Strollers on cruise

[DannyDisneyFreak]

How is it navigating a stroller on the ship? Can you park them outside the restaurants like in the parks? Are there places you can and cannot take them? My 4 year old can get around without it but helps when he is getting tired or starts running all over is when he get buckled up!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How is it navigating a stroller on the ship? Can you park them outside the restaurants like in the parks? Are there places you can and cannot take them? My 4 year old can get around without it but helps when he is getting tired or starts running all over is when he get buckled up!

Strollers can pretty much be taken anywhere onboard. I will point out that sometimes people are not very accomodating when you are waiting for elevators with a stroller. They will rush into the elevator taking all the space so you can't get in the first (or second) elevator that comes along.

I know on the classic ships strollers can be taken into the MDRs. I think I've read there's not as much space on the newer ships in the MDRs, so maybe not on those.

 

[Gina]

Strollers can pretty much be taken anywhere onboard. I will point out that sometimes people are not very accomodating when you are waiting for elevators with a stroller. They will rush into the elevator taking all the space so you can't get in the first (or second) elevator that comes along.

Just to play the devil's advocate, those lifts are so small... and one stroller with one person pushing it can easily take up half the space. Not really fair to everyone else who have been patiently waiting there too. And the strollers by the pool are a pain -- there isn't that much room to walk between the rows of chairs, much less with a stroller parked there!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just to play the devil's advocate, those lifts are so small... and one stroller with one person pushing it can easily take up half the space. Not really fair to everyone else who have been patiently waiting there too. And the strollers by the pool are a pain -- there isn't that much room to walk between the rows of chairs, much less with a stroller parked there!

How about whoever has been waiting the longest gets the next elevator? I'm just pointing out that people will rush the elevator regardless of whether there is someone waiting there already for an elevator.

 

[peachygreen]

From my experience on the ship, we didn't use our stroller much on board. I've traveled when my girls were 10months and 4 (almost 5) and again when they were 2 and 6. If I found one of them needed the stroller I would go back to the cabin to get it. It really is never that far to the cabin. I also don't carry a full diaper bag around the ship with me. It is very freeing to not have to carry so much stuff around at all times.

I did use the stroller when we went in the port to explore. I also used it if I needed to take my 2 year old on a walk to get her to take a nap. I'd have her get in the stroller and we'd walk the decks while she slept. Other than that, both girls got around great without a stroller.

I also prefer a small umbrella type stroller for the cruise. My MacLearn Volo was perfect. It was comfortable for the girls, they didn't get too hot in it, I can push it one handed and it folds up to slide under the bed or slip in the closet without any problem at all.

*As a side note, I had my 10 month old in the baby bjorn most of the time as she wasn't walking then. I just didn't use a stroller for her at that age.

 

[peachygreen]

Another plus to the umbrella stroller. I would frequnetly kick the kids out on the stairs and just fold up the stroller and walk it down the stairs avoiding the wait/crowds at the elevator.

 

[kcashner]

You have a couple of issues--use on the ship and storage of the thing in your cabin. There are people who leave strollers in the halls. Um....these are in the way of the stateroom hosts with their cleaning carts and to any guest using a mobility assist device--walker, wheelchair, scooter, etc.

An umbrella stroller that can fold up and store under the bed can be useful, but walking on the ship is not like at the parks. We didn't use a stroller with a 4 year old on the ship, but probably used one in the parks till age 6. A big stroller is in everyone's way. Also, DCL has big ones you can borrow if you want one for an excursion.

Yes, the servers will move your stroller to a safe storage space outside the dining room if the child isn't using it IN the dining room (not a bad idea to put kid in it if he/she might be falling asleep during your dinner!)

 

[Kimosabe]

We were on the Fantasy a couple of weeks ago and my brother- and sister-in-law had their 15-month old with us. They brought a decent-sized Peg Perego stroller (not huge but not an umbrella either) with them and used it quite a bit on the ship, including having it in the MDRs and Cabanas. It never really seemed in the way in the dining rooms or out around the ship, with the possible exception of waiting for elevators. People use strollers on elevators in buildings, so I don't see any problem in having them on elevators on the ships, as long as you understand that it may require a slightly longer wait to get on an elevator. The rest of the kids in our group (10, 10, 8 and 5) usually preferred taking the stairs, so a couple of us adults would go with them, while one or two others would stick with the stroller.

With that in mind, for a 4-year old, if you feel like you need a stroller, I'd definitely stick with the umbrella version -- much easier to maneuver, definitely easier to find a place in a tiny stateroom for it, and you don't really expect a 4-year old to use it as a de facto bed as a baby might. Even with a stroller (whatever version you use), I think you would find that you really wouldn't use it that much on the ship. It's a big ship as far as cruise ships go, but it's still a far cry from WDW walking! The average person might walk five miles at WDW on a given day, but rarely are you required to walk far on the ship. The only real comparison to being at WDW might be standing in line for a character greeting, but even then, there are often other seats nearby that a kid could use to sit in other than a stroller.

One place that you might find a stroller the most helpful would be on excursions off the ship, as that might give you a more secure feeling with the child -- i.e., less risk of running off, but also dealing with a long walk off the dock into the port, especially on the way back to the ship if he/she is worn out.

 

[lbgraves]

We used strollers for both kids the first few cruises. Like you say, kids get tired and if they nap during dinner time, it was easy for us to change them, put them in the stroller and go to dinner. When they woke up the server brought their food and we folded up the stroller without any problem. We used a Jeep stroller so it was great in the ports when there was sand. It was also comfy for the kids when they fell asleep since it would recline. The umbrellas never worked for us on or off the ship.

Regarding the elevators, avoid the midship elevators. Those are always busiest. Also one thing we still do [even without strollers] is be willing to get in an elevator going the opposite direction from where you want to go. Most people will stand and wait for a while for an elevator going up from deck 3 to the theater after early seating. We get in an elevator going down when we want to go up. Why? You only have to go down two decks [and sometimes less] before you will be heading up. When the elevator fills up on decks 1 & 2 it will open on deck 3 again and you can see all the people who are still waiting for an elevator to come along with room -- as you head up to the deck you want to go to. The same thing works when you are on deck 8-10 and want to go down.