Shopping on the Star?

[cruise 'n shopper]

We are scheduled to sail on Star on 8/29, and I was hoping some of you who have already sailed her to Alaska might be able to answer a question.

 

Old information from when the Star was sailing the Hawaii/Fanning Island itinerary indicated there was a large shopping "galleria" where the casino would have been, including a Columbian Emeralds International branch. Now that they have added the casino back in for the Alaska run, did they remove some of the shopping area? Is there still a Columbian Emeralds Intl. store on the ship? What kind of shops do they still have?

 

I realize that Alaska isn't really about the shopping, but we still enjoy it on Sea days!

 

Thanks. (Six and a half weeks to go!)

[zimmerjulie]

The Galleria shopping area is still where it was before. The casino was added where the Dazzles nightclub used to be when the Star sailed Hawaii, so there has not been an alteration in the location of the "shops". There is still Columbian Emeralds Intl.

 

Actually, the "stores" are mostly in that one area. The room is a combination of the jewelry store, liquor store, perfumeria, ship merchandise store, drugstore, etc. all in one, with a separate, small "Ports of Call" shop in the atrium area. Seems like the galleria is out of the way of a lot of foot traffic, so they tended to set up little sidewalk sale/flea market type tables in the main atrium and by the pool to bring the merchandise more to the people.

 

If you attend the jewelry seminar in the Carousel lounge (check your Freestyle daily) you can get a 10% off discount card for the Columbian Emeralds Intl. store onboard. Also, they run scratch off discount promotions, etc. so be sure to ask if they have anything like that available on your sailing.

 

My shopping find of this trip was a glass blown Christmas ornament of a cruise ship at the Dockside Trading Company in Ketchikan. It has "Alaska Cruise" painted on the stern and I like it quite a lot!

 

I thought there were many quality souvenirs of many kinds to be found in Alaska.

 

If you are going to be jewelry shopping anyway, the free charm bracelet from Diamonds International is a neat thing to get. You will likely receive a coupon in your cabin for a free charm bracelet at the Diamonds Intl. store in your first port of call. You get the bracelet and a charm for that port (salmon for Ketchikan, totem pole for Skagway, etc). I don't like to spend my port time on searches for freebies and gimmicks to get me in the stores, but this one was worth the minimal time it entailed. These stores are easy to find in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. If you walk around at all, you will run into them, and the bracelet turned out very nicely:) . Also, no attitude from the salespeople for just walking in to take a little look around and collect the charm. One nice "D.I." lady showed me a $21,000 tanzanite/diamond necklace and had me try it on, even though I told her there was no way I was buying it. She was even glad to let me take a picture with it on (hee hee, imagine the look on hubby's face when I showed everyone the picture of the bauble I had picked up in Skagway:D . Well, I DID pick it up.

 

Thanks for letting me share my shopping tales. We had little time for shopping on our recent Star cruise, due to many wonderful excursions, but what I did accomplish was a lot of fun.

[cruise 'n shopper]

Thanks for the info on Star shopping. Since DH doesn't like to gamble but does like to shop (especially for jewelry), I appreciated all the hints! (Especially the advice about coupons to be had). We also have gotten away from visiting shops just for freebies, but the charm bracelet does sound---charming :).

 

It looks like many of the shops from the Caribbean have migrated north to Alaska as the cruise ship traffic has increased there.

 

Thanks again!

[zimmerjulie]

My pleasure!

 

Any chance you are celebrating a birthday while aboard? We came across another good jewelry offer through a group member who was celebrating a birthday.

[didan]

Thanks Julie, for the shopping hints. Especially the one about the cruise ship ornament. We always buy a Christmas ornament from every place we visit and this one sounds perfect. I'll be sure to look!

[cruise 'n shopper]

Julie,

 

No birthday during our actual cruise dates. Close, though. What was the birthday offer?

[zimmerjulie]

jewelry discount:)