Stroller or Carrier for Large 23m old in West Med?

We will be traveling with a group of 5 adults, a 3yr and my almost 2 year old on the Symphony of the Seas in May. We're leaving from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia/Cinque Terre, Rome, and Naples. I'm trying to decide if we should bring our stroller (a B.O.B. Motion, so less than a jogger but more than an umbrella) and/or a toddler backpack carrier (Tula toddler carry-on). My daughter is regularly in the 90th+ %ile for weight and already weighs 28lbs, but I'm concerned about having to haul the stroller around and having it be nearly useless on possibly cobblestoned streets of Europe. At the same time, I don't particularly want her just walking around or having to carry her on our backs the whole time either.

Suggestions for anything else to do with cruising with young kids are welcome, as this is my first time cruising with or without kids.

TIA, Meg

my daughter was 15 months old this past June when we cruised, the stroller was a life saver, We are cruising again this August, we will do the stroller again, we purchased an umbrella stroller because we didnt want to use our regular stroller, it still had a cup holder and nice storage. My sister just got the same one for her daughter for the cruise as well. It is a Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience stroller. There wa actually a few families with the same stroller on the cruise!

I would bring both. I used a MacLaren double stroller (side-by-side) for ports on a similar Western Med itinerary and couldn't have lived without it. Nice for the kids to have a place to sit, snack, nap while you keep going. Mine was fine on the cobblestones - as long as it isn't a cheap umbrella stroller, it should be ok. For Cinque Terre you'll prob want the carrier due to the steep sloped streets and train/ferry transportation - but depends on what you're doing.

Take both, you will want them for different times/purposes. Our last cruise with my son was Bermuda when he was 27 months old, and we used the stroller some and the toddler Tula a lot!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Are you touring on your own, or will you hire private tours with transportation? We took the stroller with us in St. Petersburg because we had a private tour with a car and driver, and could easily leave the stroller behind when the tour guide said it wouldn't be necessary. We took it to the Hermitage, and Peterhoff since they were easily accessible for strollers. In other cities where we didn't have transportation we left it behind (our son was 3, so it was a very different situation).

I still back carry my nearly 40# 3 year old. It’s been a lifesaver! Bring both because sometimes popping on the back is the better solution to a stroller

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

@kitkat343 We're still trying to figure that out. We will be using the cruise line's excursion to Rome and possibly Naples/Pompeii, but otherwise I think we'll be using public transport/walking

@myacuna that's what I'm thinking. My husband is resistant to using the carrier exclusively, where as I think carrying would be easier overall. She can walk when she wants without it being a hassle.

I would use whichever you use the most at home prior to cruising. If the child isn't happy using a stroller on a regular basis, they might not be happy in it on the cruise. Same with the carrier.

We carry using wraps.. this aside, the ports you visit have sometimes still cobblestone, lots of steps, and so on.....I would hate having to push a stroller there.

Bring the stroller....if the going gets rough, take the child out...it's easier to push then. You will NOT want to be carrying a large child for any length of time.

I too would have a stroller for this trip.

Keith

Bring the stroller....if the going gets rough, take the child out...it's easier to push then. You will NOT want to be carrying a large child for any length of time.

For someone who does not carry a child frequently this is probably true, but many people use wraps or toddler sized carriers on a regular basis for 30-40 lb children and are very comfortable. There are a lot of situation in which I would rather carry a 30 lb child on my back than push a stroller on uneven ground or through dense crowds!!

I would choose a carrier over a stroller in Naples and Pompei. You can get by with a stroller in Naples, but in Pompei a stroller would be tough. Everything over there is just smaller. There is less space in restaurants, less space on the streets, less space in stores. I found it much easier to use a carrier. (I lived in Naples for 2 years, and my son was born there.) When we cruised to Alaska my daughter was 3 1/2 and I used my pre-school kinderpack the whole time.

Happy 41# child [emoji16]

He was contained and I was happy to not have to chase him in a dark crowd.

This is a toddler carrier. I agree, carrying a toddler has a time and place and can be done comfortably

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

@kitkat343 We're still trying to figure that out. We will be using the cruise line's excursion to Rome and possibly Naples/Pompeii, but otherwise I think we'll be using public transport/walking

 

@myacuna that's what I'm thinking. My husband is resistant to using the carrier exclusively, where as I think carrying would be easier overall. She can walk when she wants without it being a hassle.

Pompeii is not stroller friendly. Lots of ruts and potholes.