Traveling to the Caribbean During COVID-19

Traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19: should you or shouldn’t you? For me, it was not easy or straightforward to make that decision. And I’ve come to notice a trend now that I have 3 solo trips under my belt. As much as I love traveling, it still makes me a bit nervous. I’ve realized that I second guess myself sometimes, asking questions like: Should I do this? Will I even have fun? Is this how I should be spending my money? Plus, in the age of COVID, the anxieties are even louder and we now have terms like “travel shamer”.

But the thing I’ve learned is this: I have never regretted saying yes to adventure. Of course it can be scary getting out of your comfort zone, and that’s what solo travel (really, any kind of travel) does best, but it’s always worth it. So with all the worry of the current situation added to the normal fear one faces on the brink of doing something new, I wanted to share a glimpse into my inner monologue and how I personally came to the decision to travel to the Caribbean during a pandemic. I think for the foreseeable future we all have to be a lot more thoughtful about any decision to leave the house.

Should I be traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19?

Well, travel is what I love most. It’s important to me, it challenges me, it inspires me, and (bonus) it fuels the economy. I haven’t traveled in a long time because it hasn’t felt like the right thing to do. That’s different now. I’m fully vaccinated. I’ll be tested before I leave, before I return, and after I return. I’ll wear a mask in public and social distance and sanitize. I feel like this trip can be done safely with consideration for others, and I’m ready to get out in the world again.

Will I even have fun? Or will I just feel worried and guilty and unsure of myself? Hmmmm let me think. Will I have fun escaping winter, laying on a beautiful beach, soaking in sunshine, exploring a part of the world I’ve never been to before? Will I enjoy having my own place, sleeping in (or not), reading, trying new foods & new activities? Or do I want to sit in my room like I’ve been doing for the past 8 months? Seems like a no brainer (even though I’ve gotten really comfortable sitting in my room haha).

Is this how I should be spending my money? See the answers above 🙂 I’m not gonna lie, though. Now that I’ve gotten used to doing nothing, it was more difficult than usual to part with my hard earned cash, even though traveling is my favorite way to do so. I decided to soften the blow by using credit card points to cover the cost of my flight and some of my accommodation. Shout out to Chase Sapphire Reserve!

Traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19: Where to go?

So with all that in mind, I decided to book a trip! As much as I love the beach, I was looking for a place that also had at least a couple of “activities” I would want to experience. I was looking for an island that was safe for solo female travelers. And above all, I was looking for a country that was taking COVID seriously. Your personal preferences may be different, so think about what you’d want out of a trip. In terms of traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19, there are a lot of diverse islands to consider.

After doing my own research and putting feelers out with friends, Turks and Caicos was at the top of my list. I’ve been wanting to visit the Caribbean for a while now, and the photos of Turks and Caicos had me hooked (white sand, turquoise water, palm trees, lots of vitamin d). I checked to see if I could find any info about solo female travel there, and it seemed to be a very safe island. I also loved that they had a portal for COVID travel authorizations (their government-run travel website in general is GREAT). I felt reassured that I would be going somewhere that was organized and had testing infrastructure in place.

As much as I didn’t want to have to be tested 3 times in the span of 10 days for a 5-day trip, I can’t fight the fact that this is normal life now. I want to travel–safely, responsibly, and in consideration of others. This is different and new for me, but it’s what has to be done. I have to adapt to the changes so I can start living my life again. Spoiler alert: I went to Turks and Caicos (!) and now I’m back.

Requirements for traveling to Turks and Caicos during COVID-19

This should be obvious but I have to say it: I can only speak for Turks and Caicos (and things are changing all the time even within the same country). They have an amazing website set up (called TCI Assured) where all the COVID requirements are streamlined in one place to get your authorization to enter the country. The main things you need to secure the authorization (you can’t board your flight without it) are 1) a negative PCR test within 5 days of departure, 2) proof of travel insurance covering COVID-19 medical costs, and 3) completion of an online health screening.

You have to make sure you get a COVID test that is accepted. To simplify it, Turks and Caicos government will not accept a test that has the word antigen or antibody in it. Visit the TCI Assured website to see a list of all the accepted tests.

You also need to purchase travel insurance (which I recommend doing any time you leave the country, pandemic or not) that covers COVID-19 medical costs and full hospitalization. The TCI Assured website has a list of insurance providers they recommend. Make sure you pay for coverage lasting 2 weeks following your departure date. For example, if you’re set to fly home on March 1, you need your travel insurance to be active until March 15. This is so you have coverage if you get COVID and have to stay in the country for the 2-week treatment and isolation period before being allowed to fly home.

I booked a plan with Travelex Insurance and it cost me $83. I love the peace-of-mind of having travel insurance, but that feeling was multiplied during a pandemic. I’m glad the government of Turks and Caicos made it a requirement for travel. One thing to note about the fine print of the plan I got: they’ll refund your trip cost if you have to cancel due to a positive COVID test. They do not cover cancellation if the government of Turks and Caicos decided to shut down their borders, so there is still some financial risk involved when traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19.

Another thing that should be obvious but I’ll say it anyways: you need a passport to enter Turks and Caicos (they are a British Overseas Territory). If you live in the US, places like the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico would not require a passport.

Before booking my trip, I made sure I could find a clinic near me that did the PCR test. Make sure the clinic you pick offers the test you need within the time frame you need it. It was super simple & quick, felt weird but was painless, and was covered by my insurance. They claimed results within 2 days (I went on a Monday for Thursday travel). I got my results within 36 hours, and my TCI travel auth was then approved within minutes. Traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19 requires more steps, but it’s definitely possible to make it happen.

What was it like flying internationally?

I flew out of Chicago with Jet Blue. Each airport and airline will be different but I wanted to tell you my personal experience of traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19. O’Hare staff checked my travel auth and negative COVID test when I checked in, but there were no health questions or temperature checks.

Jet Blue (and also American on the way back) deplaned by row to avoid crowding in the aisle. So if you’re at the back, you do have to wait for every row in front of you to get off first. One of the flights had a lot of passengers on a connecting flight that was leaving soon, so they let those people off first and asked everyone else to remain seated. For boarding it was opposite–if you’re at the back you’re first to board.

My flight from Fort Lauderdale to Turks and Caicos required me to show my travel auth again before boarding along with my passport. On that flight I had to fill out a customs declaration, a health screening form, and an immigration card that you had to retain for when you left the country (that no one ever ended up collecting). Upon arrival, officials at customs checked everyone’s temperature and sprayed everyone’s hands with sanitizer.

There’s now a federal mask mandate that you have to wear your mask over your nose and mouth while in the airplane, unless you’re eating or drinking. Failure to comply can result in being kicked off the flight, banned to fly with that airline again, or getting fined. That did make me feel better on the plane–everyone was wearing a mask. And I felt really good about my flight to and from the US–everyone had a recent, negative COVID test. The US airports were a bit more crowded than I was expecting, but everyone was wearing a mask.

Traveling back to the US during COVID-19

As of January 26, 2021, the US requires a negative test within 72 hours to be let into the country. However, it doesn’t have to be a PCR test. An antigen test will work as well. The Turks and Caicos government secured a bunch of new tests when the US announced this requirement. It was so easy to get tested–I just paid $50, went to a resort to have it done, and got my results within minutes. This is another reason why I chose to visit Turks and Caicos. Everything with COVID was efficient and taken seriously.

At the airport in Turks and Caicos, they checked my negative result before checking me in to my flight home. Upon entering the US, no one asked to see my negative result. I cleared customs like normal and didn’t see anyone checking temperatures.

I flew back with American Airlines, and they no longer come through with a drinks cart. Instead, they handed out plastic bags that had a small water bottle, bag of pretzels/cookies/chips, and a sanitizing wipe inside. I did see some people with Cokes, so I think you can get other drinks if you ask.

It’s recommended to get tested again 3-5 days after you return, so that’s what I did. Check your state website to see what their requirements are, as some states are more strict than others. Indiana, for example, recommends limiting your activity to essential things only for 7 days after you return.

So what was it like traveling to Turks and Caicos during a pandemic?

When I was thinking about booking this trip, I worried that I wouldn’t enjoy myself because of COVID–that I’d feel guilty or unsafe health-wise. That wasn’t the case at all once I got there, and I’m so happy I went. I think beach trips in general are a great travel option right now (being outside in a breeze able to space out from other people), but for those of us wanting a stamp in our passport, traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19 is a safe and exciting way to scratch that international itch.

Turks and Caicos was taking the pandemic very seriously at the time of my visit (this is ever-evolving so make sure to check the most up-to-date info). There were just over 2,000 confirmed cases (with 14 deaths) when I went. They had a 9pm – 5am curfew in place (but the week before it was 6 pm, so this is constantly changing). Independent restaurants were not allowed to have dine-in customers. It was take-out only, which I thought was a bit too strict considering the seating is mostly outdoors anyways. Plus they were letting resort restaurants offer dine-in, but not restaurants owned by locals??

The restaurant situation didn’t personally bother me. I was more than happy to take my food back to my Airbnb and have a relaxing night in. And I could have gone to a resort to dine-in if I really wanted to. I’m not the biggest foodie, so it wasn’t a deal breaker for me but it is something to keep in mind. The government reassesses the restrictions every week or so. Hopefully they let the local restaurants offer dine-in soon!

Also, every time you enter a business there is either someone spraying your hands with sanitizer as you walk in or they ask you to do it yourself by the door. I felt very safe in terms of the COVID risk, and that really allowed me to relax and enjoy my vacation. Plus, basically 100% of my activities were outside, and besides the snorkeling trip, I was never in a group of people. For the snorkeling trip, there were 8 of us on a boat, spaced out more than 6 feet, and in the ocean air. Three of us were fully vaccinated and everyone else at least had a recent negative test, so I felt very comfortable.

I was traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19 on my own (I’m going to do a comprehensive post about solo female travel in Turks and Caicos), but I just wanted to touch on this briefly here. Not only did I feel completely safe in terms of COVID, I felt completely safe being there alone!

Final thoughts on traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19

This post has gotten really long, but I just wanted to get all the information down for anyone considering safely getting back out into the world again. I can’t recommend Turks and Caicos enough–the risk of getting COVID is very low, they are taking things very seriously, the case numbers are low, testing infrastructure is in place, pretty much everything you do will be outside, etc.

It’s a stunning island with soooo much to offer. I stayed for 4 full days and could have stayed much longer. One couple I met on the snorkeling trip was there for 3 weeks which I thought was overkill, but there really is that much to do because you can hop over and explore the other islands in Turks and Caicos. That being said most people stay for a week from Saturday to Saturday.

I would recommend Turks and Caicos to pretty much everyone–solo travelers, couples, families– with the exception being budget travelers. It is not a cheap destination. I personally cut down on costs by staying in an affordable Airbnb, but there’s no way to avoid the expensive meals and activities.

Overall I think it’s a great option for travel right now. The most risks were at the airports in the US. They were more crowded, and you had domestic travelers (who had not been tested) mixing in with the international travelers (who had been). Everyone was wearing a mask, though, and you can definitely find a secluded spot while you wait to board your flight. The risk of contracting COVID on a flight has been shown to be very low.

Other Caribbean Destinations to Consider

Traveling to the Caribbean during COVID-19 doesn’t have to mean going to Turks and Caicos. There are other countries to think about, but as always, this is constantly changing. Check out CNN’s article about which countries are letting Americans in (they update it regularly). I’ll do a small overview of the Caribbean options here. I personally feel like a lot of these options are too strict to make a visit worth it right now, but other countries that could be “easier” to visit include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Curacao, Sint Maarten, St. Lucia, and the USVI.

• Anguilla: From www.gov.uk, “All persons entering Anguilla will have to undertake 10 – 14 days quarantine in either a government run quarantine facility or a government approved self-quarantine facility.” You also have to be pre-approved to enter, including a negative COVID test within 3-5 days.
• Antigua and Barbuda: negative test within 7 days and subject to monitoring once there.
• Aruba: you must purchase Aruba Visitors Insurance and have a negative result.
• The Bahamas: negative test within 5 days, apply for a travel health visa, travel insurance covering COVID-19 expenses, rapid test on day 5 if you stay that long.
• Barbados: negative test within 72 hours, complete an online travel form within 24 hours of arrival, rapid test on arrival and then you have to quarantine while you wait for that result (minimum of 5 nights), must stay at an approved resort or hotel.
• Bermuda: apply for travel auth which costs $75, negative test within 5 days, tested again at airport when you arrive and quarantine while you wait for that result, tested again on day 4, 8 and 14 if you stay that long.
• British Virgin Islands: apply for a travel certificate, pay $175 entry fee, negative test within 5 days, rapid test on arrival and quarantine for 4 days.
• Dominica: negative test within 3 days, electronic immigration form within 24 hours of travel, rapid test upon arrival and expect further testing.
• Dominican Republic: you do not need a test to enter, but they will test random people upon arrival. You have to fill out a health affidavit.
• Curacao: negative test within 72 hours and fill out a digital immigration card.
• Sint Maarten: negative test within 3 days, fill out a health authorization application, and have travel insurance covering COVID-19.
• Grenada: negative test within 3 days, have insurance covering COVID, apply for a travel authorization, take a 2nd test on day 5 to be able to move about (otherwise stay at your hotel only during your trip).
• Jamaica: fill out a travel auth, negative test within 3 days and you’re subject to being tested upon arrival, have to stay in an approved hotel, you have to stay in your hotel unless you are doing a tourist activity that is government approved in which case you also have to take approved transportation to and from the activity.
• St. Kitts and Nevis: fill out a travel auth form, negative test within 3 days, you must stay at an approved property for first 7 days and get tested again on day 7 if you’re staying longer.
• St Lucia: negative test within 5 days, complete a travel registration form and bring a printed copy, stay at a COVID-certified property.
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: fill out a pre-arrival form, negative test within 3 days, test upon arrival, Americans are considered high risk and have to quarantine for 14 days plus additional testing.
• US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Water Island): negative test within 5 days, travel certificate from online portal (both these things printed to show at arrival), since these islands are American you do not need a test to return back to the continental US.

Other posts you might like…

For more tropical vibes: Port Douglas Photo Diary

For more on solo female travel: Solo Female Travel in Western Europe

For day dreaming: 16 Beautiful Things from 16 Countries