Are Strollers allowed in Dining Rooms?

[sdwilson]

We will be traveling with our 6 month old baby aboard the Fantasy next week, are stollers allowed in the dining room on Carnival ships?

 

We have requested early seating for dinner b/c that's normally when the baby naps, he will need his stroller to be comfortable.

 

Is it possible? Have you seen any?

[CruisinShips]

Yes, just not the denim ones!! :D :D :D

 

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

[terri910]

I don't remember seeing them, but I don't know why they wouldn't be allowed.

 

You may want to let the maitre 'd know, however, shortly after embarkation. I would think he'd want to make sure you are seated where the stroller will not block a walkway, so baby doesn't getting bumped or jostled and awakened!

[sdwilson]

Yes, just not the denim ones!! :D :D :D

 

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

 

 

Thanks! I knew I could get some info on these boards. There is no denim on the stroller!! Ha!! It's actually a very attractive stroller, we've gotten a few compliments on it!!

[hdawson]

Spaces between tables and dining chairs is rather tight. It might be very difficult for the wait staff to serve.

[sdwilson]

I'll get with the Maitre'D, maybe they can seat us where we will not be in the way of the servers or other passengers. That's what we do at restaurants now.

 

I may need to call the TA and have them add a request to our reservation.

 

We have VIP boarding, I wonder if I could request something like this in there before we board.

 

I haven't asked for any other special accommodations...so maybe if they see just the one listed, we'll be ok.

[piratemom]

We were on the Miracle a couple of years ago. Didn't want to put the baby in a highchair due to cloth table cloths (moms, you know what I mean). Anyway, as soon as I could get to the dining room, I asked the head waiter if we could have a table in the back corner and explained why. He gave us exactly what we asked for. We were in the back corner by the "wait station". Not only was there plenty of room for the stroller there (NOT between two tables, but the last table on the end), but it was a window table. As a matter of fact, there was actually a door right by our table where we could slip out if we needed too. HOWEVER...we got lucky on this....if you are not able to get a table like that, I don't know if having a stroller in there would work. The previous poster who said space between tables is right. Good luck :)

[sdwilson]

We were on the Miracle a couple of years ago. Didn't want to put the baby in a highchair due to cloth table cloths (moms, you know what I mean). Anyway, as soon as I could get to the dining room, I asked the head waiter if we could have a table in the back corner and explained why. He gave us exactly what we asked for. We were in the back corner by the "wait station". Not only was there plenty of room for the stroller there (NOT between two tables, but the last table on the end), but it was a window table. As a matter of fact, there was actually a door right by our table where we could slip out if we needed too. HOWEVER...we got lucky on this....if you are not able to get a table like that, I don't know if having a stroller in there would work. The previous poster who said space between tables is right. Good luck :)

 

 

Thanks piratemom! I may go ahead and call the TA today and see if they can go ahead and make that request. I hope we can get a table like you had too. B/c the baby really can't sit up good enough for a highchair yet. He can, but he sure looks uncomfortable abd he normally sleeps during this time. I am sure cruising will throw his routine off somewhat, but who knows!!

 

Thanks Again for all the info!!

[sdwilson]

Anyone else have any info?

[cuyahoga11]

I have seen many strollers in the dining room, they must have some kind of system

[sdwilson]

Thanks Diana... I have tried to remember seeing them myself, but I can't remember ever seeing any, but we have always had late seating.

[PINEVIEW01]

We will be traveling with our 6 month old baby aboard the Fantasy next week, are stollers allowed in the dining room on Carnival ships?

 

We have requested early seating for dinner b/c that's normally when the baby naps, he will need his stroller to be comfortable.

 

Is it possible? Have you seen any?

When we had the 8 month old, we had to park the stroller at the front of the dinning room. After people in motor scooters got to thier seats they were taken back up front. I have never seen a stroller in the dinning room.

[caribbean dreams]

You will probably have to wait until you board to request a special back Back table.

The only dining room request that can be made pre cruise is seating time.

[PINEVIEW01]

caribbean dreams is right, the agents can't really handle that kind of request. Just go to maitre 'd as soon as you board.

[jetta2828]

My son has been cruising with us since he was 11 months and every single time we cruise we take a stroller. There has been no problem at all in any of the cruises. Trust me they will accomadate you any way they can. As a matter of fact, so we would not go through the trouble of closing and opening the stroller and not being able to fit it into our room, we would leave it by the elevator (our room was by an elevator) all night and no one complained or even asked. By the end of the cruise everyone by our stateroom knew it was ours and when we were in our room (and it was a double stroller becasue my neice was with us.) So don't worry they will accomadate you or you can accomadate yourself;). I still take a stroller and my son is 4. Lets just say he is LAZY!!!!!!

[serene56]

I hope its not one of those big type strollers. It wont fit through the hall with the cabin stewards trays etc out there.

 

They gotta be Skinny type stollers in order to manuver around the ship.

[sdwilson]

Well our stroller doesn't seem too big to me, but I guess on the stroller chart, it's probably considered large. We have a skinny one, but it doesn't roll as well as the big one does. So I hope that we will have no problem. We don't really have any hallways to our cabin. We are the first one on the hallway when you step off elevator. Maybe that'll be one plus.

[sandy toes]

Everyone in my family group has used some type of "umbrella" stroller when taking the children. Several times, tiny ones were allowed to sleep in the dining room in the stroller. The larger children(1 1/2-4) were kind of redirected (between play time, fun at sea and just being tired out)to nap before dinner time so it was not an issue with them. I have seen strollers on NCL, Celebrity , RCCL and Carnival. Some sailings they are allowed in the dining room and others the parents have been asked to park them at the front doors. I know one sailing a family member was very upset when told they could not bring a large standard stroller into the dining room. They kind of went off the deep end and refused to eat in the DR the entire 10 nights. Several of us, even said we would watch the child (2yr) for them to go dine. They would not hear of it. We all thought they were punishing themselves. Hope that does not occur for you all (doubt it as it was not with Carnival). Does the baby still use one of the car seats with the carry handle? They fit very nicely in a small area and babies seem to sleep well in them. Just another thought. Have a great time, take tons of pics to show the little one when they grow up.

[serene56]

I only mentioned the fact about the size because on one cruise we saw a family with a stroller that just couldnt seem to get around very easily. (im thinking it was the sensation)

I thought its a shame the stuff we take for granted.

[PelicanBill]

I have often seen strollers in the dining rooms, and it was clear the families were placed at tables where there was some extra space to do so. Every dining room has someplace they can do this.

 

If they try to tell you the stroller must be kept away from the table be polite but firm that the baby must be able to sleep during dinner or it will take you twice as long to eat because you will have to take turns eating and holding the baby. And you will ask to have one of you served later than the other so the food does not get cold. People without babies often cannot understand this.

 

But do yourself a favor and take a careful look at the stroller as to size. I saw a family on my last cruise whose stroller took up too much room in the cabin so they kept leaving it in the hall. This made it so a person in a wheelchair could not get by. Elevators and halls are narrow and there are many crowded areas before/after dinner and shows, so a compact stroller really makes a difference. We travelled with a compact stroller but made sure it had a sunshade, double wheels, and reclined enough for sleep.

[sdwilson]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate all of it.

 

We do have a smaller stroller that the car seat does attach to, maybe we should take it and not the big one, It would make more sense. The only reason I am hesitant about this is the baby does rest better in the big one, but then again, he'll be out of his element anyway.

[cusyl]

I have seen a lot of those umbrella strollers on the ships and planes. They fold up easily and don't take up much room. Also, they are inexpensive.

[serene56]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate all of it.

 

We do have a smaller stroller that the car seat does attach to, maybe we should take it and not the big one, It would make more sense. The only reason I am hesitant about this is the baby does rest better in the big one, but then again, he'll be out of his element anyway.

 

 

thats the one to take. I know what youmean and that is the one we are taking in August. The other one sounds likes its gonna be too big to manuever around. (the dining room and the halls, the stores,

even in the shows the bigger one will block the isles. with the other one you will be able to get it down into the seat areas at least.

[crusinmama06]

I bought a travel umbrella stroller that reclined for our cruise trips. BUT when my daughter was 8 months old and on a cruise ship, I brought with us the carrier car seat carrier for her to sleep in during dinner. I just sat it on a chair and she slept soundly through dinner.

[fostergrants]

We had plenty of room for a stroller. We used an umbrella. I saw people with bigger ones, but it was tighter for them.