New mattresses on the Freedom absolutely hard as a rock!

[marci22]

I read a lot of comments here and although things can be subjective, I get a good idea of how things are onboard by taking note of what people say. I think it helps with expectations.

 

I agree that people have different opinions on mattresses but this is the first time I have seen many people describing them as like sleeping on a rock, Flintstones, jail beds, etc.

 

I am guessing that these mattresses might be more bedbug resistant, or easier to maintain in some way.

 

Too many extreme complaints here to think that it is just a few people who are picky. I am a bit concerned as I cannot sleep on an ultra firm mattress. If the complaints continue or get worse, yes, I would cancel my cruise over it.

[Biker19]

I am a bit concerned as I cannot sleep on an ultra firm mattress. If the complaints continue or get worse, yes, I would cancel my cruise over it.

 

.....and it starts....

[reallyitsmema]

I would not cancel a cruise based on someone else's opinion of something. I have read many positive and negative comments on this forum that I completely disagree with, I would not base my decision to cancel on something posted by a complete stranger. There are so many "must do" things that people post that I look at and say, been there, done that, wasn't impressed. Everyone needs to make there own decisions and not be swayed by overly dramatic posters.

[mnak]

Absolutely !

Unfortunately people want and need to sleep and since Royal went with such hard matresses what's else can folks do but make it better for themselves.

The topper I have here at home is real nice it's not the cheap egg crate foam. If you take it out of the box but still keep it wrapped it can fit in a shopping bag and easy enough to carry on....I've been doing my homework cause I'm carrying , might as well stick a couple bottles of wine in the bag too:D

 

Could you please tell me what topper you have, I need to get one soon as we are cruising end of this month and I can't risk the back pain for another week. Thank you so much :)

[Toddcan]

I am really concerned about the firm mattresses. I don't mind "firm", but when I see otherwise intelligent people using gross exaggerations, I simply throw my hands in the air. I simply cannot process "concrete slab", and the like.

 

So, here's what I may extract from this thread:

1. Something has changed - harder mattresses are being used. How bad - I simply cannot tell.

2. Investigate a carry on egg crate topper to bring myself. (sigh)

 

Until I experience these new mattresses (JS on Navigator in March), I can only plan for the worst.

 

But, maybe we are just victims of a few over-complainers here - I'm not sure. If I listened to the complainers here on Cruise Critic, I would have cancelled my very first cruise 10 years ago - my TA talked me out of cancelling - and I'm glad she did. But this one seems different - I think enough people are speaking up to raise my concerns.

 

shrug..

[BecciBoo]

LOL...THis whole thread makes me think of:

 

:D

[yj_eugene]

I think they are aware and don't care

 

Pretty much the corporate motto of Royal Caribbean these days it seems ...

[MommaBear55]

I hope that people come back and continue to post their personal experiences,with the new mattresses and whether they make the mattress toppers available. I, for one, do not believe that Royal Caribbean will ignore a flood of negative criticism. Will it take a while to identify a trend and then figure out a resolution? Absolutely. No corporation can afford to have one issue derail their corporate strategy of providing wonderful vacation. And for most people, quality of sleep on vacation is a big issue.

[Biker19]

So, here's what I may extract from this thread:

1. Something has changed - harder mattresses are being used. How bad - I simply cannot tell.

2. Investigate a carry on egg crate topper to bring myself.

 

I read it on the Internet so it must be true.....

[CookieDiva]

LOL...THis whole thread makes me think of:

 

 

 

:D

 

 

Funny that you should reference this fairy tale, because I've often said that I was just like the aforementioned princess - a wrinkle in my bedsheets can make me uncomfortable as I sleep. But saying that, sleeping in a plush hotel bed with clean soft linens is one of my life's greatest pleasures and I've rarely had a bad night's sleep in a hotel.

 

So, this princess will be following this issue closely and will be sending an email to special needs to request a mattress topper before our trip. And if these negative comments continue regarding the rockhard mattresses, I will be purchasing my own mattress topper to bring along. I've been planning this cruise for far too long (booked Nov. 2014) to cancel now, but I will do everything that I possibly can to make my bed as comfortable as it possibly can be.

[BecciBoo]

Hey I'm packin mine and I hate those wrinkles too! like nice smooth sheets.

[mareed]

Funny that you should reference this fairy tale, because I've often said that I was just like the aforementioned princess - a wrinkle in my bedsheets can make me uncomfortable as I sleep. But saying that, sleeping in a plush hotel bed with clean soft linens is one of my life's greatest pleasures and I've rarely had a bad night's sleep in a hotel.

 

So, this princess will be following this issue closely and will be sending an email to special needs to request a mattress topper before our trip. And if these negative comments continue regarding the rockhard mattresses, I will be purchasing my own mattress topper to bring along. I've been planning this cruise for far too long (booked Nov. 2014) to cancel now, but I will do everything that I possibly can to make my bed as comfortable as it possibly can be.

 

Me too! So while it may have been posted in jest, some of us readily acknowledge it. And I also travel a lot and have never had a hotel bed as hard as those on RC ships I've encountered (total of 9 beds on 2 ships on my 5 cruises in last 2 years for my travelling party). My Mom even resorted to sleeping on top of pillows it was so bad for her. Of course, my princess-like qualities couldn't handle the uneven-ness of the pillows, so I made do with several duvets and mattress pads for that trip.

 

FYI, I did email special needs on Navigator ahead of time and was assured there would be a topper. When on the ship, I was told that they no longer had them (Sept 2015). Therefore, after reading reports here of similarly hard mattresses on Liberty, when cruising on Liberty Dec 2015 I did purchase and take my own mattress topper! :)

[Toddcan]

I read it on the Internet so it must be true.....

 

That's such a 1999 thing to say :D

 

Yeah, I totally get the whole internet forum warrior thing, and how people will spout opinions like they are truths. Hence... my use of the words "may" and "sigh" in the text you highlighted.

 

But.. imagine for a minute... the possibility exists that the mattresses are hard enough to affect your sleep for the entire cruise. And it could have been solved by bringing a $50 topper. I'll follow this thread, and others like it for the next month or so. If the problem seems real -for $50, I'll be taking a topper.

[mnak]

I am really concerned about the firm mattresses. I don't mind "firm", but when I see otherwise intelligent people using gross exaggerations, I simply throw my hands in the air. I simply cannot process "concrete slab", and the like.

 

So, here's what I may extract from this thread:

1. Something has changed - harder mattresses are being used. How bad - I simply cannot tell.

2. Investigate a carry on egg crate topper to bring myself. (sigh)

 

Until I experience these new mattresses (JS on Navigator in March), I can only plan for the worst.

 

But, maybe we are just victims of a few over-complainers here - I'm not sure. If I listened to the complainers here on Cruise Critic, I would have cancelled my very first cruise 10 years ago - my TA talked me out of cancelling - and I'm glad she did. But this one seems different - I think enough people are speaking up to raise my concerns.

 

shrug..

 

Good call....you need to judge it for yourself. I promise this is the very first and only time I've ever complained about anything on a cruise, I am very addicted to cruising and love RC so much! I truly hope they will hear us and make a change or at least offer toppers that will be sufficient. I can't imagine they won't, they've always come through with customer service.

[mnak]

I hope that people come back and continue to post their personal experiences,with the new mattresses and whether they make the mattress toppers available. I, for one, do not believe that Royal Caribbean will ignore a flood of negative criticism. Will it take a while to identify a trend and then figure out a resolution? Absolutely. No corporation can afford to have one issue derail their corporate strategy of providing wonderful vacation. And for most people, quality of sleep on vacation is a big issue.

 

very well said, I agree!

[Sharon Sails]

People,

You can call us complainers, whiners, over-exaggerators - whatever you want. I CAN'T SLEEP ON THIS MATTRESS, and I'm HERE, NOW, on my favorite ship, Freedom of the Seas. Employees recognize me on this ship, I've been here so often. I go greet employees the day of departure. Why would I complain over nothing? This has been my go-to ship for YEARS. I was here last March for a back-to-back after my best friend died. Employees/friends here were comforting me. So, make fun of me, call me a complainer - do what you please. Then when YOU are on an RCI ship (and by the way, the company is Royal Caribbean International, so for those who say RCCL, catch up on the company you're cruising with), decide for yourself just how comfortable the mattresses are. Perhaps you like extra-firm. If so, good for you -- you'll sleep like the proverbial baby.;)

[mnak]

People,

You can call us complainers, whiners, over-exaggerators - whatever you want. I CAN'T SLEEP ON THIS MATTRESS, and I'm HERE, NOW, on my favorite ship, Freedom of the Seas. Employees recognize me on this ship, I've been here so often. I go greet employees the day of departure. Why would I complain over nothing? This has been my go-to ship for YEARS. I was here last March for a back-to-back after my best friend died. Employees/friends here were comforting me. So, make fun of me, call me a complainer - do what you please. Then when YOU are on an RCI ship (and by the way, the company is Royal Caribbean International, so for those who say RCCL, catch up on the company you're cruising with), decide for yourself just how comfortable the mattresses are. Perhaps you like extra-firm. If so, good for you -- you'll sleep like the proverbial baby.;)

 

Some people need to see for themselves for sure, but not fair to judge us that have experienced this first hand. Those mattresses should not be called "firm"....nope!

[dasi11]

I was on enchantment in Nov. and Freedom in Dec. Both times the bed was fine with a topper. An egg crate was already on the bed in the room. I did not ask ahead of time. I assume RCL is fixing the problem already.

I am on Oasis in a week. I hope the bed will be fine again.... If not, I will get a topper or egg crate. I assume RCL will have them available. RCL has never let me down and I trust it will be fine in the future.

[marci22]

.....and it starts....

 

What starts?

[tampadee]

I wonder if it would be smaller to transport a self inflating mattress pad. What do you think?

[John&LaLa]

I read it on the Internet so it must be true.....

 

How about this justification.

[Biker19]

Let's think about this for a minute logically:

 

What would RCI gain by providing a rock hard mattress? Where's the extra profit in it? The cost savings, if any, over a softer mattress is negligible So, again, why would they do it?

 

On the flip side, if the mattress is as bad as it is and it is in every room, you'd think there would a 1000 person line (the other 3000 are OK with it with the concrete bed) at GS on every ship complaining about it. Somehow, I don't think that is happening.

 

A third way to look at it - what mattress company would want to sell such a firm mattress to RCI knowing people would complain, they may need to take some back and never have RCI as a customer again.

 

We get it, some mattresses are firmer than some people like and a batch of firmer than usual mattresses may have gotten on some ships, but like the food folks like to complain about, it is likely a very small percentage of reality.

 

Biker, who had a bed needing two duvets layers to soften it up on a 16 night TA.:cool:

[tampadee]

From Royal Caribbean's website, this is where I found "contact us"

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/contactUsOnline.do?ref=postcmnt

[John&LaLa]

Laura has sailed Freedom 5 times since September. She did mention cabin 6137 was a little different than the others. It is one added during the last drydock. She compared it to a cot, but had no problem sleeping. The other two cabins were in October and December. 6665 and 8357. We will be in a JS in March and one of the new balconies up on 12 in August. If it's uncomfortable, I'll let someone know.

 

BTW, I went three times this fall and winter on Enchantment and Brilliance and I had no complaints. I was also happy on Oasis in April, Freedom in June and Enchantment in March.

 

BTW, I don't believe I ever said anyone's complaints were not valid, I merely said that any comparison to concrete is a gross exaggeration. And then I was attacked by our bedding expert.

Edited January 7, 2016 by John&LaLa

[sr4mjc]

I had no issues on the Jewel in November.