Question about Taxi/Shuttle in Miami

[Kekepania]

We are travelling on Liberty of the Seas with our 16 month old daughter in December. We are doing a back to back and was wondering the following;

 

if we wanted to get off the ship and go to the market do taxis/shuttled have car seat for children or will I have to bring mine with me. (we will have it on board because she has her own seat on the plane.)

 

Also if we stay aboard can we still have access to our rooms or must we stay in a lounge? (I've never stayed on while doing back to backs)

 

Thanks

[victoriasmommy]

Both times we wanted to use a taxi in miami I specifically requested a car seat and the driver showed up and said "you don't need one this is a public transport unit"

A really big type shuttle might not even have the proper seatbelts to secure your car seat but a reg bus type usually does.

[Marie51]

Are you talking about using a taxi/shuttle in Miami or in the ports of call?

[Kekepania]

I was wondering about Miami, between both weeks. We might need to go buy diapers or anything else we run out of. Plus staying on the ship with a 16 month old and not being able to do much might be a little much for her. Thx

[Marie51]

I was wondering about Miami, between both weeks. We might need to go buy diapers or anything else we run out of. Plus staying on the ship with a 16 month old and not being able to do much might be a little much for her. Thx

 

I may be wrong but I thought a carseat was required in Miami even in cabs. Someone correct me if this is not the case.

[cb at sea]

If you have the same room for both legs of the trip, you'll have access to your cabin the entire time. You do have to get off, reboard, but you'll do that before everyone else. If you have to change cabins, you may have to wait a bit for the new cabin to be cleaned.

[crusinmama06]

"you don't need one this is a public transport unit"

 

Do the cabs hover about the ground now? ;)

 

If they drive on the road with 10,000 other crazy Miami drivers, then bring a car seat. Your child's life depends on it.

 

In Miami we were always asked "Where is your car seat?" and we always had one for the taxis. I wouldn't expect a taxi to show up with one.

[victoriasmommy]

I had read online that some taxi companies do have booster seats upon request. I called ahead of time and they assured me it was so... I called to request the taxi day off... and I specifically asked twice could one be sent, and they so "no problem" but the actual cabbie talked to me as if they had never heard of such a thing & I was loopy.

Went in a shuttle to the Port.. and although there were not seatbelts. felt a bit safer as it was so much bigger/higher off the ground.

[crusinmama06]

but the actual cabbie talked to me as if they had never heard of such a thing & I was loopy.

 

Yeah not a surprise...those Miami taxi drivers are always a little loopy. ;) Which is why we always preach to bring you own seat. No need to rely on them because they aren't reliable.

[Mom2B&Z]

is that if you use one from the cab/car rental company, you do not know the history. I hate to say it but in reality, they cannot assure you 100% that the seat has not been in a collision, and I have heard horror stories from other travellers about receiving seats that were on recall (i.e. the Eddie Bauer/Alpha Omega/Safety First harness slippage issue from a few years ago). People still find these seats being offered by rental co's without the recall being completed. Scary.

We travel with our own car seats that I know can be installed in most vehicle. Not all car seats fit every vehicle, there are some that are easier than others. That being said, I'm a Canadian trained car seat tech, so I'm rather obsessive about this issue ;). I do not know the US laws, but in Canada there is an exception to the car seat law for people in exceptional circumstances; going for groceries off a cruise ship would qualify for these circumstances. I did a quick google search of Florida car seat regulations and they are fairly vague... here are a few sites:

http://www.iihs.org/laws/childrestraint.aspx#FL

http://www.dmvflorida.org/seat-belt-laws.shtml