"Reserving" Chairs by the pool

[cccharley]

There is always going to be dispute, however, I don't think I need to eat at the grill just to return to my chair after lunch. I go to the dining room for lunch and I don't think I should remove all my belongings for a meal. We used our chairs the entire day except for lunch. No one seemed to have a problem with us. We didn't get down very early either, but were still able to procure chairs. Sometimes you need to creative and ask the pool guys to move a chair for you - they will comply if possible.

 

Liz

[DUCK33]

LIZ!!!!!

 

where ya been. been lookin all over for ya LOL

[Leejnd4]

There is always going to be dispute, however, I don't think I need to eat at the grill just to return to my chair after lunch. I go to the dining room for lunch and I don't think I should remove all my belongings for a meal. We used our chairs the entire day except for lunch. No one seemed to have a problem with us. We didn't get down very early either, but were still able to procure chairs. Sometimes you need to creative and ask the pool guys to move a chair for you - they will comply if possible.

 

Liz

Liz,

 

You don't own that pool chair. If you are going to leave it for more than 20 minutes, you should allow someone else to use it. Common courtesy. Pool chairs are for use while you are at the pool, not in the dining room. If you want a pool chair for the entire day, then stay at the pool.

 

Much as I prefer Celebrity over RCI in virtually every way, one good thing about the RCI ship we were on was that they had prominently posted signs stating that pool chairs could not be reserved for longer than 20 minutes. So, at any time of day, I would sit on my towel on the hard deck for 20 minutes, watching the chairs that had only towels or books on them. In every single case, there were at least several in prime locations where no one came. I simply removed their stuff and sat down. More than once I've had people come along after (never less than an hour later, either) and harrass me for "stealing" their chair. I just politely pointed to the sign, and buried my nose in my book, completely ignoring them. In one case, a woman continued to yell at me. I said to her, "Please leave me alone, or I will call for security." Off she stalked. Didn't bother me in the slightest.

 

I always laugh at the sense of entitlement some people have...the sense that their rights are more important than others'. Last night I was stuck in bad traffic jam on the freeway. After about 20 minutes, I saw this sportscar zooming down the shoulder, bypassing everyone. Shortly thereafter, a motorcycle cop sped down after him and pulled him over. I couldn't have been happier. Self-important jerk.

 

Anyone who prevents others from using a pool chair for longer than 20 minutes is a chair hog, plain and simple.

 

LeeAnne

[stanjj111]

Right on! Leejnd4

[canderson]

Let's just say I'm confused... let's talk about reality here.

 

Since many people who are in the loungers around the pool never get into the pool, what's the big deal with specifically being around the pool? There are loungers on the deck above that don't see a body for an entire cruise. Are these cootie infested, or is there some mystique to having your lounger on the pool deck as opposed to the deck above?

 

If the objective it so stay out of the sun, but in a lounger, that's even easier, and doesn't even require a change of deck.

 

What is it that I'm not getting here, or are all of my X cruises somehow atypical?

[JRoeT]

LeeAnne, I couldn't have said it better- excellent job.

[Leejnd4]

Garsh, thanks Stan & JRoe!

 

Canderson, some of us like to read a book at the pool, and hop in the water to swim when we get hot. It's nice when your chair is right there by the pool so you don't have to walk too far. Not that it's any big deal, but hey, most people would consider the parking spaces closest to the store to be the prime ones, right? Same principle. (And no comments about needing the exercise, please. My last Mexican cruise, I was recovering from having just run the LA Marathon and my legs were SORE, so I appreciated the fewer steps.)

 

In addition, it's nice to be able to keep an eye on your stuff. While I would never remove things from a chair that hadn't been there for well beyond an appropriate time, there are plenty of people who have no such compunction. I've hopped in the pool and 5 minutes later seen someone trying removing my towel, my book, my shorts, my pool bag and my soda. With the chair so close, I could pop over there in a flash and politely let them know I was still there and using it.

 

I agree that it's a little odd for someone to covet a chair near the pool if they have no intention of getting wet, but in my experience most people by the pool DO, at least at some point, get in. Of course, you might not see it if you aren't there for long enough.

 

That's all. Seems common sense to me, but then so does the principle of not blocking other fare-paying cruise guests from using perfectly fine chairs, so I can go off and do whatever I want to do for hours and have an empty chair waiting for me when I get back.

 

LeeAnne

[Nano]

The bottom line is that if no one "reserved" chairs, there would always be plenty of chairs for everyone who wanted them at various times of day. Those who argue that they "reserve" chairs because there might not be one when they wanted it should think about this simple principle! Chair hogging causes the shortage of chairs (and patience, in my case)!

[canderson]

Canderson, some of us like to read a book at the pool, and hop in the water to swim when we get hot. It's nice when your chair is right there by the pool so you don't have to walk too far. Not that it's any big deal, but hey, most people would consider the parking spaces closest to the store to be the prime ones, right? Same principle.LeeAnne

I'm with you on that part of the equation -- note above that I'm talking about the many pool chair hogs that never get INTO the pool. There's plenty of other great places that they can sit and cook, but they seem to have this thing about the immediate poolside location as though the location itself somehow conveyed a particular status on the individual sitting there. Don't get me started on cruises that begin in FLL again...

[Nano]

The only reason I want a chair by the pool is so that I can supervise my 9 & 12 year old children, who live in the pool. Believe me, I would rather sit away from the pool if it weren't for them. Most of the chair hogs around the pool rarely show up with children, so I'm not sure what the attraction is for them?

[Leejnd4]

Nano -- yes, it would seem that the math involved should be obvious, huh?

 

Canderson -- hmmm, never thought that it might be a prestige thing...but then, human behavior on cruises is such a study in bizzarity anyway. Have you ever watched people walking out of a midnight buffet line with plates piled so high with more food than any human can ever eat, and then watch those same people leave those plates for the staff to toss out, having barely made a dent in the pile?

 

Nano (again) -- excellent point!

 

LeeAnne

[tuggers]

I like tio sit around the pool for several reasons. That's where I sit at home and I'm used to it, the occassional spray is nice, people can only get by and jnostle you on one end, that's where everything happens if anything happens, you can hear the music and the band better, the snoring is not as loud. Prestige? Don't think so!

[Shirley and Les]

I am going to submit this idea to X

Once an hour, everyone using a pool lounge chair will be asked to stand and gather up their possessions. Three people without lounge chairs will be invited to sit wherever they please. Then, the music will start and a killer game of Musical Chairs will be played for the remaining chairs. Sounds fair to me. :rolleyes:

[Leejnd4]

Tuggers -- all sound like reasonable reasons to me!

 

Shirley and Les -- I LOVE this idea! Unfortunately, the ship's physician might not, as I have no doubt it would result in bloodshed. ;)

 

LeeAnne

[Renorita]

I still like my note idea that I posted earlier. No comments though, so maybe I am the only one that thinks it would be worth a try. :D

[canderson]

[quote name='Leejnd4']Canderson -- hmmm, never thought that it might be a prestige thing...but then, human behavior on cruises is such a study in bizzarity anyway. Have you ever watched people walking out of a midnight buffet line with plates piled so high with more food than any human can ever eat, and then watch those same people leave those plates for the staff to toss out, having barely made a dent in the pile?[/QUOTE]
Yes, consistently, and I've never been able to understand this. I say consistently -- with [b]ONE[/b] exception. If you should ever hit on one of the longer itineraries, you may be treated one night towards the end of the first week to an indoor midnight buffet focused [u]solely[/u] upon chocolate. In spite of by far the largest attendance of any midnight buffet on our trans-Canal cruise (or any other I've ever taken), it was one of the quietest. Not that a majority of us weren't making some sort of piggie noises, but the whole experience didn't involve a whole lot of talking. You'll never see another midnight buffet with more members of the Clean Plate Club in attendance.

[Nano]

Shirley & Les - you've got the right idea. If nothing else, we have to keep our senses of humor. After all, being on any cruise still better than being home in the ice and snow (chair hogs and all)!!!

[Leejnd4]

[quote name='Renorita']I still like my note idea that I posted earlier. No comments though, so maybe I am the only one that thinks it would be worth a try. :D[/QUOTE]
Y'know, I meant to comment on this -- I personally think it's a fabulous idea! I think the cruise line should give out those little cardboard clocks with moveable hands that say "I'll be back at...". If it's more than 20 minutes past that time, well then, OFF with their stuff!

LeeAnne

[rjg41]

Some great comments.

My intent with this pole is to forward it to Celebrity assuming we get a good number of respondants, regardless of the results.

For, those that may not know, on at least some sailings of some Royal Caribbean ships they have begun dealing with chair hogs. By about 7 AM every morning on our Navigator of the Seas cruise in March there were two Deck Patrol staff staff with bright yellow t-shirts on with those words in large letters on the back. Any towels, books, etc. present at 7 AM in unoccupied chairs were collected. As new people arrived and tried to leave items on the chairs to save them for later they were politely told they could not do that. Any chairs were items were placed without notice by the patrol, the patrol removed them in a short time. The patrol remained on duty into the early afternoon. Seats left empty for an extended time were cleared. It worked. There were no chairs empty for extended times and it was not difficult to find a chair and we had a full ship with lots of kids. My oldest son and I are early risers and we were up in the pool area very early several mornings. It was fun to watch the process. Since RC and Celebrity operate quite independantly, I doubt that we will see the system on Celebrity soon.

[DMS]

we usually travel in a large group and we are early risers and I am sorry to say like to sit by the pool and FRY - we go to breakfast in shifts, some eat by the pool and we use our chairs for the vast part of the day on sea days - in and out of the pool and hot tubs etc. This is a big part of our cruise vacation and if someone took my chair because I am in the pool - the New Yorker in me will come out . Each person has their own idea of a vacation and I like pools and beaches - am I wrong?????

[canderson]

[quote name='DMS']we usually travel in a large group and we are early risers and I am sorry to say like to sit by the pool and FRY - we go to breakfast in shifts, some eat by the pool and we use our chairs for the vast part of the day on sea days - in and out of the pool and hot tubs etc. This is a big part of our cruise vacation and if someone took my chair because I am in the pool - the New Yorker in me will come out . Each person has their own idea of a vacation and I like pools and beaches - am I wrong?????[/QUOTE]No gripes from me -- you're getting good use of the space at least.

I spent some time watching the pool area after lunch one afternoon on one of our several at-sea days this last trip, and noted that there were a goodly (probably 70%+) of the first two rows of chairs in the pool area where people came to park but never used the pool at all. They'd have all done just as well in other locations doing the same thing. They'd leave their stuff and come back, but never drop a toe into the water. Beats me why the feel the need to occupy real estate that could be better used by those with a need for proximity to the water.

[Texed]

The ones that really get me are the ones that have chairs in the sun AND in the shade. They move their stuff back and forth in the opposite chairs as their SELFISH bodies.:)

[stanjj111]

Since you operate in shifts do you save X% of chairs for the people in your group or do you save chairs for all the members of your group?

[CajunLiner]

Just wondering how you guys feel about the wooden "deck" area around the pool. On our Galaxy cruise,this is where I was most comfortable sitting when my kids were playing in the pool. It was comfortable, I wasn't "hogging" a chair (MOstly since they were already hogged), and I could referee the kids without everyone at the pool hearing me. I'm not sure if this area is for that purpose, though, and I don't want to be a rule breaker!

Donna

[Bisous3]

LeeAnne, I'm right there with ya, sister. Funny, in all the times I've sat in the towel occupied lounges, no one has ever come and asked for their chair back.
Canderson- on the Century for Xmas, there were NO lougers in the sun on any deck after 10AM- except for the Sports deck which was like being in a wind tunnel. You could not read a book- it was that windy.
There was such a to-do about chair hogging on the Millie at Thanskgiving that I even got the chief housekeeper involved. Hey - I tip the guy, right? Its his JOB to instruct the pool butlers to do the towel sweep.
Suzanne