Pool Deck loungers - how long can I hold?

[NLH Arizona]

Even when they put out the signs asking people to use the tables only for eating during meal times, it is difficult to enforce.

It is actually a suggestion, not a requirement.

 

People just keep drinks or small dishes of food on the table while they are reading or playing games during peak meal times, so they could claim that they were still eating or drinking if questioned, although I doubt if any staff member would even question them.

 

Ideally, people would show consideration for others by not hogging tables in dining areas when they are not actually eating or drinking there, and by not hogging loungers at the pool when they are not actually using them.

But the reality is far from the ideal.

 

I guess it just shows a lot about people's humanity or lack of....sad to me that it is "me me and only me" world to some.

Edited January 11, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[Can'tstopcruising]

Sure it's annoying when you can't find an available chaise or table. But in the scheme of things, aren't we lucky to have such worries? Consider Paris this week. I'll take a "me, me" person (something I never heard of before reading Cruise Critic!) over the dangerous ones that could be lurking anywhere. Me me's are harmless.

[keithm]

You just brought back a memory of one of the funniest moments of our TA on the Silhouette in November. During one of the (many wonderful) sea days, my spouse and I were reading on two loungers in the shade on the pool deck, the square-ish sofa-like ones along the side of the deck. We'd been there continuously since about 9am, enjoying the glorious weather in the middle of the Atlantic.

 

As it turned out, the ship was trying out a new poolside barbeque for lunch that day (we didn't even know this when we got our chairs that morning); by noon, the deck was packed, every chair was taken (no surprise). I'm fairly short, and so my legs did not fully extend into the entire bottom part of my lounger. Along came this huge guy who looked at me and said "is that taken?" He actually thought he could turn up at noon and sit on the bottom piece of my chair! :eek:

A certain expletive would have thrown his way from me!

[keithm]

On our Eclipse Transatlantic in Ocean View Cafe, they put signs on tables requesting people to sue the tables only for dining during the busy meal periods.

 

In Aqua Spa Cafe, they had signs out saying the tables were reserved for dining during the lunch period.

 

There ad lots of places on the ship to grab a table and play games etc, without taking seating away from the prime lunchtime dining spots.

So now we've gone to "suing" tables? Sorry, lame attempt at a joke. I didn't really notice hogging of tables. Really saw the hogging of loungers(then again, the same on Cunard)I gather it's up to the staff to move people from hogging tables. I only would move stuff off a long unattended loung, not ask someone to vacate a table.

[Cuizer2]

Ideally, people would show consideration for others by not hogging tables in dining areas when they are not actually eating or drinking there, and by not hogging loungers at the pool when they are not actually using them.

 

That would have the unfortunate consequence of eliminating a good percentage of the threads on Cruise Critic. :eek:

[Cuizer2]

A certain expletive would have thrown his way from me!

 

Why? The person asked. Just say yes and let it go. This thread is about rude people. No need for you to add more rudeness to the mix when all you are facing is a simple question.

[floridaglen]

My husband and I were sitting on deck loungers on Queen Mary a few ago when a lady came along and asked if she could sit in the empty chair next to me. I explained that my husband had only gone to the bathroom and would be back in a minute. She was most disgruntled and told me "You are not allowed to save chairs!" Perhaps she hadn't heard about the 30 minute rule but she made me feel really guilty!

[keithm]

Why? The person asked. Just say yes and let it go. This thread is about rude people. No need for you to add more rudeness to the mix when all you are facing is a simple question.

Oh Come on!! Some fool comes by & asks to sit on the lower end of your lounge! How stupid is that? Oh, excuse me, you have an empty chair at your dinner table, mind if the missus & me join you!?

[Cuizer2]

Oh Come on!! Some fool comes by & asks to sit on the lower end of your lounge! How stupid is that? Oh, excuse me, you have an empty chair at your dinner table, mind if the missus & me join you!?

 

Just because someone asks a stupid question does not excuse acting in a wrong way in return. I've had people ask me stupid questions. Rather than be rude or insulting just answer the question and be done with it.

 

You seem to want to justify being rude yourself. Why?

Edited January 12, 2015 by Cuizer2

[patty1955]

Oh Come on!! Some fool comes by & asks to sit on the lower end of your lounge! How stupid is that? Oh, excuse me, you have an empty chair at your dinner table, mind if the missus & me join you!?

And that's exactly what we do in the buffet if there aren't any other seats available. Sitting on the foot of a lounge chair is more like trying to share a seat, not a table.

[monicajay]

Oh Come on!! Some fool comes by & asks to sit on the lower end of your lounge! How stupid is that? Oh, excuse me, you have an empty chair at your dinner table, mind if the missus & me join you!?

 

In many cultures asking to sit with someone who has empty spots at their table is perfectly normal. We have met many lovely people this way.

[jayoldschool]

When the buffet is busy, we wave people over to join us when we're two at a four top. It's normal to sit with people.

[bobsfamily]

We've met some lovely people the same way, both joining and inviting... and a couple who were not very happy with "sharing their" table. Maybe they belonged to the CH club?

Edited January 12, 2015 by bobsfamily

[keithm]

Just because someone asks a stupid question does not excuse acting in a wrong way in return. I've had people ask me stupid questions. Rather than be rude or insulting just answer the question and be done with it.

 

You seem to want to justify being rude yourself. Why?

I just can't accept the audacity of some stranger wanting to sit on the end of some one's lounge.

[keithm]

In many cultures asking to sit with someone who has empty spots at their table is perfectly normal. We have met many lovely people this way.

True, we'll do that in a Chinese restaurant. I was trying to make a point, where you're at a table for 2 & someone wants to make it a table for 3. I guess I used a wrong analogy. Still, I WOULD get very upset if someone wanted to sit on the same lounge as me. I would tend to think most people would find it extremely rude.

[keithm]

And that's exactly what we do in the buffet if there aren't any other seats available. Sitting on the foot of a lounge chair is more like trying to share a seat, not a table.

Sorry, I was using the "table" schtick as a piece of sarcasm.Meaning that a couple comes to a table of 2 & tries to suddenly make it a table of 4. Didn't work,however. Yes we'll share tables in Chinatown & places like that. Sharing a lounge chair with a total stranger,I don't think so!

[az_tchr]

Always remember you cannot cure stupid or rude. Some people are "special". The Celebrity staff will gladly remove belongings if asked for unoccupied loungers after a wait of 15-20 minutes.

[Cuizer2]

I just can't accept the audacity of some stranger wanting to sit on the end of some one's lounge.

 

So, as a former first lady once said, "JUST say no." Why make it worse by being rude?

[CaribbeanBound]

If nobody saved lounge chairs then there would almost always be some available for use, except maybe during prime time. Saving the lounge chairs is just plain selfish.

[MizDemeanor]

My husband and I were sitting on deck loungers on Queen Mary a few ago when a lady came along and asked if she could sit in the empty chair next to me. I explained that my husband had only gone to the bathroom and would be back in a minute. She was most disgruntled and told me "You are not allowed to save chairs!" Perhaps she hadn't heard about the 30 minute rule but she made me feel really guilty!

 

People hear what they want to hear. You told her the truth. She though it was a lie.

 

Don't feel guilty about it for a minute.

[keithm]

So, as a former first lady once said, "JUST say no." Why make it worse by being rude?

Sorry, because the person was an idiot? I'm sorry,but someone coming up to me & asking to share the same lounger(exception, Chris Hemsworth)Isn't going to get a very polite response from me! That person would be completely lacking of any form of social awareness. It's a matter of simple decency. I'll admit I'd not swear at the person(though I said I would)I still really would not be too polite about it.Now let's move on to something else.

[AnchorsAweigh2011]

We just got back from a cruise on the Celebrity Equinox and I was pleaantly surprised to see that Celebrity had an excellent approach to unattaended pool chairs. If a chair wasn't being used in the last 30 minutes, the pool butler would remove the towel and freed up the chair. By freeing up chairs not being used, we were always able to find a chair on the pool deck. Well done Celebrity!

Edited April 12, 2015 by WiseChoices

[Bery]

Celebrity enforces the 30 minute limit on unoccupied loungers.