Safety Tips in Caribbean and Central America

Given the cost of airfare, car rental, lodging, etc., there are many better deals in the Good Ol' USA. In conjunction with my daughter's wedding in Rincon, PR, my wife and I decided to try the picturesque beaches of Vieques Island. La Posada Vistamar is a reasonably priced if austere place to stay and the owner and staff are more than accommodating. About $75.00 per night. The Trade Winds is our choice for great food. One good thing the island has is gorgeous beaches but the enjoyment was clouded by thievery. On Blue Beach we were robbed of money, a camera, a GPS, a Bluetooth headset, and a watch while we were in the water. The thieves hide in the mangroves and hit your car for anything not traceable. At least they left our ID behind. So, add the cost of the lost items to the travel cost my choice will be Hawaii or the US southeast coast where, overall, you will get much more for your money. The merchants on Vieques need to get together and insist on some real police protection. I would post some photos but since the camera was stolen...

I only write this to save someone from getting in trouble in St. Lucia

We were going to take the local mini bus which are in the market area turn left going out of the port and it's on the left. We were lied to by more than one person about were the buses were and wanted us to take their expensive taxi ride. We ended up not getting into a mini bus it was just too dangerous.

we were walking back to the ship and seen a group of young girls with a young man with them form our ship and one of the locals were feeling up her arms.
as I passed them I said don't let him touch you that way and when I looked back to see if they moved away from him he was putting his hand up the front of her shirt!

Well I turned around and Ray seen me headed back there and Ray got it front of the BUM and he took off in a hurry and didn't wait for Ray to take his hands off her. This was so disrespectful to a woman. The young man that was with them didn't know how to treat a woman either.

SO a word if you have young girls going on a trip and even if they have a man accompanying them make sure they have respect for women, and will take care of them.
I couldn't believe this man that was with them let this happen. This could have turned real bad fast!
They didn't speak english so I couldn't talk with the girls but they knew where we stood on touching from men.

We took the cheapest cruise Carnival had to offer. Before going I wondered how they could give us such a good deal for 5 night aboard. I now know - the food. I can honestly say that I ate nothing that was outstanding in flavor or quality. I can also say that I ate nothing that was so bad that I considered it inedible. However, by our last night, I was sick as a dawg!

Not to share too many details I'll simply say that my last Sensation dinner did not remain with me for long. And even after "getting rid" of it I still felt horrific. In fact, I spent the last night of my vacation alone in my room, on my bed, curled up in pain. I can't remember when I've felt worse.

I was tanned yet still pale greenish the next day. Not pretty.

This relates to most islands except for St. Maarten. Be aware of your surroundings, especially in crowds. There could be persons who try to take your items loosley hanging on you. Also, in more remote areas, stick with a group to not get isolated.

if you are on an island taking a bus or a taxi beware! especially if you are visiting from a cruise ship and have to be back by a certain time. the people on the islands don't always go by the same time we do... aka they can be like 3 hours late and think absolutley nothing of it. (meanwhile your ship may have left without you!) so be sure to check with the people on the ship or as you get off the island with who's reliable and who's not. or at the least be sure to tell people where you are going. we get a ride out to a gorgeous beach on one island by a very nice man... but when it came time for us to head back to the beach our driver was nowhere ot be seen. we even called him and he did not return. finally another taxi came to drop off anohter group and we were able to pay him to take us back and we made it just in time.

NOTICE:
The passport requirement for US Citizens to re-enter the US from the Caribbean is changing. Please note that effective December 31, 2006 all U.S. Citizens travelling into the United States from the Caribbean must have a valid US passport.

You can apply at a local post office or immigration office.

Renewal of a U.S. Passport

You can renew by mail if: Your most recent passport is available to submit and it is not damaged; you received the passport within the past 15 years; you were over age 16 when it was issued; you still have the same name, or can legally document your name change.

However,

U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air by presentation of a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through SEPTEMBER 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

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Luckily, two of my friends brought Coffee Presses with them so most of the time that's what we drank. However, every now and then, I broke down and had a cup of that "available 24 hours a day" Carnival coffee. Tastes like ASS!

I've heard of some problems in Belize City, but we encountered the friendliest cab driver at the airport who took us into the city and waited for us from place to place. When I got back home and went to donate blood a few months later, I was told I was not allowed b/c Belize is a 'malerial' country, and I wouldn't be allowed to donate for a year!! However, I never heard a thing about this when I was there, and still don't know if it was true.