Once again I'm reading posts where people are complaining of being relieved of their jewelry while in the Caribbean. <BR>When visiting the islands you HAVE to remember: <BR>LEAVE THE FAMILY JEWELS AT HOME!!!!!

Cheri, you make an excellent point. Definitely not moronic. No advice is bad if it helps even one person. It may sound obvious common sense to leave the jewelry at home, but that is not always the case. I am always amazed when I travel at the amount of tourists who feel the need to flaunt their jewelry and other valuables, as if anyone is really impressed. Cheri and JP, the person who feels the need to engage in name calling also posted a public message and sent me a private one calling me a name because I dared to disagree with one of her posts. Oh, well, c'est la vie.

Now, now, we have to have some sympathy for these kind.

Aaah mon Cheri you and I always agree.Fine advice for sure,how have you been? Fine I hope.

Not bad. How about yourself?

Dear Cheri: The "secret" of not being robbed in the Caribbean (or any other'vacation resort) is very simply not to take or wear jewelry. If one insists to wear jewelry, there are <BR>plenty of very lovely costume pieces to wear so if anything happens, it is not <BR>as traumatic.... <BR> <BR>

I only take my silver jewellery...still real but not worth enough to worry about. I also leave whatever I am not wearing in my inroom safe. <BR> <BR> <BR>

I have heard of people being robbed from their in room safes! <BR> <BR>As far as costume jewelry is concerned I would hate to have someone do bodily harm to me trying to relieve me of a piece I bought at K Mart! It's much easier just to leave it at home and not worry. <BR> <BR>

A bright, inexpensive scarf is my idea of "jewelry" on vacation. Leave the precious metals at home!! <BR> <BR>

Yes, Islanders are notorious for stealing gold(or whatever) from right off of your neck, but think about it. These people are completely oppressed, probably on drugs, and half insane(every theif)to begin with. So why attract them at all...believe me I had my gold ripped from right off of my neck in <BR>Barbados(of all places). But after I thought about it, I was asking for it, and learned a very serious lesson. <BR>THE ISLANDS ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND MAKE YOU LOOK GREAT WITHOUT JEWELRY! SO IF YOU CANNOT STAND LOSING IT, LEAVE IT! SERIOUSLY NOW, WHY BOTHER WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHILE ON VACATION?

Islanders are completely oppressed, on drugs and half insane? Nothing like lumping the citizens of a whole region into one stereotype.

We had the interesting experience of coming back to our room from the beach, just in time to catch a person exiting our room. He identified himself as a hotel employee; however, when we called the desk we were told that they had no record of anyone being dispatched to our room. Fortunately for us, we had our passports and money with us, and had chose to leave family valuables at home. <BR> <BR>It just goes to show that people can get access to your room.

Cheri is most certainly not a moron. Listen to her advice; if you can't afford to lose it-don't bring it on vacation! Granted the advice is too late to help you now, but why bring expensive jewelry on vacation. The only people yoy are impressing is the thieves. This applies to US travel as well, not just the islands. Use a safe deposit box if you must bring it with you, but check on liability- the hotel may only cover a limited amount of merchandise. There is no place in a hotel room that you can hide your valuables that a thief can't find! Ask any jewel thief, they'll tell you the same.

Take this advice folks, don't take valuables anywhere. That includes Hawaii, Europe or the lovely Caribbean Islands. Looking for trouble, bring expensive jewelery. If it's not stolen from you you'll probably lose it swimming.

It always strikes me as odd that people advise leaving the jewelry at home ... but it does make sense if you are worried. It is offensive to read about the crazy natives who are probably on drugs and will rip it right off you ... but what is the point of having jewelry if you cannot wear it and enjoy it! It is a personal choice but I do not intend to make decisions and wear it because it "may impress someone" (I could care less if someone is impressed or not)or not wear it because "it may get stolen." Sitting in a bank vault it gives pleasure to no one! And that's what insurance is for! Hotels and resorts do provide safety deposit boxes by the way ... the room safe is not all that "safe." By the way, I am less likely to wear the jewelry here in NYC than I am in the Caribb!

It may also be wise to leave most of your credit cards home. My parents were <BR>recently in Poland and my mom was robbed <BR>and it was a nightmare to get all her <BR>credit cards cancelled from Poland. Also <BR>you may wish to limit any cash you carry <BR>to only enough for the days outings. She <BR>lost all here cash too!

The only morons i can think of is the one who flashes all their jewlery then cries when they get robbed...use your common sense will ya...