Hello! I'm a longtime lurker and two-time St. Barts visitor. I've really enjoyed these forums. The information provided has been helpful and I've e

[Grey]

Hello!

I'm a longtime lurker and two-time St. Barts visitor. I've really enjoyed these forums. The information provided has been helpful and I've enjoyed reading trip and meal reports--it makes me feel like I am there. So thank you.

My husband I first went to St. Barts in Nov '07 for our honeymoon and we LOVED it. It was a great time to be in St. Barts as everything was gearing up for high season but it wasn't a problem getting in anywhere and the weather was terrific. We returned in October '08 for a pre-anniversary trip and really enjoyed our visit. We arrived a week prior to the hurricane so missed that. While not every restaurant was open there were plenty to keep us occupied. Both trips we have stayed at the Guanahani and loved it. I think we would likely try to stay there again.

This fall, however, I will be very pregnant and unable to make the trip. I'm hoping that a late spring/early summer 2010 trip might be possible with the baby. What do you think? I've read very helpful posts by many of you, including WayneK, JDR, and Skeeter. Can I get your thoughts on logistical issues?

*How do babies do on the SXM-SBH flight?
*Stroller or carrier?
*Bring our own car seat? Diapers? Cribs? How is it getting all the baby gear over to SBH? Worth it to use a VIP service?
*Child care (if my husband and I want to do a dinner on our own one night)?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

[JEK]

Welcome Grey!
Congrats on the new addition! I seem to remember a recent thread concerning the inadvisability of bring a child under one year of age due to shots and such. Let me do a search for you.

 

[pascaleschmidt]

I brought my 3 month old on our second trip to sb.. Just be careful with bug bites..

 

[Skeeter]

Grey,
PM me and I can give you a lot more info both on my trip a few weeks ago with 2 year olds, as well as our trip to Maui when they were 10 months old.
That being said, a few thoughts:

1. 10 months was a fun age to travel with them. My son was just starting to walk (he took his first real steps on his own in a beautiful grassy area overlooking the beach at the Four Seasons Maui -- words cannot describe how cool that was) and Sophia was crawling. By that age, they should be sleeping a bit more and they are able to communicate a bit. I don't think I would go any earlier.

2. A stroller is useful for the airport and for Gustavia. Even if you carry your baby in the airport, the stroller is a nice place to put some of the stuff. On our Maui trip, we actaully used the stroller as a crib a few nights when we went for dinner. The twins fell asleep in the stroller as we enjoyed a night out. We also got a babysitter for a few nights of course.

3. I definitely would bring a car seat and would definitely pay for a seat on the plane for the baby. The first trip the twins did not use the car seats that much on the plane (the second trip they did) but it was nice to have them for take-off/landings. Also, it was nice in the rental car to have confidence in your own car seat. Even if your baby sits on your lap for the flight, it is still worth the money to pay for a seat just to have the space (not to mention the extra carry-on -- if the baby buys a seat, the baby is entitled to a carry on).

4. If you do decide on SB (I actually would recommend Four Seasons in Maui for a first trip for various reasons that I would be happy to explain) I would probably recommend a villa, since you want kitchen facilities. You definitely need a microwave and a fridge.

Congratulations on the new family member.

As I noted, PM me for more info.

 

[MIke R]

ours was 10 months old on her first trip..as an alternative to paying for a seat for your child...what we did and it worked out 100% of the time with every flight we took ( St Barts and non St Barts flights ) is book the aisle seat for you and the window seat for your spouse......unless the flight is overbooked, NO ONE is going to want that middle seat once they see the child.....as I said it was a 100%er for us and we were going back and forth between Denver and Boston every 6 weeks on top of the trip to St Barts with her in tow...probably saved a few grand in the process and she still got her own seat...

as the saying goes...cheap is good...free is better


make sure you go and get one of those seats which changes any chair to a toddler sized chair with a seat belt....it was a God send....they are made by Safety First and sold in places like Target and Walmart...

plenty of diapers down there we were sorry we lugged them down

 

[MIke R]

and Skeets that is a very incorrect assumption that non villa lodging has no kitchen....many hotels have full kitchens..many

bring your car seat....it works well in an airline seat and they charge too much for it down there anyway

 

[Skeeter]

Mike,

For the last trip, we looked at the more upscale place on SB [IDF, ER, Guanahani] and none had the facilities that we needed. It is possible that other hotels on the island do, but at least those three did not.

With regard to diapers -- prices on the island have gone up dramatically. We brought what we thought would be enough, but were off by a day or so. We paid through the nose for those things. They are avaiable, but very expensive in comparison to the US.

 

[MIke R]

for upscale..full kitchen at the Goose....

too many mid priced hotels with kitchens to list

 

[Skeeter]

Live and learn -- we never considered The Goose.

That's a nice suggestion, with so much stuff in easy strolling distance.

 

[GramChop]

i don't know about babies/toddlers and the goose, skeets...the suite we stayed in had a plunge pool that was not protected at all...this was in 1997.

 

[Skeeter]

Mike, Missy -- talk this out and provide Grey with the advice necessary.

 

[MIke R]

I got a tour of the new suites this past April...the pool is now seperate

 

[Voosh]

As I recall the island mandated, about 5 or 6 years ago, that all pools must have "fencing" to keep little ones from taking an accidental dunk. Sometimes rules and regulations make sense.

 

[biddlex]

Hello Grey,

We've traveled to SBH with our son when he was little and we are about to go again in a couple of days - he's 5 now and our daughter is 2 now.
The SXM to SBH flight was never a problem. It went by so fast that, even if there is a little crying, it's over before you know it.

We've always bought seats for the kids just for the convenience - but we've always had luck with good prices. We've used a cheap umbrella stroller once when he was really little - see what feels right for you. One time, the car seat that we rented in St. Barth was a little... uh, bootleg. So bringing your own might be a good idea. But we've always rented cribs, bed rails, baby monitors and high chairs through the rental service (Up & Away Island Service).

As for VIP service, we used it once and it was really convenient but I wouldn't do it again. Too pricey for me.

Childcare is worth it, at least for a night or two. Right now the rates are about 22 Euros/hr. for the company we will be using this week.

A couple of other thoughts - try to make sure there is a bathtub wherever you end up staying. Also, we've always stayed at villas that had the pool separate from the villa to ensure that toddlers don't walk out of the living area straight to the pool. I hate using Deet and Picaridin, but I'd suggest some 5%. Lemon Eucalyptus spray shouldn't be used on children under 3 - but it's great stuff. (Thanks to Mike for that info.) The crib rentals we use come with mosquito nets.

When we first considered taking our son (we honeymooned there in '99) we were a little reluctant, but afterward we were really happy we had gone with him. April/May/June are great times to go.

All best and congratulations! Please PM me if you have any other questions.
CJ

 

[Grey]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

[compo]

Congrats on your growing family.

We have a 5 and a 7 year old, and we have visited St. Barths with our children ever year since they were born.

As I'm sure you remember, the SXM - SBH flight is very loud. Noise was the only issue for our kids on that flight. I don't remember the exact age, but at some point we were able to convince one of our kids to use foam earplugs which helped. We took a ferry this year for the first time when our charter was cancelled, and I would not suggest taking a baby on the ferry. The 12 minute flight is preferable with a baby.

When our kids were young we used a stroller that a car seat carrier clips into. Using a stroller makes it easier to move through airports, plus it gives you a seat for your baby on the flight and for your car rental on St. Barth. You can gate check the stroller and carry your baby on board in the seat carrier.

If you think it's important to have, you don't need to carry a high chair or a pack and play. I think we rented those there.

As other posters have noted, we have never had trouble buying baby supplies (diapers, wipes, etc.) once we arrive.

There are also a couple of good babysitting agencies that we have used. You can ask for recommendations from your hotel or villa rental agency.

I hope you have a great time with your newborn.

 

[spacecaptain]

We brought our one and a half year old last year, no problem. Stayed on the beach in Lorient and that was wonderful. The best thing we did was bring a little plastic seat for him to sit in at restos after reading someone here advise to do such. I'm probably not describing the seat very well, but I'm guessing if you have babies you know what I'm talking about.

 

[MIke R]

The best thing we did was bring a little plastic seat for him to sit in at restos after reading someone here advise to do such. I'm probably not describing the seat very well, but I'm guessing if you have babies you know what I'm talking about.

yes that was me who strongly recommends it...its by Safety First..sells in Target and Walmart for about 25 bucks..folds up to nothing for traveling with...and turns anything into a toddler safe chair....a God send

 

[spacecaptain]

Mike R - that has revolutionized our travel with young ones. THANK YOU!

 

[mktctx]

Travel with your children no matter what the age! They require much less gear than you think.