Celebrity Lies

[streetspirit]

How many people have been told on a ship that the jewellery/watch prices on the ship are far cheaper than on land?

 

On my recent cruise which was fantastic I heard that phrase a lot in the onboard shops. There were even days when there were 25% discounts on most of the designer names.

 

I was looking for a new watch as a Birthday present and my wife thought it would be nice to purchase one on the ship. I was interested in a Tissot watch which I think was around $1300, but was a bit out of our budget.

 

However on a Port Day in Cartagena Spain I decided to check out one of the local shops where I found that the same watch I was looking at was marked at 750 Euros which is around $1000. When I looked at the watch in the store they were evening offering the watch to me at discount and was going to sell it for 590 Euros which is $814. Even with 25% discount (on selected days) on the $1300 price on the ship I would still have been saving around $200.

 

Is it fair that Celebrity should by telling fibs to their customers? I would recommend that if anyone wishes to purchase anything on a Celebrity ship to check prices on the internet or in port if possible.

 

I've had my whine now :)

[CruisinManiac]

I don't know about your watch, but some items can be a bargain on the ship. I purchased a very nice budget watch on $10 night. A few weeks later, I was visiting my mother and she had the same exact watch on. She had purchased hers at a jeweler a year earlier for over $200.

[streetspirit]

I don't know about your watch, but some items can be a bargain on the ship. I purchased a very nice budget watch on $10 night. A few weeks later, I was visiting my mother and she had the same exact watch on. She had purchased hers at a jeweler a year earlier for over $200.

 

Fair comment but I think when it comes to the big name brands (Tag Heuer etc.) their onboard prices are not the cheapest.

[The Big Booper]

You'll find that issue on all cruise lines, not just Celebrity. The shops on board are run by a third party.

 

As always, know your pricing.

[CruisinManiac]

Fair comment but I think when it comes to the big name brands (Tag Heuer etc.) their onboard prices are not the cheapest.

 

It may not be an expensive brand, but my Ann Klein is a pretty big name brand, as is my old Timex. Never understood why someone would want to spend $1000's on a watch when the lesser brands tick just as well. :D

 

BTW - Most of the camera prices on the ship are also more expensive than the land versions. As you say, it pays to do research before buying. :rolleyes:

[Lsimon]

The fact is that almost all retailers, especially jewelry stores, claim to have the lowest prices. All such claims should be taken with a grain of salt as the only way to determine if the price on something is fair, let alone lower than others, is to do diligent shopping.

 

Let the buyer beware!!

 

Personally, we've seen the prices at the on-board shops (all categories and not just jewelry) as being a mixed bag. Some items might have great prices and some not so great.

[Maggie 1008]

I was on the Solstice last year and saw a new style Gucci watch. I did not buy because I thought the price on the ship would be higher. Came home and checked internet watch discount companies. They were more than the ship. Mabe I could have done better in St.Thomas. Ended up buying the watch anyway.

[CelebrityMan]

There is also, as I discovered on a Solstice cruise, the issue that some of the higher end watches may be/are discontinued items.

 

I was quite interested in a certain Tissot watch in that 'boutique on the boulevard'. But being a diligent shopper thought the price was a bit higher than what I might get it for at home.

 

I was thoroughly disgusted with myself to pass on the shipboard watch and then come home and discover that this particular model and style was no longer available. Grrrrrrrr....!!!

 

On the ships, buy what you like when you see it. Consider it part of your overall souvenir/cruise experience and be thankful you've been blessed to have that opportunity.

 

 

CM

[DC2OC]

I've found items cheaper sometimes at Sams Cluband BJS.It all buyer beware and if my wife really enjoys the item

..............Frank

[cruisestitch]

The shops are run by third-party contractors, not by Celebrity. Sometimes the prices are good, sometimes not so good. Experienced cruisers have learned to take all the claims they make with a grain of salt.

[Hlitner]

Celebrity does not even own the onboard shops (they are provided by a 3rd party contractor) and simply gets their contracted payment plus a percentage. There is another long thread elsewhere on CC where we have an ongoing discussion about the shops..but its not just the shops. The excursions are also handled by a third party company and generally over priced. On these excursions when they take you shopping (very common in some European ports) the places they take you are either owned by the excursion company of pay kick-backs. It is naive to believe most marketing...especially when it involves jewelry. You should ask yourself why any jewelry or clothes sold on a ship would be a good deal. There is no tax free advantage to most fine jewelry and the onboard ships must make a good profit. The reality is that you will usually find much better prices by simply shopping online since online merchants have lower overhead. On our recent Summit cruise they were selling a Canon Elph 100 camera for $199. This same camera is available nearly anywhere online and even in local stores for about $149.

 

Hank

[pacheco18]

Most always, you are overpaying on a ship. In addition, they are creating a lot of hoopla that causes some impulse buying. "Special sale" "Closeout day" "4 hours only."

 

On my last cruise I saw women "clawing" at Guess pocketbooks that could be bought at a better price at any Guess outlet or in TJ Maxx. If you do not live near an outlet or discount stores and you want it, go for it.

 

If you buy something you want or like or a gift and are content not to get the "best" price you will be fine. If you do not like overpaying, pass the shops by.

[ghstudio]

Duty Free shopping is very similar. Buying duty free liquor at airports just means that they are selling it at list price, but without any tax. I have yet to find any liquor at a duty free shop that I can't buy cheaper at home. Buying Duty Free at stores and getting a piece of paper to turn in at the airport on your way out of the country is even worse. What they don't tell you is that the company that will give you back the "duty" you paid at their airport location charges a fee to assist you that is incredibly high...so you think you are saving 15% but when you go to the airport, they only give you back 5%. (numbers are just examples). Oh...and let's not forget the local stores at home who will price match to any local competitor's price (except the stores that they won't price match to because of whatever reason they can think up).

 

Marketing is marketing....some people drink the Kool Aid, others don't. The prices on the ship are likely less than you would find the same item for sale at your local full priced jeweler...but you can buy almost anything you see on board (or in the stores on excursions) for less at home if you are a good shopper or, I guess, if you just google the item. There are a few exceptions, but the message is that you have to know your prices and don't trust anyone who says they are the cheapest.

[A1A]

Our our last cruise on Eclipse, due to a large on board credit, my DW purchased a very nice ring. When we returned home our jeweler indicated that we received a very good deal and appraised the ring for much more than we bought it for on the cruise. Sorry for your unfortunate experience!

[Chicago Boy]

How many people have been told on a ship that the jewellery/watch prices on the ship are far cheaper than on land?

 

On my recent cruise which was fantastic I heard that phrase a lot in the onboard shops. There were even days when there were 25% discounts on most of the designer names.

 

I was looking for a new watch as a Birthday present and my wife thought it would be nice to purchase one on the ship. I was interested in a Tissot watch which I think was around $1300, but was a bit out of our budget.

 

However on a Port Day in Cartagena Spain I decided to check out one of the local shops where I found that the same watch I was looking at was marked at 750 Euros which is around $1000. When I looked at the watch in the store they were evening offering the watch to me at discount and was going to sell it for 590 Euros which is $814. Even with 25% discount (on selected days) on the $1300 price on the ship I would still have been saving around $200.

 

Is it fair that Celebrity should by telling fibs to their customers? I would recommend that if anyone wishes to purchase anything on a Celebrity ship to check prices on the internet or in port if possible.

 

I've had my whine now :)

 

 

Celebrity didn't lie to you. We sail a couple of times a year with them and we have never seen signs posted anywhere saying they have the best prices. If you found a better price on shore (on the exact watch as on the ship) then you should have gotten a written quote from the store and brought it to the jewelery store on the ship and asked them if they would match it. I would wager you didn't do that. There are lots of variables that need to be taken into account and it doesn't sound to me like you did that.

[TLCOhio]

You'll find that issue on all cruise lines, not just Celebrity. The shops on board are run by a third party. As always, know your pricing.

 

Yes . . . it's "BUYER BEWARE!!" That is why I don't purchase things on cruise ship, nor much on shore. I like to just like to take pictures, enjoy the history, architecture and sights. It's much more affordable that way.

 

Doing your research in advance and being an informed shopper are super important!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 47,840 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Keith1010]

Yes . . . it's "BUYER BEWARE!!" That is why I don't purchase things on cruise ship, nor much on shore. I like to just like to take pictures, enjoy the history, architecture and sights. It's much more affordable that way.

 

Doing your research in advance and being an informed shopper are super important!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 47,840 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Great advice.

 

We purchase jewelry at home. We find that way we can carefully research prices and that we don't make decision in haste.

 

Keith

[dolittle]

Every store will tell you they have the best price. It is up to you to study the "real"price on anything you buy.I have a Fossil watch I bought for 50 dollars on the ship it cost 89 dollars. It is up to you to know the price.

[MTL=CRUISEFAMILY]

It may not be an expensive brand, but my Ann Klein is a pretty big name brand, as is my old Timex. Never understood why someone would want to spend $1000's on a watch when the lesser brands tick just as well. :D

 

 

I used to think this way too..

..But now Know that some are just watches and some are timepieces, very different

[Kellie Poodle]

I live on the Mexican border and often go across to visit my excellent dentist and buy some medications and duty-free 'adult beverages'.

 

The same company that owns the duty-free shop where I buy my goods runs the duty free liquor concession on the ships. This ship-board prices are consistently 15% to 20% higher probably due to the cost of doing business on a cruise ship.

 

Know your prices. There may be bargains out there, but there are three times as many rip-offs as there are bargains. If you have done your homework, you will be protected.

 

If you are like me and buy something because it's pretty and you like it and are not looking to "make a killing" use your credit card. I was saved by my credit card company when I purchased a bracelet that I was told was genuine stones but when I took it in to get sized, found out was junk. I got an appraisal and the merchant refunded part of the amount I'd paid to my credit card company.

[CruiseGal60]

As others have said buyer beware. Some items may be a great deal and others not. On Hal I received a flyer advertising citizen Eco watches fr 25% off. The flyer listed the prices. When we went to purchase the watches they id not have the style we wanted. When we arrived home I dd some research on line and was able to get the exact same watches much cheaper than on the ship.

 

On another cruise a watch was advertised 40% off. I purchased it. I later found at home that it was a discontinued model and retailers that did have it were all selling it at the price I paid on the ship.

[iancal]

There are actually some people out there who actually think that 'suggested retail price' actually means something other than an inflated price on which to base a completely false discount.

[phoenix_dream]

Couple of thoughts after reading the posts so far.

 

-It is fine to price shop ahead of time, but very often (at least in my experience) I am not looking for a particular item or style and don't know ahead of time what inventory the ship will have, so I am not sure how I can shop ahead. Certainly you can look onshore after you have seen what the ship has, but even in that case all you will know is how the price compares to the ship and prior ports - you can't know what the next ports will bring price-wise. I understand if someone is looking for a particular item this suggestion is a good one. It also can give you a general idea of pricing, but practically speaking this idea only helps sometimes.

 

-As to the fact of Celebrity not owning/running the shops. True. But in my opinion, they are accountable for the veracity of statements made by the vendors on their ship as well as quality of service and so on, and should be conducting due diligence. Some may not agree, but that is my opinion. Many cruisers are not aware Celebrity does not run these venues and presume (reasonably so in my opinion) that they do. There may be fine print somewhere onboard that says otherwise, but I suspect many people do not see or take a note of that.

 

-It seems to me that the ships do give the impression, if not outright state in print and/or presentations, that the ships pricing is the best. I can't prove this and can't quote specifics as it has been eight months since I've cruised, but for my own curiosity I am going to take a look at what is said and done in my upcoming cruise. We'll see if I am remembering correctly.

[silkhair1]

Whenever I look for something specific, I check prices at hime and the internet and I am oreoared when I go on the ship and the ports. The problem with my plan is if I see something I did not research. Usually (in my experience) the ports are a little cheaper.

[Gonzo70]

When I see a store claim they have the best price I give it as much credence as a sign at a restaurant declaring that they have the best food. This is an area where people need to take personable responsibility and not allow oneself to be easily persuaded by a store's advertising gimmicks (be it a store on a cruise ship or anywhere). Always do price comparisons when shopping for an expensive item and never trust a business' own self serving commentary about how they are the best and/or least expensive.