By Jennifer Crivelli, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Two of my favorite places to shop when I cruise are the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera. In addition to the warm sun and sandy beaches, I love the great shopping opportunities that are in each destination. So, what is there to buy in the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera? It all depends on where your cruise takes you.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
These two Eastern Caribbean destinations are a Mecca for jewelry shopping. Whether you are looking for diamonds, precious gem stones, or watches – there is a wide variety of stores in each of these ports-of-call that will vie for your business.  Also, check out the following jewelry stores for unique items, found only in the Caribbean: St. Thomas – Bernard K. Passman, home to hand carved black coral jewelry; and in St. Maarten – Majesty Jewelers, home to the Kabana Collection, gorgeously inset mother of pearl. [Read more →]

Collected from the experiences of The Cruise Web employees.

There is something exciting about shopping while traveling. It is the physical act of being able to take a piece of the places you have visited with you.  This, of course, is a popular activity while cruising because your purchases turn into a physical map of the many ports and countries that you have visited along the way. 

Below is a great variety of ports, shops, cities, countries and vendors our cruise consultants have discovered to help you the next time you “make” your map.

Linda I., Senior Cruise Consultant
Silver Exposure, Cabo San Lucas.  There is a very unique silver jewelry here and it is designed by locals.  VERY reasonable prices and if you pay cash it’s an additional 10% off.  I definitely helped her out.

John T., Senior Cruise Consultant
Whenever we go to the Caribbean, in any port you can find bottles of Vanilla.  Eastern, Western, Southern… they all have it and it is very good.  The bottles are usually decorated with a Caribbean theme specific to the country in which it was bought.  My wife has them displayed on our counter top.  She uses them for various recipes and they come out GREAT!!!

 Carol T., Cruise Consultant
My shopping treasures are rarely found in a store or shop.  I like picking up small paintings, sketches, and various other forms of artwork directly from artisans I encounter in nearly every port on every cruise itinerary.

Look for these folks in easily accessible public spaces or on sidewalks near prominent attractions.  Outside of the [Read more →]

Collected from the experiences of The Cruise Web employees

Regardless of how many times you cruise Europe, you really never see it the same way twice. With so much history and culture and food to experience, each cruise offers a completely different experience, even if the itinerary is the same! But the true way to experience Europe is by finding those “off-the-beaten-path” places that enable you to experience the culture (and usually food) of the area without all the tourist traps. Below are just a few of these hidden gems that our cruise consultants (and their family members) have discovered during their European cruises. [Read more →]

by Heather W., Sales Manager

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to take the tour portion of a Europe Cruisetour offered by one of our preferred partners. Beyond the sights, sounds, smells and tastes I encountered, what struck me the most was how much value was incorporated in the tour portion of the Cruisetour.

For those of you not familiar with Cruisetours, a Cruisetour is a cruise plus a land tour of a specific region which occurs before or after a cruise. In Europe, most Cruisetours happen in the order of tour then cruise. Cruisetours are a great way to get a more in-depth vacation experience which, in Europe, means more history, more sights and more chances to eat incredible food! [Read more →]

By Brigid Hastings, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Never in a million years would I ever think of spending the December holidays any place other than at home…..  until last December when my family spent Christmas on the Ruby Princess.

When I first made the reservations I had second thoughts.  I wondered how other family members would react without us there, at home.  Would my two teenagers miss spending Christmas morning  in their Bethesda, MD home?  Would it really “feel” like Christmas being so far away from home? [Read more →]

By Sherry Jefferson, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

In 2006 I earned a free cruise by successfully graduating from Cunard’s Commodore travel agent program. Not having sailed Cunard before I was eager to receive a complimentary cruise and set sail aboard “The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the world.”

When the announcement came out about the complimentary cruises, I jumped at the first sailing I could find, which turned out to be a Caribbean sailing aboard the Queen Mary 2. The sail date was Nov 21, 2008 and it was only then that I realized I would be away over Thanksgiving.  Hmm, what to do now?  I always spend Thanksgiving with my family, either at my home or in New Jersey with my sister. It happens to be one of my favorite holidays with all of the special dishes that we have. There must be at least 10 or 12 sides, all very “low cal” of course, to say nothing about the hors d’oeuvres that we start out with in the afternoon.

[Read more →]

By Brandon Biss, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Wow…I’ve been with The Cruise Web six years!  During that time, I have traveled quite extensively.  Because of the opportunities The Cruise Web provides, I have cruised on most of the cruise lines that our company sells.  However, I have not traveled on any of the luxury lines (Silversea, Seabourn, or Regent) until this past cruise.  I selected this specific cruise for two main reasons:  The Cruise Web’s excellent relationship with Silversea and my wish to visit the Baltic capitals:

Cruise Line: Silversea
Cruise Ship: Silver Cloud Voyage 1914
Itinerary: Stockholm Roundtrip
Sail Date: June 25 – July 4,  2009
Stateroom: Midship Verandah Suite 540 [Read more →]

By Arthur Balin, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Nowadays there are so many cruise options to choose from. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to make sure you choose the cruise that best fits your needs and wants – this does not always mean least expensive. People always ask me what is my favorite cruise, and even though I do have some favorites, what is right for me might not be right for you. So, how do you get the best value for your money while making sure that you and your family have the best possible cruise vacation? [Read more →]

By Rashell O’Neal, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Are you an active person? Are you fanatic about adventure? As most people know, when you cruise you can visit multiple destinations, countries, continents and cultures. But for the adventurous, or merely intrigued, you can also participate in many of the sports and physical activities that each destination offers. Below is a brief snapshot of some of the activities you can try when you are cruising. Hopefully this will motivate you to try something new… [Read more →]

By Jacqueline Baine, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Who knew? Who knew you could do so much on a floating city? Tennis… Basketball… Surfing… What!? All these sports on a ship! You’ve got to be kidding right… No joke!… You can do all of that and much, much more…

Imagine hanging ten, without being washed out to sea. On your next cruise vacation bring the bikini or Speedo and let’s get it on. This will be your opportunity to ride the big wave, have a fabulous video showcasing you riding the waves, and an absolutely incredible story to share with family, friends and co-workers who were not able to make this cruise, but will definitely go on the next one with you. [Read more →]