“We purchased $100,000 of art…appraisers claimed it was worth $6800” – should you avoid cruise ship art auctions?

• A recent story of a Brisbane couple purchasing a limited edition boxing glove on a cruise ship auction made headlines after the couple received a different version of the glove than what they paid for.
• There are many cautionary tales online about purchasing art on a cruise ship.
• Many cruisers complain of inflated appraisals, not receiving the exact item, delays and complications in delivery and more. So is it worth it?

An interesting corner of a cruise ship is the art auctions area, where paintings, sculptures, memorabilia and more can be found.

When you’re on a cruise you might be swept away with an invitation for some free champagne and find yourself in one of these auctions. However, these auctions have come under scrutiny before for some suspicious practices. 

Park West Gallery, which operate on several major cruise lines, including in Australia, were recently in headlines after a Brisbane man and his wife purchased a signed Muhammad Ali glove on their cruise ship for $5000. While the couple asked to take the item straight off the ship, they were told this isn’t protocol and that the item would be re-framed and then shipped to them. 

The glove arrived 10 weeks later, but the family quickly noticed it wasn’t the exact same item that they had bid on in the auction. They noticed irregularities between the glove they had been sent and photos of the one they bid on, including an extra ink dot, a different looking signature and a serial number, which confirmed it was not the same item. 

Park West Gallery told the guests that this was common practice and the items on the actual ship are “display pieces” only. The couple were not satisfied with this explanation. 

Are cruise ship art auctions worth it?

A quick scan of Park West Gallery’s Google Reviews shows other dissatisfied customers, particularly those who purchased art on cruise ships.

Many cruisers may be told that the art is a good investment. In reality, items should only be purchased if you want them to display in your own home, not as a money making investment. 

Victor J writes on Google Reviews: “If you are buying the Art because you love it, great. At no point you should think this is an investment. We purchased over $100,000 in Art work from Park west. My significant other past away. I had the Artwork Appraised and came back at $6,800 Dollars.They sell you a replacement appraisal on ship but it’s just to replace the overpriced piece of Art you just paid for.”

A review from Jace Ye reads: “We were on a carnival cruise and we went to the art auction. We won the raffle and we got a free piece of art. When we got there we also bought 2 other pieces of art. The staff said it would include the frame. In the end, all we got was a photograph of the art.

“It was literally printed. They also didn’t give us the frame.”

Another cruiser shared a story of not getting the exact item they had purchased.

“Well, the Park West Gallery sales representative lied right to my face! I’ve done business with Park West for almost 20 years and recently (10/16/2024) bought a second Peter Max on a Celebrity cruise. I like this one piece (Flag with Heart) and specifically asked “Is this the exact numbered piece I’ll be receiving?

“The representative said “YES”. “Great, let’s complete the transaction”. I did take a picture of the piece which was numbered 395/495. When we received the artwork, the numbered piece was 465/495. Yes, it looks identical, but the issue is the Park West representative LIED. This will be the last piece of artwork I buy from Park West. Based on this experience, I recommend NOT to purchase from Park West.”

Another review from a user called JS reads: “I bought over $4K worth of art aboard a cruise ship. The initial art that they sent to me was improperly packaged, like they sent me something that was just lying around, threw it in a leftover box with a little bubble wrap and said yeah that’s good enough for this guy and sent it. It was broken in transit.

“The art was worth over $1K and they charged me a fortune for shipping. I really feel if I had not been there to reject the art in front of the FEDEX driver I would have not had a leg to stand on (see photos). They did send a replacement, and the other items I bought were shipped properly.

“Beyond this I made the mistake of signing up for their auctions online. Despite my requests to unsubscribe and my requests to not be called they continue to send me email and call me.”

Darryl Crampton, another google reviewer, says he strongly warns against purchasing art on cruise ships.

“I bought a print, and received a lesser value copy. My bad, I really should have read the Google reviews. NEVER EVER buy a painting on board. You have no control over what they will send you. 

“And try suing a company in Miami from your overseas home base. Best you don’t buy.

Park West Pledge

Park West’s website has this message:

“Is Park West Gallery Artwork Authentic?

1. We take our reputation seriously at Park West Gallery. Every item purchased from Park West comes with a money-back, limited guarantee of authorship and a certificate of authenticity, including the complete description for each work.

2. We make every attempt to provide the most extensive information on the specifics of all works offered (where available): title, date, medium, image size, edition (tirage) information, and any relevant historical or provenance information.

3. Park West Gallery also utilizes well-recognized experts and scholars to document and review our collections, including:

• Joseph Jacobs, noted freelance art writer and critic
• Tony Janson, co-author of the “History of Art,” the most widely used textbook on fine art ever written
• Dr. Eleanor Hight, University of New Hampshire art professor and expert on Russian art

When our seal is affixed to a Park West Gallery certificate of authenticity, collectors have the assurance that the research was done according to the highest of museum and/or international auction standards.”

Park West is a legitimate corporation and art dealer, but if you’re inexperienced in the art world, a cruise ship is not a good place to start your art collection if you are worried about the price.

Unless you are certain you want a particular piece of art for your own enjoyment, and don’t mind if it potentially is not the exact same piece, purchasing art on a ship may not be the best idea. 

We approached Park West for comment on this story. We will update when we receive a response.