Are soft sided coolers with wheels allowed?

[C230K]

Hello all,

Disney docs specify that no coolers are allowed. Others have posted no problems with bring soft sided coolers with wheels. I called the cruise line directly and they specified no coolers with wheels.

Any advice if this is worth attempting???

Thanks! Tony and Isabella

 

[Tandyc]

Bump

 

[ganurse]

i know that 2 years ago my uncle had a soft cooler with wheels and it was his third cruise. i would hate to bring all that stuff and have them confiscate it.

amy

 

[CB4U]

C230K,

I had the exact same question for my upcoming cruise. I did a search here on the boards for "soft-sided coolers" and came up with many responses. Not one of them mentioned that their beverages were confiscated. I plan on bringing my soft-sided cooler on wheels. It folds down to the size of a backpack. One good point I learned was not to fill it with ice but other than that it seems to be ok to do. Some people even checked the coolers in with their luggage at the ship before boarding as opposed to bringing it on themselves. The room stewards even fill them with ice for you!

 

[MarkRG]

A cut 'n paste from a not-finished faq I'm putting together:

Carryon Coolers?

Ok, you have a few rules you have to meet to bring it aboard.

First, NO ice! Ice can mess up the scanner and they will make you dump it all out before letting you in. Don't worry, ice is available on Deck 9 at the drink station and your room steward will bring as much as you want, up to three times a day!

Second, No hardside coolers(think 'Igloo'), those are what they are not allowing.

Thind, The size of your carry on must fit through the scanner to get into the terminal and on the ship after excursions. Disney uses an airport type scanner. The average size for one to fit is 22 inches long by 14 inches wide by 9 inches thick. It can't be much bigger than that.

And lastly, you can check beverages thru. They must be in a suitable container, I would recommend luggage or soft side cooler, but it has to be something that would contain any spills. Avoid using the grocery store bag Again, no ice and also here more importantly, no glass.
(end of paste)

I would also insert a comment here - what are you going to bring aboard in said cooler? Any of it bottled water? That you don't need to bother. The water right out of the tap in your cabin is of equal quality to any botled water. All water from the taps/fountains on the ship is produced from seawater thru a process called reverse osmosis, the same process used in the 5 gallon home/buisness delivered water, and a lot of the expensive home water filter systems. You only need bring sport bottles that you can fill yourself with the previously mentioned ice from the room steward and cabin tap water. We do this when we cruise now.

Also of note there is an unlimited drink station on Deck 9 that has lemonade, iced tea, milk, coffee, makings for hot tea, and water and ice. You can also order down full pitchers of any of the beverages offered at the drink station and the fruit punch from the buffet to your cabin to store in the inroom cooler, for nothing more than tipping whoever delivers. And the cooler is powered; kind of like those ones you can plug in your car, it should keep whatever you put in it cool. So even bringing your own cooler is not that needed.

About the only thing you need bring yourself is soda and liquor. And even that, they have programs where you pay once and soda is free for the entire cruise, but you need drink a good deal for it to be a value, and a discounted beer program.

 

[callahanjulie10]

We take our softsided rolling cooler filled with the beverages of our choice everytime we cruise. We do carrry on with no problem. We have taken 5 DCL cruises this way the last on being on June 30,2003 Magic.

 

[C230K]

Thanks to you all for your detailed replies! This is terrific information.

Warm regards!

 

[Tera]

Great information, thanks.

Sam's Club has a new soft-sidded cooler on wheels with a beach type bag on top (for those miscellaneous items). I'm just worried that it won't fit through the scanner machine.

 

[webray]

You cooler has to be the size of carry on luggage to take it with you.

I found a great softsided cooler at sams/costco..one of those places. On wheels with a net bag on top for extra stuff. It holds a whole case of water and then some.

It folds very small and was around $25. I put the cooler and case of water in my checked luggage..when we leave..we use the cooler as our carry-off bag when the cruise is over..with all the dirty clothes and any last minute souveniers or fragile stuff in it.

We use the extra suitcase that had the water in for other souveniers, etc.

Has worked out perfect each time.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I would also insert a comment here - what are you going to bring aboard in said cooler? Any of it bottled water? That you don't need to bother. The water right out of the tap in your cabin is of equal quality to any botled water. All water from the taps/fountains on the ship is produced from seawater thru a process called reverse osmosis, the same process used in the 5 gallon home/buisness delivered water, and a lot of the expensive home water filter systems. You only need bring sport bottles that you can fill yourself with the previously mentioned ice from the room steward and cabin tap water. We do this when we cruise now.

MarkRG,

I know that you are correct about the reverse osmosis statement, but are you sure about the statement that "water right out of the tap...equal quality to any botled water"?

The one time we've ever filled the bath tub, the water had a yellow color to it (you couldn't see it if the water was only a few inches deep, but once it was about a foot deep, there was a very distinctive yellow). Now I know that the tap water on board is potable, and I assume that what feeds the sink feeds the tub. But if the water is coming out yellow, how can it be equal to bottled water?

Additionally, didn't I once hear that there is a water tap at the drink station on deck 9 that is filtered beyond the basic reverse osmosis filtration?

I know the "yellow water" had us concerned enought that when we took a 1yo with us on our last cruise, I brought the water purifyer I use for camping to filter tap water for mixing baby formula. It may have been over-kill, but it made us feel better.

 

[Carlnne]

I have the cooler/net from Sams club and used it on the last cruise. Was really useful for Castaway day and our journey to Atlantis. I would imagine it would even be better for a 7 day cruise. We ordered room service sandwiches and took them in the cooler to Atlantis.

 

[Tera]

Did they let you roll that cooler onboard or did you have to pack in your suitcase? I saw it at Sam's and really want to get it, but wasn't sure how well it stored.

 

[HLFDZN]

My cooler is collapsable and fit inside my luggage. I bought the soda and beer on in a tote bag that zipped up ( yes it was HEAVY!!!!) I brought beer in bottles since my beer ( tequiza) does not come in cans. I also brought a full case of bottles water for excursions. Nothing was taken away and my stateroom attendant kept it full of ice. I did tip him extra the first day and at the end of the cruise. His name was Martell..what a sweetie!!!

I will say that my kids didn't touch the pop. I would not bother to lug that again. It was nice however to have ICE COLD beer. I would bring beer again.

I still spent enough on my account with the drink specials and hubby and I shared a bucket of Coronas as we pulled out of port....Oh what a day....sitting near the quiet cove with a bucket of Coronas and listening to the shops whistle!!!!! It brought tears to my eyes!!! What a memory!

 

[Tera]

I feel your pain HLFDZN, and I haven't even been my cruise yet I figure the only soda we'll bring will be for mixed drinks and gotta have my beer. I'm not worry too much about water bottles and we're having goodie baskets delivered for the kids with some juices in it, so I won't have to worry about bringing extra.

 

[Monchichi]

My daughter has to take medication every night, and it has to be kept cold. I will be taking a softsided cooler to the airport and then on board, then I will use the room beverage cooler for the trip. My question is: I want to use these gel packs that you refreeze to keep the meds cool. Is there somewhere I can put these to refreeze until the end of the cruise when I have to pack her meds for the trip home?
Thanks

 

[lillygator]

does anyone have links to buying soft sided coolers on the web?

 

[webray]

We put our rolling softside cooler, in our largest suitcase, along with a case of water and whatever else. We unpack it when we get there, the cabin steward brings the ice and keeps the ice fresh all week.

We use the cooler at the end of the week to roll off with us the final morning. The large suitcase holds all the rest of the stuff!

 

[ksumom]

CALIFORNIA INNOVATIONS $24.88
34 QT COOLER
COLLAPSIBLE W/WHEELS (#454085)



Is this the cooler from sam's club?

There is not a pic on the website, but this description was there...

 

[invaderzim]

Two things:

We always pack a soft-sided cooler which is a little bigger than a lunch box your child might bring to school -- big enough to hold a six pack of soda. We use it for shore excursions. But it just folds into a suitcase.

Second, AND MOST IMPORTANT, I strongly disagree with MarkRG. Water in your stateroom IS NOT suitable for daily drinking. We have been told this countless times by DCL reps, CMs on board and many many travel boards.

There is a filtered water station on Deck 9 (which is free) that you can fill your bottles and cups at. That water is purified and tastes great and we have never had any trouble with it. We usually start out with a 6-pack of bottled water that we bring onboard. Then we bring our empty water bottles up there, refill them every night and put them in the cooler.

 

[invaderzim]

Instead of DCL transfers this year, we are hiring a towncar. Actually costs less than paying transfers for the three of us. They allow you a 30 minute grocery stop. We are packing an empty tote. We are going to buy our water and soda and snacks on the way to the ship, pack them into the empty tote and bring them on board.

Accomplishes two tasks -- don't need to lug it all from home through the airport; and the empty tote can be used on the way home for souvenirs!