Carseats while on board?

[HooKooDooKu]

I know it's been discussed before, but I can't find it so please forgivement for asking.

Normally we drive to the port and drive home, so this isn't an issue. But when we do the panama canal cruise, we are going to be flying to Florida and getting a rental car, so we are going to have to deal with car seats.

Yes you can "borrow" them with the car rental, but I'd rather not, and besided, they are still SUGGESTED for young ones flying even if they are not REQUIRED.

So what do you do with the car seat once you get to port?

 

[DrCavin]

Stuff it in your closet, under the bed maybe, or just keep moving it when its in your way. I would try to get it in the closet, if that doesnt work then I would just put it on the bed during the day & then set it next to the bed at night.

Some have posted that they were able to give it to the room steward & they stored it, probably very limited in how many would be able to do that.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

What about getting it too your cabin?

Can you carry it? Check it without affecting the number of pieces of luggage they allow?

What are some peoples personal experience with this?

 

[SandraLee]

I've been on two cruises and brought the carseat into both. First time: Took DCL bus from MCO and checked the carseat with the rest of my luggage and it arrived in my cabin with the rest of the luggage. Stuffed it in the closet and that was it.

Second time. . . Had rental car and drove to the port. At the port we drove the rental car right up to the curb and the luggage porters came by. I had saved a luggage tag and put it on the carseat as I took the carseat out of the car. Gave the carseat and all the luggage to the porter and went inside with the kids to check in. DH took the car back to Budget and then joined us.

Easy, easy, easy . . . Make sense?

I don't remember if the porters will give you an extra luggage tag. I had an extra one. We didn't need 8 pieces of checked luggage for the 4 of us. Remember, you don't need a tag for any carryons you take. So, if it is easier to bring a small roller case as a carryone and use the carseat for a luggage tag, that would work, too.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I don't remember if the porters will give you an extra luggage tag. I had an extra one. We didn't need 8 pieces of checked luggage for the 4 of us.

As it is, we are worried about 6 pieces of checked luggage being enough for the 3 of us for a 14 day cruise. We've got to make sure we have enough room for 14 days of consumables (dipers, etc), a suit, tux (I've bought one so we won't be renting), dresses, snorkelling equipment (don't like using "USED" equipment), toys, etc.

 

[epjenk]

We are taking our carseats just because I'm guessing we will be in cars or vans on some of the excursions, and I certainly don't feel safer with an unknown foreign driver on unknown roads in an unknown car- I want the kid buckled up just like they are at home. Luckily, two of mine are in boosters and I am really hoping the baby will still be in the infant carrier.

 

[SandraLee]

The other thing I have done with transporting a carseat through an airport or other place is to bring 'wheels'. It is a fold-up wheels for suitcases. I attach the carseat to the wheels with the bungy straps and wheel the thing through. My DD used to sit in it this way and I would pull her through the airport. She whould sit cross legged so they don't drag the ground. Very convenient! If I had too much stuff to carry, I would load it on top of the carseat, strap it all in with the carseat seats straps, and bungy it to the wheels.


If you go this route, you just bring the carseat up through the DCL security and wheel it right onto the ship. Works great that way, too!