First time traveling with an 18 month old!

18N 64W · Post by **18N 64W** » Sun May 17, 2015 1:46 pm

Ok friends...I need some honest advice

My husband and I have decided to share our best kept secret (STJ!) with my sister, her husband and their 18 month old. I'm a little nervous about traveling there with a baby.
Has anyone ever vacationed on Stj with a baby? What suggestions do you have for me? Traveling, beaches, villas, restaurants? Thanks in advance.

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Sun May 17, 2015 2:52 pm

Babies are easy, toddlers are hard. They're mobile. What worked for us was getting going early, packing lunch and a shelter on the beach for naps. The best beaches for us were Hawksnest and Maho. We went for villas with interior hallways for at least two bedrooms like Sunset Beach, Alessandra, Jazz Villa, Le Lapin II and Dolphin Run. I put an emphasis on securing pool access for the toddler.

My daughters would pass out about the time dinner started, so we had most meals at the villa. High chairs are rare and its best to call ahead and ask. La Tapa and Lime Inn worked out well for us as did the spots along the Cruz Bay Beach.

I'll recommend you set expectations as to how much time you'll spend together. Living like an 18 month old is less fun than you might think. Plan on spending time out and about without the youngster.

Cheers, RickG

PatrickMcc · Post by **PatrickMcc** » Sun May 17, 2015 5:42 pm

When we went with our daughters ages 1 and 3 we started at Cinammon Bay which solves a lot of problems.You are at the beach, you can relax and look at the view while they nap and the restaurant is right there as is the beach, no traveling necessary. If camping is not for you then our experience 30 years later with our 2 year old grandson was to leave the villa early (yes we eventually graduated to villas) and return at lunch time to the villa and remain at the pool while the youngster slept and then go to another beach. the villa was at Hart Bay. HighTide and Beach Bar were great because the little guy could run on the beach.Rhumblines was very kid friendly with kids dancing to the music. A villa on the beach would be great but they are rare and pricey.

GratefulDad · Post by **GratefulDad** » Sun May 17, 2015 8:40 pm

We took our son when he was eight months. We had a small pop up cabana to put him in when he got tired. He would sleep on the beach in the shade for hours. We had a house with a pool and spent some time in the pool in floats and he loved it. Most of the restaurants were good with him and would make some veggies for him to eat. You will be fine, enjoy your time with your family.

CHM · Post by **CHM** » Mon May 18, 2015 12:17 am

Island Baby is great for renting baby gear. Pack or mail lots of diapers, wipes and baby snacks. These items are really expensive on island. We took our son to STJ for the first time when he was two. He did great.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Mon May 18, 2015 9:12 am

We started taking our son at 4 months old. He is now 9 years old and has 15 trips under his belt so we have experienced every age range.

I know I wrote extensively about the trip when he was 18 months old. I will go search for those posts.

So much, if not all, of the success of this trip will depend on the parents and/or adults attitude. We (hubby and I) went into those early trips knowing we were 100% fine with adjusting our vacation habits to fit the needs of the entire family.

The other adults on the trips were family (grandparents) and/or very close friends that were free to do their own thing and they were not negatively impacted by earlier meal times, shortened beach time, etc.

This is the type of trip where separate vehicles are an absolute must. Don't get locked into the toddlers schedule because you want to save $ by renting only one vehicle. Having separate cars lets the non-kid people get a break from the needs of the toddler family.

Our son would either sleep on the beach (get a portable tent) or we would leave the beach ahead of our friends and take a nice slow drive. Our son would fall asleep and we would meet for a late lunch at the Shipwreck, Miss Lucy's, Ocean Grill. I had one of the those kids that I could carry from the car to the bench seat and he would sleep through lunch.

We kept our son in our room (love the Peapod travel bed) so interior vs. exterior bedrooms weren't a consideration for us but if you need a separate room for the little one, that is going to narrow your villa choices.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Mon May 18, 2015 9:39 am

Here are some links I found when searching for my trip report -

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... VnmBLk5Dcs

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... VnmV7k5Dcs

I was mistaken, our son was 17 months old during that trip -

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... Vnn_rk5Dcs

We are big fans of Dohm's water taxi service (also using a private van taxi) when travelling with our son, it made for a very relaxing and quick experience. With five people, it can be just a couple of bucks more pp if you have checked baggage.

Another thing I used to take along was a set of door alarms for our bedroom, which stick to the door and frame with those removable pads. I was always scared he would get up in the middle of the night and escape even if the doors were locked. They cost about $10 at a big box store for a set of two and are ear splitting loud.

Our son eat whatever we ate (within reason) as a toddler so we had no need for a kids menu but it special kid food is important for your niece, investigate the restaurant options. I remember 7+ years ago, high chairs were not standard in every restaurant.

david@va.beach · Post by **david@va.beach** » Mon May 18, 2015 9:59 pm

I agree...2 cars would be the only way I would do this...

islandmama · Post by **islandmama** » Tue May 19, 2015 10:20 am

You've gotten a lot of good advice already, so I'll throw in another recommendation for Island Baby for whatever gear your sister might need. If you'd like an adults-only night out, I can't say enough about Leslie McKibben's Kids Night In. She's a wonderful tried and true babysitter who's great with kids of all ages, and she's used by locals and visitors alike. You'll want to book her sooner rather than later though, as her schedule fills up fast!

For kid-friendly meals out, try the Beach Bar. The little one can walk around/play on the beach while the parents keep a close eye from their table and enjoy their food/drink at the same time. Pickles in Coral Bay offers a similar experience sans beach. They've got a big yard with plenty of toys, very kid-friendly.

Teresa_Rae · Post by **Teresa_Rae** » Tue May 19, 2015 2:22 pm

We have a 5 year old and a 2 year old; the older one went to STJ at 17 months and the younger one turned 18 months while we were on STJ last October, so we have two trips under our belt with kids that age. We're going this summer as well, with both kids.

A complication we had this past fall was that our younger daughter was still taking 2 naps a day instead of 1 (our older daughter had transitioned to 1 nap right before her trip at 17 months). Making beach time work when you have to deal with 2 naps is no easy task. If they have the kind of kid who will sleep on the beach, that's huge...though most kids aren't like that...mine certainly aren't.

Honestly, it would be a hard trip to do for the first time with a kid along. We had many trips under our belt before we attempted it with a child. I think that knowing the ropes already really helped...we knew what to expect and we were already very familiar with the island.

Two vehicles is definitely a must. The other family will be on a very different schedule and will need their own vehicle.

If they need one, most airlines let you check a Pack N Play for no charge (Delta does for sure). I had looked into renting one from Island Baby, but it's not cheap and bringing one from home is free.

chicagoans · Post by **chicagoans** » Tue May 19, 2015 5:33 pm

I'd want to have a talk with your sister about her thoughts on what to do when the baby cries at night. Are they strictly cry-it-out types, or will they get up and comfort/quiet the baby? There's no judgement here... even the sweetest babies don't always travel well or do well with a change in schedule.

And of course if you're in a villa you need to make sure they allow little ones and have the necessary safe guards if there are stairs or a pool.

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:36 am

A little late to chime in.

We returned a month ago from a week on island with 20 month old.
It was a great trip. Yes it is a different vacation than our past ones, but oh it was so much fun to see the island through his eyes.

You have received some good advice so far. I did a blog using my grandson's voice for our trip - Enjoy Blog: http://www.tjnstj.blogspot.com/

A few lessons learned, but I would take him back in heartbeat!

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