I have been on several Caribbean cruises throughout the years, so I tend to be a “rebel” and skip things like the lifeboat drill, the port presentations and the final meeting on the last of the cruise that explains the disembarkation process, customs declaration, etc.
On my last cruise, I had some down time and decided to sit in on a presentation for an Island we had never visited. After touting the glory of the port we were going to visit, the cruise director then passed out the common list of “approved/recommended” stores. It is safe to shop at these stores, yes. It is the best pricing, not always. It really depends on what you are purchasing. If it is jewelry or something you may need to return, then yes by all means use these stores only, but for souvenirs and liquor, for example, don’t overpay. Shop around several stores for the items you are interested in.
Now back to my story…the cruise director had recommended a duty free liquor store and stated in the meeting that we could purchase as many liters as we wanted and pay no duty. Next day, walking around town we found one of the “anointed” liquor stores. Thinking of all the money we could save, we bought 10 liters of Tortuga Rum, which can only be found on certain islands. The store even arranged to have everything delivered to the ship for us at no charge.
All went well, until we got to customs. We were pulled out of line and taken to a desk where 3 uniformed men were seated. Had my husband tried to sneak in those Cuban cigars after all? After several moments of silence and dirty looks between my husband & I, we were advised that we owed “duty,” because we had purchased in excess of our allowance of liquor. My husband then blamed me of course, because I was the one that attended the meeting while he was napping. Long story short, we paid our tax of $20, which meant we didn’t save much money in the end, and went through unnecessary hassle.
Make sure and check online for the allowance for each place you are visiting ahead of time, as it is clear that the ship employees do not always have your best interest in mind, or just may not be aware of all the facts. You can easily find the information on each island’s tourist board website.
