Reserving chairs / loungers beside the pool

[beentothere]

Chair hogging is a no, no. But that doesn't mean everyone using those large clips to secure their towels to the loungers are chair hogs. But some do. Sea days are the worst for the chair hogs to be up and out early to mark their territory and then leave. I walk the track every morning between 5:00 -5:30 AM and have seen the chair hogs at it that early in the morning. Do a search and you'll find multiple threads on chair hogs. Some cruisers a very creative.

 

Seems like the shoe is on the wrong foot. Is it not the job of Celebrity to find an effective method to limit abusive activity.

After all they have had twenty years of experience in this.

Perhaps a chair id card?

[Jeremiah1212]

The pool attendants on our last cruise wouldn’t touch the loungers if they had anything other than a towel on them. No one likes to check out towels but it would solve the issue with lazy people just leaving used towels laying around.

 

On our last cruise I would say almost 75% of loungers were ‘reserved’ by 8am on our first sea day.

 

 

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[davekathy]

Seems like the shoe is on the wrong foot. Is it not the job of Celebrity to find an effective method to limit abusive activity.

After all they have had twenty years of experience in this.

Perhaps a chair id card?

 

Yes the staff should enforce their own policy's. But I don't wear rose colored glass. :rolleyes: And the chair hogging isn't limited just at the pool area. Like the theater. Not sure what you mean by a chair ID card or what it would do to eliminate chair hogging?

Edited January 9, 2018 by davekathy

[Muffinz]

how about some sort of al alarm device? - I've been to a couple of eateries here in NZ and they give you a disc shaped thing and it buzzes / beeps when your order is ready.

Why not something similar for the loungers on the ship?

when you go to the pool area you are given a buzzer alarm and when you put it on your lounger it has a 30 minute timer, so after 30 minutes if the lounger hasn't been then it will beep - letting the pool attendant (if that's what they are called) know that there is a free lounger.

they can remove the busser alarm and someone can have the lounger....

[funnybunny70]

Are you sure you read that correctly? I've seen people state they clip towels and bathing suits to the chairs on their balcony to dry. OR just to keep these items in place while they swim ... but NOT to reserve chairs. At least, I haven't seen that written.

 

 

 

I have big peg like clips but only to stop my towel slipping down not to reserve my chair!

I’m now worried about using them ![emoji50]

 

 

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[KidCruze]

I suspect that the pool butlers are the same crew members tasked with enforcing the dress code in the dining rooms at night. :p

:') :') :') so true

[keithm]

I was reading another thread here and someone said they always bring large clips with them to clip their clothes / towel to the chairs / loungers by the pool so no-one takes them.

 

I thought the chairs / loungers would be on a first in first served basis - I didn't know you could actually put stuff on them to 'reserve' them

 

does anyone know if this is the case?

If no one comes back to the seat in 30 min. I remove the clips & towels. Pax do NOT own the chairs. It's amazingly rude of people to "hog"(here we go!)chairs & be gone for hours at a time. Either be at your seat or give it up to someone else! Obviously, going to the bathroom is fine. Going to lunch & coming back 2 (or more) hours later is NOT!!!

[keithm]

The clips are the newest way to reserve your chair. People will come down around sunrise and use those clips to claim their territory. For some, this has replaced magazines and books. Mainly a problem on sunny and warm sea days.

"Territory", indeed! I wait 30 min. after that I'll remove all clips, belonging etc. & hand them to the pool butler. The butlers by the way, are too chicken to confront the hogs. I, however am not & will easily stand my ground when it comes to hogs.

[keithm]

Here is the problem (for us). On certain ships (especially the S-Class Celebrity vessels) there are a large group of loungers on the outside of the pool deck (both sides) under the overhang. On many sea days only one side will be in the shade...and there are many folks (including us) who prefer a shady seat. If you go up one deck there are often plenty of seats, but there is no shade. On the Royal Class Princess ships there is an area on the deck above the pool deck that is in the shade...even that area is in great demand. We could care less about being near the pool, but simply seek out a lounger that will give us shade from morning till late afternoon. Very few of the folks that grab these shady chairs even go into the pool. When Celebrity designed their S-Class vessels they were very aware of the demand for shade and had the foresight to create a large overhand (over the pool deck) to provide a decent number of shady areas, We suspect it would all work fine as long as folks did not save seats they do not use. But this is now the world of the "me me me" folks...who will save those seats all day....only to use them for perhaps an hour (of that). And another recent post about folks holding two sets of chairs (sun and shade) reminded us of a large group that did just that...on our recent Regal Princess cruise, They grabbed 8 loungers in both the sun and shade (near us). Most of the say they sat in the sun or pool...but for a few minutes every couple of hours one of them would walk over and plop down in one of their shade seats for about 5 minutes. . When we saw others looking for some seats in the shade I really was tempted to say something.....but DW made me behave :).

 

If only the cruise staff would do their jobs....there would not be a problem. But putting a note into the daily schedule that (you cannot save seats for more than 30 minutes) is not good enough unless the policy is enforced.

There's an old saying: "All it takes for evil to flourish is for the good to say nothing". Rather strong, I'll admit. Next time ignore the DW & do the right thing!

[keithm]

I don't do sun, but love to sit out in the shade and people watch. What is more disappointing then those that hog one chair, are those that hog a chair in the sun and then another one in the shade. I watch one large family doing this and when someone went over toward the chairs in the shade, the wife was up in a minute yelling at them that the loungers were taken.

I have NO problem telling those types where to go & how to get there. Either, you stand up for what's right, or get continually taken advantage of. I choose the former.

[keithm]

I also like to walk at daybreak and see people (sometimes in their pajamas) leaving stuff on chairs by the pool. I have to admit... after my walk I've piled all of it up on ONE lounger and left. Maybe more than once.

I like the way you think!

[keithm]

Becoming more popular are towels with the clips that have the word "reserved" in large letters on them. Saw them on three different cruises now.

Ohhh, sorry. I can't read! I thought it said NO SMOKING!

[keithm]

Yes people bring towel clips and yes there are some people who save chairs and just don't sit in them for hours. I a full and very busy cruise in 2016 where alot of people were doing this. after waiting for two hours I approach security on deck and they placed a notice on chairs after .......30 mins security removed belongings an we got some chairs.

 

The people returned they were pissed but seriously w1e are talking empty chairs being held from 8 in the morning until 1230 when the notice was placed and we were given chairs around 115 and the people didn't come for the chairs till after 2.

 

They called use every name in the book and how rude we where.....Security saw this and escorted them away.

I've NO problem getting confrontational with pax like these. I will warn them, however, that there ARE security cameras everywhere(there are, & not always the ones you see, either)So that if they get physical, I'll sue them for everything they're worth. They always move on.

[DYKWIA]

I also like to walk at daybreak and see people (sometimes in their pajamas) leaving stuff on chairs by the pool. I have to admit... after my walk I've piled all of it up on ONE lounger and left. Maybe more than once.

 

If those people were to return within 30 minutes what have they actually done wrong?

[karena1]

I will not touch someone else's personal belongings. I would ask staff to do it, but I would not

 

Never an issue with us. I get up to the pool deck by 7:30 and we do not leave until at least 3:30 or 4. We are there all day. We might take turns running for lunch, but other than that, we are never gone more than the 30 minute allowable time.

 

We see chairs all day that no one ever uses. I wish the 'pool police" would watch it better. We get to know some of them really well since we are always in the same spot, but it is amazing that one person will come down and save 8 loungers. Really? Get your ass out of bed and get up; there!!!

[MEcruzr]

If those people were to return within 30 minutes what have they actually done wrong?

 

Nothing. I'm up on deck walking at dawn, though. One person, in PJs, saving 8 loungers with a single flip flop on each... do you really believe they will all be there in 30 minutes, before the café even opens for breakfast?

[Muffinz]

there should be signs posted by the pool areas "Please do not leave personal belongings on loungers - anything left for more than 30 minutes may be removed and taken to lost property"

[davekathy]

Nothing. I'm up on deck walking at dawn, though. One person, in PJs, saving 8 loungers with a single flip flop on each... do you really believe they will all be there in 30 minutes, before the café even opens for breakfast?

 

Agree. I'm usually on the track every morning between 5-5:30 AM and walk for 1.5 hours. I've see chair hogs marking their territory that early but have never seen them return. As you know we have a great view of the pool deck from the deck above.

[davekathy]

there should be signs posted by the pool areas "Please do not leave personal belongings on loungers - anything left for more than 30 minutes may be removed and taken to lost property"

 

IMO chair hogs know exactly what they are doing and will ignore the signs. What really sucks are the lazy cruisers when done with a lounger take their personal belongings and leave their used towel on the lounger knowing they are not returning.

[Muffinz]

IMO chair hogs know exactly what they are doing and will ignore the signs.

 

that's when the celebrity pool staff remove towels / belongings that have been on the chairs for more then 30 minutes if there are people waiting for chairs to become free

[davekathy]

that's when the celebrity pool staff remove towels / belongings that have been on the chairs for more then 30 minutes if there are people waiting for chairs to become free

 

Agree in the perfect world. Unfortunately not a common practice. It is a bummer for those that want loungers by the pool. IMO if you want to be a lounge lizard on sea days and especially by the pools then ya gotta get out there early in the morning. A nice hot sunny sea day floating around on a cruise ship in the Caribbean enjoying your BP is very popular. If you don't have to sit by the pool there are a lot of other prime locations to enjoy the sun on sea days.

Edited January 10, 2018 by davekathy

[dkjretired]

If no one comes back to the seat in 30 min. I remove the clips & towels. Pax do NOT own the chairs. It's amazingly rude of people to "hog"(here we go!)chairs & be gone for hours at a time. Either be at your seat or give it up to someone else! Obviously, going to the bathroom is fine. Going to lunch & coming back 2 (or more) hours later is NOT!!!

 

Just curious but is this before or after you had the people thrown out of the restaurant because you didn't think they were dressed appropriately or before or after you had the person thrown out of the restaurant because the dog they had in your opinion was not a service dog. I could go on and on from previous history but everyone should keep in mind that anyone can say anything on an anonymous board.

 

I deplore chair joggers just as much as anyone else.

[Luvcrusn]

"Territory", indeed! I wait 30 min. after that I'll remove all clips, belonging etc. & hand them to the pool butler. The butlers by the way, are too chicken to confront the hogs. I, however am not & will easily stand my ground when it comes to hogs.

Just curious, when is your next X sailing?

[pa-annie]

I equate chair hogs to those people who insist on standing through most of a sporting event, if everyone just sat the hell down all could enjoy the game in the seats they paid so dearly for. I am a chair hog hater from way back. This is my first cruise in almost 3 years and first time on X, and it appears based on this thread that the chair hogs have evolved. Human nature dictates for a species to survive it must evolve to meet the challenges it's environment, this is just plain-ole survival of the fittest. Too many apathetic rude people, not enough chairs in desirable spots on the deck.

 

I am now rethinking my MO. Since it seems that cruise staff almost never enforces the rules and most passengers passively stand by just bitching among ourselves, maybe I should join the ranks of the hated hogs out of self-preservation. I get up early, I have all kinds of ideas for chair hogging “props”, I can make excuses with the best of them, I bet I would be a stupendous chair hog hogger. To hog or not to hog, that is the question … ?

 

 

BZ

[keesar]

What I find annoying are those hogs that take up the row of those comfortable loungers by the windows in the pool area. There was one couple who took up 4 chairs so that no one would sit by them. It seemed that both of the cruisers were never there at the same time for more than 5 minutes. Took turns. They used hats, sunglasses, magazines, etc.