Flying and getting to ship

[cheerldrmom]

Question is if we are flying in we were not bringing car seats. But yet will need to take a cab if we bring them where do you store 2 car seats during cruise anyone done this. Any suggestions

[Ashland]

Question is if we are flying in we were not bringing car seats. But yet will need to take a cab if we bring them where do you store 2 car seats during cruise anyone done this. Any suggestions

 

No choice but to store them in your own cabin...how much room you have will of course depend on the cabin category you have booked.

 

When we cruise or travel with family that includes toddlers we use a compact carseat and stroller.

[cheerldrmom]

What kind of compact car seat???

[gymbomb]

Question is if we are flying in we were not bringing car seats. But yet will need to take a cab if we bring them where do you store 2 car seats during cruise anyone done this. Any suggestions

 

How old/big are your kids? We have a Cosco Scenera Next for travel with is wonderful for kids up to 40 lbs/40 inches because it is cheap ($45 at Walmart), small enough to fit well in variety of cars/planes, and weighs less than 8 pounds. If both your kids fit in them, they stack very nicely for storage.

 

If your kids are old enough for a booster seat I would personally do that for the small amount of travel between airport/hotel/ship even if I wasn't comfortable having them in boosters at home all the time yet.

 

I only have one little one, but we did take his infant car seat with us when we cruised last year and stored it in the bottom of our closet during the cruise.

[cheerldrmom]

Thanks gym bomb. They will be 3 and one and a half. Don't know about a booster seat

What a about a stroller do I take one for the ship or excursions.

[cb at sea]

You could always take a shuttle bus...no car seats needed!

[mikesteg]

We have twins, now 6YO. We generally drove or flew then took a shuttle, but a couple of times we did extra days at the port and had 2 full blown 5-point seats on the ship. The best place we found to store them is with the seat under the bed and the back between the bed and nightstand. That isn't always possible, but when it is it uses essentially no space. Aside from that, it's that precious closet space. :(

 

The need for a stroller depends on the excursions. We tended to avoid excursions when the kids were that small, but still brought strollers until they were ~2.5. They are somewhat limited benefit on the ship, if you're going anyplace with a crowd. Lots of near misses. However, great if the little one will possibly sleep during dinner (and there is an appropriate space out of the way, which is a toss up given the close spacing of the tables.)

 

We used a pair of $20 umbrella strollers we got from WM. They didn't have many features, but we didn't want to break/lose or have to abandon a good one. In the end, they flew probably a dozen round trips as baggage, plus tons of easier travel, and served us fantastically well.

[Starflyr3]

If you fly, there are companies that you can prearrange transport with that will bring at seats with them. You may have to install them, but it would save you toting around huge seats for a week.

 

As for strollers, I'd bring just an umbrella stroller, if you can. Bigger won't fit well in ship hallways. When we travelled with our kids at that age, I either wore the baby and pushed the 3 yo or the 3 yo walked and the baby rode. At home we used a double stroller, but that was not practical when traveling.

[mikesteg]

You could always take a shuttle bus...no car seats needed!

 

Yes, that ^

 

If you're flying in the day prior, just make sure there is food within walking distance of the hotel.

[cheerldrmom]

I thought I looked up shuttles and it said u needed a car seat

[Ashland]

What kind of compact car seat???

 

Safety 1st Guide 65...a great compact carseat that we've also used inflight....and the stroller we use is a Nano Mountain Buggy.

[Ashland]

I thought I looked up shuttles and it said u needed a car seat

 

Large bus-type shuttle bus do not require (or can use) carseats...We have had to use cruiseship transfers for this reason when we have opted to not bring a carseat....specifically when cruising in Alaska...it just worked out easier for us during this particular itinerary.

[GUT2407]

If you fly, there are companies that you can prearrange transport with that will bring at seats with them. You may have to install them, but it would save you toting around huge seats for a week.

 

As for strollers, I'd bring just an umbrella stroller, if you can. Bigger won't fit well in ship hallways. When we travelled with our kids at that age, I either wore the baby and pushed the 3 yo or the 3 yo walked and the baby rode. At home we used a double stroller, but that was not practical when traveling.

 

^^^^^ This. Pre book and most can arrange a seat for you.

[mikesteg]

We've had mixed experience with that sort of thing. We rented seats from a car rental place once and they were atrocious. They initially provided boosters so I had to swap them out, which is how I found they were literally all thrown in a pile in the corner of a concrete storage room. Better than nothing, I'm sure, but still ridiculous considering that they charge like 1/4 or 1/3 the price of the seat for a single rental.

 

We also reserved seats with a shuttle service can one time. They brought one 5-point and one booster. This is when the kids were ~2 so the booster was in no way appropriate. That was a local business, so one of the larger ones might have a better outcome. That said, I think they will all have a disclaimer that seats are only provided if available.

[gymbomb]

Thanks gym bomb. They will be 3 and one and a half. Don't know about a booster seat

What a about a stroller do I take one for the ship or excursions.

 

 

Yeah, definitely too young for a booster. The Scenera next would be perfect for the younger one, older would depend on size. Good luck finding a solution that works for you :)

 

Edit: definitely will want a stroller! Lots of good threads here with advice on doubles if you go that way. If you ever wear the toddler in a carrier I would take that too.

 

 

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Edited February 5, 2016 by gymbomb

[mjmalino]

Back when my kids were little (my older son turns 18 in May) I used 2 umbrella strollers when we traveled, and I traveled without my husband quite a bit. Back then, they sold clips that turned 2 umbrella strollers into 1 side by side double, which I found very useful. I could put them together in an airport, etc, if neither wanted to walk, or I could separate them when another adult was with me.