sunseekerOH

I am heading to St. Lucia for my honeymoon in 12 days! I'm trying not to over-pack. Any suggestions on what to take, and what I can leave behind?

mm

Bring a bathing suit but leave the down jacket at home.

mm

Sunnyboy

Take less clothes and more money. Seriously, there's no need to overpack. My wife and I routinely travel to the Caribbean and we each pack one standard 22" roll-on and one medium size tote bag each. If it doesn't fit in either of those we figure we just don't need it. Basically we each take two bathing suits, a couple of pairs of shorts, a few t-shirts, some underwear, one pair of casual shoes (plus the ones we wear on the plane), a pair of Tevas or flip/flops, my wife bring 2 sundresses and I bring a pair of Khakis and two collared short sleeve shirts (the latter items are for evening meals) and some toiletries. We have the hotel do laundry once during our stay (yes it is more expensive than you'd pay for the same service at hopme but when youu figure the cost of the whole trip it 's not really much). People dress fairly casual in the Caribbean and no one will notice that you are wearing the same shoes every night at dinner nor will they notice (or care) that you wore the same outfit the day before yesterday. A good rule of thumb is to set out on your bed all the clothing you plan on bringing with you, look it over carefully, then put half of it back in the closet and pack what is left.

mm

That's what I meant.



mm

brenandg

Glad to hear I'm not the only woman who doesn't bring a pair of shoes for every outfit!

sunseekerOH

ha, ha - mm --- what a relief to not need the down jacket. I was just looking for some good [real] advice from those who have perhaps been to St. Lucia before. I think I'll take the advice of laying things out and prob. putting things back into the closet. I tend to over-do things, and I don't feel like lugging a lot of bags through customs.

cartera

I have packing down to a fine art and I never check baggage to the Caribbean. If I went longer than 2 weeks, I would though. Two people should be able to get tons of stuff in carry ons. I pack my purse and take a cosmetic organizer as my second smaller bag with my document organizer in that. Here is one similar to the one I use and I love it. After it is all zipped up, the top opens for easy access to documents. http://www.ebags.com/travelon/hangin...m?modelID=9529
It hangs on the back of a door so you don't have to unpack all your toiletries. We were so glad we didn't check luggage when we went to St. Martin. We saved so much time - especially when we saw agents tearing through the checked luggage as people were checking in to leave the island - we were waved right through.

brenandg

cartera,
That bag looks great. Does it hold as much as it looks like or is it pretty small? What kind of strap does it have for carrying? The price is right and free shipping.
Also, what are the dimensions for a bag to be considered small enough to be considered a carry on?

Tuxedocat

I've never been to St. Lucia, but we have a baby-sitter from St. Lucia and she says they are as many West Indian cultures are, modest in the way they dress. I.E. no string bikinis for them. Obviously, that doesn't mean tourists can't wear what they want, but I like to know what the local customs are when I travel. E.G. didn't wear shorts or tight tops in Morocco despite desert heat. The Caribbean is pretty casual, though. I kicked myself for bringing too much clothing the first couple of times. Never seemed to get out of the most comfortable swimsuits, shorts and tops. Wore comfortable sandals/flip-flops most of the time. Never used the fancy dress I brought along, although, on your honeymoon, you will probably have more opportunities. You may also want to pick up a couple of the local clothing offerings as souvenirs, like a sarong skirt or two, t-shirts, etc. I do bring a lightweight windbreaker for certain situations like a windy ride in a boat, etc. Other than that, sunscreen and bug spray. Always a pain chasing that around. Enjoy! We look forward to your report.

cartera

About the bag - I can't say for sure that the one in the picture is the exact one I have - I can't tell if it opens from the top once it is all zipped up. I got mine from QVC - channel surfing one night and bought 3 - two for gifts. I got a lot of stuff in it - all my toiletries plus room for everything that would normally go in my purse - including a paperback. Look at your airline website for dimensions - I found them on UsAir easily enough, but numbers don't stick with me. I used the standard rolling carryon.

sunseekerOH

Thanks for the help! I'm down to 8 days! Someone on another forum suggested little gift bags for the maids-and I stocked up on little bath & body works items for those. I thought that was a great idea worth passing along!

cartera

We tipped the maids at Grand Case Beach Club about $7 a day - we left it at the end of the week because we had the same one each day.

suze

here's my basic beach vacation pack list:
2-3 bathing suits
2 sarong/pareo
3 shorts
5 tank tops, tshirts
2 capris
1 palazzo pants
2 sundress or skirt (optional)
1 flip flops
2 nice looking sandals
1 sneakers
6 undies, 2 bra, 3 socks
1 silk robe
cosmetics & toiletries downsized for 12 days worth only
... packed into a 22-24" rolling suitcase checked thru.

... in carry-on tote pack any prescriptions, sunglasses, eye glasses, money, paperwork, and one outfit for the beach (in case checked bag is delayed).

never been to st. lucia, but hope this helps. it's been my basic pack list for ~25 trips to Mexico, Caribbean and Hawaii.