Chair hog question/ possible solution

[SilkShirt]

What is the best amount to tip (pay) a deck steward to have him clear the items left on unoccupied chairs.

My wife and I would like a couple of chairs in the sun by the pool.

Will $10 a day work?

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Sorry, I'm not paying them extra for what they're supposed to be doing in the first place. If they won't clear them off for you without a bribe-- excuse me, tip-- bring it up with Guest Services. My understanding is that they've been doing a much better job as of late, though YMMV.

[cb at sea]

Most likely, you won't have a problem finding 2 chairs in a sunny location...even if you're not within splashing distance of the pool!

If you don't see ANY chairs open, but tons of towel covered loungers, ask the attendant to find you something....at that point, they should take it upon themselves to clear some "held" chairs. No tip needed.

[bplazo]

I agree, no tip needed. I have never had a problem finding a chair somewhere, but if none were available I would not have a problem sitting in one reserved and moving the stuff myself.

[Tink3]

I have had pool attendants find me a seat and watched them remove a left towel or magazine in order to give it to me only to have the person return from lunch or where ever they were and give me a dirty look like I did it. My husband just waits for them to say something to us but so far I haven't had that happen. I just hate it. When I go to lunch I pack up my beach bag and bring it with me and find a new chair when I come back. Wouldn't it be great if everyone did this. We all paid for a vacation so lets be fair and share.

[Lsimon]

Most likely, you won't have a problem finding 2 chairs in a sunny location...even if you're not within splashing distance of the pool!

If you don't see ANY chairs open, but tons of towel covered loungers, ask the attendant to find you something....at that point, they should take it upon themselves to clear some "held" chairs. No tip needed.

 

I consider lounges with towels only to be unoccupied and left by people too lazy to take their towels and drop them in the used towel bins. I'd have no issues throwing these towels in bins or onto a nearby chair.

 

Unfortunately if you walk by the pool area late afternoon you'll see that the majority of the chairs are left this way - with used abondoned towels on them.

[2SeaWithMe]

I think there are two culprits...chair hogs and overzealous towel tossers! LOL

 

I've been the victim and seen it happen...drop your stuff on a chair, get into the pool, only to immediately resurface and see someone removing your items.

 

I'm rude enough to call you out on it.

[TeaBag]

I thought there was a new 30 minute rule. If the chair is left longer than that, the pool attendants are instructed to clear it for another person's use.

[2SeaWithMe]

I think there is an unwritten rule. My comment meant specifically other pax who swoop in and deposit clothing and shoes on the ground.

[Hlitner]

There are several proactive solutions that are very effective. We have personally been on ships (including X) where we would observe folks put towels on chairs and not return for hours. If chairs were in short supply we would simply take those chairs. When the folks returned (sometimes hours later) if they asked about their chairs we would say that we had been on those chairs for hours (true) and the other folks would usually melt away into the sunset. The other thing we have seen is more interesting. We knew a couple that looked for chairs and noticed a few chairs (near the pool) that had towels and some personal effects on the chairs. Those folks came over to chat with us and after more than 1 1/2 hours nobody ever returned to those chairs (near ours). Those friends of ours simply took all the personal effects over to a deck steward and told the steward that somebody most have forgotten they left that stuff. The steward said he would take the items to lost and found (at guest relations). Several hours later the folks finally came for their chairs and were shocked to see our friends and their stuff gone. Our friends simply said they had been in those chairs for over 3 hours (true) but heard somebody say something about stuff being taken to lost and found. You have to love it :)

 

Hank

[jcrandle]

I have suggested on other boards a possible solution to this issue. Most cruisers agree (at least on the boards publicly) that there should be a time limit to how long a chair/lounger should be allowed to sit unoccupied but have items left to ostensibly reserve it.

 

I'm unsure what the time limit would be, but I would support any limitation by the cruise lines, as I feel they tend to give great latitude to the chair hogs.

 

However, the implementation of the limitation was inspired by the parking timer display that I have seen used in the UK. Sign are posted that parking is limited to X minutes/hours. Everyone parking must place in the front windshield (windscreen for you Brits) a cardboard clock with movable hands that is set to the time that they left the car. Note, the clocks have no battery or movement, they just are manually set to the time that the car is vacated. It is now obvious to anyone (like the traffic warden) whether the car is overparked.

 

And for those doubters, if someone is fudging the time that they left, if a time displayed is more that X minutes ( as a not to Celebrity's X) in advance of the current time, then they are flagged as an overparker, and their belongings are removed.

 

When we visited the UK, we were impressed by the simplicity of this implementation. The expense was minimal (how much can a few thousand cardboard (non operational) clocks cost)? It requires only that the cruise line INFORM those in the pool/loungers what the rule is, and ENFORCE it by having the staff pick up items that have no clock, have a clock that shows more than the grace period, or (Very Tacky) have cheaters that have set their clock ahead of the current time to break the rules.

 

Alas, unlike the classic mantra, if you build a better mousetrap, the world will NOT beat a path to your door, but rather liability attorneys, representing the mistreated mice, will sue you for all you would like to be worth! Like Confucius, the world will not recognize my wisdom for thousands of years

 

Have a nice century.

[Host Anne]

Celebrity does have a written policy on this. It states that if a chair is unoccupied for more than 30 minutes that pool attendants may clear the chairs.

 

It would be really simple if people simply picked up their stuff and took it with them when they weren't actually planning on using the chair instead of leaving things on chairs all day while they go do other things. There would be plenty of chairs if people didn't "reserve them" when they aren't using them for a period of time. I'm not talking about a swim in the pool or using the restroom. I'm talking about doing other activities, going to lunch for an hour, going back to your cabin for a nap, etc. If people only used the chairs when they were actually around, it would all work just fine.

 

Silk ~ pool chairs aren't available on a tipping basis. They are first come, first served. If you see chairs that have things unattended for a long period of time (longer than 30 mintues), let the pool butlers know and they should take care of the situation for you....without a tip.

[Canadianhey!]

Wouldn't it be great if everyone did this. We all paid for a vacation so lets be fair and share.

 

That would be just way to polite wouldn't it.:):)

[cynalan]

I agree, no tip needed. I have never had a problem finding a chair somewhere, but if none were available I would not have a problem sitting in one reserved and moving the stuff myself.

 

I'm with you on this. If I see deck chairs simply with towels on them... whoosh... they're gone. Plead ignorance if someone comes back. In more than 15 cruises, never had a problem. Would not remove personal belongings though.

[We're The Groupnors]

I think there are two culprits...chair hogs and overzealous towel tossers! LOL

 

I've been the victim and seen it happen...drop your stuff on a chair, get into the pool, only to immediately resurface and see someone removing your items.

 

I'm rude enough to call you out on it.

 

I'm with you on the call out. On our last Summit cruise I had not been out of my chair and in the T-Pool for more than two minutes when someone came by and tried to toss my cover up and book on the wet deck (of course, they were going to keep the nice fresh towel that was underneath those two items). A very loud excuse me had them moving on quickly.

[TroubleT]

I consider lounges with towels only to be unoccupied and left by people too lazy to take their towels and drop them in the used towel bins.

Lsimon, I completely agree. People are too lazy and it drives me crazy when someone just gets up his/her a## from the chair and leaves wet and dirty towel on it. Is it so difficult to drop it in the used towel bin? It's not like you have to go three decks up or down. It's almost in front of your nose.

A few years ago on Solstice we had "a chair situation". We (my DD and I) came on a deck in the afternoon (close to 2 PM) and found 2 chairs available (next to each other) on the deck above the pool (not even by the pool). Approximately 45 minutes later a couple showed up and the guy, pointing his finger at me, asked his wife "Are these our chairs?" And then directly to me: "You'll have to move." I told him nicely that the chair wasn't occupied and there wasn't anything on the chair and I wouldn't be moving anywhere. The guy became so aggressive that my daughter had to run and call security for help. Not sure what they did or told him but I didn't see the guy by the pool for the rest of the cruise.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

A few years ago on Solstice we had "a chair situation". We (my DD and I) came on a deck in the afternoon (close to 2 PM) and found 2 chairs available (next to each other) on the deck above the pool (not even by the pool). Approximately 45 minutes later a couple showed up and the guy, pointing his finger at me, asked his wife "Are these our chairs?" And then directly to me: "You'll have to move." I told him nicely that the chair wasn't occupied and there wasn't anything on the chair and I wouldn't be moving anywhere. The guy became so aggressive that my daughter had to run and call security for help. Not sure what they did or told him but I didn't see the guy by the pool for the rest of the cruise.

 

Wow-- a chair hog who didn't even bother to mark his territory!

[Crusing Nut]

What is the best amount to tip (pay) a deck steward to have him clear the items left on unoccupied chairs.

My wife and I would like a couple of chairs in the sun by the pool.

Will $10 a day work?

 

 

I would say.... get back to work and stop asking for more tips!

 

J/K

[Presto2]

Have read all of the above and thought that I have enough stress during the year without having to face the above stressful / confrontational situations when on holiday. If I had to remove stuff from a chair / two chairs I would be on tender hooks waiting for someone to come back to 'reclaim' them.... I certainly wouldn't relax !

 

There must be an easier, less stressful way of sorting this that means that the tour operator deals with it NOT the customers !!!!!!

 

I suppose we'd all like every hotel and ship we go on to sort that one out ---- how about 'early' towels in the pool / overboard ! (And any moaning / aggressive customers with them .....................)

 

:mad:

[geekybiker]

I like the cardboard clock idea. My thought was something similar- a little swipe box on all the lounges near the pool. Swipe your seapass and a timer starts for say 30min. If they timer expires and nobody is in the chair, its unoccupied. Only the chairs near the pool and the chairs behind glass in the spa area really need this.

[retiredldo]

I dont think a timer is needed but more of common courtesy and it appears that many folks check that in when they are checking in for the cruise. I saw this past trip on the Equinox in the indoor pool area, folks staked out 4 chairs right as you walk into the area by 0630 time we were heading to the club, we went to the club, ate breakfast, headed out to the pool and actualy landed back into that pool area, snippet of rain, and NO ONE was in the seats yet. I dont think there is a clear cut way to eliminate this problem, it is the same situation but in reverse as to why folks wont pick up their towels and put them in the bins and or the dishes they used LAZY

Oh well wait what if you were assigned a seat number on check in

 

Pete