FAVORITE THINGS TO PURCHASE in Caribbean

[lucykane]

In the following ports, what are your favorite things to purchase. Grand Caymans, Roatan, Cozumel, Belize??? :)Please give purchase place also if possible....

[Cathy p]

A yard type drink at Senior Frogs in Cozumel. YUMMY!

[clinthi]

Real Vanilla (not the bad stuff!)

[Green4me]

Belikin Beer in Belieze, the premium brew:)

[klmorg]

Each port has yummy local beers. :D

 

For Cozumel, the vanilla is a nice purchase. In Roatan, definitely COFFEE beans! Both are easily found close to the ports, or if you want to save some moola, venture outside the port area.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Mahogany in Belize or Roatan.

 

While at Altun- Ha in Belize we saw a local vendor that had these beautiful hand carved wall hangings. The one that most caught my eye was a giant Sailfish made of solid Mahogany. He originally wanted only $40 USD for it and when we started to walk away offered it to us for ONLY $20!! I would have paid the $40 so that wasn't the issue. The sailfish had a pointy almost sharp fin type thingy that they are so well identified for, and I was concerned with getting this, A: onto the ship and B: back through customs and onto the Airline. I passed it up, but it would have been just beautiful as a wall hanging.

 

 

In the Roatan pier- shop- area, there are a few shops in the back that are all gathered together like little craft stalls. Right in the corner is a shop that sold solid Mahogany dinner wares. There was a hand carved wine goblet that I fell in love with and wanted to buy but they only had one left that day. The lady said they are so popular with the tourists that they almost fly off the shelves. The goblet was only $20. She also had fruit bowls, bread baskets and other beautiful things. If you love things like this, go there early.

 

 

 

These two shops that I mentioned above sold one of a kind type items that could not be found in the cookie-cutter gift shops. Their wares were very unique and you could tell that they were hand made. Take your time and seek places like this out for beautiful hand made items.

[firefly333]

Im the lone nut. I had victor take us to a grocery store, and purchased 10 bags of coffee in Roatan to bring home. Yes, put them in my freezer (I know some say it isnt a good, but it still tastes better than a of coffee here to me).

 

Wooden carved objects I find in different ports. Got fruit bowls in Progresso that are a unusual wood, (I know Progresso not on the list, but my cousin's husband got one and remarked on the wood that cannot be bought here).

 

I also bought wood stuff in Roatan out in west end. Puzzles like my grandfather used to make. Dont know the wood in Roatan.

 

Tequila in Cozumel

[mali06]

Grand Cayman has a lovely linen shop right downtown and the prices are amazing. . . also the rum cakes are fabulous! And Paul always has to go to Margaritaville for a new hat. In Cozumel, absolutely the vanilla, but also we have found great deals on semi-precious stones set in sterling silvers and leather handbags locally made (at the shops on the town square).

 

Thanks for the great ideas for Belize and Roatan . . . we are also interested in the cameos in Belize. But the mahogany sounds great. I will have to tell DH about the coffee because that is one of his passions.

[thepeach]

Im the lone nut. I had victor take us to a grocery store, and purchased 10 bags of coffee in Roatan to bring home. Yes, put them in my freezer (I know some say it isnt a good, but it still tastes better than a of coffee here to me).

 

Wooden carved objects I find in different ports. Got fruit bowls in Progresso that are a unusual wood, (I know Progresso not on the list, but my cousin's husband got one and remarked on the wood that cannot be bought here).

 

I also bought wood stuff in Roatan out in west end. Puzzles like my grandfather used to make. Dont know the wood in Roatan.

 

Tequila in Cozumel

I did the same thing in Costa Rica. Asked a policeman where the grocery store was, and he showed me-no problems, and the local people were friendly. I brought home 20 lbs. of coffee for $40!

[firefly333]

I did the same thing in Costa Rica. Asked a policeman where the grocery store was, and he showed me-no problems, and the local people were friendly. I brought home 20 lbs. of coffee for $40!

 

I bought about one or so of every kind. I didnt just buy the cheapest, so I got like 10 packags, some only 8 oz, so less, but I think I spent $40ish too. People thought I was crazy to bring home that much .. but it was really good. I still had to carry it all home.

[Mybearsbaby]

Real Vanilla (not the bad stuff!)

 

Amen!! I got some in Roatan, and it is great. I like to bring back something from each port that is unique and reminds me of the place (ex. in Cozumel, we got a handmade multicolored blanket and a sombrero. In Belize, Mahogany wood carving.) I like to also get local currency from the ports of call.

[serene56]

Beware of things nicely made with plants.

 

I saw some people coming back to the ship wearing hats made from palm leaves- they were told they cant bring them on the ship.

 

what a waste of money.

 

Grand cayman has wonderful rum cakes. Sure you can buy certain flavors elsewhere but I have yet to find the pineapple chocalate ones except in grand cayman.

[Crazy4Koko]

Mexican vanilla from Los Cinqo soles in Cozumel.. there is also a cute little local shop that sold hand painted glasses of all kinds...it is right behind RonJons...there are actually numerous shops to choose from!

 

 

In the plaza, there was also a man making personalized bracelets out of aida floss and plastic.. he made one for my daughter Caitlyn in about 5 minutes~ It was nice to have something made there.

 

 

I also like to purchase local crafts in each port..carvings especially.

[kf657]

Vanilla of course, but I purchase at each port a small trinket box- made from clay, mahogany, gourds etc. On the bottoms I write where I got them and when, a nice thing to have that doesn't take up so much space!

[GoldWest]

Vanilla in Cozumel, forgot the name of the store, but it's one of the big ones.

[vanityfur]

Cozumel / Calica (Playa del Carmen):

Xtabentun (found in some stores' liquor section, just ask)

Vanilla BEANS from Ah Cacao (storefront in Playa, store at airport in Cozumel)

[MSRussell]

I'm cheap....I look for magnets with the name of the port on them. Also little ceramic turtles that have springy head and legs. It also has the name of the port on the shell.

On the ship, I buy a rubber magnet shipshaped (lol) and it has the name of the ship embossed on the lower part. That's the first thing I head for when we get out to see, the shops.

I put the ship and the magnets I buy from that cruise underneath, on my fridge. Makes me smile every time I look at it.

Melanie

[mongo59r]

Mount Gay Extra Old Rum

Way good!

[pnjkeith]

Cozumel----Crown XR n Cuban Cigars

 

Roatan-----Cuban Cigars

 

Cayman-----Cuban Cigars

[skipnpeanut]

Magnets and vanilla.

[CLQ]

We've been admiring the rings we gave each other just tonight. These are semi-precious stones set in sterling silver. We got them in Cozumel this past summer, but today is our anniversary. You grab a taxi, turn left out of the pier and within about 5 minutes you are at the building where Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" is. In that same strip shopping building, there are 2 or 3 small shops we've gotten great deals in these last 2 years. Hers is a tanzanite "past/present/future" ring, while mine is turqoise.

 

[Lydia B.]

In Roatan do check out the cameo's. Not cheap, but well worth the work. If you can go to their store as there is usually an artist doing his carving and you can also see some items that cost thousands of dollars that are very intricate. I got a great pendant of a Myan warrior in profile and some sea items. The store should have a shop at the Pier too.

 

In Cozumel I usually pick up a couple bottles on penicillin as you don't need a prescription and lets face it you know if you have a sinus infection, no flaming please. The drug stores are very nice and they have a list of drugs available and the price. Have fun!

[Kokomo_Man]

In all ports, a frozen concoction to help me hang on… In Grand Cayman and Cozumel, it has to be a frozen strawberry margarita from Margaritaville.

 

In Grand Cayman, there’s a little antique shop (believe it or not) right on the “main drag”. They’ve got shipwreck coins… everything from 1 Reales to “pieces of eight” to gold doubloons. These aren’t cheap, but they have some of the best prices for this stuff in the world. Just don’t buy them out before I get back there.

 

In Grand Cayman you need to go to Hell and by t-shirts. It’s cheating to buy the T-Shirts in town! Just be aware when you go there, they don’t take credit cards in Hell.

 

In Cozumel, it’s the Vanilla and Tequila. Every time my wife (The Woman To Blame) runs out of Vanilla, we have to go to Cozumel… on a cruise ship of course… to get some more. (It’s a tough job, but someone’ got to do it.) Most of the larger “boozeria” stores in the port areas will let you sample the “better” tequilas before you buy them. But be really careful… one of the “better” sipping Tequilas is over $400… and I’m told it’s that good so once you have enough samples, you will buy it.

 

Bob

Memories of Naked Fanny

[soccersharon]

Might sound a bit tacky, but I buy Christmas decorations at every port. They are easy to pack to bring home, inexpensive, and bring back great memories year after year.

[jilllofalltrades]

I bought some tooled leather sandles in Cozumel and I feel like I'm on vacation every time I wear them.