Chair Poaching

[salty dingo]

Let me start by saying how much I despise chair hogs. The classic example of a hog is someone who gets out on deck early to throw a towel, book, and flip flops across chairs they have no intention to use at that time. Then they go enjoy their morning secure to know a great spot awaits whenever they choose to go back on deck.

 

Our story is a little different. We were strolling one morning and spotted some choice loungers in Spice H2O. We sat down, got towels, got several rounds of drinks, and camped out for a couple of hours. Eventually it got hot and we needed to go back to the cabin to change into swimwear.

 

Now our cabin was at the opposite end of Escape, and we are not the fastest people to change clothes, but we did not go to eat, and we did not hang out in the room and watch a movie. We changed and came right back... to find that another couple had tossed our towels aside and plopped down!

 

I made a bit of a scene and succeeded in getting a man to switch the chair he was saving for his wife, and we plopped right next to the poachers with an attitude. They bolted, and I don't blame them. Who can relax right next to the people who you took their stuff and tossed it aside?

 

It soured my mood for a bit but nothing a few drinks can't cure! Anyone else encounter poachers?

 

 

[LinnieRed]

2 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

Let me start by saying how much I despise chair hogs. The classic example of a hog is someone who gets out on deck early to throw a towel, book, and flip flops across chairs they have no intention to use at that time. Then they go enjoy their morning secure to know a great spot awaits whenever they choose to go back on deck.

 

Our story is a little different. We were strolling one morning and spotted some choice loungers in Spice H2O. We sat down, got towels, got several rounds of drinks, and camped out for a couple of hours. Eventually it got hot and we needed to go back to the cabin to change into swimwear.

 

Now our cabin was at the opposite end of Escape, and we are not the fastest people to change clothes, but we did not go to eat, and we did not hang out in the room and watch a movie. We changed and came right back... to find that another couple had tossed our towels aside and plopped down!

 

I made a bit of a scene and succeeded in getting a man to switch the chair he was saving for his wife, and we plopped right next to the poachers with an attitude. They bolted, and I don't blame them. Who can relax right next to the people who you took their stuff and tossed it aside?

 

It soured my mood for a bit but nothing a few drinks can't cure! Anyone else encounter poachers?

 

 

Maybe next time leave a timed note? Seems a polite way of “securing” prime seating. If I came across a pool lounger with just a towel on it, I’d by all means take it. 

[salty dingo]

1 minute ago, LinnieRed said:

Maybe next time leave a timed note? Seems a polite way of “securing” prime seating. If I came across a pool lounger with just a towel on it, I’d by all means take it. 

Interesting, but I have never carried pen and paper with me on a cruise. Would be nice if the wait staff could manage this sort of thing but they are so busy as it is.

 

I thought about one of us going back to the room at a time, but my wife is disabled and frankly could not even find the room, so that option was out for us.

[bones774]

since you asked,

you're on the other end of the ship, you admit you are not that fast to change clothes and then add that your wife is disabled, just maybe you took longer than you think.

kinda like standing in the batters box taking the pitch and telling the ump, "yeah that might a been a strike"

[salty dingo]

3 minutes ago, bones774 said:

since you asked,

you're on the other end of the ship, you admit you are not that fast to change clothes and then add that your wife is disabled, just maybe you took longer than you think.

kinda like standing in the batters box taking the pitch and telling the ump, "yeah that might a been a strike"

I guess I am just saying, those towels being tossed may belong to someone who is coming right back. If you don't wait a while to see, you may end up with an irritable neighbor!

 

I should add, there were plenty of other empty loungers around, we just had a prime spot and someone else wanted it.

[Two Wheels Only]

50 minutes ago, LinnieRed said:

Maybe next time leave a timed note? Seems a polite way of “securing” prime seating. If I came across a pool lounger with just a towel on it, I’d by all means take it. 

 

According to the dailies, a person can leave their items for a specified amount of time (30 or 60 minutes/varies by ship).

 

By just moving their items and taking the lounger, you would be wrong.

 

If the person is gone for longer than specified, the staff should move the items. The late returning person would rightfully lose the lounger and would have no valid complaint.

 

1 hour ago, salty dingo said:

Now our cabin was at the opposite end of Escape, and we are not the fastest people to change clothes, but we did not go to eat, and we did not hang out in the room and watch a movie. We changed and came right back...

 

How long were you gone? What you did and where you went doesn't matter. The time gone is what matters.

[salty dingo]

3 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

How long were you gone? What you did and where you went doesn't matter. The time gone is what matters.

I was not timing us, so just a guess but I would say 20 minutes.

 

In order to know if a person is gone for X minutes, you would have to be hanging around for that long... I am pretty sure the poachers just wandered up, asked the guy next to our chairs (he was not there when we left, so he would not know) and they just took a chance.

 

Cruisers sometimes take chances I know but sometimes when you take a chance you lose.

[Two Wheels Only]

5 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

I was not timing us, so just a guess but I would say 20 minutes

 

Then you did nothing wrong. Bravo for standing up (sitting) for what was right.

 

9 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

I am pretty sure the poachers just wandered up, asked the guy next to our chairs (he was not there when we left, so he would not know) and they just took a chance.

 

They were wrong but what I don't understand is...

 

42 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

there were plenty of other empty loungers around, we just had a prime spot and someone else wanted it.

 

...why would someone move items from a lounger when there were plenty of empty loungers around?

[LinnieRed]

31 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

I was not timing us, so just a guess but I would say 20 minutes.

 

In order to know if a person is gone for X minutes, you would have to be hanging around for that long... I am pretty sure the poachers just wandered up, asked the guy next to our chairs (he was not there when we left, so he would not know) and they just took a chance.

 

Cruisers sometimes take chances I know but sometimes when you take a chance you lose.

I am truly not trying to be confrontational at all, so please don’t interpret this way: my husband and I are fit as fiddles. I’m a marathon runner. We move quickly. There is no way we could make it from one end of the escape to the other, change clothes , and return to the pool in 20 minutes. 

There may be a slight possibility that an hour or so passed. Time gets away from us all on vacation. 

[bones774]

I'll bet dollars to donuts, strolling from one end of ship to the other, up and down stairs taking their time to change clothes in the cabin and taking a leisurely stroll back to the other end of ship took more than 20 minutes

[bones774]

2 minutes ago, LinnieRed said:

I am truly not trying to be confrontational at all, so please don’t interpret this way: my husband and I are fit as fiddles. I’m a marathon runner. We move quickly. There is no way we could make it from one end of the escape to the other, change clothes , and return to the pool in 20 minutes. 

There may be a slight possibility that an hour or so passed. Time gets away from us all on vacation. 

you typed just a bit quicker than me, fully agree. now lets multiply the OP and his attitude times hundreds of others doing same

[Sweetnspicy]

If you leave then your chair is fair game. I’m tired of people getting crazy over the chair situation. I’m sure you were gone more than 20 minutes even if it didn’t feel like it but throwing a fit and scaring other people away makes you look bad, not them. You also admit there was plenty of other lounge chairs near by and could have just taken those. No one owns those chairs and if a couple towels are just strewn across them then I would assume the same thing. I would never leave my chair and expect it to be there when I got back. 

[softl]

Perhaps a couple dollars to the waiter might have secured those loungers......

 

....just sayin'!

[DZcreature]

49 minutes ago, Sweetnspicy said:

If you leave then your chair is fair game. I’m tired of people getting crazy over the chair situation. I’m sure you were gone more than 20 minutes even if it didn’t feel like it but throwing a fit and scaring other people away makes you look bad, not them. You also admit there was plenty of other lounge chairs near by and could have just taken those. No one owns those chairs and if a couple towels are just strewn across them then I would assume the same thing. I would never leave my chair and expect it to be there when I got back. 

You never leave your chair for a quick dip in the pool or a trip to the restroom?? I expect my chair to be there if I leave for a few minutes, but I always leave some other item besides just a towel.

Edited November 1, 2019 by DZcreature
typo

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, Sweetnspicy said:

If you leave then your chair is fair game.

 

Not true according to NCL. Their ship, their rules.

 

1 hour ago, Sweetnspicy said:

I’m sure you were gone more than 20 minutes even if it didn’t feel like it but throwing a fit and scaring other people away makes you look bad, not them

 

None of us can be "sure" of how long the OP was gone. I asked and the OP stated 20 minutes.

 

If gone longer than the allotted time, the other couple should keep the loungers.

If gone less than the allotted time, the OP should keep the loungers.

 

1 hour ago, Sweetnspicy said:

No one owns those chairs and if a couple towels are just strewn across them then I would assume the same thing.

 

Your assumption would be just that...an assumption. Without knowing how long the person was gone, you cannot rightfully claim the lounger.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Two Wheels Only

[erdoran]

I took a swim in the pool right by my lounger and had someone try to poach it 

[david_sobe]

My 2 cents:
If you are in the pool area whether by the bar or in the pool, your chair is claimed.  Those that leave the area completely and eat at the buffet or wander back to their cabin have surrendered their chairs.  That is a key example of a chair hog.  If you need to run back to the cabin, your spouse, child, or partner can stay to keep an eye on the chairs.  Then you take turns going back to the cabin to change and come back.

Just imagine if EVERYONE played by these rules.  All the chairs would be reserved forever.  Even if you wanted something from the buffet, your cruise mate can go grab you a plate while you keep watch on the chairs.  No way do you get to leave the pool area and go on the other side of the ship expecting everyone to just wonder what your status is.  Are you at a restaurant?  Attending trivia?  Watching TV?  Its not up to your fellow passengers to guess where you went for almost a half hour.  You left the area completely thus surrendering your chairs.  If everyone did this it would be a disaster. You must show respect to your fellow passengers.  This also would never play in a theater.  You are watching a show and get up to leave and go back to your cabin for 30 mins.  You really expect people to hold your chairs as if you are royalty? Of course not, others attending the show will take those seats.  It should not be any different on a pool deck.

My verdict:  Guilty as charged of being a chair hog

Punishment: Official written warning

 

Next case.......

Edited November 1, 2019 by david_sobe

[beerman2]

OP wasn't there someone close by that you could have asked them to watch your things? That you would be back in 20-30 minutes. By your own accord you are slow, the cabin is at the other end of the ship, your wife had mobility issues. 

 

I'm guessing it was quite a bit longer than the 20 minutes you estimated.

 

On a cruise we dress for the day ( swim suits before going to pool area), before going to breakfast.

[Georgia_Peaches]

12 hours ago, salty dingo said:

Interesting, but I have never carried pen and paper with me on a cruise.

Probably a little easier for a woman bc we typically carry a lot of "stuff" in our pool bags.  I usually have a pen/paper in case I need to leave a message for someone in my party.  Perhaps its a girl thing.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Also just wanted to ask about the "prime spot".  I'm not a big fan of Spice due to limited shade so just wondering what made your 2 chairs prime?  If others were available nearby, would they not also be prime?  

[sanger727]

To answer the OPs question; no, I haven’t run into poachers. Mostly because I either stay in the immediate vicinity of my chair (in chair, in pool, in pool restroom, at pool bar, etc) or take my items with me when I leave the area. I agree that chances were good you were gone at least 30 minutes which gives someone else every right to take your chair. I do think that had you left more items at the chair than used towels, there’s a better chance someone would have left them. I’ve been on cruises where people leave used towels every time they get up and leave, most to never return. It makes it extremely difficult to tell if the person left and expects an employee to clean up after them or if they are planning to come back when only a towel is left. 

[bkrickles1]

10 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

My 2 cents:
If you are in the pool area whether by the bar or in the pool, your chair is claimed.  Those that leave the area completely and eat at the buffet or wander back to their cabin have surrendered their chairs.  That is a key example of a chair hog.  If you need to run back to the cabin, your spouse, child, or partner can stay to keep an eye on the chairs.  Then you take turns going back to the cabin to change and come back.

Just imagine if EVERYONE played by these rules.  All the chairs would be reserved forever.  Even if you wanted something from the buffet, your cruise mate can go grab you a plate while you keep watch on the chairs.  No way do you get to leave the pool area and go on the other side of the ship expecting everyone to just wonder what your status is.  Are you at a restaurant?  Attending trivia?  Watching TV?  Its not up to your fellow passengers to guess where you went for almost a half hour.  You left the area completely thus surrendering your chairs.  If everyone did this it would be a disaster. You must show respect to your fellow passengers.  This also would never play in a theater.  You are watching a show and get up to leave and go back to your cabin for 30 mins.  You really expect people to hold your chairs as if you are royalty? Of course not, others attending the show will take those seats.  It should not be any different on a pool deck.

My verdict:  Guilty as charged of being a chair hog

Punishment: Official written warning

 

Next case.......

Actually, I could not disagree more.

If the rule is that leaving your chair unattended for more than 30 minutes means you lose your spot, then who is anyone to say where you can go and why does that matter? And, most importantly, NCL doesn't see it that way either. I remember seeing the signage on the Escape in 2018 (and I believe it said 60 minutes) and nowhere did it say you couldn't leave the area. It was strictly a time constraint, as it should be.

And fellow cruise passengers should never be allowed to touch anyone's belongings, regardless of the situation. It's not our job to monitor or manage this. It's up to NCL to monitor and enforce their rules and only NCL staff should ever touch a passengers belongings and move them. The problem is that NCL staff (rccl is exactly the same) usually doesn't enforce these rules and, in turn, the passengers sometimes get a little irate.

Me and my people spend a lot of time at the pool area, usually deck 17 overlooking the pool, and it always amuses us how some just go way over the line and that's the real issue. People reserving chairs at 6am and not showing up until 10. It's not the ones who run to the buffet for 25 minutes or to their cabins for some "privacy".

My 2 cents.

[david_sobe]

17 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

Actually, I could not disagree more.

If the rule is that leaving your chair unattended for more than 30 minutes means you lose your spot, then who is anyone to say where you can go and why does that matter? And, most importantly, NCL doesn't see it that way either. I remember seeing the signage on the Escape in 2018 (and I believe it said 60 minutes) and nowhere did it say you couldn't leave the area. It was strictly a time constraint, as it should be.

And fellow cruise passengers should never be allowed to touch anyone's belongings, regardless of the situation. It's not our job to monitor or manage this. It's up to NCL to monitor and enforce their rules and only NCL staff should ever touch a passengers belongings and move them. The problem is that NCL staff (rccl is exactly the same) usually doesn't enforce these rules and, in turn, the passengers sometimes get a little irate.

Me and my people spend a lot of time at the pool area, usually deck 17 overlooking the pool, and it always amuses us how some just go way over the line and that's the real issue. People reserving chairs at 6am and not showing up until 10. It's not the ones who run to the buffet for 25 minutes or to their cabins for some "privacy".

My 2 cents.

Even if I had a medical emergency and needed to run to my cabin for life saving medicine for a half hour I would never expect to go back to my pool chair and it still be "reserved" for me.  We need to define terms.  A chair hog is one that leaves things on chairs to "reserve" them as they go about other business on the ship and away from the pool deck.  It does not matter the reason but the fact that you leave the area and go about other business not related to the pool deck that surrenders your chair next to the pool.  It makes no difference if the person got up at 5 am to put things down on a chair or used the chair until noon then leaves their belongings on the chair to "reserve" it to go to lunch somewhere.  Its the SAME THING.  I agree NCL and other lines don't like to enforce the rules since we all should be common sense adults to know right from wrong.  I expect if we discussed this 20 years ago the mood would be different.  There is a sense of entitlement today that so many feel free to act like this.  Whether cutting the line for a simple ice cream cone in the buffet or abandoning the pool deck and expecting others to treat them as royalty that we honor their "privilege" of keeping their chair for them.  Is it not common sense that pool chairs on a cruise are a hot commodity?  They can be a hard find.  For that reason, I would NEVER be so bold and arrogant to leave things on a chair and go about other things on the ship.  It does not matter the reason for me i.e. changing in your cabin, eating lunch, watching tv, playing games, or sight seeing on the waterfront. I could never do that because its so disrespectful and arrogant to my fellow passengers.  And I agree I bet I am in the minority today which is sort of sad but it is what it is. 🙄

Edited November 1, 2019 by david_sobe

[beerman2]

3 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Even if I had a medical emergency and needed to run to my cabin for life saving medicine for a half hour I would never expect to go back to my pool chair and it still be "reserved" for me.  We need to define terms.  A chair hog is one that leaves things on chairs to "reserve" them as they go about other business on the ship and away from the pool deck.  It does not matter the reason but the fact that you leave the area and go about other business not related to the pool deck that surrenders your chair next to the pool.  It makes no difference if the person got up at 5 am to put things down on a chair or used the chair until noon then leaves their belongings on the chair to "reserve" it to go to lunch somewhere.  Its the SAME THING.  I agree NCL and other lines don't like to enforce the rules since we all should be common sense adults to know right from wrong.  I expect if we discussed this 20 years ago the mood would be different.  There is a sense of entitlement today that so many feel free to act like this.  Whether cutting the line for a simple ice cream cone in the buffet or abandoning the pool deck and expecting others to treat them as royalty that we honor their "privilege" of keeping their chair for them.  Is it not common sense that pool chairs on a cruise are a hot commodity?  They can be a hard find.  For that reason, I would NEVER be so bold and arrogant to leave things on a chair and go about other things on the ship.  It does not matter the reason for me i.e. changing, eating lunch, watching tv, playing games, or sight seeing on the waterfront. I could never do that because its so disrespectful and arrogant to my fellow passengers.  And I agree I bet I am in the minority today which is sort of sad but it is what it is.

Shame on you for using that term "common sense"😂😂😂! 

[mjkacmom]

6 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Even if I had a medical emergency and needed to run to my cabin for life saving medicine for a half hour I would never expect to go back to my pool chair and it still be "reserved" for me.  We need to define terms.  A chair hog is one that leaves things on chairs to "reserve" them as they go about other business on the ship and away from the pool deck.  It does not matter the reason but the fact that you leave the area and go about other business not related to the pool deck that surrenders your chair next to the pool.  It makes no difference if the person got up at 5 am to put things down on a chair or used the chair until noon then leaves their belongings on the chair to "reserve" it to go to lunch somewhere.  Its the SAME THING.  I agree NCL and other lines don't like to enforce the rules since we all should be common sense adults to know right from wrong.  I expect if we discussed this 20 years ago the mood would be different.  There is a sense of entitlement today that so many feel free to act like this.  Whether cutting the line for a simple ice cream cone in the buffet or abandoning the pool deck and expecting others to treat them as royalty that we honor their "privilege" of keeping their chair for them.  Is it not common sense that pool chairs on a cruise are a hot commodity?  They can be a hard find.  For that reason, I would NEVER be so bold and arrogant to leave things on a chair and go about other things on the ship.  It does not matter the reason for me i.e. changing, eating lunch, watching tv, playing games, or sight seeing on the waterfront. I could never do that because its so disrespectful and arrogant to my fellow passengers.  And I agree I bet I am in the minority today which is sort of sad but it is what it is.

But there is an official NCL rule, and it differs from your rule, which one should be followed? There is a time limit, not how far away you venture from the pool area. If I realize I forgot sunscreen, I forfeit my chair if I go back to my cabin to get it, even if it only takes 15 minutes? NCL says the chair is still mine.