Apparently you CAN reserve deck chairs all day long

[shopnagain]

On Freedom right now. This is day 3. We walked the entire length of deck 11 and deck 12 yesterday and today and could not find ONE single chair that didn’t have a towel dumped on it and nobody around. I asked a pool attendant if they tag things with times and he said no and gave me over to a supervisor. The supervisor said they only patrol from 6 AM to 10 AM after that, NO enforcement at all!! I explained we had walked around the entirety of deck 11 and 12 and couldn’t find a single chair. He just said their policy is NO patrol after 10 AM. I said I’m not sure why it is so hard, every other ship puts a time sticker on unattended towels and between 10 AM and 6 PM is the time everyone wants a chair. I even went to guest services and they confirmed it. So... between 10 AM and 6 PM you CAN reserve a deck chair all day!!:mad::mad:

[bouhunter]

, every other ship puts a time sticker on unattended towels

 

I wish it were true, but seriously doubt it. In the past 15+ RCCL cruises I've seen them putting stickers on chairs ONCE. At any time of day or night.

[Husky1987]

Watch for a half hour.

 

Take towels off chair.

 

Relax.

 

Use towels so chair hog can't return and then gets charged.

 

If someone comes back hours later, shrug your shoulders and feign ignorance.

 

Laugh and enjoy your drink as the angry chair hog turns around and huffs away.

[shopnagain]

I wish it were true, but seriously doubt it. In the past 15+ RCCL cruises I've seen them putting stickers on chairs ONCE. At any time of day or night.

Every cruise I’ve been on, they tag. And I confirmed with both the pool manager and guest services that they do NOT tag or patrol between 10 AM and 6 PM. Totally ridiculous. Chair hog heaven on Freedom of the Seas.

[Junkhouse]

I would bring your day one “Useful Information” sheet. Just place the towel/etc to side and show them the “Reserving Seats and Lounge Chairs” if they show up and if all three of these criteria are met: there are no seats available, the staff isn’t helpful, and you are sure the seat has been vacant for at least 45 minurtes.

[lrc04]

I don't have a problem moving items myself, if no one has been there for 30 minutes or so.

[Ashland]

I don't have a problem moving items myself, if no one has been there for 30 minutes or so.

Yes but I'm really not going to stand around and watch for 30 min.

[lrc04]

Yes but I'm really not going to stand around and watch for 30 min.

 

That's what the pool or bar is for ;)

[Great 2 B at Sea]

We sailed the Freedom on the 17th of Feb., and it was almost impossible to find a chair, especially in the solarium. So many towels and so few people. It's unfortunate they don't monitor this all the time. We would eventualy just go to our balcony and read there. We have seen quite a few ungly scenes amongst people when a toweled chair was taken over. I guess the chair hogs then realize what it's like to "not" have a chair.

[starvenger]

Yes but I'm really not going to stand around and watch for 30 min.

Well, if your watch happens to run about 29m 30s fast I won't tell.

[Peachy59]

It was the same way the last time we were on Freedom. Adding staterooms every time a ship is in drydock is contributing to the problem. Seems like as long as RCCL keeps increasing their profit percentage every year, they don't care.

[ARandomTraveler]

Is there a policy on moving an unattended/abandoned towel? Maybe the pool attendants were just being nice and putting out towels for whoever wants to use the loungers for the day, to save you the hassle of standing in line for a towel.

 

If not, and a person comes by and says that you’re in their chair, how can they be sure that someone wasn’t there before you were, and removed that towel? That chair could have been totally empty when you got there for all they know. Let them use one of the other loungers that don’t have anyone in it, and they can have the same conversation with the person who claims that lounger later.

 

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[island lady]

Yes, you CAN reserve a personal lounger or chair 24/7 for the entire cruise! :cool:

 

Mine are located on my balcony. ;):D

 

I never use the ones on deck...leaves one more chair available on deck for the hogs to fight over. ;p

[cb at sea]

Simply ask any folks sitting nearby if they've seen anyone USING the loungers....If anyone asks me, I tell them...they will tell you, too!

[SavageCruiser]

Is there a policy on moving an unattended/abandoned towel? Maybe the pool attendants were just being nice and putting out towels for whoever wants to use the loungers for the day, to save you the hassle of standing in line for a towel.

 

 

 

Funny thing you should mention this. On my first few cruises in a suite I was always frustrated that there were never any open loungers in the suite area of the pool deck. All were always occupied or saved by a rolled towel. Imagine my embarrassment when I complained.

[TimeToGetNauti]

Maybe you can email RCI or maybe post on their facebook page and ask why only on that ship they do not police it. Seems odd they would on all the other ships. I am sure it is up to that ships discretion though.

[Arzeena]

Every cruise I’ve been on, they tag. And I confirmed with both the pool manager and guest services that they do NOT tag or patrol between 10 AM and 6 PM. Totally ridiculous. Chair hog heaven on Freedom of the Seas.

 

Every cruise I have been on they have never tagged nor patrolled for hogs (I wish they do!)......Perhaps they only do that during full capacity of if they get too many complaints that particular cruise?.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Arzeena

[DonnaK]

I would absolutely post this on their FB page - they seem to pay more attention to negative publicity there.

[cdoc29]

LOL this type of activity never bothers me, I just wait about 10-15 minutes. If no one shows up I just move the stuff to a nearby ledge or whatever. When the people eventually comeback 30 minutes, 1 hour or whenever I just act dumb and say there was nothing on the lounger. My other favorite activity is to “collect” towels and save the poor crew members the work. Never let somebody else’s rude activity stop you from enjoying your cruise.

[mondas42]

Has anyone ever tried to hold a sensible conversation with a chair hog and understand why they do it even when it’s against the rules? It’s a permanent frustration of mine as when I’m on my holiday we tend to sleep in a tad so by the time we have had breakfast all the chairs have already gone.

[mickletickle]

I understand the issue of chair hogs and not reserving seats all day. But 30 minutes vacant is not enough time to claim a chair. We travel with a group of 50% children and with 2 disabled people. Even then when the 3 and 4 year old are in the water, the parents likely will be there tossing them back and forth for a long time, and disabled grandparents will be sitting with feet in the water watching them or watching the older kids in another pool so the parents can play with the younger ones. If I returned to my seat that had not only my towel, towel clips, bag with needed items and my scooter beside it and all was moved I would be mad. Especially since either son or son in law had to go out and sit in a chair by 7am and stay there (others would bring breakfast out to them) just so I would have a chair later.(actually the men call it their private time since they are let off of any kid duties unless an older child wants to be at the pool that early too). On some cruise ships they will bring out a chair later for a disabled person. Some of us cannot be outside in the sun all day it is a health issue for some. Yes, move the towels of offending persons blatantly being chair hogs. When you do, merely place towel beside the chair so they may reclaim their towel so they wont be charged. But if someone steals my towel in chair, towel clips, and my bag with sunscreen, fan, etc...etc...after only 30 minutes while I am at one of the pools depending on age of grandchild I am watching, (There will be 7 of them to watch),I would be angry. There are too many leaving chairs covered with only a Towel for hours. Pick on them. Consider that with 7 grandchildren aged 3 to 11, there are a lot of pools or hot tubs they might move to. I am considering for next cruise making a tag with my name and cabin number to place on chair when out there to help secure that someone does not steal my things. I wish I could go out at 10 am or 11 am and find a chair, but I cannot. So someone goes out at 6 or 7 am and stays in a chair for me, they may trade off with another during this time just to make sure I have a place to sit when I go out to make memories with my grandchildren for a few hours each cruise outside. There are too many chairs that sit there and it is obvious from the pristine look of them that no one has sat in that chair at all. They may have changed their minds and done a different activity altogether. When I am done using my chair someone secured for me. Unless another one of the adults wants a chance to sit there and rest after so much play, items are removed and chair is made free for all. Securing 2 chairs for a party of 14 does not seem too unfair.

[setsail]

Shoot me

[spookwife]

I understand the issue of chair hogs and not reserving seats all day. But 30 minutes vacant is not enough time to claim a chair. yes it is if you are no where near the chair. We travel with a group of 50% children and with 2 disabled people. Even then when the 3 and 4 year old are in the water, the parents likely will be there tossing them back and forth for a long time, and disabled grandparents will be sitting with feet in the water watching them or watching the older kids in another pool so the parents can play with the younger ones. ENTIRELY different scenario to a true chair hog. if you are nearby and using the facilities...pool,. hot tub, NO ONE has a problem with leaving the chair(s) alone. with one caveat. if there are 15 of you, you DO NOT need to reserve ten chairs all in a row. people alternate( and lets face it.. young kids are not going ever use a chair to lay out on) so you really only need to reserve 2-3. If I returned to my seat that had not only my towel, towel clips, bag with needed items and my scooter beside it and all was moved I would be mad again no one is going to assume you parked the scooter there then swanned off to the art auctions for 4 hours. they will assume you are in the vicinity. Especially since either son or son in law had to go out and sit in a chair by 7am and stay there (others would bring breakfast out to them) just so I would have a chair later.(actually the men call it their private time since they are let off of any kid duties unless an older child wants to be at the pool that early too). On some cruise ships they will bring out a chair later for a disabled person. Some of us cannot be outside in the sun all day it is a health issue for some. Yes, move the towels of offending persons blatantly being chair hogs. When you do, merely place towel beside the chair so they may reclaim their towel so they wont be charged. But if someone steals my towel in chair, towel clips, and my bag with sunscreen, fan, etc...etc...after only 30 minutes while I am at one of the pools depending on age of grandchild I am watching, (There will be 7 of them to watch),I would be angry. most chair hogs are NOT stashing real/valuable items and there disappearing. it is pretty obvious by eyeballing the number of people in the pools and hot tubs and counting the number of 'claimed' loungers who and where the scofflaws are. There are too many leaving chairs covered with only a Towel for hours. Pick on them. Consider that with 7 grandchildren aged 3 to 11, there are a lot of pools or hot tubs they might move to. if you are going from one designated pool area to another then you move your stuff as well. I am considering for next cruise making a tag with my name and cabin number to place on chair when out there to help secure that someone does not steal my things. I wish I could go out at 10 am or 11 am and find a chair, but I cannot. So someone goes out at 6 or 7 am and stays in a chair for me, they may trade off with another during this time just to make sure I have a place to sit when I go out to make memories with my grandchildren for a few hours each cruise outside. There are too many chairs that sit there and it is obvious from the pristine look of them that no one has sat in that chair at all. They may have changed their minds and done a different activity altogether. When I am done using my chair someone secured for me. Unless another one of the adults wants a chance to sit there and rest after so much play, items are removed and chair is made free for all. Securing 2 chairs for a party of 14 does not seem too unfair.

 

 

I am disabled too. if I want a lounger, I make sure I take it upon myself to assure that I can secure one . I don't assume I am entitled to one when I finally decide to make my way to the pool deck, especially on sea days. especially since I need a fully shaded one. and yes 30 minutes is plenty of time to go potty, grab a plate at the Windjammer, or run back tot he cabin to get the extra power supply for the kindle.

[mickletickle]

We have someone stay there the WHOLE TIME till I come out. But once I do. I may go from one pool to another to watch different age grandkids in the water. Use some sense people.

We can all tell a chair that has been occupied and adults may be in the water with little ones for a while from a pristine reserved seat no one has been sitting in. It is obvious. I realize I am lucky to have family who will go out and stay in a seat for hours so that I can get a few hours outside. I think they are obeying the rules. I would not let them follow SOP on ships because I disagree with it. For those who do not have family willing to sit in a chair for hours to secure one for a loved one, Remove a towel, but do so from one that has been vacated for more than 30 minutes. When little ones get in the water, you can rarely get them out in 30 minutes. I am just asking for some common sense. If you take my other belongings will be complaining and bringing you to the attention of security onboard.

[Jasukkie]

This is why I'm down on the promenade deck or my balcony. I don't get in the pool much, and if I do I don't really need a chair because I'm in the pool. I would love to sit for an hour or two in a pool chair from time to time but there is no way on earth I would ever partake in staking a claim or protecting it all day like that. Too stressful, and I've seen the fights that break out which can get ugly. I wish they had a one hour zone for people like me but they don't so I make do. I try to book cabins close to the stairwell/lifts so it's a quick trip for a drink to bring back to the balcony. I swear on Anthem there are people in the Solarium who probably should be checked for pressure sores. I like to keep moving so I walk through and check out the scene there from time to time. It's nice during first seating as people tend to clear out.