Would you take a 1 year old to STT?

travelmom11 · Jul 22, 2014

We are just back from Koolina and we have a 10 month old (and 6 year old) and I think I forgot how hard/different a beach vacation can be on a baby. The sun, sand, boredom, etc. lol We are slated to go to STT in Dec and already have our exchange. We LOVE Koolina and are so thankful to have the huge resort to walk around (birds, koi, etc) and the island to do many kids things besides the beach. After this last trip we are questioning if STT would be good fit for our 1 year old? We have never been to the Caribbean. Is the resort big like MKO and fun things to walk around and do with baby? any insight would be wonderful especially if you have taken a little one to STT. and if you have another suggestion that would be good for a Dec exchange, I would welcome that ( its for my 40th bday)

and going without our kiddos is not an option.

I waited too long to have them to go on vacation without them. lol

dioxide45 · Jul 22, 2014

travelmom11 said:
We are just back from Koolina and we have a 10 month old (and 6 year old) and I think I forgot how hard/different a beach vacation can be on a baby. The sun, sand, boredom, etc. lol We are slated to go to STT in Dec and already have our exchange. We LOVE Koolina and are so thankful to have the huge resort to walk around (birds, koi, etc) and the island to do many kids things besides the beach. After this last trip we are questioning if STT would be good fit for our 1 year old? We have never been to the Caribbean. Is the resort big like MKO and fun things to walk around and do with baby? any insight would be wonderful especially if you have taken a little one to STT. and if you have another suggestion that would be good for a Dec exchange, I would welcome that ( its for my 40th bday)

and going without our kiddos is not an option. I waited too long to have them to go on vacation without them. lol

You are going to find MFC to be a far different experience than MKO. I haven't been to MFC, but St Thomas isn't the kind of place you go to to hang out only at the resort. The USVI and all the fabulous sights and beaches are meant to be explored. I don't think there is much withing walking distance except for the Marriott hotel. I don't think walking is intuitive at MFC like it is around the Ko'Olina resort complex.

GregT · Jul 22, 2014

I would not take a one-year-old to Frenchmans Cove.

The Hawaii properties are well-suited for young children, but I don't think there's enough to entertain a baby/family at MFC. Others may differ, but that's my own view.

Best,

Greg

amanda14 · Jul 22, 2014

Agree. Not suitable for a 1 year old.

GregT · Jul 22, 2014

Recognizing that I've already commented above, I do believe a couple of TUGgers have done this.

My recollection is that it is most often grandparents who are bringing their children and grandchildren. I don't think that is the situation you're describing, but that is a possibility here.

Best,

Greg

suzannesimon · Jul 22, 2014

We have taken a 2 year old and a 5 month old there and it worked fine because we had a lot of other kids with us to entertain them but MFC is not a stroller-friendly place. We have vacationed with 4 and 5 month-olds frequently - in the Caribbean many times - and it has worked fine. We just have never thought of gearing the vacation for an infant since it is a group of 16 of us. Plenty of people around to take care of them.

Best place ever, though, was Beaches in Jamaica. Complete nanny service, check them in and out of the nursery as needed and the nannies were fabulous - 4 nannies to care for 1 baby! We can't afford that anymore now that we've grown to 16 from those early days of having just 1 grandchild.

DeniseM · Jul 22, 2014

According to this report, they have the mosquito born virus in St. Thomas that makes some people seriously ill.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-saint-martin

jimf41 · Jul 23, 2014

As far as chikungunya it's in the continental US and Italy and France as well. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

Taking a 10 month old on vacation would not be my idea of fun in the sun. MFC would be a particularly difficult place to do it in my opinion. There just isn't a lot of open space to walk around, especially with a stroller. If MKO worked for you I would go back there or pick a another resort like Ocean Pointe that is considerably more friendly for infants.

csxjohn · Jul 23, 2014

I don't get it. We've taken our kids and grand kids to all types of resorts. We find things age appropriate for all of them, either out and about or in our unit.

We just got back for Edisto Island with a 1 yr. old and he did fine. Took him to the beach, to the pools, and did things in the room. No one thing for too long at a time.

Really no different than finding things for him to do while at home.

SMHarman · Jul 23, 2014

This depends on the OP attitude to travelling with kids. It's safe. Just will be a little more awkward. Using an ergo not a stroller. Etc

LisaH · Jul 23, 2014

I think the challenge for going to STT (presumably MFC) is STT is very hilly, not suitable for a stroller. Also, MFC is relatively smaller compared to MKO, especially if you take the whole Ko Olina resort (including Disney Aulani) into consideration which has nicely paved walkways all around. That said, beaches in STT are fabulous. You can take the free shuttles to Marriott hotel and its facilities. St John is a trip you also should consider.
Overall, you can make it to work, it's just much harder than going to MKO with a baby.

jont · Jul 23, 2014

jimf41 said:
As far as chikungunya it's in the continental US and Italy and France as well. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

Taking a 10 month old on vacation would not be my idea of fun in the sun. MFC would be a particularly difficult place to do it in my opinion. There just isn't a lot of open space to walk around, especially with a stroller. If MKO worked for you I would go back there or pick a another resort like Ocean Pointe that is considerably more friendly for infants.

I second Jim's suggestion for Ocean Pointe. 2 Christmases ago my wife invited her niece along with their 1 year old. They had a great time! Being on the west coast you may also want to consider Canyon Villas or Palm Springs or maybe Newport Coast.good luck and happy birthday inn advance!

Upon further thought, you may also want to consider Orlando. It might be an easier trade and you can't get any more kid friendly than that.

travelmom11 · Jul 23, 2014

thank you all for your feedback. Our kids are amazing travelers but as it goes its just different with a smaller one (think I had forgotten). On our most recent trip I remembered how it can be somewhat limiting (beach time from the heat, etc), which is fine because then we enjoyed walking around the resort areas in a stroller. It hadn't even crossed my mind about MKO until we did Koolina. I was just so excited about our trade (have always wanted to go to the Caribbean) that I didn't think that far in advance. lol

and the reason we went to Koolina this time instead of the Caribbean was because of the virus. My 6 year old is immuno-compromised and my daughter is so little, I didn't want to risk it. this is another reason I am rethinking STT

So it may be Florida or maybe the Xmas markets in Europe (another on my list)

Ron98GT · Jul 23, 2014

jimf41 said:
As far as chikungunya it's in the continental US and Italy and France as well. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

The only cases of the Chikungunya Virus in Italy, that I could find, are dated 2007 (I was there that year).

The case was close in 2009:

http://www.wellsphere.com/general-m...ngunya-virus-in-italy-case-nbsp-closed/717246

In May, 2014, we were in Italy for 2 weeks and Greece for a week, and this issue never came up before, during, or after the trip.

So far, according to the CDC, all of the US mainland cases are travel related, except for Florida.

Puerto Rico & the UCVI are reporting cases, especially PR:

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/united-states.html

Mosquitoes luv that tropical Caribbean air.

vacationhopeful · Jul 23, 2014

Do you have passports for BOTH of the kids?

DeniseM · Jul 23, 2014

travelmom11 said:
My 6 year old is immuno-compromised and my daughter is so little, I didn't want to risk it. this is another reason I am rethinking STT

When you are home, most families spend most of their time in-doors, and overall, you have more control of your environment. On vacation, most families spend a lot more time outdoors, and have a higher exposure to mosquitos. With an immuno-compromised child, I would fear that the virus would be very serious if they caught it, and I wouldn't be comfortable putting them in an environment where the chance of getting bitten by an infected mosquito, would be much higher.

csxjohn · Jul 23, 2014

DeniseM said:
When you are home, most families spend most of their time in-doors, and overall, you have more control of your environment. On vacation, most families spend a lot more time outdoors, and have a higher exposure to mosquitos. With an immuno-compromised child, I would fear that the virus would be very serious if they caught it, and I wouldn't be comfortable putting them in an environment where the chance of getting bitten by an infected mosquito, would be much higher.

+1 for this post. The health issues changes the equation.

dioxide45 · Jul 23, 2014

jimf41 said:
As far as chikungunya it's in the continental US and Italy and France as well. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

It is a definite concern in the Caribbean. Did you take a look at the link in post #7

Ron98GT · Jul 23, 2014

dioxide45 said:
It is a definite concern in the Caribbean. Did you take a look at the link in post #7

2 reported cases in the USVI (St Thomas & Marriott TS) and 2 reported cases in mainland "Florida" (Marriott TS's), attributed to local mosquitoes.

So, statistically speaking, if the OP/you goes to Florida, they/you have just as much chance of getting the Chikungunya Virus as they/you do staying at the Marriott TS on St Thomas in the USVI in the Caribbean. Just saying :shrug:

Looks like Aruba (another Marriott) has reported only 3 cases.

Sounds like St. Maarten is getting hit the worst, out of 1457 reported cases (no Marriott).

dioxide45 · Jul 23, 2014

Ron98GT said:
2 reported cases in the USVI (St Thomas & Marriott TS) and 2 reported cases in mainland "Florida" (Marriott TS's), attributed to local mosquitoes.

So, statistically speaking, if the OP/you goes to Florida, they/you have just as much chance of getting the Chikungunya Virus as they/you do staying at the Marriott TS on St Thomas in the USVI in the Caribbean. Just saying

Looks like Aruba (another Marriott) has reported only 3 cases.

Sounds like St. Maarten is getting hit the worst, out of 1457 reported cases (no Marriott).

I agree that the risk is small and I wouldn't use the virus as a reason not to visit one of the Caribbean Islands. However, it seems that the virus is spreading. With two locally transmitted cases in Florida, it is only a matter of time before it is 10, 50, 100 if it takes hold in the local mosquito population.

Ron98GT · Jul 23, 2014

dioxide45 said:
I agree that the risk is small and I wouldn't use the virus as a reason not to visit one of the Caribbean Islands. However, it seems that the virus is spreading. With two locally transmitted cases in Florida, it is only a matter of time before it is 10, 50, 100 if it takes hold in the local mosquito population.

We don't have a lot of mosquitoes in Las Vegas (too dry & too hot) and we need your $$. So everybody come to LV this year for vacation & skip the Caribbean and Florida, so I can keep my taxes low.

jimf41 · Jul 23, 2014

Ron98GT said:
The only cases of the Chikungunya Virus in Italy, that I could find, are dated 2007 (I was there that year).

The case was close in 2009:

http://www.wellsphere.com/general-m...ngunya-virus-in-italy-case-nbsp-closed/717246

In May, 2014, we were in Italy for 2 weeks and Greece for a week, and this issue never came up before, during, or after the trip.

So far, according to the CDC, all of the US mainland cases are travel related, except for Florida.

Puerto Rico & the UCVI are reporting cases, especially PR:

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/united-states.html

Mosquitoes luv that tropical Caribbean air.

Not sure what your point is here. When they say a case is travel related that means someone acquired it while traveling in a country where the virus is active. When that person returns to his home country and gets bitten by a mosquito and that mosquito passes it on to someone else it's no longer travel related it's endemic. That's what's happening in Florida. It can easily spread to the rest of the US or anywhere else for that matter.

Would you take a 1 year old to STT?

travelmom11

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert

GregT

TUG Member

amanda14

Pool Education Team Member

GregT

TUG Member

suzannesimon

DeniseM

jimf41

csxjohn

TUG Review Crew: Expert

SMHarman

LisaH

jont

travelmom11

Ron98GT

vacationhopeful

TUG Review Crew: Rookie

DeniseM

csxjohn

TUG Review Crew: Expert

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Ron98GT

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Ron98GT

jimf41