Chair hogs--Proactive

[Darthdaddy]

OH NO! NOT ANTOTHER THREAD ABOUT CHAIR HOGS!!!

 

Hang around these boards long enough (not very long at all, actually) and you will find plenty of discussion of chair hogs. Two recent threads have generated thousands of "views." This suggests to me that the topic is a definite hot button.

 

In one very recent thread "Wintersky" observed that these recurrent discussions may have a positive impact. First, more and more passengers seem to be fed up with the status quo. Second, maybe cruise lines willl get the message that toleration of the chair hogs seriously detracts from the experience of many (I contend the majority) other passengers.

 

I am not particularly interested in a rehash of how rude and self-centered chair hogs are...I have posted my thoughts on this matter. Neither am I especially concerned with identifying the breed by its tell-tale markings or ability to literally disappear. Instead, I would like to be proactive.

 

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION?

 

Here are some suggestions:

 

1. Cruise lines should enforce limits on chair "saving."

This could take various forms.

A) The number of chairs that could be saved could be limited, i.e. no more savings chairs for your spouse, 3 kids, aunt, 2 cousins and next door neighbor.

B) The total time that 1 person could have 1 chair could be limited; i.e., you get a chair for "X" hrs and then must vacate.

C) The time during which a chair could be saved while vacant could be limited; i.e., 30-min potty break.

 

2. Some sort of shelves or bins could surround the pool area so that people could place clothes or personal items in a safe, dry spot while going in the hot tubs or pools. This might reduce the amount of "stuff" placed on chairs, when people don't really need or want to hang out around the pool area.

 

3. Fees could be charged for premium locations.

One reason people buy spa passes (and POSH passes on EPIC) is to reduce the effect of the chair hogs. It is a small step to create additional restricted areas that would be subject to a surcharge. These areas might be around the pools or elsewhere. Chairs could be color coded, e.g., red chairs require a fee, blue chairs do not. I hate the notion of suggesting extra fees, but it would likely weed out many of the worst offenders. At a minimum, it would encourage such folks to actually use the chair for which they were paying.

 

4. Chairs could be officially "reserved."

Just as one makes a dinner or entertainment reservation, there could be reservations for specific chairs at specific times. No fee need be charged to those who show up and actually use the reserved chair. However, a significant charge could be imposed on those who make reservations and then do not show up.

 

5. If chairs could be reserved for an hour, why not a day? How 'bout the entire cruise?

 

OK. These are some ideas to get things started...there must be scores of others. With a little luck (and effort) perhaps we can actually generate a little light to go along with the heat that always comes from this topic.

 

Feel free to take a shot at my ideas. My request is that, if you rip my suggestions, you post one (or more) of your own. Remember the goal is to improve the cruise experience---for others as well as for yourself.

[Homecomforts]

I think paying for a chair would be a good idea. I think that people wouldn't like it at first, and complain, but the upside is if you want a chair, you get a chair. Maybe at booking, just like getting excursions, you could "reserve" deck chairs, and have different catagories, just like ship rooms.

 

I could care less about "reserving" or sitting on deck all day, so I wouldn't reserve one. But if one felt that they needed to reserve 8 chairs (or whatever) they can pay for it, in the location they wanted. Also, you would have to "add" in there, that you could only "rent" the number of chairs that are in your room. That way, someone with money to blow, cant rent all of them lol. Done on a first come first serve basis. The cruise ships could also have a small section of free chairs, but in a more undesirable spot. The "pay" chairs would/could be the "better" locations. Just my 2 cents......

[mtb242]

2. Some sort of shelves or bins could surround the pool area so that people could place clothes or personal items in a safe, dry spot while going in the hot tubs or pools. This might reduce the amount of "stuff" placed on chairs, when people don't really need or want to hang out around the pool area.

 

I think this alone could alleviate a lot of issues. I am not one to sit and bake in the sun. I want to use the pool and slides, but not take up a chair for those would like to lay out in one.

[Planer's Edge]

Do you think by adding more rules that the problem will be fixed? They can't even enforce the ONE rule that they already have.

 

I guess you can have your own chair hog thread. But, I am sure the mods will merge these, leaving us with a larger incoherent thread about an already "dead horse" subject.

 

PE

[umpy10]

Going to print a bunch of these and laminate them.

[Seanote]

Here are some suggestions:

 

1. Cruise lines should enforce limits on chair "saving."

This could take various forms.

A) The number of chairs that could be saved could be limited, i.e. no more savings chairs for your spouse, 3 kids, aunt, 2 cousins and next door neighbor.

B) The total time that 1 person could have 1 chair could be limited; i.e., you get a chair for "X" hrs and then must vacate.

C) The time during which a chair could be saved while vacant could be limited; i.e., 30-min potty break.

 

 

I, too dislike chair hogs, but how would you define the logistics for your suggestions? Assuming there may be 500+/- chairs topside:

Should the pool attendants wear 500 wrist watches to time activity at each chair?

Maybe the pool attendants could "chalk" peoples towels once an hour, kinda like parking attendants do.

Maybe each chair could have a spring loaded mechanism that is activated once you put down your towel or sit in the chair. After 60 minutes, the chair will automatically eject its contents into the pool!

[timh111]

Another suggestion that I haven't seen myself yet have been doing for 5 or so cruises now is, "BYOC"(Bring Your Own Chair). I had purchased 2 beach lounge chairs, the ones that are aluminum, tri-foldable and light weight, and use them on the deck. I can also use them for any beach excursions we do. Never had a problem on any of the ships or at any of the ports and the chairs are OURS and nobody can say anything to us. We paid about $20 USD for each chair.

[cruiseat50]

Chair hogging really is a non-issue for us as we don't like to sit and bake out in the sun much and if we do we prefer to do it on our balcony.

 

I really don't think charging for renting chairs is a fair idea. There are a lot of people that are on a tight budget especially if they have a lot of kiddos with them.

 

What I think would be a great idea for all you inventors out there is to come up with a countdown clock that could be attached to a chair. Maybe something like you would put your key card into a slot and it would start clicking down until 30 min. then a red flag would come up and then if it does it frees it up for the next person to take it. Also would make it so that you can only do this for one chair. No, it wouldn't illiminate all chair hogs as someone could come up every half hour and reinsert but I really think those would be limited as it would be a hassle.

[angelsonefive]

I'll go a little further then 'tim'. Just charge by the hour. They do it for many other thing on the ship, why not deck chairs. The hogging would stop over night. Gone would be the negitive waves.... no more fighting, no more digging your stuff out of the trash because your were a hog :eek:. Plus they (cruise line) could afford to hire more employee's to walk around collecting the fees. It's a win win !!! :D

[che5904]

Not that I don’t think this topic (proactive) is a good idea, because I do. But I really doubt anyone in the policy makers at NCL will catch wind of it.

I know NCL representatives read these boards but my feeling it they are more like call center employees. If they see an individual issue that they can address or point in the correct direction to get more appropriate action they will. Or a real need to explain a new policy. I’m doubting very much that they report to the powers that be, ongoing issues and feelings from CC. Feel free NCL to correct me if I’m incorrect.

If NCL higher-ups knew this to be such a hot issues on their ships, then perhaps they should be coming up with something to alleviate it or at least decrease it. I think NCL needs to be creative in their solving of this problem.

Regarding your thoughts

1. I am all for this and unfortunately, if this is a rule already, then NCL for whatever reason refuses to enforce it except for B and I do not think that is a good idea since I don’t consider a person sitting there even from morning to night a chair hog. I personally can only sit out for a couple of hours people watching before boredom sets in but some could sit there all day.

2. Great idea, but not a lot of room on some decks for this.

3. Definitely disagree, some are on a very tight budget and sitting relaxing on a lounge, have a couple of drinks may be all they can afford.

4. The people that knew about this would always have advantage over newbie cruisers

5. Same as #4

I think something like a sleeve that fits over the top of all of the chairs (saying no reserving allowed) with a large clear pocket that a "be back at card" can be slipped in. Set up time clocks strategically around the lounge areas. The card could have written on it “Will return ½ hour from” and the time of issue printed on it. Because who really cares if that person returns in 15 minutes, it just shows the chair is occupied and from what time. That way if you are in the pool or hottub or using the lounge area services you can hop out restamp and go back to enjoying whatever pool service you wish. Then the servers can just pull the card out when the time expires. Or if missed the one who wants the chair can just point this out for the server to remove. Print what will happen in the dailies and a visual sign by the pool. Period.

Very low cost and no extra pool lounge police required.

As for the poster with the suggestion of BYOC we are not all near a port and some flying from far away and on airlines that charge for everything that goes in the belly.

[cruiser1955a]

A chair hog would only need to pick up a chair and move it, in order to skirt the rules in any of the solutions listed above.

 

Since the lounge chairs are not mounted to the floor (and need to be portable to accommodate other functions in the pool area), and the floors aren't marked with specific "parking spots" for each chair, and the chairs aren't numbered (to identify exactly where each one belongs), and there's no timer attached to each chair. How could any of these solutions be enforced ?

 

Unless you mount the chairs to the floor, there doesn't seem to be any easy way to accomplish what we all want. But I'm hoping someone (maybe one of you engineers) can come up with a better idea. Other than another fee system.

It woudn't make me any happier seeing a group of poolside chairs sit empty all day, just because somebody paid for them, and chose not to use them. Am I wrong ?

[che5904]

Other than another fee system.

It woudn't make me any happier seeing a group of poolside chairs sit empty all day, just because somebody paid for them, and chose not to use them. Am I wrong ?

 

I'd have to say you are right there

[Mooder]

It woudn't make me any happier seeing a group of poolside chairs sit empty all day, just because somebody paid for them, and chose not to use them. Am I wrong ?

 

You are exactly right and you know there are plenty of people who would be happy to lay down the bucks for a chair to remain empty "just in case." Then, the rest of us don't the the option of identifying the chair hogs and taking the chair as we do now.

[Yankee123]

I agree with the no chair hogging policy, although we never use those chairs

 

but I wanted to put my two cents in, I really don't think that NCL would place more clocks or timers out there because don't their TV ads specifically show that they don't want their customers to look at the time or their clocks to do anything

 

but I agree with you guys, their has to be a better system for those who want to use chairs but can not.

[Planer's Edge]

Not that I don’t think this topic (proactive) is a good idea, because I do. But I really doubt anyone in the policy makers at NCL will catch wind of it.

 

I know NCL representatives read these boards but my feeling it they are more like call center employees. If they see an individual issue that they can address or point in the correct direction to get more appropriate action they will. Or a real need to explain a new policy. I’m doubting very much that they report to the powers that be, ongoing issues and feelings from CC. Feel free NCL to correct me if I’m incorrect.

 

If NCL higher-ups knew this to be such a hot issues on their ships, then perhaps they should be coming up with something to alleviate it or at least decrease it. I think NCL needs to be creative in their solving of this problem.

 

 

 

Every Hotel Director I knows has someone on their staff that reviews CC on a daily basis and reports any concerns raised that they might be interested in.

 

We also have a user her named NCL that has posted to correct or clarify a few issues here. I have a pretty good guess who this is, or at least whos administrative assistant it is.

 

PE

[che5904]

Every Hotel Director I knows has someone on their staff that reviews CC on a daily basis and reports any concerns raised that they might be interested in.

 

We also have a user her named NCL that has posted to correct or clarify a few issues here. I have a pretty good guess who this is' date=' or at least whos administrative assistant it is.[/color']

 

PE

 

I didn't know about the hotel director part, so that could help things to escalate up to the powers that be (policy makers) perhaps.

 

Yes I did know about the latter which was my point in this statement "I know NCL representatives read these boards but my feeling it they are more like call center employees. If they see an individual issue that they can address or point in the correct direction to get more appropriate action they will. Or a real need to explain a new policy. I’m doubting very much that they report to the powers that be, ongoing issues and feelings from CC".

[Planer's Edge]

 

Yes I did know about the latter which was my point in this statement "I know NCL representatives read these boards but my feeling it they are more like call center employees. If they see an individual issue that they can address or point in the correct direction to get more appropriate action they will. Or a real need to explain a new policy. I’m doubting very much that they report to the powers that be, ongoing issues and feelings from CC".

 

I personally believe that the user we have here named "NCL" is either Andy Stuart himself or at least his administrative assistant. But, we will never know for sure.

 

PE

[iheartbda]

I personally believe that the user we have here named "NCL" is either Andy Stuart himself or at least his administrative assistant. But' date=' we will never know for sure.[/color']

 

PE

Nooooooo, we've all been duped. It's just Nancy Caroline Long from Padukah, Ky.:D

[Mooder]

Regardless of who reads the boards, I believe it is naive to think any cruise line is unaware of the chair hog problem and how people feel about it. They know what goes on better than we do. In fact, I would bet they have a more realistic assessment of how big a problem it is than we do.

[Mooder]

Nooooooo, we've all been duped. It's just Nancy Caroline Long from Padukah, Ky.:D

 

 

LOL And here I thought it was Gypsy Jane! ;)

[che5904]

Regardless of who reads the boards, I believe it is naive to think any cruise line is unaware of the chair hog problem and how people feel about it. They know what goes on better than we do. In fact, I would bet they have a more realistic assessment of how big a problem it is than we do.

 

I certainly wasn't saying they did not know about this problem, just about how much griping on here actually gets up as far as the powers that be.

 

I think Darthdaddy is at least trying to come at this from a different angle, which I do applaud him for. Not that I believe it will make much of a difference but if you don't try you will never succeed.

[babyof8]

I am not a chair hog. I get up at 7am and go sit out on the deck all day long. I have paid for my cruise and the sun is my time to sit and lounge. I would never pay to have a chair to sit in out on deck nor would I want someone to tell me I have 30 minutes then I am done. If I get up early enough to find my spot for the day its mine, do I go in and leave my chair for hours no but I will go for a dip, ladies room, grab a bite and come right back. So to me I am not hoggine a chair. To people who think they can get out on deck at 11am and get a chair well news flash not happening if you want a chair get out and get it but make sure your butt is in that chair all day. To those chair hogs that save them and expect them to sit all day long empty around me NOT going to happen. If it does and I see someone looking I would say I have been here for 3 hours and no butt has been in that chair so feel free to put yours in it. So my two cents for what it is worth make the deck hands responsible for check things out and when a chair has been idol with no butt it in remove the towel and take the good left to reserve it and put it on a table or maybe even in a plastic bag and have a spot where it can be picked up. Using a notice in everyones room say that is what will happen if a chair is left unattended for more than a certain amount of time..

[Mooder]

I certainly wasn't saying they did not know about this problem, just about how much griping on here actually gets up as far as the powers that be.

 

I think Darthdaddy is at least trying to come at this from a different angle, which I do applaud him for. Not that I believe it will make much of a difference but if you don't try you will never succeed.

 

I agree with you 100%. I guess I've become jaded after so many threads on the topic. :o But it's never a bad idea to brainstorm solutions and educate newbies on what is good and bad behavior.

[iheartbda]

LOL And here I thought it was Gypsy Jane! ;)

Gee Jay is busy elsewhere...she can only do so much.:D

 

Chair hogs will never go away as long as some people continue to think the world revolves around them, it's their vacation...........who are those other people on the ship anyway?:rolleyes:

[angelsonefive]

Not that I don’t think this topic (proactive) is a good idea, because I do. But I really doubt anyone in the policy makers at NCL will catch wind of it.

 

I know NCL representatives read these boards but my feeling it they are more like call center employees. If they see an individual issue that they can address or point in the correct direction to get more appropriate action they will. Or a real need to explain a new policy. I’m doubting very much that they report to the powers that be, ongoing issues and feelings from CC. Feel free NCL to correct me if I’m incorrect.

 

If NCL higher-ups knew this to be such a hot issues on their ships, then perhaps they should be coming up with something to alleviate it or at least decrease it. I think NCL needs to be creative in their solving of this problem.

 

Regarding your thoughts

1. I am all for this and unfortunately, if this is a rule already, then NCL for whatever reason refuses to enforce it except for B and I do not think that is a good idea since I don’t consider a person sitting there even from morning to night a chair hog. I personally can only sit out for a couple of hours people watching before boredom sets in but some could sit there all day.

2. Great idea, but not a lot of room on some decks for this.

3. Definitely disagree, some are on a very tight budget and sitting relaxing on a lounge, have a couple of drinks may be all they can afford.

4. The people that knew about this would always have advantage over newbie cruisers

5. Same as #4

 

I think something like a sleeve that fits over the top of all of the chairs (saying no reserving allowed) with a large clear pocket that a "be back at card" can be slipped in. Set up time clocks strategically around the lounge areas. The card could have written on it “Will return ½ hour from” and the time of issue printed on it. Because who really cares if that person returns in 15 minutes, it just shows the chair is occupied and from what time. That way if you are in the pool or hottub or using the lounge area services you can hop out restamp and go back to enjoying whatever pool service you wish. Then the servers can just pull the card out when the time expires. Or if missed the one who wants the chair can just point this out for the server to remove. Print what will happen in the dailies and a visual sign by the pool. Period.

 

Very low cost and no extra pool lounge police required.

 

As for the poster with the suggestion of BYOC we are not all near a port and some flying from far away and on airlines that charge for everything that goes in the belly.

 

'che' maybe your not too far from something... a sleeve that fits over your chair, with your room number on it. you only get one for each person in that cabin. with a card that states your in the pool or in the bathroom "BRB" If your gone over 30 min. NCL takes the sleeve and it is not returned. No sleeve No chair...just saying..