Climate The weather is delightful year round with tropical sunshine tempered by cooling trade winds. Rainfall, which is at its lowest in the winter months, usually consists of occasional tropical showers, followed by bright sunshine. Hurricanes, although rare, do occur in varying parts of the Caribbean and the season is officially June to November. We have not included weather charts in our brochure as global weather patterns are increasingly erratic and such charts can be extremely misleading. If you require any reassurance or information, please discuss the matter with one of our team.

Hotel Accommodation There are no official hotel ratings in the Caribbean. Room and suite categories which are referred to throughout the brochure are in the hotel's own terminology but the descriptions are entirely our own. Most accommodation categories and prices are determined by location (eg. proximity to the beach) and/or by size.  For general guidance, please refer to the following or ask our Travel Counsellors who will be pleased to explain specific room types and locations in more detail.

Room (double, twin or single): one room with en suite bathroom (with bath and/or shower)

Junior Suite: one large room with a sitting area and en suite bathroom (with bath and/or shower)

Suite: en suite bedroom with a door separating it from a sitting room. A few of our hotels call their rooms ‘suites’, our accommodation description will make this clear

Villa: separate bedrooms (generally each of them is en suite) and living area/s together with kitchen facilities

Taking your children We have recommended a number of specific resorts under Family Escapes. The Caribbean is extremely welcoming towards children and every hotel which we work with which accepts children will be able to arrange babysitting locally at reasonable rates. We are generally able to offer reduced if not free child prices based on sharing a room with 2 adults and have a number of other special offers for families, especially for travel in the summer season. Children accommodated in the living room of a suite or living area of a junior suite will generally be sleeping in a sofa bed. Children sharing a bedroom with two adults will usually have a rollaway bed.

Infants: Children under 2yrs without their own airline seat will be charged approximately £50 each (more if hotels charge supplements for a crib or if flight upgrades are arranged). Details will be advised when you book, at which time we can also advise on the availability of essential items such as nappies, baby food and so forth.

Check-in/Check-out Rooms are generally not available until mid-afternoon on your day of arrival. Check-out time from your room is generally 12 noon, however, if there are no incoming guests you may be allowed to remain until departure; please make arrangements directly with the hotel reception and note that a local charge may be payable. Clients taking a cruise will normally disembark early in the morning; we can arrange use of a day room in a nearby hotel if required.

Meals Caribtours holidays which include meals commence with dinner on the day of arrival and end with breakfast (for Half Board) or lunch (for Full Board and All-Inclusive) on the day of departure. In some hotels, meals are sometimes restricted to the hotel’s table d’hôte menu, although a credit can usually be given towards the cost of dining à la carte or specific dishes. Please check with the hotel reception or maitre d’hotel.

Special Offers All the special offers listed throughout this brochure must be started and completed between the dates shown (unless otherwise stated). At some hotels, which offer complimentary watersports, there may be a time limit.  Our website will show any special offers which have been received since publication of the brochure.

Baggage Allowance The baggage allowance on all our transatlantic carriers is 2 pieces
per person (weight varies according to the class of travel), plus one piece of hand luggage which must fit under the seat in front of you or in an overhead locker. Please note that a number of items such as scissors, tweezers, nail files etc are not permitted in hand baggage and will be confiscated. Weight restrictions will be advised in your departure documents.

If your holiday includes an inter-island flight, you should be aware that the baggage allowance for local carriers is only 20 kilos per person (Caribbean Star, LIAT, Carib Aviation, Grenadines Airways). If you are connecting from an international flight for destinations such as the Grenadines or the Leeward Islands, we recommend that you carry overnight essentials and any medication in your hand luggage in the event that your checked baggage has to follow the next day. If you are using the helicopter transfers in St Lucia, please note that your luggage will follow by road and may take 3 or 4 hours to reach you; again, some hand luggage with a change of clothes is advised.

Flight Information All flight timings shown on your confirmation invoice are subject to change. Final timings will be detailed on your itinerary. Please note that changes to any flight departure days, routing/destination, any pre-assigned seats or aircraft type may be made by an airline at any time outside of Caribtours’ control.  Virtually all of our transatlantic flights are ‘direct’ but not necessarily ‘non-stop’; a direct flight involves a stop at one airport en route to another; you will not generally need to disembark. Details of any stops will be advised when you book and will be shown on your itinerary.

Travel Documents Dispatch Your travel documents will be posted first class approximately 10 days prior to departure; please let us know if you require them sooner. Your ticket wallet will include air tickets, hotel and transfer vouchers, luggage labels and any supporting information relevant to the holiday booked. Please check carefully the airport terminal and flight timings on your ticket.

Your holiday price includes:
• Return air travel (if applicable) in the class booked on scheduled or charter flights with your selected airline (plus inter-island flights where applicable) with appropriate in-flight meals.
• Accommodation with or without meals as confirmed
• Access to one of the executive lounges at Gatwick, Heathrow or Manchester on departure
• Private transfers to and from the airport except (unless stated) in the British Virgin Islands, St Barths, Dominica, Bermuda, Harbour Island (Bahamas), Turks & Caicos and all Sandals Resorts where transfers are included but may not be private for reasons outisde of Caribtours control.
• Services of Caribtours’ appointed local representatives in all countries except Dominica, St Barths and St Vincent & The Grenadines
• Mandatory hotel taxes and service charges (except private yacht charters)
• Meals as indicated in your confirmation invoice
• UK Airport Departure Tax
• USA Airport Departure Tax, if applicable

Your holiday price does not include:
• Overseas Departure Tax which is payable in cash only on departure in local currency. Details will be outlined in your documentation.
• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, gratuities etc.
• Travel Insurance (you must ensure that your holiday is fully insured with adequate cover).
• Any surcharges – please refer to booking conditions.

Passport, Visa and Health Requirements A full British passport is required for all destinations and it should be valid for 6 months after the return date of your holiday; please take special care to check the current passport regulations with regard to your children in good time before you travel. Visas are not necessary unless travel is to or via the USA; visa requirements for visitors to the USA are changing as we go to press. Please ensure that you are familiar with the new requirements. In certain circumstances (if you have a criminal record for example), a visa may be required and you should check with the appropriate embassy.

Non-British passport holders are advised to check with the appropriate authorities well in advance of their holiday.

At the time of going to press, no special health documentation is necessary for residents of the UK and Europe who have not recently visited parts of the world where cholera or yellow fever is a problem.

This information is given in good faith for guidance only and may be subject to change. Clients are responsible for acquainting themselves with up to date health, passport and visa requirements for their holiday prior to departure.

Late Bookings As a Caribbean specialist we are in constant touch with our airlines and hotels and are experienced in handling last minute flight and accommodation arrangements. A fee will apply if documents have to be hand-delivered to your home or to the airport.

Hotel-Only Bookings We are happy to arrange your hotel accommodation and any inter-island flights should you wish to make your own international flight arrangements, using frequent flyer miles for example. There is no booking fee for this service but we will include the cost of local representation in your quotation.

Health & Safety The safety standards and regulations which apply in the Caribbean are those of the individual countries concerned. We advise you to exercise care when you are in unfamiliar buildings or surroundings. Please familiarise yourself with fire exits and do not let non-swimmers or children jump into a pool without first checking the depth and means of exit. Upset stomachs can occur; these are often caused by the change in climate or ice cold drinks and not necessarily by local hygiene or food preparation standards. Any change in diet may cause an upset stomach and local water may contribute. Sensible precautions should therefore be taken. Crime is a fact of life and you have the same responsibility for your personal safety and effects when on holiday as you do at home. We take the safety of our customers very seriously – please ensure that we are informed of any deficiencies which you identify at any of our resorts.

Caribtours Concierge

In addition to the services of our local representatives in resort, we will be pleased to make any special arrangements for you before you depart on holiday.  We are also, of course, pleased to ensure that any special dietary, seating or rooming requests are communicated to the right people in good time.  Your personal Travel Counsellor will be pleased to provide you with a personal quotation for any of the following services - you may prefer to email us at escapes@caribtours.co.uk or call 020 7751 0660.

In the UK

• Airport parking at any UK airport
• Overnight hotel stay at your departure airport (on departure or arrival)
• Luxury transfers from your home to the airport and a pick-up service on your return

In Resort

• Restaurant reservations (highly recommended in the peak season in Barbados)
• Limousine or similar VIP transfers in your resort
• Private jet services and helicopter transfers (where available)
• Advance reservations for excursions or day trips to other islands
• Spa Reservations - prime evening slots are often booked up well in advance
• Car or jeep hire in resort (you may prefer to book this locally)
• A surprise treat for any special occasion - champagne, flowers, dinner on the beach, a couple's in-room spa treatment
• Nanny services
• Private yacht charters (luxurious crewed yachts for a day trip or longer)
• Golf tee times