Car Seats for beach excursions?

[Sunshine101]

Hi again!

 

I know I saw some car seat posts on here before, just cant find them (sorry!). We're thinking of doing a beach excursion in St Thomas (still debating since there are 12000 in port that day, eek!). My girls are 4 and 7.....if we're taking a cab to the beach, would I just bring their booster car seats, or what would I do?

 

Thanks!

[Marie51]

Hi again!

 

I know I saw some car seat posts on here before, just cant find them (sorry!). We're thinking of doing a beach excursion in St Thomas (still debating since there are 12000 in port that day, eek!). My girls are 4 and 7.....if we're taking a cab to the beach, would I just bring their booster car seats, or what would I do?

 

Thanks!

 

Sometimes vehicles have seat belts and sometimes they don't and some of the transportation in St Thomas are those open safari buses. No seat belts in those but you could tell the dispatcher that you need a vehicle with seat belts and he will find you one.

With that many people in port just go early and go to one of the less crowded places....Sapphire is my favorite beach.

[Camlott]

Car seat threads around here tend to turn into 10 page discussions on parenting. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not sure if you are asking for opinions on whether you should take them or not... or if you are simply asking if you will be able to use them.

 

It is up to you to decide to take your booster seats and not for those who post on this board to decide what kind of parent you are no matter what you may choose.

 

If you do decide to take them, then yes you will find seat belts in all the cabs in St. Thomas, if not just waive the cab on and catch the next one. Buses and some vans may be iffy on seatbelts.

[Mom2B&Z]

Hi again!

 

I know I saw some car seat posts on here before, just cant find them (sorry!). We're thinking of doing a beach excursion in St Thomas (still debating since there are 12000 in port that day, eek!). My girls are 4 and 7.....if we're taking a cab to the beach, would I just bring their booster car seats, or what would I do?

 

Thanks!

We were in St Thomas in January, 2011. As others have said, the standard tourist transportation is in 25 seat "buses", which are converted Ford trucks with 5 rows of benches in the back. No doors, no seatbelts. I was terrified just looking at people in these things!

We used a booster and car seat for our two boys. It was not a problem finding a taxi with seatbelts, contrary to what others have posted. I even had a top tether for DS2's car seat. Just remember you need 3 point shoulder belts to use boosters, but I had no problem finding this.

I volunteer as a car seat tech. I would NEVER travel without car and booster seats. That's just the decision we've made. So yes, to take a cab to the beach, for us it would involve finding transportation with 3 point seat belts, installing booster/car seats and uninstalling at the beach. Then the other issue is keeping the sand and sun off the seat until you return home. There are lots of car seat specific bags, personally we use a large duffel bag. Whatever works best for you.

[Sunshine101]

Thanks for the responses folks, much appreciated! I have to laugh at myself since DH and I have cruised so many times before and gone to several islands on buses, cabs, ect, but do you think I paid any attention to what would be best for kids? Nooo! Haha!

 

Anyways, B&Z....I see you're from Ontario too, nice! Whereabouts? With our Canadian booster seat laws, both my girls weigh enough to be out of the 3 point harness belts, and they just use the high back booster seats now that you use with a regular seatbelt. I assume those would work just fine in the cabs?

 

Thanks for your help! :D

[jlrn366419]

We were in St Thomas in January' date=' 2011. As others have said, the standard tourist transportation is in 25 seat "buses", which are converted Ford trucks with 5 rows of benches in the back. No doors, no seatbelts. I was terrified just looking at people in these things!

We used a booster and car seat for our two boys. It was not a problem finding a taxi with seatbelts, contrary to what others have posted. I even had a top tether for DS2's car seat. Just remember you need 3 point shoulder belts to use boosters, but I had no problem finding this.

I volunteer as a car seat tech. I would NEVER travel without car and booster seats. That's just the decision we've made. So yes, to take a cab to the beach, for us it would involve finding transportation with 3 point seat belts, installing booster/car seats and uninstalling at the beach. Then the other issue is keeping the sand and sun off the seat until you return home. There are lots of car seat specific bags, personally we use a large duffel bag. Whatever works best for you.[/quote']

 

Oh wow, I hadn't thought of taking something to put the carseat in for beach days. Thanks for that little gem, lol. Wouldn't have crossed my mind.

[crusinmama06]

Don't forget BABY POWDER for the beach! :D

 

I swear I always forget that one on every other trip. And I am always mad at myself. ;)

 

When you squirt baby powder on their hands, the sand falls right off like magic and the kids can have a snack that's not sandy lol. (Just make sure they don't breath it in when you are squirting it, powder in the lungs is not good :p)

[Camlott]

Don't forget BABY POWDER for the beach! :D

 

I swear I always forget that one on every other trip. And I am always mad at myself. ;)

 

When you squirt baby powder on their hands, the sand falls right off like magic and the kids can have a snack that's not sandy lol. (Just make sure they don't breath it in when you are squirting it, powder in the lungs is not good :p)

 

 

Nice tip! I'll have to try that next time.

[Mom2B&Z]

Thanks for the responses folks, much appreciated! I have to laugh at myself since DH and I have cruised so many times before and gone to several islands on buses, cabs, ect, but do you think I paid any attention to what would be best for kids? Nooo! Haha!

 

Anyways, B&Z....I see you're from Ontario too, nice! Whereabouts? With our Canadian booster seat laws, both my girls weigh enough to be out of the 3 point harness belts, and they just use the high back booster seats now that you use with a regular seatbelt. I assume those would work just fine in the cabs?

 

Thanks for your help! :D

Hi fellow Ontarian :) We live south west of Ottawa out in the country. Some cruise ships are now approaching the size of the nearest town, so it's ironic we choose to cruise for our vacations lol!

Your boosters will work fine with the 3 point seat belts, just remember they CANNOT be used with a lap belt. (As a side note, there are no more 3 point harnessed car seats in Canada, only 5 points, but I digress...) The shoulder portion of the belt needs to fall over the child's shoulder, not across their neck. For this reason I like to travel with low back boosters that have a little attachment to adjust the shoulder belt position but without dragging around the high back. The bottom part of the Graco TurboBooster has this, so does one of the Evenflo low back boosters. You may already have it and not know it. (Edited to add: I just saw you're from Ottawa...if you've heard of SEATS for Kids, that's the car seat group I volunteer with as a car seat tech. You can usually find me one Saturday morning a month at the west end clinics, Jack May outside Manotick, or in the Kanata autopark across from Scotiabank place. SEATS has a great website and is on Facebook, with a fairly quick response time on the Facebook site if you have any other questions.)

Enjoy the trip, I'm still looking forward to the day I can travel with two boosters:)

[Sunshine101]

Don't forget BABY POWDER for the beach! :D

 

I swear I always forget that one on every other trip. And I am always mad at myself. ;)

 

When you squirt baby powder on their hands, the sand falls right off like magic and the kids can have a snack that's not sandy lol. (Just make sure they don't breath it in when you are squirting it, powder in the lungs is not good :p)

 

 

Whaaaaat? Oh my, I love this! Feet too I'm assuming? I always love the "washing of the feet before heading back that never stay washed". LOL!

[Sunshine101]

Hi fellow Ontarian :) We live south west of Ottawa out in the country. Some cruise ships are now approaching the size of the nearest town' date=' so it's ironic we choose to cruise for our vacations lol!

Your boosters will work fine with the 3 point seat belts, just remember they CANNOT be used with a lap belt. (As a side note, there are no more 3 point harnessed car seats in Canada, only 5 points, but I digress...) The shoulder portion of the belt needs to fall over the child's shoulder, not across their neck. For this reason I like to travel with low back boosters that have a little attachment to adjust the shoulder belt position but without dragging around the high back. The bottom part of the Graco TurboBooster has this, so does one of the Evenflo low back boosters. You may already have it and not know it. (Edited to add: I just saw you're from Ottawa...if you've heard of SEATS for Kids, that's the car seat group I volunteer with as a car seat tech. You can usually find me one Saturday morning a month at the west end clinics, Jack May outside Manotick, or in the Kanata autopark across from Scotiabank place. SEATS has a great website and is on Facebook, with a fairly quick response time on the Facebook site if you have any other questions.)

Enjoy the trip, I'm still looking forward to the day I can travel with two boosters:)[/quote']

 

Yes, sorry, I meant 5 point harness seats.

Too funny we live in the same city....I grew up in Kanata but DH and I live out in Orleans now and have for about 13 years. :D

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely check that out!

[Mom2B&Z]

Ooh, Orleans, now that's far :D We usually don't make it much past St. Laurent, mainly because the boys love the Science and Technology Museum.

Happy cruising, nice to meet someone else from the capital!

[crusinmama06]

Whaaaaat? Oh my, I love this! Feet too I'm assuming? I always love the "washing of the feet before heading back that never stay washed". LOL!

 

Ya know, I never thought about feet but I guess it would work the same. I had read the tip here at the family board years ago (thanks to whoever first gave it to me). And I started using it for hands. It's really works like magic. The powder sucks up the water and the sand just drops right off.

 

My kids would always complain about sand on their hands when eating so when I remember to bring it - they are sooo happy. :D

[mitsugirly]

Don't forget BABY POWDER for the beach! :D

 

I swear I always forget that one on every other trip. And I am always mad at myself. ;)

 

When you squirt baby powder on their hands, the sand falls right off like magic and the kids can have a snack that's not sandy lol. (Just make sure they don't breath it in when you are squirting it, powder in the lungs is not good :p)

 

Wow, I've never heard of this. Great tip. I'll be getting some baby powder to bring along. :D