Life on a Caribbean island

[OlennasWimple]

Hi - there's a possibility that we might be moving at the end of the year to a small Caribbean island (DH's work). Eeek!

Has anyone got any tips for what we should be looking at in the relocation package / contract? We're thinking international school fees have to be included, but what else do we need to get agreed?

Any any other tips in general - what to expect, what to take with us? We've never even been to that part of the world....

Which island?

I'd rather not say (it would be completely outing - it's very very small!)

Fair enough...

Shipping your personal possessions to the island at the start & finish of your contract, return tickets to UK, housing allowance, utilities allowance (electricity can be v expensive), vehicle allowance (high tax on imported vehicles), regular flights to UK, benefit of relocation agent, cash advance to assist with moving. Shipping to be split between air & ship.

Thanks for that list, BigGreen!

Health insurance

If it somewhere like CI, get your name down for international
School pronto, best one is oversubscribed.

...friend that lived there got rid of most formal clothes, and left one bag of winter clothes at a relatives but got rid of all the rest, they don't need it at all. clothes are expensive so they always stock up for DC when the leave the island. And if it's particularly small, try to get a few flights a year to the mainland US for an escape now and then.

It can be 13/14 weeks for a container to reach you - they usually have to cross the Atlantic to New Jersey & then get put on another boat down south. You can check whether you can ship your own vehicle. Barbados has special rules for importing cars when you first arrive iirc.

Top of the list is health insurance including US for emergency repatriation as miami is probably your nearest port of call unless you are near Martinique. French public hospitals are great and a good option for european citizens.

What area does your DH work in and at what position? That is a determining factor in salaries and what you can expect to be covered.

I'm on a small offshore Caribbean island so happy to help if you want to PM me any questions.

If you're coming with school aged kids I would, as pp suggests, put their names down at as many of the schools as you can. I can help give you an idea of fees if you need.

Don't have much of use to add, but if it is an island with a long rainy season then a good supply of crocs for the children and yourself!!

Books are also something we miss having access too (not huge kindle readers here).

solittle - no rain really (a couple of inches in the last six months...), but heat and humidity (and, I guess, mosquitoes...). Buy shares in FrizzEase now, before I stock up...

Good point on books - am debating getting Kindles for everyone, but they're not quite the same, are they?

Stroke - thanks, I'll PM you.

Oh yes! I had forgotten the constant battle against frizz! I use an Argan oil hair serum now. it's really good.
I also used my tumble drier a lot for sheets etc. So make sure you have a nice big one!