Mosquitos?

[LindaKE]

Do I need to pack insect repellant? We are planning to explore the island, rather than go to the beach.

LindaKE

Sun Princess(Alaska)
Carnival Inspiration

[Chris Brook]

One of my cruise essentials is to get a product with DEET...it has saved many a vacation! I am the one who usually gets eaten alive while my wife doesn't get a bite. So, first bite I put the deet on. I have shared DEET with others, once in Club Med I gave a honeymooning couple a small bottle (drug store usually sells for 2-3 a bottle). Better to be safe than sorry. For more info go to google and type in DEET.

[richtersl]

Look for a product called "Off! Skintastic With Sunscreen". I like it because you kind of kill two birds with one stone when you use it.

I'm not sure what the active ingredients were in it but when I used it on one of my cruises, I did not get bothered by sand fleas nor did I get sunburned.

Linda [img]http://www.omsoft.com/danq/smilies/grin.gif[/img]
[url="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/richtersl/cruiseindex.html"]NCL Sky - 1/03[/url]
[url="http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/clr/cruise/cruiseindex.html"]NCL Sun - 1/02[/url]

[MandyGirl]

I also have my doctor give me a prescription strength cream just in case the noseeums are a little active (particularly when we go for land-vacation and are there several days). We still take the DEET as well. Already have my rx filled for this summer's trip! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[LindaKE]

What is the Rx called? Is it just for insects, or does it, like the Off Skintastic Linda mentioned, give sun protection too? If I know what to ask for, I'll ask my doctor for a Rx as well.

LindaKE

Sun Princess(Alaska)
Carnival Inspiration

[MandyGirl]

The one I got this time is "Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP, 0.1%". We can't remember what we had last time, and had thrown it out after it expired. Since I couldn't remember the name, I just explained to her that we were headed back to the Caribbean, and my old doctor had given a rx we read about on the internet that is good to use if you do get eaten up. I told her that it was noseeums (we stay in ecotents, so are outdoors a lot), and we would like to have a tube onhand if needed so my whole vacation isn't ruined if the little critters become up-close-and-personal with me. I think there are many brands of it, but the Triamcinolone Acetonide is the active ingredient. Shouldn't be used on the face though. But since we stay in the ecotents (St John) and enjoy hiking and beaches, we take the extra precautions since we are outdoors so much. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

~ Mandy

[url="http://www.cmgoddard.com/pages/2/index.htm"]NCL Sky 12/2000[/url] - Western Caribbean
Celebrity Galaxy 12/2001 - Southern Caribbean
S/S Norway 03/2003 [url="http://www.cmgoddard.com/pages/3/index.htm"]wedding cruise[/url] - Eastern Caribbean
~~~~ [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=158097554&m=8703069907"] Married on the beach in St John! [/url] ~~~~
[url="http://www.cmgoddard.com/pages/2/index.htm"]HAL ms Maasdam 11/23/2003[/url] - Western Caribbean

[MandyGirl]

Oh - forgot to answer one of your questions - it is NOT a sun protection as well. It is for [B]after [/B]you've already been bitten... in case your DEET washed off or didn't work.

[LindaKE]

So if we are just there for the cruise, we probably wouldn't need it?

LindaKE

Sun Princess(Alaska)
Carnival Inspiration

[MandyGirl]

I would think not, as the noseeums don't come out on the beach areas until closer to late afternoon. But I usually go with the same motto as the other poster... better safe than sorry. Like I don't normally don't get seasick, but the one time I don't take dramamine, we'll have rough seas...

[LindaKE]

Thanks!

LindaKE
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;2;6;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Until Star Princess

Sun Princess(Alaska)
Carnival Inspiration

[kidrn65]

I just read an article that stated Deep Woods OFF (w/25% DEET) worked the longest in repelling mosquitos. OFF Skinstastic came in second. FYI, Avon's Skin So Soft did nothing to keep the little buggers away, despite popular belief.

[ImPcJunky]

bugs love me... And I only use Skin So Soft shower gel. I have used it for five years now. I never get bite anymore. I use it daily..... I have been to East. Carb. and Florida, Mexico, Az. where the mosquitos live all year around. I do use a good sunscreen 45 ..... But I know Skin So Soft shower gel is right for me..
I use to be a buffet meal for mosq's, not any more..

[Karlyn8]

We just got back last Sunday from a Carnival Destiny Cruise with ports of call in St. Thomas, Barbados, Domincia and Aruba and we did not ever even see a bug. That is the one thing we were so amazed at. We got off the boat and did excursions and visited beaches at all four islands and there were no bugs.

[MandyGirl]

[color=darkorchid]Normally the noseeums don't come out on the beaches until very late afternoon / dusk. If you will be off the beach by then, you should be just fine and not see any at all (most ships leave port in early evening, causing most cruisers to be off the beach by then). We stayed in ecotents while on St John for vacation, and using DEET, never had a single problem or bite. Wish we would have remembered to pack something for the midges in Scotland a few weeks ago!! :eek: [/color]