We are wondering how everyone deals with chair hogs, taking up loungers on the lido or other busy outdoor decks with their towels, etc. and then leaving for a long while before coming back (if ever). Do you just look for a lounger elsewhere or admit defeat? Or do you tell a crew member or move their stuff yourselves. We know NCL has been cracking down on this by moving people's things after an hour or so, but we want to know what YOU generally do if the line doesn't automatically step in.
This topic has been archived due to inactivity and closed to further replies.
Contributor Level:
First Mate
Chair hogs - how do you deal with them?
10 Answers
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
Folks who have cruised b4 know that one of the first things you do, or ought to do, is look up the ship online. There are spots on "almost" every ship where you can spend the whole day in peace. And leave your stuff if you're so inclined. Sometimes theres an extra cost, oftentimes not..Once you figure out where they are, many folks board the ship and go exploring anyway. I saw an expression used once, that some folks can figure out how to take advantage of "the cruise within the cruise"...I took that to mean, if you expend just a little bit of effort, you can improve your whole experience...and that includes the whole thing, cabin choice, dining, shows, tours...
Contributor Level:
First Mate
Not worth the hassel. We move to an area where a chair is available and do just fine. We are not sun worshippers so we may be in the chair an hour or so. Serenity deck is our choice of comfort.
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
Since the pool is the most used area of the ship on most days, it would take a battalion of security to enforce those 15 minute or 30 minute rules. People would have to be questioned??? timed? personal items would be piled up and secured? I know its a problem, but I don't see any quick fix or easy solution involving security. Plus I don't see it as big a problem as its made out to be. Add to that it puts a negative aspect to the whole experience. And.....people have been known to stay in the pool itself for extended periods of time, or a hot tub well away from their loungers....
So someone is supposed to stand around and watch the loungers, with a stop watch, and complain or intercede if one is spotted "empty" for too long? C'mon. I agree chair hogs should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of cruise ship law...whatever that is...hehehehe
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Originally posted by:
jbenham
We don't care, because we never want to sit by the pool, but there needs to be rules that are enforced. If all of the other chairs are taken and those empty chairs have been empty for 30 minutes, the towels should be removed. When I was a kid, the rule was, If you move it, you lose it. That is how it should be with deck chairs. No saving at all.
Although I never sit in those areas I agree, move it you lose it. Unless you're just going to get a drink or a quick restroom break in that same area which should take less than 15 min you forfeit your seat.
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
We don't care, because we never want to sit by the pool, but there needs to be rules that are enforced. If all of the other chairs are taken and those empty chairs have been empty for 30 minutes, the towels should be removed. When I was a kid, the rule was, If you move it, you lose it. That is how it should be with deck chairs. No saving at all.
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
We don't even bother with the Lido deck, we go to the Solarium/Adults Only pool and never had an issue. Even then, we always leave our stuff with a non-swimmer so that nothing gets taken.
Contributor Level:
Staff Captain
We generally ignore them and have not had issues. Will usually sit elsewhere away from the loud crowd anyway
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
I tend not to spend a lot of time on the lido deck - and especially during peak/busy times. That said, I think I would generally leave it to the staff to deal with moving other people's belongings - as inconvenient as that may be.
One time, I found a spot on a couch/sofa on the lido, and read while watching nearby lounge chairs in the shade. After almost an hour, seeing that no one had returned for a towel, I moved it and sat down. We left when my girls were done swimming, so I don't know when or if the person ever returned.
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
I have been on both sides of the equation....before we discovered a better place to park our behinds for the bulk of the day, we'd be out there early looking for the "best spots"..usually in the shade...we have called security over when it was obvious that a whole group had claimed a section of the pool and actually had the gall to leave their "stuff" there over nite. if it wasn't for the towel guy agreeing with us, they weren't going to do anything. all their stuff got removed...the best part was when we got back from lunch and watched the entertainment. On another cruise, she went to the bathroom, and I went to the bar...since we both left, two biddies decided we "left" and removed our stuff and piled it up. I watched them do it. When security arrived, the lil FILIPINO GUY MADE them MOVE. (This was on NCL BTW)
To answer your question more directly, I think its a losing fight. There will always be people who figure they're entitled. They don't even think about it..That's not why I cruise. So we now cruise on ships with more private areas....no arguments over this stuff. If it costs a little more, so be it.
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
On my last cruise my friends and I ate breakfast and watched a few chairs, by the time we went thru the line, ate etc it had been about an hour or so. No one had returned to the 3 chairs so my girlfriends and I took all of the items to the bar closest to the chairs and we claimed them. We never had anyone confront us so thankfully it ended well. We didn't take the chairs all day, maybe an hour or 2 tops, so maybe the chair hogs were able to claim them.