Carseat Help

[Tiare27]

I'm debating bringing our carseat for our upcoming cruise. Carnival's luggage restrictions say 16"x24" (Width & Height) and any length. The carseat is 19"x18"x34" so I'm thinking it won't fit on the scanner? It's not a large carseat, it's the Evenflo Tribute - pretty standard really.

 

But I figured lots of folks brought their carseats and stored in shower, etc.

 

Hoping to avoid having to actually call someone at the cruise line. Does anyone have experience lugging a carseat and did you run into size problems with it? TIA!

[joepeka]

Our DD and SIL brought two car seats this past Spring on Conquest (Port Everglades) and had no issues with them and the security scanner. The only problem they had was the airline "misplaced" them on the flights to FLL and they didn't arrive until the middle of the night prior to sailing. :mad:

[Tiare27]

Thanks, Joe. We'll just bring it and hopefully it makes it to our room :p

[Hoosierpop]

I’d guess that if the seat won’t go through the scanner, they can manually check it. I have a hard time believing that they wouldn’t let you take a car seat on. But I could be wrong.

 

 

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[Tiare27]

Thanks, Hoosier. I think so too. Their luggage (checked and carry-on) restrictions say 16x24, any length. I have a bag for it, to protect it. But I'm hoping they can open it an inspect it.

[maryred]

Thanks, Hoosier. I think so too. Their luggage (checked and carry-on) restrictions say 16x24, any length. I have a bag for it, to protect it. But I'm hoping they can open it an inspect it.

 

The restriction is only for carry-on bags, open baby equipment is not subject to this if carried on. A carseat will be hand inspected just like a stroller would be. I would not send it to checked luggage without a hard case around it as several hundred pounds of luggage can be piled on top of it.

Just so you know most islands do not have the correct latch attachments nor suitable seat belts to correctly attach a carseat made to USA or Canadian safety standards. (If the carseat is to an European or British standards it might fit in taxis and hired cars, on island with associations to those nations. And that's if the driver allows you to install it.) The only reason to bring one on board is if your airline requires it for an infant/toddler to be in their own seat.

[Tiare27]

Thanks, Mary. We were planning on using it in Cozumel. We have a 9 month old and putting her on my lap in a taxi seems irresponsible.

 

ETA: I wish there were nice beaches near the port terminal, so we wouldn't have to take a taxi.

[JaxsMama]

We have car seat bags that southwest airline sales to check your carseat. I throw it back in the bag with a carnival tag and just leave it with the porters and rest of our luggage.

 

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[Tiare27]

We have car seat bags that southwest airline sales to check your carseat. I throw it back in the bag with a carnival tag and just leave it with the porters and rest of our luggage.

 

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Thank you, JaxsMama! I was hoping to do this. Just didn't know if there would be an issue. I'll tag it and leave it with the porters since this has worked for you.

[SadieN]

Thank you, JaxsMama! I was hoping to do this. Just didn't know if there would be an issue. I'll tag it and leave it with the porters since this has worked for you.

 

 

 

If they fall hard to the ground that could render them unsafe.

[sassyredhat]

Taking booster seat with harness to Hawaii. They have the same requirements as here.

I had just planned to bring it with my walker and not check it.

 

Patti

[maryred]

Thank you, JaxsMama! I was hoping to do this. Just didn't know if there would be an issue. I'll tag it and leave it with the porters since this has worked for you.

Like I said this might not be a good idea. DO search for videos and blog reviews concerning cruise port/terminal baggage handling (it's not like how an airport handles luggage). The carts used and how the porters hand off to the stevedores the baggage once out of your sight is a bit rough. Hidden damage to your car seat might be more dangerous for your child than not using one at all.

If worried about a child's safety in a foreign country's vehicle it is always better to advance reserve a transport that will have a correctly install a car seat that does match the tie downs present in the vehicle.

[Elaine5715]

Thanks, Mary. We were planning on using it in Cozumel. We have a 9 month old and putting her on my lap in a taxi seems irresponsible.

 

ETA: I wish there were nice beaches near the port terminal, so we wouldn't have to take a taxi.

Taxis in Cozumel are not going to let you hook up a car seat.

[MistyRo76]

We took our daughter cruising when she was 14 months old and 3 years old and neither time did we bring a car seat. For transportation in our home port city (Miami), we booked pre-arranged ground transportation that could provide a car seat for us. Worked perfectly! For our port stops during the cruise, we just held her on our laps. We did minimal driving when we could - but one stop in Curacao was a shuttle van tour around the island. She was fine sitting on my lap. In Grand Turk, we walked to Jack's Shack. But I didn't really have any concern with holding her for the short times we needed to be in a vehicle. And it was great to not have to mess with lugging a carseat around and storing it in our cabin.

[Tiare27]

We took our daughter cruising when she was 14 months old and 3 years old and neither time did we bring a car seat. For transportation in our home port city (Miami), we booked pre-arranged ground transportation that could provide a car seat for us. Worked perfectly! For our port stops during the cruise, we just held her on our laps. We did minimal driving when we could - but one stop in Curacao was a shuttle van tour around the island. She was fine sitting on my lap. In Grand Turk, we walked to Jack's Shack. But I didn't really have any concern with holding her for the short times we needed to be in a vehicle. And it was great to not have to mess with lugging a carseat around and storing it in our cabin.

 

Yes, we will only be taking a taxi twice - to the beach and back to the port. It is 9 mi each way.

 

Others have recommended hiring transportation with a carseat - but again this is only for 9 mi each way. We are not doing an all day tour anything like that. So it seems like a lot to hire a private car for literally 15 min each way.

[Tiare27]

Taxis in Cozumel are not going to let you hook up a car seat.

 

I don't think that is necessarily true. At least according to this thread, where it was easy to hook up the carseat on the first taxi but not on the way back:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?p=56693446#post56693446

 

Seems like it could go either way.

[MistyRo76]

Yes, we will only be taking a taxi twice - to the beach and back to the port. It is 9 mi each way.

 

Others have recommended hiring transportation with a carseat - but again this is only for 9 mi each way. We are not doing an all day tour anything like that. So it seems like a lot to hire a private car for literally 15 min each way.

 

I wouldn't hire a private car for that short of a drive. When we did the taxi in Cozumel, I just held our daughter on my lap. We only booked a private car for transfer from the airport to our hotel in Miami, our hotel to the Port of Miami and the Port back to the airport. We used the same company/driver for each of those transfers. It was perfect!

[maryred]

...

ETA: I wish there were nice beaches near the port terminal, so we wouldn't have to take a taxi.

And what are your plans to store the car seat while on the beach between taxi rides?

It's not like the lockers that are sometimes available to store beach bags would be big enough for a car seat.

You can also check-out FAA approved infant harnesses. You should be able to attach them if your taxi has seat belts.

[Elaine5715]

I don't think that is necessarily true. At least according to this thread, where it was easy to hook up the carseat on the first taxi but not on the way back:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?p=56693446#post56693446

 

Seems like it could go either way.

One chance out of 100.

Most likely the taxi expeditor will tell you to return it to the ship or carry it on your lap. Next you would need to watch it close at the beach.

[grandmarnnurse]

When we traveled with our 10 month old granddaughter, we never brought a car seat. We just held her on our laps. We flew there, took a shuttle to hotel and cruise, then back to airport. Never took her on excursions on islands. We left her with babysitting service on Carnival ship.

 

 

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[DebJ14]

Taxis in Cozumel are not going to let you hook up a car seat.

 

When we flew into Cozumel in January and got in the shuttle a young couple tried to use their car seat. The driver said he did not have time to fool around while they tried to install it. It ended up in the back with everyone's luggage and they held the kid for the 10 minute ride to the hotel.

 

I know of 3 generations of people who survived without using a car seat - my parents, my husband and I and our children. They will be OK.