Question about Carseats

[Minniemouse07]

Right, but most kids will outgrow the Marathon in height before they are anywhere near the weight limit. If their shoulders are over the top strap opening, then they have outgrown the seat.

Yup, totally understand that.

My dd has a very long torso and outgrew her convertible seats (Britax Advantage and Fisher Price Safe Embrace) just after she turned 3yo... but WELL below 40lbs. I sat her in the Marathon and she only had two inches to go before outgrowing it so she got two Huskies instead.

In addition to having a dd that is all torso and a challenge to put into car seats (as well as clothing), I'm also a certified car seat technician.

The reason why I pointed out to the OP that the seat is outgrown at 65lbs is that she had previously posted that the upper weight limit was 60lbs.

You are correct in stating that in MOST SEATS when a child is forward facing and their shoulders hit higher than the harness slot they have outgrown the seat, HOWEVER... for the Marathon the following is true (taken from the Marathon instruction guide, bottom of page 30).

IMPORTANT: Once the top slots become necessary, the child may continue to use the restraint until the top of the ears become level with the top of the restraint shell or child’s weight exceeds 65 pounds (29.5 kg).

One of the things they hammer home in class is that the car seat community is ever changing so no "rule" is ever set in stone. Checking the instruction manual is the first thing any good certified technician will do!

Have a magical day!

 

[Gabbie]

We kept a lot of our baby gear out on the verandah on our last cruise. If we didn’t have one I am not sure what we would have done seeing as there is not much space. Are you renting a car when you get back to port? If so a lot of rental car companies will rent you a car seat. Better yet www.kidsinsafetyseats.com will rent you a car seat for 6.50 a day…. Well worth it if you are only going to be there a short time. They have seats for each stage. If you are flying in and want her to use the seat on the airplane there is another alternative if you fly often… there is a new seat belt that you can buy that goes around the seat of the plane and then links into the lap belt…www.kidsflysafe.com It is fully FAA approved we used it the last time we flew with DS2 and although he had a little bit of a time with it, being two and not wanting to sit to well, he did sit and was actually good for both rides. Good luck!

 

[vpalmer]

Yup, totally understand that.

My dd has a very long torso and outgrew her convertible seats (Britax Advantage and Fisher Price Safe Embrace) just after she turned 3yo... but WELL below 40lbs. I sat her in the Marathon and she only had two inches to go before outgrowing it so she got two Huskies instead.

In addition to having a dd that is all torso and a challenge to put into car seats (as well as clothing), I'm also a certified car seat technician.

The reason why I pointed out to the OP that the seat is outgrown at 65lbs is that she had previously posted that the upper weight limit was 60lbs.

You are correct in stating that in MOST SEATS when a child is forward facing and their shoulders hit higher than the harness slot they have outgrown the seat, HOWEVER... for the Marathon the following is true (taken from the Marathon instruction guide, bottom of page 30).



One of the things they hammer home in class is that the car seat community is ever changing so no "rule" is ever set in stone. Checking the instruction manual is the first thing any good certified technician will do!

Have a magical day!

Thanks for that note from the Marathon Handbook. Maybe we will get more than another year use from our Marathon afterall.

 

[OhDear]

I would also recommend renting a car seat with the car rental company- if you are not flying.

On our last cruise we flew from Boston to Orlando - the flight was the only time we used the car seat. As mentioned before, you cannot use it on DCL transfers (actually, you can't use it on any shuttle/bus service) - after the flight the seat basically becomes another piece of luggage. We borrowed a "traveling" car seat that has wheels and a handle, so that it doubled as a stroller. It was helpful in the airport but I wouldn't recommend it because you have to take your child out to go through security and on the plane it takes up a little more room than a regular seat. (We flew Delta and had to put the arm rests up so that the seat would fit.) Also, it doesn't come with a canopy so it isn't the best stroller for the islands. The good news is that it did fit in our stateroom closet. It took up a good amount of room but it fit.

One thing to remember when packing is not to bring a lot of longer dresses - your empty luggage and car seat will take up the bottom of your closet and there wont be a lot of room for long items to hang down. Unless you use the tub, which is a great idea.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Minniemouse07]

Renting a carseat is really not a good idea. W/ a rented car seat you don't know the history of the seat (was it in a crash??) which is extremely important. Additionally, I've heard horrid reports of no seats being available, only inappropriate seats available (rear facing seat, booster, etc.) as well as seats that were filthy, missing parts or missing instructions.

When using your own seat your child is familiar w/ it and you know how to install it.

 

[OurDogCisco]

As for the carseat... If the room has a steamer trunk our Britax fit perfectly on top. It was ackward but it worked. We used our closet for the suitcases as they didn't fit under the bed.

I wouldn't worry much as when you get to the room I'm sure you'll find a perfect spot for it.

 

[jonesing]

Eddie Bauer Portable Car Seat
http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Portable-Bryant-Collection/dp/B000K53TFI

Small, folds up, weighs 4 pounds. Definitely not something you would use as a full-time carseat but seems like it will serve the purpose of short trips.

NOT approved for aircraft use.

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

What we did last september when DD turned 4 while cruising, was bring our Marathon from home and leave it in the rental car that we left parked at port (we felt the convenience outweighted the cost). For the Marathon we have the gogokidz wheels attachment that work great for the airport.

And since we were taking a cab to go to the Atlantis resort, we decided to buy a Ride safer vest. We did find a cab with seatbelts. http://www.familyonboard.com/Ride_Safer_Vest.html

We stored the luggage under the bed and the Maclaren stroller in the closet, so definetly you can store the carseat in the closet. I think it is only your hubby, you and DD, so you should have plenty of storage space in your cabin.