How crazy is poolside on a day at sea?

[RadFamily]

LOL! My DH just suggested we pick up all those lonely flip flops and books and bring them to lost and found, and report we found them on lounge chairs next to the pool, but for over 30 minutes, no one came to claim them. If you haven't guessed, he likes to "push buttons"!

[gail811]

Never having been on a cruise before I ask this...

 

Where do we put all of our stuff (sunglasses, sunscreen, etc) when we're in the pool if we don't put it on a chair? We're a family of 6 but the only person who would be using a chair at the pool might be me & maybe dh. But when I go into the water where would we put all our stuff?

 

At our neighborhood pool we drop all of our towels, sunglasses, etc, onto, under & around one chair since the kids don't sit around on chairs at the pool & I sit in a chair next to the clutterred one. If I get in the water there's a chair or 2 on deck w/ a bunch of stuff on it.

 

Are there spaces somewhere to store all your "stuff" when in the pool on cruise ships? Re you supposed to leave all that in your cabin? What??

 

 

Most ships have the same issues with "chair hogs". SOME people go up on deck VERY early in the morning, drop "stuff" onto several chairs, then go back to bed. They may wander up around noon expecting to have their prime seat still available. It is easy to spot chairs that are being "reserved" versus those being "used" by a family. I would never move someone elses gear unless I saw no one visit the area for at least 1/2 hour.

[mics pics]

When I was on Valor two years ago, the chair hogging was an issue by the pool, but I had no interest in being near that anyway. Kids running around, screaming, splashing...ugh.

When I got away from the main pool/stage area, I always found a spot. But I just want to listen to my iPod, read, and soak up the sun so I'm not picky about where my chair is, as long as drinks come by. :p

But yeah, the sea days were the worst. A friend of mine was so sick of the chair hogs that he went into Word before his next cruise, typed in big font "I AM A CHAIR HOG" printed out several, taped them to index cards, and left them all over the pool deck on chairs that had been obviously saved with vacant owners.

I couldn't believe how audacious that was, but then again, I'll just be the rude witch who says something to someone, even if I don't want their chair.

[HollyGoheavy]

A friend of mine was so sick of the chair hogs that he went into Word before his next cruise, typed in big font "I AM A CHAIR HOG" printed out several, taped them to index cards, and left them all over the pool deck on chairs that had been obviously saved with vacant owners.

I couldn't believe how audacious that was, but then again, I'll just be the rude witch who says something to someone, even if I don't want their chair.

 

I am SO doing that on our next cruise!! I can't be in the sun for very long, so I'm just as happy being on deck in the shade, but even those chairs and tables get "saved" early in the morning.

[cruisecastle]

How crazy is poolside on a day at sea? I am on the 2 July sailing of the Splendor, and we are scheduled for 2 days at sea in a row. Last summer, while on RCCL, they had personnel on the pool deck who removed towels that were "saving" lounge chairs. It prevented people from "saving" a seat poolside early in the morning and not coming to the pool until later in the day. Does Carnival have the same policy? What has been your experience in the past? Thanks in advance for your input!

 

Not crazy at all. I was on the Spirit two weeks ago 4 sea days. No chair hogs at all. Usually there is one pool that is louder than the other with more activities so you can choose your level of action. Please ignore all those that talk about chair hogs being a problem. That myth was popped long ago. You need to understand there is not chair hogs just lazy demanding people who think they are entitled to a certain prime seat no matter when they come down to the pool

[Cruise-Crazy]

It's usually pretty crazy. Unless I am using the pool or hot tub I head to one of the upper decks. Plenty of chairs up there and a nice view of the ocean.

[BonnieVA]

It is easy to spot chairs that are being "reserved" versus those being "used" by a family. I would never move someone elses gear unless I saw no one visit the area for at least 1/2 hour.

 

Ok, that makes me feel better ... I certainly wouldn't want to be labelled when I was simply leaving our stuff behind while we swam, LOL!

[willottica]

LOL! My DH just suggested we pick up all those lonely flip flops and books and bring them to lost and found, and report we found them on lounge chairs next to the pool, but for over 30 minutes, no one came to claim them. If you haven't guessed, he likes to "push buttons"!

 

I was just thinking of that exact solution myself... after all, it's much safer to return their abandoned belongings to lost and found than to allow them to possibly be stolen! It's really a public service that you're doing.

 

Personally, if I saw someone saving 6 chairs before it was light out, and then that person left, I would put everything back onto one chair and then leave. They might get back in time to get their 6 chairs again, but they'd get the message.

[UpstateCruizer]

LOL! My DH just suggested we pick up all those lonely flip flops and books and bring them to lost and found, and report we found them on lounge chairs next to the pool, but for over 30 minutes, no one came to claim them. If you haven't guessed, he likes to "push buttons"!

 

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you hand all that stuff over to the purser's desk and later when the owners come to complain someone took their stuff. I'd imagine if enough people did this they might get tired of the constant lost and found at the desk lol :D

[emeraldlake]

As far as I understand, there is a ship policy of no saving chairs.......sooooo if you see something on a chair, must be that someone forgot their flip flops, towel, etc. Move it aside and take a seat.

[bankonus]

Come on, we've all seen the size of the pools on board. If every chair that had something on it meant the person was in the pool they would be wall to wall sardines! It isn't possible. So there is definately some serious chair hoggin' going on around the pool! It would be my luck that the persons stuff I decided to move really WAS the person in the pool and I get yelled at.:( My girls go to the pool and are told to put all their things on one chair, as once they get in they will stay in there for hours, only gettting out long enough to do a fancy jump back in. (or to get another shirley temple)

[SheriNtexas]

Come on, we've all seen the size of the pools on board. If every chair that had something on it meant the person was in the pool they would be wall to wall sardines! It isn't possible.

 

 

:D Olympic sized pools they AIN'T!:D ;)

[Drew B]

I agree with the poster who said after 30 minutes if you are not there, and it looks like your one lonely flip flop may have been dropped by accident, I WILL take your chair.

 

 

I can't imagine skulking around for 30 minutes, eyeing which chairs have/have not been used... How's this for a strategy if there are no desirable seats available:

 

Pick an unattended but reserved seat you like. Move the stuff safely underneath it and plant yourself in it. Make sure to look at a watch/clock. If somebody comes to claim it, check the time. If you've been there less than 30 minutes, jump up and say brightly, "I was saving it for you. Isn't a person just so much more effective than a [insert whatever item had been left on the chair]?" Then graciously relinquish the chair back to the person and repeat with another open chair...

 

If you have been there more than 30 minutes, though, you can just glare at the person, hand them whatever item they left on the chair and say "Saving chairs is not permitted. Why don't you go take one of those seats (point to an unattended seat) being held by a chair hog?"

[CFitzRN]

I can't imagine skulking around for 30 minutes, eyeing which chairs have/have not been used... How's this for a strategy if there are no desirable seats available:

 

Pick an unattended but reserved seat you like. Move the stuff safely underneath it and plant yourself in it. Make sure to look at a watch/clock. If somebody comes to claim it, check the time. If you've been there less than 30 minutes, jump up and say brightly, "I was saving it for you. Isn't a person just so much more effective than a [insert whatever item had been left on the chair]?" Then graciously relinquish the chair back to the person and repeat with another open chair...

 

If you have been there more than 30 minutes, though, you can just glare at the person, hand them whatever item they left on the chair and say "Saving chairs is not permitted. Why don't you go take one of those seats (point to an unattended seat) being held by a chair hog?"

 

Big thumbs up! I like it.