Crown Princess Prison Furniture "Upgrade"

[Casshew]

One day I expect a scathing review of Bonaire - the sand was too hot, the drinks were too watery, the water was too salty, the pool had too much chlorine :D

[Ephraim]

When I was younger, many things were different. We didn't have a special car chair, in fact, children often sat in the front seat without a seat belt. No one even thought about testing a car for safety. We didn't have warnings on plastic bags. In fact, I knew almost everyone who lived on my block and my parents never warned me not to talk to strangers. And no one cared about how much gasoline cost or even considered buying a smaller car to save gasoline.

But the world is different today. We now safety test cars. Children have to sit in a car seat in the back of the car. We all wear seat belts, we have air bags and we crash test cars. We warn children about talking to strangers, we buy smaller cars and complain about the cost of filling up the tank. And ever damn plastic bag has a warning on it. And frankly, I wouldn't blame anyone who wanted to curse the man who invented clam shell packaging.

That being said, times change and we learn from our mistakes. The furniture was combustible and there was a fire where a lot of people were hurt. So they learnt from that and changed the furniture. Sure, it's not the same, nothing is. We don't see very many people driving V8 engines anymore either. And I haven't seen a car with a tail fin in years.

Prices and costs have changed as well. My parents thought that an affordable vacation included a car drive to a motel and eating at a local restaurants.

I understand your disappointment and frustration. That being said, you can't stop progress and you have to be realistic about prices. As a percentage of income, traveling is more affordable today than ever before. Heck, my first flight to Miami is still more expensive than I pay today for the same airfare.... over 30 years ago.

Enjoy your vacation.

[web monkey]

[quote name='skarletohara']Yee-gads!:eek:

This is the ANGRIEST vacationer I've ever heard of -- OMG --- most
people would be so grateful just to have a hard-earned vacation instead
of nitpicking about this and that. It's good to relax, mon! If a vacation
stresses the OP out that much, then cruising or ANY vacation is definitely not for them --- more than
likely the hotel balcony furniture won't be to the OP's liking either on their land-based vacation.[/quote]

You're missing the point.

It wasn't that I didn't like the color, or that it clashed with the drapes, my point was that where there once was a recliner and a cushion, there was now a hard-backed steel chair. If you can lean back and relax in a fixed steel chair, you're just a better person than I am.

The other balconies have recliners, just not on my deck. This was a definite "screw you" from Princess. Since recliners were placed on the entire deck below me and I assume the deck below that, and are scattered around in all the public areas of the ship, the change obviously had nothing to do with fire.

It's just a blatent attempt to make people upgrade to "mini-suites" which are actually the same size as normal rooms from a few years ago.

And yes, I was p*****. I expected to be able to go out and take a nap on the balcony, just like every single cruise before this one. However it's no longer a huge deal. Big companies do these things all the time. I should expect it by now.

[HomeLover]

I will be going on my first princess cruise in Sept. and that is one thing that conceerned me. Maybe If someone at Princess reads this, this suggestion might help. On Regent, they have cushions on the chaises and chairs, and then they bring them in at night, so there is no problem with the possibility of flammable material left out. (And it also keeps the cushions dry)

[skarletohara]

[quote name='web monkey']You're missing the point.

It wasn't that I didn't like the color, or that it clashed with the drapes, my point was that where there once was a recliner and a cushion, there was now a hard-backed steel chair. If you can lean back and relax in a fixed steel chair, you're just a better person than I am.

The other balconies have recliners, just not on my deck. This was a definite "screw you" from Princess. Since recliners were placed on the entire deck below me and I assume the deck below that, and are scattered around in all the public areas of the ship, the change obviously had nothing to do with fire.

It's just a blatent attempt to make people upgrade to "mini-suites" which are actually the same size as normal rooms from a few years ago.

And yes, I was p*****. I expected to be able to go out and take a nap on the balcony, just like every single cruise before this one. However it's no longer a huge deal. Big companies do these things all the time. I should expect it by now.[/quote]


I simply don't agree with this. I could relax with no chair on the balcony
if I had to. If you had booked a regular cabin on Caribe deck you would
have had a reclining chair. Yes, you only get a regular chair on a regular
balcony, but I've never ever seen lounge chairs on the regular balconies;
they just wouldn't fit because they are only 9x5, but Caribe deck is
9x9' 10 inches. Everything in life comes with a price. If you can afford
to cruise and you know that a comfy lounge chair is of the utmost importance to you, then you should have researched that fact, especially
in this day and age with the internet available to you, and you should
have paid the extra for the accommodationis that would have caused you to have your non-metal recliner chair.

I don't have a problem
with a metal chair. I would have been somewhat creative, and maybe
padded it with some of my clothing, or perhaps given the steward a little
"tip" to bring me a better chair.
Also, there is one padded vinyl chair in each room. Why not drag that
onto the balcony?

Just out of curiosity, which cruise lines have such wonderful comfy balcony chairs? Perhaps you could bring
your own camp chair from home next time.

[web monkey]

if I had to. If you had booked a regular cabin on Caribe deck you would

have had a reclining chair. Yes, you only get a regular chair on a regular

balcony, but I've never ever seen lounge chairs on the regular balconies;

they just wouldn't fit because they are only 9x5, but Caribe deck is

9x9' 10 inches. Everything in life comes with a price. If you can afford

to cruise and you know that a comfy lounge chair is of the utmost importance to you, then you should have researched that fact,

 

I'm not buying it (figuratively or literally). It's easy to fit a 6' chair into a 9' space.

especially

in this day and age with the internet available to you, and you should

have paid the extra for the accommodationis that would have caused you to have your non-metal recliner chair.

Sorry, I'm not paying more just to keep what I already had.

 

I don't have a problem

with a metal chair. I would have been somewhat creative, and maybe

padded it with some of my clothing, or perhaps given the steward a little

"tip" to bring me a better chair.

I did. I also talked to the pursers desk. They said that the captain said "no lounge chairs on my deck".

 

Also, there is one padded vinyl chair in each room. Why not drag that onto the balcony?

What for? It's not a whole lot more confortable than what's there.

 

Just out of curiosity, which cruise lines have such wonderful comfy balcony chairs? Perhaps you could bring

your own camp chair from home next time.

Princess and Carnival all had nice furniture on all my previous cruises, and I have never purchased a "mini-suite".

 

If I go again, I'll certainly verify the furniture before booking, although chances are slim I'll cruise with Princess again. I just booked a week on Bonaire.

[web monkey]

I will be going on my first princess cruise in Sept. and that is one thing that conceerned me. Maybe If someone at Princess reads this, this suggestion might help. On Regent, they have cushions on the chaises and chairs, and then they bring them in at night, so there is no problem with the possibility of flammable material left out. (And it also keeps the cushions dry)

 

If you want something, verify it before you book.

 

If it's not there when you buy, it still won't be there when your trip is over.

 

Good luck!

 

PS. Princess will never read this (or if they do, they'll ignore it).

 

They also apparantly ignore the comment cards. I beleive they only use them for statistics, and not to address particular issues.

[FloridaLaura]

I think WebMonkey needs to set down his laptop, get a glass of wine and find an open lounger near the adult only pool, face it away from all others cruisers to feel secluded and chill. out..if he doesn;t speak to anyone, they will not speak to him so go there and relax. I could not imagine paying good $$$ for a cruise and be in my cabin on my laptop battling with others over a chair. I can not fathom that. I can't even believe I am responding to such nonsense. Get a life and move on with it. I would be happy to sit on the floor of my balcony with a towel under me, just to be on a cruise. JMHO

[Host CJSKIDS]

 

Princess and Carnival all had nice furniture on all my previous cruises, and I have never purchased a "mini-suite".

 

If I go again, I'll certainly verify the furniture before booking, although chances are slim I'll cruise with Princess again. I just booked a week on Bonaire.

 

I guess we all have different opinions, but the cheap plastic furniture that you call nice on all your previous Princess cruises certainly wasn't anything I would term nice. That cheap plastic stuff was the same thing you would buy at Walmart or Walgreens and was nothing to write home about. I personally think the wire mesh is an improvement.

Even in a mini-suite it was the same plastic stuff.

 

It seems one of your issues is the lack of a lounge chair. Well, even though it was the same cheap plastic lounge chair I guess it's not available on all decks. On your previous Princess cruises you must have spent a bit more on your balcony cabin and not booked the lowest balcony category so that you were on a different deck and had a larger balcony therefore a cheap plastic lounge chair.

It's your choice and your right to book whatever category you wish on a cruise, but again, it's location, location, location and is the same with cruises and land vacations. If you're not willing to book an oceanfront room at a hotel you can't complain that those who do see the ocean and your room faces the parking lot. Well, don't book the bottom balcony Cat and complain that those who booked higher categories have larger balconies and possibly an extra chair.

[Toto2Kansas]

Deleted duplicate post. Board problems AGAIN! :(

[Toto2Kansas]

Another triple, again, my apology.

[web monkey]

This has continued for a month now with the OP having a fit about no decent chair that he liked on his/her balcony. I have read a lot of threads on this board, but to continue to whine because your cruise a month ago did not have your favorite chair on the balcony is the silliest thing I have ever read on this board.

You get what you pay for. You want nice chairs that fit your lifestyle, then book a nicer cabin or find another cruise line that offers them.

Get over it, your cruise is long gone and trying to convince other posters that Princess did you wrong because of a chair is just plain silly.

 

I'm not "continuing to whine". I was responding to a post someone made.

 

It's also not "silly" because every time the thread is updated, it rises to the top of the "new posts" list, and gives Princess a little more incentive to be responsive to their customers, and gives potential customers more information on how they can expect to be treated.

 

I am also not complaining about the chairs, but about Princess's lack of responsiveness. For a cost of absolutely zero, they could have made me happy, but chose not to.

 

Again, it's not a big deal now that I know how they operate.

[dforeigner]

I'm not "continuing to whine". I was responding to a post someone made.

 

It's also not "silly" because every time the thread is updated, it rises to the top of the "new posts" list, and gives Princess a little more incentive to be responsive to their customers, and gives potential customers more information on how they can expect to be treated.

 

I am also not complaining about the chairs, but about Princess's lack of responsiveness. For a cost of absolutely zero, they could have made me happy, but chose not to.

 

Again, it's not a big deal now that I know how they operate.

 

 

Lets see. You are the only one complaining about the furniture on this board and you think Princess is going to make changes based on just one individual or because his thread keeps bumping up to the top?

 

You are alone on this one and you will not win this debate. As a matter of fact, you already lost by giving in when you decided that you will be renting an apartment for your next time. Do not take it too personal. There are people who enjoy cruising and there are those where cruising is just not for them.

[dforeigner]

I'm not "continuing to whine". I was responding to a post someone made.

 

It's also not "silly" because every time the thread is updated, it rises to the top of the "new posts" list, and gives Princess a little more incentive to be responsive to their customers, and gives potential customers more information on how they can expect to be treated.

 

I am also not complaining about the chairs, but about Princess's lack of responsiveness. For a cost of absolutely zero, they could have made me happy, but chose not to.

 

Again, it's not a big deal now that I know how they operate.

 

Lets see. You are the only one complaining about the furniture on this board and you think Princess is going to make changes based on just one individual or because his thread keeps bumping up to the top?

 

You are alone on this one and you will not win this debate. As a matter of fact, you already lost by giving in when you decided that you will be renting an apartment for your next time. Do not take it too personal. There are people who enjoy cruising and there are those where cruising is just not for them.

[skarletohara]

Out of six Princess cruises, the only ones that have the Walmart-type

plastic furniture would be the cheapest balcony cabins that are 9x5.

But the padded chairs have been on Caribe deck, which is more costly

than other balconies since it's BB and BA category.

Also the mini suites have had the cushy pads.

 

I too cannot believe that I continue to even respond to this nonsense.:eek:

The poster does not want anyone's suggestions, and that is obvious.

Princess won't care a lick about this poster's "chair" problem.

The poster could have also padded his little metal chair with

the pillows from the bed, too.

God help the person that invites the OP to a backyard barbeque where

there happens to be wire chairs. He'd probably try to sue them or something.

[Logie]

Yes it was the Star and yes all the plastic furniture is gone. The furniture out there looked nice to me and so far all the posts have said it's a great improvement. The furniture on the balconies in the suites are the same.

 

If you do a search you can find pictures of them as there were plenty of pictures on threads this summer.

 

The new furniture is also on the Crown and I consider it an upgrade. And for the sake of safety great move on the part of Princess!

[allie's g]

If you want a balcony to lounge on, Caribe deck is the answer.. Cat BA we had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs, a table, a foot stool and still had room to bring an extra chair out from the room.