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Cruise Shop Save’s Melissa Davis includes Del Sol color-changing clothing and accessories in her article “What’s the Best Shopping in Aruba?” where she talks about the customization of Del Sol products to the Aruba clientele, the exclusive deals, and the fun-in-the-sun nature of Del Sol for any shopper. Cruise Shop Save delivers all things cruising and shopping in port and is founded and showcased by 25-year cruise shopping expert, Melissa.
What’s the Best Shopping in Aruba?
This is a question I would get asked during my 25 years as a Port Shopping Guide working on Cruise Ships.
Here are the best things to shop for in Aurba:
Tax and Duty-Free Shopping
Everything in the Caribbean is tax and duty-free; many guests embark on a cruise ship ready to shop ashore to save anywhere between 15- 65% on luxury products. It’s hardly surprising that the Caribbean islands have become hot spots for luxury shopping over the years to accommodate this appetite by cruisers to shop ashore.
Jewelry and watches are the number one item guests buy because the prices are so much less than back home. The key here is to do some research before you leave for your cruise. Visit your high street or search online. There are four things to consider when buying a diamond; see below.
You’re saving your tax; how much tax do you pay back home? Then that is how much you are saving straight away. I live in the U.K., so if I were to buy a diamond on my high street, I would need to pay 20% tax at the cash register. The jeweler will have also paid import duty for the pleasure of receiving the diamond from the manufacturer, which can be 4 – 5%. If you are not sure what VAT or GST you would pay back home on luxury goods, which is what a diamond falls under, then use this link to find your sales tax, which you are saving when you buy luxury products in the Caribbean.
Souvenirs
Aruba is a brilliant place to buy unique souvenirs; with the Dutch European influence. You will find many fabulous colors of Dutch souvenirs. Here are some highlights that I saw the guests buying a lot of. Colour change T-shirts with, of course, Aruba designs; check out Del Sol with products that change color in the sun; so much fun to take back to the kids; here is the link to their store in Aruba. If you have heard of Del Sol before, they are in a lot of Caribbean islands, each island specializing in the local designs, head over to the Del Sol Website there is always an offer on and at the moment, it is a FREE Tote Bag when you buy three Tees – here is the link to Color Changing Clothes, T-Shirts, Accessories by DelSol.com.
Also, a store called Cariloha, where they sell ultra-comfortable bedding, clothing and bath goods made from the most sustainable renewable resource on the planet – bamboo! They even offer bamboo face masks. Bamboo is very soft, comfortable and hypoallergenic. It grows pesticide-free, self-regenerates when cut down, and some species can grow up to four feet per day. Explore all the incredible benefits of this miracle plant! Bamboo Essentials Comfort, style, and sustainability can coexist. And that’s what you’ll experience with all of Cariloha’s eco-friendly bamboo fabrics. Bamboo’s soft, buttery feel and lightweight breathability. Designed to appeal to those who seek the very best in natural luxury. Here is the location in Aruba; if you can’t wait to cruise to Aruba to shop or you just visited and forgot to pick up your Cariloha essentials, here is a link to their website Bamboo Clothing, Apparel & Accessories | Cariloha
Local Produce
You can buy the most amazing aloe Vera products from here with the only aloe vera harvesting, manufacturing, packaging, and selling company on the island. There is a product you can buy in most retail outlets in Aruba called Aruba Aloe. They pride themselves on creating Aloe Vera products with a plant that is so prominent in Aruba. Aloe Vera is so unique in its countless benefits. Aruba’s Code of Arms even features an aloe plant it is sometimes nicknamed ‘The Island of Aloes’. Aloe Vera marked Aruba’s first source of welfare. The quality of the Aruban Aloes has been the best in the World for more than 150 years. If you want to shop for this online, here is the link to the website Aruba Aloe.
For quick Aruba facts, check out the Aruba highlights page.
Read more from Cruise Shop Save here.