Chair Hogs Alive & Kicking

[rudeney]

6 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

 

Ok, which one are you?😇

 

Probably all of the above except young. 🤣

[pfdaxe358]

If we cannot locate a chair where we would like to sit/layout (as we don't rush early AM to the pool) to try and grab the all important perfect chair location (sounds like a Seinfeld episode), we put our towel down on the deck near the edge of the pool and lay on the deck. We've done this numerous times and are good with it. If a chair opens up, then we'll move to it. We gave up on searching for what seemed a long time seeking out that chair and wasting time and getting frustrated. Unless things change or are enforced, you probably won't change others behavior. I'm here to relax and leave the stress on shore.

Edited September 26, 2022 by pfdaxe358

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

How long is too long?  I agree that we'll probably not agree upon a number.  

 

How about, then, asking this question:  What are you doing right now? 

- If you're sitting by the pool enjoying the music or reading your book, and you get up to go to the bathroom, buy a drink at the bar, or take a dip in the pool, you're still by the pool. 

- On the other hand, if you claim a chair and then go away to eat breakfast, you're eating -- not hanging around the pool.  

- I'm not sure how to weigh in on staying in the pool for hours.  

I don't enjoy the casino, so I had no idea this was "a thing", but -- yes -- it's just chair-hogging in a different venue.  

Yes, it's hard to read tone, and I'm a really nice person face-to-face -- but I am solidly against preventing others from enjoying a portion of their vacation, and chair-hogging is not a victimless crime.  I'll say that to anyone face-to-face.  

I heard that idea years and years ago.  The cruise line doesn't want to deal with this problem. 

 

 

Yeah, like I said, there's no sense in sticking to some arbitrary time limit.  We know it when we see it. 

 

An like you, I am a very nice person face-to-face.  I know my written communication can be quite dry, but I'm not really like that. 🙂

[jean87510]

So this is actually worth it?  Give me deck 5 or my balcony.

[Ret MP]

49 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

 

Ok, so which one are you?😇

Yes!

[Ret MP]

43 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

Probably all of the above except young. 🤣

Hey hey hey, I resemble that remark!

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

Ok, so nobody goes and puts some staff member on the spot to be the one to move stuff then? Except for the guy who slips them $10 I guess. 

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

So I also read people saying that staff goes around removing towels from empty chairs at random. Do they do it like hourly to help free up seats that aren't being used? Are you a jerk if you ask them to get involved? I don't want to anyone on the spot but after today's posts I thought having staff remove for you was a thing. Now kinda sounds like you do it all on your own. 

 

I have no problem with being accused of moving stuff. It's accused of stealing stuff when picking it up and in my hands that concerns me.

Edited September 26, 2022 by CanHardlyWait4NextYear

[alohayall]

But those towels are lounging by the pool!  
 

Seriously, I am not a sun worshipper and would prefer a higher chair in the shade. 
 

But with this decades old problem - known to the cruise lines - why won’t they just put up a shoe-cubby style storage area or lockers. Then leave the loungers for human bodies to use - when they actually need a place to sit/ lounge?  
 

How long does the average person actually have their body on the lounger?

 

 

[3kidsncats]

10 hours ago, NotPayinExtra said:

I'm fine with going back every 30 min and checking in with my chair, stuff, etc. But if you just happen to miss me, don't assume I'm not around. Some of us do actually hang out all day in that area (pool to chair). Do any of you leave your stuff on chair when swimming, getting another drink, etc? I don't think you can compare that to someone who isn't even outside.

I rarely spend more than 45 minutes at the pool, so for me it’s not an issue.  If I actually get in the pool, it’s gonna be 5 minutes to cool off.  Just not my thing for any length of time.  But I get it that for others, it is their thing and think they should be able to use a lounger.  I only have issue, personally with those that bring stuff out at dawn and show up hours later expecting a lounger waiting for them.  And no, I don’t leave my phone on the chair while I’m in the pool — I have a water proof phone cover so I can take it with me — because it’s worth a 7 day cruise to replace it, lol

[3kidsncats]

6 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Do not do yourself the dis-service of comparing the experiences on this forum with the potential experience on board a Royal ship. 
I am confident, given an open mind upon boarding, you stand to have one of the best weeks of recent memory. 

Agree 100%

[docsneeze]

Stayed at Disney Aulani several months ago.  They had an interesting system where the pool attendants would take the towels of seemingly unused chairs and fold them neatly over the top of the chair.  If the towel had not moved within 3o minutes, they would remove the folded towel and open up the chair.  I believe a system like that would go a long way to encourage fair use of deck chairs.

[nemrac917]

Are the chair hogs this bad in the reserved suite areas on Adventure?

[Sancho_proudfoot]

Just back off Anthem.  Chair hogs in abundance.

 

Arrived in Madeira,  a port stop. Went up to deck 15, at 08.45, and there was a row of 5 chairs each "reserved" with a towel.

 

By 10.30 still unoccupied.  Went to the towel station and they came and removed the towels.

 

At 3.30 a woman appeared, wondering why "her" seats were occupied. Stomped off to complain,  and had the large sign alongside the towel station  pointed out to her.

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, nemrac917 said:

Are the chair hogs this bad in the reserved suite areas on Adventure?

 

No, because those chairs aren't near the pool or in the shade (the two most desired areas). 

If you want full sun and don't need to be near the pool, the upper sun deck, the entire length of the ship, is chock full of unused loungers on any ship I've ever been on.  If they'd put some shade awnings up there, I think a lot of the chair hog issues on the pool deck / Solarium area would dissipate. 

Many people cannot be in full sun for various medical issues, and there just aren't enough shaded areas available.

[SargassoPirate]

There are plenty of places to enjoy on the ship besides the Melanoma Deck with over-amplified music/movies.  

[ReneeFLL]

 

11 hours ago, iuki said:

If you are convinced the towels and/or personal items are just being put there to save the chair, put the items on a nearby chair and use the chair(s).  If people come back, say you thought the items were just forgotten and give them back their chairs.  If they don’t return while you’re there, you were right.  When done using the chair(s), put their things back on the chair(s) and leave.

Why put their things back? If they still haven’t come they don’t deserve the chair. Let someone else use it.

[LEMJMcC]

The main reason we always book a Junior Suite is having the slightly larger balcony on which can fit a couple of lounge chairs; instead of fighting for deck chairs, we sit on the balcony.  It's wonderful!  On the rare occasions when we want to hit a hot tub or even the swimming pools, we may not even use a chair or we'll go when the sun-worshippers (future skin cancer patients) have had their roast for the day.  

 

I have personally removed towels from a Solarium bed-type chair after asking the folks nearby if they had seen the occupants recently.  It was apparent the towels were not used.  I think those who had laid them there came around much later and may have said something, but I'm not sure as I wouldn't have paid them any mind anyway.  We used the chair for an hour or so then moved on to something else.

 

The last cruise we were on over Christmas 2022 (Mariner), it seemed that all the pools closed pretty early.  I don't recall this being the case on other cruises (Brilliance, Freedom, & Oasis).  It would be nice if they were available at any time, except for a short time for cleaning.  I remember once on Oasis, I think, we hit a hot tub at 1:00 AM, made for a really good night's sleep afterward.

[vjmatty]

17 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Voyager [class] has an open solarium = no heat = empty.

 

Yes, Anthem [enclosed] Solarium was packed on my May transatlantic.

 

Not expecting anything better on the Anthem October TA I'm on next month... might even have to condescend to use the family section, given it's during school.

[Mum2Mercury]

14 hours ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

Or are some staff to afraid to get involved? 

I don't think they want to get involved -- while pleasing one guest in taking away the towels, they open themselves to potential anger /accusation from another guest later.  They definitely fear complaints.  

14 hours ago, iuki said:

If you are convinced the towels and/or personal items are just being put there to save the chair, put the items on a nearby chair and use the chair(s).  If people come back, say you thought the items were just forgotten and give them back their chairs.  If they don’t return while you’re there, you were right.  When done using the chair(s), put their things back on the chair(s) and leave.

Logical -- except for putting their things back.  If they haven't returned in all the time you've been using the chair, they didn't really need the chair. 

13 hours ago, jean87510 said:

So this is actually worth it?  Give me deck 5 or my balcony.

Admittedly, this is surely mid-day on an at-sea day, and people are watching an event.  The pools aren't usually this packed.  

12 hours ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

So I also read people saying that staff goes around removing towels from empty chairs at random. Do they do it like hourly to help free up seats that aren't being used?

I've never seen the staff picking up towels. 

9 hours ago, docsneeze said:

Stayed at Disney Aulani several months ago.  They had an interesting system where the pool attendants would take the towels of seemingly unused chairs and fold them neatly over the top of the chair.  If the towel had not moved within 3o minutes, they would remove the folded towel and open up the chair.  I believe a system like that would go a long way to encourage fair use of deck chairs.

That's an excellent system. 

8 hours ago, nemrac917 said:

Are the chair hogs this bad in the reserved suite areas on Adventure?

These are rotten seats -- up on tiers in the full sun -- and essentially no one sits in them, even when the pool is crowded.  

Edited September 26, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[Ocean Boy]

23 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 

These are rotten seats -- up on tiers in the full sun -- and essentially no one sits in them, even when the pool is crowded.  

I have seen those seats packed on mutiple cruises that I have done on Adventure.

[Ret MP]

9 hours ago, nemrac917 said:

Are the chair hogs this bad in the reserved suite areas on Adventure?

Not that I've noticed.  In fact, the Suite Area is almost always underutilized. Exceptions?  Yes, of course.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

19 hours ago, NotPayinExtra said:

For what it's worth I'm probably more police with these things then I came off. I would be the first to have staff remove stuff for me to use, now I know that's a thing. But I would feel terrible if someone who can't walk barefoot like me and needs special sneakers came out of the water 5 minutes later looking for there shoes. But I do the same thing at the laundromat all the time. People put stuff in the big machines and leave for hours. I'm the first to have staff remove there stuff. I do check out who is sitting in the waiting area first and the bathroom. Just in case they are around. I just think there is a line not to cross. For people maybe 5 feet away who just walked away before you showed up. Is trying to be fair in case that is the situation so wrong before taking that next step? And I do this at laundry all the time, so I get it. But I still feel bad if I'm wrong and machine just stopped, that's why I give it 5 min and look around first. 

From my experience:

Most people only really bothered about chair hogs around the pools. Other places on deck seem to be fine. Which is expected as the pool is the popular area. 

If your towel is just left folded on a deck chair the pool attendants usually ask those around the chair if they have seen anyone who owns that towel.

Towels that are laid out and stuff around the chair as long as every now again you come back to the chair and people around you notice your in the pool a lot all will be fine. 

The idea is to stop those people who hog the chair, with just a towel whislt spending lots of time away from the pool, lunch, shows, etc. As happened during our european cruise this summer. 

As for spending all day in the water thats fine, our dau does but she will still come back and forth to the deck chair to dry off for toilet or grab a drink. So its in use, even though shes part fish with the amount of time spent in the pools. 

[jean87510]

47 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I don't think they want to get involved -- while pleasing one guest in taking away the towels, they open themselves to potential anger /accusation from another guest later.  They definitely fear complaints.  

Logical -- except for putting their things back.  If they haven't returned in all the time you've been using the chair, they didn't really need the chair. 

Admittedly, this is surely mid-day on an at-sea day, and people are watching an event.  The pools aren't usually this packed.  

I've never seen the staff picking up towels. 

That's an excellent system. 

These are rotten seats -- up on tiers in the full sun -- and essentially no one sits in them, even when the pool is crowded.  

Yes the pools are packed as it is a sea day.  Because normally people are off the ship on a port day.  And I have witnessed this pandemonium on the Carnival magic not in my prior picture but 3 weeks ago.  You could not move in the pool area let alone get a chair.  We went down to the lower outside decks.  My point was why on earth would anyone even WANT to sit in that mess of chairs and people, fighting, timing people, moving stuff, arguing, reporting to staff...etc...?  I would give my chair away and run to my balcony or a nice shady corner.  I wouldn't care who was gone for 30 minutes or 5 hours. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

19 hours ago, EleventyBangBang said:

I just had an idea.  The cruise line could zip-tie little 30 minute kitchen timers to every lounger - you know, the mechanical ones where all you do is twist the knob and they start counting down.  (For this purpose, though, they should probably be silent, like those hot tub safety control things.)

 

Anyway, so if you have a lounger, and you need to get up, turn the timer to start a 30 minute countdown.  If you are looking for a lounger, and the timer is running, then you know they really were just here and just got up to go re-beverage, or de-beverage, or whatever.  And if the timer is off, then you know that person isn't coming back any time soon and you can move their stuff. 

 

I'd add to that idea... put a light on the timer.  Red if the timer is running (chair is occupied) and green if the timer isn't (chair available).  Then you can see what chairs are available (sort of like the lights I've seen at various parking garages... LOVE them!). 

14 hours ago, jean87510 said:

So this is actually worth it?  Give me deck 5 or my balcony.

That sure looks like the "water volleyball vs officers" event.  

14 hours ago, alohayall said:

But those towels are lounging by the pool!  
 

Seriously, I am not a sun worshipper and would prefer a higher chair in the shade. 
 

But with this decades old problem - known to the cruise lines - why won’t they just put up a shoe-cubby style storage area or lockers. Then leave the loungers for human bodies to use - when they actually need a place to sit/ lounge?  
 

How long does the average person actually have their body on the lounger?

 

 

I've thought for a while RCI (any cruise line) should put in cubbies.  Enough room to keep a pair of flip flops/shoes, a towel, and a book.  I understand not wanting to keep those things too near the pool (and risk them getting wet).