WWYD / pool etiquette

[suec12]

I am currently onboard the Eurodam - by the pool there are a few umbrellas - I found a chair under one and set up my towel and such. It was obvious I had settled in the shade. I got up to dip in the pool and a couple came up and began to move the umbrella - I called out “ excuse me, I was using that if you don,t mind” to which they responded “it does not belong to you” and moved it away from the chair I had been using. WWYD - what would you do? I had not gone away more than a few minutes. I found it quite rude. Should I just have moved it back when I went to sit back down?

[FlaMariner]

I'll take a stab at this......

 

If I was the person who moved the umbrella......

 

......I would apologize and say sorry but I did not see anyone using it....and I'd tell you I will put it back for you when you get out of the pool.....and then when you decided to return to your "special seat with the special umbrella" I'd move it back for you.

 

If I was the person in the pool (you)......

 

.......I would have not said anything and because I was not using the umbrella and I did not leave my wife to "guard" the property, I'd laugh at myself and say "oh well, the dip in the pool was worth it" and understand that is the risk when I leave my chair/umbrella.

 

It's a "first world problem" and glad we can get back to having conversations about chair hogs and other important cruise ship matters!

[BobbiSox]

This is always a problem with community property. I would never dare argue with a perosn  about anything, be it a chair or umbrella, theater seats, dining table,  whatever. Even when you're in the right because  you never know what kind of person you are dealing with. It's never worth the risk. It's my ovservation that there are a lot of nuts on cruise ships. 

[trident]

Maybe you should ask HAL why there is only  3 umbrellas for the whole back deck  as there was when we sailed 8/15 to 8/29 -steve

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, BobbiSox said:

This is always a problem with community property. I would never dare argue with a perosn  about anything, be it a chair or umbrella, theater seats, dining table,  whatever. Even when you're in the right because  you never know what kind of person you are dealing with. It's never worth the risk. It's my ovservation that there are a lot of nuts on cruise ships. 

Lots of nuts everywhere these days.

[ontheweb]

9 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Lots of nuts everywhere these days.

Yes, truly unfortunate.

[Boytjie]

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

It's a "first world problem" and glad we can get back to having conversations about chair hogs and other important cruise ship matters!

 

Dismissing an earnest question with "first world problem" is not helpful, in my opinion.

 

By that attitude just about everything related to cruising can be dismissed as such.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Boytjie

[canadianbear]

Wow, I’d be upset if I had my stuff there and just went for a dip in the pool and someone removed the umbrella.   If I was the person that wanted to remove it I’d first monitor how long the person was gone-maybe they went to grab lunch etc.  Anyway, in my opinion, they should have left it alone once you told them.  I think that was extremely rude of them.  I also think there should be more available shade options too though near the aft pool.   

[Mary229]

As it is community problem that was not actively being used they were within their rights to move it unless there is a rule about not moving furnishings.  There may well be a rule regarding pax not moving furnishings to prevent injury.  If that is the case, like any other infraction, you would need to ask the staff to enforce the rule.  I agree with with those who recommended not being confrontational 

[VMax1700]

I would have exited the pool and stood over them - dripping as much water over them as was possible  - and politely discussed the matter.

[Seasick Sailor]

In my view, if the couple assumed no one was using the umbrella at the time, why would they even move the umbrella? Why not just set your stuff down. If the person prior returns to her "towel and such", why not just introduce yourselves and ask if they could join you? If in fact there's only a few umbrellas to start with, why not share?

[kazu]

I’m looking at this from the point that sadly there are “chair hogs” out there that might not be using the chairs for hours.

 

Obviously the OP was not one of them and just went for a dip but I don’t totally blame the couple for taking the umbrella with no one there but….if they thought that was the case….
 

What baffles me is why they didn’t just sit at the table as @Seasick Sailor has suggested.  

 

All I can say is it takes all kinds.  I liked the dripping wet to go discuss it with them - or move to their table since they took the umbrella from YOUR table 😉 

[FlaMariner]

1 hour ago, Boytjie said:

 

Dismissing an earnest question with "first world problem" is not helpful, in my opinion.

 

By that attitude just about everything related to cruising can be dismissed as such.

 

Agree!

 

IMO, about any issue we have in cruising as fortunate passengers is a "first world problem"!

 

[POA1]

I would lie in wait.

 

If you have any Accomplices friends on the ship, you can turn this into a fun experience.

[FlaMariner]

5 minutes ago, POA1 said:

I would lie in wait.

 

If you have any Accomplices friends on the ship, you can turn this into a fun experience.

 

Love it....

 

Find their cabin number and book lots of spa appointments......order eggs Benedict for a 6am cabin delivery...every morning.........make Pinnacle reservations for them and move their MDR sitting.....or better yet, change their MDR sitting to a large table of 12.....book the shore tour that is $2,345 with the private driver for them.....change their luggage tags the last night to ship their bags to Egypt...put a "chair hog" violation ticket on their door......the opportunities are endless......

 

What else could you do?

 

(Please, just having fun.....no serious inquiries, please)

[canadianbear]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

As it is community problem that was not actively being used they were within their rights to move it unless there is a rule about not moving furnishings.  There may well be a rule regarding pax not moving furnishings to prevent injury.  If that is the case, like any other infraction, you would need to ask the staff to enforce the rule.  I agree with with those who recommended not being confrontational 

So basically my husband and I would have to use the pool separately. How great.  Can’t even have a 5 minute dip in the pool, Geesh.  I still find those people were rude to have done that.

[Mary229]

38 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

So basically my husband and I would have to use the pool separately. How great.  Can’t even have a 5 minute dip in the pool, Geesh.  I still find those people were rude to have done that.

I think that is probably right, unfortunately.  I truly believe guests shouldn’t be and probably are not allowed to move furnishings.   

[RuthC]

57 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I think that is probably right, unfortunately.  I truly believe guests shouldn’t be and probably are not allowed to move furnishings.   

So, you're saying that someone there alone is left to the whims of others when they take a dip, go to use the restroom, or whatever short time away from their table & chair they take. 
Nothing of theirs is safe, and is up for grabs. 

I don't think so. 

What that couple did was rude, and they should have known better. 

[nocl]

They are probably the same type that would hold a place for hours, without being there and would go ballistic if someone did the same to them.

[syesmar]

suec12, sorry this happened to you. I had something similar happen a few years ago. I usually take a note to the Lido to put on our plate area indicating that the table is occupied, for those times when we are both getting food, so that our seats won’t get taken.

 

One meal, I forgot the note. We found a table, I set the table with our utensils over napkins, we got our drinks and put them in the regular places on the table, leaned our chairs against the table. It was a rare occasion when we didn’t leave a food item on the table, but it was quite obvious the table was occupied. 

 

Two women jumped in and took our table while we were getting food. Our waiter was upset, he confronted them and found us another table. We didn’t want to cause a scene. They knew what they had done, but didn’t care. They even used the utensils I had laid out. 🤷‍♀️

 

Now, we always get an appetizer or dessert in addition to our drinks, plus a note, to leave on the table when we go to get food. 

 

Hope you have a wonderful time on the beautiful Eurodam!

Edited September 15, 2021 by syesmar

[zgscl]

4 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Love it....

 

Find their cabin number and book lots of spa appointments......order eggs Benedict for a 6am cabin delivery...every morning.........make Pinnacle reservations for them and move their MDR sitting.....or better yet, change their MDR sitting to a large table of 12.....book the shore tour that is $2,345 with the private driver for them.....change their luggage tags the last night to ship their bags to Egypt...put a "chair hog" violation ticket on their door......the opportunities are endless......

 

What else could you do?

 

(Please, just having fun.....no serious inquiries, please)

 

I must admit walking down the hallway in the late evening and passing by at least 50 breakfast order cards I thought someone create a real disaster with this system if they wanted to. Maybe one day they will change to ordering in the app witch would prevent any such shenanigans 

[zgscl]

1 hour ago, syesmar said:

suec12, sorry this happened to you. I had something similar happen a few years ago. I usually take a note to the Lido to put on our plate area indicating that the table is occupied, for those times when we are both getting food, so that our seats won’t get taken.

 

One meal, I forgot the note. We found a table, I set the table with our utensils over napkins, we got our drinks and put them in the regular places on the table, leaned our chairs against the table. It was a rare occasion when we didn’t leave a food item on the table, but it was quite obvious the table was occupied. 

 

Two women jumped in and took our table while we were getting food. Our waiter was upset, he confronted them and found us another table. We didn’t want to cause a scene. They knew what they had done, but didn’t care. They even used the utensils I had laid out. 🤷‍♀️

 

Now, we always get an appetizer or dessert in addition to our drinks, plus a note, to leave on the table when we go to get food. 

 

Hope you have a wonderful time on the beautiful Eurodam!

I might have been tempted to say that I had licked the utensils already. 

Usually I travel with someone else and one of us will guard our table, but when dining on my own I usually get food first and then leave that on the table. 

[oakridger]

I mostly cruise solo so I have used one of these brightly colored cards in the Lido or at a bar when I had to leave for a couple minutes.  The Lido waiters seemed to appreciate it!

 

[Mary229]

7 hours ago, RuthC said:

So, you're saying that someone there alone is left to the whims of others when they take a dip, go to use the restroom, or whatever short time away from their table & chair they take. 
Nothing of theirs is safe, and is up for grabs. 

I don't think so. 

What that couple did was rude, and they should have known better. 

I think it was rude, no doubt about that, but I think there is nothing to be done about it unless there is a rule about not moving ship furnishings.  I know many clubs and other public venues I visit the patrons are strictly not allowed to move furnishings about.  They must get the staff to do so.  That is likely the rule on ships also but probably a minuscule  part of the crew training.  This is about an umbrella on a heavy windproof stand not simply an outdoor dining room table chair.  It was probably quite heavy

Edited September 15, 2021 by Mary229

[ski ww]

I think it's just an example of bad manners.