brooksari

We're planning our first trip to STX and thinking of staying at the Buccaneer w/ our toddler. I understand there are no direct flights to STX from NYC and am worried that changing planes is just too tough with a rowdy toddler. Any thoughts? Is it better to stop in San Juan or St Thomas? Any other tips?

Thanks. We've never been to USVI before and would appreciate any info.

virginia

sju to stx is 45 mins. stt to stx is 2o mins.
sju is quite a bit larger. at stt you could go outdoors for a few minutes very easily.
i'm not sure it would make much difference.
i've not been on st. croix but if you snorkel i hear buck island is the place for it.
have a great trip!

meta

As far as your toddler, bring lots of snacks and some toys to keep him/her occupied. What I would do when traveling is buy a new toy or 2 that my son would get on the plane. I wouldn't let him know about it beforehand, so it was a treat.

girlonthego

I would fly into ST thomas. Then switch there. San Juan can be a zoo. It is a huge airport. STT is closer and smaller to St. Croix.

caribtraveler

If your child watches tv already, a portable dvd player is a godsend. If you don't have one and don't want to buy one just for the trip, perhaps a friend/family member can lend you one?
A new toy is always a great idea.

Some unsolicited advice.. I presume there's a good reason why you're worried that changing planes will be tough on your child. Trust your instincts. A tough travel day with an active child is no fun (been there, done that). Is vacationing in St. Thomas not an option? Or maybe pick a destination that you can get to non-stop.

I also think that stopping over in St. Thomas is the better option.. but again it all depends on how long your layovers will be.

Good luck.

leavingsoon

When I changed plane SJU to STT, it was a super long walk indoors on a crowded day...then the plane was a really tiny [propr seatoing fewer than 20 and we walked there in the hot sun. It was so incredibly hot oin that second plane.

If you could avoid that flight, and go on a jet to STT, you should be much better off.

mnag

I second the advice about a portable DVD player. It will help kill a couple hours on the plane. Also we used the portable player a couple times at restaurants when our daughter was a toddler.

meta

That is what's nice about Jet Blue. Each seat has its own tv.

Scubagirl

Just don't forget the earphone for the DVD.. noone wants to hear your music or shrek for the upmteeth time.

Tuxedocat

I would check out what kind of plane from either SJU or STT. A small plane for 20 mins. versus a big plane for 40 mins. might be comparable, but a small plane for 20 versus a small plane for 40, I'd definitely pick the shorter trip. That being said, my daughter has been making a similar trip since 6 months old, and it's a crap shoot as to how a kid will take the trip. Sometimes it's been great fun on a small, intimate plane, and other times it's been trying. Best bet though, bigger plane shorter trip. Have a great time!

cruzan19

If you can avoid San Juan, I would. My flight is always delayed when i fly to STX via SJU. And I fly there 2-3 times a year. Fly via Miami if possible. Ive never had a problem with them.

ccrosner

We fly to STX every year (from Boston) with kids and have not had much trouble with SJU. We prefer connecting through there than through MIA as the latter makes for a much longer day and we're not fond of the Miami airport (construction, size, etc.). We fly American and American Eagle. The Eagle planes from SJU to STX seat about 30 people and are a bit loud. But the view out the window is gorgeous and most of the time the flight takes closer to 30 minutes.

We have only flown through STT once but that was on a USAirways jet that used to make a PHL-STT-STX loop. Can't imagine that it really makes that much difference. Flying is difficult these days no matter who you fly on or where you connect.

And I highly recommend the Buccaneer.

laplaya

are you thinking of any other islands, besides St Croix?

St. John is known for great beaches.

Also, if safety is a concern, some may feel safer in St. John.

hlphillips2

I think it depends on the personality of your toddler. Mine is okay sitting for about two hours at a time - then she needs to run around. So for us it was a lot better to fly from the midwest to Miami and on to STX from there (since it was a pretty even split of flight times). So we'll have 1/2 hour of eating, a good amount of DVD time, some coloring, some reading, some puzzles - then we land and she literally runs around for as long as possible; next flight we start all over again. Flights can be delayed anywhere (including STX) so just knowing where play areas and kid friendly restaurants can be helpful. Try
http://www.expedia.com/daily/airports/

Enjoy STX - we and our little one had a lot of fun there! Quick note - most restaurants won't have booster seats or high chairs.