Would you pay to be a chair hog?

[Ukigirl]

Read and interesting and horrific article about resorts that are now charging guests extra to reserve a lounger closest to the pool and entertainment area and it got me thinking about how this could be the wave (get it?) of the future for cruise lines as well.  Different colored towels....different colored chairs... I hope this never happens but you never know.  I say they should do the opposite, find some kind of way to charge guests who put their towels down but don't show up for an hour or more.  Facial recognition?  Implant a chip under our skin?  Please don't take this post too seriously, just sayin....

[John&LaLa]

I thought you meant get paid to be a chair hog.😉

[mattb31]

I don't really think this is a new concept. I remember being in Vegas like 8 years ago and plenty of the resorts charged for seating that was in a 'prime location'.

 

Cruises already kind of have this with special suite areas on the sun deck and whatnot. I can't see them ever going past that considering a ship is different than a resort in that people probably move around a lot more throughout the day.

[JeffT237]

It’s funny on our recent Oasis OTS cruise my wife and I were discussing this exact topic.  The chair hogs were definitely out especially on the first sea day.  I think charging for loungers has probably at least been discussed by the cruise lines.  I hope this never happens however new revenue streams seem to be the way cruises are going.  Programs like the Key, charging $2 for popcorn, room service fees, etc are just a few newer ones that we’ve noticed.  Would people be willing to pay an amount to have the same lounger all day?  I think there would be some that would and it wouldn’t surprise me to see some trial program in the future.  This could be a complete non-issue if guests would just follow the posted rule.  Again, I hope this never happens!

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

I thought you meant get paid to be a chair hog.😉

Yeah I was trying to figure out if I could support a cruise habit by getting up earlier and draping myself over as many loungers as I could 🙂

[ShillyShally]

I will say though on our recent Indy cruise we saw tons of great seats open even at 9/10AM, obviously they started to all get filled after everyone was making their way to the pool deck but I would expect that on land too!

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, mattb31 said:

I don't really think this is a new concept. I remember being in Vegas like 8 years ago and plenty of the resorts charged for seating that was in a 'prime location'.

 

Cruises already kind of have this with special suite areas on the sun deck and whatnot. I can't see them ever going past that considering a ship is different than a resort in that people probably move around a lot more throughout the day.

Agree, this is what I'd have said...

[paulh84]

Back in the early days of cruising ( way before my time) you really did pay to reserve deck chairs. Maybe things will come full circle??

[John&LaLa]

35 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

Back in the early days of cruising ( way before my time) you really did pay to reserve deck chairs. Maybe things will come full circle??

 

Pretty sure Princess or Celebrity does this now

[cruisequeen4ever]

😆 That’s hilarious. I think some people probably would pay for the right to have their loungers reserved for the day. The huge downside would be the people who can no longer get good chair locations because they’re all taken by the paid users. 

[Iamcruzin]

28 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Pretty sure Princess or Celebrity does this now

Not sure about Celebrity but Princess has the  sanctuary where you can reserve a seat for a day or all week. 

 

As as far as I’m concerned they may as well add reserved pool chairs to the key program it’s no different than reserving a section in the theater. I wouldn’t pay for it but I’m sure others would jump on it.

 

As a side note the Sanctuary on Princess is always fully booked for the week but every time I have been up there in the free seats just outside of the area it always empty  even on sea days.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[Homosassa]

56 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

Back in the early days of cruising ( way before my time) you really did pay to reserve deck chairs. Maybe things will come full circle??

 

I started cruising in the mid seventies and, yes, part of the first day routine, was to go to the deck where you preferred your deck chair to be (promenade deck, pool deck, sun deck) find the attendant and pay the fee ($10 cash  for seven days cruise as ships were on a cash basis). You would then select where on that deck you wished to be located and a teak chair was placed in that location. Your name, cabin number, and chair location (a code that the deck attendants used to place the chairs every morning) was written on a card and the card attached to the chair.

 

That was it. Your chair would be waiting whenever you wanted it.

 

The system worked at the ship because the ships were not the floating sardine cans that many of the cruise lines now operate. There was actually enough open deck space and less passengers  so that any passenger could have a reserved chair.

[Cruiser_1977]

I have reserved seats/loungers/daybeds at pools in Vegas and at Resorts. It wasn't about being closest to anything. It was that there was not enough seating for the # of guests they admit to the pool area. Many of the pools in Vegas and at the Resorts allow non-guests to pay to enter the pool area during the day.

 

@Homosassa I would gladly pay $20 (inflation) on day 1 of even a 4 day cruise to have the same lounger available to me each day. I like to sit by the pool to read and people watch.

Edited March 14, 2019 by JennyB1977

[John&LaLa]

6 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

I started cruising in the mid seventies and, yes, part of the first day routine, was to go to the deck where you preferred your deck chair to be (promenade deck, pool deck, sun deck) find the attendant and pay the fee ($10 cash  for seven days cruise as ships were on a cash basis). You would then select where on that deck you wished to be located and a teak chair was placed in that location. Your name, cabin number, and chair location (a code that the deck attendants used to place the chairs every morning) was written on a card and the card attached to the chair.

 

That was it. Your chair would be waiting whenever you wanted it.

 

The system worked at the ship because the ships were not the floating sardine cans that many of the cruise lines now operate. There was actually enough open deck space and less passengers  so that any passenger could have a reserved chair.

 

What ship was that?

[katiel53]

4 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

I started cruising in the mid seventies and, yes, part of the first day routine, was to go to the deck where you preferred your deck chair to be (promenade deck, pool deck, sun deck) find the attendant and pay the fee ($10 cash  for seven days cruise as ships were on a cash basis). You would then select where on that deck you wished to be located and a teak chair was placed in that location. Your name, cabin number, and chair location (a code that the deck attendants used to place the chairs every morning) was written on a card and the card attached to the chair.

 

That was it. Your chair would be waiting whenever you wanted it.

 

The system worked at the ship because the ships were not the floating sardine cans that many of the cruise lines now operate. There was actually enough open deck space and less passengers  so that any passenger could have a reserved chair.

This was how we got chairs by the pool when I started cruising in the early 80's on Home Lines.  I thought it was great and we were guaranteed a chair every day.  I think if this were re-instituted, it would get rid of the chair hogs of today.  If you want a chair, pay for it.  Sounds good to me, but I have to say I am not one who uses a chair any longer as I have had skin cancer, so sitting out by the pool days are gone.

[island lady]

I DO pay for my chair I happily hog and reserve for the whole cruise.  It's sitting on my balcony.  😉 

[ScottVV]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

I DO pay for my chair I happily hog and reserve for the whole cruise.  It's sitting on my balcony.  😉 

 

Lol.. Me too!  But, alas, Chair Hogs have and always will be an issue and problem.  It's too hard to watch each and every person using a chair to make sure they follow the rules.  I guess you'd have to literally ask someone to "Put a chair on the Clock" to have something done about the Hogs.  I've seen chairs not used for hours with just a towel lying on it and a pair of flippy flops underneath.   What I really love seeing is the "Towel from Hell" spread out and over 5 to 6 chairs at 9am.... and you see nobody in sight for hours..  Then, miraculously, at or about lunch time, people slowly make their way there with a plate of lunch lol.  Ignorant people make me giggle.....

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, ScottVV said:

 

Lol.. Me too!  But, alas, Chair Hogs have and always will be an issue and problem.  It's too hard to watch each and every person using a chair to make sure they follow the rules.  I guess you'd have to literally ask someone to "Put a chair on the Clock" to have something done about the Hogs.  I've seen chairs not used for hours with just a towel lying on it and a pair of flippy flops underneath.   What I really love seeing is the "Towel from Hell" spread out and over 5 to 6 chairs at 9am.... and you see nobody in sight for hours..  Then, miraculously, at or about lunch time, people slowly make their way there with a plate of lunch lol.  Ignorant people make me giggle.....

 

I like taking morning walks after breakfast.  It's hilarious watching the chair hogs doing their "set ups".  They are constantly looking around to see if anyone is watching.  I just laugh as I walk by.  Happily they can have my pool deck chair, I never use them.  😉 

[Tapi]

3 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I like taking morning walks after breakfast.  It's hilarious watching the chair hogs doing their "set ups".  They are constantly looking around to see if anyone is watching.  😉 

I’m always sooooo tempted to grab their stuff after they walk away and turn it into “lost and found”. 

[Lindanuf]

If I ran a cruise line here is the system I Would put in to allow chair hogs and have chairs avail.

 

1.  Make the first row of chairs around the pool be avail only for people using them.

 

    a) Put a logo or faded colors on one side of the towels.  At the start of every even hour the logo must face up, odd hours it must face down.  

 

    b) 10 mins after the hour someone can walk by and if the towel is facing the wrong way it gets picked up and put in a towel bin.   It can be a cruise employee or any cruiser.

 

If you want to hog a chair all day and not be around, take one of the chairs behind the first row.

 

Another idea would be the sell a chair hog package, but not everyone in your cabin should have to buy it, that would be petty and stupid.  It still would be a per person per day charge.  Your chair hog package would allow you 1 specific colored towel, to be used on 1 chair.  Only that color towel can sit on and not be there all day.  All others towels can be moved if left unattended for more than 2 hours.

[paulh84]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

Not sure about Celebrity but Princess has the  sanctuary where you can reserve a seat for a day or all week. 

 

As as far as I’m concerned they may as well add reserved pool chairs to the key program it’s no different than reserving a section in the theater. I wouldn’t pay for it but I’m sure others would jump on it.

 

As a side note the Sanctuary on Princess is always fully booked for the week but every time I have been up there in the free seats just outside of the area it always empty  even on sea days.

 

 

Celebrity doesn't have anything similar if you exclude The Retreat deck for suite passengers. NCL does have the Vibe Club and Princess has The Sanctuary. 

 

My grandparents cruised several times in the 50's through 60's and my grandma still talks about 'picking out her chairs'. She also doesn't realize that cruising has changed just a bit since she was last on a ship in the late 1960's!

[Homelines1977]

3 hours ago, paulh84 said:

Back in the early days of cruising ( way before my time) you really did pay to reserve deck chairs. Maybe things will come full circle??

Home lines charged for chairs, I would gladly pay for a chair(s) knowing it was mine and no one could use it.

[Homosassa]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

What ship was that?

Chandris Cruise Line, NCL (before they started the downhill slide to budget cruises), Sitmar, HAL - that was the practice on cruise ships.

[time4u2go]

I don't lay in the sun because of skin cancer, so it wouldn't matter to me.

[bluebeard39]

1 hour ago, Homelines1977 said:

Home lines charged for chairs, I would gladly pay for a chair(s) knowing it was mine and no one could use it.

Every cruise I went on with Home Lines we went and got our chair on embarkation Day.  Now I really don't care where I sit as long as I can find a chair.