When kids need car seats to get to cruise?

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

We have never cruised before so I am not sure the options for this. We will be using 1 maybe 2 car seats on the plane to get to the cruise. What are our options to deal with them after? We would prefer them not taking up floor space in the room. Do people check them and the ship holds them until the cruise is over? If you can check them, can you have them retrieved for 1 day to rent a car in port? (Alaskan cruise) I generally do not check my car seats as I don't want Baggage handlers breaking them but I am not sure what else to do in this instance. I'm sure being Disney, we aren't the only ones with car seats. Tia!

 

[cruisingtwins]

You store them somewhere in your room. Other option is renting a car and leaving them there for the duration of the cruise.

 

[lanejudy]

Anything you bring with you will need to be stored in your stateroom. There have been rare reports of DCL allowing something to be stored elsewhere, but I would not expect that. Depending on the size of the seat(s), you can store at least one in the closet. Depending on your stateroom, there may be enough space between the desk and the window wall/verandah door. Or some people store them in the shower when not in use. It might even fit under the bed (depending on brand and size).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have never cruised before so I am not sure the options for this. We will be using 1 maybe 2 car seats on the plane to get to the cruise. What are our options to deal with them after? We would prefer them not taking up floor space in the room. Do people check them and the ship holds them until the cruise is over? If you can check them, can you have them retrieved for 1 day to rent a car in port? (Alaskan cruise) I generally do not check my car seats as I don't want Baggage handlers breaking them but I am not sure what else to do in this instance. I'm sure being Disney, we aren't the only ones with car seats. Tia!

You must store them in your room. The ship doesn't hold any luggage/cargo for passengers. Many people find that they fit in the wardrobe (well, one will). You could store the other in the shower/tub, until it needs to be used.

I wouldn't check car seats on DCL, the (checked) luggage isn't handled all that gently.

How old are your children? I've read that BubbleBum is good for kids 4 and over.
https://www.bubblebum.co/us/

 

[anricat]

It might be helpful to know the ages of your children so we can suggest appropriate options.

Depending on the ages, if you're using them on the plane, you may want to look into the CARES harness. This is what we used for my daughter until she was tall enough not to need it. It's FAA approved and very easy to use. If you're going on an Alaskan cruise, you won't need them in Vancouver. Public transit is wonderful there. If you decide to rent a car in a port, you can often request a car seat or, as Shmoo recommended, the Bubble Bum is great if your children are in boosters, which is what we used in Juneau when we rented a car.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

I wouldn't check car seats on DCL, the (checked) luggage isn't handled all that gently.

How old are your children? I've read that BubbleBum is good for kids 4 and over.
https://www.bubblebum.co/us/

Kids are 3&4. If they are not safe to check with the luggage what do people do with them until their room is ready? Seems very awkward to be on the ship a couple hours with them. Although being a first time cruiser I am not sure how one goes to lunch with even just their carry on luggage and children in tow. Lol.
If they stay with us the entire time I could take our expensive Radians that fold flat which will take up less space but they are HEAVY. The idea of carrying them around for a few hours doesn't sound terribly exciting.

 

[apathetic]

Are you taking the seats for the airplane? I have flown with 3-4 year olds and didn't use a seat. It was a good choice. They didn't really need it and they would make a cramped space even more cramped. If it is just for the 1-day rental, the car company should rent/loan you some. It is better to pay a few bucks than deal with lugging those things around. Unless you plan to use them more extensively than 1 day rental car and transportation to/from port, my opinion is leave them home. Car seats will severely cramp a cruise room.

If you are adamant that they must have those seats, then it probably will be some inconvenience, but not a lot. They will take up space in the room. Also, getting them on/off the ship could be an issue with your other carry-ons. During embarkation you can leave them near the entrance of the restaurant, a lot of people do this with luggage. Or you can appoint someone to sit with them in the common areas. Rooms open at 130, so you may not even need to worry depending on your boarding time.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

I am not adamant the 4 year old have a car seat on the plane but the 3 year needs one. He would slide down out of a Cares Harness and he needs to be safely retrained if he gets scared and freaks out during take-off/landing as I know this is a real possibility.
I am also curious how to deal with car seats as there is a possibility we put this date off and cruise with an infant next year instead.

 

[cruisingtwins]

Rent a car and leave it at the port. It's an extra expense but not a huge expense and I think it's worth it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I wouldn't use a seat for the kids on the plane in this instance. DS started sitting without a carseat on the plane at about 3; he wasn't the most obedient of kids, but he could feel that the plane was moving, and he knew that when a vehicle is moving he's sitting in some sort of restraint. The lapbelt worked for him and made him feel SOOOOO grownup.

Or get CARES harnesses for the plane.

Then call the car rental agency in Alaska and reserve seats for them for that day. The extra cost will be made up for in less wear and tear on you!

As for if I had a carseat or two and I really really felt the need to bring it? I'd get to the port after 1pm when the rooms would be open. No chance I'd get there early so I had to wait around. You really REALLY do not want to check carseats with a cruiseline. They THROW the items into a huge pile (Princess Shmoo has a picture) and throw more items onto the pile. The point of carseats is that if they receive an impact like that, their foam might be broken and you won't know, and it won't be safe if you get into a car accident. So don't check them.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

They THROW the items into a huge pile (Princess Schmoo has a picture)

Not to mention the checked bag bins they use to move the luggage from the dock to the ship:

 

[bumbershoot]

He would slide down out of a Cares Harness and he needs to be safely retrained if he gets scared and freaks out during take-off/landing as I know this is a real possibility.

Did you see this on the CARES FAQ?

In their testing the FAA found that if the CARES straps and the lap belt were tightened securely, slipping beneath the belt is not common. ....

Sometimes it is helpful to use a thin piece of rubberized mat or sink liner to place underneath their bum. You can also try putting a bolster (or rolled up jacket or towel) under the backs of the legs. This helps bend the knees to help prevent them from slipping down.

With the chest clip done up and the shoulder straps tightened appropriately I can't see how he could squirm his head down without you or (I assume you're not traveling alone) your partner noticing.


thanks for the pix, Princess! Why am I always putting an extra c in your username? Schmoo, Shmoo...why can't I remember?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did you see this on the CARES FAQ?




With the chest clip done up and the shoulder straps tightened appropriately I can't see how he could squirm his head down without you or (I assume you're not traveling alone) your partner noticing.


thanks for the pix, Princess! Why am I always putting an extra c in your username? Schmoo, Shmoo...why can't I remember?

I don't know, but it's a common error. I usually just go with the flow, but once in a while it bugs me and I'll correct someone.

 

[MunFam]

We cruised with a 3 year old and a 4 year old. The four year old was able to be in a booster...so we put that INSIDE our checked airline bag and transferred it to the ship. When our DD was 3, we added a carseat rental to our car rental. It was about $20. We never have used a carseat on the plane. She prefers to lay across us and sleep, or curl up on the seat to sleep. Bus transportation does not require a seatbelt nor does "most" for hire transportation.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Did you see this on the CARES FAQ?




With the chest clip done up and the shoulder straps tightened appropriately I can't see how he could squirm his head down without you or (I assume you're not traveling alone) your partner noticing.

Thanks. I did not read their FAQS I just looked at their photo gallery of them in use, many of which do not look safe to me. We are big into car seat safety and both the kids still rear face in the car. We will not rent car seats after seeing what was offered in the past. I definitely will not be checking anything I don't want broken after seeing those pics. Eeek!

 

[Bree]

I've used CARES harnesses for both my kids when they were little (now 13 & 11). When installed correctly they cannot slide out of it. I've also had to rent cars and add on seats and never had an issue. I always pulled them out of the rental and looked at the expiration date and for any damage. I also wanted to make sure they were installed correctly! I sometimes flew alone with two small children. There was no way I was going to wrangle two carseats by myself around an airport.

 

[disboardlover]

Thanks. I did not read their FAQS I just looked at their photo gallery of them in use, many of which do not look safe to me. We are big into car seat safety and both the kids still rear face in the car. We will not rent car seats after seeing what was offered in the past. I definitely will not be checking anything I don't want broken after seeing those pics. Eeek!

If you are not bringing a stroller(s) on this trip, but still want to bring your car seats and keep them with you when you board, you could buy a specially made belt for $15-$20 (or use a cheap bungee cord as a DIY method) to strap each carseat to a carryon you will take with you onboard. Or you could get something that really converts the carseat into a temporary stroller, allowing your child to stay seated in the carseat while you roll it, for $50-$80. Straps are sold by Traveling Toddler and GoGoKidz and the wheeled attachments are by Brica and also by GoGoKidz. Makes going through the airport easier too!

 

[coloradocutie]

Hi! I am completely with you in regards to car safety. Our little ones are now 4 and 7, and we have traveled with them extensive both internationally and here in the states... and always with their carseats. We never check our carseats. We use Britax bags with wheels to transport the seats when we travel. Usually it is my dear husband lugging them through the airports but now my oldest will drag her safety seat . On planes we will gate check the carseat/now booster for my older one but we have always taken my younger ones car seat on the plane as she does so much better and will often nap in it. I have used CARES in the past and it is not conducive to sleep like the car seat is. We also will not rent car seats. When we sailed out of PC, we have tried hiring Mears/limo/car service and we put our own car seats. Most recently we tried the Disney transportation, but we still had our car seats with our luggage for when we arrived in England (it was a transatlantic). I have stored the carseats under the bed (that was actually a high back booster), the shower, and on the transatlantic we were able to store them in one of the closets as the stateroom was an accessible one and the closets were quite spacious. When we used private transportation to the cruise, we arrived at 12:30 which was a really sweet time to arrive- not busy at all- and just dragged those britax bags on ourselves, but our room was ready so we put them in. Another time, we did just lug them around until our room was ready. We just sat and ate, but at least I was assured they were not in the pileup posted by Princess Schmoo. For the same reason, we do not leave our car seats out with the luggage the night before disembarking. We carry them off ourselves the next morning.


Enjoy your cruise!!! You will have a blast!

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

If you are not bringing a stroller(s) on this trip, but still want to bring your car seats and keep them with you when you board, you could buy a specially made belt for $15-$20 (or use a cheap bungee cord as a DIY method) to strap each carseat to a carryon you will take with you onboard. Or you could get something that really converts the carseat into a temporary stroller, allowing your child to stay seated in the carseat while you roll it, for $50-$80. Straps are sold by Traveling Toddler and GoGoKidz and the wheeled attachments are by Brica and also by GoGoKidz. Makes going through the airport easier too!

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Thank you. I may look into those. I had forgotten about them.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Hi! I am completely with you in regards to car safety. Our little ones are now 4 and 7, and we have traveled with them extensive both internationally and here in the states... and always with their carseats. We never check our carseats. We use Britax bags with wheels to transport the seats when we travel. Usually it is my dear husband lugging them through the airports but now my oldest will drag her safety seat . On planes we will gate check the carseat/now booster for my older one but we have always taken my younger ones car seat on the plane as she does so much better and will often nap in it. I have used CARES in the past and it is not conducive to sleep like the car seat is. We also will not rent car seats. When we sailed out of PC, we have tried hiring Mears/limo/car service and we put our own car seats. Most recently we tried the Disney transportation, but we still had our car seats with our luggage for when we arrived in England (it was a transatlantic). I have stored the carseats under the bed (that was actually a high back booster), the shower, and on the transatlantic we were able to store them in one of the closets as the stateroom was an accessible one and the closets were quite spacious. When we used private transportation to the cruise, we arrived at 12:30 which was a really sweet time to arrive- not busy at all- and just dragged those britax bags on ourselves, but our room was ready so we put them in. Another time, we did just lug them around until our room was ready. We just sat and ate, but at least I was assured they were not in the pileup posted by Princess Schmoo. For the same reason, we do not leave our car seats out with the luggage the night before disembarking. We carry them off ourselves the next morning.


Enjoy your cruise!!! You will have a blast!

This is very helpful, thank you! I knew there had to be others who have traveled on Disney with car seats successfully. Everything about a cruise is foreign to me so thinking through the logistics of it all with kids is a lot.