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

[SwissMyst]

Wr just had a very unpleasant tip shake-down experience on a HAL Fort Lauderdale airport transfer air-boat excursion -- from the forced photo hassle (which we avoided but had to endure the photographers rude harassment regarding our choice) to the most blatantly aggressive hit-up for tips from the German woman guide indicates times are getting tough all over the Caribbean, even now starting in FLL.

[Dbedros]

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, you are not that unusual! I also cruise to see the places that I have read about or in the case of my next cruise a large group of Bridge players from our area are sailing together.

 

I wanted to visit Beruit before it was bombed the first time and I will always regret that I never made it.

 

I started out on cruise line tours and some shopper would always have the bus waiting on them. This would lead to missing some part of the tour.

 

I used to try to share private tours and put emphasis on no shopping. Always ended up with at least one shopper that would hold up the tour. I now spend the extra for private tours just for us. I am not interested in buying stuff that I can get at home just to say I bought it in some foreign country.

[Caribbean Chris]

I have enjoyed this thread so much.

 

Another thought...there is also a trend in the US, perhaps also in Canada?, to buy locally, everything from produce from local growers to hand made craft or household items.

 

Also the trend to recycle...enjoy and perhaps refurbish or repurpose something from a thrift shop, consignment shop, etc.

 

Plus a movement to look for American-made goods instead of always assuming the price is lower for imports.

 

I think younger people really embrace these "greener" ways of consuming that have really come into their own during the recession of the past few years.

[babyher]

I have enjoyed this thread so much.

 

Another thought...there is also a trend in the US, perhaps also in Canada?, to buy locally, everything from produce from local growers to hand made craft or household items.

 

Also the trend to recycle...enjoy and perhaps refurbish or repurpose something from a thrift shop, consignment shop, etc.

 

Plus a movement to look for American-made goods instead of always assuming the price is lower for imports.

 

I think younger people really embrace these "greener" ways of consuming that have really come into their own during the recession of the past few years.

 

 

A lot of home entertaining has become a lot more casual also. Our group of friends entertain fairly often and have dinner parties at eachothers homes. For quite awhile now they have all been buffet style. We have all known eachother too long to try and impress eachother with a fancy place setting. It's the company and the food that make the get together for us .

 

We have even been going the buffet route for Holiday dinners. I have apretty big family and it just makes things easier on the host/hostess.

[sail7seas]

A lot of home entertaining has become a lot more casual also. Our group of friends entertain fairly often and have dinner parties at eachothers homes. For quite awhile now they have all been buffet style. We have all known eachother too long to try and impress eachother with a fancy place setting. It's the company and the food that make the get together for us .

 

We have even been going the buffet route for Holiday dinners. I have apretty big family and it just makes things easier on the host/hostess.

 

 

 

Oh I LOVE this post.

It's all about the people. Our generation finally figured out the fancy dishes, crystal and silver don't 'make the party'. It's the people !!! We've always said that, for us, HAL is all about the People !

 

I think the baby boomers and those just behind us really did make a huge change in American society on so many levels... same can be said for Canada, as well, IMO Much of it for the better.

 

[m steve]

silver, fine china and good chrystal but never thought ofbuying it on a cruise. Other than liquor and jewelery and a few local souveniers we don't buy much. Since we are older we appreciate having good things. When I was younger I used plastic plates. Now we only use plastic glasses for drinks on the lanai.

[babyher]

Oh I LOVE this post.

It's all about the people. Our generation finally figured out the fancy dishes, crystal and silver don't 'make the party'. It's the people !!! We've always said that, for us, HAL is all about the People !

 

I think the baby boomers and those just behind us really did make a huge change in American society on so many levels... same can be said for Canada, as well, IMO Much of it for the better.

 

 

 

 

Sail it took my mom forever to warm up to this idea.

 

She would set the dining room table all fancy , then be running back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room getting this , serving that . She never sat down and joined us.

 

A couple years ago my sisters and DW told her this Thanksgiving we sete everything on the kitchen table and everyone makes their own plate and goes to the dining room. Its only your kids and your grandchildren and we don't need to be waited on. You get your plate and come and sit with us . :)

 

She hemmed and hawwed until she saw how much easier it was . Now it's a new tradition *LOL*

[SwissMyst]

After saving the good china, crystal and silver for special occasions for decades, we finally decided life from here on out is a special occasion so now it all gets used for everyday.

 

A Bosch dishwasher is a god-send for totally spotless handling of crystal and silver. Things see to taste better on the tines of the end of a silver fort glowing with that special patina that only comes from everyday use.

 

Break it out and use it, now is what I say! Plus burglars don't even bother stealing the silver any longer.

[GmaPajama]

Just a little comment from the "other side" of all those collectibles. I have an antique shop, and know for certain that people do still accumulate that stuff. The older Lenox China, the finer Noritake, Depression Glass, Roseville Pottery, even the plain old Decanter Sets and Head Vases (remember those!) - it all sells like hotcakes.

[sail7seas]

Just a little comment from the "other side" of all those collectibles. I have an antique shop, and know for certain that people do still accumulate that stuff. The older Lenox China, the finer Noritake, Depression Glass, Roseville Pottery, even the plain old Decanter Sets and Head Vases (remember those!) - it all sells like hotcakes.

 

 

That is so interesting to hear, Donna.

Are the buyers mostly young.... setting up their homes or more middel aged?

 

:D Are they cruisers? :)

[aidansaunt2004]

For anyone who thinks the "younger generation" likes crystal etc... I don't know anyone who has any! I'm 26 and my husband is 28 and we're perfectly happy using plastic or our Corelle. We're not into anything fancy, after all you just eat on it! Cheap or expensive, it all serves the exact same purpose. We don't know any people even close to our age who have "dinner parties" of anything remotely close to that. We're also not into the "green" items. Most people around our age are just interested in having basic things. The majority of us are not concerned with saving the world, one paper bag at a time, but we're also not interested in expensive dishes that we risk the chance of breaking. If you're looking for a gift for someone younger, try a t shirt, keychain or something simple.

[GmaPajama]

That is so interesting to hear, Donna.

Are the buyers mostly young.... setting up their homes or more middel aged?

 

:D Are they cruisers? :)

Many of the middle aged and older customers I chat with are replacing things that have been lost or broken - or are adding to long standing collections. I do see a surprising number of younger people though, and they are usually trying to set up housekeeping in a "grand manner" but not wanting to pay retail. One recently purchased several place settings of Lenox Westchester - Retail is $575 per, and my shop price was $150 per. Of course, what was at the shop had been previously used ... but you'd never know by looking at it. Almost makes me wish I were setting up as a newlywed again. Such fun!

 

As for "Are they cruisers?" - I've seen more than one walk into the shop with a Holland America Tote Bag. Maybe other cruise lines too - but HAL is what I notice. :)

[sail7seas]

Thanks, Donna.

 

Just because some of the younger folks don't want fine crystal and bone china, a great many have nice dinner sets and don't use plastic inside their homes....... perhaps in their yards for barbeques. Many have the Villery and Boch type rather than Limoges and Royal Dalton etc

 

Love to hear you see HAL tote bags being carried into your shop. ;) It seems they don't want to lug the boxes home from the Caribbean so are buying it local.... if not on line.

 

[babyher]

For anyone who thinks the "younger generation" likes crystal etc... I don't know anyone who has any! I'm 26 and my husband is 28 and we're perfectly happy using plastic or our Corelle. We're not into anything fancy, after all you just eat on it! Cheap or expensive, it all serves the exact same purpose. We don't know any people even close to our age who have "dinner parties" of anything remotely close to that. We're also not into the "green" items. Most people around our age are just interested in having basic things. The majority of us are not concerned with saving the world, one paper bag at a time, but we're also not interested in expensive dishes that we risk the chance of breaking. If you're looking for a gift for someone younger, try a t shirt, keychain or something simple.

 

*LOL*

 

2 of my kids have gotten their own places in the last couple of years . I have to say you have a point. My DD is still single so she is isn't looking to set up like a new bride would , but she does "different " yet simple tastes .

 

When my son and his girlfriend got their own place they were more than happy to take our old stoneware set and mismatched glasses, cookware and whatnot we accumulated over the years .

 

Maybe when or if they get married they may feel different , but for right now and dish is a dish , and a glass is a glass to them. :)

[iancal]

We are hardly going to shed a tear, or pull out a nose hair, at the closing of a Louis Vuitton or a Farragamo outlet. Thomas Cook travel (and their Co-Op subsidiary) in the UK is in dire finanicial straights and is closing a good number of it's high street retail outlets. Many employees will be terminated When people have less money to spend this is what tends to get cut from the budget.

 

Besides, we never shopped at Vuitton or Farragamo-even in a good year.

Not many people do. We find their products overpriced and we do not need the ego boost of owning a well known designer product. Having said that, I saw an article that seemed to indicate that luxury retail outlets were having a good year. Seems odd.

 

We are in the middle of downsizing. Just wish we had not accumulated so many things that we no longer use/want or have room for. Also sad that our last move was a corporate move...we should have disposed of a lot of these items 12 years ago instead of having them packed up.

 

We cannot wait to get out of this big house and get into smaller accomodation that we can just walk away from for 2 months at a time. Just wish we had not following in the traditional acquisition path and not accumulated all this stuff. I do not think that our children will make the same mistake.

[numbersix]

When you deal with closing a household for a relative who has died or moved into assisted living, or when you move yourself, it cures you if the impulse to buy stuff on trips. So true--as we have recently found out.

 

 

I read an article about a recent study that concluded - the purchase of material goods give pleasure for a short time. By contrast, special experiences are far more long lasting with the pleasure they give you not only at the time, but for years to come in your memories. Especially, the study showed, the unusual experience planned near the END of a vacation like a memorable meal, raft trip, etc.

 

So right--special experiences and great memories trump any junk that I've got piling up at home. To wit--I had been to Paris a couple of times before meeting my (now) DW. We spent three weeks in France and Italy on our first 'big' trip about 20 years ago, winding up in Paris. On our first night there, after dinner, we took the metro back to our hotel , but we went an extra stop, me knowing that after a couple of blocks' walk, we would turn the corner, and there, in all its illuminated glory , would be a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. I'll never forget the look on her face, breath taken away, tears welling up, as she caught her first glimpse. As the ad says--priceless! That's why we travel, isn't it?

Enjoy that whale watching excursion!

Guess I've talked myself into that pricey whale watching shore excursion.

 

Kevin

[m steve]

gone in a wrong direction.

[Arubalisa]

gone in a wrong direction.

STILL scratching my head as to what it has to do specifically with Aruba :confused: :confused: :confused:

[ajmj]

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?

 

Not at all! In fact, I want to just go to beaches at ports, sit on my balcony on sea days, read, sleep and relax.

 

Everyone is an individual and money is relative. Those who don't spend money on ship or on shore--- may be just taking a break from the spending life and enjoying a complete vacation. Buying items at a port doesn't equal high life... sitting on a balcony at sea breathing fresh air and feeling the wind on your face does.

[pjo]

gone in a wrong direction.

 

I came on this thread to find out about Aruba. By the time I got to the 4th page I forgot what I was even looking for. This thread was interesting though. It could have been moved to the "philosophy of life" board in another galaxy and nobody would argue.

 

One final note, we are a family of 5 (3 teenage boys). We look for parasailing, ziplining, jet ski adventures, etc. when on a cruise. Shopping is forbidden. We hate to do that at home so why go on a cruise to do that? We try to do activities we cannot do at home. Something memorable. Shopping is NOT memorable.

 

Paul

[Miss Priss]

I have friends who LOVE to shop. They are good at it and it gives them pleasure. I know young people who are delighted to find some beautiful old piece and add it to their home. I taught geography for many years, and my DH and I are now seriously working on my carefully planned "bucket" list. I literally write dozens of pages of notes on wherever I am going, yet a good friend we travel with asked me not to "share" the information I gathered because she wants to be surprised. And that's a good thing.

 

I guess what I am saying is this is a wonderful world and the people who live here are as different as the places we visit. At least I think I've learned to do my thing and at the same time, appreciate that others will do it very differently. I just received a 2012 calendar from Viking Cruises and they quote St. Augustine in January: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page".