Celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger, who partnered with Cunard voyage styling services, aboard a Cunard ocean liner. In the collaboration, Erlanger offers Cunard Grill Suite guests a curated styling experience.
Cunard
Demand for luxury cruising is not merely recovering. It’s accelerating—and Cunard is defining what the next phase looks like.
The luxury cruise market is forecasted to grow more than 12 percent (compound annual growth rate) through 2032, topping $23 billion. But a post-pandemic spending spree on pent-up wanderlust and bucket-list life experiences is only part of the story.
The consumer-driven shift toward “immersive” luxury hospitality is blurring the lines between five-star hotels, private aviation, and other experiential travel ecosystems. Brands that traffic by land, air and sea each must find their niche among guests who consider style and comfort a necessity. It’s telling that Four Seasons announced its first yacht at sea in March and Ritz-Carlton, whose original Manhattan hotel opened in 1911, launched its own yachting brand in 2022.
Against this backdrop, Cunard is taking a unique approach to the idea that the luxury cruiser prioritizes the hospitality experience over the destination. Founded in 1840, the British ocean liner leans into its history by fashioning transatlantic crossings as a ritualized experience.
“Fashion” is the operative word.
Cunard x Micaela Erlanger
Celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger with a curated wardrobe for Cunard Grill Suite guests, part of the brand’s new pre-voyage styling experience.
Cunard
Cunard’s new collaboration with celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger, announced Monday, takes the idea of high fashion straight to the luxury cruiser even before they set sail.
Guests staying in Cunard’s Queens Grill and Princess Grill Suites on voyages with embarkation dates between May 15 and April 15, 2027, can unlock access to personalized styling services — courtesy of Erlanger herself — for both men and women. As part of the collaboration guests can book virtual consultations with Erlanger or opt to fly to her New York City studio for in-person styling sessions before the trip for an additional fee.
“Cunard is a brand with more than 185-year history, rooted in modern glamour,” Erlanger said. “Sailing aboard a Cunard Queen is synonymous with style – not only because of what you wear – but because of their time-honored tradition where travel is an occasion. Back when transatlantic crossings were the only way to travel between Europe and North America, dressing well was part of the journey.”
The Orient Express, like Cunard, was born in the 19th century. More than its itinerary, its unique views of Europe, or its impact on railroad technology, the Orient Express endures in the popular imagination as the best place to be seen between Paris and Istanbul. This is the legacy Cunard’s partnership with Erlanger attempts to revive.
Erlanger said she tries to channel the concept of timeless elegance into her Cunard aesthetic.
“I associate the brand with elegant pieces I love: floor-length gowns and elegant cocktail dresses, and tailored tuxedoes perfect for ballroom dancing,” she said. “Its aesthetic is one that is timeless and always elegant and polished. After all, figures like Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were some of those fabulous Cunard passengers in that era of grand staircases, gala nights and ballrooms: experiences Cunard still offers on board.”
Cunard Redefines Luxury Travel, One Outfit At A Time
Celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger’s design process, with fabric swatches and look references used to curate wardrobes for Cunard Grill Suite guests.
Cunard
Cunard voyages often include literary festivals, classical music residencies, and themed crossings. Last fall, its Queen Mary 2 hosted Transatlantic Fashion Week, in which designers Bob Mackie and Cristian Siriano headlined the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Siriano curated two exclusive fashion shows at sea, and Mackie held a private auction for his original sketches in a partnership with Julien’s Auctions. The ship effectively became a cultural venue, not just a way to cross the ocean in style.
The other players in the luxury cruise space (Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea) get this. Each has its own lane for turning trips into curated ecosystems, status experiences and timeless journeys for those who aren’t watching the clock.
For Cunard, that means helping guests pay meticulous attention to detail when packing for their trip. Erlanger recommends always bringing big sunglasses, a beautiful scarf, and a formal piece that makes you feel your absolute best.
What does that look like? Erlanger has some ideas.
