Pool Deck Chair Hogs

[r5516]

We are just off the Equinox (Mar 25, Eastern Carib). My wife and I observed several schemes whereby uncaring guests monopolized several deck chairs for their own use. These people used three or four deck chairs, placed towels on them, the ones in the middle or end were extra, then on the opposite side in the shade under the sunscreen did the same. They then placed some personal items on the deck lounge chairs and alternated between their campsite. Two people with six to eight to deck chairs. The pool butler rarely was in a position to observe this, however, common courtesy should preclude cruise passengers from this type behavior.

[NJ Fred]

It takes all kinds to make a boat float.

 

Some people have class - others do not.

 

Do not let selfish rubbish spoil your voyage.

[Hlitner]

Welcome to the world of mass market cruise lines where "saving chairs" is a universal problem. It is also a problem at many warm weather resorts.

 

Hank

[fishycomics]

I do go out there, to reserve two chairs, with a book and personal item, like a shirt.

 

I do observe people. it is a comedy show, but hogging every other one, of both sides, is a call for the Butler for sure.

 

There is always some one that will take the stuff. toss it and take their spots. so yep there are all types of classy people?

 

As posted 30 minutes Use it or lose it.

[tserface]

That doesn't even make sense. You could almost understand someone reserving a couple of chairs in a locale they like, but 6 chairs for 2 people? Why would anyone even do that at all? That is just weird. We've been known to put our stuff on a chair next to us if the pool is not busy, but we move it quickly if space becomes scarce. Maybe they were planning on doing the same?

 

Tom

 

We are just off the Equinox (Mar 25, Eastern Carib). My wife and I observed several schemes whereby uncaring guests monopolized several deck chairs for their own use. These people used three or four deck chairs, placed towels on them, the ones in the middle or end were extra, then on the opposite side in the shade under the sunscreen did the same. They then placed some personal items on the deck lounge chairs and alternated between their campsite. Two people with six to eight to deck chairs. The pool butler rarely was in a position to observe this, however, common courtesy should preclude cruise passengers from this type behavior.

[shipshape sam]

I do go out there, to reserve two chairs, with a book and personal item, like a shirt.

 

I do observe people. it is a comedy show, but hogging every other one, of both sides, is a call for the Butler for sure.

 

There is always some one that will take the stuff. toss it and take their spots. so yep there are all types of classy people?

 

As posted 30 minutes Use it or lose it.

 

We don't lay in the sun, so can't identify with specific issue, but for sure if I saw someone saving 6-8 chairs, I think I might alert pool butler.

 

I actually saw a guy trying to save a whole row of seats (about 20) in theater once, on a Princess ship, and a couple sat down and it almost came to fighting. One of the bar staff stepped in to calm things down till officer came. Couple ended up sitting in the seats they had taken.

 

I do have to say though that most of us, tend to follow most rules, and expect everyone to follow the rules we follow. The rules we don't, well that is a different story. :)

[Canusa02]

Reserving chairs when one is not in the pool area or when one is not using the chairs is very selfish. It is one thing to leave unattended chairs while you go to the pool, but I can't stand these people that make it next to impossible to enjoy any deck time.

You are right about common courtesy, but the sad fact is that common courtesy and common sense aren't so common in this me-me-me-me society.

[bbeltmom]

I found an empty lounge and my daughter was lounging on the deck.

An older lady near us collected up her belongings and began to walk away.

My daughter got up to take the vacated lounge and the lady said to her - I'm coming back.

I told my daughter to go ahead and use it until she came back. 2 HOURS later she returned and very rudely told my daughter - I said I'd be back!

Rather than cause a scene my daughter and I left. What a bad example for a 17 year old to see!

Some people can act so entitled!

[Jane2357]

When we sailed on Solstice - the 1st of her New Years cruises - the seat saving in the theater was very, very bad. Lots of rich Miami "families" that thought they owned the place - got pretty ugly at times. Not saying that we as individuals should get involved but that is what the ship's staff is there for and when we accept this behavior - it just multiplies. If there had been people looking for a lounger and not finding any - then I would have reported the hogs, errr I mean the people hogging them.

[Miss SeaBee]

Welcome to the world of mass market cruise lines where "saving chairs" is a universal problem. It is also a problem at many warm weather resorts.

 

Hank

 

Yes, very big problem at Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba. I had a man run up from out of nowhere and nearly knock me down because I started to move a small white towel from an empty lounger. Turns out it was HIS towel, saving HIS lounger. There were never empty chairs there unless you arrived very early in the morning or didn't mind sitting so far back that you couldn't see the water. :( Sadly, chair hogs are indigenous to many tropical locations.

[Miss SeaBee]

That doesn't even make sense. You could almost understand someone reserving a couple of chairs in a locale they like, but 6 chairs for 2 people? Why would anyone even do that at all? That is just weird. We've been known to put our stuff on a chair next to us if the pool is not busy, but we move it quickly if space becomes scarce. Maybe they were planning on doing the same?

 

Tom

 

I think they want to be sure they have plenty of room and privacy. This would prevent anyone from being able to sit in the seats beside them.

[Toronto Guy]

I had a big confrontation on my Solstice cruise after moving towels off a couple of loungers that had been "reserved" for almost 2 hours when the passengers returned and found us lying on them. I refused to move and it got very ugly - and not a pool butler in sight either. I really do think Celebrity should have designed much more deck space on solstice class ships though as I've never had this problem on their other ships. The number of deck chairs on these ships makes me seriously think about cruising on other lines on warm weather itineraries because I don't go on vacation to deal with these kinds of issues. It's nuts.

[Mattingly23]

I bet they wore shorts in the evening too.

[mizLORInj]

Just home today from the same cruise on the Equinox and I agree. Chairs had belongings on them but only about 60% had actual people at any given time.

 

I filled out the comment card and on the back where there were lines I wrote about the belongings on the chairs but no people

 

On behalf of pool butlers, however, i have to say the one guy was very quick to approach a man holding a baby in a diaper in the shallow pool!

[shanebbb]

..and it was a problem on Reflection. I called it to the attention of one of the officers and he admitted that it is a sensitive area and they have to tread lightly. We agreed (from our vantage point at the Mast Bar) that there were more chairs with towels than chairs with people at about 1:30. He says: "..how many do you need..". Nice of him to offer to help me but I declined and explained that I'm bothered by the problem in general, not that particular instance.

 

I think Celebrity needs to be a lot more strict in enforcing the policy and honestly, it will stick in my mind the next time we are booking a cruise.

 

Beyond that though, everything was perfect! Service, Blu, entertainment, cleanliness, drinks, great people we met, etc. I'm still chuckling over the "late night Vegas comedian". The guy was great!

 

Oh heck, we'll be back.....I just hope they fix the pool chair thing.

[cazzi]

We just gpt off the equinox today also and I can say they are towels all over the empty chairs by the pool which isnt a big area to begin with, but I left for a few minutes and someone was in my chair I told him I was there just stepped out for a minute he said how does he know I could have went to the moon lol

[tserface]

You're kidding right? No one could feel OK about doing that if other's don't even have a pace at all. I guess I ought to believe it, but I don't want to.

 

Tom

 

I think they want to be sure they have plenty of room and privacy. This would prevent anyone from being able to sit in the seats beside them.

[tserface]

So wait... why did you care if you weren't even looking for a place?

 

Tom

 

..and it was a problem on Reflection. I called it to the attention of one of the officers and he admitted that it is a sensitive area and they have to tread lightly. We agreed (from our vantage point at the Mast Bar) that there were more chairs with towels than chairs with people at about 1:30. He says: "..how many do you need..". Nice of him to offer to help me but I declined and explained that I'm bothered by the problem in general, not that particular instance.

 

I think Celebrity needs to be a lot more strict in enforcing the policy and honestly, it will stick in my mind the next time we are booking a cruise.

 

Beyond that though, everything was perfect! Service, Blu, entertainment, cleanliness, drinks, great people we met, etc. I'm still chuckling over the "late night Vegas comedian". The guy was great!

 

Oh heck, we'll be back.....I just hope they fix the pool chair thing.

[K.T.B.]

I give an empty chair 30 minutes before I'm turning stuff over the pool butler as "lost & found". If someone is not back within 30 minutes (about the amount of time to have lunch), then they have no intention of being back in an hour. Only ONCE have I had a confrontation, and this was after I had been sitting in the chair for over 2 hours!

 

If you want to have a guaranteed chair or two, leave a person behind. Otherwise, it's fair game as far as I'm concerned.

[Macadian]

I have a feeling that a number of people viewing this thread are saying to themselves 'Guilty as charged'.:)

[Cruiser21]

I give an empty chair 30 minutes before I'm turning stuff over the pool butler as "lost & found". If someone is not back within 30 minutes (about the amount of time to have lunch), then they have no intention of being back in an hour. Only ONCE have I had a confrontation, and this was after I had been sitting in the chair for over 2 hours!

 

If you want to have a guaranteed chair or two, leave a person behind. Otherwise, it's fair game as far as I'm concerned.

 

So if I read this correctly, you waist 30 minute's standing watching to see if some person is coming back to there chair and then you remove there belonging's and take the chair.

[Macadian]

So if I read this correctly, you waist 30 minute's standing watching to see if some person is coming back to there chair and then you remove there belonging's and take the chair.

 

I don't think he wasted his time...he got his chair!:D

[buchhalm]

A clever system I have seen at a resort in Spain.

Every sun lounge had a bar code sticker. A team of beach attendants were constantly cruising the rows of lounges, zapping empty chairs that had stuff on them.

I asked them what they were doing. They explained that he Zapper registers the time, and when the same, still unoccupied chair is zapped again within the "allowed" time, they remove the stuff to free that chair for other users. The would leave a laminated card behind, explaining why the items were removed and where they could be collected.

 

Wouldn't something like that work on a ship?

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

I'm not feeling guilty, but I bet there have been times that someone thinks we are hogging chairs, as I often get very antsy while laying out and am up and down: pool/food/restroom/drinks/looking over side of ship/walking around/hottubs/chatting/repeat...

[CCC's]

A clever system I have seen at a resort in Spain.

Every sun lounge had a bar code sticker. A team of beach attendants were constantly cruising the rows of lounges, zapping empty chairs that had stuff on them.

I asked them what they were doing. They explained that he Zapper registers the time, and when the same, still unoccupied chair is zapped again within the "allowed" time, they remove the stuff to free that chair for other users. The would leave a laminated card behind, explaining why the items were removed and where they could be collected.

 

Wouldn't something like that work on a ship?

 

What a great idea. This would ensure that the 'lounge hogger' would be required to go to the Pool Attendant and retrieve their stuff which would, hopefully, eliminate any confrontation with the "new lounger". If they feel they have been unfairly dealt with then they can discuss it with the pool staff. Why don't you send a suggestion to Celebrity and you never know, it might be adopted in the future. It would surely enhance the cruising experience for a lot of unhappy sun bathers.