free souvenier charm bracelets

[trish1c]

Years ago when I first started cruising a large chain jeweler did a promotion where if you came in the store you got a cheap charm for an equally cheap bracelet.  It's been a fun way to document my travels.  We haven't sailed to a new island in the Caribbean in a while but will do so on our next cruise.  Does the "famous" (infamous?) chain still do this?  

[cheeseclan]

I have received pendants for necklaces in the past.  My niece loves them.

[LHT28]

Diamonds International would give you a free charm 

you got the coupon on the ship to take for the charm

I used to get them for my Niece  when she was small 

I have not  checked if they still do that 

[taglovestocruise]

6 hours ago, trish1c said:

Years ago when I first started cruising a large chain jeweler did a promotion where if you came in the store you got a cheap charm for an equally cheap bracelet.  It's been a fun way to document my travels.  We haven't sailed to a new island in the Caribbean in a while but will do so on our next cruise.  Does the "famous" (infamous?) chain still do this?  

As of last year yes.  PITA, sales clerks are super slow hoping  you walk away. 

[lenquixote66]

Yes,they still give the freebies

[Schonert]

You don’t need a coupon, just go to the back where they have a “cash register “. 
 

Just ask for it, they might want to sell you stuff, if you are interested let them show you things, 

We actually had a blast in St Thomas, tried on lots of stuff I would never buy, it was fun to have tens of thousands of jewelry on.  

[crazyank]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

As of last year yes.  PITA, sales clerks are super slow hoping  you walk away. 

We have never found them to be "super slow"  usually very willing to give the free charm.

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, Schonert said:

You don’t need a coupon, just go to the back where they have a “cash register “. 
 

 

30 yrs ago  they had the coupons  when we went to get them

[MissP22]

They're getting away from those charms lately although they still have them in stock. They used to have specific charms for each location but now they just seem to carry any charm.

Funny thing is that I've acquired loads of them over the years & at our last garage sale I couldn't even give them away. 

[navybankerteacher]

Nothing of any value that is even remotely related to cruising is “free” (except, of course, the drinks for which you pay in advance - and on which you have to pay an 18% service charge when you have one - but still insist upon calling “free”).

 

There are still some jewelers which “give away” charms - but you have to put up with the sales pitch and spend some of your port time listening to it.  I suppose,  if you put absolutely no value on your time,  those charms are “free”.

[ldubs]

On 11/23/2019 at 5:23 AM, trish1c said:

Years ago when I first started cruising a large chain jeweler did a promotion where if you came in the store you got a cheap charm for an equally cheap bracelet.  It's been a fun way to document my travels.  We haven't sailed to a new island in the Caribbean in a while but will do so on our next cruise.  Does the "famous" (infamous?) chain still do this?  

 

We never collected them, but I seem to remember this too.   Was it associated with Princess?  My memory is kind of foggy.   Anyway, I can see how it could be kind of like a scavenger hunt to collect them.   

Edited November 30, 2019 by ldubs

[mrsturkelton]

They had them when I was in Alaska 2 1/2 years ago.  I collected them as a fun keepsake.  

[jazzydiver]

As of January 2019, the most (in)famous jewelry store had the free charms, and other jewelry stores had freebies too.  I got a couple of free pairs of earrings that I really like on my last cruise.  This was in the Caribbean.

 

We are are always very direct when we come into the shop and tell them something like "we're not serious shoppers and would like the free charm" - they nearly always take us directly to the back counter (or wherever the free charm is) and get it for us immediately, and then tell us to please feel free to look around.  We are also told immediately if they are out of the free charms.  We thank them politely either way, and sometimes do take a quick look at the displays.  We have never had a hard sell or a long wait.

Edited December 3, 2019 by jazzydiver

[cruznjan]

At some ports they charge $5 for the charms. The last one I got was free.

[MissP22]

10 hours ago, cruznjan said:

At some ports they charge $5 for the charms. The last one I got was free.

I can't see anyone paying anything for that junk jewelry. They're so bad that they corrode after years of just sitting around. 

My DH tried to clean some of the charms in muriatic acid & left them in a little to long & they disappeared. 

[cruznjan]

37 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I can't see anyone paying anything for that junk jewelry. They're so bad that they corrode after years of just sitting around. 

My DH tried to clean some of the charms in muriatic acid & left them in a little to long & they disappeared. 

Mine have held up well.

[Essiesmom]

It used to be that you got the bracelet free, but if you wanted the charm for that location, you paid $5.  And you got the card that was shown, and had to have it to get the charm and they would check it off (so you couldn't get duplicates).  they stopped that several years ago.  EM