Anyone brought a side by side double stroller?

[Julienatul]

We are due with #2 in December and need to get a double stroller. I hate the front to back designs since reclining is difficult and was looking at side by side models. Although whatever we choose has to fit our cruising lifestyle :) Has anyone taken a double stroller on a cruise what are your opinions? I was looking at the aria twin and maclaren twin.

 

When are kids old enough to walk on their own? My oldest will be 3 this Oct. and then we will have the infant.

 

Any opinions appreciated.

 

Julie

[decoste45]

I have never taken a double stroller on a cruise but my first reaction is that it will be way too wide. I couldn't imagine how you would be able to go down a hallway without making it impossible for anyone coming the other way to pass. I think maneauvering around the buffet area would be tough as well. Hopefully someone who has taken a double will give you some insight.

I think that your 3 year old would still appreciate a stroller as well. It may a good place for him to take a break when you are out and about.

Hope you have a great trip and congratulations on your pregnancy.

[6rugrats]

A double stroller will be too wide; you will get it stuck and be running into people all the time. I personally despise them.

[sas80]

We are due with #2 in December and need to get a double stroller. I hate the front to back designs since reclining is difficult and was looking at side by side models. Although whatever we choose has to fit our cruising lifestyle :) Has anyone taken a double stroller on a cruise what are your opinions? I was looking at the aria twin and maclaren twin.

 

When are kids old enough to walk on their own? My oldest will be 3 this Oct. and then we will have the infant.

 

Any opinions appreciated.

 

Julie

 

I saw a parent at Sea World with this "Phil and Ted" stroller - LOVE the design!

 

http://www.philandteds.com/nz/index.htm

 

They are about $4-500 new on Amazon and DH chokes every time I mention them. I read some reviews on Amazon that said to test drive them in the store to make sure they are the right stroller (ergonomically speaking) for mom and dad. The design looks wonderful!

[Kerry's Girls]

I'm a twin mom and have four strollers. My first was a Graco DuoGlider tandem, and that's what I still use now that my girls are 3-1/2. A tandem will be perfect for your situation because it will take a car seat for the baby in the front or back, so your older child can sit in front or sleep in back (since the back reclines completely).

 

Cruise ships are very stroller friendly because they're wheelchair accessible for the most part - but a side-by-side will be pretty useless because it's wider than a wheelchair and so won't fit through doors, in corridors, in aisles, down the gangway, etc. It will be a constant frustration.

 

When choosing, get one that manuevers well and has sturdy wheels. I took a Peg Perego on our first cruise and hated it because I couldn't handle it with one hand. Also, it didn't fit through the cabin door, so I had to fold it every time. Our Graco fits through the door. My girls liked to sit in it in the cabin to have a snack and watch tv (it has stadium seating, so the child in back can see too) while I showered and dressed for dinner. We took it everywhere - on the cobblestone streets, on the sand at the beach, etc.

 

Best,

Mia

[notentirelynormal]

We took the tandem kind and it worked pretty well but it barely fit in the hallways and elevators. Remember, when you are walking down the corridors you will have other people AND cleaning carts in the way. To get past cleaning carts we often had to scoot them closer to the wall and it was tight. With a side by side you would have to either turn around and go back or push the cart into a cabin or down to an open area. Not practical. Also, going up and down the ramps getting on and off the ship would be more difficult (not sure how wide they are) but again that was tight. Not sure where you are going, but sidewalks also might not be wide enough to accommodate a double and people walking the other way forcing them to either walk in the street or you to have to stop and turn the stroller. We were able to put the stroller underneath on the larger buses for shore excursions but on the smaller buses and shuttles we had to fold it down and take it on board with us. Holding 2 kids and a folded stroller was difficult enough when it could be in front of you, but beside you too? Some shuttles it simply would not have fit. Just some food for thought. :)

[Kerry's Girls]

Just one more note when cruising with a stroller - I always choose a cabin as close to the elevators as possible so I don't have to deal with the narrow corridors that are often blocked with the carts the room stewards use.

 

Best,

Mia

[Julienatul]

Thanks, Im really glad I asked this question. I was going to measure the hallways and doorways on our next cruise to see if a double would fit but I never thought about carts in the way or blocking people from passing on the other side. I think I will focus on a tandem.

 

Thanks Sas80, I love that phil and teds and will definietly look more into that. Seeing as how this is our second child, we already have most of the baby items so maybe I can splurge on this one!

 

Julie

[sas80]

Thanks, Im really glad I asked this question. I was going to measure the hallways and doorways on our next cruise to see if a double would fit but I never thought about carts in the way or blocking people from passing on the other side. I think I will focus on a tandem.

 

Thanks Sas80, I love that phil and teds and will definietly look more into that. Seeing as how this is our second child, we already have most of the baby items so maybe I can splurge on this one!

 

Julie

 

Hrm...maybe I will use that logic on DH! "But honey, we already have all of the "stuff", we wont need to purchase any of it, why cant we buy the stroller?"

 

I, personally, trying to figure out how to politely ask for cash donations that we could use toward purchasing the stroller!

 

Just remember, read the Amazon reviews and make sure to test drive it in the store first. It's a big investment.

[PattyW]

I know at least 4 people who have the BOB Revolution double stroller and love it.

 

http://www.albeebaby.com/bob20dureinn.html

 

If you want front back without the true font/back concept then Phil & Ted's is the way to go. Other possibilities:

 

The "jump seat" concept:

 

http://www.allchildrensfurniture.com/Baby-Jogger-J7J50-IJ1242.html

 

And, of course, the ever popular "sit and stand"/joovy caboose style

 

http://strollers.baby-gaga.com/baby-trend-sit-n-stand.php

[Niala]

When I first saw the Phil and Teds I thought it was hideous :D I then found myself in the same situation you are in. I test drove many of the prams in the stores and was eventually talked into a Phil and Teds by one of the customers in the store.

 

Well I love it! I tell everyone about it and encourage anyone thinking of buying one to do so. Its great with a newborn as it lies flat and the toddler can sit at the front. Later on the toddler sits at the back. My 3 1/2 and 1 year old are still in it nearly everyday and we are definately taking it on our cruise next week on the Jewel around the Baltics.

 

It is so easy to maneuver and copes well on any terrain, which is a bonus for all those cobble stoned streets in Europe. I say GO FOR IT! You won't regret it :)

[wrp96]

Hrm...maybe I will use that logic on DH! "But honey, we already have all of the "stuff", we wont need to purchase any of it, why cant we buy the stroller?"

 

I, personally, trying to figure out how to politely ask for cash donations that we could use toward purchasing the stroller!

 

Just remember, read the Amazon reviews and make sure to test drive it in the store first. It's a big investment.

 

Maybe you could get your CC friends to throw you a baby shower?:p

[beckyjohns]

We have twins who are almost 16 months old and have gone through several strollers already. We have the Bob Revolution Duallie (as mentioned above) and it is an awesome stroller. It turns on a dime, is super durable, etc. That said, we DO NOT travel with it. It is waaaaaay too big. I can't imagine how it would ever fit in the hallways of the ship, let alone where you would store it in the cabin (it doesn't fold down all that compactly). We use a Combi side-by-side for any kind of travel. It's pretty light and folds down pretty small considering it's a double stroller.

 

However, our first cruise with the boys will be in November. I do not plan on bringing the Combi with us....still too wide for the ship. I plan to buy 2 umbrella strollers and a set of those clips that attach to single strollers to make it a double. This will allow the strollers to be clipped into one when in open spaces, but just be single strollers when moving about the ship.

[sas80]

Maybe you could get your CC friends to throw you a baby shower?:p

 

Ah! Wouldn't that be great!

 

I think that's more along the lines of "in my wildest fantasies"!

[mandyq]

We just went on a cruise with a 23 month old and a 5 month old. I kept on searching for a double stroller that would work for us that wasn't a fortune and not too bulky. We just decided to go with 2 strollers. We brought the travel system for the infant and then a umbrella stroller for the toddler. I think it depends on how old the baby is when you go on a cruise as to what type of stroller would work best. The sit and stand strollers are very nice. I would have gotten one but then I think there would be fighting about who could ride on it since I also have a 4 yo. We are already working on the toddler not needing a stroller anymore and my oldest didn't need a stroller after he turned 2. If your baby will be older then 6 months, I think getting 2 umbrella strollers and a clip to attach them would be very useful and economical.

[bigpuma]

When I first saw the Phil and Teds I thought it was hideous :D I then found myself in the same situation you are in. I test drove many of the prams in the stores and was eventually talked into a Phil and Teds by one of the customers in the store.

 

Well I love it! I tell everyone about it and encourage anyone thinking of buying one to do so. Its great with a newborn as it lies flat and the toddler can sit at the front. Later on the toddler sits at the back. My 3 1/2 and 1 year old are still in it nearly everyday and we are definately taking it on our cruise next week on the Jewel around the Baltics.

 

It is so easy to maneuver and copes well on any terrain, which is a bonus for all those cobble stoned streets in Europe. I say GO FOR IT! You won't regret it :)

 

I have a question about the P&T. Can you put a carseat baby carrier on it? My friend reccomended this stroller to me but I can't find the answer to this question. We are expecting our second child and I want a double stroller that we can attach the car seat carrier to.

 

thanks, BP

[lagbunch8]

First off Congrats on #2! :)

 

I had 6 kids in 7 years including a set of twins. I agree that the side by side will be too wide for the cruise.

 

Also you will probably need 2 strollers for when you are not at sea. The tandum for when you are at the mall or other places where space is an issue. Also as someone else mentioned you can snap the carseat right into it. You will really like this when the baby is still in the infant car seat. But, the side by side is great for going to the park or walks etc because they recline all the way and you have more storage space. We go to the theme parks a lot and the side by side was the way to go. We pack our food and drinks so we need storage. I haven't bought a stroller in a while so I wouldn't know about all the new models. I would go to the store and test them out. We like big tires--they seem to roll better.

[PattyW]

I have a question about the P&T. Can you put a carseat baby carrier on it? My friend reccomended this stroller to me but I can't find the answer to this question. We are expecting our second child and I want a double stroller that we can attach the car seat carrier to.

 

thanks, BP

 

Yes you can, but you have to buy an adapter kit. There's an almost universal one

 

http://www.giggle.com/p/16858/c/557/cl/568/Phil-and-Teds-Car-Seat-Adapter--------------.aspx

 

and a special Peg Perego one

 

http://www.joggingstroller.com/Phil-and-Teds-Travel-System-Car-Seat-Adapter--Peg-Perego.pro