Toddler in a cab???? Help

Hello! This will be our first cruise with our three year old. How will be go and do at the ports if call without a car seat? Has anyone ever done it befor. Is it legal in Mexico??

It is up to you about safety but I wouldn't even expect seat belts in a taxi in Mexico! It is perfectly legal for you to travel without a car seat for your little one there!!

Just hold on tight!

They will not require a car seat in the taxi in foreign ports; however, the driving is very crazy. We've taken taxis in several different ports and some times it's a scary ride. We've taken our oldest when he was 3 in a taxi without a car seat but won't do it again because of how scary it was. Now, we try to just stay near port since our youngest is only 2. I've heard of some taking their car seats with them and then waiting for a taxi with seat belts so they can use it in the taxi but then you have to haul it around where ever it is you are going. I've also read about some tour operators offering car seats that you can use but I've never done that and not sure how the quality of the car seat would be. It basically boils down to your comfort level and what you want to do with your child. It's your decision to make since they will not require a car seat be used. Also, another thought is to take a bus. Buses in the U.S. do not require car seats and the same goes for foreign ports. If a bus is an option then you don't have to worry about a car seat at all. Good luck!

Hello! This will be our first cruise with our three year old. How will be go and do at the ports if call without a car seat? Has anyone ever done it befor. Is it legal in Mexico??

Legal, sure (or if it's illegal, no one will care). Safe? Not so much.

We did this in Cozumel on our daughter's fourth birthday, but I didn't love it. Other port calls on that trip we were on busses, which felt safer if only for the additional mass of the vehicle!!

We hauled a car seat ONCE and it was one time too many. The taxi driver in Cozumel pulled up, gave us a "dumb tourist" look, and when I tried to anchor the car seat I learned why. No seat belts and no anchor points. The car seat ended in the trunk of the taxi and our 2 year old son wedged between my wife's legs. The same scene repeated itself on the way back. Thank goodness it was a very short cab ride.

Now, we just plan our activities ashore so that we don't need a taxi or car seats. We either stay close to the port or find alternative means of transportation like water taxis, etc. And it's completely doable with good research. We even did Alaska with a 3 year old and a 15 month old without car seats! :)

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We're going to Mexico in April with a 3-year old. After going back and forth for months, we've decided to stick to excursions and other activities that don't require driving. Peace of mind.

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We have taken our son on 2 cruises in central America. We booked private tours, all of which had seatbelts. If you are booking private tours orcabs ahead of time you will be able to confirm if seatbelts are available. It will be much harder to find a cab with seatbelts in the port. A 4 year old an use a bubble bum which is much more portable than a car seat. We brought small car seats on previous cruises, since our son was more likely to sleep on the plane in a car seat. It's a personal preference, since as a previous poster noted no one will care if you choose to transport your child without a car seat.

We hauled a car seat ONCE and it was one time too many. The taxi driver in Cozumel pulled up, gave us a "dumb tourist" look, and when I tried to anchor the car seat I learned why. No seat belts and no anchor points. The car seat ended in the trunk of the taxi and our 2 year old son wedged between my wife's legs. The same scene repeated itself on the way back. Thank goodness it was a very short cab ride.

 

Now, we just plan our activities ashore so that we don't need a taxi or car seats. We either stay close to the port or find alternative means of transportation like water taxis, etc. And it's completely doable with good research. We even did Alaska with a 3 year old and a 15 month old without car seats! :)

 

 

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We are going to Alaska this summer with our 2-year old. Any suggestions?

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We are going to Alaska this summer with our 2-year old. Any suggestions?

 

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Alaska is part of the United States. The law states kids must be in proper restraints. Bring your car seat if you are planning cab rides or renting a car.

Yes, I am aware Alaska is part of the US and that car seat laws apply. My question was asking Tapi for excursion and activity suggestions as he/she recently completed an Alaska cruise with children in similar age to my own.

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We are going to Alaska this summer with our 2-year old. Any suggestions?

Don't know if you'll be visiting the same ports that I visited, but here it goes:

- Juneau. The Mt. Roberts Tramway is within walking distance from the port. Great views from above. Another thing to do is to take the $8 Glacier Express shuttle bus (no car seats required) to Mendenhall Glacier. Once at the Welcome Center, you can explore the area by foot.

Sitka: From the tender dock, you can walk along the waterfront to the Sitka National Forest. You can take an easy and picturesque hike through the forest to the Alaska Raptor Center where you can see Bald Eagles and other rescued birds of prey up close. The hike is very easy (we did it pushing a stroller!).

Ketchikan: Only place where we purchased an excursion through the ship. We took the Ketchikan Duck Tour which gives you a glimpse of this port of call from land and sea. A bit cheesy, but a great option for the kids (who loved it). Once the tour is over, the cruise ship pier is within a short walk from world famous Creek Street.

- Victoria: You can either walk or take a quick taxi to downtown Victoria where the Parliament and the Fairmont are located. Since this was such a short stop (6pm to midnight), we just walked along the harbor, had dinner at a local restaurant and headed back to the ship.

We had an absolutely WONDERFUL time. Although it would've been nice to do more elaborate excursions, having to limit our activities due to our kids ages also greatly reduced the amount of money we spent on excursions. Yes, we missed out on Helicopter rides with dog sledding on a glacier, or kayaking, etc but this gives us a reason to someday return and do all the things that we didn't do the first time :) .

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Thanks for all the info Tapi! Yes, some of the same ports.

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Our family took a 5 day Bahamas cruise with two toddlers. We travelled sans car seats, but equipped both our kids with Ride Safer Travel Vests. Glad we did. We used them when we rented a car in Miami, in Freeport, and once again in a taxi in Miami. We did have to decline a taxi in Freeport because the taxi didn't have shoulder belts, but we just waited for the next one that did. The taxis in Freeport wanted us to sit the children on our lap, but we refused, especially since we were willing to pay for their fare. i am glad we did, because twice the driver slammed his breaks quickly. Our kids remained secured in their seats.

I second the Safe Travel Vest (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A9XRLWS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1). We took that on our combined trip to WDW and on the cruise. It takes up no space and it's handy for cabs (we didn't rent on the trip, just took cabs).

Ships excursions are on buses....no seatbelt..no carseats required. I know everyone is all about the child's safety...and I am too...BUT...we survived with no carseats at all....none. They had not been invented, and were not deemed necessary! And, here we are!!! The odds are in your favor!

I second the Safe Travel Vest (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A9XRLWS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1). We took that on our combined trip to WDW and on the cruise. It takes up no space and it's handy for cabs (we didn't rent on the trip, just took cabs).

Just pulled this up on Amazon and it is no longer available. 😟

We've cruised with and without car seats.

Four kids five and under on our cruise to Hawaii. We rented a car in Maui, and didn't want to rely on the availability of car seats for rent, so we brought our own. Also, one excursion had van transportation, rather than bus. Lots of grumbling from other passengers, but we locked in all four seats into the van. I practiced putting them in and out of the car at home to get faster at the process! It only took about 5 minutes for me to install all four seats, and the tour guide installed them for us before they picked us up for the return trip.

Cabs in Mexico don't require car seats, but you might feel safer if you can at least put the 3 year old in a booster seat (the kind that just sits on the seat and isn't anchored in). The cabs I've been in while in Mexico have had seatbelts, so we've always just buckled the kids in as best we could.

Jennifer

Jennifer

Ships excursions are on buses....no seatbelt..no carseats required. I know everyone is all about the child's safety...and I am too...BUT...we survived with no carseats at all....none. They had not been invented, and were not deemed necessary! And, here we are!!! The odds are in your favor!

As someone who has been to ports many times, I'm not really sure HOW anyone is still here. Honestly! I remember my first port, Jamaica...OMG. I'm pretty sure buzzed teenagers drive better, yet, all was well.

They drive crazy, yes, but rarely an accident. It's like they know the crazy limit or accept it. idk.

Three crusies with dd, (still rearfacing at home) and we don't bring the carseat.

We are going to Alaska this summer with our 2-year old. Any suggestions?

 

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We had a two year old in our group when we cruised Alaska. It was a great cruise for a toddler.

In Juneau we did what Tapi suggested - the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier. It's a stroller friendly trail to the waterfall - great activity.

In Ketchikan we rented a car (very easy) and drove to the totem pole park - another great place for a kid to roam. There was also a nice park with a stroller-friendly circular trail through the woods and a nice lake (great for throwing stones) just off the main road a bit.

In Vancouver we did the hop on/hop off bus, which was a disaster with the toddler, but your mileage may vary. Would have been better to just take him to the park.

In Skagway we rented a car (again very easy) and drove to the suspension bridge, which all the kids enjoyed. We stopped a number of places along the way - it was amazing.

Best,

Mia

Thanks Mia! We have decided to rent a car in both Juneau and Skagway, and will just wander around Ketchikan or take the bus if we decide to go to totem park.

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As someone who has been to ports many times, I'm not really sure HOW anyone is still here. Honestly! I remember my first port, Jamaica...OMG. I'm pretty sure buzzed teenagers drive better, yet, all was well.

 

They drive crazy, yes, but rarely an accident. It's like they know the crazy limit or accept it. idk.

Are you joking? There are many fatal car accidents in Jamaica. According to WHO data, there were 381 road traffic accidents in 2011. It's the leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults. They don't drive better "buzzed".

I can't imagine holding my child in my lap anywhere and thinking the laws of physics were suspended because I was on vacation or was driving just a short distance.

I can't imagine holding my child in my lap anywhere and thinking the laws of physics were suspended because I was on vacation or was driving just a short distance.

I think perhaps you're misunderstanding gardneroflove's point. He or she wasn't saying that being in a car crash is OK on holiday because you aren't going far. He or she was saying that the laws of probability say that the increase in the child's life expectancy by carrying a child seat for a very short journey is not sufficient to offset the decrease in life expectancy caused by the inconvenience of carrying one.

No, I think I understand this poster saying their child isn't worth the inconvenience of carrying a car seat. The odds of 99 to 1 are great, unless you happen to be the one.

No, I think I understand this poster saying their child isn't worth the inconvenience of carrying a car seat. The odds of 99 to 1 are great, unless you happen to be the one.

No, that's not at all what I was saying. :rolleyes:

Hello! This will be our first cruise with our three year old. How will be go and do at the ports if call without a car seat? Has anyone ever done it befor. Is it legal in Mexico??

As you have already seen, opinions run the spectrum. Some are quite judgmental and first-world preachy.

Our preference is always to travel with car seats or rent where we can, but the reality is that you'll be at some ports with taxis that won't accomodate a car seat.

You'll have to make a choice that's within your comfort level. Every day we get out of bed and make choices that are inherently dangerous. You will have to weigh the quality of the experience against the liklihood of danger.

Yes, yes, I know ... if you're the 1 in a 100 ...

Truth is, if you approached things like that in every situation every day, you'd likely be housebound.