Buying jewelry onboard

[topofE]

Years ago I decided to buy those $20 watch sets for everyone for Christmas.  Turns out they aren't waterproof at all and once you even sweat, half of them stop working.  They are now just mostly pretty bracelets.  My mistake, you get what you pay for.  

My question now is,

My kid wants to get us either necklaces or bracelets for my birthday.  I was looking at the mall and thought the Pandora charm bracelets might be our best bet.  But I think they sell them on board?  Are they real? A good price?  

I also have several "gold by the inch" necklaces and bracelets that are about as fragile as can be from back before I knew that just because they look shiny doesn't mean they are a good quality. 

 

Anyone have any tips or has cruised recently enough and checked on the jewelry?  We go again in January so if it is worth it to wait, we will.  Thanks!

[lasekeye]

The Pandora items I saw on-board were the same prices that I saw in the ports. (Except for the taxes of course).  

Pandora has set prices, it doesn’t matter where you buy, unless there is a company-wide sale.

I did end up buying a cruise ship charm for my bracelet while I wasn’t the ship, so that it would have more “meaning” to me.

[topofE]

Just now, lasekeye said:

The Pandora items I saw on-board were the same prices that I saw in the ports. (Except for the taxes of course).  

Pandora has set prices, it doesn’t matter where you buy, unless there is a company-wide sale.

I did end up buying a cruise ship charm for my bracelet while I wasn’t the ship, so that it would have more “meaning” to me.

Thank you, that is exactly the info I was looking for.  I assumed since they were duty free they may be a steep discount but if it's pretty much all the same we will just get one here 🙂

[coevan]

gold and silver by the inch is NOT gold and silver, but it will make your skin green

[dmdiver]

The only advantage to buying on the ship is not paying sales tax.  We bought our gopro on board because the camera we brought with us flooded the first time out.  Gopro was priced the same as on land, but no sales taxes, so it was a good deal in the end.  We've also bought waterproof watches on board - Gbaby & Citizen I think.  Again, not really any cheaper than home, just no taxes.  

 

I was given a pandora-style bracelet & am hoping to find charms for it in the various ports I visit.  I will have to remember to look & see if there are unique charms available on the ship.

 

As far as necklaces by the inch - I would say no.  If you're going to buy jewelry, at least get a better quality than those.

[HillBilly Bob]

4 hours ago, topofE said:

My kid wants to get us either necklaces or bracelets for my birthday. 

Tell the kids to buy from a trusted local jeweler....unless all you are interested in are carnival trinkets.  

[lmb84]

4 hours ago, topofE said:

Years ago I decided to buy those $20 watch sets for everyone for Christmas.  Turns out they aren't waterproof at all and once you even sweat, half of them stop working.  They are now just mostly pretty bracelets.  My mistake, you get what you pay for.  

My question now is,

My kid wants to get us either necklaces or bracelets for my birthday.  I was looking at the mall and thought the Pandora charm bracelets might be our best bet.  But I think they sell them on board?  Are they real? A good price?  

I also have several "gold by the inch" necklaces and bracelets that are about as fragile as can be from back before I knew that just because they look shiny doesn't mean they are a good quality. 

 

Anyone have any tips or has cruised recently enough and checked on the jewelry?  We go again in January so if it is worth it to wait, we will.  Thanks!

Gold by the inch turned my neck green!

 

[coevan]

We were specifically shopping for a specific Citizen dive watch. We priced on Amazon,  Penny's, a stop in St.Thomas, and the ship. The ship was by far the most expensive even without sales tax. St.Thomas and Amazon had the best prices and both no sales tax. 

[Sauer-kraut]

The ship will also sell a knock off bead like pandora but for cheap and they look rather nice.  I got a couple of the glass ones and made a simple bracelet with some blue satin rat tail and the beads I bought on the ship on their $5 table.

[lasekeye]

I had been shopping for a specific pair of diamond hoop earrings for a couple of years, the ones with the diamonds on the inside of the hoop too.  I knew the minimum of total carat weight I wanted and the diameter of the hoop as well.  I shopped everywhere in Canada  (home country), and in USA (vacations - but the high exchange rate wasn’t helping my budget) also on a Carnival Cruise (thinking the duty free shopping on the ship must be worth the wait of just a few more months to buy - September 2016).

 

Boy, was I wrong....the jewelry shop on the ship was very, very over priced for smaller diamonds, smaller total carat weight & smaller hoop size.  Even after lengthy negotiation about price & “getting the lowest possible price & don’t tell any other passengers how low we bargained the price down “from the sales agent, I still said NO.  The final price was still hundreds higher than I could get in Canada for the size of earring they had in stock.  

 

So, I waited a few more months until COSTCO Canada had a sale (Christmas time) on the exact earrings I wanted.  I saved myself at least $600 on bigger stones, higher total carat weight, better clarity of stones and larger hoop size compared to the Carnival “super discounted price.”

It’s still fun to LOOK while on the ship, but I will NEVER purchase quality jewelry on a cruise.  In fact, the next year on another Carnival cruise one of the sales agents in the jewelry store commented on my nice earrings and wondered if I had bought them there!

[balcony bound]

I was in love with some Effy earrings, but just couldn't justify the price on board.  Found them at Macy's half the price.

[Purvis1231]

I bought a $10 watch many years ago and I still wear it- no problems. Also, bought a chain by the inch. It still looks good. As for the high in jewelry if you do not know prices- buy some internet time and check out prices. Some times are are some good prices but to be honest I would never spend big bucks on jewelry from someone I will never see again. But today many people buy all kinds of things on the internet so each his own. 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Purvis1231
typo

[bplazo]

I would save your money.

 

[RumpunchGirl]

I bought a Tanzanite and Diamond ring about 10 yrs ago at the ship's Jewelry store. I paid $700. When I got home, I had it appraised with some other jewelry.  To my surprise, it appraised at $1400! I still have it and love it and where it!

[PofGP]

Has anyone done the buy an oyster to get a pearl in the Straw Market on Half Moon Cay? What was the price of the oyster, quality of the pearl, and price range of the rings to have it set in on site?

[Cruise Traveler Susan]

I bought a Mickey Mouse watch a few years back for $10 - still going strong and still looks good.

[rufflesmom]

i bought some of the "silver" chain by the inch 8-9 years ago.  At that price I knew it wasn't real silver.  I wanted a heavier chain.  I have one that I wear daily and it has never turned my skin green.  It still looks as good as the day I bought it.  I bought 3 necklace length chains and one bracelet length.  I have a very short trunk and most necklace chains are way too long for me.  I was able to get the exact length that best suited me.  I don't regret buying those at all. 

[MEUB1112]

On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 4:32 PM, RumpunchGirl said:

I bought a Tanzanite and Diamond ring about 10 yrs ago at the ship's Jewelry store. I paid $700. When I got home, I had it appraised with some other jewelry.  To my surprise, it appraised at $1400! I still have it and love it and where it!

Same results with my wife's wedding ring, and there was a sale that cruise. The only delay was mailing it to Miami upon our return for proper sizing. It is a beautiful ring it has a diamond with a gold band. Local jeweler was able to solder the engagement ring to it with out any indication of the soldering.

Edited September 24, 2019 by MEUB1112

[BLTT59]

I have purchased the Pandora knock-offs they have on the ships and have had no problems with them. I don’t wear them all the time but they haven’t turned or come apart so far and it’s been about 5 years or so. So if your looking to get something inexpensive they might be worth checking out.

Edited September 24, 2019 by BLTT59

[cdm289]

I bought an EFFY ring on 2 different Carnival Cruises.

 

The first ring a sapphire fell out.  EFFY was wonderful in replacing it.  I am in Canada and they paid shipping both way.  It fell out again right after and sent it back (again they paid shipping).  Now I have had the ring 4 years and it is perfect.

 

The second ring when I returned home, I found at Hudson's Bay (similar to Macy's but in Canada) for a few hundred dollars less.  EFFY did refund the difference.  

I found that after you sign up for their emails, they send many 20% off site wide and 30% off site wide that is it is much cheaper than buying on the ship. 

 

I don't think I would buy again just because I have enough jewelry and the ship isn't always the cheapest.    However, I would trust EFFY to make it right if something was wrong with the ring or you found it cheaper within a certain amount of days as is their guaranty.  

 

Also, I did buy silver by the inch anklet and it didn't turn my ankle green.  I found the little ring they use to put on the clasp very weak and so that part didn't last long (which can be fixed) but the quality wasn't that bad.  

[kimberly1949]

I have bought the "gold" by the inch products and have been very satisfied with them.  Have not turned my ankle, wrist or neck green and have enjoyed them for many years and they still look great!

[wms99]

I am a watch collector, and always try to talk watches while on the ship. The prices are not that great and the salesmen have no knowledge of watches at all. So I don't buy. Never found a great deal in port either. But I do love watching the uninformed jump all over the Invicta "deals" they have near the end of each cruise.

 

[glrounds]

On 8/24/2019 at 4:30 PM, lmb84 said:

Gold by the inch turned my neck green!

 

 

Yesa, they got me on the gold-by-the-inch TWICE. What an idiot I am ! green, green, green. I did get a nice Invicta watch at a "reduced" price (can get the same price from HSN almost any time). My watch is still working (5 years), but a fellow cruisemate bought one a year later and it's junk now. I'll steer away from the ship shops this January on the PANORAMA.

[Butterbean1000]

The hubs bought me a beautiful emerald and diamond band on a ship about 7 years back.  I wore that ring every day.  Just recently a small square emerald came out.  I plan to have it replaced.   From what I understand. emeralds are soft and its common for them to become loose.  I believe this as i have had an emerald come out of another ring and a necklace. Neither of these were purchased on a ship. 

[nydney1]

I bought a Citizen Echo Drive on board several years ago and it was a good deal. It’s Titanium and pretty hard to find. 

 

Like anything you you need to be educated  consumer before you make the purchase. Google and Amazon are your friend before you get on board. 

 

If you find find something on board look at the stores while in port. Compare prices when you have free WiFi. 

 

My thoughts If you find find the right price get it. If you are just looking for a special piece talk to your local jeweler before you go. You may be surprised what they can do.