Chair savers on NCL

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

Since I am an NCL newbie (cruised twice previously with Carnival) I know how big the chair saving issues get. I was wondering does NCL have the same "chair hog" problems? And if so do you know if they have a policy on this, and if so actually enforce it?

[logcabin]

I am not sure what NCL's policy is about this. However, I can tell you what my policy is on it, and it has always worked.

 

I personally do not consider a "ships towel" laying on a lounge chair as "saving" that chair. Let me explain.. In my numerous cruises I have consistantly seen people get up and walk away from lounge chairs for the day and just leave the towel behind. Now, by doing this, most other people feel that that lounge is still being saved, when it is not. So, if I personally see a lounge chair with nothing more then a ships towel on it, I will watch it for 5 minutes or so, then remove the towel and sit. I have done this on several occassions and have never been confronted by anyone.

 

I only consider personal items on chairs such as books, shoes, a tote bag, robe, etc as "saving" of a chair. Not ships towels.

 

Just MHO.

[johnql]

Based on my experience and hundreds of threads on CC over the years on this topic, I would say that NCL is no different than all other cruise lines - i.e., you will encounter chair hogs everywhere. In addition, as with other cruise lines, enforcement is close to non-existent for fear of upsetting the passengers and/or the fear of being falsely accused by the chair hogs of poor customer service.

[shoreguy]

The policy or the pratice :confused:

[b-c-k-a]

I will get out around 8 am for my chair and I laugh at the people who stroll out around noon, hair disheveled, shielding their eyes from the sun, irate that there are no chairs left. I will put my bag on my chair when I go to eat lunch and until I figure out a way to strap that lounge to my back and not knock anything over while I'm in the Garden Cafe I expect everything to be in order when I get back after I eat. :)

[shoreguy]

I will get out around 8 am for my chair and I laugh at the people who stroll out around noon, hair disheveled, shielding their eyes from the sun, irate that there are no chairs left. I will put my bag on my chair when I go to eat lunch and until I figure out a way to strap that lounge to my back and not knock anything over while I'm in the Garden Cafe I expect everything to be in order when I get back after I eat. :)

 

Just be back in 30 minutes ;)

[jp2001]

Just be back in 30 minutes ;)

 

I agree, a chair should never be saved for more than 30 minutes, no matter what.

[Uconnfan]

On my last cruise on the Dawn in January, my friend and I left my magazines on a lounge chair, and went to the buffet to get a light lunch to bring back. I was not gone more than 20 minutes and my magazines were gone. There was no one near me, it was still a bit chilly to be laying out. So it wasn't a passenger trying to get a chair. There was PLENTY available. The next day on the pool deck there was an employee who was taking books and magazines and towels off of the chairs. An angry customer was yelling at him. For the rest of the cruise, by friend and I made sure someone was with the chairs at all times.

I was left without my celebrity smut and Cosmo for the entire week.:(

[JIMNE]

After monopolizing that chair for 4 hours how about giving one of the other 1500 passengers a chance.They paid for the same trip and opportunities you did. It's not a game to win. It's an opportunity all should be able to enjoy.

[b-c-k-a]

After monopolizing that chair for 4 hours how about giving one of the other 1500 passengers a chance.They paid for the same trip and opportunities you did. It's not a game to win. It's an opportunity all should be able to enjoy.

 

just joshing to make a point JIMNE. I really do believe though that if you want a chair and it's a big part of your vacation to take in the sun, it's your responsibility to make it happen, not show up in the afternoon throw your hands in the air and yell chair hog. And I agree and abide with the 30 minute rule.

[heelfan94]

I was left without my celebrity smut and Cosmo for the entire week.:(

That's not right. I'm lost without my Us Magazine. I know more about most celebrities than I do about my parents. :)

[IMACRUZRNOW]

I'm a sunaholic and love lounging by the pool for hours at a time. Add being in the middle of an ocean with a book in hand...close to heaven. I was very dissappointed to return to my chair after a quick dip to find my things on the table next to it (watch, book, towel, drink). I told the person I was still using the chair and they just shrugged and said I shouldn't have left.

 

Not one to let pig headed people ruin my day, I said, "hope you enjoy it as much as I did" and walked away.

 

So is there a courtesy time limit on chair use. I understand the thirty minute rule...totally makes sense...but I can literally sit in the sun as long as its up.

 

Thanks,

Rachel

PS...not that I think it will be a problem in Alaska next week :rolleyes:

[bakechef]

Not one to let pig headed people ruin my day, I said, "hope you enjoy it as much as I did" and walked away.

 

 

you should also say, if I knew you wanted it I wouldn't have pee'd on it.:D

I know that's bad, but would love to see the look on their face!

[Vyhanek]

I've always said.....This would not be a problem if there were adequate loungers to go around. When passangers are trying to enjoy a "Day at Sea" and can't find a lounger anywhere on the ship because they are all taken it is a customer service problem.

 

I think if you sleep til 11am and then expect to come out to the pool and find a lounger that is expecting way to much. But that person should be able to find a lounger somewhere on the ship, maybe near the bathroom, trashcan, way in the front of the ship, somewhere. There should be enough loungers to meet the needs of the passangers. Shame on the cruise line!

[electricron]

My take on deck chair hogs. Why do they expect the chair to be unoccupied when they get back?

 

If they were at the cafeteria, left a magazine or food on the table for 30 minutes, do they really expect it to be unoccupied when they got back? Within 5 minutes that table would have been busted, and made available for other diners.

 

If they were in a lounge, left a drink on the table for 30 minutes, do they really expect it to be unoccupied when they got back? Within 5 minutes, or a few dances if that's the case, the table would have been busted and made available for other drinkers and dancers.

 

And imho, that's the way it should be on deck chairs. As soon as they get up, they should lose that chair. 30 minutes is much too long. Pool rules should apply, not beach rules where you bring your own chairs and towels.

[Welove2cruise2]

Hey, there's the answer -- BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR!!!:D

[Theresa522]

I haven't been on TONS of cruises, but I do find that some cruise lines actually STICK to there rules. When I was on NCL last July there were tons of chair hogs and although they say not to do this or else, NO ONE from the cruise ship did anything about it. However, we just cruised RCL and I could not believe how they enforced there no chair hog rule.

 

Like anything else in life if you want it to work it has to be enforced ALL the time. Again, this is MPO

[Dancyalien]

I am not sure what NCL's policy is about this. However, I can tell you what my policy is on it, and it has always worked.

 

I personally do not consider a "ships towel" laying on a lounge chair as "saving" that chair. Let me explain.. In my numerous cruises I have consistantly seen people get up and walk away from lounge chairs for the day and just leave the towel behind. Now, by doing this, most other people feel that that lounge is still being saved, when it is not. So, if I personally see a lounge chair with nothing more then a ships towel on it, I will watch it for 5 minutes or so, then remove the towel and sit. I have done this on several occassions and have never been confronted by anyone.

 

I only consider personal items on chairs such as books, shoes, a tote bag, robe, etc as "saving" of a chair. Not ships towels.

 

Just MHO.

I agree with log cabin. If there is just a towel on a chair, we should have no problem taking that chair after a few min.... My husband and I never have a problem getting a chair. Even if we have to go to the second deck, we make it work. A chair is not going to ruin my vacation that I spent so much money for.

 

As for the people that commented about those waking up late and coming by the pool, you have to realize different people have different views of vacation. My husband and I rather party all night, sleep in, and then hit the pool. And its messed up to say that if you sleep in you lose your privliage to have a chair. Maybe the problem lies with the people that feel the need to hog the chairs. However, I think if we all follow log cabins advice we can avoid a lot of issues. (Well, at least until the hoggers smarten up and leave there stuff on the chairs).

[jp2001]

So is there a courtesy time limit on chair use. I understand the thirty minute rule...totally makes sense...but I can literally sit in the sun as long as its up.

 

I hope there is no time limit on chair use... as long as you sit on it or you're gone only a few minutes (bathroom, grab something to eat or something like that). If you're going to an indoor activity or meal, then you should bring all your stuff with you though and know your chair won't wait for you when you're back.

 

I never had to do this (cruised in December out of New York), but I think I WOULD remove someone belonging from an unocupied chair. The only reason I would give the chair back to someone and apologize is if the person comes back wet from swimming in the pool (makes sense to leave your stuff on the chair while you're swimming, but not to go to a trivia and come back after).

 

JMHO.

[shoreguy]

Just one comment - I agree if you are leaving to do something else take your stuff.

 

The real issue here is the "good" seats. I have always been able to find a sun chair at any time. It may not be poolside the protected territory of the most dangerous passengers, the professional chair hogs. :D

 

There are chairs all over the various sun decks on all the ships. You may have to walk a little to cool off in the pool. In most cases the other locations are more relaxing then poolside.

 

My favorite the master professional chair hogs that somehow show up on every cruise. They work in a coordinated pack. Several show up early, line up 10-20 chairs, attach towels, and the leave behind the guard hog. Those chairs are held all day by ever changing members of the pack. At no time are more then 50% of the chairs used.

 

When someone asks if they can use one of the chairs the current guard hog attacks driving the potential predator away. :D

 

They are there every day same spot. Skilled and effective in their ability to obtain and protect the priceless poolside sun chair :mad:

 

OK we know you are out there. Let's here from some of those professionals

[newlywedcruisers]

All this makes me wanna have access to a Villa so I don't have to deal w/ 'em.

 

Hmmm... please be sweet to me upgrade fairy.

[shoreguy]

Please understand this is a real problem for some passengers. They can't help but save chairs even when there is no need. It has to be an addiction.

 

Perhaps a Friends of Porky P. meeting on every cruise :D

 

Even in Alaska - 55 degrees, no sun, they must protect the chosen chairs

[b-c-k-a]

hey shoreguy, i know how you got that picture...you ran up there and yelled chocoholic buffett :D

[cantwaitt]

On a recent sailing on the Spriit, a person next to me was holding a chair. He heard my wife lament that we couldn't find two chairs, and he voluntarily gave us the only chair he wasn't using at the time, saying his wife was not due down for a few minutes.

 

About 20 minutes later, his wife showed up and he quietly stood by his family.

 

When I realized this, I roamed all over the pool deck and finally found him a chair (they were not the sacred lounge chairs).

 

He never complained that we were using his chair or asked for it back. A classy guy.

 

It was so pleasant saying hello to him every time we passed him during the sailing.

 

Of course, on that same sailing I overheard (which I earlier related on a different thread) several families discusing their chair hog strategy, which called for each one of the party to get up at 7 a.m. each day to reserve the chairs, and then go back to sleep until breakfast time.

[Dancyalien]

On a recent sailing on the Spriit, a person next to me was holding a chair. He heard my wife lament that we couldn't find two chairs, and he voluntarily gave us the only chair he wasn't using at the time, saying his wife was not due down for a few minutes.

 

About 20 minutes later, his wife showed up and he quietly stood by his family.

 

When I realized this, I roamed all over the pool deck and finally found him a chair (they were not the sacred lounge chairs).

 

He never complained that we were using his chair or asked for it back. A classy guy.

 

It was so pleasant saying hello to him every time we passed him during the sailing.

 

Of course, on that same sailing I overheard (which I earlier related on a different thread) several families discusing their chair hog strategy, which called for each one of the party to get up at 7 a.m. each day to reserve the chairs, and then go back to sleep until breakfast time.

If you read the end of that post, the person said that it was just a joke...