bug repellant

[Beth_55]

Do I need to pack bug repellant ? We will be going to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. Thanks !

[Gonzo70]

I have been to Ochos Rios once and Grand Caymen twice and did not notice much in the way of bugs. Of crouse other people may have different experiences.

[FunCruiser56]

If your going ashore and taking a tour in Jamacia like tubing or where you will be in forested areas it's always a good idea to have some. We pack Deep Woods Off towelets in our daypack they work great and since they are individual wipes there are no spills in your bag or luggage. My son and DH keep them in their tackle boxes for fishing also, we even take them to Disney World to fight off the no-seeums in the bushes...

I bought ours at Walmart in the sporting goods area.

 

Bev

[crazycruizer]

When we were at Dunn River Falls in Ocho Rios I was standing near the bus waiting to load back up to go back to the ship and all of the sudden my feet (I was wearing sandals) started burning. I looked down and I was standing by some fire ants. I tend to be very reactive to bug bites, I still had marks from those ants 2 months after returning from our cruise.

 

But, besides the stupid ants that I stood by, I didn't have any other problems with bugs, we were there end of October.

[sasa]

I'm packing repellant for the first time for my upcoming cruise. On the last cruise we took (southern caribbean), I found that I was getting bitten at the beach. Maybe sand fleas or something like that? Anyway, my ankles had a few bites which were itchy and uncomfortable.

 

I recently saw a dermatologist speak about sun safety on a morning news show and she said to be cautious about using bug repellent in conjunction with sunscreen. Apparently, it reduces the effectiveness of the SPF so I will have to be careful at the beach.

 

I've never been concerned about contracting diseases or anything, it's more of a comfort and "just in case" item in my bag this time. ;)

[reallyitsmema]

I found a small bottle of Off bugspray that is on a caribener. I just hook it onto our beach bag or backpack and we are all set. I found it in the sporting goods department at Target.

[Beth_55]

Thanks..... It is going in my suitcase !

[ChevyCruiser]

Do I need to pack bug repellant ? We will be going to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. Thanks !

 

I'd pack something with Deet. The CDC's website reports that dengue fever, a mosquito-bourne disease is found throughout the Caribbean. Dengue is one of the hemmoragic fevers, and is not something you want to take a chance with.

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-DengueFever.aspx

[robtx100]

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a funny story about bugspray. When we were on a cruise to Belize, we chose the jungle river tubing shore excursion. We had not packed Off when we left home, but bought some Off at the port before getting on the tour bus (same orange and yellow can, but in Spanish and English). We used it when we got to the rainforest. We were not bothered at all by any insects, but the people who brought theirs from home were being bothered by mosquitos and such. I shared what I had with everyone that wanted it on the tour and they weren't bothered anymore. I did not save the can, but it would have been interesting to compare the ingredients.

[megr1125]

you may want to toss in some benadryl pills and some sort of cream just in case.....

[* Angela *]

I never thought about adding bug spray to my packing list until I went to the ruins in Costa Maya last year and got bit by some sort of bug. When I first got bit, I didn't think anything of it. It just looked like any other mosquito bite but then a red line started to travel on my leg so I went to the doc. He said I had picked up a parasite and it was from getting bit by a bug in MX! Ewwee! :eek:

 

So, the moral of the story, always pack BUG SPRAY, it's better to be safe than sorry, especially if you're going to heavily forrested areas in developing areas.

[cincicruisers]

If you are doing the Canopy Tour, which I highly recommend, bring bug repellent. It is in the middle of the forest. It was a great excursion but I would not do without repellent.