Here’s Why You Should Never Buy Art…

…….on a Cruise Ship!

Before COVID, cruises were luxury vacations for many. You get on a big ship stocked with food, sail around beautiful islands, and stop in fun spots along the way for excursions and other activities.

The cruise ships themselves are also filled with various activities, everything from casinos to gyms to even art auctions.

If you’re no art connoisseur, you might have thought that going to an art auction would be fun. Why not? After all, you’re on vacation... time to try new things, right? 

But if you’re thinking about buying art onboard, save your money for something else. Let’s talk about why.

Checking Provenance is Difficult

One of the first things any art auction attendee should do is check the provenance of a painting. Provenance means being able to look at the past history of the piece of art.

When was it painted, who has owned it, when it has been previously bought and sold, and if it is a new painting where is it from? This information can usually be found online on specific auction sites like LiveAuctioneers.com, but is more likely to be found by talking to the specialists at a reputable auction house on land.

In a cruise ship in the middle of water, you’re not going to be able to have access to the provenance you need to make an educated purchase. Plus, cruise ship WIFI isn’t winning any awards for its speed.

While onboard salespeople could tell you a few details about the piece, you may not be getting the full story or be able to double-check for yourself.

Shady Dealings

Forged signatures and fake copies might appear to be two things you would only see in movies, but their prevalence tends to show up on cruise ships more often than not.

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