Packing for your Caribbean Island Vacation

When planning your Caribbean island vacation, make sure you understand the travel rules for airlines and cruise ships. You will need a valid U. S. passport to re-enter the countery and you will it as proof of citizenship in most Caribbean countries.

Once you have booked your transportation and accommodations, you should start thinking about what you are going to need on your trip. You should plan what clothing you are going to take and what personal belongings you are going to need when you get to your destination.

Purchasing travel-size items such as shampoo, lotion, and toothpaste before you leave may be more convenient and cost-effective. Pack these in plastic bags because tubes can burst.

You should keep your important documents in one place so that you can easily produce them when you have to. You should also take a prescription for any medications in case you lose the ones you take with you.

Carefully plan what you have to pack. The security guidelines specify what you can and cannot take with you. You should check the travel guidelines. You should also check with your airline for baggage restrictions. The rules change often and you should check at a minimum one week before you depart on your trip. The general rule is not to pack anything that can be construed as a weapon.

You may want to pack a bathing suit and a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage. Sometimes your bags may arrive on a different flight or may be delayed in transit to your hotel. You can always relax by the pool until your luggage arrives. In case the worst happens and your bags do not arrive, you may want to take some extra money to purchase a few articles. When packing, you should roll your clothing to save space and prevent wrinkles.

If you are traveling with small children, you want to make sure your carry-on bag is light. You may want to consider shipping your luggage to the hotel ahead of time so that you do not have to worry about carrying heavy bags while watching your children.

Also remember that there are travel guidelines as a passenger on a plane. You do not want to be disruptive. During the week of February 18-28, 2008, 16 passengers were arrested for suspicious behavior or due to fraudulent travel documents. There were 9 disruptive passengers on flights during that same week.

Traveling in a confined space such as an airplane can be stressful. Follow the instructions of the flight attendant. Common sense should prevail.