IS THERE ANY CRUISE LINE WITH NO CHAIR HOGS ?

[evandbob]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Why is responding to an aggressive hog jerky?   If enough people went just a little bit out of their way to make chair-hogging attempts unsuccessful, the problem would go away.

I'd rather let crew staff handle the issue than to get emotional or possibly physical with another cruiser over a stupid chair.  It's simply not that important a matter in our eyes.

 

I said in an earlier post that we are quite comfortable using our balcony space rather than a noisy, crowded outdoor pool deck, but that is our perspective after 50+ cruises.  

 

Maybe a different slant on this issue would be to title it: " Are any Cruise Lines effective when dealing with chair hogs"?  

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Why is responding to an aggressive hog jerky?   If enough people went just a little bit out of their way to make chair-hogging attempts unsuccessful, the problem would go away.

How about eliminating chairs ? It is healthier to stand .

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Why is responding to an aggressive hog jerky?   If enough people went just a little bit out of their way to make chair-hogging attempts unsuccessful, the problem would go away.

 

IDK, hiding people's stuff might not be a good thing.  And I guess it might require we wait for the minimum 30 minutes before hiding their stuff.  After the 30 minute stakeout, it might be better to ask the deck staff to address the issue.   I am sure there are plenty of chair hogs.  But I also wonder how much of this is noses bent out of shape because a lounge is not available when convenient.  

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

IDK, hiding people's stuff might not be a good thing.  And I guess it might require we wait for the minimum 30 minutes before hiding their stuff.  After the 30 minute stakeout, it might be better to ask the deck staff to address the issue.   I am sure there are plenty of chair hogs.  But I also wonder how much of this is noses bent out of shape because a lounge is not available when convenient.  

Of course, the first step should be to point out the matter to deck staff - who are frequently inclined to shrug it off.  Anyway, no one said anything about hiding anyone’s towel or book or whatever. Simply put them all on one of the row of loungers - than let the the hogs place their things where (and when) they have a right to have them on those places.

 

  I do not let my nose get “bent out of shape “- I simply am not inclined to passively accept unacceptable behavior.

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, evandbob said:

I'd rather let crew staff handle the issue than to get emotional or possibly physical with another cruiser over a stupid chair.  It's simply not that important a matter in our eyes.

 

I said in an earlier post that we are quite comfortable using our balcony space rather than a noisy, crowded outdoor pool deck, but that is our perspective after 50+ cruises.  

 

Maybe a different slant on this issue would be to title it: " Are any Cruise Lines effective when dealing with chair hogs"?  

A few years ago we saw a CC post that talked about a method used on Disney ships (we have never cruised on a Disney vessel so have no first hand knowledge).  They said that the pool deck staff walks around the deck and when they see an empty lounger with towels and stuff they will refold the towel and leave it on the lounger in a specific location.  When they next make their rounds if that towel is still untouched they will then clear everything off the chair (personal stuff goes to lost-found).  That actually sounds like a great method that we have never seen on other vessels.

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

A few years ago we saw a CC post that talked about a method used on Disney ships (we have never cruised on a Disney vessel so have no first hand knowledge).  They said that the pool deck staff walks around the deck and when they see an empty lounger with towels and stuff they will refold the towel and leave it on the lounger in a specific location.  When they next make their rounds if that towel is still untouched they will then clear everything off the chair (personal stuff goes to lost-found).  That actually sounds like a great method that we have never seen on other vessels.

 

Hank

That is the sort of approach that would work - the lack of such action on the part of staff is what creates the issue.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Of course, the first step should be to point out the matter to deck staff - who are frequently inclined to shrug it off.  Anyway, no one said anything about hiding anyone’s towel or book or whatever. Simply put them all on one of the row of loungers - than let the the hogs place their things where (and when) they have a right to have them on those places.

 

  I do not let my nose get “bent out of shape “- I simply am not inclined to passively accept unacceptable behavior.

 

Maybe you didn't read the post I said was jerky.  He said he moved the stuff far away, not in a place where they'd be easily found.

 

I've never found that being a jerk myself is the proper way to deal with someone being a jerk.  And if a nearby pax tells the hog who it was that moved their stuff you can end end up with a whole nother level of escalation.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

How about eliminating chairs ? It is healthier to stand .

In that case, you’d think the AMA or public health authorities would recommend the removal of:

 

a)seats in casinos (improving health while ultimately saving people money),

 

b)bar stools (clearly a public health matter),

 

c)dining room and cafeteria seats (slashing obesity in the US).

 

Of course, the Constitution would likely be interpreted as barring such action involving pews.

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 Anyway, no one said anything about hiding anyone’s towel or book or whatever. 

 

Actually I think someone did. 

 

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

  I do not let my nose get “bent out of shape “- I simply am not inclined to passively accept unacceptable behavior.

 

Wasn't talking about you or anyone specifically.  

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

In that case, you’d think the AMA or public health authorities would recommend the removal of:

 

a)seats in casinos (improving health while ultimately saving people money),

 

b)bar stools (clearly a public health matter),

 

c)dining room and cafeteria seats (slashing obesity in the US).

 

Of course, the Constitution would likely be interpreted as barring such action involving pews.

 

 

I am in favor of b.IMHO alcohol consumption should be barred from cruise ships but alas that shall never happen as that is where the cruise industry derives their largest revenue.

[cruizergal70]

On 3/12/2022 at 11:52 AM, lenquixote66 said:

Everything on that cruise was completely different from current cruising.
There were no shore excursions,no balconies .All the cabins had portholes,I believe.On sea days,every dinner was formal attire.Very few activities.Shuffleboard,use of the pool,skeet shooting.However,the entertainment was first class and the sail away party was a real party.

This doesn't sound good at all. No balconies and forced to dress formally for no reason at all. 

[lenquixote66]

5 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

This doesn't sound good at all. No balconies and forced to dress formally for no reason at all. 

That was the norm on Cunard ships in 1973.There was only one dining room on the ship ,therefore it was conform or not eat.

[George C]

2 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

This doesn't sound good at all. No balconies and forced to dress formally for no reason at all. 

I cruised every year since the mid 1970’s , first balcony I saw was early 1990’s , formal dress started disappearing in mid 1980’s , our first balcony was about 3 ft deep, my balcony from a few weeks ago was about 200sq ft with a hot tub, that’s what I call progress 😁😁

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

This doesn't sound good at all. No balconies and forced to dress formally for no reason at all. 

Of course you are entitled to not like dress codes — but your negative feelings do nor mean that there is “…no reason at all.”  for them.  Some people like dress codes - wanting to give them what they want is reason enough for cruise lines to have dress codes.

[Joebucks]

On 3/12/2022 at 11:11 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

You are one very lucky fellow.

 

I am no more lucky than anyone else. I didn't say ANY seat was available, I said there are other seats available. The main area, on a sea day, is probably going to be pretty full. That doesn't mean there aren't spots elsewhere on the ship.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, Joebucks said:

I didn't say ANY seat was available,

No sir. You did not say "ANY seat was available."  I am saying that on a Princess cruise we were on there were NO seats available out on deck spring break with all the chair hogs and occupied lounges. I walked around the entire deck and found some lovely spaces between lifeboats, but we would have to climb over some railings and bring our own beach chairs from home. That was some years ago. Cruising these last few months since July 2021 and the reduced capacities has been grand. I took pictures of the ever present chair hogs 'still' found around the pool in the early morning hours. Not only are these chair hogs saving just one pool lounge, but they are saving for themselves and their party 2 each (one in the shade and another in the sun at the same time). The cruise director even made a joke about the ship having a capacity of 6500 passengers and there being 1000+ on board for our sailing , that he said the passengers could now hog 6 chairs apiece.(ha,ha, NOT). Our solution, thus far, has been to seek out cabins with big enough balconies to 'stretch out. But still 50/50 chance of sun vs shade, one must seek alternatives for those hours in sun vs shade and the dedicated suite decks are still over loaded with suite guests chair hogs. Even these times of reduced capacity the suite venues are filled to capacity with move-up offers and free upgrades. Just thought we would try moving on up to a more ultra luxury cruise line ? But they fail to sail in the summertime from south Florida in the Caribbean.

 

P.S. I just bought a couple of umbrellas to attach to our lounge chairs to bring with us.

Edited March 14, 2022 by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Of course you are entitled to not like dress codes — but your negative feelings do nor mean that there is “…no reason at all.”  for them.  Some people like dress codes - wanting to give them what they want is reason enough for cruise lines to have dress codes.

 

They said formal wear, not dress codes.  I think it is very common to not require formal wear every night  but still have dress codes.   I think very few people these days would want to wear the ol penguin suit every night.  

[Mike981]

I believe our Carnival cruises with our kids taught us to go with the flow on hanging out. If you didn't need to sit by the pool, there was always some places to relax. On our last cruise with the kids, we always went above the lido deck to the front of the ship and hung out in the clam shells. It worked out great.

[ldubs]

I think I am lucky that I am not one to lay out in the sun on a lounge next to a pool or for that matter, not next to a pool.   Because of that, I probably don't fully appreciate the impact of chair hogs on those cherished lounges.  

 

As others have posted there are usually a lot of other lounge chairs available non-poolside.  What is the allure of the poolside ones?   I'm going to guess it is because of the high activity nature of the area.  Being able to dip in/out of the pool.  Better bar service.     

[lissie]

5 hours ago, ldubs said:

I think I am lucky that I am not one to lay out in the sun on a lounge next to a pool or for that matter, not next to a pool.   Because of that, I probably don't fully appreciate the impact of chair hogs on those cherished lounges.  

 

As others have posted there are usually a lot of other lounge chairs available non-poolside.  What is the allure of the poolside ones?   I'm going to guess it is because of the high activity nature of the area.  Being able to dip in/out of the pool.  Better bar service.     

I don't get it either. I'm  light skinned and have  a family history of melanoma - if the pool doesn't have shade I swim in a long sleeved rash vest and board shorts. I love the pool and will swim at 2x a day in warm weather on a sea day - but I don't need a lounger - if there  is no one handy I'll just drop my gear in corner on the deck. I never sit near the pool as it rarely has shade. On our one cruise (pre Covid  - full ship) - there was NEVER a problem getting multiple loungers next to the pools. The ship was probably 80% plus Australians so - maybe  that's the trick - go on a cruise in Australia or NZ where we are somewhat more aware of the risks of sunbathing 

[morpheusofthesea]

Even now with lower capacity one finds chair hogs getting up early to claim some chairs around the pool and go back to bed. photo #1 pool side. Photo #2 I watched one lady set up these 4  lounges on either side of the walk/jog track up a deck from the pool. the beige towels, 2 under the awning and 2 across in the sun, sunrise in the background. 5 minutes later while walking through the breakfast buffet saw same lady saving a table out on the open air deck just reading a book by herself, no food. If the theatre venue was open I would not be surprised to find these chair hogs there as well. We were almost knocked over (jostled) by children rushing by us to get to front row theatre seats to save for their tardy families. Makes cruising harder for semi-retired teachers that have the same vacation dates. Hence my question. Cruising is coming back in a big way. Rumor has it that bookings are up over 20% from pre-covid years. Cruise lines don't seem to care about chair hogging.

 

[Aquahound]

4 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

5 minutes later while walking through the breakfast buffet saw same lady saving a table out on the open air deck just reading a book by herself, no food.

 

This irks me a lot more than lido deck chair hogs.  I think it is incredibly rude to hog a dining table for reading, playing board games, or any other activity that does not include actually dining, especially during peak times when people are walking around with their food and can't find an open table.  

[yogini06]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

This irks me a lot more than lido deck chair hogs.  I think it is incredibly rude to hog a dining table for reading, playing board games, or any other activity that does not include actually dining, especially during peak times when people are walking around with their food and can't find an open table.  

Agree.  Sat next to a group of six playing cards in the Oceanview on a sea day at noon.  Staff kept trying to pick up their plates as they finished eating a while ago. They kept shooing them away as people were walking with trays looking for places to sit.  

Edited March 16, 2022 by yogini06

[navybankerteacher]

On 3/14/2022 at 12:19 PM, ldubs said:

 

They said formal wear, not dress codes.  I think it is very common to not require formal wear every night  but still have dress codes.   I think very few people these days would want to wear the ol penguin suit every night.  

No - they said “…forced to dress formally for no reason at all.”  No mention of every night - just flat objection to formal dress .

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

just flat objection to formal dress .

This is may or may not tie in with inconsiderate chair hogs as well:

Not required BUT "Why you should always dress when you go out to eat. Yes, it still matters. By Sam Dangremond, Town & Country. John Winterman, who used to work for Daniel Boulud as maître d' at Daniel, and for Charlie Trotter before that, and asked if he thinks dressing up for dinner still matters."

"Absolutely," said Winterman, who's now managing partner at Batârd in New York City. "I break it down into self-respect and respect for others." Would someone's appearance affect the table they were assigned at, say, Daniel?

"On the record, yes," he said. "If someone comes in making an effort and looking fabulous and glamorous and they know they're in for a premium experience at a premium price, you give them a fabulous table in the middle of the room. And people react to that, when they see a crowd that's well-dressed and beautiful and sparkling."

Edited March 16, 2022 by morpheusofthesea