Car Seat for cruise excursions

[Mhazien]

Hello everyone. I will be going on a cruise with my husband and 17 month old daughter in a few weeks. We live local to the cruise port so we don't have to worry about a car seat for flying or for the drive to the port. I was wondering what families with young children do at the ports to get around. We are likely planning on grabbing a taxi and just going to the beach at most of our cruise ports of call. Did you bring a travel car seat onto the cruise? And then bring the car seat to the beach? LOL... Just trying to figure out the logistics of bringing a car seat to the ports 

[Essiesmom]

Depends on the likelihood of the taxis on that island having the connections for car seats.  Or even functioning seat belts…. You might ask on the Family Cruising board here, under Special Interest Cruising.  EM

[ldubs]

To be on the safe side, I suggest you bring a car seat suitable for your 17 month old.  I have not brought one on a cruise because we didn't do any cruises when our children were toddlers.  But we have brought them for other trips.  

 

Enjoy!! 

[1025cruise]

If you want a car seat, bring your own. But most of the transfer vehicles won't have a place to put one, safely.

[Host Kat]

8 hours ago, Mhazien said:

Hello everyone. I will be going on a cruise with my husband and 17 month old daughter in a few weeks. We live local to the cruise port so we don't have to worry about a car seat for flying or for the drive to the port. I was wondering what families with young children do at the ports to get around. We are likely planning on grabbing a taxi and just going to the beach at most of our cruise ports of call. Did you bring a travel car seat onto the cruise? And then bring the car seat to the beach? LOL... Just trying to figure out the logistics of bringing a car seat to the ports 

 

Howdy @Mhazien 

 

Your thread has been moved to a more correct forum where it will be on topic. I hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[death_star]

We've tried to stick to buses without car seats when we can wearing the child. 

[soozles]

Where is your cruise going? When we went with my then 8 month old, I didn’t bring the car seat. But we also did only a Bermuda cruise. One day we took a bus to the beach, next day took a ferry to Hamilton, and last day went to the beach in the port area, so no seat needed. Many islands are likely to not have a way to actually connect a car seat anyway. 

[Mhazien]

We will be going to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. How did you know in advance that you would be able to catch a bus or ferry? I'm not sure what will be available at each port for transportation 

[Host Kat]

43 minutes ago, Mhazien said:

We will be going to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. How did you know in advance that you would be able to catch a bus or ferry? I'm not sure what will be available at each port for transportation 

 

Howdy again! 

 

Research our Ports of Call forums. Ocho Rios is discussed in our Jamaica forum. Grand Cayman is discussed in our Cayman Islands forum. Cozumel has a forum on its own.

 

Your fellow Cruise Critic members that will be or have been to the places you mention frequent the Ports of Call forums and provide feedback there. Browse through the thread titles l👀king for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that will be of interest to you

 

I suggest you use the Follow feature on this thread or any other thread or forum where you are interested in future replies. That way you will not have to go l👀king to see if there are new posts on your Followed threads because they will all come l👀king for you as notifications!  If you need more info on how to do it, please click the following: How to: Follow Topics & Forums (Subscribed Threads/Forums Info)

 

Cruise Critic is a great resource for new as well as experienced cruisers. Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community Categories list. Read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads on the top of the first page of threads in a forum. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

Hope this additional information will be helpful! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

I would consider getting a cheap and light Cosco Scenera NEXT. As long as the vehicle has a locking seat belt, you are set. If it doesn't, it helps to bring a locking clip with you. Practice installing NEXT at home, with and without a locking clip. See below examples of using this seat on the plane, and attaching it to a stroller or a hand truck.

 

I don't remember any buses in any of these destinations. If you go on a ship sponsored excursion, there will be a much greater chance of traveling by a bus of some kind. Of course, they are more expensive than just catching a taxi to the beach, but you will be the one to choose what makes more sense to you.

 

 

This one below might be the original Scenera (not NEXT) or an Evenflo Tribute.

[death_star]

On 4/19/2022 at 4:02 PM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I would consider getting a cheap and light Cosco Scenera NEXT. As long as the vehicle has a locking seat belt, you are set. If it doesn't, it helps to bring a locking clip with you. Practice installing NEXT at home, with and without a locking clip. See below examples of using this seat on the plane, and attaching it to a stroller or a hand truck.

 

I don't remember any buses in any of these destinations. If you go on a ship sponsored excursion, there will be a much greater chance of traveling by a bus of some kind. Of course, they are more expensive than just catching a taxi to the beach, but you will be the one to choose what makes more sense to you.

 

 

This one below might be the original Scenera (not NEXT) or an Evenflo Tribute.

We actually strap our next to a roller luggage bag. Our daughter actually has ridden in it that way around the airport. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

10 hours ago, death_star said:

We actually strap our next to a roller luggage bag. Our daughter actually has ridden in it that way around the airport. 

Yeap, that works great as well!

 

 

some more examples:

 

 

 

 

This is what we did with our Britax Frontier CT (a large 25# seat):

 

 

 

 

 

If you have two seats:

 

2 Harmony Defenders:

 

 

2 Diono Radians

 

More photos and experiences:

 

https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a6680085/traveling_with_children_photos

 

My personal experience:

 

https://community.babycenter.com/post/a62126569/frontier-90-on-southwest-and-other-questions

 

And, as always, a PSA: Please use your car seat on the plane instead of checking it in. This is the only way to ensure its safety and integrity. If you absolutely must check it in, please do so at the gate instead of the ticket counter with all the other luggage.