Why Chair Hog Bullies Proliferate

First, consider:

"The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm-setting and signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior. The theory states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and turnstile-jumping helps to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening."

In the absence of enforcement by the cruise line, Chair Hog Bullies are allowed and therefore proliferate. On one recent cruise where we experienced several days of cold weather, the majority of the loungers in the Solarium were "reserved" with a towel, a paperback/magazine, and a flip flop by 6-6:30 AM. Many of the same loungers were "reserved" hours later and the staff attendants were doing nothing to pick up the abandoned materials.

We all need to call Chair Hogs what they are, Bullies, and demand enforcement of the rules by cruise line staff.

If good people say nothing, they are allowing the Chair Hogs to bully them.

I've adopted my own method for dealing with this issue. I simply removed the materials being used as "dibs" and take a seat. If/when (which is very infrequently) the offending individual returns and demands "their" seat back, I say very politely "this chair was unoccupied for over an hour and I'm sitting here now. If you'd like to leave your cabin number with the bartender, I'll arrange to have him call you when I'm ready to leave. Have a very pleasant day!". Most people stumble away, muttering under their breath.

This is why I am looking forward to The Retreat area coming to Celebrity ships. I think it's been over a decade since I've hung out at the main pool area on a ship as there are never any seats available so I just gave up. The Solarium hasn't been as bad but it's been mainly on port days that I've gotten a chair there. Just took an NCL cruise a couple weeks back and was in their Haven area and never had a problem finding a chair even on a sea day. You could even find times in the pool or hot tubs where you were the only one in them.

Here we go. It’s been far too long.

Here we go. It’s been far too long.

I guess you and I won't be hogging a lounger on this thread. ;p

Why? People, it's always the people. Celebrity has a policy in place, they just need to enforce it!

Bullies? Perhaps, but I think that it's mostly a terribly inflated sense of entitlement. These are the same people who push their way to the front of the bar.

And the same ones who will knock you down in order to be 5' in front of you!! We have become a nation of self-centered and selfish individuals with an enormous sense of self-entitlement. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

I’m usually up and on a sunbed by 8 reading enjoying a quiet time. Husband follows on when he is ready. We have breakfast etc but never leave he lounger for longer than 45 mins or so. Of course if we have plans for the day we take pot luck. We are on the Reflection on 2/4 and can’t wait. We have only once been on a 2 nighters cruise from our home port of Southampton Uk.We like to make the most of the sunshine when we can. Have been thinking of a good place to sit/ lay and thought deck above pool. Not far to go if I need a dip to cool down !! Wherever you go in the world you always find sun bed hogging!. Thomas Cook announced today they are introducing a new scheme in some of their resorts. You can pre book a sunbed for the duration of you holiday and can choose where you want it ( limited availability) The cost 25 euros. !!!!!

I’m usually up and on a sunbed by 8 reading enjoying a quiet time. Husband follows on when he is ready. We have breakfast etc but never leave he lounger for longer than 45 mins or so. Of course if we have plans for the day we take pot luck. We are on the Reflection on 2/4 and can’t wait. We have only once been on a 2 nighters cruise from our home port of Southampton Uk.We like to make the most of the sunshine when we can. Have been thinking of a good place to sit/ lay and thought deck above pool. Not far to go if I need a dip to cool down !! Wherever you go in the world you always find sun bed hogging!. Thomas Cook announced today they are introducing a new scheme in some of their resorts. You can pre book a sunbed for the duration of you holiday and can choose where you want it ( limited availability) The cost 25 euros. !!!!!

You know Alison that could be a good solution. 25 euro seems a bit steep, unless it's for the duration of the cruise.....but many of the hotels in Florida, on the Gulf Coast , offer pre-paid cabanas for the length of stay and it really is a good idea. They hang a tag with your name on it that says "RESERVED" and if you show up and someone else is sitting in your cabana you can tell them to move. Most of the time they will, but if they don't the hotel will send security to force them to.

Without charging anyone, I would propose that in the morning when all the chair hogs come out, the pool attendants just tell people they can only "reserve" one or two lounges. I'm sure that some type of control can be taken, I once saw a woman take 14 chairs in the Solarium in the morning and then disappear.

Without charging anyone, I would propose that in the morning when all the chair hogs come out, the pool attendants just tell people they can only "reserve" one or two lounges. I'm sure that some type of control can be taken, I once saw a woman take 14 chairs in the Solarium in the morning and then disappear.

In a perfect world that would work, but alas it's not a perfect world and I don't see X or any other line, risking the loss of someone's business over a lounge chair and that's part of the problem.

I get the butler to stick one on my balcony, then I don't need to worry about it!!

The problem can be resolved by eliminating 'reserving' and no one being present. If DW and I are in a lounger(s) and I need a break, drink, etc. then she stays. If we both have to go then take our personal items even when going to lunch. If the chair is so important, I think a little discomfort by the holders of the chairs is okay. Would also limit # of chairs any one person staying there could be holding for others, like one other chair.

Easy for me to say and who then is policing even that policy, which gets to the heart of the issue. The suits can come up with all kinds or rules, but it falls to the front line employee to enforce and at same time they are conditioned to work to get 10's or whatever the scale is.

Not an easy solution. Our just recent cruise on Silhouette was typical of early morning reserving of chairs and no one in sight for long periods of time. We don't seek the sun, so for us, chair hogging is not as big as for others but I can see the issue as we walked by.

Would a reservation system work with chairs numbered and reserved for the morning or afternoon and then cleared by staff as if there was an 8 am to 1pm show and then a 1 pm to 6 pm show?

I hate to say it, but I really think till there is an approach that prevents 'non use' hogging, you just have to get up early and be part of the problem.

I get the butler to stick one on my balcony, then I don't need to worry about it!!

We like to use our private balcony.

And the same ones who will knock you down in order to be 5' in front of you!! We have become a nation of self-centered and selfish individuals with an enormous sense of self-entitlement. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

By "a nation" I assume your mean the US, since you're from New York? While your statement is true, some of the worst examples of entitlement have been from travelers from other areas of the world, which are probably best not named here. It seems that no one country has the monopoly on bad manners.

By "a nation" I assume your mean the US, since you're from New York? While your statement is true, some of the worst examples of entitlement have been from travelers from other areas of the world, which are probably best not named here. It seems that no one country has the monopoly on bad manners.

It pains me not to be able to disagree with you! :(

First, consider:

 

"The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm-setting and signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior. The theory states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and turnstile-jumping helps to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening."

 

In the absence of enforcement by the cruise line, Chair Hog Bullies are allowed and therefore proliferate. On one recent cruise where we experienced several days of cold weather, the majority of the loungers in the Solarium were "reserved" with a towel, a paperback/magazine, and a flip flop by 6-6:30 AM. Many of the same loungers were "reserved" hours later and the staff attendants were doing nothing to pick up the abandoned materials.

 

We all need to call Chair Hogs what they are, Bullies, and demand enforcement of the rules by cruise line staff.

 

If good people say nothing, they are allowing the Chair Hogs to bully them.

I once read an article about the positive impact on the NYC subway system by applying the "Broken Window Theory". I absolutely agree that if you take care the small things "nip it in the bud" then you can avoid bigger problems. One of the above posters mentioned that Celebrity should have pool staff present in the early morning hours to tell people who are dropping towels and books that they are not permitted to reserve loungers and if they risk having their belongings removed. To minimize the need for direct contact Celebrity can prominently post signs in key locations during morning hours; this way the attendants can keep pointing to the signs. Once the decks become populated for the day the signs can be removed. Focusing on days 2 and 3 could resolve this for the rest of the cruise. Sometimes all it takes is receiving a direct notice or reminder. I think bullying is a strong word, but self-centered, egotistical, self-aborbed, rude??? These can all apply.

In a perfect world that would work, but alas it's not a perfect world and I don't see X or any other line, risking the loss of someone's business over a lounge chair and that's part of the problem.

Looking at this from the opposite perspective, X risks losing someone's business because that someone becomes frustrated that they can never locate a lounger without a major hassle. I know there's no way of knowing, but wonder if hoggers spend more or spend less onboard than those who follow the norms of sharing resources.

We just came off Harmony of the Seas and pool attendants would mark on tape the time they saw "reserved chairs" with merely towels, maybe a magazine and flip flops on several chairs). They would then walk by 30-40 minutes after marking the chair and would then remove the items.

Not sure if this was a pilot test project but we noticed his occurring on each sea day.

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Looking at this from the opposite perspective, X risks losing someone's business because that someone becomes frustrated that they can never locate a lounger without a major hassle. I know there's no way of knowing, but wonder if hoggers spend more or spend less onboard than those who follow the norms of sharing resources.

Although it's an irritant, as clearly demonstrated by the plethora of "chair hog" threads on all of the boards, I doubt that anyone would stop cruising because they can't find a lounger or two in a prime area. It's not like they can simply switch lines to avoid the problem. As for never locating a lounger without a hassle, that may be true for those who demand a spot by the pool, but even on the busiest of sailings we've never had a problem if we looked a bit further afield.

Your second point is quite interesting, but I suspect that any discussion on that point might result in too many hackles being raised.

Then the poolside chair hogs migrate to the theater in the evening to save multiple seats in a prime location. My wife and I always get to the theater early to watch the pre-show entertainment of one chair hog trying to save multiple seats while at the same time fending off others that want those seats.:evilsmile:

Then the poolside chair hogs migrate to the theater in the evening to save multiple seats in a prime location. My wife and I always get to the theater early to watch the pre-show entertainment of one chair hog trying to save multiple seats while at the same time fending off others that want those seats.:evilsmile:

Only fight I have ever seen on a cruise, a Princess cruise, was a gentleman trying to say a whole row for his family/group. It came to blows and he missed the show along with the other gentleman as security was quick and final in their resolution. It had to be about 15 seats in a row and he was moving back and forth to fend off interlopers from both sides. Finally, when there were few seats left the other gentleman and his wife just sat down in 2 empty seats and it started.

Only fight I have ever seen on a cruise, a Princess cruise, was a gentleman trying to say a whole row for his family/group. It came to blows and he missed the show along with the other gentleman as security was quick and final in their resolution. It had to be about 15 seats in a row and he was moving back and forth to fend off interlopers from both sides. Finally, when there were few seats left the other gentleman and his wife just sat down in 2 empty seats and it started.

No blows struck, but we were involved in a similar situation. A dozen or so seats in the centre of row two "reserved" by a group who left two young teens to guard them. We and several other couples informed the children that they couldn't reserve seats like that and sat down. The rest of the group finally appeared a minute or two before the show started, drinks in hand, and were not at all happy. As the lights started to dim, they slunk away, the father of the two poor teens tearing a strip off them. A wonderful example set for these kids.

We just came off Harmony of the Seas and pool attendants would mark on tape the time they saw "reserved chairs" with merely towels, maybe a magazine and flip flops on several chairs). They would then walk by 30-40 minutes after marking the chair and would then remove the items.

Not sure if this was a pilot test project but we noticed his occurring on each sea day.

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Just like when you park for free for an hour, your tires get marked and if you are still there after an hour then you get a ticket. I like this idea.

snow bunny