Transfer with carseat?

[ToddlerMom]

DD will be 2 when we cruise. According to the TA, the cruise shuttle doesn't have seatbelts so we couldn't use DD's carseat on it. I'm not comfortable with DD not being in a carseat. Especially given that we'll be going through Houston and driving on freeways.

 

But am I being too paranoid? The law exempts buses from the carseat regulations.

 

For those of you with children young enough to still need carseats how did you get from the airport to the port?

[cb at sea]

If you do a shuttle bus, there are no seatbelts...no way to attach a carseat.

You could take a taxi and install your seat...up to you.

[Mom2B&Z]

DD will be 2 when we cruise. According to the TA, the cruise shuttle doesn't have seatbelts so we couldn't use DD's carseat on it. I'm not comfortable with DD not being in a carseat. Especially given that we'll be going through Houston and driving on freeways.

 

But am I being too paranoid? The law exempts buses from the carseat regulations.

 

For those of you with children young enough to still need carseats how did you get from the airport to the port?

ITA that a 2yo should not be on a bus on a freeway, even if the legal law provides an exemption. The laws of physics have a way of over-ruling legal laws ;) Your TA may be able to help with other options, but you may be on your own if they just don't understand.

What we do is use shuttles with seatbelts (and top tethers), a taxi or rent a car. Yes there is added expense and inconvenience, but our children are worth it :)

[Vericurious18]

We've taken DS who is now 2 on cabs in NYC. He was in a cab without a car seat with us as young as 11 months old from JFK airport to Manhattan- which involved highway travel...

[nothriver]

My understaning is that the physics of a crash forces are much different for passangers in busses than for passangers in smaller vehicles. Bus safety is based on "compartmentalization" - the egg carton theory. Make sure you remain seated at all times and you should be fine! I'm not comfortable being unrestained on busses but statistics prove that it is in fact safe. I'm more comfortable in a coach style busses with the high seatbacks, and much less comfortable in city style busses where you have to stand or sit facing the center, generally with low seatbacks.

 

That said, a taxi is a car, and I would never ride unrestained in a taxi or not have my children in an age appropriate child restaint. I don't care if the law says restraints are not needed in taxis, I bring them, and use them.

[Julienatul]

I would hire a private shuttle or take a taxi since you wont be able to restrain the carseat in the shuttle bus.

[crusinmama06]

Getting BEYOND Houston and the transfer - what are you going to do once you are in the ports? Are you still bringing the car seat? I am assuming yes. ;)

[ToddlerMom]

Yes we intend to bring the carseat with us on the ship and use it for whatever excursions we take.

[crusinmama06]

Yes we intend to bring the carseat with us on the ship and use it for whatever excursions we take.

 

LIKE!!!! :D

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[Maryscooking]

Kudos to you for being so conscientious!

 

I just want to reiterate that there are shuttles out there with seat belts - just call until you find one that will accomodate your carseat. We took our carseat with us on all our travels with DD, even on the airplane, and didn't go places if we couldn't securely her safely in the vehicles available. Yes, it was more restrictive, but in my mind it was not an acceptable risk for her to be unsecured.

 

As for bus travel and the laws of physics - different rules apply to adult size people sitting in a bus seat vs. a two year old on someone's lap...and they are not in favor of the two year old.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I don't know about the USA, but in the UK it was statistically safer to ride in a bus on a motorway (freeway) without a seatbelt than it was to ride in a car with one. That was from a few years back, though, because now all buses have seat belts too.

[Mom2B&Z]

Kudos to you for being so conscientious!

 

I just want to reiterate that there are shuttles out there with seat belts - just call until you find one that will accomodate your carseat. We took our carseat with us on all our travels with DD, even on the airplane, and didn't go places if we couldn't securely her safely in the vehicles available. Yes, it was more restrictive, but in my mind it was not an acceptable risk for her to be unsecured.

 

As for bus travel and the laws of physics - different rules apply to adult size people sitting in a bus seat vs. a two year old on someone's lap...and they are not in favor of the two year old.

*Like*!!!

The issue with a bus is that USUALLY they are set up to protect an average sized child of school age. This would be the minimum. If your child is younger, smaller or otherwise developmentally not at the average 4 year old stage, they will not be protected to the MINIMUM STANDARD that the bus offers. The option is take the risk of travelling on the bus knowing the protection is sub-optimal, but better than being unrestrained in a car; OR book another form of transportation with seatbelts and use the appropriate child restraint. If you're really interested in the topic you can get some good information from a basic web search, and there are some great You Tube videos of unrestrained children of various ages involved in collisions. You'll never travel without a child restraint again after seeing those videos.