Eastern 7 day "must buy" ideas

[lisa702]

We are sailing 9/03/05 Eastern and I was wondering what are the 'must buys' that really cannot be purchased anywhere else?

 

[staceymerrill]

1) Disney Cruise Line Limited edition and Artist Choice pins...a fun hobby DS and I share is DCL pin collecting...only DCL pins though, b/c you can only get them onboard, so very exclusive....we keep them in the black pin album available for sale

2) Gold Disney Magic ship charm

3) the ship and 4 character plush set

4) If you celebrate Christmas, they have a few "Radko-like" DCL themed ornaments that are very nice

5) Captain Mickey antenna topper

6) All of the DCL themed character plush toys are great....

7) 2005 scrapbook set...also buy the accessory kit with it....

 

[FletcherMem0rial]

DCL towel and duffel bag

Captain Mickey and Cruising Minnie...

all on my list for Christmas.

as well as the captain mickey antenna topper and a golden mickey statuette (to replace the one my mom had from her last crusie that broke on the way home don't tell her, it's a sur-prise!)

 

[lisa702]

Thanks for the ideas! What items are must buys in St Maarten, St Thomas and Castaway Cay? I heard something about guavaberry in St Maarten........?

 

[clten]

If you are a drinker and like coladas, go to the Guavaberry shop downtown Phillipsburg (St Maarten). They make Guavaberry rum. At the shop you can try a Guavaberry colada. (If they try to give you a sample of the rum straight up, pass on that!) I love the coladas !! As far as I know, this is the only place you can buy this. (I think you can order over the web but you have to get your first try there!)

 

[Mickeyhugger]

If you can really afford the 'splurge,' a Rolex watch in St. Thomas! They're about 20% less, and you won't pay sales tax. (No, we haven't bought one there yet, but are saving $$ for next summer when we go!)

 

[ksjayhawks]

Castaway Cay tshirts. Can only get them there.

 

[mickeyboat]

Save $$$$ for pictures in Shutters. We spent a fortune because we just couldn't pass them up!

Denae

 

[StuartMI]

If you can really afford the 'splurge,' a Rolex watch in St. Thomas! They're about 20% less, and you won't pay sales tax. (No, we haven't bought one there yet, but are saving $$ for next summer when we go!)

Do you know if they sell Breitling? I've wanted one for awhile. Rough guess on cost?

 

[Sue Sullivan]

Some sarongs for bathing suits. They are 2 for $10 or 3 for $10 at St. Maarten.

 

[castlegazer]

Do you know if they sell Breitling? I've wanted one for awhile. Rough guess on cost?

You can get any brand of watch you can dream of in St. Thomas. I got a Tag and was looking at Breitling. No guess on cost but estimate about 20-30% cheaper.

 

[gdulaney]

If you're a Jimmy Buffett fan, be sure to check out the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" store in St. Maarten.

St. Thomas -> diamonds, designer jewelry (John Hardy, etc), and alcohol

Castaway Cay -> the cute Castaway Cay tee shirts (only available on the island)

If you (or someone you know) collects Hard Rock stuff, you can check out the Hard Rock in St. Thomas.

Be sure to check out the "Del Sol" stores. There is one in St. Maarten and in St. Thomas. We like the quality of their items better than those sold at "Touched by the Sun". These are really cool items that change color in the Sunlight or go from black and white to colors. We have tee shirts that are 5 yrs old that have been washed a number of times that still change color. Very cute!!! The tees are a bit pricey, but they also have less expensive items.

Have fun!!
Ginny

 

[txaggie94gigem]

how much were these cool shirts from del sol? also...i was wondering if anyone knew if they sell these sarongs for fluffy people?

 

[tvguy]

First cruise I bought perfume. Second I bought jewelry.
Last 4 cruises, a few tee shirts.
Frankly, shopping is stressful (yes, I am a man). I'm on the cruise to relax. So now I try to avoid shopping on vacation.

 

[UGAFan0829]

The one thing that I was hesitant about buying, but now REALLY glad that I did was a bathing suit cover-up from Castaway Cay. I love it and wear it over my swimsuit whenever I have it on.
I like it because it's just the right lenght...not too short, and not too long.
And not to mention, it has the CC logo on the front! Definitely worth thinking about!

 

[gdulaney]

Here's the website for Del Sol. Tees vary in prices...but they usually have a clearance/sale rack, so don't forget to look for it. The nail polish makes a great stocking stuffer (and is usually on sale). Also, they usually throw in a couple of color-changing rings with your order. I think the best buy has to be the sunglasses. They change color and have a lifetime guarantee. If you break them, lose them or they get stolen, then you send in your replacement card and pay $10 for a new pair. I've replaced my pair twice (once lost and once broken). Let me know if I can answer any questions.

Ginny

http://www.delsol.com

PS --> if you attend the Shopping in Paradise lecture, you might just win something from Del Sol (or one of the other merchants). My hubby won a diamond tennis bracelet for me. What easy anniversary shopping.

 

[ljql_5969]

Thanks for the info.

Also, I just got back from a cruise where we stopped in Key West and Cozumel. Both had Del Sol stores that I shopped at and both times they gave me a free color changing canvas bag with my purchase. And the store on Cozumel also gave me som color changing rings and trinkets. My kids loved the t-shirts.

One thing about that shopping lecture on ships... I caught the tail end of it (we were on RCCL). They did give away door prizes but they were also selling this book for about $20.00. I specifically bought it for the "coupons" at Del Sol and figured anything else in it was an added perk. Well, I wouldn't buy the book again. The "coupons" that Del Sol offered were the same deals that they already had posted in their stores so it really didn't do me any good. And anything "free" that they offered at any of the stores was small. I mean I wasn't expecting anything huge, but we are talking tiny gifts here and not worth the time and effort. I didn't think the shopping/coupon book was worth it.

I also had signed up for a "VIP" pass for one of the stores that sold rum because RCCL said that the VIP pass would get you the "best price" on one item from the store and the workers at the store looked at it as if they had never seen one before.

 

[gdulaney]

Thanks for the info.

Also, I just got back from a cruise where we stopped in Key West and Cozumel. Both had Del Sol stores that I shopped at and both times they gave me a free color changing canvas bag with my purchase. And the store on Cozumel also gave me som color changing rings and trinkets. My kids loved the t-shirts.

One thing about that shopping lecture on ships... I caught the tail end of it (we were on RCCL). They did give away door prizes but they were also selling this book for about $20.00. I specifically bought it for the "coupons" at Del Sol and figured anything else in it was an added perk. Well, I wouldn't buy the book again. The "coupons" that Del Sol offered were the same deals that they already had posted in their stores so it really didn't do me any good. And anything "free" that they offered at any of the stores was small. I mean I wasn't expecting anything huge, but we are talking tiny gifts here and not worth the time and effort. I didn't think the shopping/coupon book was worth it.

I also had signed up for a "VIP" pass for one of the stores that sold rum because RCCL said that the VIP pass would get you the "best price" on one item from the store and the workers at the store looked at it as if they had never seen one before.

I've read about the coupon books that are sold on other ships...luckily the "Shopping in Paradise" guide on Disney gives away a ton of coupons...for free (one of my favorite words ).

The "Shopping Guide" also is a good source for finding bargains. But nothing beats shopping ahead and knowing what you want. For example, I really wanted a John Hardy bracelet and the shopping guide gave us some advice on the prices we could expect and his recommendation on the best places to buy. I'd done some pre-trip homework and his prices were right on the money. We went in to the St Thomas Diamonds International and struck up a conversation with one of the salesguys. After learning that we were repeat clients (althought it had been a while between visits), he bent over backwards to accomodate us. We visited three of their locations, ending up in their main store, where he brought out a huge selection of bracelets. Long story short, we got a great deal. Exactly what I'd wanted....at a lower price than expected.

Happy Shopping!!
Ginny