Cigars

[benz21]

Can we purchase Cuban cigars in Grand Cayman? If so, can we bring them back with us?

[benz21]

Can we purchase Cuban cigars in Grand Cayman? If so, can we bring them back with us?

[ParrotRob]

You can bring cubans on the ship, but you can NOT bring them into the States, regardless of where you bought them. That means you need to consume them onboard before you dock, or technically before you re-enter the territorial waters of the United States.

[blackwing]

On the last day, during the disembarkation talk, the Cruise Director will inevitably make a joke about smoking all of your Cuban cigars and invite everyone together for a great smokeout.

[Ktbone]

Technically if you go by the letter of the law a U.S. citizen can not purchase a cuban product, period.

 

That being said you can get cubans almost anywhere in the Carib. but stick to the bigger reputable places. My two cents; they are not any better than the quality Dominicans or Central Americans. Enjoy.

[jleq]

Can we purchase Cuban cigars in Grand Cayman? If so, can we bring them back with us?

 

If available--and they probably are--you can bring them onto the ship. Not back into the United States, tho

[VolzCruiser]

Yes you can purchase cuban Cigars in Grand Cayman. I would advise that you purchase them from a authorized cuban cigar dealer or you maybe buying a fake. You can bring them back on the ship with you and smoke them all you want. You still aren't allowed to bring them back into the U.S.

[Thirsty Cruiser]

Technically if you go by the letter of the law a U.S. citizen can not purchase a cuban product, period.

 

That being said you can get cubans almost anywhere in the Carib. but stick to the bigger reputable places. My two cents; they are not any better than the quality Dominicans or Central Americans. Enjoy.

 

To expand on what Ktbone said -- if you think what you are getting from the guy with a cigar box at the roadside stand for $10 is actually a Cuban, you are likely mistaken. Given the small number of Cuban cigars produced and the large demand for them, the counterfeit market is huge (here is a pretty good web article on counterfeits)

 

This reminds me of the time I went into a cigar store in San Miguel in Cozumel looking for a local Mexican or Central American cigar, and the whole time the guy trying to sell me one of his "Cubans" for $10. I finally wound up leaving with nothing after he refused to sell me the "local crap" as he called it. These days, if the port has a reputable cigar store, I may pick up a box. Otherwise, I will bring them from home, where I have purchased them from my local store, and where I know I can find the manager if I have problems. ;)

 

IMHO the best place to buy genuine Cubans is in a place that has the most at risk by selling counterfeits, such as an upscale resort. When I am fortunate enough to stay at a resort with a Concierge, I use that service for this purpose. But Ktbone raises the point that they may not be worth the time or trouble -- I agree. There are so many great cigars out there, but if you must have a Cuban (at least once), be careful where you buy it, and buy it knowing that there are usually no bargains when shopping for the genuine article.

[big_duck]

Churchill's Cigars (in a small mall across from the tender pier) is an authorized Habano dealer in GC.

 

FWIW, it is technically against the law for an American to even purchase cubans abroad.

[StuartLittle]

You can also buy some cheap non-cuban cigars and put those bands on the Cubans. As long as you're not bringing back too many, customs won't give it a 2nd look.

[AdmiralJohnson]

Cuban cigars in the Caymans are horribly over priced, I prefer some good Central American Cohibas for the price....

[cruiselubbers]

Started a post like this about 2 weeks ago & they removed it. Good luck with the input you will receive here, some are not as kind as others. Hope you can take negative comments, cause you will get alot for asking this question. I actually was giving just a warning to others when I posted my post about it & just was stating legal facts. Considering neither my husband or I smoke, I thought I'd be nice by giving the warnings of the embargo. I just hated to think that someone would buy something that couldn't be taken back & they would loose it to Customs & that would have been money they could have spent elsewhere that didn't get taken away! I think we give enough to the govt with out them taking our purchases!

 

As others have stated however you can buy & smoke in Grand Cayman & bring them back on the ship & smoke them if you are US Citizen....however make sure you have them all smoked before you get off the ship! Even if you are from Canada if you are flying thru the USA the Cubans can't be brought thru US Customs. US Citizens are not really allowed to even smoke them due to embargo, but I doubt & have seen for a fact that it won't stop anyone. Just be careful & smoke um before you go thru US Customs getting of the ship in the good ole USA & you should (prayfully speaking) be ok.

 

Heed the warnings & make sure you are buying from a legit co. so you don't get taken. Remember if you look like you have money....like we did while shopping in PDC....you'll get asked to buy everything regardless of whether it cost an arm or a leg or not!

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Be blessed, be a blessing! :p

[AdmiralJohnson]

Started a post like this about 2 weeks ago & they removed it. Good luck with the input you will receive here, some are not as kind as others.

 

...actually your post was about cigars but was not "like" this post at all, but please don't be thin skinned (that just causes bigger bruises) and don't take it personally. It was an awesome gang beating you took, but some of us get a little revved up when the government steps on my first amendment rights;) I apologize for any insensitive thing I may have said.

 

...but I did learn about the in's and out's of North Carolina law - and that was important for a guy like me :eek:

[cruiselubbers]

...actually your post was about cigars but was not "like" this post at all, but please don't be thin skinned (that just causes bigger bruises) and don't take it personally. It was an awesome gang beating you took, but some of us get a little revved up when the government steps on my first amendment rights;) I apologize for any insensitive thing I may have said.

 

...but I did learn about the in's and out's of North Carolina law - and that was important for a guy like me

 

 

Until you've walked a mile in my shoes you have no idea of just how thick skinned I can be! ;) (good thing atleast I can survive gang beatings.....lmbo! :D )

 

I didn't take anything personally, but someone else definitly might, especially since our OP only has 4 posts in.

No apology needed its all in the good fun of having free speech! Which like you I love my rights & don't want them taken away either, exactly why I didn't want someone to buy something for the govt to have it! :mad:

 

As for NC law....alot of those things are so old! It's crazy! There are so many whacked out laws in each state its unreal! It would be nice however if the website where those laws came from would atleast change the part about the lottery....since we have one now! :rolleyes:

 

Be blessed, be a blessing!

And for gosh sakes man express your free speech!

[m steve]

at super expesive prices and think this was a great smoke. There are so many good cigars legal and reasonable that you don't need to be screwed by the hustlers selling junk for high prices. Some major shops are legit but be prepared to spend $20+ for a decent smoke. You could also roll up 20-$1 and get the same effect.

[benz21]

Started a post like this about 2 weeks ago & they removed it. Good luck with the input you will receive here, some are not as kind as others. Hope you can take negative comments, cause you will get alot for asking this question. I actually was giving just a warning to others when I posted my post about it & just was stating legal facts. Considering neither my husband or I smoke, I thought I'd be nice by giving the warnings of the embargo. I just hated to think that someone would buy something that couldn't be taken back & they would loose it to Customs & that would have been money they could have spent elsewhere that didn't get taken away! I think we give enough to the govt with out them taking our purchases!

 

As others have stated however you can buy & smoke in Grand Cayman & bring them back on the ship & smoke them if you are US Citizen....however make sure you have them all smoked before you get off the ship! Even if you are from Canada if you are flying thru the USA the Cubans can't be brought thru US Customs. US Citizens are not really allowed to even smoke them due to embargo, but I doubt & have seen for a fact that it won't stop anyone. Just be careful & smoke um before you go thru US Customs getting of the ship in the good ole USA & you should (prayfully speaking) be ok.

 

Heed the warnings & make sure you are buying from a legit co. so you don't get taken. Remember if you look like you have money....like we did while shopping in PDC....you'll get asked to buy everything regardless of whether it cost an arm or a leg or not!

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Be blessed, be a blessing! :p

Thanks for all the advise. See that you have been on the Inspiration. We are going on our first cruise in it this Saturday. Do you have any pics of ship? Also, any advice?

[cruiselubbers]

Thanks for all the advise. See that you have been on the Inspiration. We are going on our first cruise in it this Saturday. Do you have any pics of ship? Also, any advice?

 

 

Awesome! Congratulations! You are so lucky to be going on the Inspiration Saturday! It's an awesome ship, great sized, great food, wonderful people, excellent cabin upkeep, fantasic staff in the Mardi Gras dining room & some of the best sunsets you'll ever see in your life experience! The ship is an older ship, but it has been taken care of & doesn't show its age one bit except for a few locations that unless you stare at them need some paint! I have lots of advice & tons of pics! How many more days will you be on the pc before you leave for Tampa? It will take me a few days to leave you some kool tips & some pics...but if you can wait or will be around till Thursday....I can give you plently of info! If you leave sooner, I'll get on the ball faster! Just let me know!

 

Be blessed, be a blessing! :p

[cruiselubbers]

Hey there, I went ahead and wrote up some tips really quick, I have more! If you don't see it here ask!

 

Listen to your headwaiters suggestion on how you should have you meat cooked.

Watch as many sunsets as possible.

Use your in room safe. Don’t use your Sail & Sign card or your debit/credit card. Use an old Wal-Mart of other gift card & then place the card somewhere safe. If you use S&S card or credit/debit the card can become demagnetized!

Don’t over pack! Definitly bring 10 pair of underware! 2/3 bathing suits for ladies….3/4 for guys since you can wear yours like clothes if you are planning to swim. Packed for a change of clothes in Cayman but did not need it as suits dried quick & it’s a pretty far ride out there to the Stingrays. Bring an underwater camera if your going there & have your film developed on the ship. It was $7 for our roll of 27 pics…..close enough to the prices back home.

Bring biodegradable sunscreen if you plan on going to Xcaret or Xel-Ha!

See the evening shows! The comedians we had were great…..at least the one was….Tony Espositio! The other was …. Miller & he wasn’t good at all. Kept saying how bad he was! Also make sure you see the show Caribe on the last night….it’s awesome! It is cabarette style so if you are taking younger children, be mindful of that!

Participate in some of the contests & remember what happens on the ship….stays on the ship! So have fun & try something new! Remember you’ll probably never see these people again!

You’ll be split into two teams Red & blue on your first nite at dinner….Red team had odd numbered dinner tables & Blue had even numbered tables. Show your team support by participating in the various activities around the ship. By doing so on the last night of the ship my hubby helped the red team win & we were behind the blue the whole time & we participated in the last thing you could get points in & helped win for the Red! Remember though to be nice to your fellow team! On the last sea day you’ll get to wear your team color so bring a t-shirt in each color if you want to show your support for your team!

Wait until the very last sea day to buy anything from the gift shop! Almost everything goes on sale then!

Do your own excursions & save a ton! If you are planning to do Stingrays in Grand Cayman take the tender in (1st thing am since there’s not much time on Cayman sadly!) and right whenever you get off the ship look for people holding signs. We did Stingrays & Snorkeling & drinks for $40 bucks a piece & the same excursion was $99 a piece thru Carnival!

In Calica/Playa Del Carman if you are getting off the ship there & don’t have anything planned, wait atleast 30 minutes till everyone else gets off for their planned excursions & then get off the ship. Listen to what people around you are talking about and find a friend to share a cab with if your going into town. $10 one way & if you find another couple to ride with (cab holds 4) you’ll save $5 bucks going into town! Have the driver drop you off at the very beginning of 5th…..really close to the golf course & you’ll be able to walk to whole 1.5 shopping strip plus spend time on the beach. I heard there were fajitas to die for there. Remember if you get a drink with ice in it, take the ice out! We spent about 5 hours doing this & had a ball. Try to bargain even if the clerk seems like they don’t want to bargain. By all means go there not overdressed or everyone will stop you! The best deals I found were closer to the start of where we were dropped off by the taxi. When we got to the end of the strip, there were plently of taxis waiting, so no need to prepay round trip if you don’t want to.

I had heard the cold soups were great, but I couldn’t find any that I liked. The mango one tasted sour to my taste buds. Stay away from anything cold & purple on the ship! There is a dessert, lavender something that from what I understand really stinks!

Remember variety is the spice of life, so try to eat a little bit of everywhere! Some of our best moments was getting free ice cream & going and sitting on the back of the ship!

The upper most deck is the best place for sunsets….but on the last night of the cruise…..whenever you step out of the Caribe show go to your right once you get out of the Lounge & pass the gift shop…..take the first door out to your right & the sunset that we had that night was terrific! Blues, purples, pinks, golds, yellows & gosh it was amazing. We had 8:30 dinner so we went to the 7pm show that night which got us out on that deck at about 8pm.

I’ll post some more later…but here’s you a good start!

If you have an specific questions ask, I’ll do my best to answer!

Be blessed, be a blessing! :p

[cruisinbuddy]

At the debarktion talk on the Liberty in Jan. We were told "no way, no how", and that there'd be a 'smoke out' on the funnel deck. Even Canadians, who are allowed to buy Cuban cigars are not allowed to transport said cigars through or above the US.

[queenie40]

You can also buy some cheap non-cuban cigars and put those bands on the Cubans. As long as you're not bringing back too many, customs won't give it a 2nd look.

 

 

On my last cruise, met a guy in the elevator that was worried about his Cuban cigar. He apparently didn't want to smoke it, but save it. Customs on my previous cruise was basically nonexistant, so I jokingly suggested he put it in his pocket if he was insistent on not smoking it. Well, the next day when we debarked, there were officers with cigar sniffing dogs at the exists! To be sure, I asked about the dogs. Don't know if that man made it through or not.

[Thirsty Cruiser]

On my last cruise, met a guy in the elevator that was worried about his Cuban cigar. He apparently didn't want to smoke it, but save it. Customs on my previous cruise was basically nonexistant, so I jokingly suggested he put it in his pocket if he was insistent on not smoking it. Well, the next day when we debarked, there were officers with cigar sniffing dogs at the exists! To be sure, I asked about the dogs. Don't know if that man made it through or not.

 

 

Hmm, how would the dogs know if the cigars were Cuban? I don't think they would want to stop evey person who has cigars.

 

If the dogs are that good, maybe I can borrow one when I go shopping for a genuine Cuban so I don't get ripped off :)

[BLACFLY]

Does anybody know of a good reputable shop in Cozumel where one would be able to purchase a good cigar without running the risk of getting scammed?

[CaptainEdwardJohnSmith]

Also, any advice?

 

Never, ever try to use a solar-powered alarm clock in an inside cabin. ;) :D ;) :D :)

[rebeljohn]

Benz21........In Grand Cayman, stop by the LCDH store(La Casa Del Habano) for cigars. They are an authorized store for Cuban cigars(Churchills is too, BTW). The manager of the LCDH is Wallace, ask for him. He is very knowledgable, and will be glad to help you. Prices are HIGH! But for a cigar lover, it's like a kid in a candy store.

Now, big question...........Can you bring 'em back. No, you aren't supposed to even buy them, being a US citizen, but many do. Buy a few, smoke 'em on the ship and you'll have no problems. If you insist on bringing 'em home..........take off the bands...............

[Ktbone]

There is a cigar shop in the Forums Shop at the end of the strip in Cozumel. They had a limited selection but they were real Cubans, about $750 a box for Belicossos.