How do you solve the problem of Sun Bed hoarders ?

[sippican]

Oh my that is exactly what I do. (Small things for small minds I guess) I move the book or the one flip flop around until they question their own mental health stability.

 

My kindred spirit! :')

[Beach Nut]

If I see a lounge chair with only a towel on it, I ask the person next to it if they have seen the person in the last half hour. Many times they'll tell me that the person has been gone for more than a half hour. So I put the towel in the bin and claim the chair.

 

Sometimes if things are really crowded, I will enlist the help of the attendant.

 

I've had good luck doing this so far.

[JLBellaCC]

People who don't remove their towels when they leave the pool is contributing to the problem. Really how hard is it to drop the used towels in the bin leaving a lounger available for someone else.

 

That is not so much a problem on the cruise lines that require you to give your seapass card to get a towel. That way, if you do not return it, you are charged like $20+ at the end of the cruise. Voila! Many more people are responsible about picking up their towels when they may be charged.

[SargassoPirate]

On the Infinity, the crew placed little laminated signs on loungers saying no reserving loungers - but failed to enforce. Same chair hogs "reserved" "their" loungers and sun beds every morning and disappeared for hours until the sun was higher. Staff working around the pool decks did nothing.

 

One group claimed their loungers with towels, big clips, and assorted junk on a port day and never used them the entire day - we stayed on the ship that day, so I know.

 

If we can see the hogs at work, why can't the crew?

[Hlitner]

On the Infinity, the crew placed little laminated signs on loungers saying no reserving loungers - but failed to enforce. Same chair hogs "reserved" "their" loungers and sun beds every morning and disappeared for hours until the sun was higher. Staff working around the pool decks did nothing.

 

One group claimed their loungers with towels, big clips, and assorted junk on a port day and never used them the entire day - we stayed on the ship that day, so I know.

 

If we can see the hogs at work, why can't the crew?

 

Actually talked to two of the "Pool Butlers" on the Reflection....this past December. It happened around 7:30 one morning while I was sitting in a lounger (near the pool) reading my Kindle. At that time there were at least 30 other loungers that were "reserved" by folks who had put towels, books, and/or towel clips on the things. Or course they were nowhere to be seen as there were only about 4 of us actually on deck. I asked the Pool Butlers why they didn't just remove the stuff and send the personal items to lost and found. They told me that there "orders" were not to do anything that might upset passengers. They further explained that they do get involved if somebody "rants" but otherwise it is hands off.

 

Hank

[SargassoPirate]

That's a lame, copout excuse. It upsets me if they confiscate my extra booze on boarding day. Never stopped them before.

 

All it takes is a little enforcement to get the message across.

[Expat Cruise]

I have a great idea: Cruise Critic gets advertising towel made up with name and logo. Reserved above and website address below. And then send 20 to the people with a roll call go out first thing and reserve away... not to be used but to show how stupid the cruise lines handle this. And Cruise Critic gets lots of advertising.....

[rubydoobydoo]

If watch for half an hour as that’s long enough to go to the loo, get a drink etc.

 

If no sign then I’d put the towel to one side and use it

If there were personal belongings on the chair I’d be more inclined to moan about it but walk away

[Oceangoer2]

On a recent cruise I was sitting (laying) and reading on a lounge chair. ALL of the chairs around me were occupied.

Around 11:30 or so a woman strolled up, obviously looking for a lounge. When she couldn't find one she stopped in the middle and yelled at all of us - "What is wrong with you people? Do you all get up in the middle of the night to get chairs? Do you all have inside cabins so you need to be up here to get a lounger?

 

She just stood there ranting and raving and we all pretended to be be engrossed in our books. Sorry we didn't reserve her chair for when she woke up and felt ready for it to be there for her.;p

 

With the solid booking of cruise ships, lounge chairs being almost fully occupied early in the day is only ONE of the problems, but understandable. We're all on vacation. Some of us are cruising for the outdoors and that means on deck for longer than an hour or two. Another is this feeling of entitlement which comes from an over-crowded ship...both of the so called chair hoggers who claim loungers in both sun and shade and 'save' chairs for their friends/family then don't use them for hours; and also those who feel they should just walk on deck and a lounger should miraculously be available to them. But it's going too far for the latter to suggest someone is occupying their lounger for longer than they THINK they should. IMHO it's also going too far to suggest DH and I shouldn't go to lunch together but bring a plate back and take turns...?? We turn to our neighbours and let them know we're going for a bite; we then do the same for them. It all works out if you're cordial.

[jagoffee]

Actually talked to two of the "Pool Butlers" on the Reflection....this past December. It happened around 7:30 one morning while I was sitting in a lounger (near the pool) reading my Kindle. At that time there were at least 30 other loungers that were "reserved" by folks who had put towels, books, and/or towel clips on the things. Or course they were nowhere to be seen as there were only about 4 of us actually on deck. I asked the Pool Butlers why they didn't just remove the stuff and send the personal items to lost and found. They told me that there "orders" were not to do anything that might upset passengers. They further explained that they do get involved if somebody "rants" but otherwise it is hands off.

 

Hank

 

Exactly what I figured was happening. It is a choice being made by Celebrity. The bottom line is that Celebrity is not really concerned and it is very obvious.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[CaribbeanBound]

Move the items and sit in the chair.

If someone actually comes back before you are done with the chair just point to where "someone" set their stuff and vacate the seat. No big deal. Rinse and repeat as needed.

 

If someone next to you happens to say "hey, that seat is saved", tell them, "no problem, I'll leave as soon as they get back".

 

Enjoy your day.

[CaroleSS]

Ok, my ‘solution’

 

Everyone ‘checks out’ a towel from the pool attendant’s station. You do so using your card. Your card is charged $25 and that it is refunded back to your account when you check it back in with the attendant. If you leave your towel unattended, it might be picked up by someone else and turned in using their card. You lose $25 and they gain $25. Only one $25 credit per person per day (to prevent people from picking up dozens of towels). If you ‘hog’ a lounger (and leave it unattended) you might be charged $25 should someone pick up your towel.

 

 

Now, this is somewhat tongue in cheek, but unless people ‘feel’ the consequences of hogging chairs, this wil continue.

[villauk]

Presume it will only get worse when the new suite sun area is introduced on the current X ships: even less available loungers as the allotted beds for the suite area will be restricted whether they are used or not.

[KW Cruisers]

To quote one of my all-time favorite tv shows :

 

"I like to lay into them with a melon baller." ;p

 

Oh Sophia...my all time favourite show!!!

[OuiOnboard]

I solve it by NEVER sitting at the pool!

Precisely.

[TeaBag]

Me too. Love our balcony.

[SJ-Cruzer]

We had the same issue on on last cruise Celebrity Reflection March 12 2018. The Pool Butlers really do need to take charge and stop the practice of reserving chairs fo red WHOLE day. The 2nd option for us was to use the grass lawn. Less people, less noise, and we had a 40 foot TV. LOL. Complain to Celebrity. CelebrityOneTouch@celebrity.com. or your cruise line

[gogo65]

I am hoping that we don't have these problems on Solstice on our 30 March cruise out of Sydney.... I won't be very happy if we go to the pool area and find all the sun loungers with towels...etc... on and no-one sitting on them

You wont,

It’s definitely a US problem, aussies don’t do it.

I was on March 5th cruise, and while we saw a few chair hogs (and pegs etc), generally there were plenty of free sun lounges. We never once in 16 days had an issue finding a sun lounge.

[mickey89]

You wont,

It’s definitely a US problem, aussies don’t do it.

It used to be a German problem then a British now an American ! Very doubtful, its a plague - if you can beat them join them attitude of the many. The only way it will change is for Celebrity to enforce their own rules, if they don't it will continue. A good start is the single issue towel, like what they have done for beach towels. At least that should curb the sun and shade brigade and help the planet with significantly less laundry.

[Mark_K]

On 3/25/2018 at 5:53 PM, Mike981 said:

This is not only a 'cruise' problem. Think, "getting my share". People can justify any behavior.

Until the places that take the money decide to deal with this problem, it is not going to change.

I will not get into the, "I'm going to enforce the rules the cruise line isn't willing to enforce" game.

You’re right about it not just being cruises, my BIL sent me this picture of a resort they were at that had a no chair saving policy.

 

 

[Mike981]

4 hours ago, Mark_K said:

You’re right about it not just being cruises, my BIL sent me this picture of a resort they were at that had a no chair saving policy.

 

 

 

That is crazy! Any idea what resort?

[Jetstreamer]

When it gets this bad you know there is a REAL problem 😂

 

 

[Marelaine]

duplicate post

Edited April 4, 2019 by Marelaine
Duplicate post

[shipshape sam]

On 3/23/2018 at 8:00 AM, jody75 said:

Recent experience aboard the Celebrity Eclipse (4-18 March) was the worst we had ever experienced as all sun beds were reserved by 9.00am every sea day. A tour of the deck at 9.30 revealed about 15% of beds occupied by a person the others reserved with some item or other. Many of the people having multiple beds, for sun and shade. Is this fair or just the way society has declined.

 

How would you suggest Celebrity get a grip of the situation?

Celebrity could have assigned slots for the sun beds.  A pain for sure, but it would spread out the use among more people.  If doing it, I would require your sea pass card with name and cabin number recorded on the daily chart and not allow more than 2 per cabin per day.  Secondly I would require that you come and sign up on the day of use.  Then you have to determine the amount of time....  which gets you to the realization that it is not an easy issue to enforce.  All times could be on the hour, thus pool attendants could 'clear the decks' at the ending times (like starting at 8 am, 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm) allowing the new occupants their limited time on the beds. If you are absent at end of allowed time, pool attendant would remove belongings and store them behind a counter.  If not picked up by end of last allotted time, throw the stuff overboard.  If by 15 minutes past the new time slot you are a no-show, the vacant bed could be assigned to a new person for the remaining of the allotted time.  This though requires a lot of Celebrity pool attendants time and this becomes another cost to Celebrity, but I think it would work fairly well.

 

Otherwise, you might have to get up early yourself and....

Edited April 4, 2019 by shipshape sam

[shipshape sam]

21 hours ago, Jetstreamer said:

When it gets this bad you know there is a REAL problem 😂

 

 

 Very funny.  Looks like the smart ones put towels down where they wanted and split  the effort with some getting the loungers while their partners stood over the towels

 

I guess I am fortunate in that I like a lounger in the shade away from the pool when we do lay out for a part of the day.  I can always walk up and dip in the pool and then walk back even going up a deck if needed.