Chair Hogs - Don't Moan - Do Something About It

[ticktoneer]

There is a lot of stuff on here at the moment moaning about chair hogs - which i fully agree is a problem.

 

However, if we all reported chair hogs and insisted RCI deck staff remove towels etc. then things may change.

 

Too many people moan and moan about chair hogs and don't keep RCI staff to task and make them implement their policies.

 

Mark :-)

[Bakincakes]

It is a shame that pax have to insist that crew do the jobs they are getting paid to do.

 

But crew around the pool may be getting the kind of treatment MDR staff were getting when asking pax to go and change when they weren't dressed appropriately for dinner.:eek:

 

I don't blame crew for not wanting to get confrontational with pax, these days.:(

[ticktoneer]

It is a shame that pax have to insist that crew do the jobs they are getting paid to do.

 

But crew around the pool may be getting the kind of treatment MDR staff were getting when asking pax to go and change when they weren't dressed appropriately for dinner.:eek:

 

I don't blame crew for not wanting to get confrontational with pax, these days.:(

I don't blame them either but if they are having trouble enforcing a policy to make other cruisers lives easier they have managers who should be sorting this out, with and for them.

[Polarbear Pa]

It is a shame that pax have to insist that crew do the jobs they are getting paid to do.

 

But crew around the pool may be getting the kind of treatment MDR staff were getting when asking pax to go and change when they weren't dressed appropriately for dinner.:eek:

 

I don't blame crew for not wanting to get confrontational with pax, these days.:(

Why not ??

[MagentaandRiffRaff]

Not really the cruisers job to police the decks or dining rooms. It's unfortunate that there are those who choose not to follow the rules or at best simply be courteous to others. I make it a rule to get out early to gain access to my lounger.

[Bakincakes]

We've witnessed some horrible exchanges between pax and MDR staff.

 

We've also seen some confrontations by the pool from pax whose belongings were removed from lounges.

 

Pax seem more "nasty" these days and don't seem to be afraid to get loud with crew, especially about the way they are dressed or if they are saving seats or if they are chair hogging.

 

I'm also willing to bet that in many cases the powers that be take the side of the pax and not the poor crew member who got the dressing down.

 

So I don't blame crew for turning a blind eye. Why should they bother if RCI isn't interested in backing them up?

[darla723]

The one time I reported an incident to staff on board the Oasis Feb. of '10, he shrugged and dismissed my complaint. This was outside near the solarium bistro, and there were more towels getting some sun than actual people :confused: I was frustrated and I think that next time, I will just scope out some "towel sunbathers" and those that have had enough, I will move over onto another chair.

 

Maybe the Jewel staff can monitor this problem better than those on the Oasis. Hope so :rolleyes:

[FloridaMomma]

I'm not sure how you would even know for sure. I was at the pool for most of the day while our ship was docked in Nassau. I was in and out of the pool all day. I may not have been actually in the chair the whole time, but I was either in the pool, at the bar, or in the chair. How would someone know if my chair was being held hostage by a "chair hogger?"

[ticktoneer]

Just a tip. Each time I've raised this and the deck attendant had shrugged my issue off I've asked for the manager and ended up with sunbeds in the reserved area.

 

Asserting what are your rights without being confrontational means someone somehow has to honour those rights.

[spookwife]

I'm not sure how you would even know for sure. I was at the pool for most of the day while our ship was docked in Nassau. I was in and out of the pool all day. I may not have been actually in the chair the whole time, but I was either in the pool, at the bar, or in the chair. How would someone know if my chair was being held hostage by a "chair hogger?"

 

there are simple, easy ways to do this. think along the lines of chalk marks on tires, etc. I think most people agree that a set time frame of a chair/lounge being unoccupied is a good indication it's been 'saved.

 

me, personally, I feel that 2-30 minutes is MORE than enough time to go to the loo, get something to eat or take a dip.

 

Maybe I've just been lucky, but on my last trip to the Solarium, I sort of noticed the ones who parked IN the pool( for the duration) took lounges in the shade or other less desirable spots, leaving the sunny ones open for the crowd that wants to get skin cancer.

[darla723]

I'm not sure how you would even know for sure. I was at the pool for most of the day while our ship was docked in Nassau. I was in and out of the pool all day. I may not have been actually in the chair the whole time, but I was either in the pool, at the bar, or in the chair. How would someone know if my chair was being held hostage by a "chair hogger?"

 

 

Hoggers often throw towels on several chairs--towels are laid the same way, obviously not used (folded or perfectly dried) nearby sunbathers can confirm if chairs have been used within the last hour or so. It's not a perfect science, but it's sometimes obvious.

 

On a side note, on one of our previous cruises, My DH and I were so tired of chair hogs, that on our last sea day he was determined to get two chairs together. We woke to a sunrise, and at 6:30 or so, towels in hand, he marched to the pool deck to join the hogging ranks. 15 minutes or so later, dejected, he came back (with towels) and said he couldn't bring himself to do it--there was not one towel on any chair! :D

[FloridaMomma]

there are simple, easy ways to do this. think along the lines of chalk marks on tires, etc. I think most people agree that a set time frame of a chair/lounge being unoccupied is a good indication it's been 'saved.

 

me, personally, I feel that 2-30 minutes is MORE than enough time to go to the loo, get something to eat or take a dip.

 

Maybe I've just been lucky, but on my last trip to the Solarium, I sort of noticed the ones who parked IN the pool( for the duration) took lounges in the shade or other less desirable spots, leaving the sunny ones open for the crowd that wants to get skin cancer.

 

Gotcha. I don't think there was really a problem on our Majesty sailing (not that I noticed anyway). There were plenty of chairs. The problem was whether or not there was enough room in the pools! :)

[bigkauhuna]

It is the same as when the kids go in to the solarium when it is an adult pool area. It is hard enough to get a chair when the sun shines through on a cool day.

Maybe just place the towel aside and an attendent will return the towel and the ppl will be out the $20 that will be added to their bill.:rolleyes:

[FloridaMomma]

Maybe just place the towel aside and an attendent will return the towel and the ppl will be out the $20 that will be added to their bill.:rolleyes:

 

Seriously! We were so nervous about them charging us $25 per towel that we never let them leave our sight!

[Mimajo]

There is a lot of stuff on here at the moment moaning about chair hogs - which i fully agree is a problem.

 

However, if we all reported chair hogs and insisted RCI deck staff remove towels etc. then things may change.

 

Too many people moan and moan about chair hogs and don't keep RCI staff to task and make them implement their policies.

 

Mark :-)

 

I mentioned to a crew member re: empty chair. Turns out one woman was holding 7 loungers! He told her he would wait another 10 inutes and if no one showed he would remove the towels. He kept his word, he removed the towels (gave them to the woman) and my husband and I occupied the seats.

When the rest of the party arrived you would think we'd stolen their child! We just ignored them. When we left, we offered the chairs to two women nearby who were sharing one. Wasn't about to give them back to that group.

[ticktoneer]

Good one Mimajo !!!!!!! :-)

[redwings1958]

I heard they were putting little stickers on the chair with a time on it. After 30 minutes, if the chair was still unoccupied, the towels were removed!! [ i am gonna bring my own stickers and try it out for myself]. Be aware that during xmas cruises, it is 10 times worse than normal cruises!!

[Aquahound]

Why not ??

 

Because unfortunately, I've seen crew scolded for getting in to it with passengers. I can understand their hesitancy to enforce rules sometimes. They don't seem to have much support from above.

[PSCruiser]

OP has a great point.

I think the best way to handle problems in this area is to hunt down the officer who is in charge of the pool deck. Once the chair hogs realize that enforcement of rules is going to happen, all that confrontational stuff will stop.

On a related note, I think that we should consider chairs saved with those yellow spa towels as not saved at all - I'm getting tired of that trick.

[cb at sea]

We simply ask the folks sitting nearby if someone is using those chairs (if they are the loungers we'd like)....and if someone asks us if someone is using "towel clad" loungers, we'll tell them if they are being "saved" or used.

 

It's really not that hard. And, it's usually fairly obvious if the chairs are being "hogged" or utilized.

 

So far, despite many "hogged" chairs, we've never had a problem finding a clearly unused seat. Of course, we don't want or need to be within steps of the pool...up a deck is fine with us...a quieter, to boot!

[joand452]

Maybe they just need to make bigger signs! The ones they have on the pool deck now are pretty hard to miss!

 

Sigh...those would probably fall on blind eyes, too...

 

I guess I'll just continue to scout out available chairs on the upper deck, sometimes even in the smoking section. :(

[ptbenner]

Maybe I'm missing something. Why don't more people just move the towels and use the chairs when it's clear the chair is being "hogged?" Chairs are for people, not towels. If no human being has been near the chair for an hour, I don't care what's sitting on it. It's a vacant chair.

[davila1943]

wow people you on vacation dont pay mind to chair hogs me i dont care where i sit at once i find a chair i am happy,on my last cruise on the allure there where towels on chairs and never been use i didnt care i just look for a chair,i am not gonna pay alot off money to pay mind who saves chairs.

[JamesEM]

There is an upside to chair hoggs, the opportunity to get free reading materials and the occasional pair of sun glasses.

[matj2000]

Some of you people here think they are going to be all cute and move other peoples stuff off chairs.

Don't be too surprised when you piss off the wrong person and he throws you on your A$$ because you moved his things.

I have seen it happennd.

And no, telling won't do much good either...