What do you "pack" for your day at Castaway Cay?

[dsdeleon]

On CC days, I actually get on and off the ship a lot it seems. 1st for the 5k - ID, Room Key and ticket. Then for Serenity Bay - smartphone to text kids, one nokia phone from the room, my refillable drink glass, and sunscreen. Then I go back and change for jetskiing, I switch to swim shorts and a rash guard and just bring my excursion ticket.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

How important is it to bring bug spray? How bad are the bugs on CC?? Biting and stinging bugs??? Clouds of bugs????

We brought bug spray with us on every island. It was late August, and the bugs were definitely there. Mosquitoes, etc. I can't say there were swarms of them, and it isn't like I was putting on spray constantly. I would say Castaway Cay was one of the less buggy places. Breeze off the water kept them down. Worse on more inland places and islands. We didn't get a ton of bites, but we got some. I would bring bug spray.

Also there is the question of DEET or no DEET. I know some people have concerns about the safety of that chemical. I am sensitive to those concerns (my wife is one of those who worries about it), so we made sure to shower each day when we got back from the islands, before dinner. But if you ask me if we used DEET containing bug spray, I will tell you that in my experience, there are two types of bug spray: the kind that is DEET-free, and the kind that works effectively. And we were particularly interested in reducing bug bites and any disease they might carry, so we accepted the risk of the DEET instead.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

These suggestions are so great everyone! Thank you so much!