Myself and my wife have been on holiday to Grand Cayman a few times. We would love to go back again this winter. We are travelling from the UK and this time we would be bringing a baby who will be 1 year and 4 months old. My question is really seeking advice from those parents who have travelled for 10+ hours with children of this age. Is it doable/advisable and how has your child coped with the jet lag and dealing with the return trip 14 days later?
Advice and past experince would be valuable infromation. In terms of your own son he is a good sleeper and is generally a happy child in terms of relating to strangers and occupying himself.
Infant travel to Grand Cayman
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that should have said "in terms of our own son"
Hi, we are the parents of a now three-year-old who was born abroad and made multiple int'l flights as an infant/toddler, US, UK and Mexico. Most recently we did UK-Dubai-Kuala Lumpur, two 7-hr flights with a 7 hr time difference.
I can only offer suggestions as to what works for us.
We try to travel when she's going to sleep for most of the
flight, if possible. I let her travel in her sleeper. We do LOTS of energy-expending activity at the gate before we board. We try to adjust our activity to local time as best we can, keeping her home routine as similar as possible (naps, etc). I try to bring a few things that make the hotel room familiar. We prepare ourselves for having to take turns with early morning playtime. And to be honest, she has always adjusted faster than either one of us have, and that includes returning home.
You're going to get all sorts of advice and experiences. But don't over-stress. Travel with a well-stocked carry-on (snacks, entertainment and plenty of spare clothes and diapers) and a smile. Hope that helps. And have a great trip!!
That is all very helpful and common sense advice, thank you. Can you tell we are first time parents!
So are we! I have found that DD is an excellent seat-mate deterrent, no one wants to sit in the row with us if there's somewhere else for them to go, so we get lucky and get an empty seat! (And she's actually a pretty good flyer.)
You didn't say if you're going direct - I'd add that if you have a layover, add an extra 30-60 minutes to the time you allow for a layover, for clothing/diaper changes, a snack, etc - it all takes a little longer! And I always make sure the carryon has atleast enough diapers for a missed flight or a trip to the grocery store at our destination, in case one of the bags don't make it.
The airlines all have different baggage allowances for lap infants (usually an extra carry-on, plus the car seat and stroller checked for free) - I have found not all desk agents are as familiar as they should be with those allowances, so I carry a print-off of the web page with what I'm allowed to bring free for DD, in case someone wants to add a baggage charge on.
We are going direct from the UK with a brief refuel stop in the Nassau. Our main concern was if the baby could cope with firstly the long flight and then the time adjustment. Thank you for your response and helpful advice.