How long is to long for saving chairs

[gillianrose]

If someone is insane enough to physically assault me over the fact that I'm sitting in a chair, I will see to it that they are arrested and charged with assault - not to mention the lawsuit that I will file for their unprovoked assault. And it WOULD be clearly unprovoked, with plenty of witnesses. They'd have to physically pick me up out of the chair to commence their assault.

 

They do have brigs on cruise ships.

 

Does anyone really think they should get up and walk away because some lunatic is threatening physical violence? I do not. If someone is threatening me with physical violence, I will call out for security and have them detained. Again, I don't give in to bullies - ANYWHERE in life.

 

Nor should you. I don't, either. And I will back you up.

[FinelyCruising]

Finely, can you point me to these options? Sorry, I'm just not seeing that there are any more than two basic options, when confronted by a returning chair hog: 1) stay where you are, or 2) pick up your things and leave.

 

I choose #1. :)

 

 

Your choice has been made loud and clear. Here was an alternative that was missed.

 

 

However I have made the observation that many seem to really want to take this battle on personally and you can see how really worked up people are getting about it, and it's not just you.

 

The staff makes notes, and the staff can leave a warning ticket, that's what is fair and right, no one else should interfere. I'd say most offenders and complainers would be happy to embellish timelines on either side of the equation. What's 10 minutes taking a restroom break or getting a lemonade to you is 25 minutes to someone complaining about the empty chair so they can justify the fight to win it, so the pendulum swings both ways in that war.

 

If one wants to mention to the staff they are stepping away, and the time is then noted by that staff person, there will be no contest if when returning to the chair someone is found in it and you have the pool staff assist in managing the process since they already have the record of your good intentions!

 

There is absolutely no need for anyone to have to bother with confrontaion at all, and it's kind of scary to me to see how many are just very willing to mix it up with somone else at the pool deck, and I have seen some unfortunate events occur and been made very uncomfortable by them.

 

 

Here was the same non-confrontational idea by a different poster....

 

So the solution is this: by all means… ask a pool attendant to remove the items off a chair if you notice it has been "reserved" for 30 min or more. BUT, if you notice widespread and consistent abuse… SPEAK TO THE HOTEL DIRECTOR directly, and make it clear that you will not tolerate such blatant selfishness and inconsideration by any of your fellow passengers.

 

 

- Rick

 

So, there are other ways to address this issue than being entrenched in high drama that ultimately amounts to nit picking over who gets to sit in a silly chair in the grand scheme of life. I happen to have better things to do while on board than to obsess over a pool chair. So in that regard to each his own, it's not a contest. Just keep the pettiness of combat and confrontation that is being defended as the right way out of my comfort zone as no one has the right to disrupt the peace and anyone else's quiet enjoyment of their cruise.:)

[dmk]

Personally, I like what they do at the Mirage in Las Vegas. When you leave your chair for a swim, food etc, you put up a flag that is attached to the top of your chair. After 20 minutes the flag drops and the attendant picks up your stuff.

This way there are always plenty of chairs empty and no squabbles.

Personally, I pick up my things if I am going to be away from my chair for more than 30 minutes(for lunch e.g.) I like to pick my fights and arguing over a chair is not one of them. Life is to short.

[spamwhiches]

I know some fair skinned folks who can only tolerate about a 1/2 hour of sunlight, why not pick up your stuff and let them have their few minutes of sun. You may not get the exact same chair when you come back, but it would be (IMO) a very classy move.

 

It's somewhat strange, We happily give up a seat on a bus for an elderly person or a woman with a child but don't ask us to share a chair on a cruise that we may not even be sitting in!

 

As I previously mentioned It is the cruise ships problem to solve, not ours. Confrontation, even passively, is not the answer.

 

I can walk across the street with the light and in the crosswalk and still get hit by a car. I was in the right, I can Sue, I can justify my actions, but I may also have payed a price I hadn't bargained on. Standing up to a bully would not be a good strategy for the weaker or frail.

 

"Manners Maketh Man" Anonymous

[Leejnd4]

Your choice has been made loud and clear. Here was an alternative that was missed.

 

Ah, okay...now I get it. Your suggestion that there are other options have to do with expecting the POOL ATTENDANTS to tackle the issue of chair hogs on cruise ships. That's all great in theory - unfortunately, it usually doesn't occur.

 

I was asking what other options *I* have. And when it comes right down to it, at each point in the chair hog equation, *I* myself have only two options:

 

When looking for a chair (assuming the only unoccupied ones are saved with chair hog artifacts), I can 1) leave the obviously hogged chairs alone and not get a place to sit, or 2) remove the chair hog artifacts and sit in the chair. (Or ask an attendant to do so - same thing.)

 

When occupying a previously hogged chair, if the chair hog returns, I have two options: 1) leave the chair, or 2) don't leave the chair.

 

If you can think of other options that *I* have, I'm open to hearing them.

 

Look, I have no interest in "mixing it up" with rude morons. I DO have an interest in enjoying my vacation - and part of that enjoyment involves having a place to sunbathe somewhere within walking distance of the pool. If there really are no chairs available, with every chair occupied by a body, oh well -- but the truth is, I've never actually seen that! What I DO see is chair after chair selfishly saved for hours by chair hogs. So will continue to do what I've been doing. And if some obnoxious a-hole confronts me, I'll deal with it with as much dignity as possible.

 

 

Here was the same non-confrontational idea by a different poster....

 

Yes, and as I replied to the person who wrote that - it's a GREAT idea, and I wish more folks would do that! What I wish even more was that more cruise ships would respond to these types of complaints the way they did on his cruise. Sadly, I think that was an anomaly. But it was great to hear that it worked for him!

 

So, there are other ways to address this issue than being entrenched in high drama that ultimately amounts to nit picking over who gets to sit in a silly chair in the grand scheme of life. I happen to have better things to do while on board than to obsess over a pool chair. So in that regard to each his own, it's not a contest. Just keep the pettiness of combat and confrontation that is being defended as the right way out of my comfort zone as no one has the right to disrupt the peace and anyone else's quiet enjoyment of their cruise.:)

 

Just for clarification - when I'm on a cruise, chair hogs occupy less than 1/1000th of my mental energies...and ONLY if I find myself hunting for a pool chair on a sea day, and see only rows of hogged chairs. I am not some kind of renegade chair-hog bounty-hunter hell-bent on teachin' all of them thar hogs a lesson. But...chair hogs ARE the topic of discussion on this thread, and I've had my share of experience with them...so I'm talking about it.

 

And on that note, I think I'm now going to have to subject y'all to my Chair Hog essay...stay tuned!

[Leejnd4]

NATIONAL CRUISEOGRAPHIC’S CHAIR HOG SAFARI

 

They are one of cruising’s most elusive, yet dangerous creatures. Evidence of them is rampant on virtually all cruise ships at sea, and yet verified encounters with the beast itself are rare. Even when one is spotted, or worse, approached, they will fight to the death to avoid being identified. Actual skirmishes with them have led to fisticuffs and ruined vacations. Still, no one ever admits to being a chair hog, and some believe they don’t really exist…that they are a myth. They are one of tourism’s most mysterious beasts. They are…

 

Chair Hogs!

 

National Cruisographic’s Western Caribbean correspondent, Ian Iluvabuffet, went on a ten-month cruisafari in search of this mythical creature. Over the course of his daring pursuit he encountered great dangers that would strike fear into the hearts of the less-stalwart: enormous, balding men in speedos, women in four-inch spike heels staggering blindly behind plates piled three feet high with chocolate-covered strawberries from the midnight buffet, and strange rites-of-passage with names such as “Quest” involving horrifying displays of human undergarments and even body parts. What he found was massive amounts of artifacts, fossils, and angry passengers, but only one, unverified Chair Hog identification – which, tragically, resulted in a bloody nose and an at-sea rescue operation.

 

And this wasn’t the only physical injury endured by our intrepid correspondent. In addition to his reshaped proboscis, Ian returned home with a full 14 inches added to his waistline…an ailment that National Cruisographic’s medical specialists say may take up to a year to resolve.

 

But he did get a nice tan.

 

Ian’s journey began in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he participated in the ritual known as “embarkation.” This, he came to learn, was a process that could take anywhere from 15 minutes to four hours, depending on the cruise line, the number of passengers, and the amount of smuggled booze being confiscated. Ian quickly learned the secrets of avoiding booze detection, and soon came to actually enjoy the taste of mint-flavored Listerine mixed in with his single-malt Scotch.

 

Once onboard a targeted ship, Ian would set to the hunt. After the requisite night of partying in the casino (which was necessary to blend in with the indigenous popluation), Ian managed to drag himself out of bed by 10:00 am and head to the known feeding grounds of chair hogs – the pool deck. Sure enough, there he would spot plenty of evidence of chair hog activity: rows of pool chairs devoid of human occupation, but peppered with Chair Hog artifacts ranging from John Grisham and Jacqueline Suzanne novels to ripped tuxedo t-shirts to broken flip-flops.

 

“It was interesting to note,” Ian said, “that the flip-flops were never together – there was always a flip on one chair, and a flop on another.” This observation led our behind-the-scenes experts to spend a full two weeks in a frustrating and ultimately unsuccessful effort to identify which was in fact the flip, and which was the flop. (Half of the team said the right foot is the flip, the other half said the left foot…oh never mind.)

 

Other evidence of Chair Hog activity included the tying together of multiple pool chairs with various items – towels, robe ties, ladies thong underwear woven into intricate patterns. Over time, Ian learned to spot new and ever more ingenious, and in some cases gruesome, tactics used by the elusive Chair Hogs to mark their territory. Boxes of tampons and condoms were spotted, as well as dirty diapers, fake (presumably) dog poo, even a baby. Alone. Sleeping. Tied to the chair. For hours.

 

The strangest thing, according to Ian, was that “…you never saw the actual creatures themselves! You saw their territory marked everywhere, but if you turned around, the next time you looked there would be a human in the chair.”

 

If he asked them if they’d been the ones saving the chair, they always denied it…even if they were reading the John Grisham paperback that had been left on the chair. This led Ian to assume that these novels are entirely interchangeable, so that if you happen to pick one up wherever you are, you can drop right into the middle of the book and know exactly what’s happening. (Further investigation by our team of experts has proven this to be true.)

 

After many days of this frustrating but fruitless hunt, Ian determined that Chair Hogs are, in fact, a variation of nocturnal. In other words, they are not exactly night-crawling creatures, but they do practice a form of night maneuvers: specifically, they interrupt their nighttime sleep cycle in order to rise before dawn and mark their territory. Then, they emerge from their dens (usually inside cabins) hours later to slip unnoticed into the crowd of regular cruise passengers.

 

Finally, after weeks with no direct sightings, Ian resolved to catch them in the act. Sadly, this proved to be an impossible task. Ian had spent all these many weeks doing his absolute best to fit in with the indigenous population by following their traditional patterns of behavior, identified as the following: rising at mid-morning, eating breakfast at the buffet, lounging at the pool, accepting the continually-offered foo-foo drinks (it’s considered bad karma in this culture to turn them down), eating a buffet lunch at noon, watching pool-side rituals such as belly-flop and hairy-chest contests, eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, watching a strange custom known as the “art auction” in which passengers are enthusiastically encouraged to pay more and more money for second-rate art, consuming more foo-foo drinks at the pool, consuming sugary pastries and lukewarm beverages at “high tea,” going on shore for a little while to buy new, larger clothes for the ever-expanding girth, dressing in too-tight formal attire, eating a six-course dinner in the dining room, watching performers in heavy make-up and colorful, feathered costumes gyrate rhythmically to well-known show tunes, going to the midnight chocolate buffet to engorge on cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries, inserting massive quantities of money into slot machines while drinking over-priced alcoholic beverages, and finally weaving down the corridor to one’s cabin to pass out in an alcohol-induced stupor.

 

Ian determined that Chair Hogs are clearly hardy creatures that somehow can do all that, and STILL drag their sorry butts out to the pool before dawn to mark their territory before going back to their own dens for a few more hours of coma.

 

“There was no way that any normal human can do this,” reports Ian.

 

Our intrepid correspondent was almost ready to pack it in and carry home all of the cruise-line logo key chains he’d won at the Quest and Trivia contests, when finally his luck changed.

 

“I’d had a particularly grueling night in the casino,” reports Ian. “It was the blackjack tournament. I’d met some Canadians who’d managed to smuggle an entire suitcase of intact bottles of Yukon Jack by packing them in bubblewrap, and they kept forcing it on me. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor in my cabin, and it was almost noon!”

 

Realizing that his chances for finding a place to sit at the pool were rapidly disappearing with every passing minute, Ian dashed outside to find that, sure enough, every single pool chair was either occupied by someone sipping a brightly colored drink with an umbrella swizzle stick, or marked by a dizzying array of Chair Hog artifacts.

 

Desperate, feeling hung-over and needing a foo-foo drink like he’d never needed anything before in his life, Ian made a momentous decision…one that would haunt him for the remainder of his cruise, and that would lead to his one and only unverified encounter with the mysterious, elusive Chair Hog.

 

He moved a flip. (Or a flop, depending on which team member you ask.)

 

Ninety minutes later, on his fourth fluorescent, nuclear-waste-colored drink, it happened. Ian recounts the details:

 

“A large, extremely hairy alpha male in a microscopic yellow Speedo approached me,” Ian said. “I immediately became frightened – his eyes showed rage beyond anything I’d ever seen in the animal kingdom before. His stomach protruded at least four feet ahead of him. I knew that if he sat on me, all would be lost.

 

“He stormed up to me and yelled, ‘Hey, dude, you’re in my chair!’

 

“‘Um, no I’m not,’ I replied tentatively. ‘No one was sitting here when I got here an hour and a half ago.’

 

“‘You’re fulla cr*p! I’ve been in this chair all day!’ he screamed. ‘That’s my sandal on the floor beside you. Get outta my chair, you pansy!’

 

“All around me, I heard a sound that was unmistakable and chilling: ‘SLUUURP!’ It was the sound of a hundred brain-freeze headaches being created as people sucked down their foo foo drinks in anticipation and excitement. The waiters began scurrying to quickly deliver refills, as the crowd hunkered down for something they seemed to be expecting. It was as if they’d seen this before, and knew what was gonna happen.

 

“At this point, something I can’t explain came over me. My therapist says that it was due to unresolved anger at my Marine Corp daddy who called me a pansy after I wouldn’t fight back when Merv Zackerman beat the snot out of me in the fifth grade. My wife says I’m just nuts.” [ian’s wife left him shortly after reports of this incident became public – Editor’s note.]

 

“Whatever it was, I stood up. ‘Oh, you mean THIS old thing?’ I said, picking up the broken old flip [or flop – Ed.] with two fingers like it was a particularly disgusting specimen of insect.

 

“Then I did something that to this day I can’t believe. I leaned back, wound up and tossed it as hard as I could. The crowd ooohed like it was a fireworks show on the Fourth of July as the flip [flop! – Ed.] sailed overboard.”

 

“The place grew silent. A hundred pairs of lips poised over their nuclear drinks. I stood there, breathing heavily, knowing I’d finally done it! I’d stood up for myself! I mean…um…I saw a Chair Hog! A REAL one! And I had witnesses to boot.

 

“The Chair Hog’s bloodshot eyes bored a hole into me. He started moving. I stood my ground. He marched up to me, his swollen abdomen swaying in front of him. Suddenly the whole world exploded as his fist shot out and slammed me right in the nose. I felt myself being lifted from the pool deck, and the next thing I new, out I went, sailing into the air, and then falling…falling…twelve decks down, following the exact same path as the flip [FLOP! – Ed] before me. And on my way down, just before I hit the warm Caribbean waters with an enormous splash, I heard a piercing noise I will never forget…

 

“SLUUUURP!”

 

It only took 45 minutes for Ian Iluvabuffet to be rescued. Sadly, by the time he was hauled back onboard, the Chair Hog had managed to slip back into the passenger population unnoticed.

 

Investigators after the fact were able to identify a potential suspect based on Ian’s description: a Merv Grazinski from Oklahoma City. But even after repeated interrogations, Mr. Grazinksi denied that he was, in fact, a Chair Hog. He did acknowledge witnessing the incident; however, his version of the story differed markedly from Ian’s:

 

“This ugly dude came staggering out to the pool deck, wearing swim trunks two sizes too small and yanked all the way up to his man-boobs. He was holding onto an empty bottle of Yukon Jack and saying ‘Eh? Eh?’ over and over again. I was walking back to my chair after swimming 500 laps in the pool – I’m training for a triathlon, ya know – and there he was trying to sit down in my chair! I said, ‘Hey, whattaya doin, dude?’ He asked me what my name was, of all things! When I said, ‘Merv,’ the guy starting shrieking like a teenage girl at a horror flick! The next thing we knew he’d backed right into the railing, and then, still screaming like a banshee, the whacko climbed UP on the railing, and then LAUNCHED himself overboard, screeching ‘I’M NOT A PANSY, DADDY!’ the whole way down.”

 

The incident is still being investigated.

 

So, after ten months of searching, tons of all-you-can-eat-buffet food, uncountable foo-foo drinks and literally tens of thousands of dollars poured into the slot machines, the search was over. But were any questions answered? Do Chair Hogs really exist, or are they a figment of the imagination of over-fed and inebriated cruise passengers? Will we ever really know?

 

Ian thinks so.

 

On our next episode, Ian attempts to infiltrate the frightening, perilous underworld of the most reviled cruise ship passengers of all – people who wear jeans in the dining room on formal night.

 

-- LeeAnne Clark, 2006

[spamwhiches]

NATIONAL CRUISEOGRAPHIC’S CHAIR HOG SAFARI

 

-- LeeAnne Clark, 2006

 

 

Can't say you didn't warn us LOL

 

very creative writing!

Cheers

[FinelyCruising]

Ah, okay...now I get it. Your suggestion that there are other options have to do with expecting the POOL ATTENDANTS to tackle the issue of chair hogs on cruise ships. That's all great in theory - unfortunately, it usually doesn't occur.

 

Without ever taking steps like these, or even contemplating them, you declare that this usually does not occur! It sure does not when people are anxiously looking to pick fights and win some childish contest over a deck chair!!!

 

This dialog can degenerate still further with sad characterizations of people as whackos, morons and the like just to support the cause to stand up to bullies.

 

There are people out there who have no issue taking a higher road and not letting themselves fret needlessly over an issue like this and no amount of a call to arms will have them joining the let's jump the bully bandwagon! There are greater sensibilities than that!

[jt1120]

I've got it! Automatic parking meters on each chair! If the meter doesn't detect your booty parked on the chair, the meter starts. After 30 minutes of no occupancy, the flag pops up alerting everyone that the chair is now up for grabs. If you didn't use it in 30 minutes, so sad for you. Oh, and your stuff is currently floating in the Caribbean Sea.

 

Anyone with me?

[tbelian]

no amount of a call to arms will have them joining the let's jump the bully bandwagon!

 

LOL!, I am in complete agreement with this. In my mind, this is nothing worth spending even 1/1000th of my vacation time on.

 

But, based on Finely's remark, I can't help but think about:

 

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!" ..."What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?"

 

"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me ... a pool chair! " ... with apologies to Patrick Henry ... :D

[Rick-cruiser]

Thanks for sharing this story - and THANKS for taking the time out of your vacation to do the right thing - and to do something for your fellow passengers! You will never know how many chair hogs you prevented from hogging - and how many of your fellow pax were allowed to have an enjoyable day at the pool because of your selfless actions. Good on you! I wish more people would do things like this. It doesn't take much to stand up for what's right and make a difference - and I trust that the sense of satisfaction more than made up for the few minutes out of your vacation. :)

 

Thanks!! :)

 

I forgot to mention that this was a Transatlantic cruise....and there were going to be 7 sea days in a row. This situation happened on the very first sea day of that 7-day stretch.... and so there was NO WAY I was going allow this to happen every day like that, as we sailed across the atlantic.

 

With some things you just have to "nip it in the bud", at the very onset, before it festers into an ugly monster.. :)

 

- Rick

[FinelyCruising]

Thanks!! :)

 

I forgot to mention that this was a Transatlantic cruise....and there were going to be 7 sea days in a row. This situation happened on the very first sea day of that 7-day stretch.... and so there was NO WAY I was going allow this to happen every day like that, as we sailed across the atlantic.

 

With some things you just have to "nip it in the bud", at the very onset, before it festers into an ugly monster.. :)

 

- Rick

 

Non-confrontational handling :)

[Leejnd4]

Finely, I have so many issues with your post I'm not even sure where to start.

 

I think I'll start with this:

 

Without ever taking steps like these, or even contemplating them, you declare that this usually does not occur! It sure does not when people are anxiously looking to pick fights and win some childish contest over a deck chair!!!!

 

Show me where I said that I never did this. Show me one place where I said that I've never "even comtemplated" using them. The reality is that I have, on a number of occasions, worked with the pool attendants to assist with the chair hog situation - and I've even described so in here. Sometimes they've been willing to help - and I've even seen them go around and pick up chair hog artifacts without being asked. Yay. Sometimes they will not - as others have experienced and reported in this thread.

 

Obviously I would prefer to go the easiest route and NOT engage with chair hogs, letting the staff deal with them. (Well, I guess not obvious to YOU since, in spite of my explaining this several times, you seem to have decided for yourself that I'm some kind of vigilante out lookin' for a fight). Just ftr, no one would look at me and say, oooh that chick is itchin for a rumble! I'm a small woman pushing 50. I don't think anyone's looking at me like some gang banger hellbent on drawing blood. I vacation for the same reason as everyone else - to get away, relax and have a good time. And I have described as much on more than one occasion - but you have come to your own alternate conclusion, in spite of what I've actually written.

 

This dialog can degenerate still further with sad characterizations of people as whackos, morons and the like just to support the cause to stand up to bullies.

 

This one made me laugh, so thanks for that. :D Sorry, but have no problem whatsoever with characterizing chair hogs with those words, and a number of choice others. Especially the ones who try to attack those people who have rightfully claimed a hogged chair, as happened to me. Yep, they're whackos - can you really deny that someone who starts yelling at a stranger for being in a chair that he abandoned hours ago, and trying to physically remove her and her stuff from that chair, is of right mind? You pick a word. I choose "whacko". ;)

 

And again ftr, I am in no way attempting to foment a passenger uprising to "support the cause to stand up to bullies". LOL! That was cute. ;) What I AM doing is detailing my personal opinion about chair hogs, and describing a couple of chair hog encounters that I've had in the past. I do HOPE that others will be inspired to not let these rude, obnoxious, selfish morons :p prevent them from enjoying their sea day at the pool, and I've offered a few scenarios of how to deal with them. I'm just doing what we do here on Cruise Critic - helping other members. :) I do that in the port forums as well - go see how I've helped people in the Europe forum know what to do in some Mediterranean ports. Hey what can I say, I like helping people.

 

There are people out there who have no issue taking a higher road and not letting themselves fret needlessly over an issue like this and no amount of a call to arms will have them joining the let's jump the bully bandwagon! There are greater sensibilities than that!

If your interpretation of "taking the high road" means giving in to chair hogs, letting them selfishly prevent you from using empty chairs on the pool deck - or meekly slinking away when a chair hog returns to reclaim the chairs they abandoned hours ago, then you go right ahead. Hey, some people will do anything to avoid confrontation.

 

As for me, I'll keep on removing chair hog artifacts (when I have to because there ARE no other chairs), and I will happily stay right where I am when some inconsiderate idiotic moronic whacko ***** comes buzzing around me like an annoying fly. Fret? Hardly! I don't need to fret. I'm not having any problems! I'm just enjoying my day at the pool. :D

[Leejnd4]

But, based on Finely's remark, I can't help but think about:

 

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!" ..."What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?"

 

"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me ... a pool chair! " ... with apologies to Patrick Henry ... :D

 

LOL! Great post. Hey, some things are worth dying for - just ask Ian Ilovubuffet! :D

[usha]

This is getting interesting...

[librarycin]

I did say this once earlier, but I thought I'd reiterate to the person who said a while back that they leave for lunch. How long is lunch - about an hour or so? I am usually only in a chair for 30 minutes to one hour. If you take your stuff with you, that gives me a chance to use your chair, then be out of it again and it's ready for you when you get back.

 

That goes for anyone, some of us are only in the chairs for a shorter amount of time, so if you are going to be away for 20+ minutes, we don't have to wait that additional time to guess if/when you might be coming back.

 

I like someone's Vegas Mirage idea of the flag as well. It makes it easy to see how long someone has been gone and their stuff will be cleared away, no questions asked - you are gone that amount of time, you surrender your "right" to that chair.

[Leejnd4]

I did say this once earlier, but I thought I'd reiterate to the person who said a while back that they leave for lunch. How long is lunch - about an hour or so? I am usually only in a chair for 30 minutes to one hour. If you take your stuff with you, that gives me a chance to use your chair, then be out of it again and it's ready for you when you get back.

 

That goes for anyone, some of us are only in the chairs for a shorter amount of time, so if you are going to be away for 20+ minutes, we don't have to wait that additional time to guess if/when you might be coming back.

 

I like someone's Vegas Mirage idea of the flag as well. It makes it easy to see how long someone has been gone and their stuff will be cleared away, no questions asked - you are gone that amount of time, you surrender your "right" to that chair.

 

Of course I agree with you. :) And I too like some of the ideas that others have offered in here to prevent chair-hogging, such as flags and stuff like that. These are all fabulous suggestions.

 

But given how long chair-hoggism has been a problem on cruise ships, and how little the cruise industry has actually done to prevent it (outside of the few pool attendants who actually have the cajones to stand up to them), I don't see it as likely that any cruise lines will do any of this. I think we all need to accept the reality that usually (and note I say "usually" and not "always" ;)), it will fall to us to deal with them.

 

So unless we are blessed with a particularly responsive pool staff, we have two choices when we want to sit at the pool and all empty chairs are hogged: take things into our own hands and evict the hogs (non-confrontationally, of course ;))...or not.

 

Oh, and just a reminder - that little sign I used on Voyager to let others know I'd be returning to my chair shortly was a great tool to prevent misunderstandings. It's just another way of non-confrontationally ;) taking things into our own hands.

[FinelyCruising]

Finely, I have so many issues with your post I'm not even sure where to start.

 

 

When ever people do not agree whole heartedly this has been the predictable response. And then the battle to wage endless argument with someone ensues. Count me out kiddo, it's gotten really tired....:o

[Leejnd4]

When ever people do not agree whole heartedly this has been the predictable response. And then the battle to wage endless argument with someone ensues. Count me out kiddo, it's gotten really tired....:o

 

I agree. And I tell you what - when you stop twisting my posts to characterize me as a fight-seeking vigilante hell-bent on waging war on chair hogs en masse, I'll stop replying to your posts pointing out your errors. :)

 

The funny thing is, I think we're pretty much in agreement that chair hogging is bad. The only thing we disagree on is how to deal with them. You are certainly entitled to your approach - which appears to me to be avoidance to keep the peace (which is fine). My approach is peacefully doing what I am entitled to do, meaning, claiming hogged chairs (which is also fine). Just different approaches.

 

My sole issue with you was the way you misread my posts, depicting me as someone out "anxiously looking to pick a fight". I am not, I never said anything to indicate that I am, and I didn't appreciate being referred to as such. That's all. :)

[woodofpine]

The chair hog biz is proof positive. I'll bet most chair hogs wouldn't behave that way shore side (but I might be wrong; after all we had a national security energy crisis in 1974. Did we build mass transit? No, we built SUVs!)

 

Fortunately, now that my kids aren't so small any more its not so important to be close to the water. But the math is just astounding.

 

In the worst situations I've seen, 25-35% of the chairs poolside are hogged and the equivalent of 15-20% users mill around politely frustrated. Yep - there are plenty of chairs, if folks would just relinquish them when they intend to be gone more than 10 minutes or so.

 

To think this species burns fossil fuels and has nuclear weapons... scary.

[Leejnd4]

[quote name='woodofpine']The chair hog biz is proof positive. I'll bet most chair hogs wouldn't behave that way shore side (but I might be wrong; after all we had a national security energy crisis in 1974. Did we build mass transit? No, we built SUVs!)

Fortunately, now that my kids aren't so small any more its not so important to be close to the water. But the math is just astounding.

In the worst situations I've seen, 25-35% of the chairs poolside are hogged and the equivalent of 15-20% users mill around politely frustrated. Yep - there are plenty of chairs, if folks would just relinquish them when they intend to be gone more than 10 minutes or so.

To think this species burns fossil fuels and has nuclear weapons... scary.[/QUOTE]

LOL! While I can't help but think it's a bit of a stretch to link global warming and nuclear proliferation to chair hogs...I do see your point. :D

As for whether or not these people would behave any differently on shore - sadly, I don't think so. I think that selfish, inconsiderate people are just that - selfish and inconsiderate. While I do think that cruising has a tendency to bring out the gluttony (if you've ever been to one of the midnight chocolate buffets of yesteryear, you'd know what I mean!) I think that these are traits these people already have. This is just the manifestation of them on a cruise ship with limited pool seats.

While I'm leery of getting accused again of attempting to inspire a bloody passenger revolution :p, I still say that the more people who are willing to stand up to chair hogs (meaning, evict their artifacts and take their chairs), the less impact they'll be able to have on other people's enjoyment. It's sad to think of all those people wandering around in a sea of available chairs, frustratedly unable to enjoy their day at the pool when there are plenty of seats for all, because of the selfish actions of a few. TAKE those chairs, I say! :eek: :D Don't expect the chair hogs to relinquish them on their own...just take them. And if they come back and attempt to harass you, ignore them, or call for security to remove them.

[librarycin]

LeeAnn, I just wanted to say that I don't disagree with anything you've said (though you've posted a lot to this thread, and I don't recall everything ;), but as far as I can remember, I don't think I disagree with anything! :D).

Admittedly, I had originally said I would get up if someone came back for their chair, but because I only stay such a short time, I've not had it happen, anyway. I admire you for being able to stay put and ignore anyone making a scene. I'd like to think I would do that, too, as that person is the one in the wrong - no question about it. I just don't know that I'd be brave enough if someone started threatening me...

I am very glad that it hasn't happened to me (nor have I been a witness to such a scene), and hopefully it won't. But then, so far my cruises have not been to warm-weather places, and I'm sure the chair hogging on those cruises is much, much worse... :eek:

[ILVMM]

[quote name='Canadianhey!']When you go to the pool and there is a towel or book on the chair and no one is using it, how long do I have to wait until I can remove the said items and use the chair. I can remember one chair that held a book for the whole day. Is there not a policy on saving chairs? So how long is to long????:confused: :confused: :confused:[/QUOTE]

I must say that I've enjoyed reading all those books that were left behind.

If the towel is dry, the chair has been saved FAR TOOOOO long....

[Leejnd4]

[quote name='librarycin']LeeAnn, I just wanted to say that I don't disagree with anything you've said (though you've posted a lot to this thread, and I don't recall everything ;), but as far as I can remember, I don't think I disagree with anything! :D).

Admittedly, I had originally said I would get up if someone came back for their chair, but because I only stay such a short time, I've not had it happen, anyway. I admire you for being able to stay put and ignore anyone making a scene. I'd like to think I would do that, too, as that person is the one in the wrong - no question about it. I just don't know that I'd be brave enough if someone started threatening me...

I am very glad that it hasn't happened to me (nor have I been a witness to such a scene), and hopefully it won't. But then, so far my cruises have not been to warm-weather places, and I'm sure the chair hogging on those cruises is much, much worse... :eek:[/QUOTE]

Well thanks - good to know that we're in agreement. :) I really do understand someone's desire to avoid confrontation with a raging chair hog who demands his chair back...especially if you were only planning on sitting there for a short time anyway. In that case, it's probably best to just cut your stay a little shorter to avoid the unpleasantness.

I'm a pretty brave soul and have made a point of teaching my kids to stand up for themselves, so for me, I feel like I need to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. Plus I'm one of those people who really enjoy a relaxing sea day sunbathing at the pool for hours with a good novel, so for me, the choice would be to pop my iPod earbuds in my ears and roll over and ignore them. ;) But I do realize that's not the decision everyone would (or should) make.

Anyway, you mentioned how chair hogging is probably worse in warm climates...funny, but one of the WORST displays of chair hogging I've ever seen was on Mercury several years ago, in Alaska! It was during our transit of the inside passage, and I couldn't believe the number of chairs that were saved with blankets, books and other belongings. Naturally I removed some artifacts and we spent about an hour enjoying the view out there - and nobody ever came back to claim our chairs. In fact, I recall my husband and I marveling over the fact that there was this entire row of chairs in prime viewing location that were saved, and we never saw a soul out there all day! :rolleyes:

[Denny01]

I know more than a few posts have referenced how Chair Hog threads can get as nasty as Dress Code threads. I disagree - this is a very low-key thread that has some well thoughtout insights on this subject.

But I think one of the problems is the difference between the selfish Chair Hogs that feel like they deserve to save some chair for extended times no matter how long they are gone, or the person who doesn't really think they are 'hogging' chairs, just 'saving' it for future use.

Most of us don't realy see much difference - the saved chair is tied up when not being used. The true chair hog can be obnoxious and aggressive, as we have all seem in earlier posts, but the nice guy who decides to go to lunch or go for another 'short' session somewhere else, to me, is the real issue. They are not being overtly selfish, but don't realize that saving the chair is not their option. I think its a subjet of education. The true Chair Hogs would never join one of these discussions because they DON'T CARE, but I think we need to ask our friends who think it OK to save a seat beyond a reasonable time to reconsider their actions. Sure, use 20 or 30 min as some gage, but the real point is, unless you are using the pool, or stepping away for a short time, take your stuff with you and find a chair elsewehere when/if you return. Be the nice person you are and let someone else use the chair, if needed. Find another one when you return. It's unreasonable to save the chair and then become a clock-watcher to get back in a 'short time'. Just don't save it.

Just my view.

Denny