"must buy" in ports

[Jane110]

I had been looking for a fur hat for a few years and everyone that I liked was over $500.00. So when we booked our Baltic cruise last year, I was determined to find one.

 

In St. Petersburg, I found many, but thought they were cheap looking and had a "made for tourists" look to them, so I left St. P disappointed. But when we got to Helsinki, I found THE perfect hat! Black fox for $75.00 and it looks fantastic on me and kept me warm all last winter in NY's cold snap. People came up to me on the street and asked where I got it - certainly looks as good as the $700. ones in Bergdrof's! Can't wait to wear it again this winter! :)

 

Jane

[fmax]

One of the things I found was that I had a lot less time to shop for souvenirs than I thought I would have. Many of the cities, there were so many sites to see that we had limited shopping.

 

However, I did manage to buy a Mask in the leather market in florence, lemonicello and olive oil in Amalfi.

 

Frances

[Sheepdog]

I amd SOOOOoo excited about our trip !!!We leave on October 25 on the Millennium...we are a group of 12....one friend told a friend...who told another friend !!!!

I LOVED all your suggestions and now have ANOTHER page of info !!!Sometimes all the things you see are overwhelming...but these ideas now have me focused for certain things in certain cities ...thanks !! :)

Have extra days in Rome and Venice prior to our cruise....yeah !!!

Elin...how badly do you want those glass cherries ??? I'm 45 minutes from Toronto.E-mail me at ajames13@cogeco.ca :)

[elin]

I had been looking for a fur hat for a few years and everyone that I liked was over $500.00. So when we booked our Baltic cruise last year, I was determined to find one.

 

In St. Petersburg, I found many, but thought they were cheap looking and had a "made for tourists" look to them, so I left St. P disappointed. But when we got to Helsinki, I found THE perfect hat! Black fox for $75.00 and it looks fantastic on me and kept me warm all last winter in NY's cold snap. People came up to me on the street and asked where I got it - certainly looks as good as the $700. ones in Bergdrof's! Can't wait to wear it again this winter! :)

 

Jane

 

Hi Jane.

You are a woman after my own heart. I DO NOT want to get into a fur arguement, but I live in Canada, and it's cold in winter, so I love fur for it's warmth and wind blocking ability.

I bought a silver fox pelt in the market in Helsinki for about $150 Canadian. A great deal. I kept walking past it and walking past it, and on the way back to the ship, I turned and said "I have to go back" and the DH was a bit cranky, but he went back to the ship and I went back to the market and bought my silver fox.

Jane, your hat will be fabulous this winter, all the mags are showing everything Russian rules!

e

[hondar]

Lelt's keep it going!

[hondar]

No more "must buys" from anyone?

[4 cruisers]

Well, grateful that there wasn't a "fur" argument.... I'll go for one more "must buy" being Venetian glass jewelry in Venice. Just amazingly affordable! Lovely gifts and buys for yourself too!!!! :cool:

[atb]

:rolleyes: When DH and I were disembarking from our last Med cruise, the couple in front of us had a toilet, they purchased in Italy. It was boxed very nicely - so we didn't see the toilet - but they assured us they had been shopping for this for a long time:confused:

too many days to cruise heaven (we're cheating:D and taking a land tour to Glacier National Park)

[Jane110]

Hi Jane.

You are a woman after my own heart.

I bought a silver fox pelt in the market in Helsinki for about $150 Canadian. A great deal. I kept walking past it and walking past it, and on the way back to the ship, I turned and said "I have to go back" and the DH was a bit cranky, but he went back to the ship and I went back to the market and bought my silver fox.

Jane, your hat will be fabulous this winter, all the mags are showing everything Russian rules!

e

 

E -

 

Didn't you just love the market in Helsinki? I'm sure YOUR hat looks just fab too! :) Enjoy it!

 

To others going to Helsinki, the market also sells lots of shearling items - gloves, mittens, hats. I got an adorable pair of shearling baby booties for a friend's baby.

 

Also in Helsinki are wonderful kitchen and household items - very modern with clean, unfussed lines. And for those of you who like MariMekko items, there's a MariMekko store near the pier.

[flycatcher06]

Can anyone recomend a jewelery store on Las Ramblas that i might purchase a charm of the Gaudi church? Also what is Dubrovnik famous for and any jewelery store there that sell gold charms? In Florence last year we bought gorgeous cashmere Pashminas. In Sorrento we had so much Limoncello to carry the whold front desk came out to laugh at us! I now only have one bottle left! Can anyone tell me where the cameos were outside Pompeii?

[hondar]

Do you remember how much the cashmere Pashinas were?

[flycatcher06]

Hi there, For some reason $24. sticks in my mind they were mostly cashmere and may have had some wool in them. They were gorgeous. They were in that little outside stall area that is not far from the Duomo. They had a different pattern on each side. My girlfriend bought 6 and i couldn't decide so next year they are at the top of my list!

[joan24]

We bought a great chandelier for our kitchen in Murano. It wasn't one of the ornate ones. It had multi-colored glass and sold for far less then anything comparable at home. It was shipped for a small price and arrived in under 3 weeks. We absolutely love it and it's a great reminder of our wonderful time in Venice.

Joan

[bec2629]

Hi, I remember there being a nice souvenir shop kitty corner from the church, they should have what you're looking for. Dubrovnick has beautiful crocheted tableclothes, doilies, etc., there are jewlery stores, not sure about the charms. I know there is a cameo factory, we didn't visit it but heard it was pretty pricey. We took a private van up the Amalfi coast, lots of beautiful tiles and pottery, and the landscape is the most incredible we've ever seen.

Have a great time, we can't wait to go back.

[Emmie]

Well, grateful that there wasn't a "fur" argument.... I'll go for one more "must buy" being Venetian glass jewelry in Venice. Just amazingly affordable! Lovely gifts and buys for yourself too!!!! :cool:

 

My DH and I will be in Venice for two days pre-cruise. Do you have any recommendations of places where you found good deals on glass jewelry? Somebody told me one of the best places to go are tobacco shops:confused:

 

Thanks,

Emmie

[bec2629]

My DH and I will be in Venice for two days pre-cruise. Do you have any recommendations of places where you found good deals on glass jewelry? Somebody told me one of the best places to go are tobacco shops:confused:

 

Thanks,

Emmie

 

Emmie, Check out the outdoor marketplace at the Punte de Rialto. There are so many shops in Venice that you will find so much to choose from.

Have a gelato for me ;)

[Andros]

I had already planned on certain things for ports on our transatlantic voyage in November. We are going to London for 3 days pre-cruise and Barcelona for 2 day PC. I had decided on a t-shirt from Harrods, and maybe the London Underground. I haven't a clue what to get in Barcelona. I'm sure I will find something:rolleyes: ! I wanted to get my sister something other than the usual postcards etc. She said she would like something homemade. I decided I would get her some type of tile in Lisbon. Watched Samantha Brown and know exactly where to go. They had some very beautiful tiles there. I like the idea of the pens, keychains, and other glassware things. I of course will have a small pile of postcards. I've never been to Europe and I am getting more excited every day:eek: . Thank You everyone for posting your ideals. They will be very helpful.

[4 cruisers]

Not sure about the tobacco shops in Venice, but I always get some glass jewelry at the ones in Rome!

 

I found the best buys in glass jewelry to be right along the Grand Canal...seems like it would have been more expensive there, but it's not! The selection isn't quite a fancy, but for gifts to take home, they're great!

[elin]

They sell these really great spice mixes in Florence. My favourite is the Aglio Olio Peppercini (Garlic, Oil, Hot pepper). I bought several bags of it and put in in a sealed container. When I cook I add it to my sauces, soups and pretty much everything that I want to give a kick to.

You are traditionally supposed to mix 2 tablespoons with oil and mix your pasta with it, but I find it's a great flavouring mix.

e

[goldenprincess53]

Here are some of the items I purchased from various ports of call:

 

Barcelona - ceramic Gaudi plate, expresso cup, appetizer plates

 

Aix en Provence/Eze - Provence table clothes, cloth bread basket, herbs de provence, olive oil soap, olive bowl, olive wood mortor/pestal, water colour prints

 

Florence - leather purse, mens wallets, ceramic pasta bowl,

There are lots of "market stands" that sell ladies wool cap - $15; aprons for $5, plus a special "David" apron; prints I am wearing the cap which is reversable and very warm for fall weather.

 

Amalfi Coast - limoncello, ceramic dishes, packaged Italian seasoning mixes for pasta, special coffee mugs; Pinocchio Christmas ornament

 

As well, we purchased special pictoral books of Pompeii, Amalfi, Montseratt etc.; Christmas ornaments

[NewCruiser1960]

I've only seen one post about purchasing books. Has anyone bought any? I like to buy either local history or coffee table photo books for souveniers. Gives me something to read at night while on vacation and I can look back through them and relive the moments!

[goldenprincess53]

We purchased several pictoral books and tried to keep each pictoral book under E10, which wasn't a problem. I keep going back and looking at them from time to time and dream...............:)

[4 cruisers]

Great shopping job, GoldenPrincess!!!! You bought all the things I bought in the same ports in the past!!! As inlaid wooden boxes to Sorrento/Amalfi Coast! I love this thread!!!

[Jane110]

In Vietnam - lacquerware. Very cheap and very pretty. Don't haggle over price like in Thailand. They just price it cheap from the start. Also bought lovely carved soapstone teapots and beautiful chopsticks.

In Hanoi, there are many art galleries and the artists there are just wonderful.

 

In Bangkok - gold by the ounce. Go to MBK shopping mall - mostly thai's shop there, very few americans. 24K gold bracelets and necklaces. They're on a roll, and will cut the length you want, price it and add a clasp.

 

In HongKong - go to Stanley Market for all wonderful chinese items. There are hundreds of vendors there. If you're there for some pre/post cruise days, go on your first day and you can have some things custom made. I got a reversible silk jacquard in the colors I wanted for $45. in 4 days.

 

In Australia - Kangaroo Boots from RM Williams. (men & women) They have stores all over Australia and a big store in the Melbourne Airport. They sell all kinds of leathers, not only the 'roo's.

[Cruise Junky]

Be careful about buying Glass jewelry in Venice... there's a lot of cheap China stuff around. We were told the Rialto Bridge was full of fake stuff. Funny enough, the best prices we came across for authentic Murano Jewelry was on the Ship! I bought tons, one necklace I bought on the ship was $82 us.....in Venice the identical one was 129 Euro!.

 

The Florence Market was excellent....still kicking myself for not buying more scarves. I bought lovely silk one's for 3 for 10 Euro...other ports wanted 20 Euro for the identical ones.