USVI-On-Line

We are considering going with Carry on's only.

For those that have gone this way I have a question.

We are flying with USAirways,there site says you are aloud one carry on & one personal item.
Do you think we could get thru with a carry on & a back pack each or would they consider this two carry on's??

Thanks
The Shopper

A carry-on suitcase and a backpack works just fine. Just make sure the backpack isn't huge and stuffed to the gills. I believe the airlines post the dimensions of the "personal item" - check on the site. It needs to fit under the seat in front of you. My husband usually brings a small, roller suitcase and his backpack on board. I bring a small suitcase and my beach bag on board.

Carry on is the best. I'm never going back to checked luggage.

Carry on is the best. I'm never going back to checked luggage.

Couldn't agree more! Ron & I went carry on last March for the first time in seven trips...we will NEVER check luggage again! We ship a box of notions etc. ahead to Connections and breeze through the travel day! We each take one rolling carry on bag and one shoulder carry on. As long as both pieces will fit one under the seat in front of you and one in the overhead compartment...you're good to go! You'll wonder why you didn't just do it sooner!!!

Jen

Your good to go with that set up we do it every trip.We take pretty decent packs and stuffem full as long as they will fit under the seat your good.

Go for it! We just got back and that's what we did: one carry on rollerbag and one backpack each. Here are some things that helped:
Multi-purpose shoes, like Keens, that you can wear to hike in, travel in, or wear in the water (e.g., kayaking).
I found sun block and bug spray wipes; not liquid so I could carry on and not worry about the 3 oz. rule.
Save sample packets of face lotion whenever you get them. (Body lotion I bought there, but face lotion I'm kind of picky about.) I also got shampoo and conditioner samples from my hairdresser.

We still had room for books and games even going carry on, and one of our 4 bags (family of 4) was filled with frozen food on the way down.

Once you go carry on, you won't go back to checking bags!

Go for the carry-on plan. I travel every week and never check anything. When we go this year, we are going carry-on only. To help with this we are sending a package to the villa. We will include our snorkle bag, liquids, nonperishable foods, and anything else we can think of. It might take more than one box, but that's OK.

JIM

Agreed. A 24" or shorter duffle / wheeled tote will fit in most overheads and a daypack works as a personal bag as long as it fits under the seat in front of you.

I think carry-on only is even more important on the way home. Can you get by without bringing all your loot back home!?

Cheers, RickG

Here is the carry on list that I used in August:

On the plane I wear a linen skirt, linen tank, light hooded sweater, and nice sandals.

Pack:
3 pairs Khaki shorts
3 t-shirts
1 skirt
2 cotton tops
1 pair running shorts
2 bathing suits
1 bathing suit cover up
undergarments
flip flops

In my Beach bag/Backpack
Toiletries
Camera
Book (or two)
small purse for going out

I did one load of laundry and came home with some clean clothes.

What about the snorkeling gear? Does everyone ship that down or rent there or what? My flippers would probably be fit, but hubby's are quite large if I remember-haven't seen them in awhile. Maybe they would fit-what do all of you do? Thanks.

Since three years ago when my bags were lost for two days (and then found at Maho Bay I don't know how), we've gone carry on. With the new cosemetic rules, we only check our cosmetics. We have huge duffle bag that we toss all that into with our flippers. Snorkels and masks go in the carry on. We each take a 21-inch suitcase and then a backpack or other smaller bag as the personal item. Usually fly Useless air (US) and it works everytime! Good luck!

cinnyb -

We carry on our mask and snorkel, but rent fins on the island. Sure, I'd rather have my own fins if space weren't an issue, but it is. We actually sold our very large scuba fins and now just rent fins wherever we go. I don't find that I'm fighting currents around St. John or doing any snorkeling that standard rental fins can't handle.

The snorkel can be squeezed in the suitcase, but I usually leave the mask in its case and bring it in my personal item.

There are two things that are keeping us out of the carryon-only club at this time:

We really enjoyed bringing the cooler of meat and food with us, and I don't forsee giving that up.

The housing, and even moreso the pelican case for the housing for my underwater camera will burn my personal item allotment, and I vowed not to go to STJ again without it.

Of course last time we had a direct MIA to STJ flight and I could spot our gaudy rolling duffels being loaded onto the plane from the window at the gate.

I am looking at flights out of Orlando for the next trip and all of them will require a change of plane in either San Juan or Miami.

We won't be hauling massive amounts of luggage, but I'll have to do some serious work to try to get us to carryon status.

Thanks for all the advise.

I am sure we can do it, just have to cut back on the cloth's, which I already know from our previous trips.

We did it to Florida in the summer. Hubby;s only problem is not being able to bring back some Cruzan Cream

Anyone know about getting duty free in STT. I have seen them put them in boxes, how does that travel?? Would that not be considered another carry on??

The Shopper

If the duty free you buy in STT contains liquids that are in more than 3 oz containers, you'll need to check them.