Attention Caribbean Cruisers and Shopaholics???

[njaloha]

Which port of call is your favorite/least favorite for shopping from this list (because these are the ones I'm going to ;) ) St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten/Marten, Antigua, St. Lucia?

 

And Why, of course? :D What do you like to shop for?:cool:

 

I just read in another thread where a poster asked about chocolate and the response was St. Maarten/Marten. Now I'm intrigued and can't wait to get there so I can buy chocolate!!!!!:eek:

[cruisestitch]

Since you are new to cruising, let me start with some advice.

 

There will be an on board shopping "expert" or shopping "guide". It may appear that this person is hired by Celebrity to help you. This is not the case. He/she is an employee of a marketing firm and will only direct you to shops which pay into that marketing scheme, and he/she will get a commission if you go to the "recommended" stores. There is no independent evaluation of these stores by this guide.

 

They will try to sell you a rather high priced "shopping discount booklet". The bargains are pretty minimal and this booklet is probably no deal.

 

If you ask this guide about such things as local crafts, or local artists, they have no idea. They are only there to direct you to the stores on their list.

 

Now, you don't say what you will be shopping for, but you should know what the items you are looking at would cost at home. For instance, a bottle of perfume in the islands that sells for $100. Is it the same size as the bottle you can get at your local department store? If it is a scent you use a lot, go to the local store first, take notes, and then decide if the price you see in the Caribbean is really a bargain.

 

If you find the identical item for the same price, or less than you would pay at home, that's a good deal because you will save sales tax (maybe 7% or so). That $100 bottle you see in your department store at home actually costs you $107. In the islands, it might be just the $100.

 

The same advice would go for a camera, or a watch or crystal or Delft pottery or any high-end item -- know what it would cost you at home.

 

If you are looking for local crafts, say batik, or handmade soap, or artwork, ask once you get on shore. Be careful that the item doesn't say "made in China"on the back. This is true for lots of things that look island-made, like Christmas ornaments and costume jewelry.

[The Big Booper]

Generally, the best shopping/prices are on St.Maarten (Dutch Side) followed closely by St. Thomas. St. Maarten has great deals on quality table linens.

 

St.Martin (French side) has the flavor of France, high quality goods in Marigot and bakeries!

 

As the responder above said, the onboard shopping lecturer recommends stores that pay a fee. However, if you have a problem with anything you buy from them, the cruiseline is supposed to help you resolve the problem.

 

Stay away from Diamonds International! Many negative reports on them.

[njaloha]

Since you are new to cruising, let me start with some advice.

 

There will be an on board shopping "expert" or shopping "guide". . . . .

 

New to cruising, not so much. Rusty maybe. Just new to cruising Celebrity and the Caribbean. Now that you mention it, I remember the presentation on the NCL POA (Hilo Hattie) and the gratuitous stops made at local shops for "souvenirs" on shore excursions. Thanks for the reminder. And the fact that hardly anything is made in Hawaii but often designed in Hawaii and made in the Philippines.

 

What am I shopping for? Not too much. The random t-shirt for the kids. Chocolate in St. Maarten/Marten. Decision made. As well as that Guavaberry stuff for neighbors. :rolleyes: Yuck, not for me. No jewelry, or whatever. Perfume, nope. Bakeries in Marigot, yes! thanks BIG BOOPER!

 

I was just curious to see what others shop for, favorite places, different experiences. Stuff like that.

 

Craziest moments, shopkeepers, close calls getting back to the ship.

 

Just for fun. :D

[ghstudio]

The best shopping in the Caribbean is window shopping. When you get home, Amazon and google are your friends. If you buy watches, you may (will) have warranty issues, if the watch is genuine...there are excellent fakes (and seconds) of almost every known brands (including some of the fancy electronic watches) and every store has an "official xyz watch" decal on their window...means nothing.

 

There have been a few reports that the cruise line stands behind nothing...and the shopping company (franchise) stands behind nothing. Whether the reports are true or not, I return to my recommendation to only do window shopping for anything that costs enough for you to care if it's fake or real.

 

The exception might be in Columbia where you can get some good prices on emeralds....because you really can't buy gems over the internet.

 

One good buy, anywhere in the caribbean, is hot sauces, but only if you walk to an area that is out of the tourist center....buy where the locals buy. I usually bring back six or more different types from any caribbean cruise. Of course if you are flying, you can't take these onboard airplanes...they have to be packed in your luggage.

[Dragster13]

St. Maarten Dutch side has some great values. When you go ashore turn left on Front Street and walk about two blocks you will notice that the prices drop as you get further from the dock. Best place for booze example Bacarde 40oz $8.00 or less $9.00 or more near dock.

 

French side great market place, but high prices at their mall. It is worth a look though. By the way if you use the washrooms in Mall there is a charge.

[sazzinfredericton]

So far I have decided I am not going to waste my precious time shopping but enjoy, beach/great drinks and good eats.

 

Thanks......unless someone comes up with the best chocolatier ever! But has to surpass my fav....See's .....

 

Nancy

[Tinkerbellcgy]

So far I have decided I am not going to waste my precious time shopping but enjoy, beach/great drinks and good eats. ...

 

This is some really good advice. The majority of merchandise that is being hawked in the Caribbean is pretty shoddy and, if the truth be told, was probably made in China. As far as picking up the usual touristy crap like t-shirts and other stuff of that ilk, they are a dime a dozen and can be found at every turn.

 

My advice would be the same as the poster quoted above: enjoy the sights, the beach, the local people, the local cuisine and/or the libations of each island. That will give you precious memories which will far exceed that cheesy souvenir that'll make its way into the landfill before too long.

[Bailey & Sophie]

How do the stores know that you are referred to the stores so the "expert" gets his commisssion? I've purchased perfume a few times at a recommended shop, but never gave out any personal information.

 

There will be an on board shopping "expert" or shopping "guide". It may appear that this person is hired by Celebrity to help you. This is not the case. He/she is an employee of a marketing firm and will only direct you to shops which pay into that marketing scheme, and he/she will get a commission if you go to the "recommended" stores. There is no independent evaluation of these stores by this guide.

[yayvacation!]

I found that St. Maarten had a great selection of shopping walking distance from the pier. Coming to mind specifically is a big Ralph Lauren store :) the area has streets lined with shopping from your "mall" stores to local vendors.

 

Another place if you are looking for higher-end retailers St. Thomas has a shopping center called yacht haven grande, I bought my Louis Vuitton there last year :D

 

And for what it's worth to PP's some people couldn't care less about beaches and like to do other things on vacation, imagine that!

 

Have a great cruise and an even better time shopping!

[cruisestitch]

Bailey & Sophie asked:

 

 

How do the stores know that you are referred to the stores so the "expert" gets his commisssion? I've purchased perfume a few times at a recommended shop, but never gave out any personal information.

 

 

Perhaps your purchase wasn't large enough to warrant a payment to the "guide" but in general the sales staff asks you "so, are you here on a ship? What ship are you from" and so forth while they are making the sale. Or if you are carrying a tote bag from the ship, or wearing a t-shirt or visor, they may not even need to ask. If there is only one ship in port that day, it might be obvious, as well.

[pris993]

We shop in all ports. On our own, we don't even listen to the ship's info. Do try to get a street map if they have it.

 

We shop for wine, beer, even some alcohol if we need some for the cabin, bakery items, Tshirts we have some friends that actually wear them, hats, and anything else we decide we might need while traveling, i.e., batteries, film, etc. We shop like we do at home, ie., if we wants something if the price is right we buy it. We are not into jewelry or high end items.

 

We also try to find where the locals shop for every day items. We have wondered into some back streets for local markets, that is where you will find the best prices.

 

We have done well on St Maartin and St Thomas. But we have also noticed from trip to trip, we don't go every year to the Carribean, things can change a lot. One year we were in the Bahamas, next time the shops had completely changed and we did not buy anything. Same was true of San Juan. So each time it is like a treasure hunt. Sometimes we ask locals for suggestions.

[Essiesmom]

I stop by the shopping talks to collect the brochures with the coupons for 'freebies'. Those cheap pendants are great for grandkids, nieces...Heck, even I wear them sometimes. EM

[ellbon]

Which port of call is your favorite/least favorite for shopping from this list (because these are the ones I'm going to ;) ) St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten/Marten, Antigua, St. Lucia?

 

And Why, of course? :D What do you like to shop for?:cool:

 

I just read in another thread where a poster asked about chocolate and the response was St. Maarten/Marten. Now I'm intrigued and can't wait to get there so I can buy chocolate!!!!!:eek:

 

i come home with dresses from Antugua all the time.. the shops are amazing.. St kitts coconit rum- but i did get a dress in a hotel last year.

st lucia- agian dresses abd fake jewerly.

St maaten- if you want it they have it. i buy body lotion there from St Bart. love the smell and it is a great travel size. never got candy in any island..

have fun!

[Blue Wave]

We bought spice necklaces in Grenada as gifts. They were moldy in 2 days and contained seeds that USDA would prohibit in San Juan. They were a waste of money as they ended up in the ships garbage.

I spoke to the cruise marketing lady on a recent cruise that I had spoken to on another cruise line. They are independent of the ship and work for the marketing company. She did say that she would not buy any jewelry for more than 65% of asking price. Anyone else have a percentage that has been their baseline?

[Lsimon]

...

I spoke to the cruise marketing lady on a recent cruise that I had spoken to on another cruise line. They are independent of the ship and work for the marketing company. She did say that she would not buy any jewelry for more than 65% of asking price. Anyone else have a percentage that has been their baseline?

 

Frankly I would never take advice from the ship's shopping consultant. I'd guess that their compensation and/or continued employment is based totally on how much people on the ship spend at the 'recommended stores'. So I would consider anything they said to be biased. Don't forget that their organization's entire marketing approach is based on deception as they imply that they are providing a service to cruisers rather than a paid marketing service to the stores they represent.

 

All stores are going to have different markups. I don't think it is reasonable to imply that a 65%, or any other percent, discount is a good buy across the board. Besides - what are we talking about here. A percentage of the wildly inflated price printed on the tags or the first price the salesperson quotes you? The best approach is to shop at home and have an idea of prices and ways to gauge quality so that you know what you are looking for in a store. Then buy something that seems to be worth it to you and that you like. Be confident enough that you'll enjoy it even if you find that you could have bought it cheaper someplace else because you probably can. The key is to know enough to get a reasonable price on something that is worth it to you at the time and then just enjoy it. If you're looking for the best deal in the world then you probably won't find it at the cruise ports.

[Bailey & Sophie]

Ah, that on-board shopping expert. He told us the better port to buy perfume was (I-can't-think-of-the-name), NOT (I-can't-think-of-the-name). - It was either Aruba or Curacao, but Hey it was 3 years ago. It was either buy in Aruba, not Curacao, or buy in Curacao not Aruba.

BUT, I do remember that the port we were NOT supposed to buy in was much lower than the one recommended!!

Lesson - don't listen to that Professional buyer!