Chair Hogs

[hawkeyetlse]

The time limit is 60 minutes. You'd have to watch the chair for 60 minutes continuously (I guess from a nearby lounger?), or ask the strangers sitting around there, who are totally untrustworthy (they may see what you're planning to do and not want to get involved, they may actually prefer to have empty seats around them instead of having to look at you, they may actively want to see you get into a fight, they may be too drunk to have any short term memory, …)

 

But there are actually people who hang out on the pool deck watching everything, for hours at time. Because they are NCL employees whose job it is to monitor the pool deck. Those are the people who should be keeping track of and clearing the empty chairs.

[bkrickles1]

25 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

And yes, I'll move your personal property if I know your chair has been unoccupied for whatever the time limit onboard is. Problem with it? That's your issue. Not mine. 

I don't mean to be confrontational, but have you actually done this?

Have you moved someone's "personal" property?

If so, did you do it because you wanted the lounger/chair for yourself or because someone was breaking the rules?

Did you actually watch for 60 minutes to determine that it was illegally unoccupied?

I've been on many absolutely packed pool decks and it would be extremely difficult to monitor this as a passenger. Not to mention that you'd be spending 60 minutes, not enjoying your vacation.

And, wouldn't that 60 minutes be better spent looking for a lounger that is actually unoccupied?

Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone on here, but it's a little confusing to me how you could 100% know that a "chair hog" infraction has taken place to the point that you felt it necessary or your right to move someone's personal stuff.

If you got it wrong, you deserve whatever happens next.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, hawkeyetlse said:

The time limit is 60 minutes.

 

It depends. The dailies will have the time limit. 

 

Some NCL dailies will have 60 minutes.

Some NCL dailies will have 30 minutes.

Some NCL dailies will have 15 minutes. 

 

 

NCL should put a cooking timer on each chair. The maximum time on the timer is whatever the limit is. If the chair is occupied, there is no need to set the timer but if a person gets up for whatever reason, that person sets the timer. That person has that amount of time to be away from the chair. 

 

If an empty chair is at zero, the chair is available for anyone whether items are on it or not. If the person returns before the clock hits zero, the chair remains with the original guest. If a guest tries to take a chair that still has time on the clock and the original guest returns before the clock hits zero, the chair belongs to the original guest. If the original guest returns after the clock hits zero....too bad. The chair has a new guest. The timers would have to be unable to take time off manually but can have time added if the person returns then leaves again. 

 

The guests who currently remove items (something I strongly disagree with) would be allowed to move items IF the clock is at zero. If there is 1 minute left, guests aren't to touch anything that isn't theirs. 

 

1 hour ago, hawkeyetlse said:

But there are actually people who hang out on the pool deck watching everything, for hours at time. Because they are NCL employees whose job it is to monitor the pool deck. Those are the people who should be keeping track of and clearing the empty chairs.

 

I agree. It would be pretty easy for them.  

Clock at zero + items on chair = remove items and take them to Guest Services. 

Clock with time + items on chair = ignore. 

 

Just a random idea...

Edited March 29, 2023 by Two Wheels Only

[bkrickles1]

4 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It depends. The dailies will have the time limit. 

 

Some NCL dailies will have 60 minutes.

Some NCL dailies will have 30 minutes.

Some NCL dailies will have 15 minutes. 

Yep! Love NCL's consistency. Lmao!!

I've seen all 3 too.

15 minutes is just crazy. 

I wouldn't be opposed to 30 minutes, but I think 60 is the right amount.

And, as you said, passengers should never be touching someone else's personal belongings!

[Two Wheels Only]

2 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

And, as you said, passengers should never be touching someone else's personal belongings!

 

It would be great if a guest could alert a staff member and say "Hey, their clock is at zero. Could you move their items, please?..." and the impartial staff member would do his/her job and move the items. When the owner returns, the new guest can say "...the staff moved the stuff to Guest Services..." and since the clock was at zero and seen by the staff, there would be less of an issue. If the owner claims that something is missing, that is between the staff and the guest. The new guest in the chair is clear. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, bkrickles1 said:

I don't mean to be confrontational, but have you actually done this?

Have you moved someone's "personal" property?

If so, did you do it because you wanted the lounger/chair for yourself or because someone was breaking the rules?

Did you actually watch for 60 minutes to determine that it was illegally unoccupied?

I've been on many absolutely packed pool decks and it would be extremely difficult to monitor this as a passenger. Not to mention that you'd be spending 60 minutes, not enjoying your vacation.

And, wouldn't that 60 minutes be better spent looking for a lounger that is actually unoccupied?

Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone on here, but it's a little confusing to me how you could 100% know that a "chair hog" infraction has taken place to the point that you felt it necessary or your right to move someone's personal stuff.

If you got it wrong, you deserve whatever happens next.

You're not being confrontational. Just asking a question. That's why we have these boards! And, we do have different opinions on the topic, but hey, that's how we go on as humans? Disagreeing. Conversating. Sometimes pulling a punch....though I'm more likely to pull a muscle than a punch. 

 

Yes, I have moved individual's property. It was in the thermal suite, therefore @Two Wheels Only mystical timer was only set for 15 minutes. I watched the person leave to go to the pool, then go to one of the rooms (I don't remember), then go back to the pool. More than 15 minutes went by. There were no loungers available so I left my cozy spot in the pool as I was becoming a human raisin and took their items off and placed them in a safe place next to the windows. 

 

The people came by about 45 minutes later, said nothing, took their items, and went to the locker room. So, not exactly a pool deck. I think you're right that I wouldn't want to time someone for 60 minutes on the pool deck. That would be a bit crazy! Plus have you seen pool decks? Eeeek, I don't want to be there! 

[DCGuy64]

I have to say that neither I nor my wife spend much time on the pool deck. We're not really the "lie out in the sun by the pool all day" types to begin with. We tend to go into port every day. But be that as it may, we often will share a lounger with one of us splashing around in the water while the other lounges. If we ever need 2 loungers, one of us usually asks someone seated near an unoccupied lounger (with someone's stuff on it) if it would be OK for us to use it for a bit. We've never had someone say "no." In the spa area, I have very rarely had to move someone's things off a heated lounger because the person had left (and I keep an eye on those to see how long they've gone unoccupied) and I wanted to use it. Never had a problem with that, either. I'd rather assume people are going to be civil and then maybe be proven wrong occasionally. 

[hawkeyetlse]

I would love to see a full deck of pool loungers with kitchen timers on them, but realistically these would be immediately destroyed, or disappear into people’s actual kitchens all over the world. 

 

The thing is, chair hogging doesn’t concern all of the chairs on the pool deck, but only those that have stuff on them, but no person sitting with the stuff. I was joking about the lasers earlier (or was I … ?) but it is very easy to identify chairs like this visually, and then keep track of exactly how long each chair has been in that state. I mean it’s very easy for a computer to do that. No human employee would want such a tedious task. A human would only need to be alerted to take action when a chair has been hogged for too long. 

[RocketMan275]

Here's a simple idea.  Erect a fence around the pool/loungers and restrict access to a number equal to the number of loungers.  Once the area has reached capacity, no one can enter unless someone exits.  If you exit, get in line to return.

[PATRLR]

5 hours ago, bkrickles1 said:

I don't mean to be confrontational, but have you actually done this?

Yes

Have you moved someone's "personal" property?

Yes

If so, did you do it because you wanted the lounger/chair for yourself or because someone was breaking the rules?

Wanted it for myself

Did you actually watch for 60 minutes to determine that it was illegally unoccupied?

Yep. One time we watched from a very less desireable seat (not lounger).  Another time, we had friends sitting right next to the loungers in question who had been there for hours and stated that no one had been in the loungers we claimed for hours.  And I trusted my firends.

I've been on many absolutely packed pool decks and it would be extremely difficult to monitor this as a passenger.

I disagree, I found it pretty easy to monitor.

 

Not to mention that you'd be spending 60 minutes, not enjoying your vacation.

Why?  I went about my business and didn't let it distract.  It's not like you need to stare at the loungers for an hour without ever blinking. 

 

 

 

[MoCruiseFan]

20 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

If you're spending that much time in the pool, why do you need a lounger?

 

 

It is not your job to decide if I WANT a lounger or not.  No one NEEDS a lounger.

[RocketMan275]

Just now, MoCruiseFan said:

 

 

It is not your job to decide if I WANT a lounger or not.  No one NEEDS a lounger.

Since you don't need a lounger, why are  you complaining?

[MoCruiseFan]

20 hours ago, Suntanz said:

Actually I get up early & could have my choice of chairs, but if I will not use them for a couple of hours, I don't put my stuff on it. Its not an excuse, its just common courtesy. If you want to sit in the chair, go ahead. I just think people get too selfish when they put their stuff down & don't use the chair.

 

So if you are going to be in the pool for a couple of hours, why do you need a chair?

 

 

No one NEEDS a lounger and it is not your job to decide whether I WANT a lounger that is available when I get to the pool.

[MoCruiseFan]

20 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Don't the towels belong to NCL?

 

I never said anyt8ing about NCL towels, I said my personal property.

[SeaShark]

Personal property a) can easily be removed from a chair without touching it, and b) if your personal property is sitting out without you being there, then it should be deemed "lost" and immediately turned in to the Lost & Found...without waiting for 15, 30, 60, etc minutes.

[redmomof4]

Well…at least we all know of one chair hog 🤷🏼‍♀️

[SeaShark]

Just now, redmomof4 said:

Well…at least we all know of one chair hog 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

The problem is that everyone is and everyone isn't a chair hog.

 

In reality a chair hog is the person using the chair that YOU want to use (hog) for yourself. Once you are in it, then people simply will view YOU as the chair hog. It never ends.

[redmomof4]

19 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

The problem is that everyone is and everyone isn't a chair hog.

 

In reality a chair hog is the person using the chair that YOU want to use (hog) for yourself. Once you are in it, then people simply will view YOU as the chair hog. It never ends.

People actually IN the chair using it is not what’s being discussed 

[ChiefMateJRK]

Risks if @ChiefMateJRKremoves items from a lounger in the sun to park his butt in it:

a) Some crazy cruiser going ballistic

b) @ChiefMateJRK's dermatologist giving him a real talkin' to

 

One of these is great cause for concern. 🤣  It would probably be fun to watch the crazy cruiser being booted off the ship at the next port, possibly in a strait jacket or other form of restraint.

[wolft927]

So my opinion is the only people I get upset with is the ones that come out at 7am claim chairs and don’t come back for hours. Wife and I are always on deck early so never a problem getting a chair. We watch for entertainment how long things stay on chairs with nobody there. 
We will be by the pool and will run to grab food, go on slides, and other things but never gone for too long. 

[bkrickles1]

32 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

Personal property a) can easily be removed from a chair without touching it, and b) if your personal property is sitting out without you being there, then it should be deemed "lost" and immediately turned in to the Lost & Found...without waiting for 15, 30, 60, etc minutes.

I'm stunned!

Literally nothing you wrote makes any sense.

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I'm pretty certain the officers and staff in charge do not want passengers enforcing rules and touching other passengers personal stuff. But maybe you know better.

I believe that you are correct.  They may have a general "rule" along the lines of "let it go unless/until somebody complains."  Speaking of which, I've never mentioned chair hogs in my post-cruise feedback, but it might be something that those concerned will want to try.  For various reasons, I seek out a chair in a quiet shaded area and those don't generally have a "hog" problem.

[Oceansaway17]

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

 

The problem is that everyone is and everyone isn't a chair hog.

 

In reality a chair hog is the person using the chair that YOU want to use (hog) for yourself. Once you are in it, then people simply will view YOU as the chair hog. It never ends.

interesting comment as the word HOG does mean to use or over use or take more than a fair share,

 

Might be fun to come up with a new term for folks to who stuff on chairs and then disappear.

 

I like perhaps saying they are CHAIR STEALERS......

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, redmomof4 said:

People actually IN the chair using it is not what’s being discussed 

 

Hence why I said "using the chair" and not "sitting in the chair"...or did you miss that?

[bkrickles1]

14 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Sure...just explain what exactly you aren't comprehending...

 

{Personal property a) can easily be removed from a chair without touching it, and b) if your personal property is sitting out without you being there, then it should be deemed "lost" and immediately turned in to the Lost & Found...without waiting for 15, 30, 60, etc minutes.}

I won't comment on "a" as that statement scares me.

If I comprehend "b" properly, you're saying that if I leave my book and sunglasses on my lounge chair and go to the bathroom and stop at the bar to get a drink on my way back, that my personal items should be taken to the lost and found the minute I walk away?

Am I comprehending you properly?