Did Carnival Change their Mattresses ?

We have always found the beds to be super comfortable - however on our recent back to back on the valor we found the beds very uncomfortable.

Yes , I think they have.The Breeze was a noticeable difference as well :eek:

I agree. I slept like a baby on our first cruise in 2011, but the last two this winter were horrible. I dislike very firm mattresses and these were so bad that I could barely sleep. DH loves a firm mattress and he said it's the best sleep he's ever had.

My mother said the same thing last year on the fantasy. I was In the next room and slept like a baby as usual on a carnival ship.

Does the Valor have the egg crate thingies you can have the room steward put on the beds?

I just made that comment to my DW earlier tonight.

Yes , I think they have.The Breeze was a noticeable difference as well :eek:

I noticed this on the Breeze as well. Normally I sleep without waking but on our recent Breeze cruise I'd wake several times during the night and my arm would be asleep. I stomach sleep and couldn't wait to get back home to sleep on my comfy bed. It's the first time I've ever felt that way.

:confused:

Definitely noticed a difference on the Elation last week. Had I not packed my own pillow I think I'd have awakened with a lot of pain but having a familiar pillow helped lessen the discomfort. Did not help my lower back though. I've always thought Carnival had higher quality mattresses that were comfortable with a lot of support but whatever this was that I slept on this past cruise felt cheap and thin with little support.

Mattresses were pretty bad on the Pride last week. Rock hard to the point it makes your hips numb. They no longer provide the egg crates but you are free to bring your own they said. [i wrote to them prior to the cruise] Now that should fit nicely in your suitcase!:rolleyes:

I just got back from a back to back on the Liberty and Victory. I didn't think the beds were uncomfortable to start out with, but I could only handle about 6-7 hours max, then I had to get up because of a lower backache. Both ships were the same. I have not had any backaches since we've been home.

sounds like maybe this is another cutback.

They might have switched to the sleep discomfort mattress.:eek:

Bill

You can ask your room steward to make the bed softer and they will. My partner has back problems and on the conquest in January couldn't sleep on the mattresses, so our steward made it much softer for him by adding two comforters under the sheets. We were in a suite, but category shouldn't matter. Just remember to take care of the steward with a little extra tip at the end :)

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For years I've thought carnival mattresses were wonderful.

I don't recall any problem with the mattress I slept on last may, on the Spirit Alaska cruise.

But the mattress was so uncomfortable on the cruises I've taken on the Inspiration this year. 3 cruises, terrible mattresses. I love a hard mattress but these did not feel like a good quality firm mattress. No spring, no give, felt like massive cotton batting stuffed into a box with no springs.

I hate to hear this. I have not been able to sail in over a year and a half, guess they have changed them.

Mattresses were pretty bad on the Pride last week.

Rock hard to the point it makes your hips numb.

 

They no longer provide the egg crates but you are free to bring your own they said.

Now that should fit nicely in your suitcase!:rolleyes:

So far I haven't experienced this (read a lot about it)

but if/when it does happen to me, it's just the excuse I've been looking for

to switch from tacky Carnival to a more refined cruise line

- probably Princess. :)

Tasteful decor on Caribbean Princess.

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It's not just me, then. I used to LOVE Carnival's beds. This past cruise (a week ago) the mattress was horrible. It was like sleeping on plywood. WAY TOO HARD. I hate to sing the same old "cutback" song, but I honestly think it's just another symptom of this.

Where is the balance? Carnival has given a wonderful product at a great price for so long - and all the sudden (say, when Cahill became CEO) all these complaints start pouring in.... and some of them pretty darn valid. They need to take a major swing in the other direction -and I think (I hope) they are starting to realize this with even John H acknowledging a lot of dissatisfaction lately.

This is so disappointing! My last Carnival cruises were a few years ago and I loved the beds and bedding. Going on Paradise next week and I really hope they still have the old mattresses.

This is so disappointing!

My last Carnival cruises were a few years ago and I loved the beds and bedding.

Going on Paradise next week and I really hope they still have the old mattresses.

about how Carnival beds were the most comfortable beds I'd ever experienced, in 60+ years of life

- so comfortable you didn't even want to get out of bed in the morning.

Carnival beds were/are? that good!

Until my last cruise (GLORY, ex-Manhattan, Oct. 2011) that remained the case.

Now I'm hoping that Glory's 2.0 modification since my last cruise

won't have me sleeping on a Yoga-board! :cool:

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We were on the 2nd leg of your B2B (5/5 - 5/12). The beds weren't uncomfortable but we definitely noticed the mattresses weren't the same as they were on our Carnival Miracle cruise (March 2006) & Carnival Glory cruise (May 2010). I was thinking on the Miracle and Glory cruises that they may have used down filled mattress pads.

I used to boast to friends

about how Carnival beds were the most comfortable beds I'd ever experienced, in 60+ years of life

- so comfortable you didn't even want to get out of bed in the morning.

.

Exactly, it was like sleeping in a soft cocoon. My husband is going to be mad - he hates hard mattresses. I can deal but it's disappointing.

how often do they change them out? anyone know?

Yes, at some point (I don't know when), the beds were definitely down-graded. On our first cruise (Inspiration, 2005), the bed was sooo comfy. It had a mattress topper of down or down alternative under the fitted sheet. It was heavenly. Now, the mattresses (Glory and Pride, anyway)are almost rock-hard. Definitely a cutback and it was one of the many, many cutbacks that finally pushed me away from Carnival.

I think so. In 2011 on the Liberty, the bed was awesome. In 2012 on the Imagination the bed was terrible.

I hear the beds on the Breeze are not great either. Well what do we expect with all the price drops and all. Its not surprising. We all brag about our price drops, we should expect this. I am going on the Breeze next week and I am adjusting my expectations seeing how my cruise dropped so much ( lowest was $399 pp for a 8 day lol desperation). It isn't going to ruin my cruise as I have my kids, it will just make me glad I am booked for the Royal Princess in November.

When I went on the Freedom in 2010, the mattresses were amazing and so was the cheesecake (lol)! When I went on the Liberty (Feb 2012), the mattresses were still amazing, but the cheesecake sucked :/

Went on the glory last year (June 2012) the mattresses were so hard, I hated sleeping! Oh...and if you're wondering...I didn't even bother with the cheesecake....lol!

I just got back from a back to back on the Liberty and Victory. I didn't think the beds were uncomfortable to start out with, but I could only handle about 6-7 hours max, then I had to get up because of a lower backache. Both ships were the same. I have not had any backaches since we've been home.

I also get a lower backache on each cruise from sleeping on a different mattress than I'm used to. As the week or weeks go on, I seem to get used to it.

I also get a lower backache in hotels. I have to put one of my hands on my back as I roll out of bed.