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Stroller and Pack n Play


MamaWals
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Hi, I'm new here. We're going on a Western Caribbean cruise in March on NCL out of Tampa. It will be my husband and I, our 6 month old son, and 6 other relatives. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer. I'd appreciate any insight you can provide.

 

1. They're going to provide a pack n play for our room, which is great because it means we won't have to bring ours. However, I've never used a pack n play from someone else before. Is there some way to clean it before putting my son in it? I don't want him to get sick from the kid who used it before him. Also, my son usually sleeps in a crib. The pack n play has a really hard thin pad on the bottom and I've noticed that in ours, at least, you can feel the bar through it. Any advice for making it more comfortable but still safe? My son is able to roll from back to front, but not front to back at this point so just filling it with blankets wouldn't be safe for him.

 

2. We need to buy a new stroller because the one we have came with the carseat and is enormous. Since we're going to Disney World before the cruise, we'd like to get a lightweight stroller that will do well at Disney World, on the boat, shore excursions, and afterward at home. We've been looking at the Chicco Liteway Plus and Britax B-Agile strollers because they would both allow us to snap in our son's carseat (Chicco KeyFit30) while getting on and off the boat. Has anyone used these on a cruise/at Disney World? How did they do?

 

Thank you!

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I have no idea about the stroller question because I always used a carrier when on vacation, but for the pack and play, I would always wipe it down with Lysol wipes, then bring a flannel sheet (the ones designed to fit a pack and play) from home. Ds didn't seem to mind sleeping in it, but if you wanted to add padding, you could add it under the sheet. Ita that you want to be careful adding padding, personally I'd try him on it to see if he even notices :)

 

 

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Bring a couple of fitted pack-n-play sheets with you, I prefer colored/pattern ones so as not to get lost or mixed in with the onboard linens...Ask your cabin steward for additional blankets and use them under the fitted sheet for more padding...

 

In addition if your cabin has a loveseat or sofa sleeper these can be turned around facing the wall and used as a crib..your cabin steward will make them up for you.

 

Best of luck and enjoy.

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Thank you. I'll bring his own bedding and pack some lysol wipes. I definitely want him in the pack n play and not on a bed against the wall at this age because he's too young to be able to move if he gets wedged between the bed and the wall and could suffocate that way. But I can see how that would work for an older child with more body control. Maybe next cruise!

 

I wish I could baby carry - that would make life so much easier - but LO is a spitter and unless I want to spend the vacation with both of us covered in spit up the stroller is definitely the way to go (I think the carriers put more pressure on his middle when he's in them). Hopefully someone will have had some experience with strollers on this board and chime in :)

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Stroller wise we bought the graco IPO for our cruise because it's an umbrella style stroller so it doesn't fold up flat but all 4 sides fold up making it smaller, and it also has a great recline for nap time allowing us to walk around the ship after bed time pushing the baby while she slept. I had a hard time finding an affordable umbrella stroller that had a good recline. Good luck!

 

 

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Check out the coverplay for the pack n play. It's like a slip cover for pack n plays. Some hotels offer them now.

 

As for the stroller, keep in mind that at Disney there will be times you will have to fold the stroller & carry DS (parking lot trams and on buses). You may want to use just the stroller without the car seat on days you use these types of transportation.

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Which line are you sailing? You may want to make sure it is actually a pack-n-play and not a small crib they are providing. We sailed last April on the Carnival Magic with our 6 month old and we actually got a small metal crib and not a pack-n-play. I know had we brought our own pack-n-play sheets, they would not have fit the crib we had. It also had a regular type mattress so more comfortable than the thin pack-n-play mat.

 

As far as strollers go, we did a cruise and Disney World last year. Our son was 6 months and then 10 months, respectively. We had just a snap and go stroller that we were using with his carseat, but decided before the cruise it was time for something a little more user friendly than the snap and go since I didn't want to have to lug his carseat all over the ship with us. We wound up purchasing this stroller: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Contours-by-Kolcraft-Lite-Stroller-Tangelo/13004571. I highly recommend it. It doesn't fold up completely flat, but it doesn't take up too much room and we had plenty of space for it, the crib, 2 kids and 2 adults in our cabin. I like that the stroller has a huge storage basket underneath and the canopy is large and provides a great amount of shade. It also completely reclines and has several settings in between that one and the sitting up so you can be sure the little one is comfortable. It also has great manuverability. Like I said, we took it to both places and didn't have an issue anywhere. We are still using it now and with the next baby I'm sure he/she will inherit it as well.

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Thank you for the coverplay and stroller recommendations. I'll definitely check those out. It is a pack n play. At first I assumed it would be a mini-crib and I have bedding for that, but when I called back NCL told me it is a pack n play (we're sailing on the Dawn out of Tampa). Given all the bad press cruise lines get for illness outbreaks I just assumed they would use a traditional mini crib that's easier to disinfect but apparently not. I also worry about stuff falling on him in the pack n play since they sit lower.

 

Oh - for clarification, we're not going to use the carseat IN Disney World or on the ship. We just like the idea of being able to carry it onto the ship in the stroller, as opposed to by hand or buying a carseat backpack. We're going to have it with use since we're driving to Florida so why not bring it just in case? He doesn't normally use the carseat in the stroller anymore except if he's asleep when we get out of the car.

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We took our 7 month old on her first cruise in January, and we're taking her again in April on NCL. We have the Britax you mentioned (we bought the stroller/baby bucket combo) and after much debate we decided to bring it with us on the cruise. I'm glad we did. We thought about an umbrella stroller since they're smaller and such but were concerned about storage plus we already had the Britax so that's what we went with.

 

The sunshade worked out great and the wheels are big enough to navigate cracks/uneven surfaces. But the biggest reason we liked it was definitely the storage. We could hang the diaper bag on the handle hooks as well as other stuff purchased in port, and you can stuff a good bit in the basket also. I like that even pretty heavily loaded it stays upright when you have the baby out. An umbrella stroller will flip backwards if you have much hanging on the handles and you take the baby out.

 

It folds up reasonably flat and we just kept it under the bed and out of the way in the cabin. We did not use it on the ship other than making our way to the gangway and back while in port. We just carried her everywhere on board. We had no problem navigating around housekeeping carts or any hallway obstacles. It would not, however, for through the cabin door. It was literally about 1/4" too wide to fit. We didn't think it was a big deal and just loaded or unloaded in the hall. This was on carnival, as I said we'll be on NCL in April.

 

One other thing. Britax makes a cup holder (for adults, I'm not talking about the kids one although they make that too) that attaches to the handles. It's got a central cubby with a magnetic flap cover and two INSULATED cup holders that you can drop your drinks in. We've had ours the whole time and didn't just buy it for the cruise but it was FANTASTIC in port to keep you drinks cooler. It's also a great place to stick a baby bottle quick. I highly recommend it, it'll fit most all strollers I'd think.

 

 

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Cruised with our 6 month old in January, as far as the pack in play I'm really no help bc we were still bed sharing (hopefully that won't be the case next month when we cruise again) but what about a kindermat? As for the stroller we just used a inexpensive jeep umbrella stroller and it worked wonderfully. We also baby wear but only did that at muster drill. I think the smaller the better.

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Lysol wipes to clean the pack n play. They come in packets like wet ones in the travel section in bed bath and beyond.

 

For the stroller, I would not recommend the Chicco lite way at all. We went through two of them in one summer due to the hood/shade warping in the sun. It's made of cheap plastic and warped even after a couple of hours in the back of the car. We ended up exchanging it for a Maclaren Quest and we love it. It's probably about $50 or so more than the Chicco but much much better quality. Have had it for 2 years now with no issue and it's been on several cruises with us.

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We have the Britax B-agile and love it. It can recline in many different positions, is relatively lightweight for a stroller and is of great quality. On the down-side, the storage compartment underneath is narrow and my diaper bag doesn't fit. I solved that by getting the Mommy Hook to attach my bag to the handle.

I'd've your LO has enough head and trunk control, I may recommend getting an inexpensive umbrella stroller. They are super lightweight and can collapse to take up less space. Good luck and enjoy your cruise. We are leaving this Sunday for the Caribbean with our 15 mon-old.

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Hi, I'm new here. We're going on a Western Caribbean cruise in March on NCL out of Tampa. It will be my husband and I, our 6 month old son, and 6 other relatives. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer. I'd appreciate any insight you can provide.

 

1. They're going to provide a pack n play for our room, which is great because it means we won't have to bring ours. However, I've never used a pack n play from someone else before. Is there some way to clean it before putting my son in it? I don't want him to get sick from the kid who used it before him. Also, my son usually sleeps in a crib. The pack n play has a really hard thin pad on the bottom and I've noticed that in ours, at least, you can feel the bar through it. Any advice for making it more comfortable but still safe? My son is able to roll from back to front, but not front to back at this point so just filling it with blankets wouldn't be safe for him.

 

2. We need to buy a new stroller because the one we have came with the carseat and is enormous. Since we're going to Disney World before the cruise, we'd like to get a lightweight stroller that will do well at Disney World, on the boat, shore excursions, and afterward at home. We've been looking at the Chicco Liteway Plus and Britax B-Agile strollers because they would both allow us to snap in our son's carseat (Chicco KeyFit30) while getting on and off the boat. Has anyone used these on a cruise/at Disney World? How did they do?

 

Thank you!

 

1) personally I would bring my own PNP. IF the one they give you is too grungy or defective, what are you going to do? or what if they don't have the bottom insert and provide a comforter for the inside instead? who knows? if you use they one they provide I would bring a can of Lysol and pretty much saturate the thing, then let it dry before putting the kid in it.

 

PNPs basically bag themselves once you fold them up and put them in the cover. I'd go the additional step and wrap it with plastic (the kind you use for moving, you can get rolls of it at Lowes or Home depot for like 10 bucks). or buy a cheap(er) one and leave it in the box for air travel if it comes to it. and just leave it on the ship.

 

at that age he shouldn't notice the PNP "hardness" too much. Mine slept in one for daycare every day for two years. They sleep anywhere! I wouldn't add anything to it.

 

2) I wouldn't go to anything beyond an umbrella stroller on the ship. Even with one that small it still gets crowded and hard to maneuver.

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Maybe you're right and I should just bring the PnP. We're driving so the only issue is how much space we'll have. It's so funny. Before our son my husband and I traveled and lived all over the world. We actually moved to Asia with nothing but four suitcases! Now that we have our little guy I feel like I'm packing an entire house every time we go anywhere! I guess that's what happens when you have kids. Thanks for all the input so far. I really appreciate it. Oh - and I looked up the kindermat and if I put my son on a mat on the floor he would probably end up underneath the middle of the bed somewhere around midnight :) That kid covers every square inch of his crib at night. I can't turn my back on him for a moment when he's on the floor because it's anyone's guess where he'll end up and he seems to have a particular fondness for rolling himself under furniture.

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I personally wouldn't want to use the ship's PNP as they have mesh siding and fabric that I don't think I would be able to clean well with Lysol wipes. Plus, the fabric would get wet from the Lysol and I would be afraid of an overpowering smell for a 6 month old baby. Carnival has the metal cribs that my son stayed in a few times and I was able to do a thorough cleaning with my Clorox wipes-it was really nasty!

 

As for strollers, I highly recommend the Maclaren Quest-I have had it since my son was 7 months old and it has held up amazingly well and taken a lot of beatings on planes, ships, and extensive traveling. My son is 3 and still uses the stroller (not by choice) in airports, malls, etc. It is narrow enough for the hallways on a cruise and fits inside the narrow stateroom doors with no problem, folds up with one hand. Good luck!

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Hi, I'm new here. We're going on a Western Caribbean cruise in March on NCL out of Tampa. It will be my husband and I, our 6 month old son, and 6 other relatives. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer. I'd appreciate any insight you can provide.

 

1. They're going to provide a pack n play for our room, which is great because it means we won't have to bring ours. However, I've never used a pack n play from someone else before. Is there some way to clean it before putting my son in it? I don't want him to get sick from the kid who used it before him. Also, my son usually sleeps in a crib. The pack n play has a really hard thin pad on the bottom and I've noticed that in ours, at least, you can feel the bar through it. Any advice for making it more comfortable but still safe? My son is able to roll from back to front, but not front to back at this point so just filling it with blankets wouldn't be safe for him.

 

2. We need to buy a new stroller because the one we have came with the carseat and is enormous. Since we're going to Disney World before the cruise, we'd like to get a lightweight stroller that will do well at Disney World, on the boat, shore excursions, and afterward at home. We've been looking at the Chicco Liteway Plus and Britax B-Agile strollers because they would both allow us to snap in our son's carseat (Chicco KeyFit30) while getting on and off the boat. Has anyone used these on a cruise/at Disney World? How did they do?

 

Thank you!

 

We are taking our 7 month old! We have the lite way and the cortina and will be using the lite way for the cruise. It is phoenomenal!

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Maybe you're right and I should just bring the PnP. We're driving so the only issue is how much space we'll have. It's so funny. Before our son my husband and I traveled and lived all over the world. We actually moved to Asia with nothing but four suitcases! Now that we have our little guy I feel like I'm packing an entire house every time we go anywhere! I guess that's what happens when you have kids. Thanks for all the input so far. I really appreciate it. Oh - and I looked up the kindermat and if I put my son on a mat on the floor he would probably end up underneath the middle of the bed somewhere around midnight :) That kid covers every square inch of his crib at night. I can't turn my back on him for a moment when he's on the floor because it's anyone's guess where he'll end up and he seems to have a particular fondness for rolling himself under furniture.

 

I put the kinder mat in the pnp for more cushion

 

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We love our maclaren quest! It has been on many flights, to Disneyland and Disney World and on two cruises :-) I love how easy it is to fold, the storage basket, and the recline. You can get a sunshade extender online too (I found one on amazon, it's not maclaren brand or anything, but works great). It easily fit under the bed on both cruises and through all the doorways, we even got dd to sleep in it a few times and would take her (in the stroller) with us around the ship.

 

If it's car seat transport you are worried about you could always give it to the porters (if you are comfortable with that), I don't see it being worse than checking a car seat at the airport. Not trying to start a debate, as I know car seat transport can be a hot issue, just trying to offer an option. We usually look for car seat free excursions to avoid having to bring ours along, but I did debate bringing it anyways "just in case".

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Istead of blankets under the sheet in the PNP, I'd suggest a few bath towels. They will add cushioning without a lot of bulk, and will fit into a PNP a lot easier than a typical blanket from a cruise ship.

 

I agree with the people who suggest an umbrella stroller. Anything else is going to be wide and might be difficult to get past room steward carts and other passengers in the hallways.

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