Carseats

[baileybaby]

Hi Everyone,

It just occured to me that we would have both of the girls booster seats with us. What do you do with them on the cruise? Will they check them like luggage and bring them to the stateroom or do we have to carry them on? There are so many things to think about! Not that I am complaining, I am so excited. November is going to take forever!

 

[dletz]

Don't know what they do, but that was one of my deciding factors on just keeping the rental car through the cruise and parking it at the port. That and the fact that we were gone for 3 weeks, and had tons of luggage, so we kept a bunch of it in the trunk along with our daughter's carseat.

 

[mobetsy]

We have several booster seats, and we brought along with us one that has no back (under $20 at Target). It fit just fine under the bed.

 

[Stimpy]

we also had the booster seat with out a back. It's easier for traveling. It fit in the overhead compartment on the plane (and didn't count as carry-on) and it didn't take up a lot of space in the closet on the cruise. We usually use it only for travel and a regular "full" booster seat for home.

 

[baileybaby]

Did you have to carry the seats onto the ship or will they take them to your room for you?

 

[Stimpy]

As long as you can put one of the DCL luggage tags on it, they will take it to your stateroom for you. We couldn't find a way to attach one to ours and they had no tape available. The plastic backless ones are really light and we just carried it with us.

 

[Zandy595]

I don't know if you can actually do this, but I read a post about someone asking their stateroom host to put their empty luggage in a storage room. You could call DCL and ask them if they could store the carseats (if you're taking big ones) for you.

 

[vossjemi]

How much does it cost to just rent the carseats from the car rental company? We'll be going on a cruise next fall with a 5 and 3 year old. What is the law in Florida? In my state, you must use carseats until 4 years old. I just think it would be a hassle to bring mine, so I wonder if its cost effective to just rent one for the trip from airport to hotel and back to airport once off ship.

 

[mobetsy]

It's relatively expensive to rent, and not all that safe. If a car seat has ever been in an accident, even a minor one, it should be replaced (and for reference, most insurance co's will now pay for that if you push), but you can't be sure that a rental company will have done that. If your child is still in a car seat, you'd probably want to be using it on the plane anyway; if it's a booster, you can buy a low back one for the cost of a few days' rental.

I think that the FL law for a booster is 6 or 60 lbs; the limo company checked if we would need a booster for our 5 y.o. ds.

 

[Zandy595]

All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).

 

[vossjemi]

So, am I reading this right. My 5 yr old can use a seat belt (safety belt) but my 3 yr old needs a carseat?

The way that statute reads is that only persons who are 5 and under need be properly restrained. Is that true? No seatbelt law for adults? We've got click it or ticket laws in Missouri. They can pull you over if they can tell you are not wearing a seatbelt and ticket you just for that.

 

[TheWog]

Originally posted by vossjemi
So, am I reading this right. My 5 yr old can use a seat belt (safety belt) but my 3 yr old needs a carseat?

The way that statute reads is that only persons who are 5 and under need be properly restrained. Is that true? No seatbelt law for adults? We've got click it or ticket laws in Missouri. They can pull you over if they can tell you are not wearing a seatbelt and ticket you just for that.

I thought those of us in NH were the only ones allowed to Live Free ..don't buckle or wear a helmet ... and Die???

 

[Zandy595]

Florida's current safety belt law requires all front seat occupants to be restrained, even if the vehicle is equipped with an air bag. The driver is held responsible for passengers under 18 years of age who are not buckled up. The law applies to all cars, pickup trucks and vans operated on Florida's roads. The penalty for violation is $30 plus other legal assessments.

Children ages 6-17 must be belted when in either the front or rear seats of a vehicle. Traffic citations will be issued only if the car is stopped for another reason.

All 50 States and the District of Columbia have primary child restraint laws. Florida's law requires all children under six years of age to be properly restrained. Children through age three must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat, and for children four through five years of age a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt must be used. The cost to a violator of the child restraint law is $60 and three points on the driver's license.

 

[imsayin]

I don't care what the state law is, I want my child to be safe! This is from www.safekids.org, a site that focuses on child safety.

What is the safest way to transport my child in a vehicle seat?

*Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the back seat.
*Infants should ride in rear facing safety seats as long as possible; until they are at least 12 months old and weigh at least 20 pounds.
*Children who are at least 1-year-old, weigh 20-40 pounds, and can no longer ride rear-facing should ride in forward facing child safety seats.
*Children over 40 pounds should be correctly secured in belt positioning boosters or other appropriate child restraints until the adult lap and shoulder belts fit correctly (around age 8).
*Once the vehicle safety belts fit children, both lap and shoulder belts should be correctly used.
*Any safety seat must be installed and used according to the manufacturer's instructions and your vehicle owner's manual.

 

[vossjemi]

Thanks for all the info. I DO want to know the law AND I want my child to be safe. I had a coworker who lost her 5 year old stepdaughter in a preventable accident. The girl was in the front seat of the car w/her mother and they were involved in a minor fender bender. Air Bag deployed and she was virtually beheaded. Very very sad. Both my kids are still in carseats in the back, NEVER the front. But, I do detest the idea of lugging the seats cross country when we'll already have tons of other luggage to drag around (not to mention keep an eye on my son who likes to run given the chance). That is why I wondered about rental costs. If we only have the car for 1 day each way, I'd hope it wouldn't be too expensive and save me an extra arm to hold onto my son.

 

[Zandy595]

imsayin ~ Thank you for posting that. I knew I read that information somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. I totally agree with keeping kids in the backseat until they are over 12 years old. I also had my DS in a booster seat until he turned 8. I still make him sit in the middle of the backseat (belted, of course) because it is the safest place in a car.

BTW, we have "Click it or ticket!" here in FL also.

 

[Houzer]

Something that we have done with our car seat is we take it on the plane with us and our son sat in it buckled up. I know that there was a person who complained about it when we were in the isle getting it into the seat but once it was seated there was not a problem. I work for the Health Unit in Canada and promote child safety in my job and we recommend you take them along with you unless you can rent them. However remeber laws and standards are different in different states so you need to do what is best in your mind for your children. The law in Canada is changing and we know promote up to 80lbs in a booster and if all goes well the law will change to that in the summer of 2005. Keep safe buckle up! Houzer

 

[dletz]

booster seats (or convertible used as a booster) are not approved to be used on an airplane. Also when putting your child in a carseat on an airplane make sure you know where the sticker is located on your seat that states that it is approved by the FAA for flying. When our daughter was 7mo we took her on a plane and were not allowed to put her in her car seat for the first half of the flight because we couldn't find the little sticker (found it halfway through) and the flight attendant was picky.

Also those harnesses that they sale saying approved for airline travel are only approved for use while in the air. They are not approved for use during takeoff and landing (read the fine print and it will state that, but you really have to look for it)

 

[Houzer]

As I said you need to check with your state as to what the rules and regulations are it changes from state to state and country to country. You can always call your travel agent and have them get the info from the air line like we did. Pauline

 

[goofytwo]

We will be cruising next September with a 14 month old. If we do not have a seat that is approved by the FAA should we even bring a car seat? Does Disney require a car seat for the bus transfers to the port? What have others done?