Vacation Cruising

During the cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to shop in places you probably have never encountered before. Location specific items like Hawaiian coffee or Mexican maracas will be the biggest draw for you. Bringing home things like these for friends and family are sure to make you popular. Just remember to spend wisely.

On board, they are sure to have swanky boutiques with beautiful wares all for the low, low price of, well, you know. The prices aren’t always all that low! It is very easy to get caught up in spending a lot of time and money in the ship's onboard shops. You can buy everything from munchies to watches to diamond jewelry. But you really have to ask yourself if these shops, with no competition around, are really the best place to make upscale purchases.

Forgetting the expensive watches and jewelry, it's almost as easy to add digits to your onboard expenses by loading up on cruise line signature wear, t-shirts, "designer watch sales," and "gold by the inch".

Those passengers "in the know" tell everyone to wait for the last day, when the cruise line needs to get rid of its merchandise because the cruise is almost over. At least, this is how many justify a final binge. But if you are one of life's unfortunates who were born with that "must shop" gene, you should indeed wait until the last day or two of the cruise, because the shops onboard do, indeed, discount many items.

Do a little homework about shopping before you leave and resist the lure of "getting an irresistible bargain." You can get "clipped" quickly when you succumb to all those beautiful rings, broaches, and necklaces in the hundreds of shops in St. Thomas and elsewhere.

Each ship will recommend certain shops (of course, they get a "kickback" for doing so), and will tell you that they "guarantee" your purchase. There's absolutely nothing unethical about this, it's just a way for the cruise line to enhance its revenue. Each cruise line's policies vary, but this frequently involves a hassle (what you want to avoid on a cruise, of course!) to get your money back. So the phrase for shopping is "caveat emptor."

So what is meant by “caveat emptor”? It literally translates the buyer beware. Remember merchants know that putting up a duty free sign often means bargain to many. There are some great buys to be had, but make sure your purchases are good values. Stick with brand names you know and make sure those brand names are spelled right on the product. In other words, make sure it’s not a fake. Also, duty free may just mean it is duty free where you are buying it. U.S. Customs have their own guidelines for taxation when you return.

In the US we see the price tag and pay the price. Not so in the Islands. Ask the price; offer something lower, the merchant will counter with another offer. This process will not offend the locals and how they do things. You'll both come to a price that is reasonable for both of you and all will be well. This goes on in the straw markets all the way up to the fine jewelry stores; a person who is not shy and bargains well can save lots of money

So realize that in many countries of the world, negotiation on the price of an item is appropriate and often expected. Satisfaction guaranteed is much more widely practiced in the United States. Make sure you are familiar with their return and exchange policies. Many countries do not enforce copyright laws; the logo you see may have nothing to do with the company it represents to you. Check to see if the item is a fake.

Some items for sale may need a special license for export. This is especially true for antiques, works of art or other items of cultural significance. Taxes can make up an even larger percentage of the purchase price than you will find in the United States. Duty free may only mean the items are free from duty where they are sold. U.S. Customs have their own guidelines for taxation when you return.

Almost all cruise lines offer on board art auctions. These are huge moneymakers for the lines and it’s easy to get caught up in a bidding war. For the cruiser on a budget, I’d say, in general, to stay away from these auctions, but they’re great fun to watch. And if you just HAVE to have that Van Gogh reprint, just have a set price in mind that you’re willing to pay and then don’t go over that price - no matter what! Another tip is to go to the auction on the day they offer free champagne. This is definitely another good way to save on alcoholic beverages.

Remember when you’re shopping that you’ll be bringing your purchases home. There may be restrictions on what you can and can’t bring back. It might be a good idea to check out www.customs.treas.gov/travel/know.htm which is the U.S. Treasury Department Customs Service’s Traveler Information, Know before You Go web page. This site contains information on U.S. Custom’s declarations, duty free exemptions, prohibited and restricted articles and the procedures for shipping items back to the U.S.

Not only will you have access to some great shopping, you’re going to see some wonderful places!