St. Maarten question - Page 3 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

sweet angel · 10-02-2005, 10:26 AM

I don't think they are allowed to bring bikes, but they did have a giveaway for a custom bike or something.

Caribbean Girl · 10-03-2005, 02:38 PM

Our understanding based on info given on the ship is that the shopping in St. Maarten is very, very good...have fun, Bonnie and Mikey and enjoy your trip thoroughly!!!!

cruisefan56 · 10-19-2005, 05:32 PM

be prepared to negociate price. get up to leave and the price will get better. u can also go to the beach right in the harbor. use your sea taxi ticket all day if u purchase it that way.

we went to beach last oct. then had lunch on ship. then shopping. if u tell them u are headed back to the ship the price gets better too!

will be on the serenade of the seas. will be in st. martin 11/7.

good luck

Caribbean Girl · 10-19-2005, 09:48 PM

I can't wait to find out what they thought of shopping in St. Maarten!!!

karenandbrian · 10-20-2005, 08:20 AM

Does the price bickering work on jewelry as well? I know in some of the smaller jewelery stores in Cozumel it worked but I will most likely look in a bigger store because what I want is bigger. Do you think bigger jewelers will bargain too?

Snowbaby · 10-20-2005, 10:22 AM

The negotiating on jewellry is great. It is so much fun, and you can really do good on gold pieces.

Buy them by the gram, not the piece. Gems are a good buy also, but you really have to know what you are buying. We have been buying gold on St. Maarten's for 10 plus years. We never use the ship's recommended stores as the ship get a cut of the sale. I also tell them I don't want Cruise Ship prices. We have stayed on the island many times, and they charge more when the cruise ships are in. You can have a lot of fun with the staff in the stores. As for the beer, if you say,, "well, I'll go have a cold beer down the street and think about this," they will probably offer you one right there, and then keep them coming.

My husband and I took a group of friends into Joe's Jewellry this past Jan. They remembered me from previous times, and although it was only 9 a.m. they had the guys sitting on stools drinking Heinikens right away.

They have a few stores on Front Street and they had us women running back and forth looking at all sorts of pieces. They are able to size rings and shorten chains in super fast time. That night was formal night at dinner, and every person at our table was sporting some new piece.

karenandbrian · 10-20-2005, 01:21 PM

Lorrie that is SO exciting to hear! I am looking to buy a diamond tennis bracelet wtih at least 1.5 - 2 carats. I have enough diamond knowledge to make me dangerous haha. I have to do the bickering because my husband wont. He is so funny he will just pay the price that they ask. He says .. they put that price on there for a reason.. i say.. yea so that people will bargain!

Snowbaby · 10-20-2005, 02:14 PM

You go Girl!!!

You will have so much fun, especially if you know your gems. Just reading this post makes me want to hop on a ship and head down there. We have bought at Kay's, Joe's, Ballarina, and Ray's.

I once used Diamonds International in another port, and we find them to not want to haggle quite as much as the others. You have to get the "boss" in one of those stores,, as in Columbian Emeralds. When you are on the ship they should have all sorts of brochures for a lot of the stores, and they have lots of pictures. All most all of the stores carry the same things. When they catch on that you are serious and that you know what you are looking at things get fun.

This past year I was busy getting a chain for my Mom's 75th birthday, and helping out some of our friends. I was not really looking for anything myself, and I wandered into Ray's by myself. It was a quiet day with only our ship in and they really wanted to sell something. They saw that I had several chains and rings already, and I said I really didn't need anything. They insisted I try on this gorgeous ring. It has three square blue diamonds in it. I was hooked, they saw me coming. My husband just happened to be going by the store and saw me. The ring was marked $750. The short of it is, I left the island with that ring, sized to fit for $290!

Everyone just loves it as I do, and people always notice it. I could go on and on, but laundry awaits me, and some more daydreaming about shopping in St. Maarten.

hanna · 10-20-2005, 04:18 PM

Lorrie, fabulous information. Thanks so much for sharing.

cruisefan56 · 10-20-2005, 04:44 PM

Some of the shops are owned by the same owner. My wife was into "Rose Gold" last year, and the salesman went across the street to get some more samples.

We enjoy the dickering. She has also gotten some ruby/saph/emerald pieces that r fantastic.