Help with Cruise Travel?

amyff1 · Sep 27, 2006

We are taking a Disney Cruise in January and I am still not able to figure out our car seat situation. We are not planning extensive excursions. We just want to hop in a taxi and drive to a nice family-friendly beach. I am nervous about reported seatbelt-less taxis in St. Thomas and St. Martin. However, I guess we will just wait until one with belts is available?

DD2 will be 18 months old and I think we are taking a Sit and Stroll for her. She will be able to use in on the plane (she has her own seat) and during transfers. Will the Sit and Stroll be comfortable and safe for her (she uses a Roundabout at home)? Will it even fit in the seat of the plane? Are they hard to install? Perhaps I should ditch the Sit and Stroll and get a Cosco Scenera with the wheel things?

DD1(in a Marathon at home)will have just turned 4 years old but she is already 43 inches tall and 42 pounds (super tall at age 3). So, the Scenera is out for her. She will not be in a seat on the plane as she enjoys the tray and her long legs "kick" the seat in front of her. What can I bring along for travel? We need something for towncar ride from the airport to the ship (and back) and two 15 minute taxi rides during the cruise? Would the Safe Rider or a backless booster be our best bet? I want it to be light for hauling around.

Thanks!

Amy

musicmaj · Sep 28, 2006

I know what the scenera is - but what are the wheel things?

Jeanum · Sep 28, 2006

The wheeled thingy is the GoGo Kidz wheeled carseat travel attachment shown here: http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_kids.html

Don't know how I would handle a cab without seatbelts either, that's a tough call. Any way to walk or arrange for a hired car or rental car with seatbelts?

I have heard the Sit and Stroll can be a real love or hate item, but haven't used one personally or flown yet with my two kids, lol, so I can't offer specific advice about it.

I do have 2 kids of similar ages/sizes, so here's what I would do personally if I were to fly with them. I have a spare Scenera and it's uber easy to carry it around, so I would probably take it for my 15 month old instead of her Britax Marathon or Blvd. I'd either carry the Scenera or buckle it onto a stroller or look into getting the GoGo Kidz. My 4 year old DD is similar in size to the OP's almost 4 year old DD. My DD is too long torsoed for most harnessed carseats other than the Britax Regent which isn't FAA approved and would be nearly impossible to carry through an airport, lol. I would probably take a Britax Parkway or Graco Turbo booster or Safeguard Go for her to use in vehicles with shoulder belts. The Go can also be used harnessed but it requires a top tether in harnessed mode, and it converts to a lowback booster for kids who outgrow the harness by height or the 60 lb. harnessed weight limit. The Go isn't FAA approved to use on the plane, but it does come with a handy travel case designed to fit in a plane's overhead compartment.

Bon voyage, sounds like fun.

soygurl · Oct 3, 2006

Just to be clear... the gogo kidz is ONLY for Britax seats. But you can attach most other car seats to a cheap luggage cart using the latch straps and a bungie cord and use it in a similar way.

Patriot201 · Oct 3, 2006

soygurl said:
Just to be clear... the gogo kidz is ONLY for Britax seats. But you can attach most other car seats to a cheap luggage cart using the latch straps and a bungie cord and use it in a similar way.

That's not true. You can use the GoGoKidz for other seats. The gogokidz website lists that you may use the GoGoKidz with the following seats:

Britax Boulevard, Decathlon, Marathon, Roundabout, and Wizard
Cosco Alpha Omega, High Back Booster, Scenera, and Summit
Eddie Bauer Summit
Evenflo BigKid, Titan, Tribute, Chase, and Generations
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage
Graco Toddler SafeSeat, ComfortSport, and Treasured Cargo
Recaro Young Sport
Safety 1st 3-phase and Enspira

soygurl · Oct 3, 2006

Patriot20171 said:
That's not true. You can use the GoGoKidz for other seats. The gogokidz website lists that you may use the GoGoKidz with the following seats:

Britax Boulevard, Decathlon, Marathon, Roundabout, and Wizard
Cosco Alpha Omega, High Back Booster, Scenera, and Summit
Eddie Bauer Summit
Evenflo BigKid, Titan, Tribute, Chase, and Generations
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage
Graco Toddler SafeSeat, ComfortSport, and Treasured Cargo
Recaro Young Sport
Safety 1st 3-phase and Enspira

Really? How weird! Did they recently change that? I could have SWARN they said it was only for Britax before and wondered how they would make any money! I guess I must not have looked into it very closely, lol! Thanks for setting me right!
Still, I think a $15 luggage cart is a better deal, but it isn't quite as convienent since you have to take it on and off to instal the car seat.

Kellyr2 · Oct 5, 2006

When I was in St Thomas 7.5 yrs ago for our honeymoon, we saw lots of cruise families. There is a shuttle trolley that goes to the beaches, too, so you might not have to deal with a cab at all... though I guess an open air vehicle without seatbelts probably isn't any safer. They usually go slower than the other cars, but they could still crash.
If you can swing it, I'd consider the Compass booster for your older child. She's small enough that I personally wouldn't want to put her in a backless, and the compass folds up to it shoudl be easier to carry around.

Last I checked gogo kidz was only for Britax, too. They must have revamped recently!

Victorious4 · Oct 5, 2006

Yes, Gogo = only for Britax & it MUST be removed when carseat is installed in a vehicle!

Yes, the Sit n Stroll can install on the planes as that's it's design intent, but I don't know much about ease of use. However, I think it only fits small kids well because it has a short frame/shell + low harness slots? Good for an 18 month old

However, with 2 kids (is it just you or is another grown up going, too?) then I'd use the SnS for younger kiddo & buy the GogoKidz for bigger kiddo to ride with the Marathon! I found it easy "enough" LOL to push my preschooler in her BLVD + GogoKidz while pulling a large rolling duffle behind & carrying a backpack (I'm only 100#)

Otherwise I would try out the Ride Safer Travel Vest -- hopefully there's a decent return/exchange policy? If it doesn't fit her well (I've heard it can be pretty big/floppy on some kids at certain stages of growth) then I'd feel OK uising a booster assuming that during travel the adult will be able to supervise proper use

Just remember that backless boosters require a vehicle headrest, so just in case I'd probably choose a Turbo, carry the base & keep the highback in luggage....

Have a fun, safe trip!!! (I'm a bit jealous because we were supposed to go on a Disney Cruise last month *SIGH*)

Kellyr2 · Oct 5, 2006

Found it on the website - http://www.gogobabyz.com/docs/NewAccommodates.pdf

Victorious4 · Oct 5, 2006

I can't view PDFs (Adobe doesn't like my computer) -- what does it say

Jeanum · Oct 5, 2006

The .pdf lists many many seats verified as compatible with the new version of the GoGo Kidz Travelmate:

Cosco Scenera, Alpha Omega Elite, Summit, Highback booster

all Britax convertibles

Evenflo Big Kid, Titan Deluxe, Titan V, Tribute VLX, Generations, Harness booster seat, Tribute 5 Delux, Chase LX

FP Safe Voyage

Graco Toddler Safeseat, ComfortSport, Treasured CarGo

Recaro Young Sport

Safety 1st 3-Phase, Enspira

There's also a much shorter list of seats confirmed as not compatible:

Radian, Triumph*, Intera and Kobuk, Turbo and Parkway boosters.

*There's a footnote regarding the Triumph stating they're working on additions to accomodate the Triumph with expected availability at the end of September.

If a seat is not listed, it means they haven't tested it yet for compatibility, and to check back with the list often as they will keep updating it.

groovymom2000 · Oct 5, 2006

The gogo kidz for other seats is a new thing. When I got one in Feb, April(?) can't

remember, it was only for Britax seats. It looks like they have expanded. I could have sold mine 10 times in Atlanta...

Victorious4 · Oct 5, 2006

Ah, that's cool -- thanks Jeanum

I do hope the new Gogos have a warning lable ON THE PRODUCT & also much more noticeable in the manual that explains how it's not for use when installed in a vehicle

(Mine didn't & of course I knew to look for that info, but I'm sure too many parents don't)

soygurl · Oct 5, 2006

papooses said:
Ah, that's cool -- thanks Jeanum

I do hope the new Gogos have a warning lable ON THE PRODUCT & also much more noticeable in the manual that explains how it's not for use when installed in a vehicle (Mine didn't & of course I knew to look for that info, but I'm sure too many parents don't)

I thought they used to say that you COULD instal the car seat with gogokidz still attached... Never sounded safe, but I thought that's what they said. Or was that just for use on airplanes?

Victorious4 · Oct 6, 2006

Only on airplanes according to my GogoKidz manual -- small print hidden amidst other stuff ... I'm betting most parents didn't notice it.

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