Zee Best Breakfast! Voted best breakfast on the island. Authentic, fresh-baked French pastries, light-as-air crepes and scrumptious lunches. Open daily in two locations; Simpson Bay and Marina Port-de-Plaisance with a lovely view of the marina.
U.S. Customs Guide & Savings
Customs For Returning U.S. Citizens
Recent changes in customs regulations have made shopping on St. Maarten/St. Martin even more attractive. Loose gemstones, for example, are exempt from customs duties. That means unset precious stones (diamonds, tanzanite, rubies, sapphires, emeralds) do not count toward the allowance total. Spend as much as you like on a loose diamond, for example, and you won't pay a penny of duty.
Customs Guides: Know Before You Go
Returning from the Netherland Antilles (St. Maarten) your allowance includes $600 per person exemption, ie; $2,400 for a family of four.
Included in the exemption are a max of two liters of alcoholic beverages, (as long as one of the liters was produced in the Caribbean Basin Countries). Guavaberry Liqueur is a good example of a locally produced alcoholic beverage. And 200 Cigarettes - 1 carton.
To get complete details and an online Know Before You Go Guide from U.S. Customs, please visit the official web site.
How Much Am I Saving?
St. Maarten/St. Martin is the Caribbean's only true
duty-free destination. What does that mean? It means the
price you pay does not include all those government taxes
imposed on imported foreign luxury items. How much can you
save by buying duty-free items? Below are typical savings
on St. Maarten/St. Martin, compared with U.S. retail prices
of major brand-name products.
St. Martin Savings on Watches:
Baume & Mercier
15-20%
Cartier
15-20%
Citizen
44%
Gucci
20%
Movado
35%
Rado
20%
Raymon Weil
20-25%
Seiko
30%
Swiss Army
15%
Tissot
20%
St. Martin Savings on Crystal:
Baccarat
20-30%
Lalique
25-30%
Orrefors
25-30%
Waterford
20%
You can spend days shopping in St. Maarten/St. Martin and not visit the same store twice! So much to buy - so little time... visit our Shopping Guide and get full details about each merchant before you go. Print our shopping maps and take them with you.
Get your own emerald! Emeralds...these bewitching green beauties are said to soothe soul and sharpen intelligence and wit. Eastern legends say emeralds can change color if the wearer is unfaithful. When shopping for emeralds, refer to the experts for advise on purchasing and special care in cleaning emerald jewelry. Inclusions on emeralds are common and only the truly finest are transparent. Emerald is the birthstone of May and the anniversary gemstone for the 20th, 35th and 55th year of marriage. The world's finest come from Colombia. Find these magnificent stones at Colombian Emeralds.
Shipwreck Shops
Stores in key locations island-wide. Get your vacation essentials here; best selling books, souvenirs, Antilles Spice Clipper line of sauces, Heineken Regatta 2007 Collection and cool linen West Indies resort wear by Aussie designer Kim Van Loo exclusively sold here. Buy online now!
For
more great vacation ideas look for our books in
your hotel room.
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Zee Best Breakfast! Voted best breakfast on the island. Authentic, fresh-baked French pastries, light-as-air crepes and scrumptious lunches. Open daily in two locations; Simpson Bay and Marina Port-de-Plaisance with a lovely view of the marina. 
Get your own emerald! Emeralds...these bewitching green beauties are said to soothe soul and sharpen intelligence and wit. Eastern legends say emeralds can change color if the wearer is unfaithful. When shopping for emeralds, refer to the experts for advise on purchasing and special care in cleaning emerald jewelry. Inclusions on emeralds are common and only the truly finest are transparent. Emerald is the birthstone of May and the anniversary gemstone for the 20th, 35th and 55th year of marriage. The world's finest come from Colombia. Find these magnificent stones at Colombian Emeralds. 
Stores in key locations island-wide. Get your vacation essentials here; best selling books, souvenirs, Antilles Spice Clipper line of sauces, Heineken Regatta 2007 Collection and cool linen West Indies resort wear by Aussie designer Kim Van Loo exclusively sold here. Buy online now! 
