cruise ship art auctions consumer alert

Anyone who has ever been on a cruise knows that the cruise lines make most of their money from your on-ship purchases, and they sell everything from designer clothes to fines wines. Most lucratively, many ships now offer fine investment art, sold by many auction houses, all geared for the cruising public. We did some research to see why so many ...

Founded in 1969 by Albert Scaglione, Park West boasts some impressive-sounding sales numbers. Borotescu told us that the company operates on 100 cruise ships, and claimed that the art aboard the ...

Art auctions are a mainstay of big-ship cruise lines—and they usually run in a similar format: show up, drink a few glasses of free Champagne, take a numbered bid card, and peruse the artwork to ...

On YouTube, Park West Gallery features a thumping video called "Art for Everyone.". The video paints a picture of Park West's open-door art auctions on cruise ships and at resorts. "The ...

Among the passengers gathered for the art auction, the guy sitting in front of me seemed the most likely to have attended just for the free booze. ... It was 11:15 a.m., and our cruise ship, the ...

slotl said: I started going to the art auctions many years ago, I purchased some pieces. The cost of framing was more than the cost of the picture. No more art for me. Now for the benefits of the art auctions.... Every auction (regardless of what ship) has their "lookie lookie" specials for $25 or less.

Posted August 1, 2005. No, they are not a scam; however you need to understand that cruise ships provide a huge market that can artificially hike prices. As a result you should only buy items that you like and feel are reasonably priced. Note: Park West does not have the lock on cruise ships as it used to.

The most serious of the suits allege the sale of inauthentic art and inflated appraisals. For example, Lisa Cornell of Weston, Florida, purchased art on a Princess Cruise in 2007 but alleged that ...

Park West auction on a Royal Caribbean cruise.. Cruise ships contract commercial galleries to provide the artwork. P&O Cruises are serviced by British Australian Art, and International Corporate Art is the largest art consultancy group to the international cruise industry. Generally speaking, though, the main purveyor of cruise ship artwork is Park West Gallery.

Don't be fooled by "appraisals" or "estimated worth." If prints by your favorite cruise ship artists are selling on eBay for $150 even though you paid $1500, your art is worth $150. That doesn't mean you can't be smart. Original paintings tend to be the most valuable. Next to that, "embellished" paintings, in which an artist has taken one of ...

Only with these auctions, there is no chance to really gain. Although the art may be attractive and appealing on the surface, when more research is done or the frame is removed from the art, the truth becomes evident. Depending on the price realized, the buyer ends up with an overpriced purchase. The majority of the time, the art is a cheap ...

12.13.07 3:24 PM EDT By consumerist.com. auctions art consumer alert cruise ships SCAMS. Here's a fun scam: buying art at auction on cruise ships. In one case, a woman paid $20,000 for what she ...

Most awkward moment of the cruise I just got off was the art auction I stumbled upon. I walked up right when they unveiled a 3 piece collection from the same artist, Max something, and said the estimated retail value was $27,900 but they were going to start the bidding at $10,200. One guy bid.

Park West, the 53-year-old Southfield, Michigan-based company best known for auctioning art on cruise ships, deals mainly in affordable art priced in the four and five figures—but sells a lot of it.

Viewers share problems and regrets after spending cash on art auctions on cruises or resorts. Experts advise to do research, pause and protect yourself before bidding.

Cruise Ship Art Auctions Are Designed To Make Money! While these auctions absolutely have an entertainment and educational value, they (like everything on most cruises) is designed to make money. Some cruisers who attend will spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on art that they see at the auction or while browsing the gallery, but for most ...

December 14, 2016, 9:45 PM UTC. Ever Bought Artwork on a Cruise? Prepare to Be Seasick. Park West, the biggest art gallery in the world, knows how to sell at sea—where there's bad Wi-Fi and plenty of Champagne. Among the passengers gathered for the art auction, the guy sitting in front of me seemed the most likely to have attended just for ...

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We will have 2 full days to sightsee in Moscow in June prior to a cruise and would welcome recommendations. We are traveling independently and will have a guide for 2 days. We will also have a car and driver on 1 of those days. We plan to see the Kremlin, St. Basils Cathedral, Lenins mausoleum, G...

We thought about it and did it September 21, 2013. We would like to share how we did it and explore options on how to visit this great city. Because we were staying in St. Petersburg, we chose a "Day Trip". We found a guide on the internet and contacted her. We asked her the best way and day to v...

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken Best of Moscow by high speed train from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day. Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also wha...