Bill Panoff, president and CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based PPI Group, began his career as a cruise director. In 1987 he left the seagoing life and established PPI Group, which specializes in custom publishing, video production, and marketing and promotions, and today has more than 60 in-house employees.
The company also operates a shopping program that has 65 shopping presenters on cruise ships to give talks about retail options in ports of call. Panoff also publishes Porthole Cruise Magazine. TravelPulse caught up with him to ask four quick questions about cruise ship shopping.
TravelPulse: Is shopping a priority of cruise passengers?
Bill Panoff: Shopping is high on the list of things to do in the ports. Next to going on shore excursions, shopping is probably the most popular activity for cruisers. People want to buy something from ports of call as a memory of their cruise vacation, whether it's a diamond or a watch or something that gives them bragging rights. People like to say "I bought this bracelet in St. Maarten."
People shop for different reasons. Some buy on impulse while others buy for an occasion, such as a honeymoon or renewal of vows.
Shopping is growing dramatically, not only in ports but onboard ships. Cruise lines are getting more sophisticated with their onboard retail and the offerings are a little more extravagant with watches, diamonds, specialty shops and artwork. Prices onboard are very competitive with prices in ports.
TP: What are the best bargains at cruise ports in the Caribbean?
BP: It depends on the port. Some ports have lower import taxes on goods than other ports. For example, for cameras, computers and electronics, the top port in the Caribbean is generally St. Maarten. Diamonds are a huge buy in the Caribbean because unset diamonds are exempt from duty. Perfume and liquor are always a good buy. Cosmetics also are a good buy. Luxury watches such as Hublot, Rolex, Zenith and IWC can be bought at considerable savings in some of the ports.
TP: What advice would you give a cruiser who wanted to buy a high-end watch or a serious piece of jewelry?
BP: I would strongly advise them to listen to the shopping presenter onboard the ship. That person is there to advise the guest on where to shop, and the stores they identify generally offer cruise guests a guarantee of satisfaction. There are great places to shop in every port, but if the purchase might not be what they thought it would be, they do not usually have recourse.
Our recommended stores carry a guarantee, which usually excludes buyer's remorse or passenger negligence, but if there's a problem the guest goes back to the cruise line for satisfaction. At PPI, our service provides guests with the comfort of knowing that they're shopping in stores that are backed up 100 percent. We liaison with cruise lines to allay customer concerns.
TP: How can cruise passengers take advantage of the shopping presenters?
BP: By attending the presentations onboard and reviewing the shopping map, which provides guests with a list of the stores that are identified as having the best quality, great service and the guarantee. For last-minute questions, our presenters are generally at the gangway answering questions.
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