Saving lounge chairs at the pool enforcement?

[debbs0723]

Well from what i'm reading here, it's not consistent. I do like the idea of folking someones towel and then as the attendant comes back through another 20-30 minutes later, they remove the towels.

 

What I don't want is someone trying to take my things early, meaning after a few minutes. I had a situation where my neighbor (I didn't know him from adam) asked if I could watch his towel and book...he was going to the bathroom and grabbing an ice cream cone. He was gone maybe 5 minutes when an attendant and older gentleman came over to move his stuff. I told them he would be right back. They said he had been gone a while and I said, "5 minutes is a while???" The attendant looked at the older gentleman like that's not what you told me. Thankfully the neighbor was walking up right about then.

 

Really irked me this poor guy couldn't get up for 5-10 minutes max before some was ready to confinscate his stuff. Good thing I was watching it for him.

 

I agree with you. I think the folded towels and removing them if they don't change within a certain amount of time is the best idea yet. It would be a major drag to be scared to go to the restroom. However I feel if they were really enforcing the rules it would be easy to come back and find another chair. I'm not a chair hog. However when you realize everyone is doing it and there is no chance of you finding a chair later I think it starts to breed more chair hogs. I've never cared to be right by the pool either. I always like the deck above overlooking the pool area or looking out at the ocean. On RCL, I've only been on the Enchantment and Navigator so far and it was downright impossible to find a lounge chair in the Solarium on both all day on sea days. I finally just completely gave up on that area. Maybe it will be different on the Allure. Problem is I still have preteens who need to check in with me so it isn't really an option.

 

Debbie

[Leezer]

I saw pool attendants removing towels but they left chairs alone that had other things. This was last week on Oasis.

 

 

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[palofmine]

Sea days i do see it more often, cause there is no where to go ( so you think). This is why i only spend a few hours in a port, come back and go to a pool chair and relax before everyone gets back from port :)

[LetsGetWet!]

I agree with you. I think the folded towels and removing them if they don't change within a certain amount of time is the best idea yet. It would be a major drag to be scared to go to the restroom. However I feel if they were really enforcing the rules it would be easy to come back and find another chair. I'm not a chair hog. However when you realize everyone is doing it and there is no chance of you finding a chair later I think it starts to breed more chair hogs. I've never cared to be right by the pool either. I always like the deck above overlooking the pool area or looking out at the ocean. On RCL, I've only been on the Enchantment and Navigator so far and it was downright impossible to find a lounge chair in the Solarium on both all day on sea days. I finally just completely gave up on that area. Maybe it will be different on the Allure. Problem is I still have preteens who need to check in with me so it isn't really an option.

 

Debbie

I think that's a very good point. There will always be a few rude and inconsiderate passengers who would be chair hogs no matter what. But non-enforcement leads many more to adopt the behavior out of frustration and because there seems no other way to get a chair anywhere near the pool.

[floridasun lover]

I think the biggest problem is people just leaving for the day and leaving their used towels on the chairs. No one has any way of knowing if someone is returning! There are signs saying no saving of chairs, but there needs to be signs saying to return used towels to the towel station! This would help so much as then there would be many more open chairs and seekers wouldn't have to be timid about taking the towels off and using the chairs!

[palofmine]

I agree! I usually am in the Solairum, but i have kids who need to check in with me too. I dont need to be right by the pool, and I can go over to the solarium for a few minutes of solice, without needing a chair. There are benches near the pool to put your stuff down, and tables. My husband does not like laying in the sun, so we will be in a nice secluded area, with a hint of sun.

[Dave85]

They were enforcing it on Allure on the Beach Deck a few weeks ago. This was by far the most popular area and they were out in force bagging up towels and belongings and placing stickers with times on the back of chairs.

 

We were on the deck above (which had plenty of empty loungers) watching the pantomime which ensued when the original owners returned to find someone in 'their' seats.

 

Glad to hear it!

[Nikmav]

I agree there needs to be monitoring of the situation and removing towels that have just been left behind by people who have left for the day. However, I think that a 30 minute time limit is a bit harsh. An hour I can see. But 30 minutes, heck these ships are so big, if you have to run back to your room to get something, then make a stop at the restroom and then run into a trip companion, you can easily eat of 30 mintues of time. The problem is those that leave their towels to reserve their spot while they head out to go plan bingo or hit the casino(examples) for a while and those that reserve spots for several others.

[PattyW]

I hear on Freedom you have to sign out your towels again. How does that work with pool staff removing towels? If they took a towel, how does that passenger avoid being charged a fee for that towel, since they can't return it?

 

I generally don't have the issue, because we set up camp by the H2O zone and that is nowhere near as popular as the main pool, but maybe that's why they don't enforce it on Freedom.

[Folk Singer]

Sea days i do see it more often, cause there is no where to go ( so you think). This is why i only spend a few hours in a port, come back and go to a pool chair and relax before everyone gets back from port :)

 

good point.

[Thetrail]

I had read stories of the 30 minute rule of being away from your lounge chair more than 30 minutes only to come back and find towel and belongings removed by pool attendants or staff officers.

Previously it was not being strictly enforced on most ships. Has a trend began to enforce that policy more all all of their ships or just now and then if it's being taken advantage of more ?

I may have been a post from people on the Independence ?

Thanks to all who reply !

Was just on Grandeur for the March 18th sailing and lo and behold the crew was seen removing towels from the pool deck chairs! Had a woman complain that her and her friends towels were removed. She said I thought the towels reserved our seats!:)

[edeneyes]

We were on the Jewel the last two weeks and there was no enforcement to be seen. People left their towels on chairs just about everywhere and they were rarely removed by staff except at the end of the day. Too many rude people just left towels on chairs when they were done with them.

 

 

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[CountessP]

This brings up the question of lounge chair "etiquette".

What do you do in the following 2 scenarios:

 

1st: All chairs are taken, you finally find one which has nothing on it. Nothing! You grab it only to be told it is being saved for someone. In this case, the person is surrounded by 3 other chairs with stuff on them, but no people. Is it OK to take a chair with nothing on it? Also, how many chairs is one person allowed to hold?

 

2nd: Chairs with just towels and nothing else. Not new towels, but obviously used towels. Is it OK to assume the people left and the lounge chairs are available? And how about if you asked those around the chair, and their answer is "I don't know". How long do the chairs need to be this way before you decide it's OK to use them.

 

I'm very curious to hear the responses to both these situations.

[gerif]

This brings up the question of lounge chair "etiquette".

What do you do in the following 2 scenarios:

 

1st: All chairs are taken, you finally find one which has nothing on it. Nothing! You grab it only to be told it is being saved for someone. In this case, the person is surrounded by 3 other chairs with stuff on them, but no people. Is it OK to take a chair with nothing on it? Also, how many chairs is one person allowed to hold?

 

2nd: Chairs with just towels and nothing else. Not new towels, but obviously used towels. Is it OK to assume the people left and the lounge chairs are available? And how about if you asked those around the chair, and their answer is "I don't know". How long do the chairs need to be this way before you decide it's OK to use them.

 

I'm very curious to hear the responses to both these situations.

 

1. The answer is that no one is allowed to save any chairs for more than 30 minutes and certainly not multiple ones. I won't even save one for DH if I know he won't get to the pool within that time frame.

 

2. Again, if the chair is vacant for 30 minutes, it's fair game.

[Roce48]

I have seen this pretty well enforced on Oasis when we went in 2012.. last year on grandeur, there were tons of chair hogs, but also nice people who gave up their seats. My husband got up at 6am to get a seat for us, and we were there almost all day. We also brought our own towels, and i returned to my chair about every 15 - 20 minutes as well.

:):):) Returning to your chair every 15 minutes seems like a lot of work to me. lol

[waterbug123]

Here's my take on it:

30 minutes is adequate time to run back to your cabin and stop by the restroom. Or to go get a burger or an ice cream and bring it back. If you need to be gone more than 30 minutes, then you should vacate your seat. When you come back an hour later, you can look for another chair. It really doesn't matter how "necessary" your errand is... getting lunch, sorting out an issue at guest relations, whatever.... if you need to be gone more than 30 minutes, vacate the chair.

 

As for the folks who say they are often there but IN the pool for an hour or more, that's fine, but in that case you're just using a chair as a storage spot for your stuff so you and your spouse or kids or whoever are with should just put all your stuff together on ONE chair. If you and the kids are going in the pool, you don't need to use 3 separate chairs as your personal storage lockers. When you get out of the pool an hour or an hour and a half later, and are finally ready to use the pool DECK, then go find separate chairs.

 

And most of the time it's pretty obvious who has just left their chair for a brief errand... they usually leave a whole bunch of stuff... towel, shirt, shoes, book, beach bag, visor, bucket with 2 beers left in it, etc. etc. The irritating thing is when you see 4 chairs, each with an unused towel, and each has exactly ONE "personal" item left to make it appear that the person is in the area and "using" the chair. One chair has a magazine, one has t-shirt, nothing of any real value, etc. That's when it's pretty obvious that someone has come down early and tried to save 4 chairs for the friends or family for later.

[slyster]

I wonder if well placed signs would help? No reserving of deck chairs. Chairs left unattended for more than 30 minutes will have items removed. You can find your items at the towel desk.

 

I bet that would help with enforcement a bit. Not a little blurb in the compass but placed throughout the pool area. Maybe even set up a basket labeled (pick up your chair items here). That may be a bit much but I giggled thinking about it :D

[LMaxwell]

I wonder if well placed signs would help? No reserving of deck chairs. Chairs left unattended for more than 30 minutes will have items removed. You can find your items at the towel desk.

 

I bet that would help with enforcement a bit.

 

Those signs do exist. If not that exact wording, close.

[Dave85]

I wonder if well placed signs would help? No reserving of deck chairs. Chairs left unattended for more than 30 minutes will have items removed. You can find your items at the towel desk.

 

I bet that would help with enforcement a bit. Not a little blurb in the compass but placed throughout the pool area. Maybe even set up a basket labeled (pick up your chair items here). That may be a bit much but I giggled thinking about it :D

 

Those signs do exist. If not that exact wording, close.

 

Right, I've definitely seen those signs before. They are conspicuous.

[Charger2008]

We noticed a LOT of chair hogging going on on this cruise but we never did see any of the staff enforcing the "no saving chairs" rule.

 

However, what we did see was a much more noticeable presence of security personnel on the ship, especially back by the Flowrider. I mentioned this to friends and someone asked and found out that because it was a "Spring Break" sailing, they do have more security out and about on the ships to discourage underage drinking and general shenanigans because there are more children on board.

[Cruiserbarbie]

On NOS March 2, pool patrol enforced the rule.

[Folk Singer]

1. The answer is that no one is allowed to save any chairs for more than 30 minutes and certainly not multiple ones. I won't even save one for DH if I know he won't get to the pool within that time frame.

 

2. Again, if the chair is vacant for 30 minutes, it's fair game.

 

 

agree

[Deeliteful]

They were enforcing it on Allure on the Beach Deck a few weeks ago. This was by far the most popular area and they were out in force bagging up towels and belongings and placing stickers with times on the back of chairs.

 

We were on the deck above (which had plenty of empty loungers) watching the pantomime which ensued when the original owners returned to find someone in 'their' seats.

 

Sounds like fun! That's where I'll sit :D

[Two 2 Tango]

Here's my take on it:

30 minutes is adequate time to run back to your cabin and stop by the restroom. Or to go get a burger or an ice cream and bring it back. If you need to be gone more than 30 minutes, then you should vacate your seat. When you come back an hour later, you can look for another chair. It really doesn't matter how "necessary" your errand is... getting lunch, sorting out an issue at guest relations, whatever.... if you need to be gone more than 30 minutes, vacate the chair.

 

As for the folks who say they are often there but IN the pool for an hour or more, that's fine, but in that case you're just using a chair as a storage spot for your stuff so you and your spouse or kids or whoever are with should just put all your stuff together on ONE chair. If you and the kids are going in the pool, you don't need to use 3 separate chairs as your personal storage lockers. When you get out of the pool an hour or an hour and a half later, and are finally ready to use the pool DECK, then go find separate chairs.

 

And most of the time it's pretty obvious who has just left their chair for a brief errand... they usually leave a whole bunch of stuff... towel, shirt, shoes, book, beach bag, visor, bucket with 2 beers left in it, etc. etc. The irritating thing is when you see 4 chairs, each with an unused towel, and each has exactly ONE "personal" item left to make it appear that the person is in the area and "using" the chair. One chair has a magazine, one has t-shirt, nothing of any real value, etc. That's when it's pretty obvious that someone has come down early and tried to save 4 chairs for the friends or family for later.

 

Quite agree, but what is wrong with lashing to the mast these days; just hate selfishness in any form.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Two 2 Tango

[George C]

On NOS March 2, pool patrol enforced the rule.

 

I do not ever rember this really being enforced in my 57 cruises, I think enforcing this is a good idea. Looking forward for my NOS cruise in 25 days