Yet another car seat question (sorry!)

[Snowbuddy]

I wasn't planning on bringing along a car seat for DD, since we are only flying in the day of embarkation & flying out right after disembarkation--here are my questions, though:

*should I schedule ship transportation to get on one of the shuttle bus-type of vehicles, rather than a taxi?

*will we be limited to near-the-ship excursions, things that we can get to by walking only?

 

DD is flying as a lap baby, so we will not have or be able to use her car seat during the flight and I hate to risk the car seat getting damaged by the airlines (esp since each of her car seats ran us about $170-$200 to buy).

 

Is there anything I am missing, not thinking of, regarding bringing or not bringing a car seat for her?

[6rugrats]

Yes - the safety factor. Then, there's the law. I think you are sailing from San Juan? PR law states children under the age of four must be in a car seat in the back seat of the car, and this includes a taxi.

[cb at sea]

A shuttle has no place for a car-seat--that would be my option!

[Snowbuddy]

Yes - the safety factor. Then, there's the law. I think you are sailing from San Juan? PR law states children under the age of four must be in a car seat in the back seat of the car, and this includes a taxi.

 

I realize that, that is why I asked if I should opt for transportation that would involve a shuttle bus instead of a taxi. I fully intend to abide by the law, as I do at home and elsewhere, and I intend to keep my daughter safe. However, if we would be on transportation that does not require (or heck, is not even able to accommodate) a car seat, I see no reason to bring it. My question is whether I am missing something, whether there would be a place that we would need the seat that I haven't thought of...i.e. whether we would be unable to do anything near the ship & would need a car seat to travel to any sort of excursion at any of our stops (aruba, curacao, dominica & st thomas).

[European_CruiseGirl]

I see two possibilities for your embarkation/disembarkation city:

 

1. shuttle type of transport

2. private transfer (pre-arranged)

 

Our cruise leaves from Barcelona and we fly in the day before. We are cruising with our DD (1yrs 2months). We will stay at an airport hotel so no car seat needed for that. Then we have arranged a private transfer from the hotel to the port (and back from the port to the airport) with a company that will provide us a car seat. For shore excursions we will do just nice strolls but that would have been our choice anyway.

 

We have also a second cruise planned that leaves from FLL. We are thinking about doing the same thing. Fly to MIA a day early - stay at the airport hotel and pre-arrange a transfer to FLL port vv. with a company that has a car seat for a toddler. Yes - it will most likely be quite expensive but the amount of luggage we have is anyhow huge...I'm not sure if we could fit it to a "normal" taxi. We are still planning for the shore excursions but most likely we will book some private tours. I do not feel comfortable having DD without a car seat in a bus on the islands... After some googling I have found some companies that do provide car seats. Yes again - this is more expensive than going on a cruiseline's shorex but it's safer. And nicer as we can plan the itinerary of the tour + we don't have to worry about DD starting to make a fus and getting all the nasty looks we might get if we were on a "normal" shorex. :D

[Snowbuddy]

ECG--what do you google to find the private excursions that will provide a car seat? I am worried about info overload & getting "good" info to find a reliable tour provider...of course, once I find one, I can post in the POC forums for advice, right?

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi! I just google "city/island/or port name" + "private tours" or "private excursions". Then I get several companies and I'll glance through their web sites.

 

I go next to tripadvisor and put those company names to their search engine and start reading. If a company sounds nice I'll go back to their web pages. Some state that they have car seats for toddlers avail - some don't. If not I send an e-mail.

 

And of course cruise critic has valuable info avail on the ports section. :)

 

Ps. If you have a good TA why not let them do some of the work? Make them find potential companies and you do the tripadvisor part of research and decide which tuor operators you would like to use.

[sbhdmh]

Another option might be to carry an inexpensive car seat rather than risking your own. AAA sells some very inexpensive seats. You can carry it to the plane - if there is an empty seat your DD can use it. Otherwise it will be stowed and you can use it if you want to hop in a taxi somewhere in port or for the transfers to and from the cruise. Just an idea....

[2preschoolers]

I'm glad you asked this as I'd been wondering it myself. We have 2 girls (2 yrs and 4 yrs, when we go in January). We need to fly into Miami the night before the cruise starts. So this means we cannot take a taxi from the hotel to the port unless we bring along 2 car seats? We have to have a private shuttle service? OR take Carnival's tranfer bus?

[6rugrats]

I realize that, that is why I asked if I should opt for transportation that would involve a shuttle bus instead of a taxi. I fully intend to abide by the law, as I do at home and elsewhere, and I intend to keep my daughter safe. However, if we would be on transportation that does not require (or heck, is not even able to accommodate) a car seat, I see no reason to bring it. My question is whether I am missing something, whether there would be a place that we would need the seat that I haven't thought of...i.e. whether we would be unable to do anything near the ship & would need a car seat to travel to any sort of excursion at any of our stops (aruba, curacao, dominica & st thomas).

 

If you don't bring the seat, yes, you will need to take a shuttle at all of these ports, except in Dominica which honestly, seems to have no type of driving rules at all, and IMO, you would be crazy not to have your child in a car seat there.

[6rugrats]

I'm glad you asked this as I'd been wondering it myself. We have 2 girls (2 yrs and 4 yrs, when we go in January). We need to fly into Miami the night before the cruise starts. So this means we cannot take a taxi from the hotel to the port unless we bring along 2 car seats? We have to have a private shuttle service? OR take Carnival's tranfer bus?

 

Florida law requires children under the age of five to be protected with an approved and properly used child restraint device.

[Snowbuddy]

If you don't bring the seat, yes, you will need to take a shuttle at all of these ports, except in Dominica which honestly, seems to have no type of driving rules at all, and IMO, you would be crazy not to have your child in a car seat there.

 

Thank you.

 

Does anyone on here have familiarity w/ these specific ports, or should I post on the POC forums to find out what is available w/i walking distance of the ship? I have tried posting on there before w/o much or any luck, but I think if I re-word my subject line there, I might be able to find out more.

[paryea]

For a recent trip I took with my 1-year old son (lap infant) I bought an inexpensive car seat on Craigslist, sent it through as checked baggage (free) and then used it in the taxi to & from the airport. I had it for when I needed it, but didn't have to care if it got lost or damaged by the airlines. Granted I would have had to get creative if they had lost it on the way there. I know some people would consider it risky to buy a used car seat, but I felt that considering how little I was going to use it that it wasn't that big a risk. Obviously each person has to evaluate the situation and decide how much risk they're willing to take. For our cruise, we plan on taking the Airporter bus back and forth to the airport and not doing any organized tours that would require transportation so we can travel light and not take a carseat.

[bmgaritty]

I guess I would opt for carseats for both the flight and the ports. There are some carseats that do provide protection and are inexpensive.

 

Today a flight from Brazil to Houston hit turbulence off the coast of P.R. and Grand Turk, 24 or 26 people were injured (4 seriously) The plane was forced to land in Miami.

 

 

Also, a woman broke her neck in April due to turbulence.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=7391144&page=1

 

Drivers in all the islands (including US) are a bit crazy. I would opt for car seats or walking destinations in the ports sans car seat.

 

SAFE travels!

[Maryscooking]

DD is flying as a lap baby, so we will not have or be able to use her car seat during the flight and I hate to risk the car seat getting damaged by the airlines (esp since each of her car seats ran us about $170-$200 to buy).

 

Is there anything I am missing, not thinking of, regarding bringing or not bringing a car seat for her?

 

I know this is going to come off as snarky, but I do think you are missing something. You are afraid of a $200 car seat being damaged by the airlines, but are willing to let your DD fly as a lap baby? There is a ton of irony there that might be worth stopping to think about.

[Snowbuddy]

I know this is going to come off as snarky, but I do think you are missing something. You are afraid of a $200 car seat being damaged by the airlines, but are willing to let your DD fly as a lap baby? There is a ton of irony there that might be worth stopping to think about.

 

yes, it did come off as snarky.

[Snowbuddy]

I guess I would opt for carseats for both the flight and the ports. There are some carseats that do provide protection and are inexpensive.

 

Today a flight from Brazil to Houston hit turbulence off the coast of P.R. and Grand Turk, 24 or 26 people were injured (4 seriously) The plane was forced to land in Miami.

 

 

Also, a woman broke her neck in April due to turbulence.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=7391144&page=1

 

Drivers in all the islands (including US) are a bit crazy. I would opt for car seats or walking destinations in the ports sans car seat.

 

SAFE travels!

 

thanks for the info, it is def food for thought!

[bmgaritty]

I know this is going to come off as snarky, but I do think you are missing something. You are afraid of a $200 car seat being damaged by the airlines, but are willing to let your DD fly as a lap baby? There is a ton of irony there that might be worth stopping to think about.

 

Not a snarky comment at all.........a very valid one when considering a child's safety verus the price of a car seat.

 

The OP thought that people being injured by turbulence was "food for thought" rather than a safety issue for her child.

[Snowbuddy]

My comment about "food for thought" is b/c I just hadn't realized that turbulence could pose such a danger. In all of my flying I have done, I have never experienced such dangerous turbulence (heck, hardly experienced turbulence at all), so it def gave me pause and made me reconsider what to do about flying with her.

 

I apologize for asking for advice; I didn't realize that it would result in a diatribe about my parenting skills. I thought that ppl would just offer advice about what they had done, what worked for them (which some were kind enough to do). Just one question--why the attack on me, but not the other recent poster who asked about car seats? Is is b/c she was smart enough to not come back and reply to any posts? Maybe I should take a page from her book...I guess if I don't come back & read/reply, you will eventually find someone else to attack who was merely looking for advice or help.

[Auxi]

I am a little surprised by how personally some are taking these posts rather than using it for what it is intended, an open line of communication, sharing thoughts and opinions with others. My take is, don't ask if you're not interested in ALL opinions, the good and the bad.

 

Personally, when my family and I travel, we take into account the cost of every member being a ticketed passenger, including my ten month old son. Before we make plans, we have to consider that, and it may mean we save up for another time or find a better deal or an alternative. We take advantage of reduced fares and infant pricing when we travel, or we choose not to travel. For us, we do this for our comfort, our sons comfort, and our combined safety. I know many people choose to fly with lap children, though this is not recommended by airlines nor the FAA, however, as a parent that is his or her choice.

 

If you do consider traveling with your child and looking at car seat options, I recommend the Sit-n-Stroll car seat/stroller combo. This has worked great for us. Not cheap at $250+, but a life saver for our family. Not the world's greatest everyday stroller, but great for airports and airplanes. I agree with the other posters, if a $200 car seat is a factor in traveling decisions, perhaps reevaluating your travel budget is in mind. For us a cruise with its pre-cruise travel, hotel, transportation, food, etc., all has to be factored into the overall cost.

 

Either way, I mean to offend no one, just consider all of your options before you make a decision. It would be better to take a car seat and not need it than get someplace where you may want it and not have it. I always believe having a car seat where ever we go is ideal, even if we cannot find a use for it in advance. Not convenient to travel with, but when you find yourself needing one, you'll be glad you have it.

[bmgaritty]

Great post Auxi!

 

If people put it out there, comments should be expected - both positive or negative. Otherwise why ask?

 

We always have to evaluate safety versus cost in our decisions, for us the Sit n stroll won out. It can be found for under 200 on the web. It served triple duty - plane seat/ car seat/ and carry all through the airport.

 

The following organizations recommend car seats on planes (and no lap babies)- American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of Flight Attendants, the National Safe Kids Campaign and the National Transportation Safety Bureau.

 

Safe travels!

[Snowbuddy]

You're right, I apologize, I probably did take some of the posts a little too personally (I had had a very rough day and it was just the straw that broke the camel's back). However, I was looking for suggestions or advice regarding whether I would be able to get by without the car seat, or would need it for going on excursions. I do not see how that is an invitation to question my motives regarding my daughter's safety. My concern was about getting around on the islands, and seeing as how I was within the FAA regulations in taking my child as a lap baby, I thought that was fine. However, the post on turbulence causing injury did make me stop & think about whether that is the best thing to do. I even admitted that it made me think.

 

FYI, before you think I am one of those posters who disregards what others say, I have begun looking for a car seat that we can purchase for this trip that would be safe, yet not be a $200 loss if anything happens to it. I found one that would only be about $55, is approved by the FAA, and comes w/ a plastic carrying bag to protect it in case it is gate checked (I have to look into getting her a seat on the plane, yet, since we didn't have a seat booked for her originally). Is Cosco a good brand?

[cruiseman40]

I remembered those days. I had some of the same issue back then when my kids were babies. Should I pay for travel insurance, seat for infants even though after 15 mins the babies will likely be a lap baby...Bring my 180.00 car seat or should I purchase a inexpensive car seat at Target, WalMart, etc? Well, I paid for all the insurance, Plane seat, and even brought our expensive car seat to and fro. It was easier for me to just keep my mouth shut and keep the DW happy! Safety issue was the deciding factor over inconvenience and not to mention DW being happy!

 

 

 

 

I wasn't planning on bringing along a car seat for DD, since we are only flying in the day of embarkation & flying out right after disembarkation--here are my questions, though:

*should I schedule ship transportation to get on one of the shuttle bus-type of vehicles, rather than a taxi?

*will we be limited to near-the-ship excursions, things that we can get to by walking only?

 

DD is flying as a lap baby, so we will not have or be able to use her car seat during the flight and I hate to risk the car seat getting damaged by the airlines (esp since each of her car seats ran us about $170-$200 to buy).

 

Is there anything I am missing, not thinking of, regarding bringing or not bringing a car seat for her?

[dreaminofsun]

I can understand how the OP got a little defensive. Unfortunately I have found this board to be more volitile (snarky comments and judgements)than any other board I have ever been a part of. Why do you think that is? It's really a shame because there is good info shared here but it makes one hesitant to post any questions.

To the OP, we traveled with a 1 year old back in January on the Carnival Glory. We drove to the port so we had a car seat but we didn't bring it on the ship. We did take a couple of shuttles for excursions but they wouldn't have accomodated a car seat if we had of brought it as most were buses or large vans without seat belts any way.

[crusinmama06]

Unfortunately I have found this board to be more volitile (snarky comments and judgements)than any other board I have ever been a part of.

 

"This board" as in the family board? Or "this board", as in Cruise Critic? I actually come to the family board as a safe haven away from some of the other cruise board because things can get downright nasty on the main board.

 

I love everyone here. I may not agree with everyone here. But we all seem to repect each other's opinions. :)