January 15, 2026
Starboard Group convenes cruise and retail industry leaders in Cancún for 2026 Unleash the Potential Summit
Under the theme "Celebrate, Educate, Inspire," guest speakers included senior executives from Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Scenic Group
Starboard Group, the world’s leading retail curator at sea, held its 2026 Unleash the Potential Summit in Cancún, Mexico, this week, bringing together an audience of more than 200 Starboard retail managers and senior corporate leaders as well as executives from the world’s top cruise lines and retail brands. The three-day summit featured speakers from several of Starboard’s cruise line partners, including Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line; Gustavo (Gus) Antorcha, President of Princess Cruises; and Ken Muskat, President (USA/LATAM) of Scenic Group.
Held at the Ventus and Ventus Ha’ at Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort in Riviera Maya January 11–13, the summit centered on the theme “Celebrate, Educate, Inspire” and highlighted the power of Starboard’s partnerships with both its cruise line partners and its retail partners. The event was designed to celebrate Starboard’s momentum and 2025 successes, provide custom learning and networking opportunities, and inspire the Starboard teams that will execute its 2026 growth strategy day to day on cruise ships across the globe.
The event featured an array of experiences specially curated by 17 of Starboard’s brand partners for Starboard’s top retail managers. These included a “Diageo After Dark” welcome reception featuring a special Bulleit Bourbon tasting and a welcome breakfast the following morning hosted by fine jewelry brand Kallati. Bacardi hosted a “Night of Networking” event the second evening of the summit that featured KenCraft. Educational programming included a “Learning Showcase” session presented by fine jeweler LeVian and brand showcases by Diageo, What Goes Around Comes Around and Swiss Crown. Other key participants included Citizen and Engrace Diamonds.
“Our people are our most important asset and this summit gave our retail managers from 25 different countries and our corporate teams an opportunity to come together to hear from, learn from and be inspired by some of the most influential leaders in the cruise travel industry and some of the most innovative brands in retail,” says Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard. “The event highlighted the power of partnerships, and we were particularly honored that the presidents of three of our cruise line partners were able to join us as speakers this week and share their insights on everything from personalization to luxury to experiential retail to help our teams deliver even more extraordinary customer experiences in 2026.”
Programming on the first day focused on celebrating Starboard’s successes and featured a special awards ceremony honoring extraordinary performers. The company presented service milestone awards to team members, including those with 20 or more years of service, highlighting how people are central to Starboard’s strong culture. Starboard also honored its highest achievers, presenting awards to the best of the best, including the top-performing retail manager of 2025, the top-performing ships, and the top-selling Swiss timepiece specialists—both for the overall category and for the Breitling, Hublot, Longines, Swiss Crown and TAG Heuer brands individually.
The second day of the summit featured motivational and educational programming, including brand showcases with representatives from several of Starboard’s partners. Starboard CEO Lisa Bauer conducted a fireside chat titled “Unscripted: Stronger Together—Powering the Partnerships” with Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, and Gus Antorcha, President of Princess Cruises. On day three, Ken Muskat, President (USA/LATAM) of Scenic Group, gave a keynote address on “Sales DNA” and then participated in a panel discussion on partnerships led by Stacy Shaw, Starboard’s Senior Vice President, Luxury & Resorts.
Keynote speakers at the Starboard Unleash the Potential Summit included:
- Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard
- Jim Gissy, CEO, Westgate Resorts, and Chairman of the Board, Starboard Group
- Ken Muskat, President, Scenic Group
- Patricia Sadar, Founder and CEO, People2Strategy
- Ron Thurston, two-time #1 best-selling author and retail leadership expert
