Best booze store

[jackdiamond]

What is the store offering the best booze prices closest to the pier?

Thank you.

[SeeTeeFL]

We have visited St. Maarten 3 times on cruises and we always go to kenny's at 108 old street. They have a great selection and prices, it is a few doors down from the Belgian Chocolate store. We have bought the large format bottles of Jack, Bacardi, Dewards, Amaretto, Grand Marnier for quite cheap. they also have locally made infused rums in a large variety of flavors which you can sample for free. If I remember correctly the local rums are 3 bottles for $10. My DH is in the liquor business in FL so he knows how much these brands are at cost here and even buying at cost it is still cheaper in St. Maarten. We have not shopped in other liquor stores to compare because the prices there were pretty good and they are very nice people. We will be going in a few weeks to stock up the bar! good luck!:)

[jackdiamond]

Thank you SeeTeeFL-In perusing our map, I note that this location is only a couple of blocks from the pier. Am I correct?

Also, will they deliver the booze to the ship?

[SeeTeeFL]

you can walk there from the pier but it is a "good" walk so I don't recommend it especially on your way back to ship with your purchases. They don't deliver so you will have to carry back. Depending on how much you intend to buy, you may want to bring an empty duffle bag and maybe even some bubble wrap (not necessary but helpful). I suggest taking the water taxi or a taxi from the pier to Front Street and back. It is very cheap (can't remember the price but you may find it on the boards).

[The Big Booper]

The water taxi is $ 4 pp one trip. A regular cab is cheaper and you don't have to walk to the in-town pier to get the water taxi.

[Dushi]

If you are facing the Old Customs House/Post Office, the area close to where the water shuttles drop off the passengers, there are many liqour shops to the left of the Customs House on Front Street. The competition is fierce so the prices will vary only slightly. If you are in the market for a specific brand or type of liquor, then just do some price comparisons since the shops are relatively close to each other.

[m steve]

on Main St. in center of town. Prices are very good and they deliver to the ship. The prices seem to be less than a $ difference between stores and on balance it's not worth the time and sclepping buying from different shops. You are allowed 2 pp but customs rarely charges if you bring back a 6 pack.

[crewsweeper]

Is that guavaberry liquor place on 3 Sheets last week worth a stop?

[SeeTeeFL]

Is that guavaberry liquor place on 3 Sheets last week worth a stop?

 

If you like pina colada /sweet drinks, then yes it is yummy and for $5 you get a good size drink and a souvenir cup to take with you. It is not for everyone's tastes if you don't like that style of drink.

[sera121]

but this is our first cruise and I dont want any surprises on the way home... my friend that I am travelling with and I both are looking to bring a bottle or two of liqour back from the islands. we will fly back to our home cities from Ft. Lauderdale and want to know what to expect when going through customs... are we going to be charged sales tax for any purchases we bring back (we may buy a few other things besides just liqour)? Do they have a limit of how many items we bring back?

 

thanks ahead of time for any help on these questions. We are so excited for this trip!!:D

[Stacey779]

Where can we find the best prices on liquor - in St. Martin or St. Thomas? Our cruise stops in both ports but we'll probably only go shopping in one of them.

[The Big Booper]

but this is our first cruise and I dont want any surprises on the way home... my friend that I am travelling with and I both are looking to bring a bottle or two of liqour back from the islands. we will fly back to our home cities from Ft. Lauderdale and want to know what to expect when going through customs... are we going to be charged sales tax for any purchases we bring back (we may buy a few other things besides just liqour)? Do they have a limit of how many items we bring back?

 

thanks ahead of time for any help on these questions. We are so excited for this trip!!:D

 

In the old days, pre 9/11, you could bring extra packages on an airplane. Now when most airlines charge for the second bag, and some even charge for the first, it does not pay to bring booze back in a 4 pack. Unless you get two-packs that are flat and can fit in your suitcase, fully wrapped to avoid breaking in your luggage.

 

At the end of the cruise when you fill out the customs form, that is when you declare your purchases, including booze. The limits for St Thomas are more generous then St. Martin. There is no duty as long as you stay below the limits.

[m steve]

customs routinely let you go DF on any reasonable quantity, but the airlines charging by bag and weight really reduces the savings. If you are flying 1st class you have a better allowance. The liquor MUST be packed in checked bags as liquids not allowed on flight except if you are flying directly w/o a change of planes and buy at the DF store at the airport.

[Us2inFL]

I remember some advantage to buying liquor and cigarettes in St Thomas. There was something to do with US duty tax. Someone said you can only buy 1 liter/pp and one carton of cigarettes, unless you purchase the items in St Thomas, in which case you can buy considerably more per person.

 

Any information please?

 

Thanks

[shortchange1969]

We were just in St. Thomas on a cruise last week of October/first week of November. We were told 1 ltr per person, but when we went to the shopping advice thing they had on the ship, they said I think 5 as long as 4 were purchased in St. Thomas. Between Bermuda, St. Thomas and St. Maarten, we had 7 total. We didn't know we'd have to keep our receipts so we didn't have anything to prove 4 of them were purchased in St. Thomas. Customs didn't even blink and eye, just asked how many bottles we had and then told us to have a nice day.

[Zada]

I remember some advantage to buying liquor and cigarettes in St Thomas. There was something to do with US duty tax. Someone said you can only buy 1 liter/pp and one carton of cigarettes, unless you purchase the items in St Thomas, in which case you can buy considerably more per person.

 

Any information please?

 

Thanks

 

The following information is directly from the U.S. Customs website:

 

 

$1,600 Exemption

If you return directly or indirectly from a U.S. insular possession (U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Guam), you are allowed a $1,600 duty-free exemption.

 

If you travel to a U.S. insular possession and to one or more of the Caribbean Basin or Andean countries listed above, let’s say on a Caribbean cruise, you may bring back $1,600 worth of items without paying duty, but only $800 worth of these items may come from the Caribbean Basin or Andean country or countries. Any amount beyond $800 will be dutiable unless you acquired it in one of the insular possessions. For example, if you were to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Jamaica, you would be allowed to bring back $1,600 worth of merchandise duty free, as long as only $800 worth was acquired in Jamaica.

 

 

Also, you may include 1,000 cigarettes as part of the $1,600 exemption, but at least 800 of them must have been acquired in an insular possession. Only 200 cigarettes may have been acquired elsewhere. For example, if you were touring the South Pacific and you stopped in Tahiti, American Samoa, and other ports of call, you could bring back five cartons of cigarettes, but four of them would have to have been bought in American Samoa.

 

Similarly, you may include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your duty-free exemption, but one of them must be a product of an insular possession. Four may be products of other countries.

[mitsugirly]

So I'm trying to understand this better.

 

I'm going to St Maarten and St Thomas.

 

So if I'm understanding this correctly...I can purchase 1 carton in St. Maarten and 4 cartons in St. Thomas right?

 

Any idea how much a carton cost? I thought I read something crazy cheap like $12?