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JEWELRY TENNIS BRACELETS : The next day we cornered Mr. Kirkland and asked him how he could recommend such a place and he just look surprised and said he has never had a problemthere. He asked for our cabin numbers and said he would contact the store andget back to us, but of course he never did. I called my credit card companywhen we returned to the states to make sure the credit went through. It didbut for $10 less than the amount that was originally charged. VISA was goodabout making the correction. Who is getting the kick back here? How can Carnival promote such a place? Spread the word...buyer beware. I will be contacting Carnival with my story,but I am not too optimistic that they will stop recommending this place.This one facet of cruising that I have not been particularly fond of. The onlyreason a cruise line recommends a shop or store is because that store has paid forthe recommendation. The line will tell you that they have checked out the merchantand all that stuff, but really, as long as the merchant pays his advertising fee heremains "recommended."
JEWELRY TENNIS BRACELETS : Recommending merchants is actually a pretty big profit center for cruise lines,profitable enough that they can afford to hire port lecturers, who are nothing morethan shills for the merchants. I was in the leather shop at the end of the streetin Cozumel one time when the port lecturer from our ship came in to speak with theshop owner. They went over the day's receipts and after much work with acalculator, the owner slipped a large wad of bills to the lecturer. Why do youthink the shops always ask what ship you are on? It's so they know if theiradvertising dollars are working, and to know how much kickback to pay.There was a big stink about this in Grand Cayman about five years ago. Bye Bye (areal tourist trap, if there ever was one!) agreed to pay advertising fees to cruiselines, but all the other established merchants refused. I don't know what everbecame of it.
JEWELRY TENNIS BRACELETS : Does anyone know of a truly reputable jewelry store in Cozumel that will offergood values?Shop at home before going. I have been shopping for some diamond studearrings and thought I might find some in Cozumel. I found some alright,but the prices and quality were no better than what I get in the USA.Seems you also have to barter even in the "recommended shops", that turnedme off. I did have fun bartering in the Plaza. None of the ships talksI've ever been to talk about this wonderful shopping area. It's one streetback from the "recommended shops."If there is one aspect of cruising that does not enchant me, it is "recommending"of merchants by cruise lines. Recommending of merchants is a very good profitcenter for lines, so profitable, in fact, that they can afford to hire portlecturers to do the dirty work. The only criteria to become a recommended store isthe payment of an advertising fee. The port lecturers will tell you that theycheck out these merchants reputation, but the only thing they check out is theirability to make their advertising payments.
JEWELRY TENNIS BRACELETS : The port lecturers are nothing more than shills for the merchants, and anyone whobelieves their recommendations could be seriously disappointed. I can remember onecruise where I stood in the corner of the leather shop next to Los Cinqos Soles andwatched out port lecturer help the merchant tally up his comission. There werethree ships in port that day, and the merchant had three piles of invoices, one foreach ship. He took the appropriate pile, added it up, and paid the lecturer a nicepercentage, in cash. Why do you think the merchants always ask which ship you arefrom?This thing caused a big stink in Grand Cayman about five years ago. Bye Bye (atourist trap if there ever was one) wanted to pay the cruise lines to advertise forthem. The established merchants in Cayman had never done so, and didn't want tostart. I never did learn the final outcome, but there were some pretty hardfeelings for a while.
JEWELRY TENNIS BRACELETS : The point is-A merchant is recommended only because he has paid a bribe to the cruise line. Ithas nothing to do with his trustworthiness or business acumen. Port lectures onmost ships are just advertising sessions. There is no need for anyone to attendany port lecture.I have had some good port lectures on HAL and Princess. They told me some useful information between telling us about the recommended shops.I walked out of the first port lecture on RCI after less than ten minutes and never went to another one. All they did was hold up products from recommended shops and talk about how wonderful they are ad infinitum A fellow passenger left at the same time as me. "I told her this is like watching the shopping channel." She agreed.
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