Packing List (by Liz of NJ aruba Lover)

[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by animalcrueltynjusa

What is the advantage of packing a laptop to bring to Aruba? What are the disadvantages of bringing one on vacation?

For us the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.


Advantages:

• Keeping in touch with family.
• Downloading photos from your camera to laptop for back up.
• Burning photos from the laptop to Cd or DVD for additional back up.
• Checking in with work (yes unfortunately some people have to)
• Posting on this forum about your trip.

Disadvantages:

• We fly Delta...Counts as a "personal item" by the airline.
  • If you are a woman you can only bring a purse in addition to the laptop.
  • If you are a man, you could only bring a carry on.
• More of a hassle going through xray screening at TSA screening points.
  • There are two xray scanning points for US citizens departing Aruba.

[Andrea J.]

advantages imo include:
able to go online
able to do some work if need be
able to download photos
able to post daily reports to us on this forum
able to comunicate with all at home

disadvantages:
another piece of luggage/carry on
chance that it may get damaged
the inability to lock it up in the average size room safe at resort
using precious vacation time being on the computer


but, it is a personal decision
i have only brought my laptop once.

if we do go in january, we will bring the laptop.
for all of the reasons i mentioned and ignoring all of the disadvantages.

andrea

Originally Posted by animalcrueltynjusa

What is the advantage of packing a laptop to bring to Aruba? What are the disadvantages of bringing one on vacation?

[Andrea J.]

hahahaha lisa we are ON the same wavelength
andrea

[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by andrea j.

hahahaha lisa we are on the same wavelength
andrea

:d :d :d

[mtnfoke]

I will be taking my laptop in December. I plan to put it in my carry on backpack duffle do-hickey bag, and still be able to take another small carry-on, so space isn't an issue. We can watch videos on the plane- We have 3- 3 hour flights, so usually no movies. We can recharge in the airports between flights. Travelling with a 4 yr old, that can be a make or break situation for that long of a day. Being able to get online once we are there is very advantageous to look stuff up! I also unfortunately need to keep in touch with work, and with our housesitter as we'll have no phone service.
The only con is having to get it all out for inspection, but that will only be once on the way there and once on the way back.

[sunworshipperII]

I have one too take it on every trip its a terrific. I wouldn't travel without it even gave it to my mom to use on their Med cruise.

[BGP]

We used this list for our recent trip. It was very helpful. We found once in Aruba we had taken way too many clothes. Things we could not have done without were lots of sunscreen, refillable water bottles for use on the beach and our hats.

[kuss509]

[Vicky464]

Liz - thanks for the list.

If anyone is interested, I turned it into a real easy to use and print MS EXcel Spreadsheet.

send me a private message if you want a copy

[BeachBum25]

Traveling with 2 young children these days, my wife and I start our list about a month out. Who would have ever guessed it would take that long to get organized. Thanks for posting this list for us. Some of the stuff is already included on ours but some was not. Very helpful!