TravlnStyle3

We’re headed to Alaska on the Star Princess late this month. We have a 14 month old son and a petite 4 year old daughter and I’m trying to decide what kind of stroller to bring. I read that Princess doesn’t allow a side by side double stroller so that narrows it to an in-line double or singles. We have an uppababy vista but it’s heavy and requires removal of a seat to fold and transport, plus i don’t want to get it all banged up. We also have the summer infant 3D One single stroller.

At home we rarely use the strollers. My 4 year old usually walks alongside us or goes on our shoulders, but i think between the time difference and the excursions she’ll get tired and want to relax or possibly even nap in the stroller sometimes.

whatever we bring needs to work for the airport, ship and excursions.

Here are my considerations:

1) Bring the SI 3D one single stroller and hiking backpack baby carrier (not sure how the little one will like this)

2) Bring the SI 3D one single stroller and a very small, simple umbrella stroller for the 4 year old.

3) Get an inexpensive sit and stand like the baby trend sit and stand ultra. (The older seat has no back so it would really just be for a rest from walking)

4) Get some sort of actual double with two seats - I’m not sure what kind would be good.

What has everyone else used that worked well for your cruise and air travels with 2?

2 hours ago, Eaglecw said:

We've been on 15 cruises to Alaska, we go every year. We live in the Seattle area  and wear what we wear here at home in the fall. We've never water proofed any of our shoes, I've never worn a rain coat in Alaska. If your first stop on your cruise is Ketchikan and you think your going to be cold go to the Tongass trading post and uy a low cost jacket, they cost about $19.99 and say "Alaska" on the front. They'll be racks of them outside https://tongasstrading.com/store/search.asp?keyword=jacket*&department=6 The Tongass trading post is the best place to buy those got to have items. With all that said just wear what you'd wear in the fall in Long Island New York. Everyone stresses out over what to wear in Southeast Alaska, it's not like your going to the arctic, your on a cruise ship most of the time.

Duly noted @Eaglecw, I just went through old photos from the first Alaska cruise i went on when i was 19. I wore a lot of sweatshirts and sweaters, and it looks like i brought a north face fleece, which i still have. Even on the glacier dogsledding tour i wasn’t wearing a jacket, although i do look cold, ha. macy’s Just had a great sale so i bought some lightweight Columbia jackets to try. If anything, i need a rain jacket for rainy days at home too, but i might think twice about packing it. 

Looking for both women’s and men’s jacket recommendations for our trip to alaska. Neither myself nor my husband own raincoats or windbreakers. I tend to be cold all the time. I’d love an option that has a zip out fleece, but am ok with buying a separate fleece or warmth layer (and welcome suggestions for that too). 

Also, what type of shoes are best for the mild to moderate excursions? Do i really need hiking shoes or are sneakers good for most? We have 2 young kids so we’re not doing anything super strenuous.  

@chinita415 how do you like the GB pockit? I’m thinking about getting the newest one that reclines for this trip. 

Thank you all for your helpful answers! This is really helping us prepare. 

@grg i'm just curious, did you bring/use any baby carriers for the 9 month old and one year old? Did you do any excursions without strollers? Also, there are small refrigerators in the rooms right? My kids snack like crazy. 

I was wrong about the ship - we are on the star princess, and I confirmed that we have a balcony room with a queen size bed and a pullout couch, so our original plan to sleep one adult, one child per bed will work out thankfully. 

Also an interesting tidbit i wanted to share for others who see this thre ad - I and my 11 month old (current age) have been dairy and soy free since he was born, due to him having a sensitivity and breastfeeding. I am not sure if he has grown out of it yet and we plan to test with the "dairy ladder" soon, but I wanted to make sure we'll have options for him if he still can't have dairy when we are on the cruise. I spoke to Princess and they offer Lactose-free milk, rice milk and soy milk, but told me to also email the dietary restrictions representative to see if I would be able to bring almond milk and almond yogurts on board for him, or if they would be able to order it for us. They also had other dietary restriction/allergy options you could select. They have been very accommodating so far!

33 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

On the Ruby, I don't believe balcony cabins have sofas. 

@1025cruise do you have an idea of how they fit 4 people into a balcony room?

Someone brought up a good point to me yesterday about car safety while traveling. We're flying from NY to Seattle and i know there will be transfers there as well as at the ports that will require car travel. Legally, we need both kids in car seats. In the past we've traveled with a lightweight carseat when we only had one child, but i can't imagine how we can travel with two plus strollers, etc. How have others handled this kind of "gear" situation with more than one child? Is it a better idea to rent carseats (or at least the additional carseat) and/or strollers in Seattle? Where would i rent from if i did that?

22 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

Could you let us know which line you are sailing so we can help with the kids club?  As noted above, there are no kids clubs for 1 year olds, but some ships have nurseries.  Alaska is great for kids, so hopefully it will be a wonderful trip!

@kitkat343 we'll be on Princess Cruiselines on the Ruby Princess. 

@Essiesmom everything is already booked, this is a gift for our family from our parents - we have a balcony room for 4. I'm having a hard time finding pictures of the 4 person configuration, but from past experience i'm assuming and hoping that there will be a couch that pulls out into a bed. I'm anticipating having one adult and one child in each bed. 

Hi all. I’m a seasoned cruiser with at least 10 under my belt, but i’m In uncharted territory because this June we’ll be cruising with kids for the first time, in Alaska. I want to be well prepared in all aspects...I’m already anxious thinking about how we’ll handle naps, stroller vs carrier, etc. We’ll be on the Ruby Princess for 7 days stopping in Seattle, Victoria, Ketchikan  Skagway, Juneau,  and Glaciar Bay National Park. I cruised there around 10 years ago but was single and able to do anything and everything. I’m looking for general baby cruiser tips (what to bring, onboard tips, excursion tips, etc.) and also more detailed suggestions/information about what excursions are best for those ages. We babywear so i anticipate doing a lot of that. I’ve never had to use the kids club/babysitting services and would love to hear reviews of your experiences with that onboard service. We are traveling large - my parents and sisters plus families - 26 of us with kids of all ages - the youngest ones will be 1, 2.5, 4 and 6. ALL of your suggestions and insight are appreciated!