“On cruises, set sail and shop”

Posted: 31 Oct 2010 12:36 PM PDT

02:36 PM CDT on Sunday, October 31, 2010

By ROBIN FOWLER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

I have friends who brave the weather, carolers and traffic to grandma's house to shop for holiday gifts at last-minute sales on Christmas Eve. I am not one of those people.

I shop year-round for the perfect gifts at the right price, preferably on cruise vacations.

A friend and I book a cruise each year, ostensibly to shop for friends and relatives, but we're generous to ourselves as well. We select cruises that embark within driving distance of Dallas for several reasons.Driving to the port of embarkation offers benefits to shoppers. We save the money we might have spent on checked luggage if we had flown to the port, and the shared costs of driving usually are slightly less than airfares even when we add in the cost of a motel for one night. Parking is available in lots near the terminal and is offered at some hotels catering to cruise passengers. On the way home, we don't have to worry about packing liquids, which allows us to purchase duty-free perfume and liquor.

There are three cruise ports within range of Dallasites: Mobile is 585 miles; New Orleans, 519; and Galveston, 288. Itineraries from these ports include shopping havens such as Cozumel, Nassau and Grand Cayman.

Early December is one of the least-expensive times of year to cruise because many families are saving vacation time for Christmas. Ships often decorate after Thanksgiving for the holidays, and while the weather is never guaranteed, hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30.

Good shopping habits should not change when the shopper goes on vacation, says Bonnie Thompson, a personal shopper, wardrobe stylist and, as owner of the Shop Hop agency, a shopping guide in Dallas and Fort Worth.

"Usually when you come across an item that reminds you of someone, it's a good indication it may fit their personal style," she says. "Make sure the quality of the item meets the cost. Some resort atmospheres may take advantage of their location or hotel affiliation by inflating the prices of their merchandise."

The duty-free allowance per person is $800 for items purchased outside the U.S., and each traveler can bring back a liter of alcohol duty-free.

Shopping strategies

In port, shoppers typically look for jewelry, perfumes, liquor and textiles. I avoid souvenirs, and I'm not timid about bargaining politely in countries where the practice is appropriate.

Here are tips for shopping at ports favored by Dallas cruise passengers.

Cozumel, Mexico: Artisanship is quite high among Mexico's silver workers, with both traditional and contemporary designs available. Shop at reputable jewelry stores, and don't even think about buying expensive pieces from beach vendors.

Carnival Cruise Lines' clean, walkable dock area, Puerta Maya, is lined with branches of the larger downtown shops. Get the lowest prices an hour or two before ships depart; shopkeepers know it's their last chance to get your money.

Progreso, Mexico: From the ship, free shuttles traverse a four-mile dock to town and drop passengers at the Casa de Cultura, a crafts market. Leave the market and walk two blocks north to the beachside promenade. Along the way are a few small jewelry and textiles shops well worth a visit.

Another option: Aboard ship, sign up for a shore excursion to Mérida, a half-hour inland, for about $45. The bus takes you past colonial sites and drops passengers at the Plaza Grande for sightseeing and shopping, mainly for textiles.

George Town, Grand Cayman: The downtown area is lined with boutiques that range from Lladro to Lalique, Swarovski to Cartier. It's hard to break away from stunning Seven Mile Beach, but shopping is such a priority that some visitors refer to the island as "Brand Cayman."

Nassau, Bahamas: The ship docks downtown within walking distance of shops on Bay Street. The venerable John Bull department store, which opened in 1929, carries perfumes and fine jewelry, including the popular Pandora line of upscale charm bracelets and necklaces. Other brands at John Bull include Rolex, Dooney & Bourke and Gucci.

Freeport, Bahamas: Ships dock in an industrial area, so take a taxi ($5 per person each way) to Port Lucaya Marketplace, 11 miles from Freeport Harbor. There's a beach area just a block away.

Key West, Fla.: Museum shops here are favorite places for unique gifts, and one need not pay admission to visit them. At the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, devoted to finds by the famed treasure hunter, the shop carries souvenirs and replicas. Go around to the back of the museum and you'll find Mel Fisher's Treasures, which offers shipwreck coins mounted as jewelry. Prices range from $600 for a mounted fragment to top-grade coins for $2,400 and up. We spotted a gold chalice, found in 2008, priced at a cool $1 million.

Across the street, the shop at Museum of Art and History is especially good for gifts for children, including Babar books autographed by author Laurent de Brunhoff, who has a winter home here. Commercial shops near the pier include Cariloha, selling shirts made from bamboo, and the Saltwater Angler, with clothing of organic cotton.

For Mary Ann Leake, whose son owns a large clothing and equine tack store, Teskey's, in Weatherford, Christmas shopping isn't easy when family members already have access, and even discounts, to items similar to those she might consider buying as gifts.

"I love to cruise, and I use my hours in port to look for unique jewelry and other treasures," Leake says. Her favorites include small shops in Progreso and Mérida, and Mel Fisher's shipwreck coin pendants in Key West.

Passengers are given store recommendations at shopping seminars aboard their ship. Keep in mind that port shopping programs are usually operated by concessionaires rather than the cruise lines, and all of the so-called recommended stores have paid a promotional fee.

That said, there can be benefits to shopping at the recommended stores, which must agree to repair or replace defective merchandise within 30 to 60 days of purchase depending on the concessionaire's guarantee.

Oft-recommended shops throughout the Caribbean include Diamonds International, which got its start nearly two decades ago on St. Thomas and is based in New York; Colombian Emeralds, which opened its first two shops about 40 years ago in the Bahamas and now has 50 locations ashore and aboard ships; and Del Sol, a Utah company that sells items that change color in the sun. It opened a shop in St. Thomas, its first cruise port, in 1997 and now has more than 100 locations.

These days, many stores in cruise ports have websites that enable consumers to check out merchandise in advance of a cruise and compare prices to similar items available at home. Research individual stores as well as parent companies, as some advertise sales not available companywide.

Shopping also is a component of shore excursions booked on the ship. Passengers who don't want to combine shopping with snorkeling, sightseeing or other pursuits are likely to find that taxis are plentiful. In some ports, free or cheap shuttles are available to popular shopping areas.

Shops aboard the ships also offer gift possibilities, and they, too, are likely to be concessions. Merchandise found in shipboard shops includes jewelry, watches, perfume, liquor and a limited selection of dinner attire aimed at passengers with last-minute angst about the wardrobe they packed. Compare prices of similar items ashore and ask if the shop will be having sales before the end of the cruise.

Robin Fowler, a writer in Weatherford, has sailed on more than 50 cruises.

When you go

Destinations

If you're shopping for the cruise itself, these are the itineraries passengers are most likely to encounter from ports within driving range of Dallas. Prices typically range between $60 and $95 per night, per person, double occupancy.

•Weeklong cruises to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico, from Galveston and Mobile, Ala.

•Weeklong cruises to the Bahamas and Key West, Fla., from Galveston.

•Weeklong cruises to Belize, Honduras and Cozumel from New Orleans.

•Five-night cruises to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico, from Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile.

•Four-night cruises to Cozumel from Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile.

Resources

•Carnival Cruise Lines, 1-888-227-6482; www.carnival.com

•Royal Caribbean International, 1-866-562-7625; www.royalcaribbean.com

•Norwegian Cruise Line, 1-866-234-7350; www.ncl.com

Note: Carnival operates all year from Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile. Royal Caribbean operates November-April from Galveston. Norwegian operates October-April from New Orleans.

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