Starboard, the company reimagining retail for the world’s leading vacation brands, and Azamara Cruises, the global leader in Destination Immersion®, today announced the launch of Azamara Shopping Rewards, a first-of-its-kind shopping rewards program. Powered by Open Network Exchange’s (ONE’s) technology platform and designed to enhance the overall guest experience, this innovative program enables Azamara guests to earn rewards for their onboard retail spend, offering access to and savings on curated premium products, travel experiences and exclusive lifestyle offerings.

“We’re thrilled to launch the industry’s first retail rewards program with Azamara Cruises as our initial partner,” said Lisa Bauer, President and CEO of Starboard. “A wonderful complement to the company’s Azamara Circle loyalty program, Azamara Shopping Rewards transforms onboard purchases into meaningful lifestyle and travel rewards that keep guests connected to Azamara long after their cruise ends.”

The new program enables members to earn rewards each time they make an eligible retail purchase onboard an Azamara ship. Members can then visit the Azamara Shopping Rewards Ecommerce Marketplace to redeem their reward points for merchandise such as wine and luggage, culinary experiences, concert tickets, and travel offerings such as flights and hotels.

“As the first cruise line to launch this type of shopping rewards program with Starboard, Azamara Cruises continues to innovate in ways that elevate the guest experience both onboard and beyond,” said Dondra Ritzenthaler, CEO of Azamara Cruises. “Azamara Shopping Rewards creates a new opportunity for guests to engage with our brand while enjoying added value directly tied to their onboard purchases, enhancing the personalized experience that defines Azamara.”

The collaboration reflects a shared vision among Starboard, Azamara Cruises and ONE to create a more personalized and rewarding retail journey that drives engagement and onboard spend, while connecting travelers to meaningful experiences both at sea and ashore. ONE leverages proprietary technology to develop and implement unique sales, marketing and service solutions that unlock incremental value for companies, while increasing customer engagement and loyalty.

About Azamara Cruises

Azamara Cruises is a small-ship cruise line and the global leader in Destination Immersion®. With a fleet of four intimate-style ships, Azamara Journey®, Azamara Quest®, Azamara Pursuit®, and Azamara Onward®, the cruise line allows travelers to reach marquee ports around the world and dock in smaller, hidden gem destinations. Azamara Cruises is committed to creating immersive experiences for guests through Extended Destination Days (10 or more hours in port) for a more meaningful travel experience. Through their deep understanding of hospitality and commitment to delivering exceptional service, guests can experience an intimate hotel at sea. Through Always Azamara guests can know what’s always included: a variety of dining venues plus room service, drinks including alcohol all day and night, tips & gratuities, exclusive cultural events, and unlimited self-service laundry; and what is always expected when sailing with Azamara Cruises; no hassle, no crowds, unique & iconic destinations, overnights, and Extended Destination Days. Additionally, guests can also take advantage of exclusive loyalty membership benefits through the Azamara Circle Program. Azamara has received several awards and recognitions including Condé Nast Traveler’s “Reader’s Choice Awards”, Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards,” US News & World Report “Best Cruise Lines,” and more.

About Starboard

Starboard is reimagining retail for the world’s leading vacation brands. Charting a new course in the duty-free industry since 1958, Starboard elevates the vacation experience on more than 87 ships across 14 world-class cruise line partners, including Blue Dream, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Resorts World Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Star Cruises, TUI Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Starboard’s dedicated Luxury Division partners with Azamara, Crystal, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Silversea and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Starboard is consistently recognized for quality and innovation by the travel industry, and the company has earned numerous awards, including DFNI-Frontier Americas Travel Retailer of the Year, Asia/Pacific Cruise Retailer of the Year, Global Cruise Retailer of the Year and Exceptional Achievement by a Cruise Retailer.

Onboard Media, Starboard’s sister company, creates multimedia products for top companies in the travel and hospitality industry, driving brand awareness to generate sales and grow revenue. Both businesses are headquartered in Miami and Starboard has additional offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Genoa. Starboard and Onboard Media are proud to be a part of Global Travel Retail Holdings, LLC, an industry-leading travel and technology-centric joint venture in partnership with Gissy Investments and LVMH.

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