Infant in lap in taxis/jitneys/buses?? Safe??

[SusieV]

We are not bringing my son's carseat on our December Caribbean cruise. It's a Britax Boulevard and it is a BEAST.

 

We've arranged for a carseat to be in our rental car from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the pier (and back home of course). In ports, we'll take excursions through the ship involving buses, or we'll walk. But there is no way I'm taking a carseat along! I'm flying to Florida alone to meet my husband there and I can't manage luggage for both of us plus the baby's stuff plus the actual baby plus the carseat, that's for sure. I don't like the idea of using it as a stroller, frankly. They aren't designed for that and it doesn't have a canopy or storage bin- both things we will need for the islands. Plus it would take up a ton of room in the cabin.

 

*shrugs* I think it can be managed without bringing your own without jeopardizing safety. My son takes the bus here nearly every day with me and he either rides in a stroller or I wear him. I'd have no problem taking him on a bus in a foreign country, either.

[khm1]

I have twins that will be 2 years 8 months old when we cruise next. These are the ports we are going to and I'm not sure what to do about car seats.

 

San Juan- walk around port

St. Thomas

Antigua

St. Maarten- rent a car

Tortola

 

Has anyone been to St. Thomas, Antigua or Tortola with toddlers? What do you suggest? I plan on going to the beach at all the ports. I'd rather not lug 2 car seats to the beach. Do you know of any taxis that provide them or that would let us keep our seats in the taxi? How about taking a bus instead? I know it's not as safe as a car seat, but I'd feel safer than not using a car seat in a taxi. I'm just trying to plan this out ahead of time.

 

Thanks,

Christie

We brought our car seat for our DD who was 1 at the time on our last cruise. We rented a car in St. Thomas. We have driven there before and were pretty comfortable with it. We had a great day. If you venture outside of the pier area, you will need to find a taxi that is not open-air. They do exist, you just need to be firm about what you need.

 

In one port(I don't remember which one), there were only the bench seating type taxis. I rode up front with DD in her carseat and the driver. He was pretty nice about it.

 

I would NOT try to drive in Antigua. WAY too scary for me.

 

San Juan- How will you get to the ship? Is this your ship's "home" port? I would definately take your car seat if this is the case. It is pretty easy to walk around Old San Juan, but those cobblestones are killer on your stroller's wheels!

 

St. Maarten has a water taxi to the main shopping area. There is also a beach there. You don't have to rent a car, but we always do when we go to St. Martin. It is very easy to get around. I always bring my own car seat, but you can reserve one through the car rental agency.

 

My family and I will be going to Tortola for the first time in January. After researching the Tortola baords, I was very nervous about the roads being bad and very hilly. We booked an excursion with Tortola Charters to Jost Van Dyke. We can walk from the ship to the catamaran that will take us there. Here is their website: http://tortolacharters.com/about/bvi-cruise-ship-visitors/

 

Good Luck!

[imsulin]

I would NEVER consider putting my children in a vehicle without a car seat. I have lugged our car seats everywhere with us. In St. Thomas, we walked around the port and then enjoyed a nearly empty ship.

 

Would this include buses that are frequently used for excursions? You know, of course, that car seats cannot be buckled in on them. It's sad that your children missed out on some great beaches in St. Thomas! What do you do in other ports?

[kfinfam]

The more I think about the bus situation the more I realize how few buses in the US have seatbelts at all. We let our kids ride to school in buses every day that have no seatbelts. Public transportation buses dont have them either to my knowledge. I've never been on a cruise line excursion but read here that they dont have them, and they well KNOW how many kids go on excursions. So I would assume that these buses are seatbelt-less because they are built to be safer than the average automobile.....and for that reason I feel like if I had to pick ANY situation to not put my little one in a carseat, it would be only in a BUS. But only, of course, if there werent any other reasonable options.

[MNmomof4]

Would this include buses that are frequently used for excursions? You know, of course, that car seats cannot be buckled in on them. It's sad that your children missed out on some great beaches in St. Thomas! What do you do in other ports?

 

St Thomas used Jitneys for cruise excursions and not buses and I chose not to put my children in that situation. My kids didn't miss out on great beaches (they were 2 and 4 at the time) and they were fortunate enough to be able to go back to the ship and enjoy waterworks all to themselves. They will be going there again since we cruise twice a year. You have to be careful with ship excursions. They can't guarantee you that you will be transported in a bus. I have called the cruise lines excursion desk and they couldn't tell me what type of vehicle the transportation would be.

[5waldos]

I would NEVER consider putting my children in a vehicle without a car seat. I have lugged our car seats everywhere with us. In St. Thomas, we walked around the port and then enjoyed a nearly empty ship.

 

Don't know how old they are but as noted above- if they take a bus anyplace, including in the US, they will not have seatbelts available. I am not against seatbelts in any way- my kids are grown and won't even remove them long enough to take off a jacket. But just saying.

[babyblue78]

In most buses the passengers sit up higher than other vehicles, making them a little safer. But taxis, cars, shuttles, etc are not safe for children unrestrained.

[imsulin]

St Thomas used Jitneys for cruise excursions and not buses and I chose not to put my children in that situation. My kids didn't miss out on great beaches (they were 2 and 4 at the time) and they were fortunate enough to be able to go back to the ship and enjoy waterworks all to themselves. They will be going there again since we cruise twice a year. You have to be careful with ship excursions. They can't guarantee you that you will be transported in a bus. I have called the cruise lines excursion desk and they couldn't tell me what type of vehicle the transportation would be.

 

Not understanding your post. WHO on St. Thomas used jitneys? Did you book a private excursion? What, exactly. is a "jitney"? You mentioned that "St. Thomas used jitneys for cruise excursions..." and then tell us to beware of using "cruise excursions".

???????????????????

[YOWmom]

YES! We had to do this once in St.Thomas when our oldest was a baby. Those taxis in St. Thomas were crazy and the open air Safari buses were even worse. :eek: So we opted to just walk around the port area. Yes, we missed out on going to Megan's Bay on that cruise but we felt it was best for us at the time and we knew Megan's Bay would always be there. :D

 

We actually managed to get to Magen's Bay in January, in a taxi (van), with our then 11 month old, in a carseat!! When we got off the ship, we just asked the taxi dispatcher (who was loading people into the safari buses) for a car or van that could accomodate the carseat. We waited a few minutes til a van came along, and there was exactly one seatbelt in the back that we used to install the carseat. The driver was great and arranged to come back and pick us up at a set time (though we lugged the carseat to the beach with us just in case... in hindsight we probably could have left it in the van). There were 6 of us in our party (my parents, DH, me and our two girls) and they charged us the same per person rate as if we had used the safari bus. And so despite all of the negative comments I've read on this board about how impossible it is to use carseats in port, it can be done!! (And I wouldn't have it any other way...)

[imsulin]

We actually managed to get to Magen's Bay in January, in a taxi (van), with our then 11 month old, in a carseat!! When we got off the ship, we just asked the taxi dispatcher (who was loading people into the safari buses) for a car or van that could accomodate the carseat. We waited a few minutes til a van came along, and there was exactly one seatbelt in the back that we used to install the carseat. The driver was great and arranged to come back and pick us up at a set time (though we lugged the carseat to the beach with us just in case... in hindsight we probably could have left it in the van). There were 6 of us in our party (my parents, DH, me and our two girls) and they charged us the same per person rate as if we had used the safari bus. And so despite all of the negative comments I've read on this board about how impossible it is to use carseats in port, it can be done!! (And I wouldn't have it any other way...)

 

Glad you were able to use your carseat in St. Thomas! However, I think the important part of your post was, "We waited a few minutes until a VAN came along, AND THERE WAS EXACTLY ONE SEAT BELT in the back that we used to install the carseat." That's exactly the point I've been trying to make! A VAN has ONE seat belt in the BACK. ???? That's what you'll find, especially in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Why would St. Thomas van drivers remove seat belts? So that they can cram more people into their vehicles, and charge per person, thus making more money. My 1996 Dodge Caravan had seat belts for SEVEN people, and we used them! I'm all for using car seats! It's just like you said, though....you have to WAIT until you can find a vehicle with at least ONE seat belt!

[YOWmom]

Glad you were able to use your carseat in St. Thomas! However, I think the important part of your post was, "We waited a few minutes until a VAN came along, AND THERE WAS EXACTLY ONE SEAT BELT in the back that we used to install the carseat." That's exactly the point I've been trying to make! A VAN has ONE seat belt in the BACK. ???? That's what you'll find, especially in St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Why would St. Thomas van drivers remove seat belts? So that they can cram more people into their vehicles, and charge per person, thus making more money. My 1996 Dodge Caravan had seat belts for SEVEN people, and we used them! I'm all for using car seats! It's just like you said, though....you have to WAIT until you can find a vehicle with at least ONE seat belt!

 

True - though in reality, we waited less than 3 minutes - well worth it IMHO... It took DH longer to install the carseat - ;). And in this case the driver was totally find with not cramming people in... We had the whole van just for the 6 of us, and he didn't charge us any more than the per person rate if the van had been full. Maybe we just got lucky, but all in all it was a relatively quick and painless experience...

[beachchick]

No, I do not think it is safe for a baby to be on a lap in a taxi/bus/shuttle/jitney.

 

Regarding St. Martin and St. Thomas specifically: We don't like the big shuttle/van/jitney taxis and always wait for a regular car taxi. All of those that we've taken did have seatbelts for everyone. I don't know if that's the norm, but it was in our limited experience.

 

beachchick

[klauer]

To answer the question a few posts above, a jitney is an open-air minibus where you sit on benches. The driver wants to fill each seat before leaving, since it is more profitable for him/her. It is not like a tour bus or school bus, which is built with certain safety features.

[onesphinx2004]

I feel like a bad mom already for even entertaining the idea of getting in any kind of motorized vehicle without a carseat for my 11 month old, but I am wondering if anyone else has had experiences putting their young ones in their lap as they travel around in port??

 

I'm not even sure which means of transportation even have seatbelts in them, but I considered using a Baby B'Air type harness that you would use on a plane and buckling my son into my seatbelt with me to make me feel a little better about this idea. I realize that this is not the intention of those vests/harnesses but I figure it couldnt hurt right? Any thoughts on that?

 

I have heard there is a taxi service in Nassau that provides carseats if you call ahead with your request, does anyone know of that kind of service in Freeport?

 

Just trying to make things as safe and easy as possible without feeling like we're limited on our activities just because of this carseat issue.

 

 

We are taking a car seat and an umbrella stroller for our 11 month old. Hate to lug that car seat around but "would rather be safe than sorry". Will check at airport gate.

[imsulin]

To answer the question a few posts above, a jitney is an open-air minibus where you sit on benches. The driver wants to fill each seat before leaving, since it is more profitable for him/her. It is not like a tour bus or school bus, which is built with certain safety features.

 

Thanks! It's always what I've called an "open-air van", so guess it's the same thing. I've been on them many times....and I really hate them! I once got off of one at Magen's Bay because it was scorching hot, the driver insisted on cramming people in (and charged for babies in laps), and was a real jerk. I paid a negotiated fare for a taxi back to port (I was the only passenger), but it was worth the $20, and the taxi driver had time to go back to MB and pick up other fares. I was on the ship 30 minutes before the rest of my party even got to the dock. I really hate those things! I've been on them many times, but never again. The common answer to "When are we leaving?" is...."Two more minutes, Miss!" Baloney.

[imsulin]

We are taking a car seat and an umbrella stroller for our 11 month old. Hate to lug that car seat around but "would rather be safe than sorry". Will check at airport gate.

 

Checking a car seat and stroller at the airport gate shouldn't be a problem. I think they're pretty used to it. Finding a vehicle in each port with seat belts might be, though. You might have to wait awhile, or arrange for transportation ahead of time. On a ship as big as the Oasis, it will be pretty crowded in port for those seeking public transportation. Good luck, and enjoy your cruise!

[LynneL]

As a first time grandma (my little granddaughter is 6 months old), there are so many things I've learned from this Family Cruising board. My son was talking about bringing my GD on a cruise and the thing I was thinking of was will she be cranky at dinner & they'll have to leave, not being able to go to shows, keeping her out of the sun, etc. Must say I never thought about the whole car seat issue when taking taxis or doing tours. I don't think they thought about that either since they only took road trips with her. I've been googling away as each person mentions some lightweight stroller I never heard of, car seat carrier, etc.

 

These boards are really wonderful. For my son...I think their best option is what we recently did. I took a week's vacation and enjoyed staying at their home with my GD and told them to go off on their cruise as a couple because certainly traveling with a baby is not easy!!!!

[JenAndDan]

We just returned from the Serenade with our 18 month old son. My cousin went on the LOS last year and said not to bring our car seat because 1. almost ALL the taxis they used did not have seat belts and 2. there was no where in their cabin to store the car seat. I was glad I listened to his advice because with the pack and play up (in a balcony stateroom) we were VERY tight on space. I could not imagine where I put the car seat (as it was, our stroller - which was hardly used but definitely glad we brought it for the airport and SJ) was closed and on the couch wiht some bags we couldn't fit under the bed. Plus, with our luggage and the stroller, I don't know how we would have carried it.

 

What we did was try our best to find things that we would enjoy with our DS as well as limiting the amount he was in a vehicle without a car seat. For the airport, it was unavoidable to be in a van without a car seat. DS rode on the lap of an adult in the middle row. For excursions, we booked two private island tours so we had a minivan for both and we made sure they supplied car seats. We used Serenity in St Lucia and Joyce Prince in St Martin. For the person who asked what to do in St Martin, I would recommend Joyce because you get an air conditioned vehicle with car seat, an amazing tour guide and if you do the private option, you can customize it to suit your needs. We did a few scenic spots (mostly drive throughs), Maho Beach, Marigot and Orient Beach (where we spent a few hours). In Barbados we booked Shasa catamaran tour and we did not realize there would be a taxi ride. Again, DS sat on someone's lap who sat in the middle of the van. The van was taking our tour and another tour and there would have been no room for DS's car seat (Britax - HUGE). There was just enough seats for everyone. In Antigua, we did Eli's Eco tour and the boat leaves in walking distance from the dock. My DS loved this tour - he really liked Bird Island and playing in the sand and the water and he stayed on the boat for the rest of the tour and enjoyed it but there isn't much shade on the boat and if your child doesn't like beingo n boats, I wouldn't recommend it for a young child. In St Croix, my parents took him on a bus tour through the cruiseline and they said there were no seat belts. This was boring for him though. They then took him to the beach that is in walking distance to where the ship docks. Not a great beach, but it's in walking distance.

 

Obviously, you need to do what makes you feel safest. It's just hard to predict where you'll find seat belts. I would definitely plan out your excursions before hand to make sure you find what you need to make your trip happy and safe for your family!