Carry on or luggage?

If you can only be in Negril for 8 days, would you do carry on or do you need to check luggage? The only reasons I have checked luggage before is because I have to bring a lot of moisturizer, sunscreen and other beauty products and thought that I needed a lot of clothes. But I found that I really don't wear a lot of clothes because I spend most of my time in a bathing suit and you can always wash out your clothes. If you could pack just enough to get by and maybe buy moisturizer, etc. would you just do carry on?

It's a matter of personal preferance. I like to carry as little as possible, so i check everything i can. Also it's less hassel at security.

Security isn't a hassle if you have everything organized, and your "liquids" in a zippered, quart see-through bag. We do Europe for three weeks with only carry-on, and have no probem. The only reason we bring a suitcase to Jamaica is to pack stuff that we may leave there. If not for that, only carry-on.

Dave

When I used to do 2 and 3 week trips we did all carry on. That was back when the liquid thing was not an issue but for 8 days, you should be fine. You can cram as many 3 oz bottles of lotions and potions in a 1 quart bag - I'm here to attest to that, lol! Just be mindful of you luggage size so that you are considerate to other passengers regarding overhead bin space. On most airlines you are allowed 1 small suitcase/rollerboard and one "personal item" - i.e, a small knapsack, laptop case, large purse. I saw someone try to get on our flight to Chicago last week with two rollerboards and the airline personnel made them check one of them.

I do both (lol) one heavy big checked suitcase with too much stuff in it...but I bring my own coffee maker (light but bulky), big soft beach towel, etc. then I bring a beach bag as my "purse" stuffed with a bathing suit, chg of clothes, my real purse (lol) and then also a STUFFED carryon suitcase but I do have a tip......I am claustraphobic so I always wait to board LAST and many times all the overheads are full by then and they will tag my bag and put it under the plane (at no extra bag charge!) I think the "lines" etc are horrible no matter what so I don't mind checking bags. Just part of the stressful day of traveling but gets me to where I wanna be. Now for a 4 day trip I could get away w/just a carry on but not for longer - I like to set myself up nice

I would love to be able to do a carry on, but since the whole liquid issue I just don't have the time or patience to go through everything I want to bring to check the ounces on it, then transfer it to something that is the proper "travel" size. I have too many body sprays, too much stuff for my hair because it's super curly and it takes a LOT too keep it under control in the JA humidity...ohhhhh to be carefree with just a bag with some clothes.

Back in the day I could do 2 weeks in Negril with just a backpack. Now that my Empress accompanies me and with family on the island, it is all we can do to fit everything into 4 suitcases plus my backpack and her carry-on. Usually the contents of at least one of the suitcases is left with the family. I miss those carefree daze but having my Empress with me is much more than ample compensation. I can't imagine being in Jamaica without her.

Bless...
Ed

for anything less then 10 days its carry on, what i really need to carry meds, sunglasses etc goes in camera bag, i always buy clothes, suncream when i get there and when i leave unless i really like the shirt i gave everything to the maids,

If its a 3-5 day juant, then its a carry-on and a backpack and no worries! I will go up to seven days with that set-up if my flight is not direct. More than seven....I just check it. Lucky us out of STL, we fly direct always these days....so if its seven or more, they go in the cargo door!

If I could do carry on I so would! It's so nice and easy to get off the plane and head straight for the exit :)

if i'm traveling in the USA, I can do carryon-only and buy shampoo, lotion, etc when i get where i'm going.

but for international travel, (at least until they stop the stupidness about liquids), i always check bags cause i'm particular about hair and skin products - even two 3 oz bottles of each is not enough to last for more than a week when i'm in saltwater and the sun all day every day - and they can't be bought in the destination. AND I've also come to really despise the "overhead cabin wars", and inconsiderate people who carry on everything and the kitchen sink, expecting everyone else to squish up ourselves to accommodate their excess.

so I'd rather be hands-free on the plane, with only one small carryon that can go under the seat. plus I hate carrying a bunch of stuff so i'd rather have someone else deal with the main luggage, so i don't have to, LOL, and i'm not in any great rush when i get off the plane, i don't care atall about waiting for luggage.

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Originally Posted by Sweets

If I could do carry on I so would! It's so nice and easy to get off the plane and head straight for the exit :)

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More like straight for the immigration line. Last two trips, by the time we got through, our luggage was there anyway. Between sunscreen and rafts on the way down and coffee on the way back, the room comes in handy.

Ed .......Am in same boat....me with a back pack...my dear Janet with two suitcases...Hey, but its all good!!!

How likely for luggage to get "lost"? Anybody deal with that?

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Originally Posted by TizzyATX

How likely for luggage to get "lost"? Anybody deal with that?

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I would say 1 in 10.....I have been to Jamaica 10 times, my luggage has been lost once ;)
But they found it later that same day and had a driver carry it out to Negril and bring it to me at my hotel, wasn't that big of a deal.

We have been storing our things little by little down there every year. We are now looking at keeping clothes down there as well. Anyone ever go down with 2 bags and return with only 1? Any issues?

it doesn't matter headinthetrees- once you are cleared to enter the country, they're done looking at the minute details of your luggage (except of course for the standard security check on the way out to ensure no 'contraband') - but nobody compares how many pieces of luggage you leave with, to what you brought in.

tizzy - lost luggage is no more or less likely in JA, as it is in any other airport - i've never had luggage lost or damaged in 25 years going to JA.... on the other hand, it happened twice within 8 years when i lived in Hawaii and went back and forth from there a lot. It's no more or less likely in JA than anywhere else - and it's standard procedure for most airlines that if anything does get lost, they hand-carry it to you when it is recovered.

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Originally Posted by head in the trees

We have been storing our things little by little down there every year. We are now looking at keeping clothes down there as well. Anyone ever go down with 2 bags and return with only 1? Any issues?

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I store a household full of stuff in Jamaica over a period of 9 months when I'm not there. I have a secure/locked place at my godson's house and (knock wood) have never had an issue. Been doing that for 10 years. What I don't store however are linens and clothing. I don't like to deal with the mildew issue and I like fresh sheets to put on my bed when I get there. I do store a few beach towels though and I store those in those vacuum bags. They rock! First, they flatten to allow for space efficiency and they really do keep things somewhat fresh and away from the damp - but I still hang those items out in the sun for a day to freshen them up. The other items, all "hard goods" are stored in large coolers and containers that are sealed. I learned from experience about rodents and wet getting in there and it's not pretty when you open it up.

As years have gone by I've brought down less and less for the house, as has been the plan. Even still, I ended up with 6 checked bags and 4 carry-ons last year. I've never once gone back a bag short...it seems to fill up on the way back the way it does on the way down, and that includes the time I brought down a vacuum cleaner for a friend. I bring back anywhere between 30-50 lbs of coffee and a bunch of food items I can't get in the states so that's at least one bag in and of itself. And even with the lotions and potions I leave there (unopened bottles of shampoo, bug spray, sunscreen etc.) - I don't know, maybe my things expand?

My educated guess is that if you come back one bag short there shouldn't be an issue.

As far as luggage being lost or delayed, that has not happened to me once in 27 years (knock wood).

Just curious....what food items do you bring back that aren't available in the States??

The only food items I bring with me is Olive Oil and Matzah Meal. I bring the Olive Oil because I prefer cooking with it as opposed to the oils available in Jamaica - and its wicked expensive there. The Matzah Meal I bring for a friend and that's simply not available - but he makes kickin' maztah balls with it that we all enjoy :)

Other than that I prefer to shop and eat locally and seasonally. When I'm in JA, I eat JA.

Carry-on all the way...If am staying less then 2 weeks I have no problem with everything in a carry-on. If staying longer or have things to bring over than I check in luggage (grudgingly-I fly US airway and they charge per bag-really adds to airfare costs). I can always seem to find essential (esp liquid ) items when am there (ie bug spray, lotions, etc,etc) But its one less stressful thing to ponder on when you can just walk off with your luggage-as opposed to waiting for it and hoping it not only gets there but gets there in one piece (with no thiefing as they say).

But its really not that hard-and yes if you forget something or need something more than 3oz liquid, I bet you can find it or something comparable at mega mart in mobay or hi-lo negril or Sav-la-mar, etc,etc...

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Originally Posted by head in the trees

We have been storing our things little by little down there every year. We are now looking at keeping clothes down there as well. Anyone ever go down with 2 bags and return with only 1? Any issues?

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As long as the number of bags checked matches the number on the bag list how many bags taken isn't a issue, bags only come an issue when we find something that shouldn't be there

I would do a carry-on and if you need some products while there such as sunscreen, shampoo, etc you can always buy them in the little strip mall next to Burger King in the nice new pharmacy or at Value Master or Hi-Low. If you have any of these products left when you get ready to leave you can always leave them for the help at your hotel.

Safe travels

I like what Rastagirl777 said - do carryon if it's not an obnoxious size - I can't tell you how many times I've gotten on a flight with an acceptable size carryon only to find someone has some huge piece stuffed into the overhang meant for 3-4 pieces - then I have to walk further back to put mine in the overhead - sucks when you land because then you make everyone mad by holding them up because you have to navigate back to get your sack before exiting the plane. I use a cooler on wheels as my check in - that way when I get to jamaica, I have a cooler to keep all of the Red Stripe in - can keep a lot more Red Stripes cold in a big cooler than a little refridge! Good luck!

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Originally Posted by northcoast

Just curious....what food items do you bring back that aren't available in the States??

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Hot sauces, jerk sauces and whatever seems very odd at the time!

Oh, oops. I misread the question - what do I bring BACK that I can't get in the states? (I flipped it around to what I bring with me to Jamaica. Sorry. Old and addled).

I bring back fresh nutmeg, fresh pimento berry (allspice), HiLo or Grace Hot Sauce, Gray's Spicy Sauce and various pre-packaged seasonings - jerk, curry, chicken spice, chicken seasoning, fish seasoning that my friends at Wise Choice mix up and bag on their own. That and of course 30-50 lbs of Blue Mountain coffee...