USVI-On-Line

I do carry-on only. My biggest problem is my toiletries, but I can get them all in travel-sized containers.

I don't think I should have to pay for luggage.

I don't want my luggage to get lost and/or hold me up from catching a taxi in time to make my ferry.

Lastly, I pretty much wear my swimsuit all week. I don't take lots of clothes to St. John. I took a suitcase full of clothes on my first trip, and I brought back about 75% of them without wearing them.

We carry-on two bags (inc'l all valuables and a minimum of two days clothes) and check another. The checked bag belongs to my bride.

One thing I learned long ago was to choose my battles. One NOT worth fighting is any attempt to get her to cut-back on what she believes are necessities. She gets a carry-on and her checked bag.

I seriously doubt that I could find enough to pack for STJ that would require anything larger than a carry-on bag.

Dave

If "big girl clothes" didn't take up so much room, I'm sure I could just take a backpack.

With kids I have resigned to never doing carry on only, though I do pack smart and have a carry on with one outfit for each person, pjs for everyone, and swimsuits for all in the event our luggage gets lost or we get laid over somewhere.

As for the "stuff" I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I have trimmed what I pack way back and for a family of four we managed with two checked LL Bean dufflebags, one carry-on and a back pack.

When its just hubby and I or when our kids are older things may change, but for now I am cool with checking luggage.

Since we rent snorkel gear, we're able to do carry on. If/when we bring our own, that will probably change things.

I've had my luggage lost even on non-stop flights, and even when I gate check it and the baggage guy on the jetway swears 'it will be on this plane.' So I like to carry on. And for warm weather trips, I just don't feel like I need much stuff. In fact, I'm happier without it. DH and the kids certainly don't care what I'm wearing, and I don't think the lovely people we've met on vacation care either.

Our kids are old enough to carry their stuff, at least most of the time. This helps them learn to pack light too. We'll see what happens with this... as they get older they are getting more fashion conscious. (10 year old son suddenly wants shirts from Abercrombie. Dang... Target worked for so long! But that's another topic.)

When your skivvies get picked up by a pig farmer about 30 miles from your local airport because some fool airline employee decides to lift your bag and pilfer through it before tossing it out at some farm....it's time to stop checking your bag.

That's all I'm sayin' about that.

we did carry-on for the first time this year and it worked out great.

lotsa liquid stuff is avail in travel sizes now due to airline restrictions. in previous vacas, we always brought back clothes we didn't wear. we spend most of our time in bathing suits (a sundress for cover up for me), tshirts and flip flops.

the only con was that we didn't have much room for souvenirs to bring home. in the end, prob saved us some money though .

oh, i forgot to mention why I like carry-on only...

i don't like lugging a bunch of shit around.

LysaC wrote:oh, i forgot to mention why I like carry-on only...

i don't like lugging a bunch of shit around.

LOL tell us how you REALLY feel Lysa

VickiH - You crack me up!. I want to travel with you.


(I promise I know how to act on a trip to St John, and I won't open the door on you in the Woody's bathroom, I don't even go to Woody's - sorry Joshie - and I will NEVER chose to sit in a Jeep vs go to the beach - unless, of course, said beach is under attack by landlubbing rabid sea squirrels, and then I'll just bring some mace.)

I did feel ridiculous on our first trip lugging a giant suitcase through Cruz Bay. My little carry-on doesn't take up much space at all.

I just get all my souvenirs at Ruth's and she mails them home to me. This last trip, they were sitting on my porch when I got home! (Yet when I priority mail things to St. John, it takes them weeks. Go figure.)

flip-flop wrote:With kids I have resigned to never doing carry on only...

Our house rule is that you have to schlep your own gear when you hit 5 1/2 years old. It's very hard to go carryon-only when my youngest is along as she needs lots of hardcore sunscreen, even with a big hat and a swim shirt. But, Chelsea Drug stocks the good stuff from Coppertone with the nano-sized zinc oxide.

Funny, when the kids are along our carryon allowance is more capacity than we need. It's lotion that makes me consider checking a bag.

Here's Ana at 6 with her luggage - standard elementary school rolling backpack. That fit everything needed for a week at Maho Campground, including a beach towel. Big sister had their shared snorkel bag over her shoulder. She did need to handwash one of her favorite Deborah Designs t-shirts while we were there. She thought it was pretty funny when I sent her to the shower wearing the shirt with a bar of soap and instructions to wash the shirt with soap while she wore it. It came out clean and dried in a couple of hours, as did the 6 year old.



Cheers, RickG

Lulu76 wrote:I did feel ridiculous on our first trip lugging a giant suitcase through Cruz Bay.

But everyone tells you "Welcome to the island!"

Two reasons -
We can.
We have.

Now that I've experienced it, I had to add:

I planned on carry on only because of the Logan Airport hassles, but now can add the STT airport as well.

We got to the airport and the US Air Counter was backed up around the building. We zoomed by the line and found 5 bored looking customs agents sitting around waiting for us to fill out our paperwork. We then enjoyed a frosty beverage before taking our carry ons and pre printed boarding passes to the gate for departure.

The 30 minutes and extra cash I spent in the grocery store were far less stressful than the idea of the check in line.