OK, confess, what's your biggest "shopping regret" while on a cruise?

[KenMo]

Sangster's Rum Cream sounds yummy!! They don't sell it in the US??

[Studly]

Regret that we didn't buy more tanzenite on our first few cruises. It did go way up in value just like they said! :(

[Tamhugh]

Those of you finding cheap liquor at home must not live in PA. SInce the state controls our liquor sales, you have to go to a state store to buy it and it tends to be higher priced. DH always buys a couple of bottles of Tanqueray on our cruise, because itis about 1/2 price.

 

Tammy

[auntienance]

Sadly, I have not been able to find it in the US. :( Thanks Creole Girl for the link to Ja-direct -- I've already been there and will probably end up buying some (although it is a third more expensive plus shipping) as well as coffee. SIGH, live and learn . . .

[Jenna1983]

Those of you finding cheap liquor at home must not live in PA. SInce the state controls our liquor sales, you have to go to a state store to buy it and it tends to be higher priced. DH always buys a couple of bottles of Tanqueray on our cruise, because itis about 1/2 price.

 

LOL I know what you mean! I purchased some rum that was $17 @ the state store and I paid $7.98 in the Caribbean for the same stuff!

[PrincessJen]

For the ports, I pretty much bought everything I wanted. The ONE thing I did buy & regretted was a soda card when I was on my Princess cruise. I just had to have one of those souveniour (sp?) cups as a first time cruiser... NEVER AGAIN!:p

[L2J]

Not buying enough booze while in port.:(

[Cruisin Dave]

The art auction. Enough said!

[Nautical but Nice]

For those interested in the Rum Cream, Cruzan Rum makes one. I've been able to find it at most grocery and liquor stores here in St. Louis, so it might be available elsewhere around the country too. But of course, it is most likely more expensive here. I know the flavored rums are. I can get a 750ml bottle of the flavored rums here for about 10.99, whereas in St. Thomas they are LITER bottles for about 6.00 - 8.00 depending on the shop. I've found them even cheaper in St. Maarten. And contrary to what the ship says, buying them on board IS more expensive than buying in port (unless you are buying their package deal of multiple bottles).

 

I think I have every flavored rum they make (use them in jello shots) so, if I am running low and happen to be cruising around that time, I'll lug more home, otherwise, I'll bite the bullet and just buy here.

 

Christine

[slotaddict]

Biggest regret was not taking enough cash into St. Thomas, where cigarettes were $ 10.00 a carton and they allowed you to buy 10 cartons.

[Guest cruzr44]

My shopping regrets always come from what I DID buy, not what I didn't.

 

Seriously...what am I supposed to do with that blue sombrero that I just HAD TO HAVE from Cozumel?:rolleyes:

 

 

Ebay....

[sirclicksalot]

Sometimes the whole port excursion experience can seem overwhelming. There is only enough time to a small number of things at port. When we were in St. Thomas, it was daunting to do everything we wanted to do, so we split up and met back at the ship. I scared my wife because I was late getting back from buying a bracelet for her.

 

I also wanted to tell you that you can still get these purses stateside. Check out www.dglpurses.com

 

sirclicksalot

[dan40]

"Shopping Regrets"

 

 

1 of those 15 or 20 Rum Punches I bought evidently was rotten. Wish I hadn't bought that 1. :eek:

 

 

Dan;)

[ColoradoJuli]

This past January we were in Belize. I saw a really cool cane that was made of two pieces of wood interwoven together. I had just enough money for one item and I chose a wooden salad bowl set over the cane. The bowl has since cracked because of the dry climate I live in and I wish I had gotten the cane instead of the bowl set.

 

Several years ago we were in Jamaica. I saw the coffee for sale and decided to get a bag. Seemed rather pricey, but decided it must be good for that price. I was right. We love the Blue Mountain JaBlum coffee. I ended up booking a vacation to Jamaica so we could get more coffee! I have since been back for 2 other stays and each time bring home about 14 lbs of coffee. I just returned in May and hope I have enough coffee to last me until April, when we return.

[BillnBobbi]

*LOL* Been there done that..... NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

 

Unless it is some really obscure special liqour, that you can only get in a certain port and just cannot find at home, thats one thing.

 

But to lug a case of Stoli home to save 10 bucks . Fuggedaboutit *LOL*

 

I have YET to find even the most obscure special liquors not available somewhere stateside or even on the internet. I do however look to see what things are there that I'm unfamiliar with and then look for it later. The $10 savings I spoke about BTW, was not on lowend items. All were top shelf including a $150 bottle of Cognac - a Courvasier XO. The "discount" price on that at my local guy was virtually the same.

 

I did find one thing in another item that I do really love however. This was a watch which we picked up on Grand Cayman. It's an Emile Pequinet 25th anniversary edition automatic with a skeleton back. There are only 250 of them in the world. For some reason, these watches are NOT sold in the US. There is only ONE repair shop for them in N.America, but it's a sturdy and elegant looking piece.

 

B

[PlanningToCruise]

Those of you finding cheap liquor at home must not live in PA. SInce the state controls our liquor sales, you have to go to a state store to buy it and it tends to be higher priced. DH always buys a couple of bottles of Tanqueray on our cruise, because itis about 1/2 price.

Tammy

Tammy I have to agree, we're practically neighbors, liquor prices here are much higher, we spend wkends in SHartlesville and buy our liquor in Hamburg, it's amazing the price difference just between here and there ( 45 mins)

[beaming90]

We didn't buy anything in Freeport and wish we had, because everyone said we would get better deals in Nassau, but my mom wasn't feeling well by the time we got done with our shore excursion in Nassau, so we just bought a few souveneers and left. I wish we would have shopped more in Freeport. Oh well.

 

Then on the ship we each bought a couple of those cheap rings...I can't remember if they were 2 for 30.00 or something, and I never wear mine, and I probably could've bought them at Walmart for 10.00 each. But my mom calls hers her cruise rings so I guess they are good for the memories at least!

[pupidda11103]

The money i spent in the casino - i know it's not something i bought but i spent it while on the cruise and had i not i probably would have had $$$ to buy some real souvenirs

[Wennfred]

Sangster's Rum Cream is not a mixed drink. It is a cream liquor like Bailey's Irish Creme. Not the same taste of course. You can order Sangster's on the rocks, but I am not sure they will carry it. It is also good in coffee and over ice cream. I brought some from Jamaica and my mother loved it over ice cream. She even hid it from my father to have it all to herself :eek: . On an all inclusive trip to Jamaica she made me bring her more back, and I drank a lot of it while there. So good.

 

Auntienance here is a link for you... http://www.ja-direct.com/liqueurs.html

 

Thank you very much, I have been to Jamaica twice now and never seen the Sangster, always get the Blue Mtn coffee thou. The Coconut and Banana ones look yummy.

[ladycaveat]

In Cosumel . . . one of those cute little swim suit cover ups (sort of like a sun dress with a little "bling"). Bought something similar in Jamacia but it just wasn't the same and definately didn't fit the same.

[miles8]

Well, I priced alcohol here in Ohio before we left on an Eastern Carribean cruise. There was a place in St. Thomas called Dazzle or Dazzlers(?).

 

Godiva chocolate liqueur was a good buy.

St. Maarten has the Guavaberry Emporium. It is one-of-a-kind rum.

Also salsa and BBQ sauce.

 

I brought bubble wrap for the wine we brought on board. So I wrapped

the alcohol in the bubble wrap and stowed it in our suitcases. We declared

everything, and the luggage was searched. But it made it home.

 

I wish I had bought Kettle one vodka at Dazzlers. It was cheaper.

[MGilly]

The last time we were in St. Thomas, we stopped into a shop that had different spices. I bought one little container of saffron, because the price was so much better than I had ever seen. Now that I've started really cooking up a storm (sometimes it takes a while to figure out how much fun a "mundane" activity can be!), I only have a tiny pinch left. I wish I had bought more! I just hope I have enough to last until we get to St. Thomas again in December! And I sure hope I can find that same shop - and that they still carry spices for those great prices!

[MGilly]

DH hopes he can find the shop near that spice shop that had that wonderful beer. Don't remember the name of it - just remember buying only one sixpack, thinking we'd be able to find it in the States. Wrong!

[Baptpastor]

My biggest shopping regret is buying ammolite jewelry in Cozumel - then finding better stuff WAAAAAy cheaper on eBay when I got home!! Glad I learn quickly!

[mkk]

Our biggest regret was 'passing up' a beautiful piece of sculpture at a shop in St Maarten last Fall. I searched and searched the internet and local shops for a similar piece with no luck...So...DH and I are going BACK to St.M next month to look for it..on a cruise of course!

As far as liquor..we have a favorite rum that we buy by the case in St Thomas...have tried through local liquor dealers to have it brought in but they cannot because of regulations..even called the distributor in St Thomas and they cannot (by law) ship it to a store for resale or to us for private consumption. We are always loaded down with excess baggage when we return from cruises..thank goodness we live in FL close to the ports...!