The "I wish I would have thought of that" thread

[UNCcouple]

This thread is great....we are 2 weeks away from 10 glorious days at CSS and I have picked up many of the items on this list for our trip. One of the best ideas i have seen on here is the woolite for your bathing suits! Also, I agree with others who have said pack more swimsuit cover ups and less clothes! We have been to CTI and CN and pretty much it's swimsuits/cover ups during the day and a sundress at night. May 18th cannot get here soon enough!

[NickandEmmy]

I couldn't agree more... I have gone through this thread about 10 times and have gotten some great ideas. So far I've boiled it down to....
Extra swim suits.
Less clothing.
More sun block.
Thermal cups for drinks of all sorts.
Extra swimsuit again.
Ipod,iPad,kindle for pool and beach.
$1 and $5 for when tips are needed.
Sandals, sandals, sandals. Possible water shoes if needed. Plus one decent pair of shoes for a nice dinner.
Cover ups for the women.
Did I say extra swim suits?
Conditioner, shampoo, skin so soft , and some basic OTC drugs.
Anything else I'm missing please let me know. Can't wait for May 23rd to arrive. It's been 7 years since I've had a vacation and the soon to be wife and I are getting married on the 27th while were there. Looking forward to all of it. Hope to meet some friendly faces while were there. One love.

[SurfCat]

Wanted to bump this thread as we're getting ready to start packing!

[CricketNPatty]

Awesome thread! :taking_notes:

[j&bparks]

Things I have found useful:
* Small beach bag that we loaded up every morning w/ whatever we needed
* SPF - always bring one tube more than you think you'll need
* Ipod + dock/speaker so you can listen to music in your room or on the beach. We also have a small splitter and 2 sets of headphones so that we can both listen to the ipod at the same time if the music is going to bother others when we're laying out on the beach.
* Water shoes if you plan to do Dunns Falls
* Lots of swim suits and cover ups - they will be your wardrobe while you're there
*I can't remember which resort we were at but the bathroom didn't have a regular outlet so I had to get ready at the desk in the bedroom so now I bring a small extension cord for my curling iron just in case.
* Bug spray + anti-itch cream for the bites you'll get when you forget to use the bug spray
* Waterproof bag for your camera, etc.
* An old watch to hook on your beach bag so you don't miss a spa/dinner reservation
* Variety of OTC medicines
* A hat - a sun burnt scalp is no fun
* Waterproof camera for snorkeling - again, always bring 1 more than you think you'll need
* Travel size woolite for washing out suits
* Large zip loc bag to pack any liquids. We also use those or a small trash bag to pack wet suits and sandy shoes for the trip back home.
* A shower "puff" to use instead of the washcloths
* Aloe or after sun products
* My husband uses a sunglass cords so he doesn't lose his in the ocean.

Things I've brought in the past but don't bring any more:
*collapsible cooler - never made it out of my suitcase
* flashlight - which I always forgot in the room so we never used it
*insulated mugs - I know some people can't live w/o these but we just didn't use them much.
*I packed tons of sandals the first time I went and then I ended up living in a pair of nike plastic waterproof slides because I never had to worry they would ruin if they got wet or sandy. Now I pack my nike slides and 2 nice pairs of sandals for evenings.
* our wedding rings are always left at home now so we don't have to worry about where we put them, if they are in the safe, did we remember to lock the safe, etc.

[waxerbme]

One thing we are taking to CN this year are large insulated glasses with straws, since they no longer have water bottles, we want to stay hydrated and figured this wll be a good option for us. And we will also bringing our Beer coozies again, ya know, don't have a hot beer now mon!

[Ashley Meiring]

One thing we always bring is a Tervis tumbler for each of us! They are much bigger than the cups you normally get and they keep your drinks nice and cold. The bartenders will even wash it out for you

[threesprings115]

"resort-sponsored school"? Tell me more! We'll be at CTI - do they sponsor a school? ANY school supplies or do they prefer certain things? (i.e. spiral notebooks vs. composition books vs. loose-leaf paper....) I'd love to bring some stuff! We adopted our sons (10 & 13) 2 1/2 years ago and they're always excited about "helping" - especially other kids! It would be cool to let them get some supplies together to send with Mom and Dad on our "grown-up vacation!"

[ngwh2009]

We are going to CN in 2 months but went to the Dominican in October which is in many ways comparable.

Things I brought and would bring again
Gallon plastic bag with
-Tylenol
-Ibuprofen
-Pepto
-Antacid Tablets
-Band-aids
- Neosporin
- Hydrocortisone cream
-Cotton Swabs
Strong Bug Spray!!!!
Travel umbrella
Downy wrinkle spray
Banking soda for keeping humidity out of the drawers
Shout wipes
Beach bag such as a "Rume" bag that is water resistant and difficult to get sand in...they are also really easy to fold up tiny for traveling!
Kindle!!!! I was able to read 6 novels on vacation
Aloe!!!!!! It is a MUST, we used it pretty much every day after sunning!
All my toiletries(Don't rely on a resort for things that you need such as toothpaste,shampoo,body wash,conditioner,hair gel,deodorant)
If you are a curly girl like me, invest in a travel size dryer with a diffuser....if not you will be a fuzzball!

Things I wish I wouldn't have brought
Excess shoes and clothing, pack minimally because you are going to spend most of your time in swimsuits,coverups,and flip flops
Rain ponchos(silly idea, especially with an umbrella)
Water shoes...unless you are hiking the falls you really don't need them
Macbook ( I barely used it and besides on vacation you should be escaping from the outside world not on Facebook)

Things I wish I would have brought
Flashlight, it can get really dark if you want to walk on the beach at night
Unscented lotions so as to not attract the bugs
Extra sunscreen!!! ( Seriously if you think you need 1 bottle, bring two! It is so expensive to buy in the Carribean...worst case scenario you bring extra home with you.)
Water proof camera, I would have loved to have one for snorkeling!
Antihistamines to help with itchy bug bites

[cclanc]

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this thread! What great advice. We have put together a "need", "have", "need to get" list with many of the items you have all mentioned.

For anyone going Oct 8-15 2012, we will be bringing this newly purchased dice game (tenzi).

https://www.ilovetenzi.com/

Be sure to join us!

I'm thinking "loser drinks....."

Cheers!

[daleandginger]

We brought a 6 pack of electric candles for our balcony at night and it was awesome! We left them for the next couple.

[Bert]

One thing my wife & I are thiking about is bringing some of those 3M adhesive hooks (the kind where you can simply pull the stretchy tab to remove from the wall). We find that there are not nearly enough hooks to hang wet bathing suits, etc., so we will bring our own and remove prior to departure.

(it really hurt to type the word "departure")

[twibaby2010]

Bug spray!!!!!

[mikkiwin]

This thread was so addicting I read the whole thing! Thank you everyone for the wonderful ideas! We will add ours after our Oct. 30 trip

[oxbgirl]

One thing my wife & I are thiking about is bringing some of those 3M adhesive hooks (the kind where you can simply pull the stretchy tab to remove from the wall). We find that there are not nearly enough hooks to hang wet bathing suits, etc., so we will bring our own and remove prior to departure.

(it really hurt to type the word "departure")

I love this idea but what I have done,too, is....I ordered some plastic "hangers" that have a clothes-pin attachment on the bottom and can hang stuff on the shower curtain bar.

[Rum Girl]

Such a great thread! I have been helped by this thread for our last two visits to Couples! BUMPING!

[Bert]

Great idea oxbgirl! I will do the same.

[jkrarup]

One thing you may want to add to your medicine supplies is a few packs of the small drink pouches of Gatorade. On one of our trips to CTI we went on the Late Night MargarittaVille trip (yes we are not youngsters anymore) and the next day I had the worse case of traverers diarrhea (Montezuma's revenge, delly belly, turistas, mummy's tummy). Not sure if the trip was the cause... The nurse station provide some eletrolyte drink mix which was almost worse than being sick. From that trip on we also take some Gatorade, JUST IN CASE.

I also agree with extra ziploc bags. Now that the airlines are nickel and dimeing you on luggage weights, etc., I found a small portable hanging scale on Amazon that is made just for weighing your luggage. Sometimes just moving items from a heavy suitcase to a lighter one saves some $.

When packing take out the clothes you think you need and then put half back in the closet. Since we hang out at the Au naturel area, what clothes do we actually need! If you haven't tried the Au Natural, don't wait till the last day. You will kick yourself for not trying it at the beginning of the vacation.

When in Jamaica be careful when buying liquor. You cannot take it thru securiy in your carry-on luggage or any other liquids. I can not tell you how many times that we have unmistakely smelled Rum in the home baggage claim area because someone had packed the bottle(s) in their checked baggage and the monkeys who handle the baggage were not very careful. It is much safer and usually cheaper to buy the liquor in the airport AFTER going thru security. They pack it for you and then you can carry it on the plane.


Jens and Sue

[8nbait]

Bump! Love this thread and just want to keep it near the top since it contains sooo much good info.

[szap]

We find it amazing that this idea we had for a message board thread over three years ago is still going strong with over 360 posts and over 130,000 views! One of the common items that people list is bug spray. We have been to Jamaica nine times and have always stayed on the north shore, (I know we should be shot for not making it to Negril!) In all of our nine trips we have never had a problem with bugs. Our daughter just returned from a week at Swept Away and said the bugs were terrible. We were wondering if this bug problem is worse on the west shore or have we just been lucky?

[smroot]

szap, we have been to CN the last 4 years in February and have never been bothered by bugs. I supposed it could be the time we have been on the beaches, or maybe we are not sweet enough for them. It could be the time of year we go, or and I swear by it, we both used skin so soft. I have heard the bug issues and never understood them, but they don't bother me here in Ohio either.

[Pennyr]

Do we bring US or Jamacan $ what currency is used ?

[nicren]

I was just at CSA Sept 9th - 21st and the bugs were INSANE. I've never experienced this in any of my other trips to Jamaica, Mexico, or any other places in the Caribbean over the last 25 years. But, I have never vacationed in Sept. before, so maybe it's the time of year. I am one of those people who never gets bit, but I was covered in bites. This was after using Deep Woods Off and avoiding the beach at night and after it rained. They still found me. Worst bites I have ever had in my life, and I grew up in the south and am an avid tent camper. This was the case with almost everyone in our group (several other couples). The bites kept me up at night scratching even after applying hydrocortisone cream all over my arms and legs like lotion and spot treating my bites with the Afterbite I had brought. My uncle joked that he just started bringing a hairbrush to bed with him. I was ready to pay an obscene amount of money for Benadryl at the gift shop, but they didn't have it. I went to the nurse and was given a shot of the pink liquid that she said is their form of Benadryl which worked ok for about 4 hours but made me pretty drowsy. The nurse made a point to tell me that applying bug spray does not work to keep the sand flees from biting, and that Couples doesn't carry Benadryl because it is a controlled substance over there, and you cannot drink alcohol while taking it. Apparently the sand flees are attracted to those with a vitamen B deficiency (not sure which B complex) which is more common in women. When I returned to the nurse the next day for another dose, I was told that they typically only give you the first one and after that your only option is to pay over $200 to see the doctor. That being said, the bugs were my only negative experience and will not keep me from returning (I don't want to scare people, but I want you to be better prepared than I was because I thought I was pretty prepared going in). Next time I will take vitamen B supplements, avoid the beach entirely after 4 p.m. (it's a good time to head over to the swim up pool bar anyway), and bring a ton of Benadryl. BTW, my husband who is the one who always gets bit was the only one who was relatively untouched. Oh, and my comments only relate to bites received outside. We had zero issues with bugs in the room.

As for what else I will bring next time, two words - Solo cups. The in room bar is pretty much useless without them because they only give you a few tiny little glass glasses that don't lend themselves very well to leaving the room and aren't big enough to add enough mixer with your booze unless you're trying to just drink straight liquor on ice. Also, you can just toss the Solo cups in the trash anywhere on the resort (they have recycling bins all over) rather than having to keep up with your empty insulated plastic tumbler that you brought from home. We ended up rinsing out a few of the plastic cups we received from the beach bar during the day and stashing them in our beach bag to use later in our room.

Don't bother with an umbrella because they are provided in all of the rooms (at CSA anyway). Also, just my opinion, but skip the flashlight for CSA. I don't really understand the point of this. All of the paths are very well lit.

This is totally unrelated, but if you like hot tea, make sure to get some of the jamaican tea (TOPS) at the airport before leaving. I got gingermint tea and also lemonngrass tea, and both are amazing. I'm sitting here with a nasty cold sipping my gingermint tea, and kicking myself for only getting one box of each.

[smroot]

Pennyr -American currency is fine, and take a good mixture of bills nothing much bigger then a $20. Plenty of $1's $5's and $10's for tipping the shuttle driver, red hats at the airport and buying knick knacks on the beach.

[doncindy]

Just a thought here. I love this thread on what to bring, but what about leaving behind some of the items you brought but may not have needed, like bug repellent, extra sun block, aloe etc. We all make friends there so why not just pass it on to them?