Park West Gallery

10+ phone calls and 4 or 5 emails later… Finally confirmed my refund. They say check back in August. That will be my 1 year anniversary I’ve been dealing with this headache. Hopefully they are right. But with their track record and the stuff I have heard from them so far I will not be holding my breath.
–I purchased my artwork during a Royal Caribbean Cruise if that matters to anyone, they have also been very unhelpful in this situation but I am not holding them as accountable.

Bought a painting in February. It is June. Keep calling to check on the status and repeatedly told «4 more weeks» «10 weeks» …really? Worst customer service ever. Don’t waste your time going to their art auctions on Carnival Cruise. I could have commisioned the artist to paint an entire new painting by now. Carnival should drop this company from their ships… like right off the stern.

I’m not really sure why so many people are having problems with this company. I was on a cruise out of Italy on NCL and purchased an original piece of art. Several weeks later, I received the EXACT same painting that I purchased in perfect condition. I had contacted Park West several times to find out the status of the delivery and to ask questions about the framing. I was treated respectfully over the phone and received the information I needed. Fast forward a year and a half later. I was on another cruise and purchased some art work. I decided to cancel the order. Park west charged me a cancellation fee and sent me a voucher that I can use for up to 2 years from now. They will apply the cancellation fee towards a new painting. I think this is very good. Given the logistics involved with removing art off a cruise and shipping to get it framed, etc. This costs the company money and they are allowing you to apply the cancellation fee towards a new painting. I do find that some of the prices are high but I don’t think they are unreasonable. I am quite happy with Park West Gallery.

We purchased $ 5500 worth of art on RCL and were told we could cancel within 40 days for a full refund and would only pay shipping — having a hard time deciding, we met with the associate (Neil) four times before making our decision… it was very high pressure sales tactics, like buying a car.
All times he assured us…“take it home, if you don’t like it, send it back for the cost of shipping”. I regretted the decision as soon as I made it but figured I would have to take care of it when I returned home. When I returned home to call Park West, I looked over the invoice for the phone number that they had so carefully circled along with the invoice number and the fact that I should wait 90 days for delivery but the fact that they would be charging 15% + shipping fees for cancellation was not circled and was in fact in smaller than any print on the page. Even larger print states… I FURTHER STATE THAT NO VERBAL REPRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE OR RELIED UPON BY ME IN CONNECTION WITH MY this is the shadiest most deceiving company I have ever dealt with. Park West Galleries you should be ashamed of yourself training your associates and auctioneers to gain trust of customers and purposely providing false information so you can make money absolutely scandalous!

I bought a painting on Norwegian cruise line in November of 2015… After several calls and lots of promises… No painting!!!
Do not buy from these CON ARTISTS! Now they will not return a call. I have asked for a supervisor to call me. I think Norwegian turns their head. A complete SCAM!!!
I guess I will have to pay a Lawyer and sue them… Scammed by a CON «ARTIST» at SEA!!!

So this is a follow up review. Park west was quick to respond on Unilocal and google reviews but then when I sent them an email to their customer service I have not heard from them yet. Horrible service.

Only one reason why I have 1 star, cruising and cruises have changed a lot in the last 5 years but park west auctions have not. I’ve been on 34 cruises and if you have been to one auction you’ve been to them all. The have been selling the same artist forever and now because they have sold so many of the same old stuff, even originals hold no value. Go on eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and you will see tons of park west art!!! Selling for half price or even less. Park west pieces are absolutely worthless once you buy it. It’s a shame because I like some of the artist. But they hold zero value and please whatever you do. Don’t buy Peter Max! Not value at all in Peter max

I wish I had read these reviews before spending $ 5300 with them. They are horrible. I agree with the others that they are an uppity bunch shipboard. I also agree that I probably paid too much. But it was a vacation, so that was okay.
BUT MY EXPERIENCE AFTERWARD:
I had to pay up front (July 2015) with expected delivery «no later than mid Oct 2015. I only received 3 of my 4 pieces. I called & called but no response (you have to thru Carnival because Park West has no phone #s.Mmmm, not a surprise. I disputed this thru my credit card company, but Park West said I had received it, so I lost the dispute. I still have never received a credit, so I am out the $ 550 and no art.

They came through and made everything right. I will shop there again.

Can I give NO STARS?
I just left a horrible review on Norwegian cruise lines pleading for people to AVOID PARK WEST GALLERIES AT ALL COSTS!!! The service for their company is utterly atrocious. I waited my entire lunch break after being told that an operator would be with me shortly. I have purchased art at many galleries in the US and abroad. NEVER was I mislead to believe that my purchases were never to arrive. We were told up to 6 weeks for delivery. We are @ 10 currently. Thank God for Unilocal.I will make it my mission to visit every cruise ship that PARK WEST hosts art exhibits/​auctions and leave poor ratings about this gallery. I have canceled the purchase through AMEX and warned them about the financial and product deceiving practices that I have personally witnessed. I have requested AMEX review all the other reviews, even on the PARK WEST GALLERY SITE ITSELF!
The host on board Nick Dobrota, principle art auctioneer was gracious, knowledgable and accommodating. Very professional. He introduced my mother to a piece of original artwork that she fell in love with. It was to hang proudly in her new condo and as a bonus, it was painted by an artist from her native Ukraine. I am sure that the other galleries I have worked with in he past will help us find another original from the same artist. Probably even cheaper! Bottom line, this company is poorly managed, has terrible communication skills (I’m still waiting for my «guarenteed» call within 24 hours) and should NOT BE TRUSTED WITH YOUR ART PURCHASES. BEWARE!!!

This was my wife and I first experience with Park West. We were on a cruise last year and loved all the art in the gallery and the variety. The art was changed throughout the week to show the variety of the artists that were available for purchase. This year, we decided to attend the auctions and seminars. WE ARE GLAD WE DID. Yes they may appear to be a little pushy, but they work for Park West and not the Cruise Line and they are probably on commission. It is like buying a car, except it is hard to do homework without the internet.
Very entertaining and informative. Yes, it can be $EXPENSIVE$, but art is beauty in the «eyes of the beholder». People need to remember that we buy art because we love it, not for its potential value. We bought certain pieces because we liked what we saw. If I paid a little more, than so be it. Why? Because I didn’t know that artist existed until I saw their work while on VACATION.
We purchased a couple of items and can’t wait for them to arrive. That is the hard part. WAITING! Yes, I am a little impatient. But, wow,
We «won» some free prints. They failed to send the correct prints. The good news is they sent the prints and let us keep the ones we didn’t totally love.
I will add additional information after we receive the framed art.
PROS
They have a great guarantee.
You have up to 40 Days to enjoy your art.
«Clients may cancel or return any art work purchased and obtain a refund for up to 40 days after the receipt of the art work.» Yes, there is a 15% cancellation fee and return shipping. There are several places, especially on the internet, where you pay a restocking fee of 10% — 15%.
They are A+ BBB accredited.
This means they take care of their customers.
CONS
Waiting for an operator.
Their «CONTACT» link, you can fill out the information, but they NEVER GOT BACK TO ME.
WAITING 8 — 12 WEEKS! That is the TORTURE.
Response to other reviews.
A lot of people had similar reviews. Maybe some didn’t read all the details. I am not to judge or defend, only to give my overall experience.
Customer Service — I called a couple of times and they worked with me. While a mishap occurred, they are helpful in resolving my concerns.
Overpriced — EVERYTHING ON A CRUISE SHIP IS OVERPRICED!
Pressure Salespeople — It appeared they were a little, explained our budget and they worked with our budget.
Appraisals — They recommend it FOR INSURANCE purposes. «The appraisal represents solely our opinion of the retail replacement value of the art work». [Park West’s opinion]

Park West gallery deserves to be discontinued. I bought a painting on Princess in October 2015 and have never received it. I have been buying artwork from Princess for many years and have never had this problem.
Park West asked if I wanted a refund. I believe they sold my artwork and are unable to replace.
I will be initiating a lawsuit against both Princess and Park West. I would suggest you stay as far away from the auctions as possible. !!!

Prissy people with bad manners. I was on a NCL Jewel cruise ship and wanted to buy some paintings the attitude of the lady and the guy showed how little minds work. They were rude and did not want to answer questions and when they did it was like they were speaking gods word… I saw at least 4 couples walk out because of such bad behavior. Art is generally not a requirement to survive and with bad manners of the seller it becomes absolutely undesirable… I think the park west people are trained to put on a air of condescension to add perceived value to splotches of colored resin on canvas cloth (In many cases reproductions and not real paintings too, not that it matters). ART GALLERIES PLEASE TRAIN YOUR PEOPLE TO BE NICE FIRST.

We purchased 3 pieces of art from them on the Carnival Magic. Approaching our 12 week «window» this week according to the invoice. all pieces according to our contract should be in my hands this FRIDAY. Have attempted several times to engage their client services who are LESS than helpful and rather short with clients. I SPENT SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS, you would expect they would be responsive to us. Client Services no longer returns our calls or inquires for tracking information. Reviews of their FaceBook page show ratings of 1 star and hundreds of people in the same boat. I would NOT buy anything from them. You are likely to be in for frustration and then try to fight the cruise line for a refund. Never again.

The auction on the cruise was a lot of fun until the high pressure sales went into effect. I really wanted a piece, but it was way out of my budget. They wouldn’t leave me along about buying it, even putting it on the block multiple times. I finally caved, but when my art arrived, I discovered the framing is REALLY cheap and my piece wasn’t pulled tight enough, resulting in bubbling.

I purchased over $ 5000.00 worth of art from park west, were told that they were paintings and guess what, they are serigraphs. Not worth the paper they are printed on. Never again. They are a scam. Buyer beware!!!

Little Nervous…
During our BabyMoon on the Celebrity Reflection in March 2015, we attended a few Park West Art Auctions for fun. You learn a lot and the staff was never pushy. Instead of spending $ 300 to frame a free print we won, we decided to spend $ 600+ and purchase a LEBO Painting we actually liked. It was for the Baby Room.
We were told we would receive it within 12weeks. 12 weeks passed last week (departed ship 3/​28, today is ⁶⁄₂₂).
«Delivery of framed works can be expected within 12 weeks from the date of purchase; unframed works generally arrive sooner.»
Date of Purchase, so it should have been here even sooner. Great.
Our Baby will be here soon. Park West refused to give us an estimated Date of Delivery. We were only told it was «at the Framers» and that they would try to expedite it via FedEx once ready.

I hate to give out bad reviews but my experience with Park West was disappointing. When my painting arrived there were several issues with it. I took photos and sent them to their customer service. The reply was something along the lines of «That is how it is supposed to look».
While I know in life you get what you pay for, wouldn’t it be nice if occasionally companies exceeded expectations instead of shirking responsibility.
In this case, there are numerous globs of gel coating which should not be there and the frame was made poorly. A frame such as this one needs to have the corners matched up. I guess not in the case. That along with the painting not showing up until after I called to complain at the end of the range given when I purchased the painting.

The art auctions were the highlight of my recent Alaska cruise experience (
). A married dutch couple ran the auctions (Van den Merwe), not only so nice and wonderfully pleasant, they were super knowledgeable and their passion for art was truly infectious.
I won a $ 500 certificate, and ended up buying 4 framed pieces, and 1 rolled photo for just north of $ 2k. They arrived via post one at a time, 3 – 7 weeks later.
Why not 5 star? $ 69 per piece shipping. Why couldn’t multiple pieces been shipped together for a huge $ 200+ savings! But, they were packed incredibly well… and having the pieces delivered and hung on my wall… give me much satisfaction. I am elated with my artwork!

Please don’t buy art on a Cruise Ship! And certainly not from these folks.
Celebrity Cruises should be ashamed for contracting with them.
It makes us think less of Celebrity.
They really gave my partner and I «the business,» were responsible for the bad aftertaste on this birthday celebration cruise in January, 2013, and it was so disturbing that 9 months later I still remember these shysters and this review is long overdue. Wait till you see the photos posted here and what they did.
We attended one of their Art Auctions on the ship just to kill some time. The audience is stacked with plants that exhibit fake enthusiasm. They start off with an extremely expensive piece that someone (probably an insider) bids on and wins in seconds with no contest whatsoever (Yea right!).
The knife sharp professional auctioneer did not like that not enough people are bidding, so he has everyone practice raising their hands in a practice bidding session for free prizes.
The autioneer then announces that now everyone is going to raise their hand because he has copies of this peanuts 2 ¾ inch x 2 ¾ inch etch for everyone in the room and its only 80.00, but worth a lot more. More than 2500 copies are available. (See photo of Cert.) At this point you can’t tell if he is selling or auctioning. My partner, not an art buyer, never to an auction before, and not intending on buying anything, gets caught up in the frenzy of many raising their hands like he giving away gold, takes the number from my lap and half-​hardheartedly and thinking that this is a sale like in a store that you can say, sorry, I changed my mind – she raises it up a bit and it’s recorded fast by Mr. Sharpee before I could hit her arm down.
The next day, Park West has Celebrity deactivate our room keys because my partner did not appear the next day to arrange payment of the 80.00. She thought that if you don’t pay, they would just sell it to someone else since it is so mass produced like a tee shirt. She then went to talk with the auctioneer about what happened and asked to be relieved of having to pay the 80.00. But Park West was relentless and made the sweet thing pay anyway. Then Celebrity re-​activated our room keys but not until after having to wait on a long line in the middle of the afternoon and miss pool time.
They also charged her $ 35.00 for shipping that she could not understand considering that this etching was So Tiny! Even with the borders it would fit in a hard envelope that with delivery confirmation should cost no more than 10.00. You can send it overnight for 15! Why in this world do they need to charge $ 35?
Are you sitting down and ready to laugh?
Take a look at the pictures posted here of the enormous tube that these shysters used to ship this 2 ¾ INCH x 2 ¾ INCH etching. It was just this small art and the Cert paper and nothing else in it!
Can you believe? No wonder it cost 35 to ship???
Knowing that she did not really want this trash in the first place, they could have at least waived the shipping, or used the correct shipping materials and saved her a lot of money.
We will never forget Park West, they left a bad aftertaste on our cruise experience. We don’t even know enough about these guys to know if they are really legit, but selling these peanuts etchings seems suspect.