Don’t Come Home Without Them—Must-Buy Mementos from the Caribbean

Fodor’s recently did a piece on the nine must-buy souvenirs on a Caribbean cruise. Which made me think—what would be on my list?

So, this is what I came up with:

Woven wares from Dominica. They’re not sold at every stall in Roseau, so you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled, but the locally woven baskets make great—and useful—souvenirs to bring to those you left behind or keep for yourself.

Handmade, locally made in Dominica

The "Caribbean Gem." Mined in the Dominican Republic but available in many of the Caribbean isles, the lovely milky blue larimar can be found set in all kinds of jewelry and best yet, isn’t too expensive. I picked up earrings in a silver setting at St. Thomas’s Havensight pier for about $45.

Ceramics, onyx from Cozumel. While the silver jewelry is terribly tempting in Cozumel, each time I see the shopkeeper walking around with a calculator, it reminds me I can’t afford it. But what everyone can afford and is certainly worth it is Cozumel’s ceramics. They’re bright, cheerful and everywhere. You can get something as small as a spoon holder or as large as a serving platter. Also special are the onyx pieces, from figurines to chess sets.

 

Ceramics to liven up your home from Cozumel's Los Cinco Soles

Mopa Mopa art in Aruba. These don’t come cheap, but they’re unusual handicrafts native to Aruba. Buds of the mopa mopa tree are processed into resin that’s incorporated into wood and painted. You can find mopa mopa bookmarks, masks, wall hangings, and all sorts of decorative arts. You won’t find them anywhere else.

Anything painted in Labadee. The extensive artisan market in Royal Caribbean’s resort side of Haiti specializes in painted art, and the prices are very reasonable. And since the sellers promote bargaining, the prices get downright cheap. There’s a big variety of artwork—from magnets to mega canvases of beach scenes, with frames or without.

Color in canvas at Labadee, Haiti

St. Maarten guavaberry liqueur. It’s on the sweet side, but an only-in-St. Maarten kind of souvenir. Their colorful painted bottles alone make it worth the cost, even if what’s inside isn’t exactly your cup of—well, beverage of choice. 

Spices in Granada. The “Island of Spice” vendors have ready-to-go spice combo baskets that are tailor-made souvenirs. And if you feel yourself giving in to buying one of the spice necklaces the vendors assemble as you watch, beware that their shelf life is short—very short. By the end of the day, mine was beginning to self-destruct.

 

Necklaces of spice might be nice, but the baskets are much better

Rum from anywhere. I fell deeply in love with Bacardi’s 8 Anõs at its brewery in San Juan. But the Caribbean’s got more choices of rum than we have time to taste. Take some home and relive your cruise experience again and again, one happy shot at a time.

Musing’s Top Tip: If you’re thinking about a specialty dining package on an Oasis class cruise, check out Musing About Cruising’s new video on YouTube, with tips and photos, to help you decide if it’s right for you. And did you know you can now find out about new Musing postings by subscribing to Feedspot, which consolidates the latest from your favorite cruise blogs? 

How to Spend Your Cruise Day in St. Maarten

Keep your money in your wallet and pass on an excursion in St. Maarten. With a beach and tons of shopping, you can easily fill the whole day in lively Philipsburg—and come back again for more.

The Dutch island at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles is often the last stop on Eastern Caribbean cruises. Sint Maarten, as it’s locally known, is popular and with good reason—with its long calm blue sea harbor, tropical foliage lining the waterfront and streets, beachfront bars and restaurants, steel drum band and coconut stand, it positively screams the Caribbean.

You can do the place in many different ways—nibble on French macaroons (there’s a stand at the pier), and shop in Diamond International and Ralph Lauren. Or go for knickknacks and snacks in your flip-flops. With tourism its main industry, St. Maarten is dedicated to your pleasure, whatever it is.

Here’s just an example of how you could spend your day in port:

9 a.m.-10 a.m. Take your time on the short walk from ship to pier—you’re going to be in St. Maarten all day. Check out the shops in the plaza, but you might want to resist buying anything—the prices are better in downtown Philipsburg. But be sure to grab a free sample of the coconut smoothie from the vendor in the plaza for a mouthful of marvelous.

10 a.m.-noon You’ve done the shops at the pier, had your smoothie sample, and now you’re ready to see Philipsburg, so you head toward the water taxi, on the far left side of the plaza. It’s a bargain—$7 buys you unlimited travel for the day. The ride is about seven minutes or so, and treats you to a sweeping view of the coastline.

 Wander Front Street (parallel to the waterfront) and stop in the high-end boutiques and low-end

Find treasures chic to cheap on hopping Front St.

tourist shops, getting your free bamboo necklace from Cariloha and color-changing mood ring from Del Sol (if you go to your ship’s shopping talk, you’ll get the magic words to use to get your free stuff).

Visit the Guavaberry Emporium at the far right end of Front Street for samples and a bottle for the road, and pick up some rum in the colorful painted bottles you’ll find in many liquor stores in town.

Meander down alleyways, where you’ll find knickknack heaven and even an art shop where you can get original local paintings for as little as $10. 

These colorful bottles of yum are everywhere.

Noon-2 p.m. Hop on the ferry back to the ship for lunch or enjoy local seafood and Caribbean beer Presidente at a beachside restaurant or quiche at a French café on Old Street. (St. Martin, the other half of the island, is French.) While you’re on Old Street, look for the Manneken Pis in front of The Belgian Chocolate Box and you’d swear you were in Brussels.

2 p.m.-4 p.m. Start your siesta with one of the cheap umbrella-bucket of beer packages touted along the waterfront and plant yourself on the beach. Spend your last hours at this great port dipping in the water or digging your feet in the sand, as you watch the jet skis kick up some spray and the majestic schooners lazily float by.

Musing’s Top Tip: For more on what the island has to offer, an app to download, brochure to order, video and island map, see the island’s official tourism website.

Of Chocolate, Rum and Spice: Food Souvenirs of the Caribbean

It’s truly hard these days to find any real handicrafts. From Basseterre to Bridgetown, most of what we see is all the same—made in China, but stamped with a different port name.
 
What you can still get that’s unique and local is of the edible (and drinkable) kind. Food stuffs make great gifts for those you left behind—if you can bear to part with them once you get home. And if you pick up a few for yourself, it’s one way to keep the cruise going after it’s gone (for other ideas, see the posting Keeping the Cruise Going After its Gone).
 
Here’s a sampling of what you can pick up and take back from your next cruise:
 
Curaçao: You won’t have to look far to find the island’s namesake liquor; there’s a vendor right at the pier. It’s actually made from oranges and you certainly wouldn’t guess that from its iconic blue color.

Cozumel: Vanilla, Kahlua and tequila is all locally made and excellently priced. You can get all three at the shopping plaza at the pier or in town.  

Granada: Known ‘cause it’s grown there—nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cocoa. In the outdoor market (a short walk from the pier), you can buy inexpensive baskets of spices, packaged to go. There’s also fun spice necklaces you can pick up from the vendors, but be forewarned—the necklace deteriorates within 24 hours.
 
St. Maarten: Guavaberry liqueur is this island’s special concoction and national drink made from wild guavaberries (not guava). You can buy the brand name, Sint Maarten Guavaberry, or get a version of the liqueur in an attractive hand-painted bottle from many Philipsburg liquor stores.
 

Grand Cayman: The ubiquitous Tortuga rum cake made on this island makes a good gift; it’s well packaged and compact so it won’t take up much room in your luggage. It comes also in flavors like coconut and key lime. You can even sample it before you buy in a number of George Town shops.

Roatan: Honduras produces a high-end cacao bean and a husband-and-wife team have become the first on the island to make chocolate bars from the local stuff. You can buy this special chocolate with a variety of different flavors in the craft market at Mahogany Bay, Roatan’s pier used by Carnival, Princess, NCL and a few other cruise lines.
 
San Juan—and everywhere else in the Caribbean: Rum. Need I say more? So many choices, so little time! Just about every island has its own—from Jamaica (Appleton) to Barbados (Mount Gay) to Grand Cayman (Tortuga). But for me, San Juan is where it’s at—the home of Bacardi. You’ll find versions of its rum you won’t find anywhere else. A visit to the distillery is an excursion on many trips; it’s fun, but it is a bus trip away and when we went, a lengthy wait for the tour was in store.
 
A few more morsels...If you’re lucky enough to make it to St. Barts, you can pick up French products in the supermarket right on the main street—from chocolate to confiture. And Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in, of course, Jamaica. But it won’t come cheap.