Disney cruise?

Lucy_R

New member
We have just booked a Disney Cruise to the Western Caribbean for Feb. 2011. It's super early in the planning stages obviously, but naturally I'm already thinking about carseats. Lol. We are flying up the day before and staying at a hotel right by the airport(Orlando International). They have free shuttle service to and from the airport. I assume that I won't need carseats on these? Do they have seatbelts? Anyways, then we also have the transportation from the airport to Port Canaveral that is arranged by the cruise line. Does anyone know if this is shuttle-like service also? Then of course there are the island excursions. I'm basically wondering what the chances are that I'm going to need any carseats, or will I be able to get away without?
 
ADS

Maedze

New member
Both of those services are shuttles, with no seatbelts.

It is likely that all excursions on the island will be in walking distance.

I would not bring a child restraint, unless my child was under two, in which case I would use a Scenera on the plane. If my child was over two and under 44 lbs, I would use CARES on the plane, and if my child is over 44 lbs I would use the seatbelt.
 

LittlePeanut

New member
FWIW, I personally chose to bring the Scenera ($70 at Walmart) for DS who was just shy of 3 y/o at the time. We used it for the airplane. We took an independent shuttle service from MCO to out hotel in Cocoa Beach and were able to install the seat in the van. We rented a car for 2 days to shop at the outlet stores and visit NASA while we were there too so the car seat was definitely necessary for us. It fit easily in our cabin closet so no worries there and we chose to wheel all our luggage off the boat rather than placing them out the night before and retrieving them in the baggage hall the next morning (this saved a lot of hassle and time as people waited to sort through the lines of all black luggage ;))

We took the Disney transfer back to MCO for out afternoon flight. DS sat on my lap (ugh did I feel uncomfortable about that but I wouldn't have been and happier if he was in his own belt-less seat anyhow).

All places we went to (in the Bahamas) off the boat were easily accessible by foot or public transport.

So yeah I agree with Maedze, either a Scenera (if you plan to rent a car) or a CARES harness (if it's only for the plane). This is one of the cheapest places I've seen it for sale - CARES Harness by Amsafe
 

Lucy_R

New member
We do have a Scenera, so if I need to take a seat it's probably one I would take, although I hate it. For my older dd I actually have a RSTV that I bought for our trip to Europe coming up in the summer. Although if you guys figure that it won't be necessary, I would gladly be without the extra baggage. We definately won't be driving anywhere other than to the ship and then back to the airport. I was most curious about the excursions, and whether we might end up stuck without a carseat when we would need one. But if everything will be close by, then I feel good about not bringing anything. I will definately be bringing CARES on the plane however, it is something else that I will be buying soon for our trip to Europe(just in case anything arises with the carseat being on board).
 

leighi123

Active member
Both of those services are shuttles, with no seatbelts.

It is likely that all excursions on the island will be in walking distance.

I would not bring a child restraint, unless my child was under two, in which case I would use a Scenera on the plane. If my child was over two and under 44 lbs, I would use CARES on the plane, and if my child is over 44 lbs I would use the seatbelt.


On our cruise to the western carribean, only ONE of the islands had activites you could walk to (the cruise lines private island). Everything else we were able to take busses to, but they were a pain to find.

I think the shuttle from the airport to the port is one of those bigger van type things, it has seatbelts. Keep in mind its like an hour drive from the airport to the port, not just a quick shuttle ride.

We bought a radian for our cruise for ease - of -carrying. I also thought I'd have a hard time fitting it in the cabin, but actually between the bed and the wall there was plenty of room (and I've heard of people storing it in the shower)

I would for sure bring a carseat!
 

leighi123

Active member
BTW I'd recomend checking out cruisecritic.com on the forums there, they have info about the excursions at each location. Many are best booked on your own (saves money and avoids the 'shopping' aspect of cruises), and you will have more choices as far as transportation.

The way people drive on some of those islands is REALLY SCARY.
 

Lucy_R

New member
Hmmmmm. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have just in case. But where am I going to put it when I'm not using it? The idea of hauling a carseat all over the place along with everything else we'll be carrying is horrid.

Good tip about booking things myself. I have actually read that a few places, that the cost was substanially lower that way. But is it a lot harder to organize?
 

kaleigh71

New member
If Disney is transporting you to Port Canaveral from Orlando, they use full size Greyhound-style buses. We see them every time we drive to Orlando and my kids get excited because of course they are decked out Disney-style. While we haven't been on a Disney cruise ourselves, nearly all of my playgroup parents and kids have, and they RAVE about it. Enjoy!!
 

LittlePeanut

New member
Hmmmmm. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have just in case. But where am I going to put it when I'm not using it? The idea of hauling a carseat all over the place along with everything else we'll be carrying is horrid.

The Scenera is actually really easy to haul. It's very lightweight. We just hook the piggyback strap that comes with the luggage through the seat so we can easily wheel it around. You could always pick up a collapsible luggage trolley and bungee it onto there. We just picked up a nice sturdy one from Costco for about $27 and I can get DS1's RNXT and DS2's Scenera securely strapped on.

There are some pictures of a couple members who used the UAS and tether straps to secure the Scenera to an umbrella stroller. They even strapped in their child.
 

Lucy_R

New member
If Disney is transporting you to Port Canaveral from Orlando, they use full size Greyhound-style buses. We see them every time we drive to Orlando and my kids get excited because of course they are decked out Disney-style. While we haven't been on a Disney cruise ourselves, nearly all of my playgroup parents and kids have, and they RAVE about it. Enjoy!!
I am very excited. I hope it's as awesome as I'm expecting!
 

Lucy_R

New member
Ugggh, I have no idea. I don't want to be stuck there without a carseat if we need one, but we weren't planning on taking a stroller and I just can't see how it would be remotely pleasant to carry a carseat to our activities.
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If Disney is transporting you to Port Canaveral from Orlando, they use full size Greyhound-style buses. We see them every time we drive to Orlando and my kids get excited because of course they are decked out Disney-style. While we haven't been on a Disney cruise ourselves, nearly all of my playgroup parents and kids have, and they RAVE about it. Enjoy!!

:thumbsup: Right. It's a big bus with no seat belts. We did the Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Magic last October, so your excursions will be different than mine were, but I wouldn't take a carseat. If you can, stay at the Hyatt in the airport. It may be more expensive than staying away from the airport, but the buses leave from there to the port and it's just so much more convenient (not to mention--you won't need carseats!).

Your cabin has next to no storage space. Your closet will have enough room for 1 large suitcase and there's storage under the bed. That's it. The excursions you go on will be in either buses or van-type things. The one we went on in St. Thomas was just unbelievably a van-truck hybrid thingy. I was so shocked I didn't even think to get a picture of the Frankenvan. Good thing the kids weren't with us on that one.

Have fun! We enjoyed our cruise so much--one of our very best vacations :D.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9
 

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Lucy_R

New member
Ok, so you were fine without bringing a carseat?
I was definately concerned about space also. I didn't want to bring a carseat to take up extra space that I'm sure we will desperately need. Lol.
 

Northriver

New member
We took an Alaska cruise last summer over my dd's 4th birthday. Unlike your trip, which will be using the tour busses, I knew we'd have some van type shuttles. I debated for months and in the end, I took both the Radian AND the RSTV. I did use both and was glad to have them both along. I called all the tour providers and asked about the types of seat belts in all their vehicles. Many were lap belt only and I took the Radian those days, for vehicles with lap/shoulder I took the RSTV. The radian is heavy but actually I prefer it on the airplane because it is the easiest seat to install on a plane, and actually even though it weights 100 pounds (kidding!) I really love that it folds and I can carry it as a backpack, leaving my hands free. Also because it folds, I could stick in in a suitcase under the bed in our cabin, unlike a convertible that would take up space in your cabin. I'm a single mom, so I like to have my DD strapped into a seat on the plane - I can get up and use the restroom leaving her sibling to keep an eye on her. Plus she is more comfortable in a seat on the plane - no to mention safer.

What I'm trying to say is that while it sounds like you won't need car seats, if you DO need or want to take car seats, you'll be fine taking them, too. You just need to think through the logistics!

I'm excited for you! I'm looking forward to a Disney cruise someday!
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
We're only taking 2 carseats next seat b/c of space. That's not completely true, the boys will take backless boosters. We're doing WDW for 4 days and then a cruise to the Bahamas. I'm scared about the Bahamas and am hoping we can walk everywhere we want to go. We will use Disney transportation and then a private service from the airport to the port and back. I need to call them...
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
We took an Alaska cruise last summer over my dd's 4th birthday. Unlike your trip, which will be using the tour busses, I knew we'd have some van type shuttles. I debated for months and in the end, I took both the Radian AND the RSTV. I did use both and was glad to have them both along. I called all the tour providers and asked about the types of seat belts in all their vehicles. Many were lap belt only and I took the Radian those days, for vehicles with lap/shoulder I took the RSTV. The radian is heavy but actually I prefer it on the airplane because it is the easiest seat to install on a plane, and actually even though it weights 100 pounds (kidding!) I really love that it folds and I can carry it as a backpack, leaving my hands free. Also because it folds, I could stick in in a suitcase under the bed in our cabin, unlike a convertible that would take up space in your cabin. I'm a single mom, so I like to have my DD strapped into a seat on the plane - I can get up and use the restroom leaving her sibling to keep an eye on her. Plus she is more comfortable in a seat on the plane - no to mention safer.

What I'm trying to say is that while it sounds like you won't need car seats, if you DO need or want to take car seats, you'll be fine taking them, too. You just need to think through the logistics!

I'm excited for you! I'm looking forward to a Disney cruise someday!

This sounds like a good idea :thumbsup:! Both the cruise and the carseats, lol.

Ok, so you were fine without bringing a carseat?
I was definately concerned about space also. I didn't want to bring a carseat to take up extra space that I'm sure we will desperately need. Lol.

My kids are quite a bit older than yours are at 7 and 9, so I felt OK going without the seats. After researching our excursions, I knew that the possibility of the kids actually being in vehicles with seat belts were slim, so I knew we weren't going to need them. The most I would have brought would have been backless boosters anyway, but still, it would have been tight for us with 4 people in our stateroom (though we could have borrowed space from my MIL & FIL next door).

The excursion operators are private--not Disney--so you should be able to contact them directly. And ask about the transportation on the Disney Cruise Boards link that I gave you. The folks there are even more rabid about Disney cruises than we are about carseats (can you believe it?! :eek:).
 

leighi123

Active member
Here is a pic of our cabin - its the cheapest room you can buy (so the smallest) and there was PLENTY of room for the carseat between the bed and the wall (I could have fit 2-3 seats there easily), and b/c of the set up of the room, no one was going to walk right there anyway.

DSC02940.jpg



We booked our excursions on our own, and usually there was a few choices of what vehicle you get (bus, car, van). All but one had seatbelts. We drove to port btw (its about an hour from my house), but when we fly, now that he is 2+ he ALWAYS rides in his seat on the plane (so much more comfortable for him, and easier for me)

Scary pic - ds in a lap belt! (this was on a large bus though, we didnt bring his seat on this excursion b/c there would have been no where to put it and we were going to be in the water so its not like I could just keep it with me)
DSC02966.jpg
 

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