Free diamond necklace! Free tanzanite earrings! Free emerald earrings! Free antique map of the Caribbean!
You will hear a lot of freebies being tossed around on a cruise ship shopping show. After five trips around the Caribbean, I decided to sit in on one of these shows. They are always lauded as the best way to “know-before-you-go” and offer coupons, discount cards and even a special cruise ship-shopping card good for all these freebies. But you know the old saying – if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
The Benefits
If you are looking for expensive gifts, such as fine jewelry or watches, definitely attend a shopping seminar. Most cruise shopping directors will offer you manager cards. If you are looking for something specific, say tanzanite, the director can give you the business card of a jeweler who will give you the best price. Managers work on volume, salespeople work on commission.
Some cruise lines offer guaranteed buying at certain stores. This essentially means if you buy it from a recommended store and it does not hold up to expectations, the cruise ship guarantees the purchase. And because the cruise ship does not want to be liable, the stores they guarantee are usually exceptional in their merchandise and service.
If your budget is not in the fine jewelry range, the shopping maps can still be very useful. I found them to be very helpful especially as they did not just contain the recommended stores. When in ports, you usually have limited time, so it is very nice to have an accurate map to follow.
Some of the freebies are worth getting. I took my coupon guide to several stores and picked up a free tote bag, lanyard, and lithograph of the island.
The Drawbacks
The shopping show was a very lengthy presentation about fine jewelry and watches. If you are a bargain hunter, like me, these are not the best ways to discover true deals. Take the maps and coupons, but do not tie yourself to the map and “approved” locations.
As I mentioned, I did take time to find the freebies. But beyond the tote and lithograph, the free jewelry was extremely disappointing. The shopping director mentioned that if you needed great gifts or beautiful souvenirs, grab the free jewelry offered by the “approved” stores.
The one that really caught my attention was the free yellow diamond necklace. The shopping director said it was a “great little necklace.” That was a huge overstatement. Reality: it was a microscopic yellow chip super glued to a small silver disc on a plastic cord. I would not wear such a thing, let alone give it as a gift! The free tanzanite earrings were also microscopic and very pale lavender colored. (When looking for tanzanite, the deeper the color purple, the more valued it is.) This continued for most of the jewelers I stopped at.
You may wonder why I complain when it is free. Normally, I would not because expectations of free “fine” jewelry would have been in check. But after attending the shopping show on the ship, expectations get high because you have a well-spoken, well-dressed shopping expert telling you how wonderful these freebies are. They are simply a way for the stores to pull you in with the free offer and try to up-sell you on their products. It is a fine marketing tactic, but be wary of it.
Once I abandoned shopping at the “approved” locations, I found true deals. Another thing you will not hear from the cruise shopping director is that the stores who are on the “approved” list are higher priced and less likely to give you deals. Little Switzerland is not on the “approved” list, but it is a fantastic jewelry store with amazing deals. We have shopped at this chain all over the Caribbean and have yet to be disappointed either in the quality of their products, their service or prices. In fact, you can find Mont Blanc pens and beautiful gemstone jewelry in their clearance cases for up to 75% off the original prices.
Another store I discovered was Boolchand in St. Maarten. They have jewelry, watches, and electronics at low prices and are willing to negotiate with you.
If you are a brand new Caribbean cruiser, you may find the shopping show can be helpful. The shopping director will certainly be able to tell you what to look for in a beautiful tanzanite, blue diamond, Caribbean amber, alexandrite, et cetera. But do not take everything as gospel. You will find most stores in the Caribbean, “approved” or not, will have good quality items (if you know what you are looking for) and will give you a good deal.
