Boss302LS

I went to Orient Beach on my July 2014 Valor cruise. If you are going there with expectations of young beautiful women and hard bodies, don't get your hopes up.

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I bought my wife a Phillip Stein watch from Majesty Jewelers in St. Maarten. (At the recommendation of the Carnival person that advises shopping. ) Less than two weeks later the knob on the stem fell off (lost), the second clock lost five minutes and the plating started to wear. I checked the Warranty for Majesty and watches default to the manufacturers warranty. I called Phillip Stein and they had me ship the watch back to them in Florida. They will fix it and / or replace it. Looks like they stand by their warranty. I have to say that their Customer Service was outstanding. I'm looking forward to get the watch back on my wife's arm.

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Yes there is. There is no duty on the watch which lowers the price nor do you pay sales tax. I did claim my Rolex on customs form and had to pay $400 in cash at the port in San Juan. Even with that I came out ahead.

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Did the Carnival Valor southern Carib cruise last week. I have to say we enjoyed St. Kitts and St. Martin the most. Barbados was at the bottom of the list. That was because of all the selling that the locals tried to do with us. They pretty much left us alone at kitts and Martin. Very beautiful beaches in those two places.

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The place I purchased the Rolex from also had Tags. I've purchased from them before and they are very reputable. When you get off the ferry go one block in and go right. Goldfingers has three locations around there. Go to the one with the big Rolex sign out front.

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Purchased a yacht master at gold fingers in st marten. I was quoted a price in Barbados and got the same price in st marten. They claim it's the same price in all of the Caribbean. Should have bought in st Thomas because of the extra duty allowance but we ran out of shopping time after an excursion to St. John.

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The title made me think this was a warning about shopping in St Maarten. :D

Ha, yes, I see that now. I'll be there next Saturday. If we really do have to "watch" out I'll let you all know but I don't anticipate any problems other than those pesky Mosquitos.

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Thanks so much for the review. I'll be on this cruise in a few days. Can't wait. So one big question. How much cash do you suggest we (my wife and I) take? Sounds like we need plenty for cabs, cosol, drinks, etc.

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I'm looking for a Breitling on my up coming cruise. Will stop in St Thomas. Not interested in st Martin. I purchased a Rolex there years ago and many of the papers were in French. Not sure if I'll buy because I can't find anywhere that indicates discounts on Breitling. Of that's the case I'd rather buy in the states.

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Thank you for reading and glad you enjoyed it. We loved the Courtyard in Isla Verde too and would not hesitate to stay there again. Which local restaurant did you walk to? We were considering looking for something else on our own but it was starting to get dark and we didn't know how the area around the hotel was and decided not to venture out. We didn't know about the bus last time but consider me informed now, I'd love to see the Condado area. Thank you for mentioning it. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and beautiful weather during your cruise.

My mother was born and raised on the island.. I don't speak spanish much but I did spend many summers there as a child. The public beach at Isla Verde is where we would go as it was the closest to my grandparents house. The Courtyard, I think, is still the last hotel before the public beach. Because I crave the local food when I'm there we usually make the hike from the hotel to the public beach for some of the food sold on the beach in the kiosks. For dinner you need to walk down towards the el San Juan hotel. Around that area were a few restaurants, can't remember the name. But for some fun, go into the lobby of El San Juan, its beautiful.. At night they sometimes have a local band so you can grab a drink in the lobby bar and then enjoy the music. Be careful though, I think there is a dress code there. Now if you have access to a car then you MUST go to piñones. Its a small town a few miles down the road from the hotel.. when you leave the parking lot make a left, drive past the public beach and follow for a few miles. You can't miss it. Its know for its local food. Nothing is expensive and you basically buy from Kiosks. Google it for more info. Its right on the beach. I go there every trip. I grab some good local food, get a beer and sit on the wall overlooking the beach. You can't swim there, too rocky and rough. There is a boardwalk you can walk on but Ive never did that. There are bars there too.

This is a great review. I've stayed at the same hotel in Isla Verde and I love that place. I'd usually walk to a local restaurant though for local cuisine. I'd also take advantage of the public bus and get dropped off in the Condado area. There are some nice places to fine there as well. Heading out on this cruise July 13. Can't wait.

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