You might think I'm cheap...

[pgphoto]

I've read a lot about getting great deals on duty-free perfumes in the Caribbean. We're stopping at St. Thomas, and AH Riise seems to be a popular duty-free store. I requested pricing on their perfumes and colognes. Sorry if I'm being too frugal or analytical, but I compared those to the regular prices at Kohl's and Macy's. I also have Kohl's and Macy's cards, so I regularly get extra discounts:

Burberry Brit Parfum 1.7 oz.

AH Riise - $58.00
Kohl's - $68.00 - 15% = $57.80 (15% is the lowest discount I get. I sometimes get 20% or 30%)

Burberry for Women Parfum 3.3 oz.

AH Riise - $63.00
Macy's - $76.00 - 20% = $60.80 (I get a 20% discount coupon regularly)

Comments? Other than "not everyone has a Kohl's and/or Macy's card, so not everyone gets an extra discount". If the regular prices in the US are only $10.00 or $13.00 more, I'm just trying to figure out what the big deal is. And places like Kohl's and Macy's run sales all the time, so it's very likely you wouldn't pay the regular price for something if you were waiting for a sale.

[sail7seas]

Why would we think you cheap for being an 'educated consumer'? Who needs to lug it home when you can buy it local? We have a 6.25% sales tax we have to consider as do many states but still, the only time we lug scents home is if it's something we have trouble finding at home.

You're not cheap. You're smart.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have you added on state tax? In our state we have to pay 6% state tax and 1% county tax on parfum.

Also our Macy's here do not allow coupons to be used on cosmetics or parfums.

I don't shop at Khol's.

I do buy my parfum in St Thomas -- Shalimar -- much cheaper there for me.

So -- you are not being cheap.

[MauiGirl55]

You also want to make sure that you are price comparing for identical products: eau de parfum vs eau de parfum, not eau de parfum vs eau de toilette, as eau de parfum is more expensive than eau de toilette due to the higher concentration of perfume oils. I say, go for the best deal--then you'll have more money for cruising!:D

[sail7seas]

On the other hand, consider that Tropicana closed after at decades of being located on Main Street in Charlotte Amalie. DH used to buy gentlemen's soap there and we got to know one of the ladies who worked there. DH and she shared the same birthday so we always stopped in to say hello whenever in St. Thomas.

She had told us business was slow but we were shocked to discover them gone when we looked for them in April.

Makes one wonder just how good the prices are if business was so bad. Of course, the general economy is the issue but if one is going to buy scents anyway, they will buy where they get good prices. Guess they discovered the prices were no longer that good...maybe?

[cougar]

I know that in 2008 I was able to buy poison by Dior in Aruba for $50 for the largest one, this is more than half price for me. We were in Aruba in May and we went back to the same store and I was surprised to find the price had jumped to $80, still a good savings for me but a 30 dollar jump. Prices everywhere are going up.

[BruceMuzz]

Tourists (otherwise known as fudgies) think that St Thomas is a shopper's paradise.

Real Travelers know that the last truly great deal on anything in St Thomas happened around the time the Beatles broke up.

Now it's just a big rip-off for those pax whose Aunt Tillie told them about the great jewelry deal she got on her cruise in 1968.

The only real bargain in St Thomas today is a postage stamp at the US Post Office there.
But you will need to go to the Post Office near Crown Bay if you don't want to stand in line forever in Havensight.

[sail7seas]

There's a large post office in Charlotte Amalie just before you get to Main Street AH Riise.


I agree with Bruce Muzz except for all the gold some people bought through the years in St. Thomas for $8 -$9 a gram. We bought it as 'pretty jewelry' and never as an investment but look what it is worth today. Melting it down for gold weight provides even higher value than trying to sell the piece as jewelry.

Never planned on it being an investment but it is all now in safe deposit box at bank as too valuable to keep at home. Hoping gold continues to raise in value and then sell. :)

[hrhdhd]

Burberry for Women Parfum 3.3 oz.

AH Riise - $63.00
Macy's - $76.00 - 20% = $60.80 (I get a 20% discount coupon regularly)

I am a Platinum Macy's cardholder (not that it matters anymore; they've taken away the free shipping, alterations, and gift wrap :(). I'm pretty sure the coupons can't be used on cosmetics and fragrances. And as another poster said, you have to consider the sales tax rate in your area.

I'm all for saving a few bucks, though. The key is knowing the prices in your area before you get to St. Thomas, then you can judge a good price.

[iancal]

Something happens to some shoppers when they see a 'duty free' or a sale sign in a store-they seem to loose sight of the objective. What counts is what you pay, not what they CLAIM the discount is. We have not found the prices in duty free shops to be particularly good...especially in this age of the internet and on line shopping.

Same thing happens when the jewelry stores in the Caribbean produce one of those phoney appraisal certificates that they make up in the back room to show that you are getting a $10,000. ring for $5000. Some shoppers actually believe this ruse.

[goatgoat]

We have found the prices to be okay but not the huge bargains they once were. I bought a diamond ring in St. Thomas in May because I liked it. Could have found a similar ring of comparable quality for a similar price in the U.S. May have saved the sales tax differential. Unfortunately, one stone fell out and was lost within a few weeks of the purchase. Called the store and they had me ship it to New York where the stone was replaced. The process took about 6 weeks and who knows if I really got the same ring and quality back or not. It would have been so much quicker and easier if I could have taken it to the jeweler I have used here for years.

The short story is: we will buy something if we love it but not because it is a great bargain in the Caribbean. It is so much easier to pack a few extra t-shirts coming back than expensive and sometimes breakable items.

[cougar]

I bought a Tanzanite ring and bracelet from the jewelery store on the cruise ship, they were advertising 40% off, then I bought some earrings to match from Grand Turk, they gave me 300 dollars off the advertised price and a Certificate of Value. I came home and had all the pieces appraised and found out that the earrings from Grand Turk were a better quality than the ring and bracelet i bought from the ship. I did get a good deal on everything, spent $2,600.00 all together on all three pieces and back home they were appraised at $6,500.00. I was lucky I guess.

[Pirate Bay]

If you’re shopping for the best price (versus shopping for sport – a sport I happen to be very fond of :D), cruising is probably not your best bet. As another post mentioned, the good ol’ internet is where to go; a 30 second search on Amazon revealed “Burberry for Women Parfum 3.3 oz.” for about $42 (shipping included).

Now that’s shopping! ;)

[sheshe01]

Best bargain I saw in St Thomas was alcohol & cigarettes. I am not a smoker but my pals assured me $20 for a carton was a great deal. Bottles of rum that are about $28 in Ca were around $12.00. This was June 2009.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

You may also want to check prices of fragrances and perfumes on the ship in the Duty Free Shops. I usually purchase my perfumes and some cosmetics on board the ship.

[DizzyDallasDi]

There's a large post office in Charlotte Amalie just before you get to Main Street AH Riise.


I agree with Bruce Muzz except for all the gold some people bought through the years in St. Thomas for $8 -$9 a gram. We bought it as 'pretty jewelry' and never as an investment but look what it is worth today. Melting it down for gold weight provides even higher value than trying to sell the piece as jewelry.

Never planned on it being an investment but it is all now in safe deposit box at bank as too valuable to keep at home. Hoping gold continues to raise in value and then sell. :)

I can't imagine buying jewelry as an investment in anything other than my own personal pleasure. ;)

[bw333]

I like to purchase my perfumes on the ship. Each night I sample 3 different ones. After a few nights of shopping, I have found a new favorite perfume. This year my husband is going to try my method. Another benefit to cruising!:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Unforunately HAL does not carry Shalimar by Guerlain products.

[bellebaby]

I purchase our cologne/perfume online for a better price than is (usually) available in duty free shops. No tax for online purchases and many times there's a free shipping special. Don't have to spend vacation time shopping or lugging them home.

B

[Krazy Kruizers]

Unfortunately our state is one of the ones that online companies do charge state tax on items.

We just can't seem to except TAXES!!

[bellebaby]

Unfortunately our state is one of the ones that online companies do charge state tax on items.

We just can't seem to except TAXES!!

I think the day will come that sales tax will be charged for online purchases by all states... sooner rather than later.

B

[Krazy Kruizers]

Oops -- I meant to say "escape"!!

[Jade13]

I never lug "liquid" home. You will (mostly likely) have to send it through with baggage unless you are driving to the port.

[djhsolara]

I've read a lot about getting great deals on duty-free perfumes in the Caribbean. We're stopping at St. Thomas, and AH Riise seems to be a popular duty-free store. I requested pricing on their perfumes and colognes. Sorry if I'm being too frugal or analytical, but I compared those to the regular prices at Kohl's and Macy's. I also have Kohl's and Macy's cards, so I regularly get extra discounts:

Burberry Brit Parfum 1.7 oz.

AH Riise - $58.00
Kohl's - $68.00 - 15% = $57.80 (15% is the lowest discount I get. I sometimes get 20% or 30%)

Burberry for Women Parfum 3.3 oz.

AH Riise - $63.00
Macy's - $76.00 - 20% = $60.80 (I get a 20% discount coupon regularly)

Comments? Other than "not everyone has a Kohl's and/or Macy's card, so not everyone gets an extra discount". If the regular prices in the US are only $10.00 or $13.00 more, I'm just trying to figure out what the big deal is. And places like Kohl's and Macy's run sales all the time, so it's very likely you wouldn't pay the regular price for something if you were waiting for a sale.

We love AH Riise and always buy fragrances there when in St Thomas (last time we left with no less than 10 bottles between the two of us). I agree with your logic here, but I know that there are very few times that discount coupons are permitted to be used on fragrances or cosmetics at department stores here in the states. As well, many others have mentioned sales tax, and I know we would be paying 6% (here in PA) here in the states and none in St Thomas.

You're certainly not cheap...just being a smart shopper...and there certainly isn't anything wrong with that. Just make sure that you are comparing apples to apples in your complete comparison so you don't miss out on what might be a bargain at AH Riise. :) :)

[luvcruisn']

We have found the prices to be okay but not the huge bargains they once were. I bought a diamond ring in St. Thomas in May because I liked it. Could have found a similar ring of comparable quality for a similar price in the U.S. May have saved the sales tax differential. Unfortunately, one stone fell out and was lost within a few weeks of the purchase. Called the store and they had me ship it to New York where the stone was replaced. The process took about 6 weeks and who knows if I really got the same ring and quality back or not. It would have been so much quicker and easier if I could have taken it to the jeweler I have used here for years.

The short story is: we will buy something if we love it but not because it is a great bargain in the Caribbean. It is so much easier to pack a few extra t-shirts coming back than expensive and sometimes breakable items.

The jewellry in the islands may not be a bargain, but some of the pieces are very distinctive, that I have never seen elsewhere. I almost bought a lovely piece of jewelry in Manhaus last year, I don't know if it would have been less at home, but I had never seen a piece like it in the stores here in Vancouver.