Jewelry on board or port

[ksh66]

I have lost a lot of weight and sadly my wedding ring slipped off my finger this weekend and have no idea where. :( My husband and I have decided if we can not find it that I would look for a replacement on our cruise in February.

 

Has anyone purchased a diamond ring on the ship? If so, what was the quality and how comparable was it to a price at home? Would it better to purchase something at Cozumel versus the ship?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Colorado Kat]

For a diamond, I would purchase it at home.

 

Unless you know diamonds so well that you can tell fakes from real ones?

 

Just not worth the risk.

[kl25th]

I have purchased three rings on the ship an two in st Thomas .... All of good quality, all appraised higher then when we bought them! With that in mind we shopped here at home so we knew what we had to compare them to!

 

 

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[lucybug]

I wouldn't by diamonds in Cozumel. Best place is St. Thomas. Do some homework about diamonds at home so you know what your looking at.

[sonicbuffalo]

I have lost a lot of weight and sadly my wedding ring slipped off my finger this weekend and have no idea where. :( My husband and I have decided if we can not find it that I would look for a replacement on our cruise in February.

 

Has anyone purchased a diamond ring on the ship? If so, what was the quality and how comparable was it to a price at home? Would it better to purchase something at Cozumel versus the ship?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

I lost my diamond and gold wedding band last year on the Breeze. I turned in a claim with my homeowners policy and ended up putting some extra money with the check I got from homeowners policy, and bought a very nice wedding band. I left it at home this year. I wouldn't buy any jewelry on the ship. That's just me. I hope you had the ring on your homeowners policy. Good luck!

[sonicbuffalo]

I wouldn't by diamonds in Cozumel. Best place is St. Thomas. Do some homework about diamonds at home so you know what your looking at.

 

I agree with St. Thomas although I have heard you can get some great deals in St. Kitts.

[candigirl]

I would buy it at home. Most big cities have some kind of jewelry mart to save you from paying full blown retail prices. I was in the jewelry business for years and am always surprised at what I see selling in the ports. You have no recourse when you find out it is not what you thought it was.

[Scrapnana]

I've read too many stories of people being ripped off to chance an expensive purchase like a diamond on the ship or in the Caribbean. There are not the bargains there once were. Also, remember you will have to pay duty on what you purchase when you return to the US.

[ATHENA3]

If you’re buying a diamond buy it at home to be safe. Also don’t believe all the ship shopping talks that they push you to their recommended stores on board or in ports. There are deals to be found if you KNOW what you’re looking for, most don’t and some get taken to find out only when they get home.

[Mulege]

Purchasing diamond jewelry away from home involves risks. The major one being once you leave the port or ship you have little recourse if something goes wrong. Of course if you visit Amsterdam or Israel they have some of most reputable exchanges in the world. Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware!

 

The stores onboard ships are not owned by the cruise line and have been known to be hard to deal with in case of problems.

[Keith1010]

Be very careful.

 

I find that you can get deals as good or better at home and you do not have the pressure to make a fast decision.

 

I would highly recommend purchasing it at home.

 

Keith

Edited November 6, 2013 by Keith1010

[redpelican]

My DH bought me a beautiful ring at Diamonds International for our 20 year anniversary and really got a good deal according to our jeweler here at home. I think the ships priced are way too high even with out the tax, you can get the same thing at home a little less pricey!

[veryseasonedtraveler]

Beware of Diamonds International. My husband bought a diamond ring in St. Thomas that had several little diamonds. One fell out and we had it replaced locally. Then, another fell out while on an Alaskan cruise. The store in Alaska wasn't going to do anything to help us. Their excuse was we had one diamond replaced ourselves and the ring was compromised. They reluctantly replaced the second diamond. I am vocal and threatened to tell everyone I saw about DI and customer service. Needless to say, a third diamond had to be replaced and we spent a lot having gold added to the ring to secure the remaining diamonds.

 

I later checked the Internet for testimonials about Diamonds International. Pages of complaints showed up. Have been pleased with purchases made on HAL.

[miataman19]

I've had very good experiences on St. Martin. The one place I've always gone to purchase nicer jewelery is Called Joe's Jewelery. Its been around for at least 25 yrs. I bought a watch there in 1989. I once asked the owner why he called it Joe's and he said "people will remember the name". Also on St. Thomas is another fine jeweler, Imperial Jewelers. Thats the place for diamonds, been around since 1980. Purchased 2 rings there, had them appraised when we got back and our jeweler didn't believe what we paid for the quality we received.

[MsTabbyKats]

For quality/value....I'd say "at home".

 

But...for sentimental reasons and a beautiful souvenir...on the ship or in port.

 

Keep in mind, an appraisal should come in at twice of what you pay, minimally...and an appraisal is for insurance purposes only.

[LHP]

I have purchased 5 pieces from Diamonds International since 1999 and love them all...

 

HOWEVER, sadly the DI of the past is not the DI you deal with today.

 

The deals are not as good. And you really have to know your stuff.

 

I would do all the research needed to find that right stone at home and THEN (armed with this information) go see what the ports offer.

 

I have not found any deals onboard the ship itself....and remember the ships onboard are not owned by the cruise lines. They all sublet these shops out to a 3rd party.

[YankeeFan4Ever]

For quality/value....I'd say "at home".

 

But...for sentimental reasons and a beautiful souvenir...on the ship or in port.

 

Keep in mind, an appraisal should come in at twice of what you pay, minimally...and an appraisal is for insurance purposes only.

 

This is the correct answer right here folks.

 

When will people learn that there's a big difference between an "appraised" value and what the piece of jewellery will actually sell for.

 

If you don't believe me, ask the appraiser in question if he or she would be willing to pay the amount quoted during the appraisal.