riding in a motorcoach

bdsmom · Jun 23, 2005

i am going on a cruise with my 7 month old in 2 months. There are excursions and airport transfers in a motorcoach bus. but how do I use a carseat - they usually do not have seatbelts? what about seatbelts/carseats for riding on buses in general or cabs? Thanks! Nancy, mom of Ben (7months)

SafeDad · Jun 24, 2005

Full size buses often do not have seatbelts, though some do. If not, there isn't much you can do but rely on the sheer size of the bus and training of the driver to keep you safe.

Many transfer services use smaller buses or 15-passenger vans. These will almost always have seatbelt systems adequate for child seat installation. A bigger risk will be to the adults or kids in boosters, as some of these vehicles may lack shoulder belts and adequate head support to prevent whiplash injuries.

Unless you get a relic, all cabs will have lap or 3-point belts and many are new enough to have LATCH, too.

Some cab and limo services will even include boosters, free or for a small fee.

Unregistered · Jun 25, 2005

It also depends on where you go and which company is handling the excursions. Recently, in Mazatlan, I found that all the taxis were new. But none had seatbelts in the back! Apparently, almost all taxi drivers had covered their backseat with a very nice and clean seat cover, but when installing they either removed or covered the seat belts. I searched and searched and the cab driver searched and searched, but we couldn't find any complete seat belts. Yuck. I drove my husband crazy by moving from cab to cab.

About busses, most of the excursions we have gone on have been with large busses (not van style), but there are always exceptions. Transportation for excursions is the only negative for me when cruising -- we love the rest of it!

Unregistered · Jun 25, 2005

just returned from cruise in May

Hi, I thought I would give you some insight on what we just went through with our 3yr old on a cruise. We had excursions in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The bus they put us on in Grand Cayman was a airport type shuttle bus and we were packed like sardines. A couple had a 5 month old and she had to sit in the front seat and hold her child. There is no way they could have added carseats. We held my son and my husband's knees were to his chest. It was air conditioned but very uncomfortable, and a lot of the excursion was spent in this bus.

In Cozumel, the bus transfers were much nicer. We still held our son, but we probably could have put him in a seat or taken a car seat with us. We have taken bus excursions on another type of bus, so I would assume that most of the excursions are similar. It really just depends on where you go and what type of excursion you take.

Websites that are good for families cruising are www.cruisemates.com and www.cruisecritics.com. There are message boards for family cruises with a lot of information.

Hope you don't mind me butting in.

Susan

riding in a motorcoach

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