Favorite souvenir?

[JustThinking23]

Hi, we are going on our first cruise soon. This board has been so helpful!

 

My question is regarding souvenirs. Do any of you long time cruisers collect anything special either from each cruise, each ship or each port?

 

Would love to hear what you think is special!

 

Thanks

[PattyG12]

It seems that most people collect refrigerator magnets and/or Christmas ornaments from the ship and the ports. I collect charms from each port and have a lovely bracelet. I once cruised with a lady that collected sand from each island. A novel idea I guess. Whatever you decide, enjoy your first cruise! Make sure you come back and tell everyone about it.

[6rugrats]

If you are asking about a Caribbean cruise, no. You will find lots of ports have things made in China, and no true handicrafts that are actually made in the area. We usually just bring back memories and pictures we take.

[Andee]

I like refrigerator magnets and art from local artists, especially if I can buy it directly from the artist.

[GORDONCHICK]

PHOTOS!!! Both the ones you take and the formal night photos.

 

We also collect Christmas ornaments from each ship and in the ports. Doesn't have to be expensive - just a reminder. Soon we will have enought for a travel tree.

[jocap]

I have some large posters of places where I've had a happy time, and I stick them up-and change them- at the top of the stairs, where they boost my morning.

I love my key ring of an NCL ship in a bottle....too big to lose, and it amuses fractious children!

Jo.

[KirkNC]

We actually collect small flags from the countries we visit.

 

Kirk

[Mom2B&Z]

from each trip. That way we don't have a bunch of little trinkets hanging around, which get lost/broken etc around our house.

We have a gorgeous pieces of art from the Alhambra in Spain, ceramics from a variety of places, and a great family portrait from our latest trip. It all depends on what we find. ITA with the pp suggesting avoiding items made in China, rather finding items that truly reflect the place you are visiting.

[BenTheMan]

Me and my fiancee have been collecting refrigerator magnets for some years now. We are looking forward to add lots of carribbean ones to our collection on our first cruise (honeymoon) next year!

[cruzeluver]

We try to find out what the various ports we will be visiting are know for, whether it is a particular type of pottery, wood carvings, coffee etc. and look for those things when we are there. No plastic trinkets that will just end up shoved in a closet or in a garage sale.

[Morgsmom]

Same here - been to lots and lots of the islands in the Caribbean and we only buy things if we think they are unique -- wooden boxes in Roatan, a sculpture in Haiti for which I "overpaid" to the grateful vendor, some pottery from Mexico. Otherwise we skip the trinkets.

[pms4104]

My favorite treasures: in Barbados, a beautiful silk scarf with a tropical batik design crafted by a local artisan; in Dominica, a couple of small baskets hand-crafted by Carib indians on the island; in St. Lucia, some lovely silk-screened items (change purse and and eyeglass case) made by the Bagshaws crafters.

[Happy ks]

We try to find art by local artists, usually a print that we frame once we get home. All over the house we have framed prints and photos from Hawaii, Alaska, Italy, Nova Scotia, Mexico as well as other items framed from land trips. We haven't cruised the Caribbean yet, but we did cruise to the Bahamas on Disney Magic (our first crruise) and I have a Captain Mickey holding a pocket watch under a glass dome.

 

We have a Carnival mask from Venice, Italy on the wall of our bedroom, that is pretty special to us.

 

We also will purchase a Christmas ornament if we can find one that is interesting. Every year at Christmas it is fun to unwrap the ornaments from places we have visited.

[Krazy Kruizers]

years ago we started to collect a christmas ornament from each new port

 

we have one large tree dedicated just to those ornaments

[Marian Paroo]

Well, this is going to be my first cruise, and I'm going to buy a hot/cold cup at the insignia store.

 

That way I won't have to bring one from home!

[Neotericisis]

Shot glasses! I get these wherever I go. They are small, cheap, you can use them now and then (helpful for parties), and they don't take up a lot of room in your house. Its funny, I don't even display them- I guess I would look like too much of a drunk when I hardly drink LOL.

[bjcruiser]

We try to find out what the various ports we will be visiting are know for, whether it is a particular type of pottery, wood carvings, coffee etc. and look for those things when we are there. No plastic trinkets that will just end up shoved in a closet or in a garage sale.

 

Where would I look for this info? We will be in Labadee, Falmouth, grand caymen and cozumel.

[JandBR_PHX]

Rum, Tequila, Kahlua, Frangelico... :D

[griffy116]

We always find a Christmas ornament and I'm sure some of them are cheap, but every winter when we put up the tree, we come across Santa on a Dolphin, and we remember what a great time we had at the Blue Lagoon; we come across the the one that contains sand from the Big Island in Hawaii and we laugh about me getting slapped silly with a wave on the beach there; There is a special significance to each of them and we get to re-live that memory.

 

My Grandson gets a map of each island. When he gets home, his Mom frames it and it goes on a wall in his bedroom. They are all cheap, but it makes a nice souvenior of all the islands he's visited. His friends are very jealous when he explains that he has the map because it's somewhere he's visited. He started the collection at 4 and he's now 17 and has a whole wall full of framed maps.

[Baylor99]

I always try and buy local spices, hot sauce, things like that to try at home after we get back.

[sssteele]

I got a great map on one of our Caribbean cruises, shows all the islands we have visited over the years, and decoupaged it on an inexpensive wooden tray I got at Target. I plan to use another map to do the same with coasters.

 

Hi to Morgansmom! Still enjoying trip reports from MNSSHC! We has such fun!

 

Joanie

[michelle1836]

DOD (drink of the day) cups :D

 

[sssteele]

must be a bad day-did this twice

Joanie

[Host Faith]

I always try and buy local spices, hot sauce, things like that to try at home after we get back.

 

We do the same. I love to cook and always try to find local spices to take home. We also like to buy artwork from the locals if we find pieces we really like.

[paul929207]

Memories!!