St Thomas - The Mall Of The Caribbean

Many people who take cruises to the Caribbean islands are interested in shopping. And in all the Caribbean, no other island compares to St Thomas when it comes to shopping. St Thomas is the “Mall Of The Caribbean”. You can find jewelry, watches, electronics, cameras, liquor, crystal, and even fine china. The main street of Charlotte Amalie is lined with dozens of little shops.

But your shopping should begin before you even leave home. First have an idea of what you are interested in buying. Are you looking for a particular model of camera, or watch? Maybe you are looking at upgrading the diamond in your engagement ring? Shop around your hometown, and find the best prices you can. You can even shop online if you want. Find the best deal for the items you are interested in. Write down the prices, and bring them with you to St Thomas. Now when you are in Charlotte Amalie, you will have a good idea of whether you are getting a bargain or not. If the price is good, but not great, ask the seller if they will come down a little bit. Offer them a lower price. What’s the worst that can happen? If they say no, there are probably other shops along the strip selling the same thing.

Keep in mind that you want a really good deal. If you buy a camera at home, and there is a problem, you can just hop in your car and return it or exchange it. On cruise, they won’t turn the ship around for you. So if you are only saving a little money on an expensive item, you might be better off buying it back at home just for the piece of mind.

Know what you are buying. Can you tell a real diamond from a fake diamond? I can’t! So I would be a little wary of buying an expensive stone from one of the smaller shops. Some of the larger stores are more reputable, and have deals with the cruise ships that if you are unsatisfied, the cruise line will help you straighten it out. But you can find fantastic deals on loose gem stones.

Another thing to be aware of is that some items being sold may be grey market, meaning they are not being sold through the normal distribution chain. What does this mean to you? It means that the manufacturer may refuse to honor the warranty on the item.

As of this writing, citizens of the United States are allowed to bring back $1600 worth of stuff from St Thomas, duty-free. You will have to pay a duty on stuff in excess of $1600. Keep in mind that this is per person! If you have a spouse, or children, each of them gets a $1600 duty-free allowance as well! Another neat thing is that loose precious gems (diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, etc) are considered rocks, and are duty free. That is unless you also are bringing back a mounting for it. Then the gem is considered to be intended for jewelry and is subject to duty. Since duty-free allowances are subject to change, or may have exceptions, check with cruise ship staff, or hotel staff as to your individual situation.