Shipping to the Caribbean Islands? Here are a Few Helpful Tips

When you need to ship commercial freight, large barrels or small packages to the Caribbean, what comes to mind? Fast, easy and reliable are generally the top things to think about when shipping to Guyana or any other island in the Caribbean. But, how can you find the ideal shipping company within your budget, without sacrificing the quality of service?

Just follow the below given tips.

First, you have to identify shipping companies that you can trust to safely handle your shipping needs. It will be great if you can find companies that specifically cater to all types of shipments to the Caribbean.

Second, request a quote. You would want to hire the services of a company that can provide you with a transparent, bespoke quote based on your requirements. However, before getting a quote, ensure that you have the estimated dimensions and weight of your shipment so that you can get the most accurate quote.

Third, you must make sure that your packages or commercial freight will be delivered unharmed and undamaged. For that, you need to find out if the shipping company is offering additional services including packaging, cargo insurance and so on.

Last, but not least, look for a company shipping to St Vincent, Guayana or any other island in the Caribbean that has experience and can answer your questions. The company should be able to give you a list of items that are prohibited in some of the Caribbean islands.

Why Should You Consider Moving to Jamaica?

Among all the islands in the Caribbean, there is something special about Jamaica that will tickle your taste buds. One visit to this pulsating island nation of reef-lined beaches, rainforests and mountains will make you wonder if you can stay long-term or retire here. Moving to Jamaica and making it your permanent residence is a great decision for the following reasons.

Delicious Jamaican Cuisine
Jamaican food has a special place in the hearts of people across the globe. Having finger-licking curry goat, jerk chicken and Jamaican oxtail as every meal options is reason enough to live here.

Year-round Tropical Weather
Forget your bulky winter coats and sweaters. Jamaica welcomes you to warm tropical weather all-year-round. Temperatures range between 22 and 36 degrees Celsius. There is a slight drop in winter, but you can still go to the beach and soak up some sun whenever you want.

Ample Options of Fun Activities
Jamaica has many attractions and activities to keep you hooked. Sway to reggae music, go swimming with dolphins and horses, bobsled through the mountains, go hiking or take part in some water sports. You will never get bored!

Now all you need is a shipping company to help you with everything you need for moving to the Caribbean. There are companies specialising in shipping to Trinidad, Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean. Hire their services and let the professionals make sure the safe delivery of your prized belongings. They can also clear doubts that you might have regarding your move.

A Few Things to Know About Moving To the Caribbean

If you are moving to the Caribbean, there are a few things that you should know that nobody tells you. The first of these is that there is something called "island time". If you call an electrician and he says he will be there in an hour he means that he may be there today if you are lucky: if not, it may be tomorrow. If he says tomorrow, it will be about a week. It's just something that you have to get used to.

The mosquitos are terrible. Fortunately, you can buy a mosquito repellent. The best-known brand is called "Off" and you can buy it on all of the islands.

If you are relocating to Jamaica, or any of the other islands, you have to learn several different languages. The populations are very multicultural and may speak English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and local Creole languages. You will need to learn the basic phrases in each language just in order to get by.

You can't go home after work and get the barbecue going. Well, you could, but it will be in the dark because the sun sets between 6.00 pm and 7.00 pm. However, you won't have to get up and go to work in the dark because the sun rises at around 6.00 am.

Grenada is a popular destination for many people from the UK. You might live in the capital of St George's with its buildings from the early 18th century. If you decide to go there, you will need a company that specialises in shipping to Grenada to get your possessions there in good time and in safety.

Things to Take With You If Moving To Jamaica

If you are relocating to Jamaica it may be for one of a number of different reasons. Some people move to Jamaica to be back closer to extended families after having spent many years in the UK. Others may go there as students in order to study, while still others may have been there for a holiday and enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle and the glorious weather and decided that it is just a great place in which to live when compared to the British winters.

If you are moving to Jamaica, expats who are already there have said that there are some things that you should take with you and some that you should leave behind. Nearly all say that they have taken things they simply don't need and don't use. One suggested that you take a generator, because power outages are common, and you can be without power for two or three days at a time.

Others say you should ship furniture as it is very expensive to buy there. One went to look for a bed and the cheapest one he could find was about £650, when you could buy one for considerably less in the UK and just pay for shipping to Jamaica. Household items are also expensive in Jamaica, such as a coffee maker, saucepans, a kettle, and so on. Toiletries are another thing: soap, shaving foam, toothpaste, and so on are all expensive.

Things to leave at home: coats and sweaters. You simply are not going to need them.

More Things to Consider When Choosing a Shipping Company

In another article we looked at a couple of things to consider when choosing a shipping company to move your belongings abroad to the Caribbean. Here are a couple more to consider if you are shipping to Trinidad, or perhaps shipping to Suriname.

You will want to find out what tracking tools the company uses and whether it charges extra for the service: some shipping companies include it in the overall price. You may either get an online code so that you can track where your ship is, or you may simply get email updates.

Ask the company which shipping line they will use for shipping your possessions. Has it got a good safety record? You can log on to a company's website in order to see its' certifications.

Insurance is another vital question. Most shipping companies offer insurance from beginning to end of the voyage, and if something were to go wrong on the ship you want to know that your goods are fully insured. You may decide that you want more insurance than the company includes, in which case you can buy extra insurance. Look around for the best rates. Your shipping company may also suggest an insurance company that it partners with.

If your ship arrives early, what are the holding facilities? Where will your goods end up and what charges will there be? You need to know if there are any extra charges if there are issues over timing, and if there are how much they will be.

A Couple Of Things To Consider About Shipping Companies

If you are relocating to the Caribbean and you need your possessions shipping to St. Kitts, or shipping to Grenada, you need to choose the right cargo shipping company. You may have heard horror stories about people not receiving their belongings on time, or ships arriving too early or too late. There are a few things to consider, and not just the price. 

 

Many shipping companies will focus on one cargo loading service but may offer others as well. Warehouse loading is one option, and this is where the company loads your possessions into a container in their warehouse. They should be able to arrange for collection of your goods and delivery to the warehouse. They then transport the container onwards to the port.

Another option is a live load where they drop a container at your home, and you load it yourself. You usually only have a few hours to load it with this method. Better still is the more expensive, but less stressful, option where they drop the container off and you have a few days to load it before they pick it up again.

The size of container that you need will depend on how much you need to ship when you are shipping to St. Vincent or one of the other islands. Most companies provide either a 20' or 40' container. If you have valuables such as original paintings or antique furniture which might be affected by heat you may need a temperature-controlled container known as a reefer.

Shipping to the Caribbean

If you have goods that you need shipping to Antigua or shipping to Dominica which is 118 miles further south, there are companies here that specialise in shipping to the Caribbean islands.

It is always best to use a company that specialises because they will be able to tell you what you can and can't ship to the islands, as many of them have different rules and regulations. For instance, you are not allowed to import furs into Antigua and you may not import anything made of Liberian wood! Furthermore, the shipping company itself may have some items that it will not ship, and common among these are cash, jewellery and precious stones, ammunition, and live animals.

Most of the shipping companies that ship to Antigua and Dominica will act as a receiving depot for goods which means that they can carry out consolidation into a container for you. This will mean that you can save quite a bit of money on shipping costs. Of course, if you are a manufacturer or distributor and need to ship commercial items you may need your own container, or even more than one. However, if you only need to ship a couple of pallets at a time they can also be consolidated.

Most of the shipping companies will also be able to ship cargo by air freight as well, if you need your goods to arrive quickly. You really need to contact two or three different shippers to ascertain the best one for your needs.

Barbados – The Jewel of the Caribbean

Barbados has been described as the jewel of the Caribbean and is the most easterly of the islands, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean sea to the west. The island is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, which is not all that big, yet is home to 280,000 people. The official language is English. However, most Barbadians speak a unique Bajan dialect mixed with English which can be a bit difficult to understand when you first arrive, but you soon learn to pick it up. 

The island is just north of the equator and the temperatures for most of the year are 80° - 86°. Tourism is the biggest industry and there is a lot to do and see, even though the island is small. There are tropical gardens dotted all over the island and some wonderful beaches. Surfing and kite surfing take place on the south coast, you can go swimming with the turtles, and if you enjoy art there are lots of art galleries selling local works.

There are some wonderful restaurants and if you want to party the night away after dinner there are lots of bars and night clubs at St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast.

If you want to move to Barbados and would like to move your goods than choose shipping barrels to Barbados. Sending barrels to the Caribbean is the most effective method of getting goods there, as barrels can be tightly packed, are highly secure, and of course completely watertight.