When kids need car seats to get to cruise?

[5Texans]

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.

Depending on the size of your 3 year old you could try a RideSafer harness. saferide4kids.com. They are expensive, but if you are having more kids and travelling a lot it might be worth it. They are even legal for use in the US in place of a car seat. Then you don't have to worry about car seats in port. My 3 yr old is tiny and it did not fit her properly, but I will try again because I hate travelling with car seats.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Depending on the size of your 3 year old you could try a RideSafer harness. saferide4kids.com. They are expensive, but if you are having more kids and travelling a lot it might be worth it. They are even legal for use in the US in place of a car seat. Then you don't have to worry about car seats in port. My 3 yr old is tiny and it did not fit her properly, but I will try again because I hate travelling with car seats.

I second the RideSafer vest. Though I didn't need it by the time we took our first cruise, it was wonderful to have while at WDW without a car. I carried the vest in my backpack and felt very comfortable putting my then 3-year old in a taxi. It definitely made transportation so much easier, especially when there was no direct route via the buses. DS thought it was an "astronaut vest." He loved it!

 

[wl1117]

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!

We're pretty strict about car seat safety too. We used CARES harnesses for both of our children when they were that age. Installed correctly, they are fantastic and so much easier to deal with than a car seat. Getting settled is faster, and not being cramped for space in the seats. The kids can use the trays, you can reach both of them if they are seated in a row with you...its all easier. And my kids always ended up kicking the seat in front of them when they were in their big Britax car seats.

If we needed a full seat at our destination, we used the Gogokidz and then gate checked the seat. We usually just used the seat as a stroller until we could go to our room.

We've also used a Bubblebum, but I am pretty sure our eldest was at least 5 before we tried that route.

Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

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!

OK so you need to sit and think about what seatbelts are for *on a plane*. This isn't a pretty thought process. It makes us think of not-nice things. But we're not worried about being t-boned or rear-ended while on a plane. It's entirely different forces we're working with. We are basically keeping our kids from being projectiles during a big bout of turbulence, or keeping them in their seats if there's a bad landing at the airport. Otherwise, the carseats are doing nothing else. Our car seat safety feelings are out the window *when on a plane*. We just aren't worrying about the same things we worry about with cars.

If your 3 year old wouldn't deal with a lapbelt and would try to get out of it, then OK, use something more familiar. But if the 3 year old would stay in that lapbelt, then they are just as safe as in a carseat, in case of turbulence or one of those landing where they overshoot the landing strip.

DS was rearfacing until the end of our seat's limit (seats go rearfacing longer than they did for my 2004-born kid), he was in a variety of 5 point harnesses until the bitter end, then high-back until his shoulders literally wouldn't fit (broad shouldered kid), and a booster that we *started* using when he was 6 or 7. Bubblebum booster for travel starting when he was 6.5 for Disney. Carried that with us until he fit in the shoulder belts in all rental cars we tried (he had been out of the booster at home because he fit perfectly in OUR car's, shoulder belt). I'm a carseat fanatic *for cars*. But for planes I recognize that it's all just different.

 

[Tiffybuggie]

We have done both with out son (1 and 2 yrs at time of travel)
The car seat was a hassle, had to lug it in the airport and then get it on the ship and store in closet

The second time we used the CARES harness and it fits in a carry on and installs quickly and fits like a carseat harness minus the strap between the legs. We didn't have any issues wiggling out of it.

Make sure to board early when they allow people who need extra time because we had to get all the adjustments set the first flight and it took a few extra minutes, but after that quick and easy!

I think another benefit is they can see you easier than if in a car seat, the carseat puts them more infront of you and the have to try to look around the side of it. My son could easily talk to me and see me and hold my hand and that made him more comfortable.

Definitely do what makes you feel comfortable though! Enjoy your trip.

 

[coloradocutie]

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.[/QUOTE]

You will love the cruise! DH and I really think it is the best way to travel with little ones.. we loved the transatlantic with the little ones and are looking to do more... it's just a matter of where to go next! And Disney makes cruising with families truly luxurious!

LOL, I have spent hours researching car seat travel issues... just about the time I have it figured out for one trip, the next trip rolls around and I find a new car seat issue to think about! I found the car seat for the littles website http://csftl.org was such a wonderful source of information.

I hope that you had a wonderful time in Alaska (is that where you are going)! Our littlest took her first steps on our Disney Alaskan cruise !

 

[hnthomps]

We cruised with a 2 and 4 year old last year. Because of the car seat issue, we had a friend drive us to/from the airport, then used the DCL transfers to/from port. On the airplane, we used CARES harnesses.
However, we usually travel with our britax seat for the little one, and have a wheely board thing that it clips to. She can ride in the seat like a stroller through the airport.
We were glad not to have it, though we could have stacked it on top of the extra arm chair in the room in a pinch (don't think it would have fit anywhere else).

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Lots to think about. Good thing I have some time still. Thanks everyone for the replies.

 

[hamm1207]

We're just checking our seat with our luggage. We board the wonder Friday...I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Staceroo]

We're just checking our seat with our luggage. We board the wonder Friday...I'll let you know how it goes.

I would definitely gate check it, not with your luggage. Airline workers can really damage it by tossing them around or if they fall. I've had luggage come out much worse for wear, I wouldn't want my car seat going through that as it may not be safe to use afterwards.

 

[hamm1207]

I would definitely gate check it, not with your luggage. Airline workers can really damage it by tossing them around or if they fall. I've had luggage come out much worse for wear, I wouldn't want my car seat going through that as it may not be safe to use afterwards.

I meant checking it with our luggage at the port. Our daughter needs it for the airplane (she's only 1).

 

[Dug720]

I meant checking it with our luggage at the port. Our daughter needs it for the airplane (she's only 1).

See the picture @PrincessShmoo posted on page 1. The luggage handling at the port is no easier on luggage than the airports.

 

[hamm1207]

See the picture @PrincessShmoo posted on page 1. The luggage handling at the port is no easier on luggage than the airports.

We really don't want to lug the car seat around the cruise terminal and the ship (while waiting for our stateroom). I asked the DCL Mom's Panel about it a few months ago and the lady who replied said she's felt comfortable leaving her kids' car seats with them and they've done it for multiple cruises. It's really no different than the airport, as you've said. Even gate checked luggage gets tossed around (my husband used to be a ramp guy for the airlines). If it ends up not going so well, I'll explore other options for next year's cruise...

 

[xlxo]

The luggage handling at the port is no easier on luggage than the airports.

IMO.... it's worse on a cruise ship transfers because the airport has baggage belt and systems. My luggage get less battle scars on aircraft.

 

[5Texans]

I meant checking it with our luggage at the port. Our daughter needs it for the airplane (she's only 1).

How long is your flight? IMO its way easier to fly w/o carseat and not lug it around all week. I just did it w/ DD1 3 weeks ago for our Fantasy cruise and I held her on the plane, of the 9 hrs or so in the air total, she was awake for maybe 2 and it was SO nice not to lug the seat. Are you using it for port transfers or excursions? It looks like you're leaving in a couple days but that's a lot of trouble for the flight where they don't have to have it.

 

[disneyholic family]

i'm really wondering what to do..
i hadn't considered this issue, but now i don't know what to do..
we'll be in the air about 16 hours each way...
i was going to go without car seats, but after reading up on the issue, i'm not sure

 

[hamm1207]

How long is your flight? IMO its way easier to fly w/o carseat and not lug it around all week. I just did it w/ DD1 3 weeks ago for our Fantasy cruise and I held her on the plane, of the 9 hrs or so in the air total, she was awake for maybe 2 and it was SO nice not to lug the seat. Are you using it for port transfers or excursions? It looks like you're leaving in a couple days but that's a lot of trouble for the flight where they don't have to have it.

It's a short hop (2 hrs). She normally sleeps on plane rides. We're an aviation family, and we don't like to do infant in arms as it's not as safe as a car seat. We'll also need the car seat for around town as we have friends picking us up.

 

[hamm1207]

i'm really wondering what to do..
i hadn't considered this issue, but now i don't know what to do..
we'll be in the air about 16 hours each way...
i was going to go without car seats, but after reading up on the issue, i'm not sure

Car seats are safer than infant in arms. If they're in booster seats, a company makes really cool folding booster seats (sport but I can't remember the name of the company). Car seats are also nice places for them to sleep.

 

[5Texans]

i'm really wondering what to do..
i hadn't considered this issue, but now i don't know what to do..
we'll be in the air about 16 hours each way...
i was going to go without car seats, but after reading up on the issue, i'm not sure

what are the age/s of your child/ren?? I think that is the deciding factor. If they will sleep without it then I'd leave it.

If not, I'd probably a) find a place to leave it in port (car, locker etc) b)buy a small cheap one that I would basically treat as disposable. That is a LONG way to fight w a toddler if they are used to being in there seat and would sit nicely for big stretches.

If its a 3 yr old that would lay down in the seat and stay there without too much reminding- ridesafe or cares harness.

If you decide you need the seat, I'd just plan on checking it at port and bring some extra tips to have porters and airport workers help you lug it as much as possible and dump it when I get home. Don't be a hero.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

You can store items under the beds on most of the ships.