Carnival's new "trick" to reduce chair-saving

[kelz66]

My wife and I just returned from cruising on Carnival’s Victory from June 12-19, 2005. On this cruise we noticed the following: The large blue beach towels are still provided by the cruise line for use on the beach and pools. These towels are still collected by the room stewards in the evening, but instead of replacing them that evening with clean towels, they now do not replace them until the following morning after 8am.

 

Although this can be annoying if you are planning on getting off the ship early (such as going to the beach in the morning), we assumed that the purpose of this change is to reduce the amount of chair-saving by the pools.

 

We did notice that the available chairs on the first sea-day was much lower than on subsequent sea days.

 

I am not sure whether this is the intended reason for this apparent change (we never noticed this before) or whether it is limited to the Victory, but we just wanted to share this with everyone.

 

 

And our room stewart left new blue towels every night. Maybe it was just your stewart who did that.

 

The trick to getting a chair is to go to the abandoned funnel deck.

The wife and I spent all week there. There was no more than 16 people up there at one time at the most. Plenty of chairs, plenty of room and plenty of peace and quiet.

[blwms]

On our first cruise..a long time ago on the Fairwind...you were charged a fee for the deck chair for the entire week. Your name would be attached to the chair and the deck steward on the fiirst day would ask where you would like the chair placed. Each day the chair would be there with your name and fresh towels (which would be changed throughout the day). I suppose people complained about the nominal charge, but it worked. Of course ships were smaller then and most everything was wasier to manage. I still think the chair thing would work.

[Always Cruising]

Very much like BLWMS' experience on the Fairwind was ours on the QEII - rental of a chair - just on the 2 top decks, if I remember correctly - was $25/chair for the transatlantic crossing - 5 days in 1990 and 6 days in 2002 - the 2 times we were lucky enough to be on her. Transatlantic travel is almost always too cold for much outside sunning, expecially in the middle of the trip, so we didn't rent the chairs - plenty of chairs available, since the weather wasn't so warm. The rentals included fresh towels and a steward to attend to needs - such as wrapping a blanket around so guests wouldn't blow away - also boullion was served to guests who had paid their $25 for the week - very British...

[Boston6]

Here's a pic of a chair hog so you'll recognize one if you see one.

 

http://www.stl.unitedway.org/illinoisregion/2005Photos/TCADpig.jpg

[sotadragon]

Here's a pic of a chair hog so you'll recognize one if you see one.

 

http://www.stl.unitedway.org/illinoisregion/2005Photos/TCADpig.jpg

HA! :D That's a good one! Hope I don't see HIM on my cruise. :eek:

[F5Loar]

You might have something about HAL cruisers not having this problem. Say what you want they do draw a slightly different type of cruiser but hey they are not known to be a FUN ship.

We got new towels on Miracle every night last week too. There seems to always be plenty of lounge chairs avaiable on the topless deck.

Also beware because of the new $22 per lost towel fee there seems to be an increase of towel theives. They forget where they lay theirs down and get ready to leave and just grab one from a chair that has nothing else on it. They seem to justify the "abandoned towel" excuss.

Also beware of small children using your towel to wipe their teary eyes of the salt water. They walk around temporary blind and grab the first towel they feel for.

[joleda]

I have to add. We were on the Valor last week and I couldn't believe my eyes! There were about 6 chairs on the 10th above the pool with custom made, laminated 8 x 10 signs that these people made. I am not kidding! My daughter and I were looking at them. They were pinned to the chair and they read " This chair is reserved for Joan Smith, Cabin 8406 , Empress Deck... It was amazing the work that they put into this. Plus, there was no one sitting in any of them. I told my daughter, " lets just sit for a while and see" She didn't want to go for it. What bugged me, was theis is not allowed and the crew is supposed to enforce this. The time was around 1:00 pm, so they were there quite some time without anyone doing anything about it. i am not a sun worshiper or I probably would have told a crew member. But overall, it was pretty a****ng to see what people will do to HOG a chair!!

[dmfriedman]

When I sailed on the Fairwind, we didn't have to rent the chairs, but there were also far fewer people on the ship.

 

I would be inclined to believe that either this was an anomoly in service, or it's a cost-saving mechanism. If you think about it, replacing the towels in the evening means having to have twice as many towels on board -- one set that you're using, and the fresh set to replace them. If they take them in the evening, they can wash them overnight and replace them in the morning -- 50% less towels needed to be carried onboard.

 

I wouldn't have a problem with them going to this procedure as long as it was easy to get the substitute towels in the evening upon request for those early morning outings...

[derf5585]

But overall, it was pretty a****ng to see what people will do to HOG a chair!!

 

I wonder what was *** out

[Snowball]

I have to add. We were on the Valor last week and I couldn't believe my eyes! There were about 6 chairs on the 10th above the pool with custom made, laminated 8 x 10 signs that these people made. I am not kidding! My daughter and I were looking at them. They were pinned to the chair and they read " This chair is reserved for Joan Smith, Cabin 8406 , Empress Deck... It was amazing the work that they put into this. Plus, there was no one sitting in any of them. I told my daughter, " lets just sit for a while and see" She didn't want to go for it. What bugged me, was theis is not allowed and the crew is supposed to enforce this. The time was around 1:00 pm, so they were there quite some time without anyone doing anything about it. i am not a sun worshiper or I probably would have told a crew member. But overall, it was pretty a****ng to see what people will do to HOG a chair!!

Hey Dave!!! I saw those "reserved" chairs too. The one guy had the audacity to also attach a picture of him along with his "reserved" sign. I guess they thought that since they put up a sign that it would be ok to hog the chairs??? :mad:

[sotadragon]

I wonder what was *** out

I was trying to figure that out myself... :confused:

[sotadragon]

I have to add. We were on the Valor last week and I couldn't believe my eyes! There were about 6 chairs on the 10th above the pool with custom made, laminated 8 x 10 signs that these people made. I am not kidding! My daughter and I were looking at them. They were pinned to the chair and they read " This chair is reserved for Joan Smith, Cabin 8406 , Empress Deck... It was amazing the work that they put into this. Plus, there was no one sitting in any of them. I told my daughter, " lets just sit for a while and see" She didn't want to go for it. What bugged me, was theis is not allowed and the crew is supposed to enforce this. The time was around 1:00 pm, so they were there quite some time without anyone doing anything about it. i am not a sun worshiper or I probably would have told a crew member. But overall, it was pretty a****ng to see what people will do to HOG a chair!!

:eek: As much as I don't want to believe it, I can see people doing that. Just rude! :mad: I'm not a sun worshiper either, but I think the people who are actually going to use the chairs should be able to do so.

[cruisinquestions]

.. So no one reports these people with their home made signs and pics of their ugly mugs on the chairs? I understand coming here to vent, but that really NEEDED to be reported, especially if the people who saw these chairs being hogged were empty at the time and someone else wanted a chair. That makes no sense to just let that go. I understand the staff not wanted to be confrontational if no one is asking them to be, but that is when someone really needed to speak up, imo.

 

Well, I've said it before and this thread simply proves, you want to find every jerk the cruise ship has on it, go to the pool. I spent ONE day ever at the pool on the ship, and I found just what I thought I would. Reminded me of a public pool in the most disgusting, crowed city. People soup, I don't swim in, and hanging with a bunch of drunkin-thong-wearin-hairy-scary-chair-hoggin-snobby-pigs, just ain't for me. Ya'll stay up there and leave the ship empty, TIA!

[dad son team]

So lets develop a chair program and give it to the cruise lines and see what they think. First we need to set some guidelines

 

1. how long can a chair be "vacant" before it is ok to remove stuff

2. how much would you be willing to pay for a reserved chair for a 7day cruise

3. should reserved chairs be complimentary to suites

4. how many chairs should be blocked for reservation only

[tribbs1]

I just returned from the conquest sailing 6/12-6/19. We encountered many chair hogs!!!! One young high school girl told a woman who went to sit on an empty chair that it was saved for her friend. I never did see the friend show up!!! We left our dirty beach towels in our cabin every night when we went to dinner and when we returned there were fresh ones. I'd say the person who said they couldn't get them until 8 am had a bad room steward.

[joleda]

I couldn't figure it out either. I typed AMAZING, and it took out the letters and put in * ??? Who knows.

 

Your definetly right about how I should have reported it. I really don't know why I didn't. Just in vacation- i don't care mode I guess. It sure would have been a legitimate squak, that's for sure. Other than that, it was a Fabulous Ship and one of the best carnival trips ever! All around A++ crew and ship!

[Gabsabunch42]

.. So no one reports these people with their home made signs and pics of their ugly mugs on the chairs? I understand coming here to vent, but that really NEEDED to be reported, especially if the people who saw these chairs being hogged were empty at the time and someone else wanted a chair.

 

WOuld have been funny to take them all and turn them in to purser's desk or whomever is responsibility for the rules. Or maybe go stick them on their cabin doors lol

[lynnk]

i do believe i saw mention made of these signs on another thread a couple of weeks ago. someone had seen them and wanted to know where they could find them to make for themselves. it seems that the signs were originally done as a joke and were taken seriously. me, i'm kinda contrary...it probably would have made me just HAVE to sit on them :D

(i know, i'm gonna burn in hell.) :rolleyes:

[corina27]

If your going to go through the trouble of putting a sign on your chair.You might want to add the time of your returning.;)

[msolberg]

I think Carnival should cover the no saving chair rule in the welcome aboard talk and repeat it daily in the capers. I think a lot of people just don't realize how rude it is to save chairs or that it is against the rules.

 

JMHO

 

Diane

[BND]

We're going on our first cruise in Nov on Fantasy and I have no illusions about sitting right next to the pool nor do I need to, but what I love is someone saying THAT'S MY CHAIR! Last time I checked it's the cruise lines chair and while they should be first come first serve and you should be able to leave it for 15-30 minutes without losing it, you also shouldn't expect to keep it all day by just leaving something sitting on it while you eat, shower, gamble, shop, etc. It's just common courtesy. These people who claim "their chair" probably also think the roads and sidewalks belong to them and would never move over to let you by. Apparently the rest of us are here to accomodate them.

 

From what I've read most of those saving chairs have no reason, such as a small child swimming, to even need to be close to the pool. Do they think you get a better tan there or what?

[K.T.B.]

15-30 minutes, yes; any longer than that, no.

[cruise pup]

Chair hogging was so bad on my last cruise. How bad was it? It was so bad someone staked out the lounge chair on my private verandah! (baddoom-chick).

[Roboat]

I've found the best way to hog a chair is to leave a book on it titled, "Contagious Skin Diseases" and a coupla tubes of ointment. :eek: ;)

[lynnk]

now THAT chair, i'd have to give a wide berth :rolleyes: