QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Port Shopping

I usually get T-shirts and magnets. Once I bought a diamond tennis bracelet at Diamonds International. A couple of years later I upgraded to a bigger one. I might do it again.

We buy a souvenir T-shirt or something for our grandchildren in the ports, but nothing for ourselves.

I always shop at the various ports, and I think Grand Cayman is the most expensive so far on everything that I have seen, and I think St. Marten is the least expensive. The last time that I was in St. Marten, I was on a Princess ship, and they said that they will back anything that you purchase at any of the stores that they recommend. My husband bought me some Tanzanite jewelry because the ship kept stating how they are finding less and less of Tanzanite, and it is definitely an investment. We found some beautiful pieces at Diamonds International, and when I got home, I had them appraised, and I was told by the gemologist that the pieces were nothing but glorified costume jewelry and to never buy jewelry in the islands because it is nothing but junk, and we had paid $3,000 for the jewelry. I contacted Princess to let them know what was told to me by the gemologist, and they kept giving me the runaround, and the bottom line, they would not give me back my money. I then contacted Diamonds International, and they told me to return the pieces to the nearest Diamonds International store, which was in New York, and I live in Virginia, and I definitely would not pick out jewelry online. First off, you do not select jewelry online, fine jewelry anyway. You have to look at it in person. I then tried to mail the jewelry back to Diamonds International in St. Marten, and it got lost in the mail, but fortunately, I had my receipt from the post office. I called the main customs for the post office in Miami, and the lady told me that packages are constantly getting stolen, and they go into a black hole. I then decided to write a letter to the Postmaster General, and surprisingly, the jewelry showed up unexpectedly in my mailbox one day. After that experience, I will never buy fine jewelry in the islands ever again, or if I am sailing on a Princess ship, I will not buy anything from the stores they recommend.

I will buy mostly a T-shirt with a Harley logo. I have bought a nice Zippo lighter in Grand Turk and one time I wanted to buy some key chains for a few coworkers when I worked in my other office. I did put time into as well and I found a store in St Thomas that had nice key chains with the first letter of their names. They were not very expensive and had were pretty solid. Being a single man.... I'm not much of a shopper.

Never pay list price at DI. Always bargain with them. We usually pay about 65% of the list - never had a problem with any of their product.

We really don’t shop all that much, but there are some great finds and amazing deals to be had!

I used to do a lot of shopping in ports but now I rarely buy anything. I did buy a reversible amber/larimar ring when I was in Puerto Plata. I haven't found one like that back home for comparison. When we were on the world cruise, we did buy tees for $2.50 each - some were for the Hard Rock Cafe from different countries. We gave them to our grand son who collects them. .

The wife usually looks for local craft jewelry.

Be wary of "Diamonds International." The odds are good you'd do better at home.

I will get a polo shirt or two and some wine. If in Ensenada then I'll go to Santo Thomas winery for a few bottles of Port and some cold pressed Olive Oil.