Babies and Toddlers
Kids All Ages
Friday, September 25, 2009
Feeding Your Kids
The following posts cover some of the convenient features of Club Med Punta Cana (Baby Bottle Room, Baby Corner) and logistics related to feeding your kids (Buffet with Baby, Food in Between Meals) during your stay.
Babies and Toddlers
Babies and Toddlers
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Keeping Kids Happy: Food Between Meals
If you child participates in the Baby Club, Petit Club, or Mini Club, you will take them to breakfast, and then they will have AM/PM snacks, and lunch as part of their day program. Older children who do the Pyjama Club can have dinner with their GOs, too. However, regardless of age, dinner does not start until fairly late by US standards, and certainly late by little kid standards, particularly when those kids have had a full day outside and not vegetating in front of a TV, etc. We found that we needed to provide a beverage and snack between kids' programs pick-up and dinner time for our 15 month and (later) 2 yr old, and I've read other parents' comments that older kids are hungry before dinner, too. If your child does not participate in any programs, you'll have them for an "AM" snack, afternoon snack, and the pre-dinner witching hour when everyone seems to have low blood sugar. So what to do?
Tips to Keep Kids' Hunger at Bay Between Meals:
(Note that these are not in a particular order - select an approach that fits your needs/style.)
__Bring wrapped snacks from home (such as snack bars, or large resealable bag of favorite dry snack/cereal and small bags to dispense into)
__Take 'contained' (wrapped) snacks from the breakfast buffet that will not attract bugs in your bag or room, such as bananas and boxed cereals
__Go to the all-day Celeste beach-side cafe and order something simple, like a quesedilla (note that the limited cafe menu is not particularly geared toward children - no 'kiddie meals' but there are a few things on it that children will most likely eat)
__Ask the bartender for juice or milk for bottle/sippy. In 2009, the bartender actually went back behind the bar and dug up an apple juice drink box!
__Check out the Baby Bottle Room - you should be able to get milk here (bring your own cup/bottle), and possibly snacks (but don't count on snacks)
After everyone was cleaned up and ready for the evening after a day playing or at the beach, we usually went to the main bar and hung out until dinner. We got our daughter juice or milk from the bar for her bottle or sippy, and gave her some boxed cereal to munch on while she hung out with us. Since she was younger, we just didn't want to get her set up to eat at the Celeste cafe, and go through the motions of a meal, only to drag her off to yet *another* sit down meal when the restaurants opened.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Mealtime: Buffet with Baby
We really enjoyed the food during our stays!! There are many comments on Club Med food on other sites, so I won't replicate them. This post is more about logistics.
Eating buffet with a very small child means that most likely one parent stays and supervises while the other parent gets food. If you are alone, and find a GO present in the Baby Corner, ask him/her to watch your child while you navigate the buffet. (This isn't something that I would normally do in a restaurant at home, of course, but I would have no problem doing it provided that the GO was 'on duty' in the Baby Corner and the child wouldn't flip out if you step away to the buffet for 3 minutes.)
Milk: The milk provided at Punta Cana in the Baby Corner and in the Baby Bottle Room (Biberonnerie) is UHT. This type of milk is common in Europe, and in the US is becoming more common for drink box milk (usually flavored), as it does not require refrigeration until opened. Different types of UHT milk (whole, reduced fat, etc.) may be available. In 2008, I noticed more types of milk, and even soy milk, whereas in 2009, I found mostly whole milk, although the buffet cheese sections did have some reduced fat milk.
Food: The buffets are huge and you should always be able to find something that you children will eat, regardless of their age. Bland, familiar staples such as pasta, bread (many delicious kinds), rice, yogurt, and bananas are available every day, and pizza and "kid friendly" chicken are also 'regulars.' Of course, if your children are more venturesome, there's a very **wide** range of things to choose from at each meal that you all will enjoy.
Comment on Samana: Since Samana was renovated in 2008, the table surfaces on the main floor (as opposed to Baby Corner - don't recall what those are) are a kind of marble-type material. This probably isn't the best kind of tabletop for very small kids who still want to bang silverware, plates, etc. -- very loud, and also somewhat slippery if there is any liquid at all on the table. So I would definitely consider the Baby Corner if your child is at a specific stage when eating in Samana. The tables at Hispaniola are a more kid-friendly surface. Post-renovation, Hispaniola is also more low-key, while Samana is slightly more formal.
Eating buffet with a very small child means that most likely one parent stays and supervises while the other parent gets food. If you are alone, and find a GO present in the Baby Corner, ask him/her to watch your child while you navigate the buffet. (This isn't something that I would normally do in a restaurant at home, of course, but I would have no problem doing it provided that the GO was 'on duty' in the Baby Corner and the child wouldn't flip out if you step away to the buffet for 3 minutes.)
Milk: The milk provided at Punta Cana in the Baby Corner and in the Baby Bottle Room (Biberonnerie) is UHT. This type of milk is common in Europe, and in the US is becoming more common for drink box milk (usually flavored), as it does not require refrigeration until opened. Different types of UHT milk (whole, reduced fat, etc.) may be available. In 2008, I noticed more types of milk, and even soy milk, whereas in 2009, I found mostly whole milk, although the buffet cheese sections did have some reduced fat milk.
Food: The buffets are huge and you should always be able to find something that you children will eat, regardless of their age. Bland, familiar staples such as pasta, bread (many delicious kinds), rice, yogurt, and bananas are available every day, and pizza and "kid friendly" chicken are also 'regulars.' Of course, if your children are more venturesome, there's a very **wide** range of things to choose from at each meal that you all will enjoy.
Comment on Samana: Since Samana was renovated in 2008, the table surfaces on the main floor (as opposed to Baby Corner - don't recall what those are) are a kind of marble-type material. This probably isn't the best kind of tabletop for very small kids who still want to bang silverware, plates, etc. -- very loud, and also somewhat slippery if there is any liquid at all on the table. So I would definitely consider the Baby Corner if your child is at a specific stage when eating in Samana. The tables at Hispaniola are a more kid-friendly surface. Post-renovation, Hispaniola is also more low-key, while Samana is slightly more formal.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mealtime at Baby Corner
Baby Corner is a section in each of the two restaurants, Hispaniola and Samana, for GMs (guests) with young children. In addition to regular table seating, a number of high chairs are readily available, and parents have access right there to a small refrigerator filled with a variety of jarred baby foods and milk; a blender; a microwave; a bottle warmer; and plastic bowls and plates, as well as standard utensils and lots of napkins. Note that GMs with children are by no means required to sit in Baby Corner; rather, the Baby Corner sections are provided as a convenience for families, and also as a courtesy to other diners if your little one is really fussy. High chairs are boosters are also available for other parts of the restaurants if you choose not to sit in the Baby Corner section.
A GO is often present in the Baby Corner - he/she can answer questions you may have about the facilities, generally assist or find things you need, and they can help watch and/or distract your child if necessary. (Rose was a wonderful Baby Corner 'animateur' in '08 -- it's great when someone else can bring out a smile in your child!)
We ate some meals in the Baby Corner in the Samana restaurant when our child was 15 months. We found it a relaxing option, and would definitely recommend, particularly if you know your child is tired, or going through a messy eating stage.
Assuming our 15 month old was up to it, we did try to eat at least one meal a day in the main parts of Hispaniola - she enjoyed meeting other GMs as well, and frankly did a better job eating when others were present. Amazingly, other GMs actually did come and sit with us even though we had a small child!
Things you may want to bring if your child is still in the high chair stage:
__Disposable bibs or a plastic/rubber bib that rinses easily (avoid work on vacation washing bibs - and you won't want a regular bib with food particles on it in your room, as it may attract bugs)
__Child-size utensils for baby/toddler (did not find these in '08 or '09)
__1-2 small, child-size plastic bowls (the plastic bowls provided are more like adult size cereal bowls)
__Handiwipes
__Disinfectant wipes for high chairs (the high chairs were often sticky)
A GO is often present in the Baby Corner - he/she can answer questions you may have about the facilities, generally assist or find things you need, and they can help watch and/or distract your child if necessary. (Rose was a wonderful Baby Corner 'animateur' in '08 -- it's great when someone else can bring out a smile in your child!)
We ate some meals in the Baby Corner in the Samana restaurant when our child was 15 months. We found it a relaxing option, and would definitely recommend, particularly if you know your child is tired, or going through a messy eating stage.
Assuming our 15 month old was up to it, we did try to eat at least one meal a day in the main parts of Hispaniola - she enjoyed meeting other GMs as well, and frankly did a better job eating when others were present. Amazingly, other GMs actually did come and sit with us even though we had a small child!
Things you may want to bring if your child is still in the high chair stage:
__Disposable bibs or a plastic/rubber bib that rinses easily (avoid work on vacation washing bibs - and you won't want a regular bib with food particles on it in your room, as it may attract bugs)
__Child-size utensils for baby/toddler (did not find these in '08 or '09)
__1-2 small, child-size plastic bowls (the plastic bowls provided are more like adult size cereal bowls)
__Handiwipes
__Disinfectant wipes for high chairs (the high chairs were often sticky)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Baby Bottle Room
AKA Baby Feeding Room or Biberonnerie,this 24-hour code access room is part of the Mini Club complex, located on the Baby Club Med side. Parents should be given the code upon arrival/check-in, but if not, just ask.
The room is designed something like a small basic kitchen minus stove, and has lots of cabinets, a sink, paper towels, dish soap, dish drying racks (for bottles, etc.), bottle sterilizer, refrigerator, drinking water dispenser, and (I think) microwave. It's a good place to come to clean bottles and sippy cups with real dishwashing soap, as opposed to trying to clean in your hotel room with shower gel or shampoo!
In 2008: The fridge contained several types of UHT milk (whole, and others, and also soy milk), as well as small yogurts, and individually wrapped servings of hydroxide/Oreo type cookies (in fridge so cookie filling does not melt in heat, perhaps). The cabinets also contained lots of boxed dry cereals.
In 2009: The room was more sparsely stocked - the fridge had milk, but only one type, and no cookies or yogurt. There were only a few cereals (in varieties I suspect most kids would not like), and these were quickly gone.
Bottom Line: This is a very good place to come for milk when restaurants and bars are not open (or if you are not in close proximity to those), and to wash your child's cups/bottles, etc. with real soap in a non-bathroom environment. You might also be able to find snacks here.
The room is designed something like a small basic kitchen minus stove, and has lots of cabinets, a sink, paper towels, dish soap, dish drying racks (for bottles, etc.), bottle sterilizer, refrigerator, drinking water dispenser, and (I think) microwave. It's a good place to come to clean bottles and sippy cups with real dishwashing soap, as opposed to trying to clean in your hotel room with shower gel or shampoo!
In 2008: The fridge contained several types of UHT milk (whole, and others, and also soy milk), as well as small yogurts, and individually wrapped servings of hydroxide/Oreo type cookies (in fridge so cookie filling does not melt in heat, perhaps). The cabinets also contained lots of boxed dry cereals.
In 2009: The room was more sparsely stocked - the fridge had milk, but only one type, and no cookies or yogurt. There were only a few cereals (in varieties I suspect most kids would not like), and these were quickly gone.
Bottom Line: This is a very good place to come for milk when restaurants and bars are not open (or if you are not in close proximity to those), and to wash your child's cups/bottles, etc. with real soap in a non-bathroom environment. You might also be able to find snacks here.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
GOs: Language & Badges
The staff, or G.O.s, at Punta Cana - as with most G.O.s at other Club Meds - are multilingual: at Punta Cana, the GOs predominantly speak English, French, Spanish, and even some Portuguese and Italian (and possibly other languages). GMs (Club Med guests) who only speak one language should not feel intimidated. GOs are accustomed to interacting with guests from all over the world. For example, it's possible to take a completely bilingual windsurfing lesson, where the instructor casually moves between two languages while keeping everyone engaged.
How can you tell who speaks which languages? Look at the GO's name badge/nametag. Each badge features a name, as well as the flags of the countries for the languages that that GO speaks. Here's an example, courtesy of Tito, who livens up the main bar. Be sure to say hi if you see him!
How can you tell who speaks which languages? Look at the GO's name badge/nametag. Each badge features a name, as well as the flags of the countries for the languages that that GO speaks. Here's an example, courtesy of Tito, who livens up the main bar. Be sure to say hi if you see him!
From this badge, you can tell that Tito speaks French, Spanish, and English. The GOs you'll meet at the Mini Club, Petit Club, and Baby Club will all have badges like this, so keep your eyes open when you introduce yourself at drop-off. If you have questions, it's also helpful to look at the badge to gauge if you have the right audience for your concern.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Travel with Kids
Worried about just getting to Punta Cana with your kids? The good thing is that, once you get there, the ground transfer from the airport is fast - only 10 minutes on local roads.
Don't forget to review TSA guidelines for travel prior to your departure to be up to date on any changes in procedures or restrictions that you should be aware of in relation to your family flight planning (things can change quite quickly, as we all know). TSA also maintains a blog, which sometimes features useful information if you are planning an upcoming trip.
To cope with flying with children, I highly recommend the following Delicious Baby posts on
- Flying with babies, toddlers, and kids
- 10 tips for keeping a child busy on a plane
- Travel toys (recommendations by age range)
Thanks, Debbie!
Don't forget to review TSA guidelines for travel prior to your departure to be up to date on any changes in procedures or restrictions that you should be aware of in relation to your family flight planning (things can change quite quickly, as we all know). TSA also maintains a blog, which sometimes features useful information if you are planning an upcoming trip.
To cope with flying with children, I highly recommend the following Delicious Baby posts on
- Flying with babies, toddlers, and kids
- 10 tips for keeping a child busy on a plane
- Travel toys (recommendations by age range)
Thanks, Debbie!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Paid Bloggers
In response to a recent New York Times article on paid bloggers, visitors to this site should be aware that I am not affiliated in any way with Club Med or any of the products that I have mentioned on occasion, nor have I received compensation for any comments posted here.
This site is intended as a reference to prospective visitors to Club Med Punta Cana, particularly families with young children. The information featured here is based primarily on my experience and observations as a regular paying guest at Club Med.
Kudos to all the moms who run their own commercial or quasi-commercial blogs, and especially to the ones who acknowledge their product affialition.
This site is intended as a reference to prospective visitors to Club Med Punta Cana, particularly families with young children. The information featured here is based primarily on my experience and observations as a regular paying guest at Club Med.
Kudos to all the moms who run their own commercial or quasi-commercial blogs, and especially to the ones who acknowledge their product affialition.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Know Yourself and Your Child(ren)
We may not all be the uber-worry free and well-maintained "mom" pictured with her child on the beach in the Club Med brochures, but we sure want to enjoy a great beach vacation with our whole family, and the child care model provided by Club Med at Punta Cana (as well as Ixtapa and Sandpiper) even allows moms of very small children to have a break, too! Many resorts have kids camps, but few have organized, systematic care for babies and toddlers.
Think carefully about you and your children, and your "goals" and expectations for vacation before you depart on this trip. Club Med Punta Cana provides a very good care setting for children, and the staff work very hard to care for and engage children of all ages. That said, parents should have realistic expectations - it would great if everyone adjust automatically and have a great time and parents could "be off duty" for a while themselves, but some kids either don't want to be left by parents (baby, toddler) or maybe just don't want to hang out with a group (older children).
Parent:
__Are you personally comfortable leaving your baby in group care or with a babysitter?
__Are you personally comfortable having your toddler in group care?
__Are you comfortable having your older children enroll in day camp?
Child/ren:
__Is your baby or toddler accustomed to being away from you at a stretch of time?
__Is your baby or toddler already in daycare at home?
__Does your child adjust well to new situations? (kids all ages)
__Does your child enjoy meeting new kids his/her age and trying new things?
My baby experience: Babysitter
When we first went in 2008, I was hopeful to enroll our 15-mo old in the Baby Club. However, Baby Club slots are quite limited, and our trip planning a bit last minute, so we did not have a slot. When we arrived, I saw that many in this age group seemed unhappy in spite of the many attentions of the GOs, and my husband and I realized that our child, who was not yet in daycare at home, probably would not have done well herself. In the end, we retained a resort babysitter for afternoons when she took naps and to stroll her around the grounds, feed her, and visit the Baby Club play area when she woke up. We arranged to have the same (Spanish-only speaking) sitter each day, and this worked very well - we had time to be "off duty", and our child could rest and have individual attention.
My toddler experience: Petit Club
This year, we enrolled our toddler in the Petit Club. At two, she is already in daycare in the US, and had already gone through the initial week-long "shock" transition (read: crying every day) of being left at daycare in the US. Once she got over it, she quickly warmed to her new teachers, classmates, and new activities. Before we left home and on the plane, we told her that she would go to school at the beach, and that she would have new teachers on our vacation. Generally, our child seems to be pretty out-going and jumps right into things, which turned out to be a good thing.
On Day One of drop-off at the Petit Club, many 2-3 year olds were crying or asking mom/dad not to go. The GOs told us that they could tell which little ones are already in daycare, as these kids went about their business checking out the toys and drawing activity; even I could see these kids already knew the drop-off routine, having "hardened" to it at home. Other children were very apprehensive about being left by their parents, and if this was their first time in a group care setting, I can certainly understand this. Some parents did not come back the next day, while other parents tried to leave their children again and hoped that they would adjust; in the end, I think this latter part depends on the child.
Drop-off transition is awful for parents trying to go to work, never mind on vacation, so I can understand why some parents chose not to try drop-off again. The GOs know what to expect and are very caring, but it doesn't really matter if you're in Punta Cana or Hometown, USA - transitioning toddlers will still cry!
Conclusion
Know yourself, and know your child. The child care/kid camp programming is really wonderful, but in spite of this your toddler, for example, may still not want to stay by him/herself, particularly if unaccustomed to being left with others. Don't be disappointed if your child/ren does not participate in the camps when you had thought they would. Be flexible to the situation and maintain an open mind - our daughter attended the Petit Club every day along with others, and she and her classmates seemed VERY happy (you can see the children on the grounds during the day), but if she had not enjoyed the experience, we were prepared to care for her exclusively ourselves and perhaps to have an occasional babysitter.
Think carefully about you and your children, and your "goals" and expectations for vacation before you depart on this trip. Club Med Punta Cana provides a very good care setting for children, and the staff work very hard to care for and engage children of all ages. That said, parents should have realistic expectations - it would great if everyone adjust automatically and have a great time and parents could "be off duty" for a while themselves, but some kids either don't want to be left by parents (baby, toddler) or maybe just don't want to hang out with a group (older children).
Parent:
__Are you personally comfortable leaving your baby in group care or with a babysitter?
__Are you personally comfortable having your toddler in group care?
__Are you comfortable having your older children enroll in day camp?
Child/ren:
__Is your baby or toddler accustomed to being away from you at a stretch of time?
__Is your baby or toddler already in daycare at home?
__Does your child adjust well to new situations? (kids all ages)
__Does your child enjoy meeting new kids his/her age and trying new things?
My baby experience: Babysitter
When we first went in 2008, I was hopeful to enroll our 15-mo old in the Baby Club. However, Baby Club slots are quite limited, and our trip planning a bit last minute, so we did not have a slot. When we arrived, I saw that many in this age group seemed unhappy in spite of the many attentions of the GOs, and my husband and I realized that our child, who was not yet in daycare at home, probably would not have done well herself. In the end, we retained a resort babysitter for afternoons when she took naps and to stroll her around the grounds, feed her, and visit the Baby Club play area when she woke up. We arranged to have the same (Spanish-only speaking) sitter each day, and this worked very well - we had time to be "off duty", and our child could rest and have individual attention.
My toddler experience: Petit Club
This year, we enrolled our toddler in the Petit Club. At two, she is already in daycare in the US, and had already gone through the initial week-long "shock" transition (read: crying every day) of being left at daycare in the US. Once she got over it, she quickly warmed to her new teachers, classmates, and new activities. Before we left home and on the plane, we told her that she would go to school at the beach, and that she would have new teachers on our vacation. Generally, our child seems to be pretty out-going and jumps right into things, which turned out to be a good thing.
On Day One of drop-off at the Petit Club, many 2-3 year olds were crying or asking mom/dad not to go. The GOs told us that they could tell which little ones are already in daycare, as these kids went about their business checking out the toys and drawing activity; even I could see these kids already knew the drop-off routine, having "hardened" to it at home. Other children were very apprehensive about being left by their parents, and if this was their first time in a group care setting, I can certainly understand this. Some parents did not come back the next day, while other parents tried to leave their children again and hoped that they would adjust; in the end, I think this latter part depends on the child.
Drop-off transition is awful for parents trying to go to work, never mind on vacation, so I can understand why some parents chose not to try drop-off again. The GOs know what to expect and are very caring, but it doesn't really matter if you're in Punta Cana or Hometown, USA - transitioning toddlers will still cry!
Conclusion
Know yourself, and know your child. The child care/kid camp programming is really wonderful, but in spite of this your toddler, for example, may still not want to stay by him/herself, particularly if unaccustomed to being left with others. Don't be disappointed if your child/ren does not participate in the camps when you had thought they would. Be flexible to the situation and maintain an open mind - our daughter attended the Petit Club every day along with others, and she and her classmates seemed VERY happy (you can see the children on the grounds during the day), but if she had not enjoyed the experience, we were prepared to care for her exclusively ourselves and perhaps to have an occasional babysitter.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Car Seats
According to the State Department's country profile for the Dominican Republic (dated June 22, 2009), there are no child car seat laws in the Dominican Republic - and hence Punta Cana. This does not mean that you should not bring a car seat on your trip, but it does mean that you may encounter a few more surprises in terms of some local driver experiences and habits if you do bring one.
Suggestions
1) Contact Club Med Punta Cana (or your resort, if you stumbled on this site and are going somewhere else) directly to ask what they normally recommend that parents do when traveling to Punta Cana, and if they can recommend a known transportation solution that *will* work with a car seat. Note that you may need to contact Club Med Punta Cana reception directly rather than calling sales/customer service in the US to find the answer to this very local question.
2) Find contact information for taxi companies prior to your trip (there are #s online, some even have websites), email them, and ask about using a car seat. Siutratural Tax Bavaro Punta Cana and Beron Taxi come up quickly in searches - note that I have *not* used these companies. Ask if their cars have LATCH. Confirm what make/model/year of vehicles their drivers usually use - if they don't address the LATCH question, the info about make/model/year may inform you more as to whether your car seat(s) will fit and if the car will have a LATCH system for familiar installation. You may pay more for a taxi if arranged this way (rather than getting one randomly on arrival at the airport - although the Siutratural rate to Club Med as "Hotel Club Med / Los Corales Punta Cana" listed on their site seemed fair, at $12, as we've paid $10 - but at least you'll be more informed and hopefully have a good outcome.
3) For random selection of a cab at the airport (there are plenty waiting), one parent could walk with the driver out to the parking area to check out the vehicle and see if the car seat would fit and are seat belts readily available, and then walk back quickly (it's not far) to get the parent/kid(s)/gear. No point in both parents and kid(s) going through hot parking lot with all the gear if you may not go with that driver/vehicle - you'll feel under more pressure to say "yes" to the driver if you've got everyone/thing assembled there.
4) Review your car seat instructions for non-LATCH installation to figure out how to install without using LATCH, in the event that the vehicle you get has seat belts but no LATCH system. In 2001, US law required car seats and most vehicle to begin featuring LATCH, but not all vehicles you'll encounter overseas were made in or made for export to the US. (If you can find your original instructions, try the manufacturer's web site.)
5) Bring your own car seat rather than relying on one provided (if you can find one) by a taxi or car rental company. If you don't want to lug your car seat on the plane and through the airport, you can check it and use the 1-lb CARES flight restraint system instead.
Additional things to consider
Type of vehicle you'll take from airport to village and back to airport
If you don't arrange for private transport ahead of time --
Suggestions
1) Contact Club Med Punta Cana (or your resort, if you stumbled on this site and are going somewhere else) directly to ask what they normally recommend that parents do when traveling to Punta Cana, and if they can recommend a known transportation solution that *will* work with a car seat. Note that you may need to contact Club Med Punta Cana reception directly rather than calling sales/customer service in the US to find the answer to this very local question.
2) Find contact information for taxi companies prior to your trip (there are #s online, some even have websites), email them, and ask about using a car seat. Siutratural Tax Bavaro Punta Cana and Beron Taxi come up quickly in searches - note that I have *not* used these companies. Ask if their cars have LATCH. Confirm what make/model/year of vehicles their drivers usually use - if they don't address the LATCH question, the info about make/model/year may inform you more as to whether your car seat(s) will fit and if the car will have a LATCH system for familiar installation. You may pay more for a taxi if arranged this way (rather than getting one randomly on arrival at the airport - although the Siutratural rate to Club Med as "Hotel Club Med / Los Corales Punta Cana" listed on their site seemed fair, at $12, as we've paid $10 - but at least you'll be more informed and hopefully have a good outcome.
3) For random selection of a cab at the airport (there are plenty waiting), one parent could walk with the driver out to the parking area to check out the vehicle and see if the car seat would fit and are seat belts readily available, and then walk back quickly (it's not far) to get the parent/kid(s)/gear. No point in both parents and kid(s) going through hot parking lot with all the gear if you may not go with that driver/vehicle - you'll feel under more pressure to say "yes" to the driver if you've got everyone/thing assembled there.
4) Review your car seat instructions for non-LATCH installation to figure out how to install without using LATCH, in the event that the vehicle you get has seat belts but no LATCH system. In 2001, US law required car seats and most vehicle to begin featuring LATCH, but not all vehicles you'll encounter overseas were made in or made for export to the US. (If you can find your original instructions, try the manufacturer's web site.)
5) Bring your own car seat rather than relying on one provided (if you can find one) by a taxi or car rental company. If you don't want to lug your car seat on the plane and through the airport, you can check it and use the 1-lb CARES flight restraint system instead.
Additional things to consider
Type of vehicle you'll take from airport to village and back to airport
If you don't arrange for private transport ahead of time --
- Tour-style bus/coach: You'd most likely take this type of bus (or coach) if you travel with a group, via air transport arranged by Club Med. I don't know how a car seat would work with this type of bus. Not to say that it wouldn't, but even in the States, car seats are not required in buses and suitable accomodations (such as provision of seat belts) are not required.
- Taxi: Some taxis at the airport are not sedans - they are like a compact van. We took this type of taxis to/from the resort in both '08 and '09. In '08, I don't think the vehicle had seat belts readily accessible. In '09, it was a nicer vehicle that did have seat belts (so somewhat easier to install a car seat).
Type of car seat
Many infant car seats require a base, and parents are accustomed to installing the seat rear-facing. This type of installation may be more difficult in one of the compact van-type taxis (not sure about tour style bus). It's possible that some front-facing styles might work more easily (particularly booster seasts).
Planning your family's stay at Club Med Punta Cana? More info here:
- Packing List
- Health: Pre-Departure Tips
- Kids' Programming
- Request a Room Location
- Coming Home: Departure Tips
Please post and let others know your solution!
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