Belongings on the beach

[JessH]

Hi everyone,

I am cruising with one other person, and we will both want to go in the water at the same time on the beach. What do we do with our camera, cruise card and cash? Do people bring waterproof pouches?

Thanks!:)

[gopher's girl]

That's a great question. It might depend on where you are and what type of people are around you.

 

In my own experience...

 

I have left bags on the beach with EVERYTHING in them (digital camera, cruise card, clothing, etc.) and I would have been in a lot of trouble if it was stolen. We went out snorkeling. We decided it would be ok because it was a nice area with no beach vendors and pretty much everyone else there was also on our ship. It was a risk but I decided it was a lower risk than other areas.

 

I have been on beaches where one person always stayed with or within close proximity to the bags. Just seemed like a good idea based on where we were, vendors, crowding, etc.

 

Of course, if I am at home at a "local" beach, I leave stuff sitting out all the time, and it's probably in worse danger here than anywhere else. Car keys included.

 

If you park your stuff near other people from the ship, it might not be bothered by the beachcomber type theif. They might assume it belongs to those people and won't come near them. Also, if you chat with people from your ship on the beach, maybe you could all kind of do a "safety in numbers" thing, put all your stuff near each other (not in one big pile, it's not like you have to hang out and sing kumbaya all day or anything like that)... just nice to share, watch each other's backs. Most people are still good :)

 

I think you kind of have to survey the area and make up your own mind. A little waterproof case to hold your cruise card and taxi fare back to the ship can never be a bad thing. Snorkeling with a waterproof backpack would just be insane though ;)

[Keksie]

We use the little water wallets for our cards and cash. They hang around your neck (I tuck mine into the top of my suit) and can be found at sporting goods stores or sometimes on the ships. We take waterproof, disposable cameras and nothing else of any value. That way if anyone takes our beach bag they have only towels, sunscreen etc.

[geoherb]

I have a pocket with a velco closure on my swim trunks. I keep my cash, ID, credit card, and cruise card in it. The cash gets wet, but I've never had anyone refuse to take it.

[JessH]

Thanks everyone!

i still dont know what to do with my camera though. I will have a water one for swimming, but I will also have a regular one for pictures on the beach and around the ports.

[Keksie]

Thanks everyone!

i still dont know what to do with my camera though. I will have a water one for swimming, but I will also have a regular one for pictures on the beach and around the ports.

 

I take the disposable regular cameras on any excursions where I might be concerned about leaving a good camera unattended.

[livsea2]

I never leave anything on the beach that would upset me if it walked away. I take a water wallet for money and cruise cards and as mentioned before I take a disposable camera to the beach. I only take the "good cameras" when site seeing. Remember when cruising you are often in third world countries your things can and will walk away on the nicest of beaches. Only leave what you can afford to lose.

[TM]

I never used to give a great deal of thought to leaving stuff on the beach, albeit buried under towels, while we went in the water. And we always kept checking the area from the water. However, we were at Coki Beach in St. Thomas a couple of years ago. There were a lot of people on the beach. All of a sudden a local kid who had been sitting under a tree got up, snatched a lady's beach bag from literally right next to her, and ran off. A number of us took off after the kid but he had shoes on and none of us did and once he got off the road we couldn't follow him. The lady lost both her and her husband's wallets, credit cards, cruise cards, passports, everything. So now one of us always stays with our stuff and are very vigilent inkeeping an eye on it all the time.

[racepoint]

I think you just need to get a feel for where you're at. Personally, I don't think I'd ever be comfortable if everyone from our party were in the water at once. My sister and I were on a cruise to Bermuda last May and within our first hour at Tobacco Bay, someone stole her very favorite Teva's from atop her beach towel (and left my new $80.00 Merrell water shoes that were sitting on my towel.) Granted, it wasn't a cruise card, camera or cash, but her broken-in sandals were gone and she was very watchful from that point forward. I was just in St. Maarten with my family a couple weeks ago. We went to Dawn Beach and were steered toward Busby's Restaurant by the beach "concierge's" at the pier. Upon arrival. we rented 4 lounges and 2 umbrellas for $20. The beach was beautiful and we were having a great time, but something just didn't feel right. The backpack I was carrying had a good amount of shopping/food/souvenir cash and everyone's cruise cards in it. My husband and I were in the water and our two teenage daughters were laying on the lounges, face down. I kept watching from the water and saw one male vendor go and stand under our umbrella and he motioned another female vendor to come and join him. They both appeared to be assessing the situation. Sensing this, I got out of the water and walked right up to my lounge. As soon as they saw me approaching, they took off. I'm pretty confident in saying that we were just about to be ripped off. My point being that you need to make accomodations for your "stuff" while you enjoy the beautiful Caribbean sea. The beauty is there, right along with the opportunists.

[h2obaby]

When I snorkel or go for a swim and my DH is not with me, I put my credit card, cash, and driver's license under my swimsuit on lower abdomen. I have even put car keys in there too! It works and requires no waterproof gear around the neck or waist to secure things.

[h2obaby]

My point being that you need to make accomodations for your "stuff" while you enjoy the beautiful Caribbean sea. The beauty is there, right along with the opportunists.

 

The only problem we have ever had with beach thieves was on St. John the first time we went to Waterlemon Cay. The thieves were several mongeese who unzipped our backpack and ate our bananas and peanut butter granola bars! We were wiser the second time there!

[thejackaryman]

Are there any sorts of lockers that you can rent while on the beaches? I'm guessing that there are not since noone has mentioned them. That would be quite the business if someone got that started though. I'm going to be on the same cruise as JESSH, but I will be cruising alone. I HAVE to bring my camera with me because that's the type of person I am. I want to be on the beach for a couple hours and then I want to site see. So, is it possible to leave stuff on the ship, go to the beach...go back to the ship around noon, grab a camera, and then come back into port? Do they do that??

[Keksie]

The only problem we have ever had with beach thieves was on St. John the first time we went to Waterlemon Cay. The thieves were several mongeese who unzipped our backpack and ate our bananas and peanut butter granola bars! We were wiser the second time there!

 

They are quite the thieves. I had them search my bag, grab a baggie of dog biscuits, sit up on my bag and watch me watch them from the water before they disappeared with the goods. Waterlemon was the best.

[arabrab]

We use the little water wallets for our cards and cash. They hang around your neck (I tuck mine into the top of my suit) and can be found at sporting goods stores or sometimes on the ships. We take waterproof, disposable cameras and nothing else of any value. That way if anyone takes our beach bag they have only towels, sunscreen etc.

 

We got a nice little water wallet (which is on a rope) at REI -- we got the size big enough to hold three cruise cards, a credit card and some currency, but they come in larger sizes too. I noticed that on CB they had Princess logo ones available in the shop.

 

If you need to bring an expensive camera, you might try also bringing a bag with an inside zipper compartment big enough to hold the camera, and then load other stuff (towels, sunscreen, drinks) on top of it in the bag. It won't stop a thief from taking the bag, but it makes it less easy for it to be quickly rifled. I'd also make sure you're buying insurance, and that it would cover items that might be stolen when they were unattended like this. (I'm assuming you do know about bringing either customs registration or proof of purchase with you if it is a really expensive camera so that customs doesn't nick you for duty on the way back in...)

[A Sixth?]

:D A good place to keep your valuables while you swim is in one of those big-wheeled coolers. Some are even lockable :D :D :rolleyes:

[thejackaryman]

:D A good place to keep your valuables while you swim is in one of those big-wheeled coolers. Some are even lockable :D :D :rolleyes:

 

Can I bring one of those coolers on the ship with me? That would be perfect.

[A Sixth?]

Can I bring one of those coolers on the ship with me? That would be perfect.

:D

Sure why not, bring two!

 

Be careful though, some people don't like them and may set fire to them if you leave them out on you balcony over night;)

[Coolcruise02]

We usually bring some baggies with us and put our small valuables in one and bury it VERY DISCREETLY while we are sitting on our beach towels. Either bury it under a corner of your towel or mark it with a shell or stone so you don't have to dig up the entire beach looking for it. :)

[D4]

I I bring disposable cameras instead of my good cameras if I can't be with them all the time.

 

I also never bring our wallets on shore tours - they stay in the safe and I only bring one credit card and some cash on shore. The other credit cards stay in the wallets in the safe. You can be pickpocked even if you're not doing a beach activity.

 

For the person that asked about going back and forth from the ship -- you can do that easily if the ship is docked, but tendering can take quite a bit of time.

[thejackaryman]

What if I were to rent a jeep once I got off the ship. Are they the type that have the tops and I can lock and keep all my valuables inside? I will want to check out the whole island, so I may be getting a jeep anyways. Any suggestions when it comes to that?