Mosquitos n Caribbean

Hi ! Has any one recently come back from cruise taking in Isla Margarita, please? If so, did you go to La Restinga Lagoon and take the boat trip? We are there in February and like the idea of the excursion there but I always get bitten so wondering if any one experienced mosquitos? Thanks. Help and advice would be appreciated.

There is chikungunya fever throughout Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. Take bug spray. You do not want to catch this illness. Read this for more information:

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/

Thanks for your reply . I had heard about the virus and it worries me . Really like the idea of seeing the Eco system at La Restinga lagoon but worried about the mosquitos in view of the Swamps . Will indeed get strong repellent for Caribbean

Yes do take a repellent with you as our cruise line recommended that we use it in the Caribbean during a few cruises we sailed this year.

Keith

Anyone ever tried using a Thermacell on a cruise to keep mosquitos away? I have heard great things about them from my outdoorsman friends, but would it be more trouble than it is worth? I was thinking about using one in a Labadee Cabana, but not sure if it was needed or worth the effort.

We had a cabana on Labadee - in the suites area which is next to the regular area. Ours was over water and not a single mosquito. We did have a butterfly however that was intent on tangling with the ceiling fan. It would fly up there, get hit and knocked silly then fly up and get hit again and again. Not sure what it thought it was doing but it was interesting behavior to observe. Just a tip, arrive for the buffet lunch as soon as it opens as the line gets really long really fast. I don't know what the cabana boys don't deliver food there for bigger tips, but they don't.

We had a cabana on Labadee - in the suites area which is next to the regular area. Ours was over water and not a single mosquito.

While we never saw any issues with chikungunya we followed the cautions from the cruise line at each port and I would recommend that others do the same thing.

Keith

Mosquitos love me.

So I always make certain that when we go ashore or even our on our verandah when we are docked, that I put on a repellent that has DEET in it.

What ship were you on to stop at Isla Margarita? We were there on Princess in 2006 and enjoyed he $15 pearls on the beach. Never had any bug bites. I have a very small spray bottle of bug repellant buy have never had to use it on cruises.I didn't know any ships going there now, would consider going back there.

I always take a tiny bottle of insect repellent with us, but so far have never seen a mosquito in the Caribbean, on multiple cruises there. It helps that we aren't on the islands in the early or late hours, and seldom in really dense wooded areas.

It never hurts to be prepared though.

I haven't seen mosquitos either, but note that the ones that transmit chikungunya are active during the day and in more urban areas.

We had a cabana on Labadee - in the suites area which is next to the regular area. Ours was over water and not a single mosquito. We did have a butterfly however that was intent on tangling with the ceiling fan. It would fly up there, get hit and knocked silly then fly up and get hit again and again. Not sure what it thought it was doing but it was interesting behavior to observe. Just a tip, arrive for the buffet lunch as soon as it opens as the line gets really long really fast. I don't know what the cabana boys don't deliver food there for bigger tips, but they don't.

Thanks for the reply. I will be on the lookout for your butterfly in a few weeks...

Use a repellent containing Deet.

I just got back on Sat. prom a B2B on the Triumph. I got lots of bites, though I never actually saw any mosquitos. I'm thinking it was more sand fleas. Hard to know.

I didn't have any repellent, but I would suggest using it, if the bugs like you, like they do me. Another friend got bites also, while many that were with me did not.

We took the tour of the La Restinga Lagoon several years ago.

Aside from bug spray- it is good to wear lightweight long pants and socks

and bring a lightweight long sleeved shirt.

I've never had issues with mosquitoes on cruises, even when wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and I'm practically a mosquito magnet. Three things were working in my favor: salt water, wind, and built-up urban areas. I suppose if I ventured inland into freshwater wetlands, I'd be seeing a lot more of them. But I haven't seen mosquitoes even on an Everglades excursion. So I don't know. Either way, I brought bug spray, and used it religiously.

La Restinga Lagoon is a wilderness area, so we dressed as we would for

any tropical wilderness area.

Read about Isla Margarita online for maps and more info.