Towel hogs

[silver wedding]

I wonder if chair hogs are worse when there are a lot of Europeans on board ie. British? I was on Emerald in Dec. (first time on Princess) and I have never known the chair situation so bad. Even Carnival was better. All the other cruises we have been on the passengers have been mainly American and Canadian and never encountered any problem. On the Emerald a fair percentage were British.

 

Chair saving has always been part of the British culture and hotels in the med countries have problems with hogs, seen lots of arguements over the years. I am English BTW before anyone steps in that I am being unfair. Just something I noticed:D

I agree with this. We blame the germans but an awful lot of the chair hogs speak with english accents.

[pm7334]

Up near The Sanctuary is a very large area with chairs and access to the adult only pool. Very sunny and very quiet. If I didn't reserve The Sanctuary I would have sat there.

[W&G1968]

Up near The Sanctuary is a very large area with chairs and access to the adult only pool. Very sunny and very quiet. If I didn't reserve The Sanctuary I would have sat there.

 

Thanks for this information. I've never been a "chair hog" yet! I have removed a few towels and used a chair and have never had anyone return while I was still there! I guess I was lucky! I do wish the crew would enforce the rule, guests shouldn't have to do that!

[monakayk]

I got fed up with chair hogs and towels being left on the chairs....so in my past 3 cruises...I have just walked up to the person who was sitting near a chair (with a towel on it) asked if anyone has been sitting there for awhile. If they say no..I just drop the towel on the ground and enjoy myself relaxing. So far after doing this several times...NOT one time has anyone ever come back to that chair. I don't even wait now to see if a chair is empty for awhile...I just go up and ask the person sitting next to it if they are using it...and if not..then I plop myself right down and relax!

[KEG306]

I don't think we can expect the Deck Attendants to police this situation as some have suggested. On our recent Emerald cruise, there were 3 attendants working the main pool area and they had a lot to do without having to time how long an unattended towel had been on a lounger.

 

We're all adults and should be able to handle this on our own. The best one I seen was a single towel spread out across 3 loungers.

[charlielinda]

My fondest dream! A few years ago on a cruise we walked past the pool early every morning and we would see books, magazines, hats and towel with no one in sight. We'd walk back by 30 minutes later and they all still would be there with no one in sight -- not one person on the deck or in the pool. My fondest wish was to just start moving things around -- from row to row, side to side -- I wanted to collect all the items and just place them about -- chair here, chair there, maybe your sunglasses on one chair with a book from another on the other side of the pool, your hat on one chair with a magazine from another on a different row. Every morning I would tell my husband that this was the day my dream was going to come true and every morning we stopped me. I'm still dreaming about doing this and every time I read about chair hogs -- I dream some more. Since my husband will never let me do this -- maybe someone else an fulfill my dream!

[1 HappyCruiser]

I don't think we can expect the Deck Attendants to police this situation as some have suggested. On our recent Emerald cruise, there were 3 attendants working the main pool area and they had a lot to do without having to time how long an unattended towel had been on a lounger.

 

We're all adults and should be able to handle this on our own. The best one I seen was a single towel spread out across 3 loungers.

 

As you say, it's almost an impossible task to expect the deck guys to keep track of people absent from their chairs BUT when I explicitly point out that there are a couple of chairs that people were gone for over two hours (lotus pool) & he just shrugs & agrees with me that they shouldn't do it and walks away - it ain't right.

They just don't want to get involved & let the pax fend for themselves.

[cruiseron36]

My fondest dream! A few years ago on a cruise we walked past the pool early every morning and we would see books, magazines, hats and towel with no one in sight. We'd walk back by 30 minutes later and they all still would be there with no one in sight -- not one person on the deck or in the pool. My fondest wish was to just start moving things around -- from row to row, side to side -- I wanted to collect all the items and just place them about -- chair here, chair there, maybe your sunglasses on one chair with a book from another on the other side of the pool, your hat on one chair with a magazine from another on a different row. Every morning I would tell my husband that this was the day my dream was going to come true and every morning we stopped me. I'm still dreaming about doing this and every time I read about chair hogs -- I dream some more. Since my husband will never let me do this -- maybe someone else an fulfill my dream!

 

I LIKE that idea. What would be more fun would be to watch them from the upper deck when they return.

[Liz54]

My fondest dream! A few years ago on a cruise we walked past the pool early every morning and we would see books, magazines, hats and towel with no one in sight. We'd walk back by 30 minutes later and they all still would be there with no one in sight -- not one person on the deck or in the pool. My fondest wish was to just start moving things around -- from row to row, side to side -- I wanted to collect all the items and just place them about -- chair here, chair there, maybe your sunglasses on one chair with a book from another on the other side of the pool, your hat on one chair with a magazine from another on a different row. Every morning I would tell my husband that this was the day my dream was going to come true and every morning we stopped me. I'm still dreaming about doing this and every time I read about chair hogs -- I dream some more. Since my husband will never let me do this -- maybe someone else an fulfill my dream!

 

 

Go for it Charlielinda! Make your dreams come true!!

[freetocruise]

My fondest dream! A few years ago on a cruise we walked past the pool early every morning and we would see books, magazines, hats and towel with no one in sight. We'd walk back by 30 minutes later and they all still would be there with no one in sight -- not one person on the deck or in the pool. My fondest wish was to just start moving things around -- from row to row, side to side -- I wanted to collect all the items and just place them about -- chair here, chair there, maybe your sunglasses on one chair with a book from another on the other side of the pool, your hat on one chair with a magazine from another on a different row. Every morning I would tell my husband that this was the day my dream was going to come true and every morning we stopped me. I'm still dreaming about doing this and every time I read about chair hogs -- I dream some more. Since my husband will never let me do this -- maybe someone else an fulfill my dream!

 

You are soooo evil and I love it!

[pcsunlover]

If you want a chair then get up early like I do and get one - but then stay and use it. If you are going to go eat or leave for longer than 20 - 30 minutes you should expect that you will have to find a new chair. But what I don't appreciate is when I get up from my chair to use the restroom (and wait in line for 10min to do so) and then come back to find that someone has moved my stuff and taken my chair.

[1 HappyCruiser]

If you want a chair then get up early like I do and get one - but then stay and use it. If you are going to go eat or leave for longer than 20 - 30 minutes you should expect that you will have to find a new chair. But what I don't appreciate is when I get up from my chair to use the restroom (and wait in line for 10min to do so) and then come back to find that someone has moved my stuff and taken my chair.

 

That can be a problem with some of the over zealous chair police. I sometimes go in the pool for extended periods of time & have to keep check on my chair. There are times when someone could be away for more than the allotted time so it's a hard call to make without actually timing each vacant chair.

[Tikibird]

Thanks for this information. I've never been a "chair hog" yet! I have removed a few towels and used a chair and have never had anyone return while I was still there! I guess I was lucky! I do wish the crew would enforce the rule, guests shouldn't have to do that!

 

I agree, we shouldn't have to be policing the chair hogs, the staff need to step up and do their jobs. At the very least, they should be prepared to remove stuff that has been left unattended for over 30 minutes. My husband and I usually end up sharing a lounger because I like to go off and do trivia or other stuff and he likes to hang out at the pool. So I will chase him into the pool, use his lounger for awhile, then give it back to him when I want to do another activity.

[Cruisin' Chick]

My fondest dream! A few years ago on a cruise we walked past the pool early every morning and we would see books, magazines, hats and towel with no one in sight. We'd walk back by 30 minutes later and they all still would be there with no one in sight -- not one person on the deck or in the pool. My fondest wish was to just start moving things around -- from row to row, side to side -- I wanted to collect all the items and just place them about -- chair here, chair there, maybe your sunglasses on one chair with a book from another on the other side of the pool, your hat on one chair with a magazine from another on a different row. Every morning I would tell my husband that this was the day my dream was going to come true and every morning we stopped me. I'm still dreaming about doing this and every time I read about chair hogs -- I dream some more. Since my husband will never let me do this -- maybe someone else an fulfill my dream!

 

Oh, I hope someone does this on their next cruise and report back to us.

 

If you want a chair then get up early like I do and get one - but then stay and use it. If you are going to go eat or leave for longer than 20 - 30 minutes you should expect that you will have to find a new chair. But what I don't appreciate is when I get up from my chair to use the restroom (and wait in line for 10min to do so) and then come back to find that someone has moved my stuff and taken my chair.

 

Many have suggested having cubbyholes by the pool. That way, someone using the pool has a place to stash their towel, sunglasses, etc. The only problem would be if someone accidentally takes the wrong things (I have prescription sunglasses, but many others have just generic ones).

[Wecruise8]

You think chair hogs are bad...

 

I'm now reading about table hogs who

race to reserve a table by the window

in Horizon Court before they even get

their food.

 

They put books or other objects on the

table to hold it while they stand in line.

 

Could you imagine if everyone did that?!

 

The chair hogs drove me to Sanctuary.

I would rather spend the $15 per day for

the week to have my own reserved chair

than deal with the hogs that get up early

in the morning, throw their towels on the

chair then go to the Horizon court for

breakfast and throw their books on a table

to reserve it before getting in line to get food.

 

I don't really see the problem with putting your stuff at a table while going through the buffet. It's sometimes difficult to balance a book/beach bag/towels/sunscreen, etc. AND a plate while trying not to dump all of it when reaching for food. People putting their stuff at a table for that reason doesn't bother me,,,,,,,,,,"reserving" a chair at the pool when you're not going to be there for several hours is another story.

[DrSch]

I don't really see the problem with putting your stuff at a table while going through the buffet. It's sometimes difficult to balance a book/beach bag/towels/sunscreen, etc. AND a plate while trying not to dump all of it when reaching for food. People putting their stuff at a table for that reason doesn't bother me,,,,,,,,,,"reserving" a chair at the pool when you're not going to be there for several hours is another story.

 

Call me old fashioned, but I like to go down to my room, change out of my bathing suit, at least rinse the suntan lotion off me, and such before going to a common dining area. So when I am going to the buffet, I don't have books/beach bags/etc with me to have to try to balance. Amazing thing about buffets, they don't dissapear -- it will still be there and be open if you want to do it in a relaxing way.

[1 HappyCruiser]

I don't really see the problem with putting your stuff at a table while going through the buffet. It's sometimes difficult to balance a book/beach bag/towels/sunscreen, etc. AND a plate while trying not to dump all of it when reaching for food. People putting their stuff at a table for that reason doesn't bother me,,,,,,,,,,"reserving" a chair at the pool when you're not going to be there for several hours is another story.

 

Exactly. It doesn't take up any more space than a person sitting at the table holding a space for their spouse getting food. As a matter of fact, it probably speeds thing up a bit since they aren't trying to juggle a beach bag & what not while trying to pile food on their plates at the same time.

Maybe the people who don't bring anything to the Horizon at lunch are reserving their chairs at the pool with the stuff. ;);)

[JEH]

Do you realize that right now some MBA at Carnival/Princess is devising a way to rent chairs by the pool on an hourly basis ? The airlines are beginning to charge for bulk head and aisle seats so why not Princess for pool side seats ?

[Liz54]

Do you realize that right now some MBA at Carnival/Princess is devising a way to rent chairs by the pool on an hourly basis ? The airlines are beginning to charge for bulk head and aisle seats so why not Princess for pool side seats ?

 

 

DONE! Its called the Sanctuary!

[cruiseron36]

DONE! Its called the Sanctuary!

 

The sanctuary is not by the pool though!! The towel savers only want the first row by the pool whether they use the pool or not and will then complain when pool users are splashing them

[Astro Flyer]

We don't use pool loungers but from all of the comments understand that chair hogs are a big problem. There is not an easy solution but some suggestions can lead to heated confrontations which in a earlier post by a retired chief of police said should be avoided. If a dispute happens in could end up in both being removed from the ship. So if you walk past a 'saved' lounger & 30 miniutes later walk past again then move or switch around items it could lead to a nasty dispute. That chair could be used 25 of the 30 minutes while you're gone so be careful about the action you take. But if you're positive it's 'saved' then report it to a deck worker & if you get no help go up the chain of command until Princess enforces their policy. If anyone thinks they should have more workers to enforce it without a complaint, I'd think that will cost all of us more money. Even if it's reported like the child in the adult pool, it could take a lot of your time & being concerned if the pyscho staring you down will attack later. Law enforcement knows there are 2 sides to every story & try to keep the peace.

 

Just some things to consider before acting to enforce the Princess policy...something best done by them. Since they don't have enough workers to monitor each lounger's occupancy, they must depend upon voluntary compliance. If it's brought to their attention they probably don't have the time to watch it for a violation.

 

It's not right having self-centered chair hogs but it's also difficult to have a solution to eliminate it. A pool lounger isn't a priority for me but if it was I'd be angry about chair hogs. I would heed the COPs advice to not take action beyond reporting it to Princess & then up the chain of command if it's not enforced. It's not worth it to me to deal with someone who could attack me & end up with both of us being dropped off in the next port. Consider the COPs earlier advice, report it to security if necessary...it may not be worth it. If you're positive there's a policy violation that's up to you if you remove items. Hope it works out okay & that you don't run into some violent, self-centered passenger. :eek:

[KruzPrincess]

I hate sitting right by the pool, so I never have big problems with chair hogs.

 

Also, I don't think it's that wrong to put your stuff on a table and go grab something to eat. I often cruise solo or go to the buffet alone when my friends are off doing something else. It's no different to me to put my bag or book down than to see others have their family members hold a table. I go get my food, come back, eat and leave. Others have to go in turns to hold their table and take up much more table time. Even that is OK with me. My pet peeve is people who sit at a table and play cards for a few hours over meal time. Or they eat breakfast and then sit over coffee for an hour or two. They see people wandering around looking for a table and think nothing of the fact that they're squatting there for hours. JMO. I guess it's better than a chair hog in that they're at least sitting there, but there must be somewhere else they can play cards.

[Woobstr112G]

If you want a chair then get up early like I do and get one - but then stay and use it. If you are going to go eat or leave for longer than 20 - 30 minutes you should expect that you will have to find a new chair. But what I don't appreciate is when I get up from my chair to use the restroom (and wait in line for 10min to do so) and then come back to find that someone has moved my stuff and taken my chair.

 

You have to wait in line for 10 minutes to use a rest room.....:confused::confused::confused:

 

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

We don't use pool loungers but from all of the comments understand that chair hogs are a big problem. There is not an easy solution but some suggestions can lead to heated confrontations which in a earlier post by a retired chief of police said should be avoided. If a dispute happens in could end up in both being removed from the ship. So if you walk past a 'saved' lounger & 30 miniutes later walk past again then move or switch around items it could lead to a nasty dispute. That chair could be used 25 of the 30 minutes while you're gone so be careful about the action you take. But if you're positive it's 'saved' then report it to a deck worker & if you get no help go up the chain of command until Princess enforces their policy. If anyone thinks they should have more workers to enforce it without a complaint, I'd think that will cost all of us more money. Even if it's reported like the child in the adult pool, it could take a lot of your time & being concerned if the pyscho staring you down will attack later. Law enforcement knows there are 2 sides to every story & try to keep the peace.

 

Just some things to consider before acting to enforce the Princess policy...something best done by them. Since they don't have enough workers to monitor each lounger's occupancy, they must depend upon voluntary compliance. If it's brought to their attention they probably don't have the time to watch it for a violation.

 

It's not right having self-centered chair hogs but it's also difficult to have a solution to eliminate it. A pool lounger isn't a priority for me but if it was I'd be angry about chair hogs. I would heed the COPs advice to not take action beyond reporting it to Princess & then up the chain of command if it's not enforced. It's not worth it to me to deal with someone who could attack me & end up with both of us being dropped off in the next port. Consider the COPs earlier advice, report it to security if necessary...it may not be worth it. If you're positive there's a policy violation that's up to you if you remove items. Hope it works out okay & that you don't run into some violent, self-centered passenger. :eek:

 

I think that's what the hogs expect. Everyone to be meek and not touch their stuff to avoid a confrontation.

 

Bob

[jean s]

Last week on the Crown it fascinated me that people reserved chairs and then left the ship to go into the port. It was so nice that a good stiff breeze developed and most of their items blew around the deck and suddently we had lots and lots of empty seats. Seriously though I do hope Princess is listening to the suggestions. The ship could provide an area to store items, assign a couple of deck hands to "police" the chair situation and get the message out loudly that this type of behavior is not appropriate or acceptable.