Car Seats on Cruise

[fredandkell]

Another option, which you may not agree with, but just throwing it out there, is that Florida does not require car seats for 4-year olds. https://www.tripsavvy.com/florida-car-seat-laws-2346887

 

[JackieF]

Another option, which you may not agree with, but just throwing it out there, is that Florida does not require car seats for 4-year olds. https://www.tripsavvy.com/florida-car-seat-laws-2346887

I don’t believe that article is correct. Here is the link from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/child-safety/safety-belts-child-restraints/

 

[Xalthon]

Thank you all for your input! Not sure how this will shake out yet, but the information you all provided will help us make that decision!

 

[fredandkell]

I don’t believe that article is correct. Here is the link from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/child-safety/safety-belts-child-restraints/

Interesting! Looks like they've changed to law to be age 5 and under must be in a seat. (Which is good.)

 

[cedricandsophie]

Do you have the stroller with the seat that comes out and becomes a car seat. That would be easiest. On the 6th floor, or depending on which ship you are on, there is an area by the elevators where people put wheelchairs and strollers. You could it there. Or maybe just put both car seats in that area. I would not try to keep in room. They will become a pain real fast.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

I would just get car seats from the private transportation company. We did this last year using the GO shuttle from the hotel to the port. I would not lug around two carseats or have them take up space in the room. Plus, as other have pointed out, you'd probably need to carry them around until you can get into your room because you don't know how the luggage handlers will treat them.

 

[starvenger]

Interesting! Looks like they've changed to law to be age 5 and under must be in a seat. (Which is good.)

Yeah this was a recent change. But if you use a no-back booster for your 4-5yo and you don't use that regularly at home (i.e. you use a car seat or high-back booster), make sure that the shoulder restraint fits them properly.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

As for space in the stateroom - god forbid you are involved in an accident without appropriate car seats would you ever be saying, well thank goodness we saved that closet space for clothes?

I don't think anyone is advocating not using car seats for the trip to the port, and travel in a less than safe manner, to save space.

People are saying there are alternatives that allow both safe transit for the kids, and not having to lug car seats with you on the ship.

 

[starvenger]

I don't think anyone is advocating not using car seats for the trip to the port, and travel in a less than safe manner, to save space.

People are saying there are alternatives that allow both safe transit for the kids, and not having to lug car seats with you on the ship.

I think that's it exactly. It's good to know what the options are, so that we can make an informed decision wrt transport and car seats.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Just be aware that checking them is not the best option as they could end up tossed at the bottom of a very heavy pile of luggage and get damaged.

Well aware of this for sure and it's definitely not ideal at all to check them - kind of had to just make a choice on that one. That being said, the Diono Radians are heavy and made of some kind of heavy duty metal, unlike some of our other car seats that are mostly plastic based. I'd wager the Radian would damage someone else's luggage before it would be damaged.

 

[hpsalb]

So I’ve not carried our seats onboard as we always drive to PC, but have kiddos in that age range and have flown with them AND their seats.

Check out the Cosco Scenaro for your youngest. Lightweight and great for travel. Was cheaper for us than renting a seat and we’ve used it for backup at home. If your oldest is large enough, there are some great high back boosters that you could pack and use in this scenario. I’d be weary of a LBB at that age, although if your child is large you might consider a LBB with belt guide as a travel option.

For air travel we either put the Scenara in our stroller or bungee it to the handle, upside down. You could do this and stick the booster parts in the stroller basket. Once in the cabin, they would fit in the closet.

Yes, there are other viable options already mentioned. But if you still want to take your own seats with you and onboard, it’s doable.

 

[Van Houten]

Since our kids turned 4, we started using BubbleBum boosters. Quick, inflatable, and quite comfortable. A 6yo can strap himself in without adult's help. We always rent a car, and these BubbleBums became quite indispensable.
Now we are once again travelling with a smaller kid, and I'm not looking forward to dragging a full-size convertible car seat with us (have done it with Recaro Performance RIDE and Go-Go Babyz cart). Looking at Scenera, it is very lightweight, and many folks recommend it, but I still have reservations about how comfortable it is for the kid, and if the installation and removal can be done quickly and properly - those J-hooks LATCH connectors don't look particularly easy to work with, especially when removing the seat. Scenera can probably work for a kid just up to 4, but a 4yo will likely need a larger seat.

 

[starvenger]

I think I've had easy times and frustrating times with J-hooks, so yeah, not my favourite thing to use with the LATCH system. But if you like the seat, and the price is right, you can probably live with using the j-hooks.

 

[cadien]

Since our kids turned 4, we started using BubbleBum boosters. Quick, inflatable, and quite comfortable. A 6yo can strap himself in without adult's help. We always rent a car, and these BubbleBums became quite indispensable.

We love Bubble Bums now that he's older too.

 

[Van Houten]

I think I've had easy times and frustrating times with J-hooks, so yeah, not my favourite thing to use with the LATCH system. But if you like the seat, and the price is right, you can probably live with using the j-hooks.

I was contemplating buying Scenera, but replacing the LATCH belt with the one from our old Recaro - with push-button releases and pull straps on both sides. Will have to look at the shell a bit more closely.

 

[eva2015]

I was contemplating buying Scenera, but replacing the LATCH belt with the one from our old Recaro - with push-button releases and pull straps on both sides. Will have to look at the shell a bit more closely.

Please do not do this. You have no way of knowing if they will hold in a crash. We used the Scenera NEXT as a travel/back up seat. It is very easy to install with the seat belt. I never was able to get a good install with LATCH. We only used it rear facing though.

 

[starvenger]

I think I always tried to do both with the rear-facing seats. Probably overkill, but it felt good from a mental standpoint.

 

[Van Houten]

Please do not do this. You have no way of knowing if they will hold in a crash. We used the Scenera NEXT as a travel/back up seat. It is very easy to install with the seat belt. I never was able to get a good install with LATCH. We only used it rear facing though.

That's the problem. Seat belt is not an option in my car, and may not be an option in a rental, if I get the type of car I want. Inflatable seat belts leave LATCH as the only option for most car seat manufacturers.
Recaro is rated to 40 pounds with LATCH, it's a 25-pound car seat - I don't see any reason why flimsy and cheap belts from Cosco would be superior to a high-end belt from Recaro (all "not designed for" and "not certified for" views aside).

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

I love having our car seats, so I understand. My kids sit better on the airplane in their car seats too. We always rent a car and leave the car seats in the rental if we won't need them for the ports. On this last trip, we brought 1 car seat on board for my 1 year old (a light weight one) and a bubblebum travel booster for my 4 year old. It was a little better then having 2 car seats.

 

[Chrislovesdisney]

My wife and I have been on many cruises, but those were all before we had our 4-year old son and 2-year old daughter. We are taking our first Disney cruise in April. My wife wants to bring our own car seats for ground transportation before/after the cruise.

My question is, is there practically enough room in a DCL room to contain two car seats (in addition to all the other *stuff* we need)? We are in one of the bigger balcony rooms (4A) though.

Thanks in advance!

We had one large car seat, in the corner next to the closets as it opened into the room. We also kept a stroller there. Plenty of room. If you could stack one seat on top of another, that would be beneficial.