Kids and cabs

[mom2kazkids]

My husband and I are cruising in April 2005 with our kids who will both be 4. We are thinking of flying into FLL, while our cruise goes out of Miami. I am not sure if we should rent a car to get us from the airport to the hotel we will stay at pre cruise, or take a cab. Is it allowable to have kids in cabs without car seats? Also, what are the booster seats like that car rental agencies have, are they five point harnesses? Our daughter is a petite little girl and will not be 40 lbs when we travel, so she cannot use a low/no back booster with just a normal car seat belt. Please let me know your thoughts in this matter. On the way home, if possible, I really would like to take a cab/car service from the port back to FLL airport, as I think that we could make a 12:50pm flight, vs waiting for a 7:10pm flight.

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

[CabinForFour]

According to the Florida child restraint laws, "Children infant through 3 years of age must be properly secured using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. Such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used."

 

Therefore, if both children are four at the time, they would be find using just the seat belts. If you think they still need the five-point harness, you might consider the Tote N Go (children 25-40 lb, less than 40 inches). Basically, it's a padded backboard the converts a standard seat belt to a five-point harness. It meets federal auto safety guidelines but is very compact. We take it on cruises, and it fits in the front diaper supplies pocket of our large diaper bag for shore excursions. Just be sure to practice installing it before you leave home, as first-time installation can take a while. Here's a link to the product at OneStepAhead.com (http://www.onestepahead.com/product/27179/1363/117.html). I bought ours at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago for $19.95, but I'm not sure if Wal-Mart still stocks them or what the price may be if they do. Hope you have a great cruise!

[savdoc2]

I found a tote n'go at Walmart last week. They were selling them on clearance for $10.

[Tammyg]

Hey - On our last cruise we went out of Miami on the Navigator and went in the day before and took the shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then a cab from the hotel to the pier and both times just put our 2 year old in a seat belt between me and my husband. The cab driver said it was okay legally because we were in the back seat. We've also rented a car and used a car seat provided by the car rental company. It was terrible - it looked 10 years old and you had to use the seatbelt to secure it. It had no harness at all.

 

Hope that helps!!

 

Cruising the Splendour of the Seas - April 2005

[MrsPete]

I think you're taking a big chance with an under-40-pounder in a seatbelt. A cab is just like any other car; as long as you're on public roads, the same laws apply.

 

Here's a solution: If you call ahead to a limo or van service, you can have a car waiting just for you -- and you can tell them ahead of time that you need a car seat. They work in the family vacation capital of the world, so they are certainly accustomed to this request.

[pringle]

Thanks OP for the question coz I've been wondering about my son who will be 4 by cruising time.

 

According to the Florida child restraint laws, "Children infant through 3 years of age must be properly secured using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. Such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used."

 

Therefore, if both children are four at the time, they would be find using just the seat belts. If you think they still need the five-point harness, you might consider the Tote N Go (children 25-40 lb, less than 40 inches). Basically, it's a padded backboard the converts a standard seat belt to a five-point harness. It meets federal auto safety guidelines but is very compact. We take it on cruises, and it fits in the front diaper supplies pocket of our large diaper bag for shore excursions. Just be sure to practice installing it before you leave home, as first-time installation can take a while. Here's a link to the product at OneStepAhead.com (http://www.onestepahead.com/product/27179/1363/117.html). I bought ours at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago for $19.95, but I'm not sure if Wal-Mart still stocks them or what the price may be if they do. Hope you have a great cruise!

Thanks for this helpful info. I'm surprised though coz California law is 60 lbs or 6 years! Plus there's talk of increasing to 80 lbs.

 

 

I found a tote n'go at Walmart last week. They were selling them on clearance for $10.

Savoc2, can you tell me where in Walmart you found the clearance item?

[TheRoses]

NC just passed a new law effective 1/1/05 8 years or 80lbs.

[bmgaritty]

Illinois just did the same....

[savdoc2]

Sorry, I missed this post the last few days. I found the tote n'go in the baby section on an endcap with clearance tags on them. They had only been put out a few weeks earlier at full price. I haven't seen any lately though.