opening directly onto a run of shops and boutiques. If your own memories are of a smaller reception area, this is one of the clearest signs of how much ship design has changed since you were last on board.
A handful of ships and lines stand out for just how far they have taken onboard retail. Here is where to look, whichever line you usually sail.
Arvia’s answer to the high street is The Avenue, a dedicated retail deck carrying around 200 brands, from duty-free spirits and beauty counters to fine jewellery and fashion. Forty-three of those brands are new to P&O, and 18 have never appeared on a cruise ship before. For anyone who has sailed with P&O Cruises for years, it is a striking update on the smaller shop fronts of older ships in the fleet.
Found on 17 ships, including the newest, Icon of the Seas, the Royal Promenade is a two-deck indoor boulevard lined with designer boutiques such as Kate Spade, alongside its own Port Merchants store, cafes and bars. On Icon of the Seas, the promenade now runs beside full-height glass ocean views, and it doubles as a stage for live entertainment through the evening.
MSC Cruises has made expanded retail one of the headline features of its latest ships, among them World Europa and World America, pairing duty-free counters with premium and luxury boutiques across some of the largest shopping galleries the line has built. For anyone weighing up a line they have not yet tried, it is worth knowing shopping is no longer an afterthought.
Virgin Voyages calls its retail deck the High Street and pitches it as a floating Fifth Avenue, with Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton sitting alongside sustainable fashion labels and a pre-owned luxury edit. In-store styling sessions and tasting events run through the week, giving the shopping deck a social calendar of its own.
Get ready to book your next cruise getaway with all of the major cruise lines available here at Bolsover Cruise Club. If you need help booking a cruise with the best onboard retail experience, please do not hesitate to contact us. A member of our team will be happy to assist you.
