Lockers at the Beach

[EmilyM]

My husband and I are booked on the Maasdam's April 21 voyage to the Eastern Caribbean. We are very interested in spending time on the beach, and we both want to be able to be in the water at the same time. Do most of the beaches in the Caribbean have lockers you can rent so you don't have to take turns watching your stuff? About how much do they cost? Should I bring a certain currency in order to be able to bring them?

Thanks for your ideas!

[sail7seas]

HMC does not have lockers. Some of the beaches in some of the islands have them but I would not wish to trust anything valuable to being stored in them.


IMO, you should not be bringing anything valuable to the beach.
Get a 'water wallet' into which you can put a few dollars, your ship's id, and a credit card. A camera (or costly eyeglasses/sunglasses) may be the only things you would need to worry about leaving at your lounge on the beach. No one is apt to want to steal your sun lotion, book, towel, t shirt....

[Pudgesmom]

Good advice, Sail.

Also, I would not go ashore anywhere without my passport and the ship's agent's number for the wallet. Otherwise, leave it all in your safe on the ship.

beth

[Iggipolka]

Good advice, Sail.

Also, I would not go ashore anywhere without my passport and the ship's agent's number for the wallet. Otherwise, leave it all in your safe on the ship.


This may be a stupid question, but how do you find out the ship's agent's number?

[dakrewser]

This may be a stupid question, but how do you find out the ship's agent's number?


It'll be printed in the port infornation sheet you get the night before each port day.

[Iggipolka]

How handy. Thanks!

[FoxyTerrier]

HMC does not have lockers. Some of the beaches in some of the islands have them but I would not wish to trust anything valuable to being stored in them.

HMC had lockers when we were there 2 years ago, maybe they were destroyed in one of the hurricanes last summer.

The lockers used to be in the area right before entering the beach - maybe near the bathrooms. I seem to recall they were the type that you put quarters into and then removed a key on a ring that would go around your wrist or that could be tied on to a bathing suit.

In any case don't leave anything valuable in them.

[peaches from georgia]

We take a copy of our passports ashore, but not the actual passports. That would be the first thing some locals might want to steal. We are never straying too far from the dock unless we are on a HAL excursion and don't feel it's necessary to take our passports out of the safe.

[sail7seas]

We always bring the 'port info sheet' ashore with us in order to have the port agent's name/address/telephone. We always bring the ship's telephone number with us (it rings at the front office) and at least a copy of our passports and our drivers licenses. We normally do not bring the actual passports. IF we absolutely needed to have a passport, having a copy of the number makes it easy to obtain a replacement. (Were we to be 'left behind' for whatever reason, at least we would not have travel problems in getting home as we could get another passport with relative ease.)

[Pudgesmom]

We take a copy of our passports ashore, but not the actual passports. That would be the first thing some locals might want to steal. We are never straying too far from the dock unless we are on a HAL excursion and don't feel it's necessary to take our passports out of the safe.

Just to clarify, are you saying here that you never stray too far from the dock except on a HAL excursion? Or that you only take your passports when you're not on an excursion?


Beth

[peaches from georgia]

I only meant that we are not wondering around an island by ourselves in more remote areas where we might be two of very few tourists and easily could have our activities under suspicion. We are usually in the general dock area or on an excursion with either HAL or a local tour operator/taxi driver and are obviously part of a tourist group or tour and/or in a well-traveled area. If we are alone we are careful to remain in the more touristy shopping areas, cultural attractions, or busy beach area.

We put ourselves in areas where being asked for our passports or of having our identity questioned would be slim. In that case we have our copies. In other words, use common sense in a foreign country.

We also keep copies of our DL's, credit cards, and health insurance cards in the cabin safe. Copies of Doctor's phone #'s and all prescriptions drug information are in the safe and in our tote bag. I keep all this info on my computer or in a travel folder at my desk, so when we are getting ready for a cruise it is very easy to update if necessary and put in with my cruise docs.

[Oceanwench]

I was at HMC post-hurricanes in November, and the lockers were still there. However, they were not operational. Not sure why.

I have used them in the past to secure a camera, wallet, etc. with no problem.