Retreat - Chair Hogs?

[weregoingcruising]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:09 AM, jelayne said:

Another thing I noticed on the SunDeck was guests taking all their belongings but leaving the towels nicely tucked in on the lounger.  Unfortunately this gave the appearance the lounger was in use.  
I have never figured out why when someone leaves the pool area they don’t take their towels and put them in the container for used towels.  At a minimum they could at least wad them up so it is obvious to the pool attendant that they can take them away.

 signs around the pool area asking guests to do that would help.

Edited September 26, 2022 by weregoingcruising
ok

[bEwAbG]

If it's a problem on your sailing, encourage everyone you know to complain about it.  The staff tend to let it slide unless they're getting active complaints.  Give unattended chairs the minimum posted time and then report it to the staff so they can start their procedures, keeping in mind that they might need to observe it empty for however long from that point.

 

"I don't know what to say.  The chair was available to anyone when I sat down" along with a puzzled look will usually have the hogs scurrying off in no time.  If they get crazy, involve the staff.

[miched]

I have been in a suite a few times.   I never have a problem with having the lounge chair  that I want.  One of the first things I do is place a towel on two.   No one bothers them and I may not use them for hours.   I would be rather irate if someone removed them.
 

They are the lounge chairs on my balcony.   
 

I don’t know why people have to lounge around a loud pool area.  One of the nice things with a suite is that the butler may stock the fridge with the drinks you like.  If I want something different i can get it from the retreat lounge or a near by bar and take it back to my balcony., lay there, read, watch the sea go by and etc normally in a peaceful atmosphere.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

26 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

If it's a problem on your sailing, encourage everyone you know to complain about it.  The staff tend to let it slide unless they're getting active complaints.  Give unattended chairs the minimum posted time and then report it to the staff so they can start their procedures, keeping in mind that they might need to observe it empty for however long from that point.

 

"I don't know what to say.  The chair was available to anyone when I sat down" along with a puzzled look will usually have the hogs scurrying off in no time.  If they get crazy, involve the staff.

That's it! I am definitely bringing my mall cop uniform on my next cruise. 😄

[ScottC4746]

On 9/24/2022 at 3:26 PM, 4-2-N-8 said:

Do chair hogs exist on Celebrity ships, especially in Retreat areas, or does Celebrity staff (and passenger respect) mean this is a non-issue?

 

Booked two cruises on Beyond to try out the line. Hopefully, this is a non-issue or at minimum promptly remediated if it rears its head.

On Solstice in September in Alaska it wasn't the chair hogs we had issues with.  It was table hogs in the buffet.  So many parties just sitting playing cards while people circled like hawks for a place to sit.  We finally started going to the MDR for breakfast and lunch.

[miched]

3 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

On Solstice in September in Alaska it wasn't the chair hogs we had issues with.  It was table hogs in the buffet.  So many parties just sitting playing cards while people circled like hawks for a place to sit.  We finally started going to the MDR for breakfast and lunch.

That happens in the Spa Cafe.  There will be groups playing cards or games.   There is a sign requesting that the tables are for passengers eating during open operations.   We were on a cruise and there many female groups playing games.  People were standing around looking for tables.  A worker approached them and said the table are for people that are eating.   The  women got up and got bread sticks, left them stay on the plates and continued to play their games and had the look and attitude of challenging them again. 
 

The signs should say no game playing when the cafe is open 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited September 27, 2022 by miched

[sunpsyche]

22 minutes ago, miched said:

That happens in the Spa Cafe.  There will be groups playing cards or games.   There is a sign requesting that the tables are for passengers eating during open operations.   We were on a cruise and there many female groups playing games.  People were standing around looking for tables.  A worker approached them and said the table are for people that are eating.   The  women got up and got bread sticks, left them stay on the plates and continued to play their games and had the look and attitude of challenging them again. 
 

The signs should say no game playing when the cafe is open 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

This is one of my pet peeves. There are so few tables there to begin with. I’ll usually just take my plate to a lounge chair and eat there. I don’t want any drama whilst cruising, but it is annoying to see the level of selfishness on board sometimes. 

[wineoclock]

6 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

On Solstice in September in Alaska it wasn't the chair hogs we had issues with.  It was table hogs in the buffet.  So many parties just sitting playing cards while people circled like hawks for a place to sit.  We finally started going to the MDR for breakfast and lunch.

There are selfish people in all places I find. It used to be people were more considerate but so much anymore. 

[Tony UK]

19 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Tony, are you seriously seeing this?

I have seen lots of posts from people on various facebook pages enquiring about access to retreat areas and Luminae for their friends relatives etc. Even if they are willing to pay in my opinion it shouldnt happen if the retreat service for other guests is in any way diminished.

We have personally seen this happen in Luminae and also on the retreat sundeck.

[Whinenowine]

18 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

That's it! I am definitely bringing my mall cop uniform on my next cruise. 😄

 

But how will you fit the Segway in your luggage?  No mall cop is complete without his/her Segway...

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

3 hours ago, Whinenowine said:

 

But how will you fit the Segway in your luggage?  No mall cop is complete without his/her Segway...

His/her/their/them/what/it/that... Me/I must have Segway.

 

I shall bring a Segway, disassembled, then reassemble it once I get to my room. But on the balcony, so I can watch the water while I put the parts back together. 🙂

[C-Dragons]

7 hours ago, Tony UK said:

I have seen lots of posts from people on various facebook pages enquiring about access to retreat areas and Luminae for their friends relatives etc. Even if they are willing to pay in my opinion it shouldnt happen if the retreat service for other guests is in any way diminished.

We have personally seen this happen in Luminae and also on the retreat sundeck.

I agree, non Suite guests should not be allowed to pay for access to any area of the Retreat. On many special occasions, and definitely on days at sea, the Retreat is not large enough to handle all the Retreat guests who wish to utilize the facilities.

I'm hoping that X has learned from the Edge and Apex and expanded the Retreat on Beyond accordingly.

[Julma]

On 9/26/2022 at 2:09 PM, vermonter16 said:

I have seen this happen because I was a part of it as our friends were in the The Retreat.  We followed them up for sail away and then never went back.  I already felt funny doing that but there were not many people there and we only up there about 15 minutes or so just standing on the deck.

I saw it on our Apex cruise. I'm guessing parents had the Retreat room and they let their young adult son and his girlfriend in.  The crew jumped right on it, but it put the crew in a horribly awkward  position.  The father took off, left the mother to explain and the adult son, stated to his mother, "that's what happens when you don't get me a suite".  I saw them many times after that on the Retreat Deck, so something must have been worked out.  The adult son and his girlfriend didn't even play it on the down low, a lot of PDA in the pool!  

[mfs2k]

Thanks to threads like this I’m more inclined than ever to wake up early and claim 2 prime chairs for my wife and I on the retreat deck. 
You all make it sound like a game of musical chairs and I won’t be the one looking for a non existent empty chair when the music stops. 

[C-Dragons]

1 hour ago, Julma said:

I saw it on our Apex cruise. I'm guessing parents had the Retreat room and they let their young adult son and his girlfriend in.  The crew jumped right on it, but it put the crew in a horribly awkward  position.

Crew members in the Retreat look at and memorize the photos of all Suite guests before they board so that they can recognize them and address them by name. They know who belongs there and who doesn’t. 😉

[fenton04]

On 9/24/2022 at 3:26 PM, 4-2-N-8 said:

Do chair hogs exist on Celebrity ships, especially in Retreat areas, or does Celebrity staff (and passenger respect) mean this is a non-issue?

 

Booked two cruises on Beyond to try out the line. Hopefully, this is a non-issue or at minimum promptly remediated if it rears its head.

On the Ecispe as we speak and chair hogs are a very small minority!

[miched]

1 hour ago, C-Dragons said:

Crew members in the Retreat look at and memorize the photos of all Suite guests before they board so that they can recognize them and address them by name. They know who belongs there and who doesn’t. 😉

I have seen that.   I was sitting at the Retreat Bar.   A couple came up to order a drink.   The BT asked to see their sea pass card.   I thought it was unusual as they were in the Retreat Deck.   They weren’t in a suite.     I asked the BT how he knew and said that he didn’t recognize them.   Apparently they came in when the door was open 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[miched]

I just got done watching a movie that was on TCM.   It is called Cocktail Hour.   The star was on a ship that left NYNY.   One scene showed her sitting in a deck chair.  The chair next to her was empty.  A male came up to sit in it and she looked over to the chair.  On the chair was a name tag that the chair was assigned to.    I guess that would be a way to eliminate chair hogs.  Assign a deck chair to everyone according to their preference.  🙄.  I doubt that passengers would be moving them around or switching the name tags. 🤗
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Whinenowine]

1 hour ago, fenton04 said:

On the Ecispe as we speak and chair hogs are a very small minority!

Enjoy Hawaii!

 

[Kimboriffic]

Yes we just got off the Edge and every good chaise lounge had a towel and a magazine on it. I asked some nearby people if anyone was sitting in this area and they said no. I scooped up their stuff and laid their for two hours. No one ever returned. I do believe the waiters could have helped. The retreat deck was about 80 percent towels and 20 percent people. Otherwise no complaints. I was just surprised. Even a sign would have helped. Maybe? 

[DaKahuna]

 I have no issue with suite guest paying to have non-suite guest join them in Luminae.  The suite guest have to pay for the non-suite guest to dine with them so I think that is fair. Full disclosure, my wife and I were introduced to Luminae for the first time when someone in a suite invited us to join them for dinner in Luminae. It was that experience that led my wife to telling me we would sail in suites on Celebrity and that is all we have sailed in since then. 

 

However, I do not believe that non-suite guest should be allowed to accompany suite guest in the Retreat Lounge and or Retreat Sundeck.  There is no way for a suite guest to pay for this so it should not be permitted.  

 

 

[SailingHigher]

We are currently in a suite on the Beyond. I have noticed plenty of sun deck seat hogs in The Retreat, especially prime seats toward the bow. No enforcement of the rules as far as I can tell, but also not much complaining either. Since we prefer the shade, it hasn’t affected us too much. 

 

As for other comments about behavior in The Retreat, my 2 cents is that it isn’t too different in the Retreat except that the complainers sound more entitled. We’re at sea today due to weather. I was trying to catch up on emails around 10 a.m., but the complaining drove me back to the cabin. The daily repeat of  light breakfast selections, the lack of current cleanliness in the restroom, the weather, the new itinerary, etc., these were all topics raised with the concierge and servers within my earshot. At this moment, I would pay extra to return to the main pool deck and put some distance between myself and these suite-level “peers.” And lest anyone think I don’t really fit in with this crowd, I’ll go on record and say that my Retreat burger yesterday in Santa Margherita was just plain awful. <smile>

[hcat]

On 9/26/2022 at 10:23 PM, miched said:

That happens in the Spa Cafe.  There will be groups playing cards or games.   There is a sign requesting that the tables are for passengers eating during open operations.   We were on a cruise and there many female groups playing games.  People were standing around looking for tables.  A worker approached them and said the table are for people that are eating.   The  women got up and got bread sticks, left them stay on the plates and continued to play their games and had the look and attitude of challenging them again. 
 

The signs should say no game playing when the cafe is open 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

They used to have little cards on the  tables in the spa cafe that said that but  were ignored,, limited seating!

 

Really selfish people ...ruin it for others,  We have had the same issues in the buffet on all ships, and EDEN cafe on EDGE.  Worst is in Cafe Baccio with card players taking up large tables ALL DAY!   Card playing areas are available but they want the best spots, best views and access to food and drink  and usually sit for hrs with one cup of coffee.. These Groups are loud and ruin the space for others who just want to sit for awhile with a nice cup of tea/ coffee and some cookies..Not much anyone can do !  Cruise clientele have changed!

[mfs2k]

On 9/26/2022 at 5:26 PM, miched said:

I don’t know why people have to lounge around a loud pool area

I like a party in my brain. 

[miched]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

They used to have little cards on the  tables in the spa cafe that said that but  were ignored,, limited seating!

 

Really selfish people ...ruin it for others,  We have had the same issues in the buffet on all ships, and EDEN cafe on EDGE.  Worst is in Cafe Baccio with card players taking up large tables ALL DAY!   Card playing areas are available but they want the best spots, best views and access to food and drink  and usually sit for hrs with one cup of coffee.. These Groups are loud and ruin the space for others who just want to sit for awhile with a nice cup of tea/ coffee and some cookies..Not much anyone can do !  Cruise clientele have changed!

They did have those cards but they said for those that are eating.   It didn’t say anything about not playing games  while eating.   Therefore they got bread sticks as if they were eating and had the look and attitude of  daring to be challenged.     The cards should say no game playing  during open hours.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅