Charles4515

I bring an iPad that has a desktop browser that can do anything I need done that can't be done on my smartphone.

So all the advertising flyers that went staight into the trash can are a thing of the past?

I would never assume that. Passengers get bonged because their final credit card did not go through and while not on the ship I have had cards fail because the the algorithm was suspicious or the proccesing system was down.

It is better that someone who is customer service trained does it then security personnel. As someone explained above security has a different mindset..

Unless it is local art I don't make any purchases anymore. Those $3 key chains made in China slways end up in a drawer.

Where I worked which was a customer oriented busness we had our own police force. They were always what I call rough and rude. So after seeing that the first few times I only called them as a last resort. I am glad we had them because they were definitly needed but they were trained to assume the worst.

Rolex and other mechanical watches are really more jewelry than keeping time. I loved the mechanical watch idea but I never was into jewelry. Now I have wrist computer which tracks my workouts, heart rate, sleep, does texting, phone calls, waypoints and is more for health than timekeeping although it does that great. I never bought a yugo but I did shop for a Mercedes. Again I picked easy and reliable over fancy and bought a Japanese car.

I can promise you I really don’t know.😀 At one time I was interested in a Rolex Submariner which isn’t a brand sold new on cruise ships but is sold on the islands. My buddy, the same one who thought I should buy the hat in Alaska had one and was pushing me to get one. I think he considered it some kind of status symbol. We did get good price quotes from authorized dealers at the ports for about $1000 less than our local Rolex dealer but I never bought one. I was happy with solar Quartz Seikos and Timex that kept accurate time. I used to buy a new Ironman every two years when the battery died to wear at the beach. It was not worth getting the battery replaced because they broke the rubber seal replacing the battery. Now I wear an Apple Watch. LOL.

South Shore Park is a cliff top park off of the South Road that is on a cliff between Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay. At Horseshoe Bay there is long road down to the beach. The park has trails but it is above the beaches. The cliff gets less steep at the Warwick end of the park. That’s why you don’t want to go to the next stop past Horseshoe if you want to walk the beaches. You would be far above the beach. Great scenic view of Horseshoe but you won’t have beach access. Hope that is understandable. Looking at a map it may not be apparent.

That would be my suspicion but I never shopped for a watch onboard. People want to believe they got a deal and the sales people make them think so.

For an expensive watch like a TAG like what my friend bought they are likely authorized resellers. I don’t know that she checked though. So the warranty would be good then. Plus there will be a sales tax savings if you live in a state with a sales tax. They also can sell it for less because they don’t pay duty on the watches. That is what duty free means. The onboard store also can sell for less cause they don’t pay the duty.

Some people like to shop and those sales people on the ship and at the stores on the islands know how to push their buttons. They know how to sell. They are on commission so they have an incentive to make the sale. Others like to have something from their trip as a memory. They are making a mistake not doing the research. On the islands there are a lot of fakes. I have seen fake Maui Jim’s and Oakley sunglasses all over for example. On an Alaska cruise I saw a hat that I liked in Juneau but I didn’t buy it. My friend asked why I didn’t buy it. I explained that REI was selling the same hat for $20 less and I would order it I got home. The friend said but then you can’t say you bought it in Alaska. That the hat would bring back memories of the cruise if I bought it in Alaska. Some have that mindset.

That is what I remember doing. Going to a specified lounge and somehow never had a charge but on items other than liquor the amount of duty depends on category and origin. So always save receipts. it is difficult to figure out on your own what the duty amount will be.

Keep trying. Another rental option is Turo. I now someone who uses that. People rent their personal cars on an app like Airbnb. I never tried it and probaly never would but you might check it out.

In the disembarkation info sheet they used to and probably still do have the duty amounts and they told you where to report to pay duty. Many probably don't notice it. I have not paid attention to it for a while since I don't make large purchases overseas anymore but the customs agents to report to pay duty on a cruise back then were in a lounge on the ship. if it stillis then the horn won't go off ifyou have settled. The method of determining duty is somewhat arcane depending on the item, I think art was different than jewelry, and the customs agents seemed to have some leeway.

Take an Uber or Lyft.

I feel like they were being underhanded to make the sale. They kept telling her it was duty free which her being naive thought meant no tax was due. The sales person knew there would be tax due and they know it is reported. They omitted that information. The result is she stopped purchasing anyyhing onboard after that.

The most comfotable way is by taxi. Taxis hold a maximum of 7. So you would need 2 taxis. The taxi rate is $32 for 1-4 or $42 for a 5-7. You could also take a shared minibus, Those would hold your whole group in one vehicle but you would be sharing the ride. Could be 14 or 30 in the minibus. Cost is $7 per person.

The shops onboard have always been reporting large purchases to customs. Even when they had the form. I think they are required too. A member of our group had that happen about six years ago. She was very embarrassed. She had purchased a TAG watch. In her case they told her it was duty free and implied that meant there was no tax. Duty free only means that the store paid no tax. They gave her no warning there would be tax due. They have to comply with the law but they should not be underhanded about it.

The best stop to go to past Horseshoe for walking several beaches back to Horseshoe is not the next stop. You would want to get off at Warwick Long Bay. Tell the driver you want to go there and ask the driver to call it out.

Your recollecion probably comes from the buses. They want the exact fare in coins on the buses because the coins go into a fare collection box. So on the buses they don't want paper. For the ferry you are handing over your cash to a ferry worker. It is not going into a fare box. They have been taking paper currency (USD). My guess is the ferry workers would probably prefer paper currency to being handed a bunch of coins. I would give them the exact amount if paying with bills.

There are two well regarded dive places that you can book on you own in Bermuda. Likely the cruise line was using one of them.

Does it say the same thing on Celebrity's website? I recall reading that emails are auto generated and may not be updated.

You can walk on and pay $5 cash at boarding at the Dockyard. Or you can buy a token for $4.50 at the Kiosk on the dock or Visitor Info Centre. For return in St. George same $5 or at VIC buy a token. In Hamilton there is a terminal or pay $5 at boarding. I usually buy two tokens at the Dockyard VIC, one for return but USD cash is accepted at the boat.

Hamilton would be the place to go for shopping. Many restaurants. Hamilton has a waterfront and a large park. It is the governement center, Fort Hamilton is on one end. There is also BUEI (Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute) which is a museum geared to kids. St. George's is a World Heritage Site. Lot of history. Very walkable. Small shops and a few restaurants.