From sofa to sand – your 10 steps towards a Caribbean Christmas
Golden sands, warm seas, tropical birds and – for a brief moment – an escape from this year we'd rather forget.
While we cannot travel overseas right now, from December 2 we will be able to jet off to the Caribbean once again, just in time for Christmas.
Following a recent trip to St Lucia (just before the UK's 'essential travel only' advisory came into force), I can report that a Caribbean holiday is perfectly achievable and relatively stress-free, so long as you are organised and happy to jump through a few bureaucratic hoops.
Here's how to transport yourself from sofa to sand, in ten easy steps.
1. Decide your Caribbean destination
Your options may be limited, but there are some wonderful Caribbean islands welcoming British holidaymakers for Christmas and beyond.
The following islands have a travel corridor (meaning no quarantine on your return to the UK) and an FCDO ‘safe list’ accreditation meaning you are able to go there without going against Government advice (once the most recent lockdown is over). Check the FCDO links given below for quarantine rules on arrival.
Anguilla (test before departure and on arrival)
Antigua and Barbuda (test before departure)
Barbados (test before departure and on arrival)
Bermuda (test before departure)
Cuba (test on arrival)
Dominica (test before departure and on arrival)
Grenada (test before departure)
St Kitts (test before departure)
St Lucia (test before departure)
St Vincent and the Grenadines (test before departure and on arrival)
2. Decide your dates
For the duration of the current England-wide lockdown, you cannot leave England for the purpose of a holiday. This will remain the case until December 2, when the Government is due to reassess its lockdown restrictions.
While Wales has now exited its ‘firebreak’ lockdown, it is still advising people not to leave the country. Scotland has a tiered lockdown system in place – you can find out whether you can still go on holiday, here.
With the potential for an extension of England’s lockdown on the cards, it is fair to say that for English holidaymakers, the longer after December 2 you book, the lower the risk that your holiday will be cancelled.
3. Choose your operator
Many tour operators are still selling Caribbean holidays over Christmas. Consider Caribtours (020 7751 0660; caribtours.co.uk), Tropic Breeze (01752 880880; tropicbreeze.co.uk), Just Grenada (01373 814214; justgrenada.co.uk), Just Bequia (justbequia.co.uk), Elegant Resorts (01244 897581; elegantresorts.co.uk) and Carrier (0161 464 7842; carrier.co.uk).
Tui also has a number of Caribbean holidays through December, including a week in St Lucia for ￡1,095; a week in Jamaica for ￡1,093; a week in Cuba for ￡921; a week in Dominican Republic for ￡1,380.
As well as being well versed on the latest protocols, these companies offer the reassurance of working with tried-and-tested local agents on their most popular islands, and they should have inside-out knowledge of the destinations and every hotel they feature. They are also promising to be as flexible as possible with bookings.
4. Take a test before you fly
All Caribbean destinations require proof of a negative PCR Covid-19 test result, taken either prior to travel or on arrival, or both.
The universally accepted Covid test for entry to a country is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. These are diagnostic tests, to see if you currently have the virus, rather than antibody tests, which identify whether you have had the virus before.
You can only get a Covid-19 diagnostic test through the NHS if you have symptoms. So for an international holiday, you will need to take a PCR test through a private clinic – whether taken at home, or in a lab. The most cost- and time-effective way of getting a PCR test is by taking the test at home.
Tui uses Randox, a laboratory based in Belfast. Their tests typically cost ￡120 but Tui is currently offering free testing for passengers. You can read my experiences of getting a pre-flight PCR test with Tui, here. In the instance of St Lucia, you have to print out your results to present at check-in and on arrival, and also email them ahead of travel to [email protected].
5. Fill in the pre-arrival forms
There are now stricter immigration and health protocols across the Caribbean, meaning you need to get on top of the documentation in good time before departure. For St Lucia, for example, you must fill in a travel registration form seven days or more before departure. Check what your destination requires before you travel, to avoid possible delays on arrival.
6. Get yourself some good insurance
It is essential that you buy extensive Covid-19 cover before going on holiday. A number of companies, including Post Office, Nationwide and Trailfinders, are offering cover for costs associated with catching Covid-19 abroad, or cancellations due to Covid-19. See a comprehensive list of trusted insurers, and their policies, here. For my week-long trip to St Lucia, the Tui insurance I bought set me back ￡82 (for two) and, fortunately, I did not need to make a claim.
7. Prepare for a different kind of flying experience
The flying experience looks quite different, these days. Airports are generally much quieter, face masks are mandatory on board (even when sleeping) and in-flight catering services are reduced on many services. Bring plenty of spare face coverings and 100ml (or less) hand sanitiser to bring on board.
8. Health checks on arrival
On top of proof of a negative PCR result and pre-arrival registration forms, all of the Caribbean destinations will run some form of health screening on arrival. These will be some combination of temperature checks, travel history checks, accommodation approval, a health declaration form and potentially (as is the case in Barbados) a further Covid-19 test. In the case of St Lucia, the 5-minute health checks added 45 minutes or so to the arrival process, and comprised a forehead temperature check and a conversation with a health official.
9. Prepare for a different type of holiday
It will, quite frankly, be a slightly different holiday experience to what you're used to. In St Lucia for example, holidaymakers are shuttled direct from the airport to their hotel, which they must then stay at for the duration of their stay unless on an excursion arranged by the hotel.
You will be required to wear face masks indoors in public areas, there will be familiar 2-metre social distancing measures in place, hand sanitizer stations will be omnipresent, and you will likely have your temperature taken at regular intervals if staying at a resort. Your room service might well be delivered in a paper bag, on a little stool.
But all of the Caribbean resorts and airports are following strict hygiene protocols, so you can expect distancing and sanitization measures on a par with what we're now used to in the UK.
10. Passenger information form on return
Once your holiday is nearly over, you must fill in the UK’s Passenger Locator Form no more than 48 hours before you travel home, and have it ready to present to Border Control on arrival in the UK – showing the PDF on your phone is OK. From personal experience, your form will be subject to a cursory glance (if anything) and then you will be allowed through.