Poor Princess Mattresses

[Astro Flyer]

We're regular Princess cruisers having sailed 100 days in the past 2 years & achieveing Elite status. Two cruises were each month long Star Princess cruises during an 8 month period of time. We obviously enjoy sailing Princess except for the beds which we've mentioned to them each time.

 

I experience occassional back problems but each cruise has led to more aches & pain particularly on our longer cruises. We get eggcrate cushions but it can only do so much good. We've found sagging mattresses & support webbing being supported by food trays!

 

With future cruises on the Golden & Crown we're hoping Princess has heard from enough passengers to replace their poor mattresses. We want to continue sailing Princess but not without improved bedding. Guess it's a clue when they don't boast about their beds.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems with poor Princess bedding causing aches & pains? My bunk bed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway was more comfortable...and I was a mere enlisted man!

[toberman]

We're regular Princess cruisers having sailed 100 days in the past 2 years & achieveing Elite status. Two cruises were each month long Star Princess cruises during an 8 month period of time. We obviously enjoy sailing Princess except for the beds which we've mentioned to them each time.

 

I experience occassional back problems but each cruise has led to more aches & pain particularly on our longer cruises. We get eggcrate cushions but it can only do so much good. We've found sagging mattresses & support webbing being supported by food trays!

 

With future cruises on the Golden & Crown we're hoping Princess has heard from enough passengers to replace their poor mattresses. We want to continue sailing Princess but not without improved bedding. Guess it's a clue when they don't boast about their beds.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems with poor Princess bedding causing aches & pains? My bunk bed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway was more comfortable...and I was a mere enlisted man!

 

Sorry, but I can't agree with you. I love the beds on Princess, sleep like a baby.

 

Janette

[Toto2Kansas]

We love Princess, and don't plan to change cruise lines anytime soon. But we now either take with us, or purchase before getting onboard, a memory foam topper. As you, we just can't take the beds on Princess ships. Even the full suites have terrible mattresses that are like a concrete slad, which means back aches and pains each AM. We usually leave the memory foam behind, for lack of space to pack it for the return trip. But the investment has made a world of difference in our last few cruises. We don't purchase the expensive ones because they only need to last a month or less, so the investment is minor in comparison to the better rest we get with them onboard. (BTW-the new mattress toppers they have switched to is what gave us the idea of taking our own. The old ones (egg crates) seemed to work well, but these new thin ones don't even make a dent for us).

Idea, just book the next cruise following ours and we will instruct the room steward to leave it on the bed for you. ;)

[captainron]

We're regular Princess cruisers having sailed 100 days in the past 2 years & achieveing Elite status. Two cruises were each month long Star Princess cruises during an 8 month period of time. We obviously enjoy sailing Princess except for the beds which we've mentioned to them each time.

 

I experience occassional back problems but each cruise has led to more aches & pain particularly on our longer cruises. We get eggcrate cushions but it can only do so much good. We've found sagging mattresses & support webbing being supported by food trays!

 

With future cruises on the Golden & Crown we're hoping Princess has heard from enough passengers to replace their poor mattresses. We want to continue sailing Princess but not without improved bedding. Guess it's a clue when they don't boast about their beds.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems with poor Princess bedding causing aches & pains? My bunk bed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway was more comfortable...and I was a mere enlisted man!

 

Just came off a week on the Diamond and it was like sleeping on a bed at a 3 star Mexican resort (concrete). The addition of an eggcrate did not alleviate the situation any. As ex Canadian Airforce, I have had better sleeps on the canvas benchseats in the back of a C130 Hercules or a campcot in the field.

 

Janette, my dear you must be in the Airforce to love crappy beds.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[BigGuy25]

Sorry, but I can't agree with you. I love the beds on Princess, sleep like a baby.

 

Janette

 

Ditto ... We've never had a problem with the Princess mattresses!

[Loonbeam]

Can't say we had a problem on the Coral. I won't say it was the most comfortable ever, but I have slept on far far worse...

[want2bcruizin]

I have the same problem with the beds. The eatcrate does not help much and my hips and back suffer greatly. I have always made the comment on the comment card and there is lots of talk on the boards here so they must be aware. My sister said she will never cruise Princess again because of the beds. She will go with HAL were she says they are much better.

[Colo Cruiser]

Lots of Princess cruises........

Never have used an eggcrate and never even thought about using one.

[toberman]

Just came off a week on the Diamond and it was like sleeping on a bed at a 3 star Mexican resort (concrete). The addition of an eggcrate did not alleviate the situation any. As ex Canadian Airforce, I have had better sleeps on the canvas benchseats in the back of a C130 Hercules or a campcot in the field.

 

Janette, my dear you must be in the Airforce to love crappy beds.

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

Nope, never been in the Air Force, just happen to love a firm bed!

 

Janette

[Carolyn R]

Sorry, but I can't agree with you. I love the beds on Princess, sleep like a baby.

 

Janette

 

 

I agree. I have loved the beds on the Sun, Crown, Caribbean and Ruby, but then I like a very firm bed. :D

[AWorldCruise4Me]

I think Princess has the worst mattresses. They must buy the very cheapest and keep them much too long.

 

If I ever do another long cruise on a Princess ship I'm bringing my own mattress. If I ever do a short cruise I'll be bringing my own topper. If I buy a full mattress I'll leave it on the ship for the next person to enjoy. If I bring a topper I'll try to bring it back home if I can get it small again. If you buy one and leave it in the package sometimes they can be pretty small until you take them out.

 

If the price of the cruise is right and it is the itinerary I want then the extra cost of bringing a decent bed is worth it for me to enjoy the cruise.

 

Princess has a good product but they fail miserably in the bedding department. Just imagine their chagrin if folks with long cruises started showing up with their own mattresses! Maybe that would get them to upgrade.

 

http://tahitianprincessworldcruise2009.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-i-wished-i-brought-but-did-not.html

 

http://tahitianprincessworldcruise2009.blogspot.com/2009/01/cruise-update.html

 

Cheers!

Michelle

[Toto2Kansas]

Michelle, a trick to bringing your own memory foam topper. Bring it home from the store and give it the 24-48 hours needed to completely expand after unwrapped. Then roll it up as small as possible and put it in a space bag and deflate it. This way, when you arrive at the ship it takes only about an hour to expand perfectly for use, and you don't have to wait the 24-48 hours usually needed when unpacking it the first time. We have used this method a couple of times now, and it works fabulously. If you plan to take it home, just do the same in reverse and borrow the room stewards vac to deflate the space bag to fit it into your suitcase.;)

[kruisey]

Have bought an eggcrate have also booked one onboard.

This is a 32 day cruise and I wont to be fit enough to be able to rise from the bed in the morning......Its bad enough with my old bones(In seventies) normally.......I guess you all know my feelings about the Princess Mattresses now.:p;)

[cb at sea]

If the mattress and springs are "sprung", nothing you put on top of it will help...memory foam will conform to the shape of the bed!

[capriccio]

Nope, never been in the Air Force, just happen to love a firm bed!

 

Janette

 

 

As do we. Too soft a bed and we wake up with backaches.

[David148]

I have not sailed Princess yet but i am wishing they would change the beds on their ships. If i had known about how uncomfortable the beds were i probably would not have booked with them and booked the Carvnial Glory out of NYC instead. We leave in 29 days on the CB and im hoping we dont have a problem with the beds. maybe they will put all new beds on just b4 we get on! :D haha wishful thinking i know

 

-David

[iancal]

They are not good in our experience.. Our last two cruises came down to a short list of 2 cruise lines. In both instances it was Princess and another line. We chose the latter. Uncomfortable beds and terrible coffee werethe tie breakers. THe coffee can be overlooked but I just did not see why we should have to order a mattress topper on every Princess cruise that we have taken to date. The folks at Princess may want to stroll over to their corporate cousins at HAL or Carnvival, or perhaps check out bedding and the linen at their competitior-Celebrity. We like Princess but why go on a vacation like this and have an uncomfortable mattress?

[icyfrost]

Do not like the mattress,Carnival has the best!

[robgvic]

I love the beds on Princess because they are firm. I sleeplike a baby on then, even if a very big baby.:D

[SeaTeacher]

I too agree that for the most part, beds on Princess ships leave much to be desired. I have also been on HAL, Celebrity, Cunard and Carnival. They ALL had better beds than Princess. I am a platinum cruiser, and I love Princess overall, but God help me I wish I could rely on them for a comfortable bed on every cruise. So many hotel chains and cruise lines have upgraded their bedding. I wish Princess would do the same. Then I doubt I'd ever stray to HAL or Celebrity in the future.

[Toto2Kansas]

I have not sailed Princess yet but i am wishing they would change the beds on their ships. If i had known about how uncomfortable the beds were i probably would not have booked with them and booked the Carvnial Glory out of NYC instead. We leave in 29 days on the CB and im hoping we dont have a problem with the beds. maybe they will put all new beds on just b4 we get on! :D haha wishful thinking i know

 

-David

David, the brand new mattresses are the ones that are extra extra firm, the older ones are the saggy ones. ;) But if you find you have an old mattress that sags when you get onboard, just request from your room steward (or go up the ladder to their supervisor) if the mattress needs replacing. Usually, if they have them, it is no problem. But be prepared, the new ones are the 'slab' mattresses. lol As long as you enjoy an extra extra firm bed, you will love the new ones, if not..............well..................best of luck there. ;)

[jeffstew]

I love the beds on Princess because they are firm. I sleeplike a baby on then, even if a very big baby.:D

 

 

Same here- I slept soundly and woke up refreshed and feeling good on the Emerald Princess last year with the "slab" mattress. Carnival mattresses have given me terrible back and neck pain both times I cruised with them. Just like with a lot of things I read on this board that become so much like Urban Legends- bad mattresses, awful coffee, crowding, etc., I seem to be having the exact opposite experience. Go figure!

[Astro Flyer]

David, the brand new mattresses are the ones that are extra extra firm, the older ones are the saggy ones. ;) But if you find you have an old mattress that sags when you get onboard, just request from your room steward (or go up the ladder to their supervisor) if the mattress needs replacing. Usually, if they have them, it is no problem. But be prepared, the new ones are the 'slab' mattresses. lol As long as you enjoy an extra extra firm bed, you will love the new ones, if not..............well..................best of luck there. ;)

I need a firm mattress & not one sagging in the middle & will try your recommendations...thanks!

[BigGuy25]

I think this entire thread just points out the centuries old adage that "people are different." There could not possibly be one mattress style (other than maybe the Comfort Number bed) that would make everyone happy. If they changed to please all who are currently unhappy ... then those who are currently pleased would become unhappy. In this case, "You can please some of the people some of the time ... but NOT all of the people all of the time ...."

 

This conversation will go on as long as ships are at sea!!!

[Toto2Kansas]

I think this entire thread just points out the centuries old adage that "people are different." There could not possibly be one mattress style (other than maybe the Comfort Number bed) that would make everyone happy. If they changed to please all who are currently unhappy ... then those who are currently pleased would become unhappy. In this case, "You can please some of the people some of the time ... but NOT all of the people all of the time ...."

 

This conversation will go on as long as ships are at sea!!!

 

What I find strange in all of this is that you rarely hear of passengers complaining about the beds on other cruiselines. Celebrity, HAL and even Carnival. But Princess beds, yes, there always seems to be a thread about them that is split, about half loving the extra firm beds, the others against, saying they are too firm. So to me, that means that Princess beds are extreme (extra firm) in comparison to the other lines mentioned.;)