Shopping Kickbacks

Does anyone have any firm information as to just
how much the shops in a port "kick back" to the
cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise
Director, etc. to the ship's passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate
per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand

"J Carnaghie" wrote in message
news:KFQOj.3380$Ux4.2476@trnddc07...
Does anyone have any firm information as to just how much the shops in a
port "kick back" to the cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise Director, etc. to the ship's
passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand

On an Alaska cruise we chose an excursion which was a harbor cruise. On the
mic was a sweet young thing who lived in town, had just graduated high
school and was going to the U of Fla in the fall. We asked about all the
touristy shops and places and were told that the cruise lines owned them. I
can't verify that, but it makes sense. If true, the same is probably the
case in places like Belize. Who knows more about this?

Harry Cooper



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[Default] Thus spake "Harry Cooper" :


"J Carnaghie" wrote in message
news:KFQOj.3380$Ux4.2476@trnddc07...
Does anyone have any firm information as to just how much the shops in a
port "kick back" to the cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise Director, etc. to the ship's
passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand

On an Alaska cruise we chose an excursion which was a harbor cruise. On the
mic was a sweet young thing who lived in town, had just graduated high
school and was going to the U of Fla in the fall. We asked about all the
touristy shops and places and were told that the cruise lines owned them. I
can't verify that, but it makes sense. If true, the same is probably the
case in places like Belize. Who knows more about this?

I'd say that's a load of crap. There's no way Carnival and Royal
Caribbean would go in on a shop. And I suspect you'll find that in
Mexico it's difficult for a non-Mexican to have more than a 49% stake.

I've been told by one shop in Cozumel that they had to pay whichever
ship the people said they were from $3 for each sale. Ever since
then, we've always said we were staying at Scuba Club. Usually gets
us a better deal.


Harry Cooper



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"Dillon Pyron" wrote in message
...
[Default] Thus spake "Harry Cooper" :


"J Carnaghie" wrote in message
news:KFQOj.3380$Ux4.2476@trnddc07...
Does anyone have any firm information as to just how much the shops in a
port "kick back" to the cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise Director, etc. to the ship's
passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand

On an Alaska cruise we chose an excursion which was a harbor cruise. On
the
mic was a sweet young thing who lived in town, had just graduated high
school and was going to the U of Fla in the fall. We asked about all the
touristy shops and places and were told that the cruise lines owned them.
I
can't verify that, but it makes sense. If true, the same is probably the
case in places like Belize. Who knows more about this?

I'd say that's a load of crap. There's no way Carnival and Royal
Caribbean would go in on a shop. And I suspect you'll find that in
Mexico it's difficult for a non-Mexican to have more than a 49% stake.

I've been told by one shop in Cozumel that they had to pay whichever
ship the people said they were from $3 for each sale. Ever since
then, we've always said we were staying at Scuba Club. Usually gets
us a better deal.


Harry Cooper



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Could be, Dillon, but I'm not convinced by your argument. Business makes
strange bedfellows and "the bottom line" might have cruise lines working
together. As for restrictions in Mexico, there are a lot of non-Mexican
ports for cruisers. Actually, I hope you are correct. If the cruise lines
own the tourist traps, I would feel hoodwinked somehow. Besides, I gave the
little Alaskan teenager a good tip. She was cute and I am old and
lecherous.

Harry Cooper



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Dillon Pyron wrote:

"J Carnaghie" wrote in message
news:KFQOj.3380$Ux4.2476@trnddc07...
Does anyone have any firm information as to just how much the shops in a
port "kick back" to the cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise Director, etc. to the ship's
passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand

I've been told by one shop in Cozumel that they had to pay whichever
ship the people said they were from $3 for each sale. Ever since
then, we've always said we were staying at Scuba Club. Usually gets
us a better deal.

I had a similar experience in Cozumel when we were NOT there on a
ship and the guys standing in the doorway telling us it was "so cheap
it was almost free" would ask us what ship we were with in the initial
conversation. Also the shops 'recommended' by the ship (the ones on
the main street) wouldn't bargain whereas the ones farther back into
the town will.

In addition I've had people tell me that in the port talk on the ship
that it was dangerous to venture off the main plaza and the waterfront
street, so that they had to stick to the shops recommended by the
ship. I haven't heard this myself as I have not been to a Cozumel
port talk, and tend to skip these.

I know that the local people that do the ship's tours have to kickback
an amount to the ship for the privilege of being a provider because
I've talked to some of them when I was not on a cruise. As a result,
I do believe that tours arranged by the ship where you have shopping
stops that the guide and/or cruise line get a kickback. I know that
in general, tour guides in places like Naples get a kickback for items
purchased from the stores.

I try to avoid shopping at the 'shopping stops'. I also avoid buying
anything so expensive that I need any kind of guarantee that it is a
genuine article. I deviated from that on this last cruise and on the
ships tour, I spent what for me is a very large amount of money (a
little over $1000.00) on a handmade, signed item from Murano for my
grandson and me to give to his parents. I do wonder if I could have
bargained a little harder on it.

On Apr 20, 7:51*pm, J Carnaghie wrote:
Does anyone have any firm information as to just
how much the shops in a port "kick back" to the
cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise
Director, etc. to the ship's passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate
per person or what?
* *Cheers
* * * John In LaLaLand

Hi All,

I have no idea just how much of a percentage the shops receive from
purchases but while on one of George and Lori's Mother cruises two
years ago on the Infinity my daughter Sue and I were shopping in one
of the recommended stores. We had some kind of a
coupon.............. Well, to make a long story short, we spent about
$150. on things Sue (a new Grandmother at the time) wanted and when we
were checking out the cashier asked us what ship we were on and we
said INFINITY, she said yes, thank you and we were on that Carnival
ship weren't we? Said no the Infinity (again). She said Oh, OK, rang
up the purchase and when we got back to the ship, recorded what we
spend and the receipt stated we were on the Carnival ship (can't
remember the name).

Sue made friends with the Cruise Director and told her about it. She
asked if she could take a photocopy of the receipt. The next time we
were in the port (St Thomas) I took notice that this store wasn't on
the list of places to shop. So I asked the cruise director (a
different one) about that and he said that Celebrity could no longer
recommend their business.

So, I don't know what percentage they receive but know that they do
receive something.

Kate
Bensalem PA

Kate wrote:
On Apr 20, 7:51 pm, J Carnaghie wrote:

Does anyone have any firm information as to just
how much the shops in a port "kick back" to the
cruise lines or the cruise director & staff for
the "recommendations" given by the Cruise
Director, etc. to the ship's passengers?
Is it usually a percentage of sales or a flat rate
per person or what?
Cheers
John In LaLaLand


Hi All,

I have no idea just how much of a percentage the shops receive from
purchases but while on one of George and Lori's Mother cruises two
years ago on the Infinity my daughter Sue and I were shopping in one
of the recommended stores. We had some kind of a
coupon.............. Well, to make a long story short, we spent about
$150. on things Sue (a new Grandmother at the time) wanted and when we
were checking out the cashier asked us what ship we were on and we
said INFINITY, she said yes, thank you and we were on that Carnival
ship weren't we? Said no the Infinity (again). She said Oh, OK, rang
up the purchase and when we got back to the ship, recorded what we
spend and the receipt stated we were on the Carnival ship (can't
remember the name).

Sue made friends with the Cruise Director and told her about it. She
asked if she could take a photocopy of the receipt. The next time we
were in the port (St Thomas) I took notice that this store wasn't on
the list of places to shop. So I asked the cruise director (a
different one) about that and he said that Celebrity could no longer
recommend their business.

So, I don't know what percentage they receive but know that they do
receive something.

Kate
Bensalem PA
When I was in Alaska, the store employees in most
of the shops seemed to be from somewhere else!
They came up to Alaska for the "season" and left
right after the last cruise ship - or sooner. The
"locals" did not really appreciate them, since
they took jobs away from them.
The ships must have received some kickback from
the "recommended stores" because when there were
two ships in town, they recorded which ship we
were on.
I would not be surprised if the "ship's portion"
was $5 or so per sale of more than $50.
I know one of the jewelers, one of the few who
really made his stuff there in Alaska said he
wouldn't pay the ship's anything and was not one
of the Recommended Shops, but he had some of the
best locally made merchandise around.
Cheers,
John in LALALand

On Apr 23, 3:15*pm, J Carnaghie wrote:


When I was in Alaska, the store employees in most
of the shops seemed to be from somewhere else!
They came up to Alaska for the "season" and left
right after the last cruise ship - or sooner. The
"locals" did not really appreciate them, since
they took jobs away from them.
The ships must have received some kickback from
the "recommended stores" because when there were
two ships in town, they recorded which ship we
were on.
I would not be surprised if the "ship's portion"
was $5 or so per sale of more than $50.
I know one of the jewelers, one of the few who
really made his stuff there in Alaska said he
wouldn't pay the ship's anything and was not one
of the Recommended Shops, but he had some of the
best locally made merchandise around.


I'll echo your Alaska experience ... We hired a local as a guide for
one of the ports ... took us into a lot of the behind the scenes ...
was personal friends with a totem pole carver ... The disdain for
these cruise ship stores is enormous ... We asked for places which the
locals ran ... She gave us several ... and prices and goods were much
better ... I loved it when I told a cashier that Lois recommended the
store ... He smiled and said ... yeah she taught me in High
School ... I always look to support the locals ...

Kate wrote:

Sue made friends with the Cruise Director and told her about it. She
asked if she could take a photocopy of the receipt. The next time we
were in the port (St Thomas) I took notice that this store wasn't on
the list of places to shop. So I asked the cruise director (a
different one) about that and he said that Celebrity could no longer
recommend their business.

So, I don't know what percentage they receive but know that they do
receive something.

On the last day of the RCI/Celebrity cruises I've been on, the
shopping "expert" has a contest and if you bring your receipts
from recommended places, they have a drawing and you can win
something. I wonder if they make copies of the receipts and use
them to check the amount the stores are reporting? Or do they
just give you contest entries without making copies of the
receipts?

Bill

On Apr 23, 9:13 pm, Bill wrote:
Kate wrote:

Sue made friends with the Cruise Director and told her about it. She
asked if she could take a photocopy of the receipt. The next time we
were in the port (St Thomas) I took notice that this store wasn't on
the list of places to shop. So I asked the cruise director (a
different one) about that and he said that Celebrity could no longer
recommend their business.

So, I don't know what percentage they receive but know that they do
receive something.

On the last day of the RCI/Celebrity cruises I've been on, the
shopping "expert" has a contest and if you bring your receipts
from recommended places, they have a drawing and you can win
something. I wonder if they make copies of the receipts and use
them to check the amount the stores are reporting? Or do they
just give you contest entries without making copies of the
receipts?

Bill

On our Caribbean cruise last December the shopping lecturer touted
Diamonds International so blatantly over and over again that she
should have been embarrassed. I was particularly bothered because I
seem to remember that Diamonds International had been on some sort of
sanction because of bad business practices.