Life event cruise

[tpranger]

In July we are taking a family cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Carnival Magic. This for my wife's retirement. We are stopping at Grand Turks, Aruba and Curacao.

I am planning on buying some Jewelry for my wife on this trip. Is one of these ports better than another for jewelry shopping and finding a good deal? Also on this

trip my son is looking buy some jewelry for is wife for their anniversary.

[Salt Wind]

That's great advice fyree39!  sail hard

[tonit964]

7 hours ago, tpranger said:

In July we are taking a family cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Carnival Magic. This for my wife's retirement. We are stopping at Grand Turks, Aruba and Curacao.

I am planning on buying some Jewelry for my wife on this trip. Is one of these ports better than another for jewelry shopping and finding a good deal? Also on this

trip my son is looking buy some jewelry for is wife for their anniversary.

Congrats on your wife's retirement! A cruise and jewelry is a great way to celebrate.

 

I agree with the other posters and would advise against buying jewelry in the ports. Do a search here on cruise critic on all the folks that were ripped off.

Just purchase from a reputable store either before you leave or when you get back.

Have fun!

[Essiesmom]

Well, I will disagree.  I have bought jewelry all over the world.  I loved it when the hotels in Hong Kong had shopping arcades.  Bought lots of little trinkets there.  I find good bargains in the islands, if you know what you are looking for, and at.  Educate yourself, and never pay the first price they ask.  We particularly like Aruba, St. Maarten...Even Nassau.  As I sit here, I am wearing a ring bought in Aruba last year, a ring bought on Guernsey in 2013, a ring purchased in Chiang Mai about 1988, and a bracelet from Bangkok in 1984.  Around my neck on a domestic gold chain is a gold bell pendant purchased onboard the Royal Princess in 1999.  The key is to educate yourself, and buy for pleasure, not value.  EM

[BigCruze]

Don't they have like a shopping seminar on the cruise of where to shop and buy. We actually won a coupon shopping book for shops at ports. It did have jewelry listings. 

[RWolver672]

3 hours ago, BigCruze said:

Don't they have like a shopping seminar on the cruise of where to shop and buy. We actually won a coupon shopping book for shops at ports. It did have jewelry listings. 

Yes they do and they are a scam.  Those stores pay the cruise lines to get their passengers to come to their stores.  On our first cruise, we went to one of the talks and was told to avoid the stores at the pier in St Thomas.  The CD said that the prices there were what you would pay at the stores at an airport which we all know are jacked up.  As we were headed back to the ship, we decided to go in a few of them just to see what they had.  Low and behold, their prices for the exact same things were the same if not lower than the stores that the CD recommended.  That was the last shopping talk we ever went to.

[Djptcp]

We have been on 47 cruises since 1994 in the Caribbean, Central and South America and have bought jewelry in many of the ports without issues - diamonds, tanzanite, watches, rings, and gold chains. You will see many of the same stores in all the ports and the ship does have a shopping lecture to let you know which ones the cruise lines recommend. The best thing about jewelry shopping in the ports is the incredible pieces and settings you will never see in US stores. Going to US jewelry stores after a cruise will be such a let down because you will see bland settings and stones and lots of lab created gems. We always shop around the various jewelry stores in the ports to get the best prices. If you have a specific type of jewelry you are interested in, like a watch or ring, go to a store near where you live to get a idea of prices so you can compare. Have a great cruise and congratulations to your wife on her retirement!

[Anyislandwilldo]

Another thought would be to buy jewelry in the shop on the ship.  There you would get a certificate of authenticity.  You would have better luck getting it fixed from Carnival as opposed to buying in the ports.  The ships prices are higher but you might be able to find something in your budget.

[BigCruze]

1 hour ago, Djptcp said:

We have been on 47 cruises since 1994 in the Caribbean, Central and South America and have bought jewelry in many of the ports without issues - diamonds, tanzanite, watches, rings, and gold chains. You will see many of the same stores in all the ports and the ship does have a shopping lecture to let you know which ones the cruise lines recommend. The best thing about jewelry shopping in the ports is the incredible pieces and settings you will never see in US stores. Going to US jewelry stores after a cruise will be such a let down because you will see bland settings and stones and lots of lab created gems. We always shop around the various jewelry stores in the ports to get the best prices. If you have a specific type of jewelry you are interested in, like a watch or ring, go to a store near where you live to get a idea of prices so you can compare. Have a great cruise and congratulations to your wife on her retirement!

Great response 

[evandbob]

One needs to be an informed and knowlegdable consumer when buying jewelry in Caribbean or other foreign ports.  I have bought many pieces in the Caribbean that were appraised much higher back in NY.

 

I've brought my own loupe to examine jewels and settings prior to purchase.  If a seller sees that one is a serious buyer, they adapt their techniques to make a sale.

 

If one does not know what they are buying, the chances of not getting a deal or getting ripped off increase.  I don't rely on the cruise lines store or port recommendations.  We have cultivated small private shops on 2 isles where we have a mutual relationship.  We have gone back to one and traded in a previously bought piece for its original price when we wanted to "upgrade" our collection.

 

For the OP - we have not made any major purchases on the isles you are visiting, but Aruba would have your best shopping potential of the 3 you mention.

Edited December 15, 2018 by evandbob

[bigdog1958]

22 hours ago, tpranger said:

In July we are taking a family cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Carnival Magic. This for my wife's retirement. We are stopping at Grand Turks, Aruba and Curacao.

I am planning on buying some Jewelry for my wife on this trip. Is one of these ports better than another for jewelry shopping and finding a good deal? Also on this

trip my son is looking buy some jewelry for is wife for their anniversary.

Aruba or Curacao will probably get you better value, especially if you travel away from where the ship is docked.  The stores raise their prices when ships are in port.  We were in St Maarten years ago for a weeks vacation and bought some jewelry. We went back to the store later in the week when a ship was in port and the prices were marked up 25% higher. Of course you can negotiate and should, but your starting point is higher when ships are in port. 

[smurfm69]

 I bought my wife a ring in St. Thomas years ago and it was a great deal and a quality piece of jewelry that still looks great!  I was able to negotiate the price down from what it was listed at.  You can't usually do as much bargaining at stores here in the states.