G-Luxe

Another vote for the Cruz and get it used. We also have a Vista which we got for our nanny to use for a nanny share - it is great for this purpose, but feels unnecessarily big when we just have one kid. If you plan to have two kids I would just get a single now and sell it and get a double when number two comes along. You also may not need a double depending on your spread - my kids are three years apart and we almost never use the double with the two of them. I also like having an umbrella stroller. We have a G-Luxe that a friend gave us but a cheaper one would work great, too. Finally (I know we have too many!) we have a running stroller that was also passed on my a friend. It has been used less than five times in the past four years (and both parents are runners!) but your milage may vary haha. Last consideration - where will your stroller be stored? If you have to bring it up and down stairs then take weight into consideration - the Vista and Cruz are heavy. We leave ours either in the car or on a covered porch year round so I'm glad we didnt spend an arm and a leg since we got them used.

Two main ones—we like the vista for our neighborhood and a cheaper one for travel (mountain buggy nano or ergo metro plus that converts for newborns, trifolds, and can have a car seat balanced safely on top. I skipped the Doona since it only works for the first year or so. (We also got the uppababy g luxe as a third for our off the charts tall kiddo that didn’t fit in other strollers by the time he was 2 years old.)

Uppa Baby G Luxe, or Baby Jogger City Mini 2. My daughters are 19, and 15 now but I had early versions of Uppa Baby Vista and it was a great stroller. Very much a BIFL quality item. Go to the store and try a bunch out and get the one with the easiest fold. We had a Maclaren Triumph stroller and it was great; so sad the company went out of business.

I hope folks will have first-hand experience with the Vista on board. Our main battle stroller is a Cruz, but we ended up buying an Uppababy G-Luxe for roughly $110 for travel/emergency backup/keep it in the car purposes. Keep in mind that taking the stairs is a super power on a cruise ship; the G-Luxe is much easier to schlep than a full-sized stroller.

It depends on the itinerary and how your family rolls with the stroller. If you've got all three kids on the stroller using two seats plus the PiggyBack and that's what everyone's used to, it may make sense to bring it and stow it under your bed for port use every though it won't be very maneuverable in the ship's hallways. If all three kids are used to walking everywhere and there's no long walks at ports of call like, e.g., the pier at Lookout Cay, you may not need any stroller. Our main battle stroller for our lone toddler is an Uppababy Cruz, which would be too unwieldy to bring on board for transporting one kid. When we cruise, we bring an Uppababy G-Luxe. Keep in mind that being able to take the stairs rather than waiting for an elevator is a superpower on most cruises, and the G-Luxe is way easier to hand carry on stairs than the Cruz.

You know the relative walking speeds of your kids waaaaay better than I do, but, as the father of a 2.5-year-old, I would consider whether an umbrella stroller for your youngest would increase your range enough to be worthwhile. We bought our G-Luxe at a local dodgy baby emporium -- it felt like a front for a not-terribly-successful drug operation. The G-Luxe was a floor model that was missing the cup holder, but it was also cheap and, as we confirmed when the brake failed after a year, sold by an authorized Uppababy dealer and thus fully warranteed.

Actually you need two (at least), depends if you are a runner you need 3. Stroller 1: Vista 2, great for shopping, lots of storage and solid on the street. Fits with the car seat Mesa. Cons: can’t fit on some mta busses. Stroller 2: G-luxe: lightweight, fits on the bus, can be carried on the shoulder.

Short answer, yes the size will drive you crazy going up stairs and a narrow entry way. How often do you plan to walk and what will you do on those walks? If you’re looking to stroll the neighbour, I’d seriously consider the UB Minu. If your primary mode of getting around is walking, then certainly consider the Cruz. With our first, we lived downtown Toronto in a condo and I walked 3-4 times a day in all weather. We had the Cruz and the basket was big enough for a small grocery run. It took up a lot of space in our condo entryway and I was folding it into storage in our closet nightly for space. By 18 months, we got a travel stroller for a trip (UB GLuxe) and kiddo actually preferred this over the Cruz. We were out in the suburbs by then and it was more than sufficient. With kiddo number 2, my walks on mat leave were mostly inside malls in the winter (sidewalks left unshoveled), and shorter less frequent neighbourhood walks. I would have preferred a smaller, easier to maneuver stroller. In your case, depending on your use, I’d seriously consider a smaller, lighter frame - Yoyo, Minu, Butterfly. One handed folds will make it a lot easier for you to carry up stairs too.

I’d recommend Nuna. Super easy to install, buckle, and manage. I like a travel system, but for the first year only. Once you get past that, your priorities shift and it becomes more about having something that is compact and easy for on-the-go. That’s been my experience for all three of my kids. Maybe it doesn’t bother others as much? When you’re finished with the travel system, the Uppababy GLuxe is a great lightweight option.