Buying cigars on the Eastern?

[praisehisname]

I know this has been asked before, but I can't find it. My hubby would like to buy some good cigars when we cruise on the 5th. Are there any places on St. Maarten or St. Thomas he should check out?

Thanks!
Denise

 

[15minfromOGDL]

St. Maarten has tons of shops with walk-in humidors on Front St. in Phillipsburg. Cigars from all over the Carib.

 

[15minfromOGDL]

Actually I didn't notice your username until after I first posted, and I can actually show your DH those shops on Feb 8th. he he.

 

[praisehisname]

He'd love that; thanks!!!

Denise

 

[d'Isigny]

would love to see some of you experts offer me your experience on where to purchase some good cigars on an eastern cruise. Please - please share your thoughts...thx, K

 

[makaylee]

Please do not flame, but has anyone ever brought cubans back to the US? My husband was too affraid to last time so he smoked them all before we docked.

 

[oybolshoi]

I confess! I confess!

I bought two cuban cigars while we were in Costa Maya in October and brought them back in for my brother-in-law with no trouble at all. They were in metal tubes and I packed them inside an evening bag I brought for dinner.

I was nervous because I usually don't go around breaking the law, but customs didn't even look at our identification as we were walking through with our bags that Saturday morning - they just took our declarations form and waved us through.

 

[chipanddalenuts]

My DH said that the cigars on the WONDER were NOT a duty free price. He went so far as writing to DCL re pricing. Oh well.

 

[mickeyfan9194]

Ok, you Eastern cruisers on the 5th--you can add my DH to the list of cigar seekers out there. Maybe you all can get together one evening and smoke them until your hearts content, and compare notes. I'd much rather have him smoke them on the cruise than at home! I know he's planning on bringing some from home with him to enjoy the Superbowl with.

 

[dbond]

LOL! Don't even mention cigars to my DH any more. He bought a few on our last cruise on the Wonder, never been a cigar smoker or any kind of smoker for that matter. He came home and had a little cigar smoking/drinking gathering with his buddies, he ended up puking his guts out later on.
Needless to say, I made sure he heard my "I told you so", the next day. I guess cigar smoking wasn't as cool as he thought

 

[Rob J]

I have not seen any reference to where cigar smoking is allowed on board. I would assume that they are allowed on the outside decks where smoking in general is allowed. Smoking seems to be allowed in a number of the clubs (after 9pm?), but does that include cigars?

The Magical Disney Cruise Guide at Deb's site makes note of a Cigar & Brady night on the Nassau night (outside Palo), but the 7 day eastern does not go to Nassau. I have also seen reference to smoking cigars in the ESPN Lounge which is now gone. The Magical Disney Cruise Guide also says that "Common grounds was converted to the Quiet Cove Cafe, a gathering place for adults where you will find cognac, cigars & and specialty coffes. motif is 1930's.", but I think I read somewhere else that you can't actually smoke a cigar in there (?!?)

We went on an RC cruise a couple years ago (on a ship a little smaller than Disney's) that went to Nassau. Cigar smoking in was limited to outside or the library after 9 or 10pm. Even on the Nassau cigar night, the library was pretty dead. I could either hang out with members of our party, or I could go enjoy a cigar, but not both.

-- Rob

 

[DrCavin]

LOL! Don't even mention cigars to my DH any more. He bought a few on our last cruise on the Wonder, never been a cigar smoker or any kind of smoker for that matter. He came home and had a little cigar smoking/drinking gathering with his buddies, he ended up puking his guts out later on.
Needless to say, I made sure he heard my "I told you so", the next day. I guess cigar smoking wasn't as cool as he thought

Ahhhh I remember my first beer I have never been sick from smoking cigars, but have been known to have a few too many beverages while enjoying them

To bring back the "contraband", just pack them in your carry-on, they didn't inspect our baggage either.... IMO Cubans are over-rated, but you gotta try the forbiden!!

 

[logan1_2000]

First, remember that the night before Jack Kennedy signed the executive order that instituted the embargo with Cuba, he sent Pierre Salinger out to the best tobacconists to buy him a thousand cuban cigars. Didn't tell him why he needed the thousand. Pierre came back with 1,200. i know it was just recalled on the West Wing, and it is absolutley a true story and not urban legend.

So in terms of violating the trading with the enemy act, which includes bringing back cuban cigars, honestly, a tourist with a personal stash of cubans is NOT who customs is after--customs is after the wise-guy with a boat load or a trunk load driving across from canada (yeah, effective embargo, huh? CANADA won't abide by it--no one does). I've stuffed the cubans, ziplocked, into the zip pocket of my shaving kit, and even in a zipped inner bag inside DW's bag (she didn't know so her "poker face" was quite natural!).

Only time I got a box was from Windsor Ontario, right across the bridge from Detroit--called in advance, charged 'em to my visa, drove over, and in those pre 9/11 days a domestic flight did not involve the bodily cavity search that is required today thanks to terrorists, so it was not an issue to have them in my luggage for the flight home.

Front street in St. Maarten has several good quality tobacconists, with walk in humidors, visit a few, compare what they have in stock and what their pricing is, and get what your budget allows. It has been years, and I gave up my infrequent indulgences altogether when DS became old enough to ask about why I would smoke (2-4 cigars a year wont kill anyone, but it as a small sacrifice for me that made a big impression on him), so I don't know current prices. But the answer is yes--the price you see is PER CIGAR, not per box!! Ah, contraband...

 

[jrabbit]

I've read that most "cuban" cigars you get in the port are not really cubans - especially the cheep ones.

Yes you can smoke'um if you got'um on the Magic. You just have to be outside. One cruise after a port day we couldn't walk deck 4 because every 10 feet there was another guy (and an occasional gal) that were smoking them. Even though we were outside, the smoke was disgusting and we had to give it up after the 2nd stroll around the promenade.

 

[NYDisneyMom]

Ahhhh I remember my first beer I have never been sick from smoking cigars, but have been known to have a few too many beverages while enjoying them

To bring back the "contraband", just pack them in your carry-on, they didn't inspect our baggage either.... IMO Cubans are over-rated, but you gotta try the forbiden!!

Great pic, Steve!!!

Now..as for Cubans...on my last cruise (you know the one without Michael! ) I bought him a box of Cubans when we were on one of the islands, I think it was Antigua. I honestly had no clue about the law...until I was listening to the disembarking speech on the cabin TV. Oh, man..I was freaking out. I spent $150 on those cigars..no way was I dumping them. So I took my chances and customs was literally a joke when we got off the ship. Maybe because our disembarking time was 1:00 p.m., maybe because we were two women traveling with kids...but they didn't even look at the little cards we filled out, nevermind look in our bags!! LOL! Whew!!!

You know Michael was a happy camper when he got his souvenirs!!