Interesting morning on the Allure regarding deck chairs.

[TinkBellaMom]

I’ve read many threads on policy on saving deck chairs, and I kind of developed a way to handle this issue after many suggestions read here on CC.

We in the past have just given up and walked away.

Well, this morning after breakfast, my 90 year old Dad, wanted to sit in the solarium for a bit.  We walked for awhile looking but everything had been saved, most with just towels, no people around.  I sat Dad on a bench and said I would walk around and come back for him.

I read on CC that folks had removed the  belongings from chairs and sat down.  I was afraid to do that.  After almost an hour I went to a towel desk and asked what the policy was for this issue.  I sat watching dozens of chairs and in that time no one came to use them.  He said to go to Guest Services.

 

I would went there, waited in line, told them my issue,asked for the policy.  She called  pool manager in Solarium, he said send me up and he would take care of me.

Did that, couldn’t locate him.  Found a crew member on a phone, asked him what policy was.  He said you need to get here earlier and do the same.  

So I learned, policy is to get there early, put down towels, go about your business and arrive when you feel like it .  That is the policy.

I might add that numerous people passed by while I was trying to get policy explained,with a smile, thumb up and even a” you tell em girl”.

 

 

[cb at sea]

Why would you be afraid to sit in a lounger where no one is, if there is a ship's towel on it?  If the person comes (which might not be for HOURS), you could either say, it was empty when I got here, or say, "oh! we watched and watched and no one was using it....here ya go"...and find a different chair!

 

The "rule" are on signage....you can point that out, too.

 

We will ask people who are actually SITTING in the loungers if anyone is USING the "empty" chairs....they will tell you.

[Clarea]

22 minutes ago, TinkBellaMom said:

I’ve read many threads on policy on saving deck chairs, and I kind of developed a way to handle this issue after many suggestions read here on CC.

We in the past have just given up and walked away.

Well, this morning after breakfast, my 90 year old Dad, wanted to sit in the solarium for a bit.  We walked for awhile looking but everything had been saved, most with just towels, no people around.  I sat Dad on a bench and said I would walk around and come back for him.

I read on CC that folks had removed the  belongings from chairs and sat down.  I was afraid to do that.  After almost an hour I went to a towel desk and asked what the policy was for this issue.  I sat watching dozens of chairs and in that time no one came to use them.  He said to go to Guest Services.

 

I would went there, waited in line, told them my issue,asked for the policy.  She called  pool manager in Solarium, he said send me up and he would take care of me.

Did that, couldn’t locate him.  Found a crew member on a phone, asked him what policy was.  He said you need to get here earlier and do the same.  

So I learned, policy is to get there early, put down towels, go about your business and arrive when you feel like it .  That is the policy.

I might add that numerous people passed by while I was trying to get policy explained,with a smile, thumb up and even a” you tell em girl”.

 

 

 

Too bad they won't enforce the 30 minute policy.

[steveru621]

On Adventure a couple of weeks ago RCI had TWO staff members enforcing the swim diaper rule in the kiddie pool.  If only...

 

[TinkBellaMom]

2 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

Why would you be afraid to sit in a lounger where no one is, if there is a ship's towel on it?  If the person comes (which might not be for HOURS), you could either say, it was empty when I got here, or say, "oh! we watched and watched and no one was using it....here ya go"...and find a different chair!

 

The "rule" are on signage....you can point that out, too.

 

We will ask people who are actually SITTING in the loungers if anyone is USING the "empty" chairs....they will tell you.

There were ships towels with clips on them, some did have a book, or magazine. I did ask several places where there were actual people if they had seen anyone and was told no.  That was when I went for help and didn’t get anywhere.

[A&L_Ont]

Tink, it was the same sort of chaos at the beach pool. At 7:30 most of the beach pool was hoarded by towel hogs. 

[lifes-a-beach]

Y'all are too nice.  Pick up the towel and book or whatever. Put them on the floor in the corner and sit down.  When they come back just shrug your shoulders.  What are they going to do?  Take away your birthday? 

[ShillyShally]

I am not afraid to move items if I have waited out the posted signage and they weren't already there when I got there (thus giving them longer overall) - I will fold towels carefully and set everything carefully where it can't get wet/topple/etc.

 

Then I'll use the chairs and rarely if ever have I had anyone come back while I was using them!  If they ever have they've never approached me but if they did I'd leave that for DH to handle, he's far more diplomatic when confronted 🙂  But I also wouldn't be afraid to calmly point out the rules (which they usually are well aware of).  

[blueridgemama]

3 minutes ago, TinkBellaMom said:

There were ships towels with clips on them, some did have a book, or magazine. I did ask several places where there were actual people if they had seen anyone and was told no.  That was when I went for help and didn’t get anywhere.

 

There will always be people who disregard rules. It is very frustrating that the people responsible for enforcing rules do nothing, and this doesn't apply  just to cruise ships. You have to determine if it is a fight worth fighting (remove the towels and possibly have an ugly confrontation )or just move on and not let it affect your experience. If there are books and personal "stuff" on the chairs I personally would not remove them but if it were just ship towels then I would go ahead. A lot of people just leave towels lying around instead of returning them to the bins.

[Merion_Mom]

If I were fortunate enough to have my father still alive at 90 and if he were cruising with me, you can be damn sure that I would take one of those loungers for him!  🤬

[junglecat]

2 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

If I were fortunate enough to have my father still alive at 90 and if he were cruising with me, you can be damn sure that I would take one of those loungers for him!  🤬

Amen to that!  

[rtazz17]

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Too bad they won't enforce the 30 minute policy.

Yeah have somebody paid to just stare and time everyones chair? Are you kidding me? Theres how many 100s of chairs. Lets time each person when they get up to pee. Thattll work

[Merion_Mom]

3 minutes ago, rtazz17 said:

Yeah have somebody paid to just stare and time everyones chair? Are you kidding me? Theres how many 100s of chairs. Lets time each person when they get up to pee. Thattll work

 

You have totally utterly 100% missed the point.

[cluv123]

Looks like maybe a purchase of some cheap kitchen timers is a good idea....set them at 30 minutes and toss them on some chairs with just towels holding them down. I'd love to see the looks on some chair "savers" faces when they see them 🤣

[bilyclub]

11 minutes ago, rtazz17 said:

Yeah have somebody paid to just stare and time everyones chair? Are you kidding me? Theres how many 100s of chairs. Lets time each person when they get up to pee. Thattll work

 

They already pay pool attendants to enforce the rules. 

[Extra Kim]

Celebrity Equinox 10 August -18

 

All had to pee at the same time 🙄

[Paulette3028]

When I have wanted a chair or two, and no personal belonging is on except the towel, and I have seen that 'no one' has shown up for more than 30 minutes.....I move their towel and sit my belongs and me down.  I have had someone approach me and say I was sitting on their chair....I politely say 'No one was here when I came by and I sat down'....there usual reply is...'but my towel was here' and my reply is....'not when I came by, I brought my own'.  Only once did it get a little wordy, but after me paying them 'no attention' they moved on, muttering under their breath about the charge they would see on their sea pass card for NOT returning their towel.  NOT MY PROBLEM, theirs!  

 

BTW, if I leave my chair (which I do) to go in the pool, my shoes and beach bag are there....if I go to the bathroom, my coverup and beachbag are there....leaving just a towel as my 'calling card' isn't my style.  If I go to the Jammer for lunch my beachbag and usually a tee shirt is there....and I let the people around me know where I am off to.

 

But an 'entire row of towel covered chairs' doesn't scare me at all!  

[Keri's Cruisin']

I think it's awful that the poster tried to follow protocol and went to get someone to help her and nobody from RCCL would help and they told her to go downstairs to guest services when there are staff in the solarium....Who wouldn't HELP HER.

 

All the while her sweet Dad is sitting on an uncomfortable bench.  I too would have removed a towel and sat him in a lounger.

 

So sorry this happened to you...

[S.A.M.J.R.]

7 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

BTW, if I leave my chair (which I do) to go in the pool, my shoes and beach bag are there....if I go to the bathroom, my coverup and beachbag are there....leaving just a towel as my 'calling card' isn't my style.  If I go to the Jammer for lunch my beachbag and usually a tee shirt is there....and I let the people around me know where I am off to.

So it's ok to hog a chair (and I consider going to the WJ for food doing so), as long as you leave something more than a towell?

[Johnamac123]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

If I were fortunate enough to have my father still alive at 90 and if he were cruising with me, you can be damn sure that I would take one of those loungers for him!  🤬

I think sometimes we are intimidated for no reason by these entitled cruisers who chair hog. These chair hogs paid a cruise fare just like everyone else on the cruise did, just like this 90 YO did. Move their stuff out of the way, fold it up, sit down and enjoy the cruise chair. If someone starts to argue with you later, send them to the pool attendant. Then, ignore them totally. What else are they going to do??

[brillohead]

11 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So it's ok to hog a chair (and I consider going to the WJ for food doing so), as long as you leave something more than a towell?

The walk to the WJ may only be 60 seconds.... grab some food, bring it back to the chair.  Total time away from the chair is less than most people leave it to go in the pool or hot tub!

[Croozin Soozin]

On the Anthem in December. They were gone for hours. 

[Paulette3028]

9 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So it's ok to hog a chair (and I consider going to the WJ for food doing so), as long as you leave something more than a towell?

My point is I am returning quickly (if I have left the immediate vicinity of the pool area) ....not for hours.....if you read what I said, I also tell people around me where I am off to.    I even bring back from the Jammer, my lunch.   I don't leave things there IF I go to the MDR for lunch, that would not be right, since I could be well over an hour.    

[Pratique]

3 hours ago, TinkBellaMom said:

I might add that numerous people passed by while I was trying to get policy explained,with a smile, thumb up and even a ”you tell em girl”.

So one problem is that not enough of the people giving you the thumbs up are helping by also bringing it to the attention of the crew. Instead they are just dealing with it as most of us do by moving on or hoping that someone else will do the complaining for them. If people suffer in silence then it's easier for the crew to ignore the occasional complaint and hope that you give up. At the end of the day unfortunately this behavior will continue until the cruise line does something about it.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Pratique

[Paulette3028]

27 minutes ago, Pratique said:

 At the end of the day unfortunately this behavior will continue until the cruise line does something about it.

Very very true!