Reasons not to wear jewelry on shore

[annf]

I've seen people walking around in ports with what I would consider flashy jewelry and wondered why they would take that chance. Here is a news piece from http://www.cruisejunkie.com/events.html with a perfect reason why anything of value stays on board the ship when I go ashore.

 

January 28

Oceana

P&O Cruises A passenger was gunned down after docking on Venezuela’s paradise island of Margarita aboard the ship. According to The Sun, the 53 year old man was buying a cold drink as his wife popped into a shop when the mugger thrust a pistol in his chest and demanded his cherished £10,000 Rolex watch. He ignored him, turned away – and was shot. As he collapsed with blood pouring from his wound, the gunman fired two more bullets which narrowly missed him. The attacker then pistol-whipped him around the head before grabbing the 18-carat gold watch. Amazingly, the bullet had missed the man’s heart by millimetres and passed straight through his body with only minor damage. He returned to the ship after a hospital visit and continued on the cruise (although he refused to leave the ship the remainder of the 14 day cruise).

[DrivesLikeMario]

I read that article awhile ago. Definitely not a smart move on the passenger's part to wear nice jewelry ashore. It's much safer to try to blend in a bit more.

 

I do like the fact that he fought them off, got a good description of the gunman and didn't even tell authorities on the ship! He just went to the hospital with his wife, got "fixed up", got back on the ship and the cruise line never knew until after he had been home for awhile. Amazing! ;)

[terri23]

Another reason not to go back there. I'ts the only caribbean island I haven't enjoyed. There are lots better places to go!

[franma]

I don't take any of my "good" jewelry on trips. DH wonders why I don't want to wear it. I just feel that I don't want to have to worry about what might happen to it (or me for that matter, re: article). My costume stuff (thank you QVC) is perfectly fine and if it goes missing, I may be a little upset, but no big loss. I don't even wear the showier pieces of fakes when not on the ship.

[gerif]

I don't take any of my "good" jewelry on trips. DH wonders why I don't want to wear it. I just feel that I don't want to have to worry about what might happen to it (or me for that matter, re: article). My costume stuff (thank you QVC) is perfectly fine and if it goes missing, I may be a little upset, but no big loss. I don't even wear the showier pieces of fakes when not on the ship.

 

I'm with you - not out to impress my fellow passengers. While DH isn't crazy about the idea, I've gotten great QVC "knock-offs" of my diamond earrings. If they get lost/stolen, well, I'm only out $50 or so rather than thousands. I wear a "functional" watch and that's about it.

[karena1]

I always take my good jewelry with me when we travel. That is why I bought it, to wear it. I never take my studs off, and if we are just shopping in the islands I wear my diamond necklass/bracelet. When we go to the beach, I leave them locked in the safe in the cabin. I also plan to take them with me to Punta Cana this year. I don't wear them to be flashy, I wear them b/c that is why I bought them.

[lady_cruiser]

I am glad that the man survived but I am wondering if it would have been wiser just to take off the watch and hand it over. No life is worth the price of a piece of jewelry. Of course we all agree that the smart thing to do is to leave the expensive jewelry in the ship's safe but that is a decision that is a personal matter and each individual has to make on their own. Just curious, does anyone know if these people were in the usual touristy area or were off the beaten path?

 

What puzzles me is the guy got shot and beaten, the bullet went clean through and he still had time to go to the hospital, get "fixed up" and make it make to the ship on time.

 

Is this story true or something started by someone who had nothing better to do?

[feistytigger]

i'll wear the good stuff on the ship but leave it in the safe for a beach port. if i'm not hitting a beach, i'd leave it on. that's what insurance is for. i'd have handed over my stuff in an instant.

[Richard in Panama]

Forget whether it's "real" or "fake", valuable or not . . . a potential thief doesn't know it's fake. Why risk having your ear lobes torn, or you neck cut, or wrist broken? Cruise passengers are perceived as being filthy rich in many ports in the world, so why wear any jewelry ashore?

[marle7]

I am glad that the man survived but I am wondering if it would have been wiser just to take off the watch and hand it over. No life is worth the price of a piece of jewelry. Of course we all agree that the smart thing to do is to leave the expensive jewelry in the ship's safe but that is a decision that is a personal matter and each individual has to make on their own. Just curious, does anyone know if these people were in the usual touristy area or were off the beaten path?

 

What puzzles me is the guy got shot and beaten, the bullet went clean through and he still had time to go to the hospital, get "fixed up" and make it make to the ship on time.

 

Is this story true or something started by someone who had nothing better to do?

 

Yes, I'm having a bit of a hard time with this as well.

 

I do take my jewellry, but I don't wear it in port.

[traveler/]

Whether the story is true or not, I think it sends an important message. Be careful when in another country. We will not wear anything expensive or expensive looking into port. Also money is in a hidden money belt or secured away from sight. Each traveler should assess their risk tolerance and act accordingly.

[Dave85]

I am glad that the man survived but I am wondering if it would have been wiser just to take off the watch and hand it over. No life is worth the price of a piece of jewelry.

 

Seriously... hand over the watch. If you can afford one in the first place it can surely be replaced (which your life cannot be).

[jewelinthesand]

Forget whether it's "real" or "fake", valuable or not . . . a potential thief doesn't know it's fake. Why risk having your ear lobes torn, or you neck cut, or wrist broken? Cruise passengers are perceived as being filthy rich in many ports in the world, so why wear any jewelry ashore?

good point about the robber not knowing if it's fake or not. i do agree with the other post too as well - regarding i wear it because that's why i bought it. which i do. i always wear my jewelry - in port, on ship, etc. i don't do it to be showy or anything, i just love jewelry. i've been lucky so far and never had an attempted robbery - on cruises, jamaica, paris on the subways, brooklyln, NY on the subways, etc. etc. guess i've just been lucky. but one thing for sure, if someone asks for it they can have it! nothing is worth being harmed!

[TigerLady]

Seriously... hand over the watch. If you can afford one in the first place it can surely be replaced (which your life cannot be).

 

 

I agree, no one's life is worth a piece of jewelry. It can be replaced, your life or the life of a loved one or friend can't..

[cruising lady]

I always wear my jewerly that's why I bought it. I could get mugged walking out my front door.

[spamwhiches]

being compliant won't gaurantee that the bad guy still won't shoot you.

 

leave the bling on the ship is my advice.

[Merion_Mom]

Whether the story is true or not, I think it sends an important message. Be careful when in another country. We will not wear anything expensive or expensive looking into port. Also money is in a hidden money belt or secured away from sight. Each traveler should assess their risk tolerance and act accordingly.

 

Phooey.

 

Be careful. Period.

[Willbcruisin]

Also if you swim with it be careful.......looks like food to the fishy's:D

[AMR40509]

I think that a lot of people just don't really think about it.

 

Years ago before we were married my wife and I were in Mexico and I asked her to turn her engagement ring around 'backwards' so that the diamond was on the inside of her hand. She quickly figured out why I was asking her to do this, but before that it had never occurred to her that her finger had more $$ on it then most of the people around her made in a year of hard work.

 

She now just wears her wedding band when we are off of the ship, sure it has some diamonds on it, but it's not a 'big flashy rock'.

 

Since then, she has been very aware of this, but when traveling with others that don't 'get out as much' I've heard her tell her friends several times that they might want to leave a nice piece behind in the safe.

[DrivesLikeMario]

That's actually a smart thing to do. ;) I always think of turning my wedding ring around to the inside of my hand when we're on planes. Don't know why, but I think, "If we get high-jacked, I don't want them to see this!" lol

:o

[lysolqn]

Whether the story is true or not, I think it sends an important message. Be careful when in another country.

 

Be careful only when in another country? How about here at home?

[phoenix_dream]

I think anyone who wears flashy jewelry around on the street - in port or in a US city for that matter is just asking for trouble. If you don't mind taking the chance - your choice.

 

But another component of wearing it on shore is, in my mind, a question of respect. As has been pointed out, one person's jewelry is probably more than most people make in a year in many of the ports. Many islanders are already very resentful of the rich cruisers who come into their homeland and temporarily 'take over the place'. (not that many are not also greatful for the income it generates, but the feelings are not mutually exclusive). To my point - sorry for being long-winded - I personally do not feel comfortable flashing my wealth in front of them. To me it feels disrespectful of their situation and their feelings. I feel like wearing flashy jewelry is like rubbing it in their faces that we are the 'haves' to their 'have nots'. Don't get me wrong - I don't for a minute think that is the intent of the wearer, but I am just sensitive to that point.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I couldn't agree more! Well said. :)

[LisaH]

I always take my good jewelry with me when we travel. That is why I bought it, to wear it. I never take my studs off, and if we are just shopping in the islands I wear my diamond necklass/bracelet. When we go to the beach, I leave them locked in the safe in the cabin. I also plan to take them with me to Punta Cana this year. I don't wear them to be flashy, I wear them b/c that is why I bought them.

 

Amen to that! I bring some of my good jewelry when we cruise. While I don't wear it all on shore, I wear my Michelle watch and one John Hardy bracelet. We normally don't go off the beaten path and I don't worry about it. I also wear my wedding ring but sometimes turn the diamond around so it can't be seen if I am unsure but I really enjoy wearing my things on a cruise and showing it off. I bought it to wear it.

 

Obviously I would use common sense if we were walking somewhere that I was unsure of and I would leave it on the ship.

[bubbie617]

There are a few other points worth making. I NEVER wear jewelry off the ship. I only wear my medic alert bracelet. Rings, earrings, bracelets all stay on the ship in the safe in my cabin. In fact, I've begun to take a lot of great costume jewelry mixed in with the good stuff. I don't have to impress anyone. I love my jewelry, but I'm not looking for trouble.

 

The other point I learned early on in our cruising. We were on our first cruise back in 1983. I had almost no good jewelry back then. I had a gold wedding band and a few other very small pieces, but that was it. One day we were in San Juan and were wandering around. We went into a jewelry store to browse. The salesclerk came over to me and was swooning over my earrings. I don't know whether she knew they were fake, fake, fake. She led me over to some very expensive jewelry to start her "hard sell". Obviously, she looked at my earrings, sized me up as someone who could afford to spend big bucks on jewelry and was pressuring me. There was no way she could have sold me expensive jewelry; I couldn't afford it. It taught me a valuable lesson though. If you want to be able to negotiate a price on jewelry, don't let them know by what you're wearing how much you might spend. It puts you into a better negotiating position.

 

And, as someone already pointed out, the robbers don't know whether what you are wearing is real or fake. I don't need to tempt them.