Traveling to Cayman with an Infant

Even the littlest of toes will love the sands of Seven Mile Beach. I recently traveled to Grand Cayman with my son who was 8 months at the time, and we had a really lovely family vacation. While the idea of traveling with an infant may seem overwhelming, I’m here to tell you it can be done with 3 key ingredients: planning, support and gratitude.

Planning

Before Your Trip

The staff at Christopher Columbus Condos was so kind and supportive before we came. Simply let them know if you need a crib and they will make sure one of the mini-cribs on site will be set up and ready to go upon your arrival. They can also make sure a high chair is available, and if you have any questions about staying with a child or anything at all about the property or island they are happy to help.

Getting Here

Also, if you're coming from the States like us, don't forget to get a passport for your baby before you leave for your trip. We applied for our child's at our local library, and they made it a breeze. The turnaround time varies, but they usually take at least a few weeks to come in, so don't put this task off. (I've been in the passport waiting game before, and it's no fun!)

There are many resources available online for parents traveling with kids, so don’t hesitate to make use of these treasure troves. A friend of mine that travels a lot with her kids (internationally to see family) suggested this Facebook group where I found many parents asking questions and sharing helpful advice. That same friend gave the clutch recommendation to take our stroller (which also happened to include our pumpkin seat) through the airport and gate check it (stow the car seat base in the bottom of the stroller). Of course some airlines may be stricter than others, but we got by with this with no extra charges and had our own car seat secured for our car rental when we arrived. It took a lot of stress out of the car seat situation for this momma.

What to Pack

Much of what you pack comes down to personal preference and your baby’s individual needs. A few items that I suggest include: a baby floating device for the pool (this was so fun), baby sunscreen, long sleeved bathing suit, and a baby sun hat. If your baby is used to white noise add a portable sound machine to that list. We have a mini Hatch that we use for traveling and it’s so handy. You can use white noise on a Spotify playlist in a pinch, but then you can’t really use your phone while babe is sleeping.

We packed our own formula and bottles and then ordered baby snacks to be delivered from Hurley’s along with other groceries for our group. Arranging a grocery delivery on the day of your arrival is really convenient. Just make sure to give Jenica or Josephine in the office a heads up, so they know to look out for the delivery personnel.

Support

Not everyone needs the same kind of support, but having people or resources to help with a little one while traveling is a huge help. We invited my parents and brother and his boyfriend to join us in a 3 bedroom condo for our stay at Christopher Columbus Condos. Having extra sets of hands and people willing to watch our little guy while we had a date night or snorkeled from the beach allowed us to get in little pockets of R&R that made the stress of traveling with a little one melt away. And baby loved spending time with his grandparents and uncles—it was a win-win.

Gratitude

Gratitude really does go a long way. Accepting ahead of time that traveling with a baby is not the same kind of vacation as traveling with adults or even older kids will help you temper expectations. It really helped me. And choosing to be grateful to be traveling to and being in one of the most beautiful places in the world with those you love most helps, too (even if they decide to have a meltdown on the plane).

While Here

While you’re in Cayman practicing gratitude is an easy task. With serene beauty and warm kindness around every corner there’s always something to uplift your spirits.

With our 8 month old we enjoyed short stints at the pool swimming, and on the beach hanging out under the amazing full-coverage huts. There’s a baby swing under one of them that our little guy loved. I can still see the smiles as he wafted through the air. Being a fair kiddo we took lots of breaks to play inside, too. Oh that reminds me—pack a few toys, too!

If your baby is game for a car ride, an island road trip can be fun. We drove from CCC out to the East End and made plenty of stops along the way to give him breaks and satisfy his curiosities. We even fed him at Spotts Beach parking lot and then later at Morrit’s while we enjoyed some island fare at Mimi’s.

Take family photos and lots of them. You’ll cherish them. My favorite family photo to date is a selfie my husband took of all three of us outside after brunch at Luca. And yes we took our infant to brunch! We took him out to eat at many places and everywhere we went the staff was kind and accommodating.

Gang’s All Here!

If you’re itching to leave the nursery for a few days and unsure about traveling to Cayman with an infant I hope the recommendations and ideas in this post have made you feel like you can do this—because you can! Make a reservation for cherished memories by booking one of our condos here. Our team hopes to see you and yours soon!