If you are heading on a cruise or to an island for a vacation, you need to make sure to pack everything you will need. If you don’t and have to buy anything while on vacation it will most likely be very costly. Sadly resorts prey on their customers forgetting items. When I visited the Dominican Republic and stayed at an all-inclusive resort, my luggage was lost. So, my sunscreen that I had packed was not available to me. I ended up having to buy some at the hotel store because they refused to provide any.

Many of us save and save for a vacation, so it is important to pack everything we would need down to the final details. Also note that if you check a bag, it can be lost. That happened to me!

Also, many island vacations are not too terribly long which means if your luggage is lost even just one day of not having it could mean a horrible vacation. When I went to the Dominican Republic and the airlines lost my luggage I had nothing to wear for the first evening and first full day of our vacation. This meant that we had to change our plans and we weren’t able to go to the upscale restaurant we had planned because we didn’t have dress clothes. I also had to spend $100 at the hotel gift shop to buy a bathing suit if I wanted to spend time at the beach.

My best advice is to pack carry on. This trip made me realize that I could pack all my belongings necessary for an island trip and carry them on. By now, we all know that the worst part of carry on bags is having to take out liquids and your laptop, but if you can overcome this minor inconvenience, it is worth it not to have to pay for a checked bag and risk losing having your essentials for when you are traveling.

Here’s a good checklist of supplies to pack for your beach vacation. Of course you’ll need your own personal items such as any medications and obviously underwear!
Swimsuits
Coverups
Flip flops
Sunscreen
Hat
Dressy outfits
Shorts
Tshirts
Ibuprofen
Some fancy flat sandals
Gym clothes
Sneakers
Toiletries
Makeup
Insect Repellant


I hope that this has helped in making you aware of things you should be aware of when you are planning your island vacation. The last you would want to have happen is that you miss out on some activities because of lost luggage or simply forgetting to pack these essentials.