snbptrsn Posted May 22, 2006 #1 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Hi! I will be cruising to Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, and Grand Cayman. Please tell me about the shopping -- what can I buy and where? What is the most authentic craft, art, jewelry, item, etc. from each port? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting_Cruiser Posted May 22, 2006 #2 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Hi! I will be cruising to Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, and Grand Cayman. Please tell me about the shopping -- what can I buy and where? What is the most authentic craft, art, jewelry, item, etc. from each port? I posted a question about finding the art of native artists on the Grand Cayman ports of call board--you can check that out for one of your ports. Cheers! Jayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hstrybuf Posted May 22, 2006 #3 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I haven't been to Roatan or Belize. Grand Cayman is pretty expensive to buy anything, but we usually pick up rum cakes there. Costa Maya is not a big shopping area. There will be some well known stores at the pier area, but it is limited. It isn't like Cozumel at all. Much smaller. There will be vendors there too, but I found cheaper prices in the village of Mahahual just down the road. One vendor in the village had some very nice hand painted plates which I collect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue L Posted May 22, 2006 #4 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Roatan, is a craft heaven!!! Right outside of the gates to the port area is a shopping/flea market area. The shopping area is outdoor kiosk and huts. There was lots of hand carved mahogany. They had beautiful huge 18" x 36-48" and larger sizes of wall reliefs with all kinds of patterns and designs on them.( biggest regret was not buying one) I did get a hand carved and hand painted gourd with a nativity scene in it for $5. I got a couple of them and I regret not getting a whole bunch for gifts. Belize there was some things but not sticks out in my mind. Grand Cayman is very expensive and I have not been to Costa Maya so I can't help you there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbound Posted May 27, 2006 #5 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Havent been to Roaton or Costa Maya yet.. but have been to Belize and Grand Cayman.. We usually stock up on Rum and Rum Cakes in Grand Cayman.. I believe GC is a great place for watches though.. Belize not sure about because we didnt get a chance to shop there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4 Posted May 27, 2006 #6 Share Posted May 27, 2006 I totally agree with Sue about Roatan. After you exit the fenced in port, there are little huts/stands all along both sides of the street. I went nuts and bought about 50 pounds of mahogony stuff - salad bowl sets, things to hang on the wall, etc. It was a blast! We also bought 2 large conche shells (sp?) for $2 or $3 each. They had lots of other crafts too all at exceptional prices. My DH should not have let my older daughter and I roam the streets after our independent tour! We've been on 12 cruises and we have never brought so much stuff back (especially heavy things!) Grand Cayman is a very expensive and commercial port. I've never seen crafts or huts/stands - their stores are all regular businesses. We were in Belize 3 years ago and there was only a little strip of stores where the tenders let you off. It's probably developed more now. I'll find out later this summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpiorose Posted May 27, 2006 #7 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Go to the talks on the ships about shopping, they were great and they guarantee anything you buy in the stores they recomment, and they give you a list of those, including diamonds. We bought my engagement ring there and if it isn't worth what you paid carnival will give you the difference. Turns out it was worth more. I buy crosses every where we go, so I found some authentic wood work, bowls, a cross, etc.....that is hand crafted and beautiful, I got it at Altun Ha. Silver is more expensive than on the west coast in mexico so we only bought one piece. I'm a shopper and I bought special item s because the variety of authentic things wasn't there. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpiorose Posted May 27, 2006 #8 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Sorry, the wood work was in Belize, made from a local wood that is very different, part white part dark wood. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkletoes4445 Posted May 27, 2006 #9 Share Posted May 27, 2006 A really neat shop in Grand Cayman is called Pure Art. It's about a mile out of town (to the right of the cruise ship area). They carry lots of locals crafts...from jewelry...to Xmas ornaments...to beautiful paintings. We spent a week there, and that was the only store we found with such a wide-variety of local work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comfortcruises Posted May 27, 2006 #10 Share Posted May 27, 2006 In Costa Maya, if you are going to a Mayan Ruin (one of the main reasons they go to that port), you will stop at a store with local crafts. The prices are high but negotiable. They will include replicas of mayan crafts carved in either wood or semi-precious stone. In Grand Cayman, there is a gemstone found only in the Caymans - don't remember what it's called but as I recall it's peach-colored. Also, anything 'turtle' is traditional as it's on their flag. Also rum cakes as previously mentioned. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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