MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🛡 & 📦 Shipping to the Caribbean • Barrels & baggage • Since 1998

Shipping to the Caribbean from the UK
Barrel shipping, luggage & personal effects — to every island

Everything you need to ship to the Caribbean in one place. Send a barrel of food, clothing and gifts to family, ship your own bags, or move a whole home — we collect from your door anywhere in the UK and deliver to Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana and across the islands. Air freight in 4–8 working days, or economical sea freight and barrels in roughly 3–6 weeks. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side. Shipping to the Caribbean since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

For the Caribbean community in the UK, shipping home usually means one of two things: a barrel packed with food, clothing and gifts for family, or personal baggage and effects when someone’s moving or a student is heading out. We’ve been doing both for over 28 years, from our own warehouse beside Heathrow, to every island in the region. This guide covers how barrel and baggage shipping works, what fits, what customs looks like, and how to reach your island.

Barrels & baggage — the Caribbean way to ship

Most Caribbean shipments from the UK fall into two camps. Here’s how each works, and when it makes sense.

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Barrel shipping — the classic. You pack a sealed shipping barrel with food, clothing, toiletries, household goods and gifts, and we send it by sea to family on the island. It’s the economical, time-honoured way to send a lot for a fixed, predictable cost. We can supply the barrel or you can use your own. See barrel shipping to the Caribbean ›
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Luggage, baggage & personal effects — for shipping your own bags and boxes ahead, a student heading out, or moving a household. Door-to-door, without airline excess-baggage fees, by air for speed or sea for volume.
Not sure which you need? Tell us what you’re sending and where, and we’ll recommend the cheapest sensible option and give you a clear quote up front. New to barrels? Read our barrel shipping guide ›

Shipping to every Caribbean island

We ship to the whole region. Pick your destination for local detail, transit times and customs specific to that island:

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Jamaica

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Jamaica, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Trinidad & Tobago

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Trinidad & Tobago, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Barbados

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Barbados, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Guyana

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Guyana, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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St Lucia

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to St Lucia, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Grenada

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Grenada, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Antigua & Barbuda

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Antigua & Barbuda, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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St Vincent

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to St Vincent, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Dominica

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Dominica, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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St Kitts & Nevis

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to St Kitts & Nevis, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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The Bahamas

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to The Bahamas, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Dominican Republic

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Dominican Republic, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Haiti

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Haiti, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Suriname

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Suriname, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›
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Cuba

Barrels, baggage and personal effects to Cuba, door-to-door from the UK.

Air & sea ›

How barrel & baggage shipping works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and which island. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Get your barrel

We can supply a shipping barrel, or you can use your own. For baggage, just use your bags and boxes.

3
Pack & label

Pack it up and list the contents. We collect from your address anywhere in the UK — no depot drop-off.

4
Ship by sea or air

Barrels and volume go by sea; anything urgent goes by air from Heathrow.

5
Island customs

We prepare the paperwork for your destination so it clears cleanly at the other end.

6
Delivery

Your barrel or baggage is delivered to the address, or ready to collect at the port.

What fits — and what you can’t ship

Barrels are made for exactly this kind of shipment, but a few things can’t travel. Packing sensibly keeps clearance quick.

Great for a barrel: tinned and dry foodstuffs, rice, clothing and shoes, toiletries, bedding and linen, kitchenware, tools, toys and gifts. Pack heavy items low and cushion breakables.
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Can’t go in freight: aerosols and pressurised cans, perfumes and aftershaves (flammable), loose batteries, and tobacco. Leave these out.
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Sealed, non-perishable food only. Tinned and packaged goods are fine and popular; fresh or perishable food won’t survive the sea transit and can cause a hold.
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List the contents. Customs on every island work from your list — a clear inventory makes clearance faster and duty (where it applies) simpler to assess.

Duty & customs — it varies by island

The Caribbean isn’t one customs system — each country sets its own rules. Here’s the honest general picture; your island’s page has the specifics.

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Returning-resident & unaccompanied-baggage concessions exist on many islands — including Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago — letting people moving home bring used personal and household effects in with reduced or no duty. Conditions and time limits vary, so check your destination.
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Barrels of gifts are routine, but not automatically duty-free. Used personal effects are treated more kindly than new goods; new items and anything in commercial quantities are generally assessed for duty and local tax (such as VAT or GCT).
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A clear inventory is essential everywhere. It’s what customs use to assess the shipment — and an honest, itemised list is the single biggest factor in a fast clearance.
We handle the destination paperwork. Tell us the island and what you’re sending, and we’ll prepare the right documents and tell you what to expect on duty before you commit.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most Caribbean shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list:

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Perishable food. Fresh food doesn’t survive weeks at sea and causes holds. Stick to tinned, dried and sealed goods.
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The banned four. Aerosols, perfumes, loose batteries and tobacco are the items most often pulled from barrels — leave them out.
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A vague contents list. “Assorted” invites inspection and slows things down; a clear list keeps a barrel moving and duty simple.
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Over-packing the barrel. A barrel that’s too heavy to handle safely can be a problem at both ends — we’ll advise on sensible weight.

What a Caribbean shipment actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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Someone in the UK sending a barrel to family in Jamaica — tinned food, rice, clothing, toiletries and gifts — would have us collect the packed barrel from their door, ship it by sea, and prepare the contents list for Jamaican customs. Transit is usually 3–6 weeks, and it’s delivered or ready to collect at the port. Someone relocating would instead ship personal effects, often claiming the island’s returning-resident concession, with essentials sent ahead by air.

Which is right for your shipment?

Sea freight is the natural choice for barrels and volume — a barrel, a household, or several boxes — at the lowest cost, over roughly 3–6 weeks. Air freight suits a bag or two or anything urgent, at 4–8 working days. Many customers do both: a barrel by sea, essentials by air.

Shipping to the Caribbean — your questions answered

How does barrel shipping work? +
You pack a shipping barrel with food, clothing, toiletries, household goods and gifts. We collect it from your UK door, ship it by sea to your island, and it’s delivered or ready to collect. We can supply the barrel or you can use your own.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 4–8 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. Sea freight and barrels are typically around 3–6 weeks door-to-door, plus customs clearance, depending on the island.
Will my barrel be charged duty? +
Each island sets its own duties. Many offer returning-resident or unaccompanied-baggage concessions on used personal effects, but most still assess duty on new or commercial goods. We prepare the paperwork for your destination and tell you what to expect.
Which islands do you ship to? +
Every Caribbean island — including Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, St Vincent, Dominica, St Kitts, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Suriname and Cuba. Pick yours above for the specifics.
Can I ship a whole household? +
Yes — furniture and a full home’s contents go by sea freight, and if you’re moving home you may qualify for your island’s returning-resident relief. We handle the paperwork.
Do you supply the barrels? +
Yes, we can supply shipping barrels, or you can use your own. We’ll advise on packing and sensible weight when you book.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer marine transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote, and we always recommend cover.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–Caribbean shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped barrels, luggage and household goods from the UK to every Caribbean island for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know these routes and what each island’s customs looks for. For a quote or advice on barrel or baggage shipping, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to the Caribbean?

Tell us what you’re sending and which island. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.