Crown Princess Prison Furniture "Upgrade"

[Richard]

I've waited an entire year to sit out on my balcony stretched out on a lounge chair in a nice soft robe, reading a book or maybe taking a nap while the warm ocean breezes gently blow past.

 

I've waited for this through last winter, the following spring, summer and fall and part of this winter, until finally it was time.

 

Sadly, where last year I had a nice friendly, comfy, adjustable lounge chair, now I have prison furniture. My balcony contains (3) pieces of welded steel furniture made out of diamond-patterned mesh. There is one small hard round welded metal table and 2 small welded metal chairs with straight backs.

 

I talked to the steward. I talked to the purser's desk. Everybody says "Too bad. The captain says no lounge chairs on the balconies on my floor".

 

Carnival has lounge chairs. Royal Caribbean has lounge chairs. Princess did too, on my previous two cruises with them. Every cruise I've been on has had comfortable furniture. Except the Crown Princess on the Baja deck.

 

The worst part is that I had a room with nice furniture and a bigger balcony, but was given a "free upgrade" to a small balcony with unusable furniture. This sucks big-time.

 

I'm in room B318 on the Crown Princess. Today. Right now. At this very moment. I'm looking out window at the welded metal furniture and trying to decide what to do for my next vacation. A week in Bonaire is sounding pretty good. I hear they have padded furniture there.

 

If Princess would like to make this right and have someone bring me a chair where I can lean back, relax, read or snooze, they'll keep a happy customer. If not, me and the friends I bring along every year will take our wives and do something else. I'm not trying to be mean, but given the limited amount of vacation I get every year, I want to be happy all the time, not just when I'm off the ship.

 

What do you say Princess? How about if you email the ship, ask someone to bring me a comfy chair and make my vacation a happy one?

 

I'll post a response tomorrow let you all know what happens.

 

Terry

I was on the Crown in a BB cabin on Caribe deck and had 2 lounge chairs and a round table with 2 chairs. All of the chairs were comfortable and I was very happy with the layout. Nice cabin and BIG balcony. Next time don't accept an upgrade.

[web monkey]

Unless you were in a suite Princess had white plastic furniture on the balconies on their ships. Are you talking about that plastic chair that would lean back a bit?

That was it! It wasn't exactly a museum piece, but if you toss a towel or cushion over it was pretty comfortable.

 

Now it's the stuff you would find outdoors at Mcdonalds where they have to give you something to sit on but don't want you to linger.

 

The change is due to the fire on the Star as what was out there was highly combustible.

I don't think that's it, since the deck below me has reasonable furniture.

 

Why did you have a nice room with a big balcony and better furniture and not have it now? What category were you supposed to be in? That same furniture is on every balcony with the exception of the full suites. Your cabin is a Cat BD which means all the other balcony cabins in the categories below are also on the Baja deck, the exact same size and the exact same furniture.

Regardless of the deck, I've been on about a dozen cruises and never had terrible uncomfortable furniture. It just wasn't something I thought I needed to check on. It's like finding out that instead of a comfy bed, they gave us a blow-up mattress. It's just not something I thought I needed to manage.

 

Terry

[web monkey]

Okay, so I know we are all looking forward to rest and relaxation on the holidays, and so far I have seen some solutions that the original poster could use.

• Put a towel on your chair
  
• Take your chair from inside your stateroom and put it on the balcony
  
• Go and lie down on a lounge chair and mingle
  
• Go and lie down and ignore all the other passengers by finding a small cozy spot to put your chair

  • Putting a towel over a vertical back doesn't help.
    
  • The chair in the stateroom doesn't lean back either.
    
  • I'm tired of mingling. I do it all day at work. I want to get away.
    
  • The ship is too "space efficient." I've been unable to find an "away" spot, although for an extra $10 they'll rent me one for 4 hours.

  It's not the end of the world, I'm just tired of having the things I like "shaved away" little by little.

   

  It just ****es me off that a multi-billion dollar company can't come up with a $25 chair to make my vacation a little happier.

   

  This isn't worth getting to bent out of shape over. I'll just pick a nicer cruise line next time.

[web monkey]

Okay, so I know we are all looking forward to rest and relaxation on the holidays, and so far I have seen some solutions that the original poster could use.

• Put a towel on your chair
  
• Take your chair from inside your stateroom and put it on the balcony
  
• Go and lie down on a lounge chair and mingle
  
• Go and lie down and ignore all the other passengers by finding a small cozy spot to put your chair

  • Putting a towel over a vertical back doesn't help.
    
  • The chair in the stateroom doesn't lean back either.
    
  • I'm tired of mingling. I do it all day at work. I want to get away.
    
  • The ship is too "space efficient." I've been unable to find an "away" spot, although for an extra $10 they'll rent me one for 4 hours.

  It's not the end of the world, I'm just tired of having the things I like "shaved away" little by little.

   

  It just ****es me off that a multi-billion dollar company can't come up with a $25 chair to make my vacation a little happier.

   

  This isn't worth getting to bent out of shape over. I'll just pick a nicer cruise line next time.

[camNaud]

I can't really comment because I've never been bad enough to have ever had the experience of sitting on 'prison furniture'.

 

Each to their own though and it just goes to show - everyone has differing expectations.

 

For the record - was the prison food as good as The Crown's.

[web monkey]

Window to a balcony???

 

Posting from your Baja Cabin?? Not possible. :confused:

 

Once again if you had done your homework on this board you would have found that the balcony furniture had been replaced months ago and would even have seen a picture or two of the new metal digs.

 

Throught the magic of a laptop, I actually did write the message in my room, then through teh macig of "elevator" took it down to the hotspot in the lobby.

 

I shouldn't have to "do my homework on this board" I paid for a balcony, which on every other cruise has had usable furniture.

 

Anyway, just forget it.

 

They're not going to do anything, and next time I'll just fly to Bonaire or Cozumel or St. Kitts (which is a very nice little island)

[TeacherSus]

I hope the OP is a joke or can someone get really that worked up about a chair that they need to write a letter? :rolleyes:

 

Not to mention the fact that he felt so strongly about it he'd pay to send it from sea!

 

To the OP: I bet my office chair is less comfortable than the "prison chair" on your cruise balcony. Lighten up, dude and enjoy your vacation!

[spongerob]

I don't think that's it, since the deck below me has reasonable furniture.

It should be the same on all balconies, except the suites, and aren't the suites on Crown Princess up on Riviera deck?

 

 

Regardless of the deck, I've been on about a dozen cruises and never had terrible uncomfortable furniture. It just wasn't something I thought I needed to check on.

Since you evade the question about your original cabin, one might assume that this thread was started just to stir things up. Too many things don't add up.

[Casshew]

web monkey, you didn't explain how you had internet in your jail cell.....ermmm I mean cabin.

 

Right now. At this very moment. I'm looking out window at the welded metal furniture and trying to decide what to do for my next vacation.

[Host CJSKIDS]

That was it! It wasn't exactly a museum piece, but if you toss a towel or cushion over it was pretty comfortable.

 

Now it's the stuff you would find outdoors at Mcdonalds where they have to give you something to sit on but don't want you to linger.

 

 

I don't think that's it, since the deck below me has reasonable furniture.

 

 

Regardless of the deck, I've been on about a dozen cruises and never had terrible uncomfortable furniture. It just wasn't something I thought I needed to check on. It's like finding out that instead of a comfy bed, they gave us a blow-up mattress. It's just not something I thought I needed to manage.

 

Terry

 

Yes, the furniture was replaced due to the Star fire and that is a fact. The plastic furniture that was used to be out there was highly combustible and was part of the problem with the fire. It helped to produce the thick black smoke that was so deadlly and that got those of us who inhaled it so ill.

Princess did the right thing and replaced this furniture fleet wide.

 

I was just on the Crown and with the exception of the full suites, all the cabins have the same mesh furniture. Not too sure what you're looking at, but it's all the same.

 

Sorry it's making you so unhappy.

[bdjam]

This isn't worth getting to bent out of shape over. I'll just pick a nicer cruise line next time.

I think that's the best idea...pick a cruise line more suited to your tastes (not necessarily a nicer one).

And I don't think Princess is going to rectify the issue to your satisfaction just because you've posted it here...

[crossstitcher]

Get over it - if you want comfy loungers, book a suite

[Sandy R]

We were pleased to see the new balcony furniture when we were on our Sapphire Princess Asia cruise in Sept./Oct. We thought they were comfortable but more than that, we felt more secure, knowing if someone threw a lit cigarette onto our Dolphin Deck balcony, it wouldn't cause a fire!

 

BTW, during the cruise, balcony fire alarms were installed. We know because they knocked on our cabin door and requested access onto our balcony. Princess is definitely taking the necessary steps after the Star fire.

 

Sandy

[cruise fairy]

web monkey, you didn't explain how you had internet in your jail cell.....ermmm I mean cabin.

 

Yes he did, look at post # 31:o

[adamaugust28]

im on the lido deck BA 259 is this a good balcony cabin?

[Host CJSKIDS]

To the OP, since you brought it up in your first post...

You said you had booked a wonderful cabin with great furniture on the balcony and got upgraded to this cabin with the horrible furniture. What cabin did you have booked prior?????

The plastic furniture that used to be on the balconies reminded me of something that I would find at a McDonalds not the new stuff!

[adamaugust28]

im on the lido deck BA 259 - is this a good baclony cabin?

[cruise fairy]

[quote name='Casshew']web monkey, you didn't explain how you had internet in your jail cell.....ermmm I mean cabin.[/quote]

Yes he did, post # 31 :o

[Princess Patches]

I think you are all being too hard on Web Monkey. He was surprised about the new balcony furniture and did not like it as well as the old furniture. His complaint is as legitimate as most others we see on these boards, such as no fresh ground coffee in the Horizon Court, no free 24 hour ice cream and so on. These accusatory posts about him not really being in his room or just trying to stir up trouble are silly.

Web Monkey, I am surprised your cabin steward won't try to accommodate you by bringing you a lounge chair. Maybe it is now against fire regulations. I know my cabin steward on the Golden did it for me, but that was more than a year ago. Since he won't bring you a lounger, ask him to bring you one of the adjustable metal highback chairs that are on Caribe deck. They must have a few spare ones around. You can convert that into a lounger by reclining it and using your regular chair for your feet. As for cushioning, I use pillows.

[charli]

The balcony is small, but it worked fine for us. We liked that it was totally covered and private. We don't recline much on the balcony and actually found the chairs quite comfortable. I do agree that there would not be much room to recline. So I understand what you are missing. We have stayed in mini suites in the past, their balconies were bigger. On our cruise the cost between the mini and the balcony stateroom was $600 per person, which we decided to spend elsewhere. We had such a good time that we didn't stay in the room much, so it was OK.

I hope you have Ricardo as a steward. He was wonderful to us. Please tell him "HI" from Mrs. Sermons.

I sincerely hope that you will have a fabulous time on the Crown. Enjoy your vacation and don't let the balcony situation spoil the good times.

[Steven_&_Daniel]

[quote name='cruise fairy']... We were on Emerald Deck for our first cruise, the balcony had 2 lounge chairs, and 2 chairs that reclined. No, we were not in a suite, just a balcony stateroom...[/quote]


I thought the only balconies on the Emerald deck were mini-suites. What cabin were you in?

I can definitely see why a Baha balcony would be a disappointment after being on Emerald. We once booked a balcony on one of the upper decks. Then after doing some research, I learned that you could get a much larger Caribe balcony for the same price. So we changed our cabin.

It's definitely worth the effort to do as much research as you can before selecting a cabin. If you can find photos, you may discover something that even the deckplan doesn't tell you.

I agree with all the others, having a good attitude is the key to having a good cruise. That and reading Cruise Critic before you sail or even before you book.

[Host CJSKIDS]

[quote name='Princess Patches']I think you are all being too hard on Web Monkey. He was surprised about the new balcony furniture and did not like it as well as the old furniture. His complaint is as legitimate as most others we see on these boards, such as no fresh ground coffee in the Horizon Court, no free 24 hour ice cream and so on. These accusatory posts about him not really being in his room or just trying to stir up trouble are silly.

Web Monkey, I am surprised your cabin steward won't try to accommodate you by bringing you a lounge chair. Maybe it is now against fire regulations. I know my cabin steward on the Golden did it for me, but that was more than a year ago. Since he won't bring you a lounger, ask him to bring you one of the adjustable metal highback chairs that are on Caribe deck. They must have a few spare ones around. You can convert that into a lounger by reclining it and using your regular chair for your feet. As for cushioning, I use pillows.[/QUOTE]

I just think it's because he called the furniture prison furniture, how he was had a great cabin booked but was upgraded to this balcony with horrible furniture, that the furniture below is fine but not his. You've got to know when start a thread calling the furniture prison stuff and complaing how he waited all year to only have to endure this prison like furniture which is so horrible that it's time not to cruise Princess again that it's going to look a tad off.

[hammer52]

I am deeply hurt, Big Bubba, Lefty and me work hard making that furniture.
We just wish we could get out and try it out ourselves on your balcony. Also,
you get to shower all alone.

[hammer52]

I am deeply hurt, Big Bubba, Lefty and me work hard making that furniture.
We just wish we could get out and try it out ourselves on your balcony. Also,
you get to shower all alone.

[dforeigner]

[quote name='Steven_&_Daniel']I thought the only balconies on the Emerald deck were mini-suites. What cabin were you in?
[/quote]

The ones towards the stern (rear) are mini suites. The ones towards the bow (front) are regualr balcony rooms.