Buying a diamond ring on a cruise

[BIG MAMA2]

I would like to upgrade my engagement ring, but I am waiting for my cruise to see if I can get a better deal. We will be sailing with Carnival and visiting Grand Cayman. I would love some feedback from anyone with good or bad experiences buying an expensive piece abroad. I am very apprehensive. Thank you.

[Host Star]

I would be very surprised if you could get any deals in grand caymen... our dollar is worth less than their dollar.. everything in GC is very expensive.. if your cruise stops at St. Martin or St. Thomas you will have a much better selection and chance for getting a nice stone.. just make sure you look at it thru the loop or bring your own with you..

[drew sailbum]

Actually, for diamond jewlery, I have seen excellent prices here in Grand Cayman as compared to back in the States. Similarly graded stones I have priced at about a 40% discount in Cayman, though YMMV.

 

Exchange rate is fixed between CI$and US$. Since certain items are mostly sold to tourists, they are most often priced in US$. Be sure to ask which currency you are quoted. IIRC, jewelry is a duty free item in Cayman and since there is no sales tax, you can find real savings.

[fsr44]

I wouldn't do it. Unless you're a gemologist, you won't know what they've sold you and what its true worth is (regardless of how the stone is advertised) until you get home and have it appraised. And if you find out then that you've been ripped off, what recourse do you have? Better to buy from a reputable jeweler where you live.

[KrysyGT]

My fiancee and I got my engagement setting on our cruise on the Valor in December. We shopped a lot in Grand Cayman, but hesitated to buy because it was our first stop. We wound up finding the same ring in our last port at DI, and paid $350 more than we could have gotten the same ring and quality stones in Grand Cayman.

We had the ring appraised when we got home, and it was exactly what we were told it was, and the price was better than what we could get a jeweler here. We found the same setting about a week ago for $300 more than we paid in Alpha Omega which is a pretty decent jeweler in MA. My dad is also a jeweler and was pretty impressed with what we got and the price. He said we may have gotten the same price or a few dollars cheaper here if we really hunted and bargained, but we didn't want to do that. Plus it was really special to get it on the cruise. It meant that much more to me and my fiancee.

 

As above posters said, as long as you know what you are looking at or for, you should be okay to do it! Ask for a loop to look at the diamonds. Know your 4 C's and you'll be fine.