Chair Hogs - Wall Street Journal

[Lefty Bob]

In todays Wall Street Journal on the frist page of the Weekend Journal section (section W) there is an article about "Cracking Down on Chair Hogs.

It's mainly abouts resort and beaches. It's interesting to see how some are trying to solve the problem.

 

Lefty Bob

[mountainmare]

On the Galaxy Feb2-12 there was a notice in each daily that personal items would be removed from chairs and claimed from the pool butlers and I did hear that some items were removed on a sea day. The result--chairs were easily found throughout the day, and people seemed less likely to save chairsas the cruise went on. Actually I have never had a problem on HAL--but I always look for one of those out of the way places, not by the pool.

[RuthC]

It's interesting to see how some are trying to solve the problem.

I'd love it if you would post what some of those methods are.

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Can you cut adn paste the text of the article for us?

[blazerbob]

The Wall Street Journal is a paid subscription website so we can't google it to read the article. Now that you have whetted our appetites, could you please give up a brief synopsis of what was written in the article? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

Blazerbob

[Lefty Bob]

Let me see if I can post it. If not, will try and give some details. Maybe by noon tomorrow.

 

LB

[NotRobinSilver]

Below is the artilce. Before you read it let me point out that I have seen the no chair reservation notice on the past 10 cruises I have been on - mostly X and NCL(most pre-freestyle). It was never enforced. Only PAX did anything. One time, my wife and I decided to have lunch in the Dining Room. When we got back, our stuff was on the floor. A friendly neighbor pointed out the PAX who moved our stuff. Led to a minor tiff.

 

When I was growing up, your were assigned a deck chair. There was a slot on the chair for a name tag. It was yours for the cruise. Of course the deck stewards had a pretty lucarative concession, but it works.

 

We are getting on the O in about 4 hours and can't wait.

 

Steve

 

 

 

Article removed...copyright infringement. Please read our Community Guidelines "Copyright Infringements" Host Walt

[Lefty Bob]

NotRobinSilver, thanks for posting. I only take the paper and could not post.

 

Lefty Bob

[mmp13]

NotrobinSilver, I remember those days when you reserved a pool chair with the little slots for names on the back. It was great. It sure eliminated the chairhog problem. It might also help if the newer ships were designed so that all passengers could take advantage of the amenities. They keep increasing passenger capacity ( read revenue) without proportionately increasing the size of the public areas.

[retiredldo]

mmp13 I think there are plenty of chairs for example on the W Dam last week the crowd was around the pools of course but if you moved up on the decks there were plenty of chairs. It is fun to watch actually, we work out, eat and get to the chairs by say 08 no crowd then starting after 9 folks trickle out and by 10 ish all the late risers wonder why there are no chairs Go figure

[negc]

As the article notes, the problem isn't restricted to cruise ships. We noticed the same thing when we were in the Mayan Riviera last month, and despite the resorts' policies about removing towels and personal belongings if the chairs have been vacant for a specified amount of time, we saw no enforcement of the policy. Fortunately the resorts were no way near capacity so the chair hogs didn't create an intolerable situation. I must say however that, IMHO at least, when you leave your chairs to go to the dining room for breakfast or lunch, you forfeit your claim to those chairs.

[hammybee]

Location. Location. Location.

 

I usually sail in the cheap seats and am intrigued that someone paying multiples of my fare has the same shot as I do, at obtaining a seat in the prime main pool/ Lido location. It's democracy gone too far.

 

I prefer the aft pool or an upper deck , away from the crowds and if the truth be told, the too easy access to food. :)

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Thanks for posting the article ... it is interesting. Seems the solution is just to put out more lounge chairs. One of the resorts counted table-chairs as "chairs" when of course, what we all want are the loungers. Hmmmmm.

[Boohbah]

Basically, it should be this simple. You should have 1 chair for each backside. This means that if your backside is sitting on a chair in the dining room, you cannot have another empty chair 'on hold' on the deck by the pool. it isn't fair to other people's backsides. Everyone's backside deserves one chair (especially on vacation), and if your backside is sitting in one chair and reserving another, it is simply not fair.

 

If you wanted to eat and didn't want to lose your chairs you should eat at the pool or lay out on your own private balcony.

 

I can't imagine what it is you feel so entitled to that you not only thought it was okay to deprive other backsides of seats by the pool while you enjoyed lunch on anther part of the ship but then, when you finally deigned to meander back to the deck, you felt so entitled to these reserved chairs that you started a 'tiff' with people who moved your things in order to facilitate thier own enjoyment of the cruise, but it is simply not okay.

[sail7seas]

How many minutes is that 'backside' permitted to be in one's cabin using the commode? If a guest does not wish to use the public restrooms, are you saying that if they leave the pool to return to their cabin to use the 'toilette', that 'backside' forfeits their chair? How about is they wish to get in the pool? Who is the timekeeper who says how long one is permitted to be in the water? Are they permitted to go to Lido to get a sandwich? How many minutes max are permitted?

 

I think a little common sense will go a long way and a little flexibility is mandatory.

 

[retiredldo]

I would agree what if it is hot out and I wish to stay in the pool for a bit "oh timekeeper" perhaps I want to get some water and walk for a couple of minutes "oh timekeeper" but wait if I sleep till 10 or 11 and all those early risers have taken the good seats now that is really unfair, why didnt someone hold a chair for me. Oh timekeeper. This whole chair issue is very humorous, perhaps you can get one in the ships stores and take it with you throughout the cruise, similiar to a robe oh timekeeper

[nurseblissful]

isn't it funny the way we see problems with others but don't recognize it when it is us??? :confused:

[retiredldo]

nurseblissful it is funny and it is us at the same time, I admit there have been a few times over our 14 cruises where a chair by the pool was not avail but went to a different location and found a chair sure didnt bother my vacation

[jtl513]

How many minutes max are permitted?

This is the sign on the Veendam:

[Boohbah]

Um, obviously you attach a porta-potty to your deck chair. One chair, one backside, duh.:p

Regarding the little mini-trips to get water (or pass water) I think that's cool, your chair should be waiting for you (I'm thinking the oh-timekeeper should be about 1/2 an hour), but is it really so unreasonable to hope that someone who plans on going to, say, play Bingo on the other side of the ship for an hour o would take thier things with them so someone else can have a run at a decent chair?

 

Should people who sleep late (it is,after all, thier vacation) be penalized and forced, quietly weeping, to stare mournfully at the empty (yet oh-so-claimed) chairs winking seductively in the sunlight? Everyone should get a turn, Noordammit! No chair hawgs! No chair hawgs! No chair hawgs! Woot!

[sail7seas]

I agree........No Chair Hogs. :D

Hope no one misunderstood my questions to imply I approved of Chair Hogging.

 

One Backside......One Chair.!!! ;)

 

 

 

 

[Sailorgirlseattle]

What if I have an oversized backside? Do I get that chair-and-a-half specified in the article? :rolleyes:

[retiredldo]

Yes you would be entitled to 1.5 chairs but you would not be able to get the little table that goes with it. I think we should take the other approach about being issued a chair once on board like a pool towel and it is yours for the trip, but if you would like to purchase it for 39.95 and have it monogramed then they can do that it two days, in two days you would have your chair and robe monogramed and it would leave no dobut as to whose it was.

 

I must admit I do get miffed when I have seen the folks get up at the crack of dawn or what ever sound dawn makes and stake our 5-7 chairs with towels, books, hats and then you dont see them for about 2 hours. But there are still other chairs available.

 

Hmm what if they added a chemical toilet to each chair

[babyher]

I find this thread very ironic

 

Seeing that all the times I have hogged a chair I leave a pair of sunglasses and a folded copy of "The Wall Street Journal" on it :) :) :)

 

Seriously, I agree with Sail and the "One backside, one seat rule" and of course there should be some leeway in regards to potty breaks, going for adip, getting a sandwich.

 

Honestly I must be an odd duck where this topic is concerned.

 

I am not a big lay out in the sun person, but when I do I don't want to be right by the main pool area. I like to either read or just lay there and take a snooze, and you can't do that with a 100 people walking/running by constantly, or 53 conversations going on around you, or some band or piped in music blaring a few feet away, or some pool game championship taking place right in front of you.

 

As long as theres full sun, I prefer some of the out of the way spots on deck , and there is always a chair available there . :)

[sab490]

Sad to say, I'm afraid the chair hogs are here to stay for at least another year. After all, it IS the Year of the Pig. ;)

 

- Steve