Going On A Cruise What to Take

[mauied1101]

I am going on a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas and St. Marteen this summer. I know I can't fly with my lighter but is there anyway to get a torch lighter to the ship?

Welcome (again) to the group!

Congrats on the cruise - I just came back on one myself (to St. Thomas & St. Maarten as well). You can't bring a lighter on the plane and if you mail it to yourself, I think (but I'm not 100% positive) it's considered hazardous b/c of the flammable liquid - so those are bad. Like NH said, pick up a bic, or use matches. I will say the advantage of using a cheap lighter versus the matches on a boat is wind - if you're lighting up on deck, you'll always have it and it sucks (I was the idiot going through a book before I wised up).

Also I understand I can bring back 100 cigars duty free from St. Thomas and Cubans are available on St. Marteen. Can anyone provide me suggestions on where to shop while on the islands?

B/c St. Thomas is a US territory, you can technically pick up more smokes and alcohol there than if you were going "international" i.e. St. Maarten. Cruise ship will tell you the exact amount in the announcements (and there will be lots of announcements).

If you're buying sticks, buy them at La Casa Del Habano in St. Maarten. Do NOT buy ISOMs any where else on your port stops - they will most likely be fake. There are a lot of cigar shops in St. Maarten - only go the LCDH.

Do a search in the forum and on the web - some clues to tell you how to spot 'em (i.e. glass boxed Cohibas). Prices are reasonable and the selection is fantastic. Any other smokes (Dom Rep, etc.) - no one really fakes 'em too much so you just have to watch out about getting gouged.

What kind of prices can I expect in the islands?

What should I bring with me, What should I buy where?

You should expect prices that are AT OR BETTER than what you'd find in the US. If you're not familiar with pricing, go to a mail-order site (famous or jrtobacco) and request a catalog (or just jot down the prices of your desired smokes) for comparison.

One thing - bring a punch cutter. Assuming you're bringing some smokes, you want to bring one and you might get crap from TSA re: guillotines.

Enjoy the cruise. PM me if you have any specific questions or just post 'em here.

Cheers!

[nhcigarfan]

Welcome (again) to the group!

Congrats on the cruise - I just came back on one myself (to St. Thomas & St. Maarten as well). You can't bring a lighter on the plane and if you mail it to yourself, I think (but I'm not 100% positive) it's considered hazardous b/c of the flammable liquid - so those are bad. Like NH said, pick up a bic, or use matches. I will say the advantage of using a cheap lighter versus the matches on a boat is wind - if you're lighting up on deck, you'll always have it and it sucks (I was the idiot going through a book before I wised up).



B/c St. Thomas is a US territory, you can technically pick up more smokes and alcohol there than if you were going "international" i.e. St. Maarten. Cruise ship will tell you the exact amount in the announcements (and there will be lots of announcements).

If you're buying sticks, buy them at La Casa Del Habano in St. Maarten. Do NOT buy ISOMs any where else on your port stops - they will most likely be fake. There are a lot of cigar shops in St. Maarten - only go the LCDH.

Do a search in the forum and on the web - some clues to tell you how to spot 'em (i.e. glass boxed Cohibas). Prices are reasonable and the selection is fantastic. Any other smokes (Dom Rep, etc.) - no one really fakes 'em too much so you just have to watch out about getting gouged.



You should expect prices that are AT OR BETTER than what you'd find in the US. If you're not familiar with pricing, go to a mail-order site (famous or jrtobacco) and request a catalog (or just jot down the prices of your desired smokes) for comparison.

One thing - bring a punch cutter. Assuming you're bringing some smokes, you want to bring one and you might get crap from TSA re: guillotines.

Enjoy the cruise. PM me if you have any specific questions or just post 'em here.

Cheers!

Good advice here.

[TSoprano]

I'll be going on my Honeymoon in October. It is a cruise on the Mexican Riviera. I will not be flying as the ship will dock from Long Beach, CA. Should I worry about taking a torch lighter, or is the issue only about taking it on a plane?

[mauied1101]

I'll be going on my Honeymoon in October. It is a cruise on the Mexican Riviera. I will not be flying as the ship will dock from Long Beach, CA. Should I worry about taking a torch lighter, or is the issue only about taking it on a plane?

plane. you're ok if you're not flying. congrats (or condolences? ) on the nuptials.

[why1504]

Thanks for the great advice.

Are there any Cuban Maduros of note?

[NullSmurf]

If you want to fly with your lighter, you should check this one out. I still wouldn't try this on a carry-on, but in checked baggage, should be ok.

http://www.otterbox.com/products/zippo_case/

And thanks to Joe M on CP http://www.vectorkgm.com/catalog/tem...ch/titanic.cfm

edit: fixed link

[tylernim]

Thanks for the great advice.

Are there any Cuban Maduros of note?

There is no such thing as a Cuban Maduro. Every wrapper on a Cuban is simply a Cuban wrapper. Happy smoking!

[drew_goring]

There is no such thing as a Cuban Maduro. Every wrapper on a Cuban is simply a Cuban wrapper. Happy smoking!

Maybe he means the ELs. I thought they normally had a darker wrapper than the regular ones?