Are the savings really so great?  What drives people into the shopping frenzy?

I first pose the question to Therese, a Canadian ex-pat working at Diamonds International (the ubiquitous port of call jewelry retailers) in Costa Maya, Mexico.  “Let’s put it this way,”  she says.  “Would you wake up on a Tuesday morning at home and go shopping for a diamond?  It’s part of the cruise experience, and there is a great selection…but no, the prices are really not the best you can ever find.  But people enjoy it, and it gives them something to show when the trip is over.”

I next approached Phil, our charmingly English cruise shopping guide.  “Oh yes,” he said, “the prices really are so much lower, since everything is duty and tax free.”  He recounts the tale of many couples, newly engaged or honeymooning, who are dismayed to find that the rings they just purchased stateside are far less expensive in the islands.  But, he added, it’s hard to compare when your’e dealing with stones.  The proof, he continued, is in the prices of the branded items.  For example, if someone wanted to buy a Breitling watch, they could instead take a cruise, buy the watch in a port, and essentially get the watch for free, based on the list price compared to the actual island price.  I will, when I return home, do a little research on the validity of that statement, and will report back on my findings.

Diane, a frequent cruiser and former jeweler, loves to buy jewelry when she travels, although she is clear that the savings are not all they’re said to be.  But she buys anyway, citing unique designs and uncommon stones as her reason for purchasing.  Anna, another frequent cruiser, agrees.  But for every Diane, Anna and Therese,  there continue to be dozens, maybe hundreds, of uneducated, free-spending travelers who believe that they could never find such bargains anywhere else.

Besides, they say, it’s fun to tell people, when they admire the new pieces, that they bought them in Mexico, St. Maarten, or the duty-free shop on the cruise ship.

Me, I’ll buy a t-shirt.

Back to civilization this weekend, back to the search for Health Insurance on Monday.  For now, though, the jacuzzi awaits.

Meanwhile, for more on discount cruising, click here.

I am beginning to realize that one of the reasons I can live well on a budget is that I don’t care about shopping, and I have enough stuff.  What is it about shopping that gets people so excited?  And are there really such great bargains to be had by leaving the US?

My plan today is to ask my fellow passengers why they get so excited about shopping on vacation.  For me, it’s the fun of having something that no one else will probably have, and the excitement of saying, when I get a compliment on the piece, that I bought it in Wherever.  Are the prices really so great that they can’t be matched in the states?  Is the stuff so unique?  Is it status?  I’m truly curious.  Why do people spend so much money when they’re away? How many watches does one person need?

I go ashore to see the country, meet the people, and maybe find some cheap, unique Mexican silver or pottery gifty things to bring home to my friends and family, and a little something for myself, as a memory of this lovely trip. Tomorrow, Belize City.  I wonder what’s available there.

My sister, the Rebate Queen, and I are hitting the road in a few weeks for an extended road trip to NY and the Northeast.  If there’s anyone who is better than me on saving money, it’s her.  We will report on our money saving techniques and successes (and failures!) as we plan and go.

One stop: Visiting my little country house in the Catskill mountains to bring home some of my stuff.  Talk about a deal:  I bought this house for only $30,000, fixed it up, expanded the porch and deck, filled it with lots of Vintage Catskill furniture and knick-knacks, and now have it on the market for much more, after 10 years of enjoyment.

But I digress.  First job is finding the best and cheapest way to get there.  Do we fly? Do we drive? If so, which car?  And who’s going to do the driving anyway? As a Florida newbie and ex New Yorker (i.e., not a daily driver) I don’t always make my passengers comfortable).  Where will we stay?   Actually, I’ve never meticulously budgeted my travel expenses.  This will be an adventure for sure!

If you’re traveling this summer, there’s lots of good news — gas prices going down, tons of great deals, lots of people taking the summer off (i.e. laid off) so easy to find travel companions.  At the same time, Continental, like other airlines, just announced the addition of checked baggage fees, Spirit Air is now charging for seats and drinking water, and other airlines are trying similar tricks.  So buyer beware.

We’ll do our best to help you find ways to travel cheaply this summer.  Here are a few links to get you started.

Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, for more on travel, click here.

Says who? With an internet connection (which we all have) and knowledge of the right buttons to push (some are conveniently located at the end of this post), even today you can have a wonderful trip across the pond.

Today’s post comes to us from Paris, where my dear friend Richard Nahem, another New York expat, writes a blog called Eye Prefer Paris, a look into the City of Lights for frustrated travelers everywhere. For your daily dose of the continent, sign up here. And when you make it to Paris, be sure to look him up; mention this blog for a special discount on his fabulous personalized tours of the places only the natives know.

Here’s Richard’s take on ten ways to save money in Paris:

“This valuable list of Top Ten Paris Bargains came to me from Sonia at www.hostelbookers.com, an excellent resource for budget travelers. It always great to know where the bargains are in Paris and this list has some nice surprises I didn’t know about.”

So, from Richard and Sonia in Paris, with a little help from other travelers….the Top Ten Paris Bargains.

A budget trip to Paris? C’est impossible? Mais no! It’s a Paris cliché that Gallic chic doesn’t come cheap, and travelers always complain that the city of lights is costly. But there are loads of ‘bon prix’ to be found along the Parisian streets, you just have to look beyond the Louvre…

1. A Bargain Bistro
L’Avant Gout (26 Rue Bobilot 75013), is a gourmet bistro famous for its signature dish ‘Le pot au feu de cochon aux épices’. The lunch menu is a true bargain — for €14 you get an entree, main course, a glass of wine, and coffee all included in the price.

Many restaurants, especially in the Latin Quarter, still offer price-fixed dinners; blackboards and aggressive restauranteurs will be sure to let you know about them.

2. The Batobus
A trip along the Seine is the perfect way to see Paris, but avoid the overpriced tourist boats blaring irritating commentaries. From Mid-April to November, the Batobus is a great budget alternative, and it stops off at all the main sites, looping from the Eiffel Tower right round to the Champs Elysee. Take to the water for €12 for one day or €16 for two, and hop and off when you please.

3. Another Tower
Whilst the Eiffel Tower may be Paris’ most iconic way to see the city, the Montparnasse Tower offers a far cheaper romantic view. Ignore the tourist lift and take your loved one to the café on the 56th floor. Grab a gourmet café au lait, enjoy the sights below, and spot that other famous tower from the window!

4. Vintage Finds for €5
Free P Star, and a few other unnamed, tiny shops in the Marais, are a vintage mecca for sourcing cool secondhand clothes. Crammed to the rafters with fur coats, pretty dresses, leather jackets and platform boots, hoards of chic Parisiens elbow each other out the way in search of the perfect bargain outfit. The real draw for bargain hunters are the €3 and €5 ‘bins’, where you can rummage for some truly unique pieces.

5. Cool Cocktails in the Marais
This cobbled former Jewish quarter is now the hippest hot-spot in the city, and at around 8pm most of the bars have a happy hour, where you can get a pint of beer or a cocktail, and some bar snacks for under €5.

6. The Musee D’Orsay
This is a well-known museum, but I really think this is one of Paris’s best-value galleries. Housed in a beautiful old train station, it showcases a range of art from 1848 to 1915, but is most famous for its impressive collection by the Impressionists Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cezanne. Smaller and easier to navigate than the Louvre, tickets are only €5.50 on Sundays and for under 25s.

7. Cemeteries and Churches
The ultimate bargain when visiting Paris, all the cemeteries and churches in the city are free to enter. Cemeteries like Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise are completely free, and are home to many famous graves, from Jim Morrisson to Jean Paul-Sartre. The Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and a whole host of lesser known churches like Saint Sulpice are some of the cities grandest buildings, are just as beautiful inside, and cost nothing to visit. Plus, artists camping out on the steps sometimes create beautiful art, and of course, prices are very negotiable.

8. Monoprix Macarons
Whenever I visit Paris, I pay a visit to the many amazing patisseries in the city, and occasionally indulge in one of Lauduree’s sumptuous macarons. These candy-colored confections cost a bomb, so you can only limit yourself to one at a time! For a delicious treat at about a third of the price, head to supermarkets Franprix or Monoprix, and stock up on the little boxes of mini macarons. The quality is almost as good, and you’ll have enough to share round!

9. A Paris hostel
Forget dingy dorms and dirty shared bathrooms, it’s easy to find a stylish hostel in Paris, and many have better facilities than most budget hotels. Prices at Le Montclair Montmartre start at only €26 a night for a private room, and the hostel is enough to convert even the most skeptical of travelers, with a free breakfast, internet facilities and a stylish lounge, all in the heart of bohemian Montmartre.

10. And finally…the Louvre for less
If you are desperate to visit the Louvre, at least do it on the cheap. The Louvre is free the first Sunday of every month, but all of Paris knows this – so the queues are vast. It’s far less stressful to visit on Wednesday and Friday evenings, between 6 and 9:45pm, where the admission fee is halved, and you won’t have to wade through the crowds to see the Mona Lisa!

Thanks, Richard. Hope to see you in the fall, after the crowds are gone.

Here, for your convenience and dreaming, are a few links to good discount travel sites,
plus one for cheap international calling :

Compare and save!

We wish you a fun, safe journey to places unknown. Caveat Emptor — Just look, don’t shop. With Euros and Pounds, those little Eiffel Tower charms can cost you as much as the airfare.