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Would you bring car seats for toddlers from home for excursions on island?


DukeBlueDevil
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We might be nuts, but we are bringing our two year old twins on a Disney cruise in Oct 2017 that makes stop in Cozumel. We are not sure what the protocol is regarding car seats for travel on the islands? What does other families do?

 

Thanks!

Your call as to whether you use car seat.

 

If you want to use a car seat you will need to bring your own. They will not be available in taxis sedans or vans. It is recommended you tip extra to compensate for time taken for you to install in the vehicle. You will need to ask for a vehicle with rear seat belts as many are missing or cut.

 

 

I don't know what sort of excursion you are considering but you will need to carry and store the seats when you get there in addition to strollers if you are using them.

 

 

If we have wanted to tour the island and visit several places, we have hired a private driver for the day through ToursPlaza to avoid taking our own. Car seats can be requested in advance. ( see their website.)

 

 

Other times, if docking at International or Puerta Maya , we have walked to Park Royal to avoid the necessity for transport. We have purchased a AI day pass to use their facilities - shallow kiddie pool, several pools, inside buffet area to rest from heat. Day pass includes food and drink from 11am- 6pm but kids under 4 are free, if I remember correctly and of course no transport costs. All in all a great hassle free day but depends on what you are looking for.

 

Edit to add:

Just realized you are on Disney, so you will most likely dock in town at Punta Langosta. Park Royal is not really a useful option. You can easily walk to the town and shopping or could walk to do a day pass at Hotel Cozumel but I have no experience with that facility. Not really anywhere with sandy beach within walking distance.

Edited by c-leg5
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Best beach club on Coz for toddlers is Palya Mia, with a great kiddie water park. If you cannot book it through the cruise line then bring your own booster seats (Amazon sells travel booster seats) and tip the driver a bit extra fro the time spent installing and uninstalling seats.

 

You might also spend some time on the family cruise board to see what others with toddlers have done.

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keep in mind that if the taxis are not American cars with locking seat belts or latch, you will need locking clips or built-in lock-offs to install your car seats securely. You will also need to store the seats at your destination somewhere.

 

Easy to install seats are Britax clicktight seats and Evenflo Maestro which is a great light forward facing seat which doesn't usually have installation quirks. However, Britax seats are big and heavy and not extremely travel-in-foreign-countries friendly. You can also check the Traveling with Children board on http://www.babycenter.com for more tips.

 

Cosco Finale is the new seat that is only $44 and also travel friendly. It may or may not have installation quirks, too soon to tell.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would not lug around 2 toddlers and 2 car seats in the hot sun. Keep in mind the drivers will not be going as fast on the island as you would on an American interstate hwy, if that makes you feel any safer. The idea of pre-arranged transportation with a private driver may be your best option if you insist.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We are having this debate right now. Our 3 year old will be with us when we go to Cozumel in about 2 weeks. He's been on one cruise before but it was Nassau and Freeport so we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go. My biggest concern is what to do with the seat while we are at the beach and IF they taxis would even have seatbelts. Last time we were in Cozumel, we didn't have a toddler but we were crammed into a van for the scariest ride I've ever been on! My son, who was about 15 at the time, had to sit on my lap. I can't imagine being in that situation with a toddler!

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You can buy inexpensive travel booster seats that should work for your 3-year old - I have even seen some that are inflatable! :cool:

 

If the first taxi in line does not have working seat belts, feel free to take the next one -- I've seen cabs with knotted or cut seat belts and I skip them.

 

The laws of physics apply world-wide; your child will be MUCH safer using an appropriately sized and installed car/booster seat.

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You can buy inexpensive travel booster seats that should work for your 3-year old - I have even seen some that are inflatable! :cool:
the inflatable bubblebum will not provide a proper seatbelt fit for a typical 3 year old child. Plus, it has a 40# minimum. Other no back boosters will not provide a proper seatbelt fit either. Which in turn means that they are equally unsafe whether they are in the car without any booster/seat or in a no back booster.

 

Now, if the child is off the charts for height and weight at 3, and will sit properly in a no back booster, it will provide adequate protection.

 

That said, we used a no back booster to transport my 3.9 year old who was the size of an average 5 year old at that time (43") from the airport to the port (2 miles) in a taxi, and the seat belt fit was very bad. The same no back booster provided a much better seat belt fit at 5 years for him (he was the size of an average 6 year old). We did not use the booster while in a taxi in foreign ports. However, all the taxis we have been in so far had seatbelts. The craziest, most careless drivers were in Ft Lauderdale.

 

Most people don't even think about bringing a booster or a car seat with them for travel, and definitely not for taxi rides in foreign ports....

 

Our friend never brought so much as a booster for their then 3 yo on any of the cruises. Our very first cruise together included Cozumel and a 20 minute taxi ride.

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Most people don't even think about bringing a booster or a car seat with them for travel, and definitely not for taxi rides in foreign ports....

 

Our friend never brought so much as a booster for their then 3 yo on any of the cruises. Our very first cruise together included Cozumel and a 20 minute taxi ride.

 

I did not use a seat belt when I was a kid back in the stone ages and have the scars to prove it! :eek:

 

Not bringing/using a car seat is prioritizing convenience over common sense! DON'T DO IT.

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Don't have young kids but if you check Amazon, there are some options to BubbleBum. There's a backpack seat that gets high marks for around $35. And others. This may be a way to go.
could you please provide a link? I can't think of anything that is a "backpack seat for $35".

 

BubbleBum is an inflatable booster for older kids. "Options" include different colors.

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