Sun bed hogs.

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, deltahog said:

You should not be able to save lounge chairs while you go to the buffet.  That's a different activity.  You should only be able to keep your lounge chair when you are using the lounge chair for activities connected with the lounge chair (e.g. in the pool or getting a drink at the nearby bar).

Or going to the wee-wee room.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, deltahog said:

If no one else is waiting, I don't care if you sit there 24/7.

On the ships, a guest cannot see into all of the areas where there are loungers.  Certain areas are more popular.  I have never found all of the chairs taken in every location.  IMO, if a guest wants to park their body all day long in a lounger and not move, I could care less.  I guess some people only want their prime location.  We can normally find a place in the shade where we are away from the blaring MUTS.  A guest may not get their preferred location, but I don't see why a guest should give up where they are when there are going to be loungers elsewhere.  Otherwise, they would have to walk around at least two decks taking a survey for 15-20 minutes or so and come back and decide all the loungers everywhere are gone.  Guess I should move along now.  No, I don't think so (and we don't use loungers much).

[New2cruise2022]

I’m going to work on the actual ratio, but the level of civility and kindness can be tied to a supply/demand issue. For example, the Discovery Princess has 4000 pax at capacity. 
 

Let’s say there are 1000 public loungers. (I think it is probably much less. By public, I mean not balcony or additional cost chairs/cabanas.) 1 lounger for every 4 passengers.

 

And even though not prime, let’s assign the daily usable hours at 9 — 8 am to 5 pm. So, 9000 lounger hours for 4000 passengers. 
 

I know this isn’t perfect. It assumes all 4000 want a lounger. And all 4000 want the same amount of use. But the reality, that is more than 2 full hours of use per person, per day. 
 

We have nullified some dead hours in the 9 hours, including lunch and breakfast for some. 
 

I’m not trying to clock how long any person should be “entitled” to use a chair. But common sense says that an all day use and abuse (when you aren’t even using it), is very entitled and rude. 
 

 

[New2cruise2022]

The “I paid for this cruise, so that’s mine and I’ll use it” is a fine excuse … but using isn’t the same as owning. It seems that not everything on the ship is intended for any person willing to claim it. I suppose that’s why there are limits on lobster night … so you don’t have a chair hog waltzing through the MDR plucking lobster tails off the other guests’ plates … “Mine! Mine! Mine! I paid for this!!! Mine! Mine!”

[deltahog]

Tangent -- I assume this will not be an issue on a late September Alaska cruise Seattle-Vancouver?  Not exactly sunbathing latitudes.

[New2cruise2022]

1 minute ago, deltahog said:

Tangent -- I assume this will not be an issue on a late September Alaska cruise Seattle-Vancouver?  Not exactly sunbathing latitudes.

Actually, you will have people up early claiming prime seating for glacier vistas. 
 

So yes, for a different purpose. 

[deltahog]

5 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Actually, you will have people up early claiming prime seating for glacier vistas. 
 

So yes, for a different purpose. 

OK but not a problem for me.  I won't need to sit in a chair to see the landscape.  Various ship areas will all have that and a few minutes walking and viewing at a time is all I will need.

[4cats4me]

6 hours ago, deltahog said:

I'm quite serious.  You leave the pool area, you lose the chair.  That should be the rule.  Many other posters have suggested the same, with the idea of tracking location by medallion; or monitors employed by the ship.

So if I forgot my sunscreen and have to leave the pool to go back to the  cabin to retrieve sunscreen, should I lose my lounge chair?

[deltahog]

8 minutes ago, 4cats4me said:

So if I forgot my sunscreen and have to leave the pool to go back to the  cabin to retrieve sunscreen, should I lose my lounge chair?

Oh that's a close one.  How long are you going to be gone?  Are you going to stop for a snack?  

[Steelers36]

8 minutes ago, 4cats4me said:

So if I forgot my sunscreen and have to leave the pool to go back to the  cabin to retrieve sunscreen, should I lose my lounge chair?

NO.  Are you sailing with a SO who will be there while you head off on the errand?  How about the stranger next to you?  Tell them the situation and ask if they mind letting anyone who asks what your situation is.  Perhaps you were asking in jest and rhetorically, but I think there are reasonable ways to workaround a situation.

[4cats4me]

Just now, deltahog said:

Oh that's a close one.  How long are you going to be gone?  Are you going to stop for a snack?  

No snacking, and Husband still sitting in HIS  lounger.  
Wouldn’t want some other woman with a more desirable bod than mine taking MY lounger if I am a slow walker and get back at 32 minutes !

😀

[Steelers36]

2 minutes ago, 4cats4me said:

No snacking, and Husband still sitting in HIS  lounger.  
Wouldn’t want some other woman with a more desirable bod than mine taking MY lounger if I am a slow walker and get back at 32 minutes !

😀

I think that might be the hubby's issue and not the other passenger.  LOL.

 

[donaldsc]

My token operated sit-o-meter suggestion would solve  the how-long-is enough issue.  If you park your car and the parking meter runs out the meter maid doesn't ask or care why you overparked - you just get a ticket.  On a ship if the sit-o-meter runs out exactly the same thing happens - loss of your lounger.  They could even put little flags on each meter so people could easily see that the sit-o-meter has run out.  Can anyone tell me what is wrong w this concept except that Princess will soon start charging for sit-o-meter tokens.  Don't tell me that the concept is wrong.  Tell me why it would not solve the problem.

 

DON

Edited August 4, 2023 by donaldsc

[808cruisers]

I looooooooove the chairs and that there are no restrictions. I can stay for hours. The early bird catches the worm and although it was not everyday- only two half days, I got very comfy! #unpopularopinion #keepscrolling

 

[Camberley]

12 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Actually, you will have people up early claiming prime seating for glacier vistas. 

And many of them complaining to Princess that the glaciers have retreated, and how dare this happen when they had paid for their cruise and they feel they are entitled to a refund……

Edited August 5, 2023 by Camberley

[MissP22]

11 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 Don't tell me that the concept is wrong.  Tell me why it would not solve the problem.

 

DON

It's not wrong but how would it distinguish what a person is doing when they left the chair, like being in the pool or other activities in the area like talking to another person nearby? 

You could also ask another nearby person to reset it for you while your gone to the bathroom and snack. 

[New2cruise2022]

3 hours ago, 808cruisers said:

I looooooooove the chairs and that there are no restrictions. I can stay for hours. The early bird catches the worm and although it was not everyday- only two half days, I got very comfy! #unpopularopinion #keepscrolling

 

As long as the early bird catches the worm … and stays with the worm. The early bird that catches the worm and then leaves it, might find some other bird comes along and takes it. 

[New2cruise2022]

16 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I’m going to work on the actual ratio, but the level of civility and kindness can be tied to a supply/demand issue. For example, the Discovery Princess has 4000 pax at capacity. 
 

Let’s say there are 1000 public loungers. (I think it is probably much less. By public, I mean not balcony or additional cost chairs/cabanas.) 1 lounger for every 4 passengers.

 

And even though not prime, let’s assign the daily usable hours at 9 — 8 am to 5 pm. So, 9000 lounger hours for 4000 passengers. 
 

I know this isn’t perfect. It assumes all 4000 want a lounger. And all 4000 want the same amount of use. But the reality, that is more than 2 full hours of use per person, per day. 
 

We have nullified some dead hours in the 9 hours, including lunch and breakfast for some. 
 

I’m not trying to clock how long any person should be “entitled” to use a chair. But common sense says that an all day use and abuse (when you aren’t even using it), is very entitled and rude. 
 

 

Closer examination —- thank you @drwbrt for the collaboration — non-paid-for loungers are closer to 500 on the ship. The ratio is actually much slimmer. Hourly, usage displaces 6 other passengers that aren’t able to use that chair. If you reserve, hold, walk away, etc … you could displace 60 people per day. Across three sea days, your entitlement to THAT chair was more substantial than almost 200 pax that paid for a cruise and were equally entitled to that chair. 
 

This isn’t to say you can’t find a chair and use it. I agree with the early bird sentiment if you are there to use it. If you are there early and you have your coffee in the morning while you read a book, I applaud you. If you are there to soak up the sun for 8 straight hours, I encourage you. But the idea that you can put a book on a prime spot at 7 am and go have breakfast in the MDR, come back at 10 am, use it for a few hours, then go to lunch for an hour or so, come back for a minute and then go catch a game at Princess Live!, and leave your book for the whole day to reserve “your” chair … then you are probably a name that can’t be typed on CC. 

[Bgwest]

29 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

But the idea that you can put a book on a prime spot at 7 am and go have breakfast in the MDR, come back at 10 am, use it for a few hours, then go to lunch for an hour or so, come back for a minute and then go catch a game at Princess Live!, and leave your book for the whole day to reserve “your” chair … then you are probably a name that can’t be typed on CC. 

How about an electronic show of hands............if this is you, do you have the courage to publicly identify yourself here?

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Bgwest

[drwbrt]

38 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Closer examination —- thank you @drwbrt for the collaboration — non-paid-for loungers are closer to 500 on the ship. The ratio is actually much slimmer. Hourly, usage displaces 6 other passengers that aren’t able to use that chair. If you reserve, hold, walk away, etc … you could displace 60 people per day. Across three sea days, your entitlement to THAT chair was more substantial than almost 200 pax that paid for a cruise and were equally entitled to that chair. 
 

This isn’t to say you can’t find a chair and use it. I agree with the early bird sentiment if you are there to use it. If you are there early and you have your coffee in the morning while you read a book, I applaud you. If you are there to soak up the sun for 8 straight hours, I encourage you. But the idea that you can put a book on a prime spot at 7 am and go have breakfast in the MDR, come back at 10 am, use it for a few hours, then go to lunch for an hour or so, come back for a minute and then go catch a game at Princess Live!, and leave your book for the whole day to reserve “your” chair … then you are probably a name that can’t be typed on CC. 

Thanks for bringing me into this @New2cruise2022.  There aren't rules for this; mostly because there are too many exceptions. So here's some information that might help you consider how your behavior affects others on the cruise.  Basically, the information suggests that an equitable distribution would be one chair hour per passenger per day (on Discovery Princess).

 

My internal rules I take from this data:

1. If your tuchus is tanning in said lounger, that's no different than you taking longer to chew in the MDR than me. Take your time, chew, don't choke.  This is vacation, I want you to enjoy it.  Just like MDR and buffet is "as much as you care to enjoy", loungers are "as much as you care to lounge" rather than "as much as I care to stake claim beyond the circle my Medallion creates and my stateroom".

 

2. If it's been an hour since you reserved your chair, maybe consider relinquishing said chair until you're ready to use it.

 

3. If you still think you deserve to have a chair to yourself, whenever you want it, and you'll make a sacrifice (like waking up early to get it), might I suggest you instead sacrifice some money in exchange for a balcony, or the sanctuary, that includes a chair only you are entitled to.

Edited August 5, 2023 by drwbrt

[Potstech]

19 hours ago, deltahog said:

I am just talking about basic human decency.

(non cruise)

I am not going to linger at a restaurant table when others are waiting for a table.  That's rude.  I eat, I pay, I'm gone.

We have a home association pool.  I am not going to take a lounger all day if others are waiting for one.  That's rude.  I'll enjoy for a reasonable time (2-3 hours) then go home.

Drive throughs make you pull forward if you have to wait for your food, so as not to make others wait on you.

 

Basically, any scarce resource, where there are others also waiting on that resource, it's rude to use it for more than a reasonable time.

 

All day on a crowded cruise ship is more than a reasonable time.

 

If no one else is waiting, I don't care if you sit there 24/7.

Who gets to determine what a "reasonable time" is? 

[drwbrt]

5 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Who gets to determine what a "reasonable time" is? 

I just calculated it for you. It's in the post directly above.  If you'd like to provide me your ship and sailing I'll customize it for you.

[drwbrt]

26 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

How about an electronic show of hands............if this is you, do you have the courage to publicly identify yourself here?

 

 

 

You'll have to type louder.  They're waiting for their coffee 10 decks down at the International Cafe.

[Potstech]

6 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

I just calculated it for you. It's in the post directly above.  If you'd like to provide me your ship and sailing I'll customize it for you.

I am not a numbers person and what you showed is pure speculation with no data to back it up. So sorry to say you did not "calculate" anything for me.

[drwbrt]

9 minutes ago, Potstech said:

I am not a numbers person and what you showed is pure speculation with no data to back it up. So sorry to say you did not "calculate" anything for me.

That's ok that you're not a numbers person; I am.  I counted the chairs on the Discovery Princess.  The loungers that are free to use for all passengers.  On Discovery Princess these are the chairs at: The Retreat Pool and surrounding area above, The Main Pool and the surrounding area above, and the Wake View pool and the surrounding area above.  I used actual footage of the ship sailing to count these chairs.  I counted them by section, then added them together.  I found 108 loungers at the Wake View, 296 loungers at the main pool, and 82 loungers at the retreat pool.  I know that's a lot of numbers, but they add up to 486.  I rounded it to 500, so it was easier for people that aren't numbers people.  I then calculated how many chair hours there are on Discovery Princess using a 7-day itinerary with three port stops.  I assumed 8 sunbathing-hours a day and deemed port days as "off-peak" because most people won't be on the ship.  Then I calculated how many chair hours would be equitable for the 3,660 people that bring Discovery Princess to capacity.  That's how I calculated that an equitable distribution is about 1 hour per passenger per day.  That shouldn't be your absolute time limit. With that said, if your reserving the lounger without your presence for more than an hour each day, maybe that's unreasonable.  I summarized all ^^this^^ though, because I know everyone isn't a numbers guy.  Also, heres one of the screenshots I used to count the chairs, you know, for people that aren't numbers guys.