| Vacation is a great time for a cruise and a cruise | | | | you don't get a penny off the retail price of your |
| is a great time to sample new perfumes. That | | | | next bottle of Chanel or Michael Kors or DKNY Be |
| may seem like a leap to non-cruisers, but those | | | | Delicious, you'll still leave the store paying less than |
| who board cruise lines know that most ships have | | | | you would have using more traditional outlets. |
| onboard boutiques with luxury and specialty items. | | | | Another great reason to buy perfume on a cruise |
| It is not unusual for a cruise ship store to stock | | | | ship is that you can really try it before you buy it. |
| dozens of great perfumes. And what better time | | | | You can pop into the cruise shop, get a spritz on |
| to sample new scents than on a cruise vacation? | | | | the scent you're considering, and then wear it for |
| But there are other reasons to buy perfume on a | | | | the day. Women of fragrance can tell you that |
| cruise ship. | | | | sniffing at a perfume in the bottle or spritzing it |
| The cruise lines must think so, too, because most | | | | on a paper strip are useful, but there is no truer |
| cruise ships feature perfume pretty prominently in | | | | test to whether or not you'll love a new scent |
| their onboard shops. One perk I find in cruising is | | | | than actually wearing it for a few hours. |
| that you can sample a lot of different perfumes | | | | I had that experience with Cinema by Yves St. |
| in these shops to really get the feel (and wear) of | | | | Laurent. I liked the scent well enough when I used |
| fragrances you might not normally try. | | | | the paper tester strip but there were many other |
| Cruise lines feature duty-free shopping but the | | | | perfumes that seemed more intriguing and |
| astute woman of fragrance nosing around the | | | | interesting. Yet when I did a "test" of wearing |
| cruise shop perfume counter may notice that | | | | Cinema for an afternoon, I found that I loved the |
| prices on the perfumes onboard ship are not | | | | scent. |
| much different than prices back home at the local | | | | The range of perfumes your cruise ship will carry |
| department store or online shop. So what's the | | | | will depend on the cruise line. Most cruise ships |
| big deal about duty-free anyway? | | | | manage to stock a pretty decent range of |
| Perfume is one of those things, like diamond rings | | | | products. Look for some big names (Givenchy, |
| and the room rate at a Tahitian resort, that just | | | | Chanel, Lancome, and so on) and some newer |
| doesn't go on sale. Most experienced women of | | | | names (DKNY, Michael Kors, Vera Wang). |
| fragrance can tell you that perfume prices are | | | | You won't find everything. For instance, on my |
| stable as the Rock of Gibraltar. The best deal | | | | last cruise, I found the shop had Chanel No. 5, |
| you'll get from most perfume companies is some | | | | Chance, and Allure from Chanel, but no No. 19. |
| sort of packaged set at the holidays or for | | | | There were many Estee Lauder cosmetics in |
| Mother's Day. | | | | stock, but no fragrances. Dolce & Gabbana's Blue |
| Do not be disappointed if the boittle of perfume | | | | was available, but no other scents. You may find |
| you priced at $60 at the local department store | | | | some delightful and relatively rare scents (I saw |
| or the $100 gift set that you have seen online at | | | | Delices by Cartier and Incanto Charms by |
| the Sephora website (great place to buy | | | | Ferragamo) but you cannot expect the cruise line |
| fragrance) are not marked down just because | | | | to be a fully stocked perfume shop. |
| you are onboard a ship. (You may be pleasantly | | | | When purchasing perfume onboard, the duty-free |
| surprised, but you should not expect to see | | | | purchase counts toward the allowance of |
| anything like a major discount.) | | | | merchandise you are allowed to bring back into |
| The benefit duty-free shopping is that you don't | | | | the country. American citizens are allowed to |
| pay tax (city, state, or federal) on your purchase. | | | | return from their international cruises with $800 in |
| For instance, buy that $60 bottle of perfume at | | | | purchases (per person). Should you exceed that |
| your hometown department store, and you can | | | | sum, you must declare it to customs and it is |
| expect to pay about another $5 in sales tax. | | | | possible that you may be asked to pay duty |
| (That's based on an approximate sales tax rate in | | | | upon your return to the U.S. |
| the U.S. of 8%. If you live in Canada, it's closer to | | | | What about buying perfume at your ports of call? |
| 12% and in Europe, it's higher than that!) | | | | That depends on whether or not the port |
| Most Europeans instantly "get" the concept of | | | | charges sales tax and if there are good perfume |
| duty-free shopping because it is customary in | | | | stores available. |
| Europe to add the tax to the purchase price that | | | | A big surprise for cruising perfume lovers is |
| appears on the label. Thus, seeing the price | | | | Cozumel, Mexico. Not only does this sunny |
| without the tax added in shows the discount quite | | | | Mexican Riveria destination not charge sales tax, |
| plainly. | | | | there is an outstanding (and very large) perfume |
| In the U.S., sales tax is a lot more sneaky. It does | | | | boutique in the shopping district immediately near |
| not appear until you're standing at the checkout | | | | the port. (Just get off the cruise ship and head to |
| when it is just tacked on to the purchase price. | | | | the left to the stores .... it's just a few blocks |
| Buying duty-free eliminates the tax. Of course, in | | | | down.) |
| the U.S. you could also go online and buy perfume | | | | European ports charge hefty taxes but may |
| from an out-of-state vendor and in that way | | | | offer perfumes that are not so easy to find in |
| avoid paying sales tax. However, you'll get dinged | | | | the U.S. |
| with shipping and handling charges. | | | | But if perfume lovers go cruising, they can |
| When you buy something duty free, you are | | | | purchase their old and new favorite scents |
| paying only what the merchandise cost. Even if | | | | onboard their cruise ship with confidence. |