Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Caribbean Diamonds

A WORD OF ADVICE. I recently fell for all the hype generated by the onboard shopping guide on my Celebrity Constellation cruise. It was pretty much the same presentation I've seen on a previous Holland America cruise. The gist is that they have a slew of "recommended" stores in each port. However, if you know your prices, you'll find that the deals are just not that great. The wife and I purchased a loose 1.5ct diamond from DI in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. At 35% off, it seemed to be a reasonable deal. They set it in her wedding band and also put her original stone in a pendant setting.

Upon returning home and researching my purchase, I realize that the deal was probably just so-so. The EGL certification that came with the stone is generally considered more lenient than GIA certification and stones based on EGL grading are worth significantly less. Based on internet pricing, 50-55% off would have been more appropriate. So, I figure I paid more than I should have, but still less than retail (and I didn't have to deal with taxes).

Still, no one held a gun to my head. The wife loves the stone so I'm not going to rock the boat. We should have been more skeptical of all the cruise promotions for DI. I was unprepared and fell for the impulse buy, as do many, many others (the DI stores are always packed with cruisers). So buyers beware and go for the jugular when haggling.

There's got to be collusion (or at least a conflict of interest) between the ALL the cruise lines and their "recommended" shops. I think that the NY States Attorney should consider filing for full disclosure (DI is headquartered in NY). The Caribbean diamond market must have a negative impact on NY diamond merchants.

It would be nice if Fodor's discussed the pros and cons of the shopping promotions held onboard ship. I'm guessing that’s why they don't recommend shopping at DI in their Caribbean guides.