Business in the Caribbean is Not Good......

[sail7seas]

CowPrincess

 

 

Sail, I think you can order Alviero Martini stuff directly from the company's website. Not sure what duty/taxes/shipping you will pay importing to the US.

 

 

 

I just found the site tonight.

I had searched in the past and it was not available.

I'm thrilled to be able to find something there for her.

Thank you for pointing it out. I'm grateful as I might not have discovered it even tonight.

 

[michigan tim]

Interesting thread. I think there are a lot of things contributing to a decline in $$$ being spent at the islands/ports.

 

There are many more berths due to more and bigger ships being added all the time. This drives the price down ($499 or even less as mentioned above is common in shoulder seasons). This puts cruising in the hands of persons who may not be as inclined to seek boutique shopping opportunities. Second; A lots of folks just don't have the play money they once did. Third is the internet... Where the islands once provided very competitive prices on watches, cameras and perfumes the best prices are now found online.

 

Just an observation.

[sail7seas]

Interesting thread. I think there are a lot of things contributing to a decline in $$$ being spent at the islands/ports.

 

There are many more berths due to more and bigger ships being added all the time. This drives the price down ($499 or even less as mentioned above is common in shoulder seasons). This puts cruising in the hands of persons who may not be as inclined to seek boutique shopping opportunities. Second; A lots of folks just don't have the play money they once did. Third is the internet... Where the islands once provided very competitive prices on watches, cameras and perfumes the best prices are now found online.

 

Just an observation.

 

All good points IMO

 

[mariner]

Would agree. But they might have more play money if they wanted a few more months to take the trip. It's supposed to be a vacation. Not a bargain at Walmart.

[Laurie S.]

Personally, I cruise to visit places, not to shop. I don't particularly enjoy shopping at home, and I really don't enjoy bucking the crowds at a cruise port when I could be elsewhere doing something I couldn't do at home?

 

Am I that unusual?

 

Same here, I go to see places and to go diving. If I'm shopping anymore, it's grabbing some small trinket from a street vendor as I go back to the ship. I don't buy anything in the Mexican ports except food and beer after diving, since I have a house in San Carlos, Sonora and can buy everything cheaper there.

[GeriatricNurse]

We were in Aruba in March and found Ferragamo Store closed. Louis Vuitton had merchandise but the doors were locked on a weekday. It appeared they were readying for closure but can't say that for sure.

 

I just read on another forum here at CC that Gandleman's Jewelers in Curacao has closed. They've been a solid family business in the Caribbean (Curacao and Aruba) for years. We shopped there in March for Alviero Martini. They are the only ones I know carry that brand. Closed? Makes me so upset.

 

Tropicana Perfumerie on Main Street, St. Thomas. They were in business forever...... closed. Longchamps, next door to Tropicana, closed.

 

Jewelry store after jewelry store shows sales people resting their heads on their bent elbows leaning on glass cases no one is buying from.

 

Seems not only are people not spending on the ships during their cruises but apparently they aren't spending ashore either.

 

How many cruisers really can't afford to be booking these vacations? This makes me feel so badly. I'm sure these few stores I happen to know are just a small representation of how bad business really is.

 

Well, fortunately I'm not one of those cruisers who can't afford to be boooking these vacations! :) And, Judy, I am sorry that this makes you feel so badly! :(

[GeriatricNurse]

I agree, that is super cheap and one that I have never seen. The cheapest caribbean cruise I ever took was about $1200. That was for the cheapest inside room and it was in 2003. If a person were free to go at any time I'm sure there are bargains to be found. As long as I'm employed I won't have the luxury to go at the drop of a hat. Even if I could, the airfare would besure to kill the deal. You folks must see a lot better deals then I see in my neck of the woods.

 

 

Are there woods in Calgary? :D

[hal lover]

Until this year, we were cruising 3-4 times a year. Now it's 2 times. Next year, maybe once. The prices are down on 7 day cruise's but we find that 7 days are not enough time to really relax and enjoy. Recently I took a 7 day solo (paid almost double) on the MS Eurodam and it was terrible. I found the ship's crew to be rude, the service was awlful and the food although good, was skimpy.

 

Any shopping that I did, I did on the ship. Was not really looking for anything special, but decided to spend on the ship instead of the island's.

 

The fellow passenger's were not the typical HAL passenger's. I'll leave it to that.

 

Leave tommorrow on the MS Maasdam and am hoping to "go home" to the HAL cruising that I have always loved. However, if I should find that the experience has changed, I'm not so sure that we will return next year.

 

We are blessed that we have been able to cruise often and I do not take that for granted. I just hate to think that the quality that we have loved through the year's may be gone.

 

Going with a POSITIVE attitude!

 

Most likely will only shop in St Maarten. I love it there!

[trvlcrzy]

Personally, I cruise to visit places, not to shop. I don't particularly enjoy shopping at home, and I really don't enjoy bucking the crowds at a cruise port when I could be elsewhere doing something I couldn't do at home?

 

Am I that unusual?

 

I agree with you. I love to travel, but I HATE to shop. I don't travel in order to collect "things." I enjoy the viewing the scenery, experiencing new opportunities and (often) meeting new people. My backyard doesn't look like Denali or the seaview off St. Thomas, so honestly, I don't want to spend the limited travel time looking into a glass case of collectibles. The photographs we take are my most valuable memorabilia from our travels.

[hunt182644]

Having sailed on Princess several times the wife and I decided to give Holland a try. Leaving in March for another Panama Canal cruise. After reading between the lines from others on this thread, am wondering if we made a mistake. The veiled remarks about lower class and riff raff ruining the total Hal experience have me concerned. Will we be shunned on formal night when I show up in my Walmart tennies and Target Tux? :D:D

[DFD1]

With the rise of the internet the world is a global market place. One no longer need travel to distant ports to find exotic goods. The jewelry, perfume, accessories and watches available in the Caribbean are now available from your laptop....and at lower prices.

 

The internet has changed everthing, especially shopping.

 

The owners of those shuttered shops in the Caribbean are just part of a trend sweeping the world. They must adapt or perish.

 

As for the change in "the type of people cruising", it has long been the goal of the cruise industry to have more and more people cruising. The industry makes every effort to attract any customer it can. Consequently fares are kept as low as possible.

 

It seems to me just common sense to understand that lower fares result in a compromised level of service.

 

If one requires superior service when cruising, it is easy to find....and pay for... on one of the higher priced cruise lines.

 

On the other hand, there are lots of $499 7-day cruises available for those who are satisfied with that level of service.

 

The cruise industry is one of the great success stories of the 20th century. Let's just hope it continues.

 

IMO

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have noticed that the younger cruisers are not interested in shopping.

Just looking at the shore excursions available at the various ports and you will see a lot more ziplining, river rafting, 4 x 4's, tons of sport excursions to attrack the younger cruisers.

So it is not that people can only afford the cruise -- their interests in the ports are entirely different than what cruisers wanted years ago.

Today's cruiers for the most part have ideas of what they want to spend their money on. And it is not jewelry, crystal, perfume, etc. They prefer to buy t-shirts for gifts for family and friends.

[esther e]

I also see a difference in stores, cruising and spending in general. Many shops and restaurants in our area (and we're in a resort area) have gone out of business. People are losing their jobs, prices have risen, and in general they are tightening their belts. I'm very happy for you who don't have to.

 

I was in Dillard's the other day and you could shoot a cannon through the store. There were only a handful of people. The entire mall in general was empty. Times are not good. Foreclosures are up; sales are down.

 

Judy, Cow Princess beat me to telling you about the website. I'm glad you found it. And please don't apologize for buying the bag -- be it for yourself or your nurse. :)

 

The more I see of cruise ships getting larger and larger, I can't help but be glad we're older and retired and possibly nearing the end of our cruising life. There are only a handful of smaller ships out there, and we love them. We were Regent (Radisson) cheerleaders, but their fares have gone out of line for us.

[Caribbean Chris]

This truly is an interesting thread. We lived in the US Virgin Islands for almost ten years. St. Thomas stores left me cold..nothing unique, crowded, sometimes shoddy stuff, and indifferent clerks. Packed with teeming mobs when up to a dozen big ships were in port. Hideous traffic belching fumes. Not a pleasant experience but people kept coming thinking they were getting bargains.

 

Over on nearby St. Croix, Christiansted shops had friendly owners who were the craftsmen offering their handmade, unusual jewelry, artworks, etc...no chain stores. No crowds either because Carnival had pulled their ships out of St. Croix due to a dispute over Crown Bay with the USVI government, citing "crime," a shameful characterization since there was and still is FAR more crime against tourists on St. Thomas.

 

St. Croix people and their attractions suffered for years until a few ship calls (drop in the bucket comparatively) finally resumed. We all used to say that someday St. Thomas would be hit with the reality of harder times after years of any unending supply of tourist bucks. Sounds like that day has arrived.

[hypercafe]

I think a lot of it has to due with the price of things. Look at the price of gold and see the reason the jewelry stores are empty plus the fact they line the streets one after the other. Check the price of stuff the ship sells. I used to think it was a fare price or even a little cheep, not now. Drinks at 6 to 10 dollars each, 10 dollar wine for 30, shore excursions at 30 to 50% over private prices. I would say the goose that lays the golden egg is dead.

[mamaofami]

Any time I go out to eat, I ask the restaurant people how business is. Most say it's OK, but not great. A local Chinese restaurant that has been in business for over 30 years, told me their rent is $20,000 a month. That equates to a lot of egg rolls to be sold.Many really excellent non chain restaurants are offering early bird specials with great prices.

 

Businesses all over are going out. It's very sad to see. Personally, I don't know anyone who is out of work and I think that's very unusual.

 

Many people are just watching their money more carefully.

 

Internet shopping at home is causing local stores to close. Buying ebooks caused my wonderful local bookstore to go out of business. Every day, I get emails from clothing stores I purchase from having sales of up to 50% off.

 

Judy, glad you found the web site for those bags. They're beautiful.

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

Would agree. But they might have more play money if they wanted a few more months to take the trip. It's supposed to be a vacation. Not a bargain at Walmart.

 

One may have the money but wish to spend it differently than "blowing it out" on an expensive, no-holds-barred vacation.

 

I could choose to take one "major" vacation a year -- fly first-class, get a suite, eat at specialty restaurants, enjoy spa services, and shop (and do tours) in every port or city visited.

 

OR, I can take 2-3 vacations cruising in an inside cabin or staying in a moderate hotel, using FF points for air and flying coach, mostly doing my own research and excursions, limiting my expenditures, and doing very little, if any, shopping.

 

For the price of one 14-day Med cruise of the first type, I will be taking a trip to Asia, a week-long stay in Sorrento, and a week in Rome followed by a 7-day HAL cruise.

 

I prize the actual travel experiences and sights seen more than a "luxe" experience. Both are vacations; why should one be any less valid than another?

[barante]

Lots of cruisers on the Caribbean routes are repeaters who prize unseasonal sun and hot weather more than the ports that are all the same, basically. So it is no big surprise if trinkets won't sell. How many Caribbean knicknacks can one buy?

Yes, cruisers are economizing on all itineraries. But some of that is also due to the fact that true bargains are becoming harder to find. For example, U.S. discounters offer deals on electronics that are as good or better than in St. Thomas.

That said, if we see a bargain cruise to the Caribbean, why not? But we won't be spending much beyond the cruise price.

[esther e]

We, personally, cruise for the ship. We have everything we could possibly want or need and although we're retired, it's nice to be pampered for a week or two on a wonderful ship. Just laying in a chaise lounge on deck or our balcony is different than at home. We purchase internet minutes, wine, cocktails and perhaps a ship excursion -- perhaps not.

[m steve]

I ended up spending about the same for our cabin but spent about 2X what I usually spend on jewelery for my partner. I did save a lot buying tax free and df liquor in San Juan and St. Martin and brought a couple of bottles on board for in room drinks. I guess it's a question of priorites. We would never shop in the overpriced designer stores so they are not a loss to us. I'm surprised that Tropicana has closed. They were around when I first went to STT in '61. Maybe the owners just were tired of the whole thing. Someone else will take their excellent location. Lots of stores in the Caribbean have closed over the years. Spritzer and Furman in Aruba and other islands closed many years ago. Many shop keeppers are getting out as they age and a lot of foreign merchants are taking their place. There won't be a problem in shopping in the Caribbean.

[PatsyAnne]

Personally, I cruise to visit places, not to shop. I don't particularly enjoy shopping at home, and I really don't enjoy bucking the crowds at a cruise port when I could be elsewhere doing something I couldn't do at home?

 

Am I that unusual?

No.

[sail7seas]

Some very thoughtful posts and many very good points. I think this has been an interesting conversation.

 

If I had observed these changes, I felt sure others had as well and some of the comments shared here give lots of perspectives.

 

[tjcletsgo]

I have noticed that the younger cruisers are not interested in shopping.

 

Just looking at the shore excursions available at the various ports and you will see a lot more ziplining, river rafting, 4 x 4's, tons of sport excursions to attrack the younger cruisers.

 

So it is not that people can only afford the cruise -- their interests in the ports are entirely different than what cruisers wanted years ago.

 

Today's cruiers for the most part have ideas of what they want to spend their money on. And it is not jewelry, crystal, perfume, etc. They prefer to buy t-shirts for gifts for family and friends.

 

I agree 100%. I don't wear jewelry and perfume makes me sneeze. Shopping is the LAST thing I want to do on a cruise. I'd rather go and explore, and eat and drink and enjoy the area.

[iancal]

What we pay for a specific cruise has little to do with how much we spend on land. We are not shoppers. If we want to shop we can do it at home.

 

Our Caribbean vacation time is too valuable to spend traipsing around stores at each port stop.

 

The internet is so pervasive and consumers have far more information and options. I can easily see how this would lead to the demise of some of the jewelry stores.

[sail7seas]

The price of precious metals has also greatly contributed to the death of jewelry stores. The price of gold is outrageously high.