best port to buy liquor to bring home?

[tini]

Going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Belize City, Grand Cayman and Roatan on the Dawn in March..........where would I find the best prices on bottles of booze to bring home to restock the bar?

[smeyer418]

before you buy anything on shore CHECK THE PRICES ON THE SHIP. You will find that they are among the least expensive. You unfortunately aren't going to St Thomas which is the least expensive and doubles you duty free. Even if you have to pay duty its only a dollar or two a bottle.

[Cuizer2]

Going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Belize City, Grand Cayman and Roatan on the Dawn in March..........where would I find the best prices on bottles of booze to bring home to restock the bar?

 

After you get off the ship, how are you getting home? Are you flying? If so, you can not take the liquid on as carryon luggage. So, are you prepared to pack it so that it does not break? Or are you going to ship it home? If so, are you sure you will end up saving money?

[GrannyMouse]

We flew from Anchorage to Norfolk, VA, with two large boxes of beer with no problem.

[tini]

before you buy anything on shore CHECK THE PRICES ON THE SHIP. You will find that they are among the least expensive. You unfortunately aren't going to St Thomas which is the least expensive and doubles you duty free. Even if you have to pay duty its only a dollar or two a bottle.

 

 

Last year while cruising the Eastern Caribbean we did buy the majority of the liquor in St. Thomas, although we did see less expensive prices in St. Maarten on certain items. Was just wondering on now this Western Caribbean cruise if there might be a particular port to go bottle shopping, otherwise yes, I will buy on the ship as they too had some good prices. Thanks for your reply!

[tini]

After you get off the ship, how are you getting home? Are you flying? If so, you can not take the liquid on as carryon luggage. So, are you prepared to pack it so that it does not break? Or are you going to ship it home? If so, are you sure you will end up saving money?

 

 

Nope, not flying.....just taking a quick limo ride from the port in NYC to Long Island. We saved a ton of money on high end liquors last year in St. Thomas and in St. Maarten and was wondering if any of the ports we'll be travelling to in the Western Carribean (above) would have similar excellent deals.

[CPT Trips]

I don't think that those ports will have as good prices as you got in St. Thomas. But, I am sure that they will beat the prices you can get at home, at least for some things . . . just know what your local prices are.

[newmexicoNita]

Going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Belize City, Grand Cayman and Roatan on the Dawn in March..........where would I find the best prices on bottles of booze to bring home to restock the bar?

Probably you will do just as well on the ship, but next would be Cozumel. Remember getting it home isn't as easy as before the new liquid carry on restrictions. We managed to put about 6 bottles in various luggage on our last cruise: we have them wrapped in clothes and packed very tightly so they couldn't shift. Everything made it fine; our friends were not so lucky; they had one bottle break.

 

NMnita

[angeljt]

I think Cozumel would be your best bet also. I just scanned in the Dawn's onboard liquor prices if you'd like to see them to get an idea.

http://community.webshots.com/user/angeljt

When we were in Ocho Rios, we tasted some of the Rum Creams in one of the shops away from the pier. I was going to buy it, but we didn't want to carry it around with us. On the way back to the ship, there is a liquor store right before you show your card to get on the ship. The prices were far better than the first shop, so I bought 3 of them. I believe we paid 3 for $30 for the large bottles at the pier store, and the other wanted $20 a bottle for the same size. We encountered the same thing last year in Puerto Rico. The shop closest to the pier had excellent prices there, far better than the ship.

We did end up paying $10 and change in duty, but we also bought more liquor in Grand Cayman. Not the greatest prices, but not bad. Ketel One was $15 and the ship charged $17, not a big difference, but still a small savings.

Jackie

[tini]

I think Cozumel would be your best bet also. I just scanned in the Dawn's onboard liquor prices if you'd like to see them to get an idea.

http://community.webshots.com/user/angeljt

When we were in Ocho Rios, we tasted some of the Rum Creams in one of the shops away from the pier. I was going to buy it, but we didn't want to carry it around with us. On the way back to the ship, there is a liquor store right before you show your card to get on the ship. The prices were far better than the first shop, so I bought 3 of them. I believe we paid 3 for $30 for the large bottles at the pier store, and the other wanted $20 a bottle for the same size. We encountered the same thing last year in Puerto Rico. The shop closest to the pier had excellent prices there, far better than the ship.

We did end up paying $10 and change in duty, but we also bought more liquor in Grand Cayman. Not the greatest prices, but not bad. Ketel One was $15 and the ship charged $17, not a big difference, but still a small savings.

Jackie

 

 

Wow, Jackie, you are a wealth of information! Thank you so very much!

-Nancy

[angeljt]

Wow, Jackie, you are a wealth of information! Thank you so very much!

-Nancy

Thanks, Nancy. I don't know half as much as a lot of the others on the boards. We've only been on the Dawn and the Majesty in the last few years, so I don't have a current info about anything else. I have received some great info from the people here and try to answer any questions that I can to try to give something back to this very enjoyable cruising community.

I do enjoy the CC boards and have made some very nice CC friends onboard. I hope you join in on your roll call, it's a great way to meet people and learn about your cruise.

Jackie

[bakechef]

Has been a few years since I cruised, how many bottles can you bring home per person before paying duty, and if you go over about how much is the duty that you will have to pay?

 

Luckily we will be driving home from the port and can load up the trunk!:D

 

 

MAC

[VoyageVirgin]

We found Cozumel to be the best priced for Tequilla - but you have to shop around like most ports prices vary - the ship's price for the same brand/ Jose of course / was about $10.00 more - but living in Canada we have huge fees at customs for anything over the limit. Ends up being more expensive by the time you get home. I'll be looking for Bailey's on this trip - yummm

[newmexicoNita]

cozumel does have the best Tequilla prices. As for how much you can bring back: still one liter per person and there is a slight duty charge for more. Actually if you read the customs card there isn't anyplace to even list the amount you purchased so we just get what we want. If they ask how much we are bringing back we do tell them. Normally nothing is said. I think we have paid duty once. Yes, it is worth it. I am not encouraging anyone to lie about their purchases, but I think customs is concerned about more than how much booze we are coming back with. NMnita

[elisamarie]

Buy both of these in Cozumel. And we went to the grocery store and got a GREAT deal on both. We always buy Kaluha in Mexico because it is SO much cheaper than in the US. We can get a Liter for $8.00 or less. At the grocery stores it was only $7.50 and the tequila was cheap also. My husband drinks tequila that in the US costs $75 and I think we got it for $20 or so.

 

What we have found on our 15+ cruises, no matter where we go, if you can find a grocery (or have a cab find it for you...they all know where they are because they have to shop there) you will always find cheaper booze there than anywhere. Even in ports like St. Thomas and St. Marteen.

 

Have fun.

 

elisa

[bakechef]

Thanks for the info. In NC where I live all liquor is controlled and sold by the state in state run stores, so we tend to pay less than competitve prices. It was a contrast from when I lived Maine, many grocery stores carry liquor, ours had bread on one side of the isle and liquor on the other side!

 

MAC

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks for the info. In NC where I live all liquor is controlled and sold by the state in state run stores, so we tend to pay less than competitve prices. It was a contrast from when I lived Maine, many grocery stores carry liquor, ours had bread on one side of the isle and liquor on the other side!

 

MAC

Mac, surprising about the prices at the state stores in NC: when we lived in VA we always purchased ours in DC cause our state stores were much higher. Maybe Maine is just really filled with taxes like here in NM. NMnita

[bakechef]

Mac, surprising about the prices at the state stores in NC: when we lived in VA we always purchased ours in DC cause our state stores were much higher. Maybe Maine is just really filled with taxes like here in NM. NMnita

 

actually maybe I worded it wrong, but NC prices are really high compared to other states, we had a recent article in an independant newspaper showing the price differences between here and long island new york, most were as much as 50% higher here than there. When I lived in maine, we always stopped in New Hampshire for the cheaper boose, people always asked "goin' outa state, could you pick me up some kaluah in New Hampsha":D

 

MAC

[psblin99]

I agree about Cozuemel for certain booze. I was there last month and found a tequilla store on the main Blvd that had a ton but was way over priced. A local turned me on to a store named Covi a few blocks a way. The kind I like was $24.00. at the other place it was $49.00 and here in the states when you can find it the cost is $70.00

 

It is called Centinnario and they make silver, gold and premium. It is awesome!!!!

[Kansaskruser]

brands of tequila that can be found in Cozumel? I like Patron silver, but I have very limited tequila experience.