Twin Moms or Dads? stroller/cruise advice

[Peacechik]

Hi,

Would love some advice from any twin Moms or Dads out there who cruise or anyone who has cruised with two toddlers. We're on the Carnival Valor at the end of May for a surprise 65th birthday for Grandma--meeeting friends and family in Miami. We've decided to bring the carseats (heavy britax boulevards!) for the transcontinental flight and MIA to hotel. Normally, we bring our Combi twin savvy (double side by side) but I hear this is not practical for a cruise. Normally, the double stroller helps when one of us (dh or I) want to take the girls somewhere or for a walk while the other one gets a break. I'm considering buying two umbrella strollers for our Caribbean cruise, but am hesitating because they already don't like being in the stroller much, prefer to walk and imagine it will be worse in May. Our ports are Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. I've been to all but Grand Cayman before. I doubt we'll be doing any excursions unless it involves an air conditioned ride around the island of Cozumel or Roatan with a beach stop. We're also planning 4 days post-cruise at a So. Florida beach destination. My question is: are strollers really helpful? And how do you get your carseats through the airport? One of the only reasons I'm considering getting two cheap umbrella strollers is to put the carseats in them to help us get to the gate!! I've considered bungee-ing the seats on to a couple of wheeled carryon bags, but then we already are bringing a backpack/diaper bag, plus a small cooler for the girls (food allergies), dh's laptop plus trying to hold on to two squirmy girls just to get on the plane. How did you do it? Any other cruising with twins tips would be welcomed, too. Thanks!

 

-Peace

[boulders]

How old are your daughters? I stopped using car seats on planes when my son was over 16 months, because the car seat just allowed him to kick the seat in front of him and to play with the tray table nonstop. He's much more comfortable without the car seat. I just put it in checked luggage. I use a lighter weight car seat for travel. The one I have installed in the car is very heavy, a pain to lug around and difficult to install properly. I purchased the lighter weight one just for travel.

 

Luggage carts will be available to transport your luggage and your car seats in the airport.

 

A side by side stroller is definitely too big to navigate through the ship. I just purchased a new umbrella stroller for my 2 1/2 year old and used it this weekend for a short trip. He absolutely refused to sit in the stroller, and insisted on walking the looong walks through the airports.LOL

[Cruizingwithtoddlers]

We brought single umbrella strollers last year for my " 'irish' twins" and it was easier to just put them in their while we got on board(on the airplane and the ship), didnt have to worry abut them wandering off while we checked in and we used them while we walked around the bahamas, the kids walked a bit, but it was just easier to put them in there while we got off board and away from a lot of people and we could let them walk around and i just put my backpack in 1 of the empty strollers and als folded up the other to also put on the other stroller (used a bungee cord to help keep it on)

Also I just found out about this portable car seat

http://www.babyage.com/products/22-915byt_eddie_bauer_eddie_bauer_portable_car_seat.htm

 

we have purchased this and will be using in on our next cruise in Dec

Hope this helps

cruizing with toddlers

[Peacechik]

Boulders, thanks for your reply. My twins are just 2. They'll be 2.5 in May, but as it is now, they rarely want to be in the stroller. We're planning on bringing carseats for safety reasons on the plane, but now I hear the britax ones are too wide? Also, in Miami, I hear the cabdrivers won't let you in the cab without a carseat at the airport.

 

Cruizingwithtoddlers-I will look into the portable carseat. I guess I'll start looking for a couple umbrella strollers, too. Thanks for your help!

 

-Peace

[MomTo2InVA]

I agree about the car seat on the plane. The last time we used it was last Sept when DD was 19 months - and that will be the last time. She constantly was kicking the seat in front of us - will be checking the seat next time.

[Kerry's Girls]

Hi,

Would love some advice from any twin Moms or Dads out there who cruise or anyone who has cruised with two toddlers. . My question is: are strollers really helpful?

-Peace

 

With the distances and the waits involved in airports, customs and during the cruise, I think a stroller is an absolute necessity. I fly/cruise with my twins alone, so two single strollers aren't an option for me, but might be a good option for you (I love my Graco DuoGlider tandem stroller for travel). Even if your girls choose not to ride at times, a stroller is the perfect place to hold all the water, snacks, etc. etc. (I also use a backpack purse so my hands are free).

 

I absolutely would NOT bring Britax seats - they may not even fit and your twins' legs will absolutely be cramped up the entire flight with no access to the tray in front of them, etc. If you want to bring car seats, buy or borrow some smaller, lighter ones, but I stopped using them after my girls turned 2 - including on transcontinental flights. Instead, I bring the Eddie Bauer portable car seats for cab rides to/from airports and in port.

 

Bring only what you absolutely need on the plane - check everything else. But always have enough water, snacks, diapers (if nec), etc. in case you're held on the tarmac for hours, which happens more and more often these days. You can't depend on being able to get snacks/water from the flight attendents because circumstances often prevents service. I also ran out of water at the end of our flight to London and ended up with miserable toddlers while we waited in the long lines at customs - make sure you plan better than I did.

 

Best,

Mia

[cruisnmom3]

I don't have twins but flew alone with my 3yo and 18 month old this past Sept. I got a this to put on the back of the carseat-worked well for the airport if you are wanting to bring your britax on the plane. I used a Britax Roundabout but it would hold a Marathon as well, not sure how well a Marathon would fit on the plane though...

 

http://www.elitecarseats.com/Gogo-Kidz-Universal-Travelmate.pro?source=froogle&kw=101275UNIVERQR0&zmam=6024774&zmas=8&zmac=111&zmap=101275UNIVERQR0

 

It was expensive but we travel a lot and are having our third so I think worth it. The other thing we've done is wear the carseats like backpacks by looping the straps...

[Spriteshadow]

We're taking our 21 month old twins on our first cruise this Saturday. We're driving down (8 hours... should be a blast!) so we don't have to worry about the plane.

 

We're bringing their "big" stroller (Valco Runabout http://www.valcobaby.com/detail-twin.htm) as well as a couple of umbrella strollers with shades. One of the reasons we chose the Valco is that it's the same width as a standard wheelchair. Anywhere that is acccessable to wheelchairs can take the stroller.

 

The plan is to use the Valco for embarking and disembarking at NYC. They will actually fall asleep in it, don't mind spending time in it, and it will allow one of us to take care of them while the other handles the carry on luggage and whatever else needs to be done. We also plan to use the Valco on the private island GSC. The big wheels will handle the beach, trails, anything that gets thrown at it. The idea of taking a wimpy umbrella stroller anywhere more rugged just doesn't turn me on. I want to spend my time looking around, not struggling to get from point a to b. It is a tender destination, but since wheelchair passengers can go, we should be able to as well.

 

We'll use the umbrellas strollers for around the ship and on any excursions where we'll be getting in and out of a number of tour busses.

 

At least that's the plan. I'll post a note when we get back to say how it actually goes if you like...

[carynvernon]

Hi There,

 

I just came back from a cruise on Freedom of the Seas with my twin boys who are 29 months. I didn't bring the stroller and did fine. I wanted to bring it with me, but my boys (similar to what you mentioned, were getting awfully squirmy in it before we left and really didn't want to sit in it much more. They actually did perfectly fine on the ship and at the airports. They held our hands and getting the energy out walking in the airport I think helped out in tiring them out on the plane.

 

Caryn

[mitsybella]

One step ahead company has several options for car seats and strollers, there is even one that you attach your car seat to and you can wheel it like a suitcase (on 2 wheels) We traveled last year with my 2 at the time they were 1 and 2, we took 2 seperate chairs so if we split up each parent could have a chair (they tired themselves out running around the ship) and then when they were tired we could let them nap in the stroller. We took 2 full size strollers last year but plan on 1 full and 1 umbrella this year as the 2 full ones did take up alot of space in the room.

[NanciRDH]

I flew in Dec with my 2.5 yo in a Britax Marathon. I did need to raise the armrest and had been told beforehand to ask for a seatbelt extender. Intallation was easy. The only downside was her being unable to us the tray table, but she fell asleep 10 minutes into the flight anyway. Dh and my older two sat in front of us, so the only ones she kicked were family. :) We checked our stroller and used this in the airport. It wheeled well forwards or backwards, and she thought it was fun! http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=533888&cmSource=Search

[bill turcotte]

hi

We brought our double side by stroller . Boy was i glad . We did not get the girls into the stroller untill we at the door to get off the ship . The girls loved running down the long hallways on the ship . I loved it also thier nothing to touch or break . Those hallways wore the girls out . Once in port the stroller was a god sent . If the girls don.t listen or start running I throw them in the stroller .

The plane .Know car seat was needed . Every one was so friendly .

[thewolffs]

hi

We brought our double side by stroller . Boy was i glad . We did not get the girls into the stroller untill we at the door to get off the ship . The girls loved running down the long hallways on the ship . I loved it also thier nothing to touch or break . Those hallways wore the girls out . Once in port the stroller was a god sent . If the girls don.t listen or start running I throw them in the stroller .

The plane .Know car seat was needed . Every one was so friendly .

 

Did you use the side-by-side on the ship at all? I'm taking a cruise with 6 month old twins and can't decide between 2 umbrella, side-by-side or a tandem. I like the idea of the umbrella strollers because they are so lightweight and easy to fold up. I think the double stroller would be nice if we want to leave the babies with one person. I can't decide what to do.

 

We plan on going to the beach at each port and I wonder if bringing the stroller is a waste of time. I was thinking of just using carriers for the beach.

 

Also, if we don't have car seats with us, how do you travel with babies in taxis on the islands? Should I just put them in the carriers?

 

Thanks!

[Kerry's Girls]

Did you use the side-by-side on the ship at all? I'm taking a cruise with 6 month old twins and can't decide between 2 umbrella, side-by-side or a tandem. I like the idea of the umbrella strollers because they are so lightweight and easy to fold up. I think the double stroller would be nice if we want to leave the babies with one person. I can't decide what to do.

 

We plan on going to the beach at each port and I wonder if bringing the stroller is a waste of time. I was thinking of just using carriers for the beach.

 

Also, if we don't have car seats with us, how do you travel with babies in taxis on the islands? Should I just put them in the carriers?

 

Thanks!

 

With 6 month olds, I would absolutely bring a tandem so they're as comfortable as possible in the stroller (and for more flexibility for you) and I'd definitely bring it to the beach so they can nap there. I brought my DuoGlider to the beach resorts and sat by the pool with them and there was always a place to sit on the beach that wasn't too far to push the stroller in the sand. A side-by-side is do-able, but significantly more awkward on board.

 

Best,

Mia

[gupsmom]

I just got off of a Disney cruise with my 8 month old twins. We have the exact same double stroller (combi twin savy). It worked great for us. The dining staff even let us bring it in to dinner on nights when our babies were tires (or already asleep). The only issue we had was that it did not fit through our stateroom door. So we had to take the babies out and fold the stroller once we got back to our room (not that big of a deal..esp since your's can walk). One tip...once folded we stored the stroller in the shower to save on space.

 

As for the beach...we were able to pull the stroller backwards through the sand. It wasn't super easy (and our babies are still small) but 2 of us could manage it without too much trouble.

 

Jess

[Peacechik]

I had no idea there were so many cruising with twins or two little ones. Liked reading all your posts and as a mom of 2 two year olds, know how hard it is to take the time to reply, so I really appreciate ALL your thoughts. Have heard about the gogokids travelmate, but don't really want to spend the $$ for two of them. Hadn't thought about wearing the carseat on my back. As a former backpacker, I like that idea. Now, I think we will bring the side-by-side instead of the umbrella strollers for airport and maybe for ports. And having them walk around those long hallways, tiring themselves out on the ship sounds mighty appealing to me. Sleeping on vacation is another issue we have, but that's another thread...

 

Would love to hear about your cruise when you get back, Spriteshadow, or anyone else.

 

Best to all,

Peace

[Eclipsepearl]

Hey Peacechik,

 

Glad to hear you're bringing the car seats on board. I'm a former Flight Attendant and I can assure you that this is the *only* way to fly safely. Remember, they make us watch all those scarey videos! Two year olds are too small to fit adult seat belts correctly and they wont hold them if anything goes wrong. Going without a car seat is iffy until about age 4.

 

As far as getting the seats to the plane, I fly a lot alone with three closely spaced children between Europe and California about twice a year. When my youngest outgrew her Sit-n-Stroll, I bought a Radian to keep her in a 5 point harness as long as possible, like the Marathon does. This is also a heavy seat but it folds.

 

I admit that most of my career was spent on bigger aircraft (I did long-haul internationals) but we never saw a problem with fitting a car seat into an economy seat.

 

If you really think they're too big, than think of getting perhaps one Cosco Scenera. They're cheap, FAA approved and very light. I did that before I got my Sit-n-Stroll. Another option is the CARES harness, which is expensive but some people have gotten creative and rent them on Ebay and Craigslist. Just google CARES harness with either of those.

 

http://www.kidsflysafe.com/about.php

 

I actually skipped the stroller, checking in as luggage and instead of an expensive Gogokidz, I used a small metal luggage cart, a relic of the first airline I worked for, and secured with with an extra bungee cord. Some parents manage by attaching them with the LATCH straps. The car seat also comes on and off more easily with this than the Gogokidz, the major complaint about this product. My daughter at age 3 1/2 could actually ride in it.

 

I agree that a side-by-side is too clunky for a cruise. I actually never flew with a double stroller at all and would suggest two umbrella ones since you are two adults travelling. Please note that not all umbrella strollers are flimsy and hard to push. You will need a sunshade and a basket. I would even venture to recommend second hand or ask around and borrow them. After all, you probably wont use them that much after the cruise anyway. Many of your childrens' peers aren't using them that much and their parents can probably cope without for the short time you're away. The double stroller is simply too big!

 

I recently borrowed a McClaren on a recent trip to Paris and it was a great toddler stroller. I was able to fold it up easily and with a child who walks, it's easy to have them hop out, snap it together and carry it by the handle in places where it wont go (like the Paris Métro).

 

My daugher cruised at age 3 and almost never rides in a stroller at home but I was very, very glad I brought it on the cruise. I only once took it off the ship. It was useful for getting around the ship, mostly. Mine folded nicely and could go behind a door.

 

For more information on flying with children, I'll give you the link to an article I wrote about 8 years ago and am constantly updating. Lots of parents have given me some great information. This, unlike most "flying tips" on the net, is non-commercial and is based on experiences both in my career and flying with my own three;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

 

Have a great time!

[Peacechik]

Thanks for all the great information, Sharon. Will check out your blog.

best,

Peace