Has balcony furniture improved

[billco]

Can't even sit on the couch for long periods. :eek:

Can you sit in front of a computer for long periods?

[avalong]

OK, I remember a gigantic hue and cry here on CC when the new furniture was introduced. And I seem to recollect that as a result, a certain Mr. Buckelew relented and said they'd put back the old furniture. No? Did I hallucinate that?

[Sea Day Cruiser]

OK, I remember a gigantic hue and cry here on CC when the new furniture was introduced. And I seem to recollect that as a result, a certain Mr. Buckelew relented and said they'd put back the old furniture. No? Did I hallucinate that?

 

 

I remember that too. I guess they didn't mean it or hoped passengers would forget. It doesn't really matter to me because I won't pay the 200% they want for a balcony if you are cruising alone as I usually do.

 

 

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[Loreni]

I remember that too. I guess they didn't mean it or hoped passengers would forget. It doesn't really matter to me because I won't pay the 200% they want for a balcony if you are cruising alone as I usually do.

 

 

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I also remember that. That is why I was hoping something may have changed. Did they put the old furniture back for a short time and then swap it for the new. Or did they never put the old furniture back?

[Pam in CA]

I remember that too. I guess they didn't mean it or hoped passengers would forget. It doesn't really matter to me because I won't pay the 200% they want for a balcony if you are cruising alone as I usually do.

I think they said that and when the uproar died down, so did any plans to change or revert to better furniture. As a matter of fact, back then, Caribe balconies had four chairs. Now they get a measly two plus two useless footstools.

[KLLund]

I have a blow up spa pillow that I use in the bath tub at home. I found that taking that with me and turning it upside down was the perfect lower back support for those chairs. Which reminds me .. go get a new one before you leave this time!

 

I love our balcony cabin's so much that a couple years ago I upgraded to a kindle paperwhite so i could sit on the balcony in the dark and read late at night :)

[luckee1]

We haven't had one in a while so it's good to know ahead of these issues for our Oct cruise. I better bring pillows and drag the chair outside, with all the neck and back issues I have. Thanks for the warning about the furniture. I'm excited about having a balcony again to hear the ocean.

[luckee1]

KKLund, any recommendations for brands on that spa pillow? Thanks. Usually I am in pain half of my vacations, trying to avoid that :)

[5326jan]

When we were on the Ocean in June, I noticed all the chaise lounges by the pool were the new style furniture too! :eek::( Our cruise to the Arctic Circle was too cold to sit outside, but I was disappointed to see it.

[Grammyluvs]

We have had Caribe deck balconies on all four of our Princess cruises. We found the balcony furniture to be adequate for our use, but we did not spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in the balcony furniture at any one point in time. We like the Caribe balconies on the four ships we have sailed. We have requested no upgrade because we like the location of the balcony we have chosen; we have not been offered an upgrade nor an upsell. We will always have a stateroom with a balcony on any future cruise we take.

 

We have future cruises on the Regal, Caribbean and Royal Princesses. Regal and Royal do not have balconies the size of those on the other ships, so I read here at CC.

 

Did you have the larger table on the Coral Caribe deck?

[sonnenschein]

ON OUR NOVEMBER CRUISE TO HAWAII IN A MINI SUITE WE HAD THE UNFOMFY FURNITURE AND A TINY ROUND TABLE, NEVER HAD A SMALL TABLE LIKE THAT BEFORE IN A MINI SUITE. CONSIDERING HOW MUCH WE PAID FOR THE CABIN I GOT VERY UPSET SINCE I KNEW WE COULD NOT HAVE BREAKFAST OUTSIDE ON THIS TINY TABLE. I AM ALWAYS POLITE WHEN ASKING ABOUT A CHANGE OR NEED SOMETHING EXTRA, BUT THIS TIME I LOST MY TEMPER AND INSISTED ON GETTING THE LARGER TABLE THAT IS PART OF THE MINI SUITE BALCONY FURNISHINGS.IT TOOK SOME DOING BUT I DID GET THE LARGER TABLE. THE SO CALLED LOUNGE CHAIRS ARE AWFUL, BUT YOU ALL KNOW THAT ALREADY, I AM WAITING FOR SOME CRUISERS TO GET SO UPSET THAT THEY THROW THEM OVERBOARD. :mad::confused::eek:

[avalong]

I think they said that and when the uproar died down, so did any plans to change or revert to better furniture. As a matter of fact, back then, Caribe balconies had four chairs. Now they get a measly two plus two useless footstools.

 

Well, it certainly is good to know that Mr. Buckelew is as good as his word (she said sarcastically).

[Snow cat]

OK, I remember a gigantic hue and cry here on CC when the new furniture was introduced. And I seem to recollect that as a result, a certain Mr. Buckelew relented and said they'd put back the old furniture. No? Did I hallucinate that?

 

I also remember at the time some posters being skeptical that the posts from Princess were legitimate.

[Zuki]

"I'M WAITING FOR SOME CRUISERS TO GET SO UPSET THAT THEY THROW THEM OVERBOARD. :mad::confused::eek:"

 

Now that me laugh out loud. I have a visual of passengers yelling "I'm mad as hell and not going to take this anymore" as chairs are thrown over board from all levels into the ocean. The only thing that could make it even funnier would be to have seals and otters climb onto them as they floated away.

[rdsqrl]

"I'M WAITING FOR SOME CRUISERS TO GET SO UPSET THAT THEY THROW THEM OVERBOARD. :mad::confused::eek:"

 

Now that me laugh out loud. I have a visual of passengers yelling "I'm mad as hell and not going to take this anymore" as chairs are thrown over board from all levels into the ocean. The only thing that could make it even funnier would be to have seals and otters climb onto them as they floated away.

Who, once they realized how uncomfortable the chairs really are, proceeded to throw them back onto the ship . . . .

[Zuki]

Laughing so hard... I'm crying.. I need that tonight after my crazy dayq!

[Colo Cruiser]

Lol :)

[Nebr.cruiser]

I hate the 'new' balcony furniture with a passion. I can't get comfortable on it no matter what--pillows, etc. Whoever made the decision to buy these chairs must have been having a very bad day.

[Nancyquilts]

I also remember that. That is why I was hoping something may have changed. Did they put the old furniture back for a short time and then swap it for the new. Or did they never put the old furniture back?

 

Once the comfortable furniture was gone, it was gone.:(

[KruzPrincess]

OK, I remember a gigantic hue and cry here on CC when the new furniture was introduced. And I seem to recollect that as a result, a certain Mr. Buckelew relented and said they'd put back the old furniture. No? Did I hallucinate that?

 

I didn't think they said they were bringing back the old furniture. The big hubbub was about the size of the new table on the Caribe balconies and the mini-suite balconies. Someone posted a picture of some poor soul sitting in the chair with a table the size of a plate. Everyone complained about the table and Princess relented saying they would order new tables. They did that. At that point, no one had really spent much time on the new furniture and it wasn't until later that we all realized it was the most uncomfortable balcony furniture ever made. This is how I remember it at any rate.

 

Adding: I just tried to find the original thread and couldn't find it, but I did read a couple others. I think the original disappointment came from the change from four chairs to two chairs on the Caribe balconies and the tiny table. Princess agreed to add a larger table and footstools to the Caribe balconies. I believe they brought a larger table, but I don't know about the footstools since I never book a Caribe balcony. As I said before, I don't think we realized how uncomfortable the furniture was until later.

Edited August 7, 2014 by KruzPrincess

[caribill]

I don't think there is any hope for the balcony furniture. The Carnival ships we have been in port with have the same chairs. :( One place where the lines are not being kept separate!

 

 

In the Carnival Corp (owner of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess, etc.) phone conference with stock analysts, it said one way of improving the corporate bottom line was to co-ordinate purchases of items among the various brands.

 

One example was printing where the number of outside printers being used for brochures, etc. has been cut by more than half.

 

Apparently, balcony furniture is getting the same treatment.

[Gettingwarmer]

 

Adding: I just tried to find the original thread and couldn't find it, but I did read a couple others. I think the original disappointment came from the change from four chairs to two chairs on the Caribe balconies and the tiny table. Princess agreed to add a larger table and footstools to the Caribe balconies. I believe they brought a larger table, but I don't know about the footstools since I never book a Caribe balcony. As I said before, I don't think we realized how uncomfortable the furniture was until later.

 

This was the original thread

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1593096

 

And we find the new furniture very uncomfortable as well. I use the pillows from the bed and my husband drags out the chair from inside.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Gettingwarmer

[dorisis]

"I'M WAITING FOR SOME CRUISERS TO GET SO UPSET THAT THEY THROW THEM OVERBOARD. :mad::confused::eek:"

 

Now that me laugh out loud. I have a visual of passengers yelling "I'm mad as hell and not going to take this anymore" as chairs are thrown over board from all levels into the ocean. The only thing that could make it even funnier would be to have seals and otters climb onto them as they floated away.

 

It would be my luck to be on one of the larger balconies when that happened above me.

[Iamcruzin]

When does it stop? Mattress pads, coffee makers, pillows for the deck furniture, shampoo, conditioner and soap. At this point we may as well backpack through Europe. It's no wonder that they changed the slogan from "Escape Completely" to "Come Back New". "New" meaning coming home dirty with a broken back

[nanwel]

I too have been known to lug stuff out of the cabin - if only we could get the room stewart to leave it out there!! Every time you leave the cabin they lug it all back in!

Feel sorry for the people delivering food to your cabin - ask them to put it on the balcony!?!?! They just laugh.

No place to put anything on the balcony - guess they figure we will eat more in the restraunts, buffets and order less to our cabins if it is not comfortable eating on them.

Just another form of cutback - order cheap in bulk - does not need to meet any standards, and they get the best deal.

And - NO - one size does not fitt all!