"Official" chairhogging on Vista

[Eloise4Ever]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

I was SO scared and really it was effecting my attitude and mental health at home.  It had been at least a week, 7 long days, since I had seen a stream on the subject of "Chair Hogs".  Really I was getting worried and I know each and everyone out there is with me.  Then this morning, in a state of total and complete depression, finally the cloud parted, the lovely light of rays came to me from the sky's.  Here was the topic I was needed like a hot cup off illy (sorry Oceania Brand Coffee they dropped illy) coffee in the morning and a tasteless dry Oceania cookie.  Chair Hogs still exist, the topic will never die and the world is right again.

 

All brands can have all the rules they want.  However, we guest know rules are made to be broken and whether it is right or wrong, some guest are more then willing to break those rules.  Oh wait, this rule break was by a crew member, not the guest. That makes all the difference. NOT, Like little children throwing a tantrum because they did not get a bigger piece of cake.  Entitlement is obvious to those with the "Chair Hog" affliction. 

 

"I want a chair, if my old technique of getting up early and putting my beach bag on a chair won't work anymore, I have come up with a fail safe new idea. 

I got it, Bribery.  That will get the job done.  Bribe a crew member."  

 

The best part of cruise critic is learning NEW innovative skill sets to get everything I want. The hell with all those other losers.  Now I have the perfect plan to get my "day bed" by the pool in the perfect location when I am on the Vista next year in October.  I will start saving my extra milk money because the bribe amount might turn into a bidding process.  But if I start saving today, it should not be an issue. Pool day bed, here I come.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every 

 

Apologies if my post troubled you Gary. I'm just reporting what's happening onboard.

[Sthrngary]

15 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

 

Apologies if my post troubled you Gary. I'm just reporting what's happening onboard.

@Eloise4Ever Oh, NO.  Sorry If I gave you that idea.  There is NOTHING I dislike more than entitled guest on a cruise ship that simply don't play fair.  Really, as I was writing, I had a huge grin on my face not a frown. I am SO sorry if I gave you that idea.

 

I find social media for cruising a much needed therapy.  I have what is obviously a very strange sense of humor.  Again, I find what that client and crew member did as appalling.  Instead of getting mad about it, I just made fun of it.  

 

Chair Hogs are here to stay.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Eloise4Ever]

Thanks Gary, I took your post the wrong way 

[jonthomas]

⁸I don't agree, as someone else said, staff know about the extras some get, it is human nature to want the same and they will find a way to get it.

Slippery slope, when you give extra to some.

We also experienced it with wait staff in Terrace. They were being tipped when helping to carry food to table.

Other wait staff were telling us their life story becoming overly friendly with guests. The stories seemed exactly alike.

We all have created this tipping culture not O.

[GeezerCouple]

Yes, it can get tricky.

 

Q: Is a tip to a bartender at popular [aka crowded] bars a tip or a bribe?

 

Is it as a simple thank you (adding to their income; we appreciate the service, can afford it, and we want to share kind of thing)? 🙂 

 

Is it to get free drinks, be it now or later?

That latter sure seems like a bribe, and it's the owner/management who are losing out, far more than other customers in this case.  Actually, that's probably a bribe/theft combo, a twofer!  [I won't even mention when someone "shares" their drinks package with someone who didn't want to pay for the package or for any individual drinks, so we can pleasantly dispense with that, eh?] 

 

Or is it a thank you aka bribe to get faster servive later, when it is crowded, hoping for a repeat performance then, too?  No one "isn't getting something" [apologies for that grammatical monster!], although others may, as a group on average, wait a bit longer.  And no freebies are being offered on behalf of a non-participating owner/etc.

 

Or??

 

GC

[Sthrngary]

9 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

Thanks Gary, I took your post the wrong way 

@Eloise4Ever I am an acquired taste like scotch. But I assure you, I am FUN to drink, eat and go to shows with.  Something happens to me when I go on a cruises, it is strange.  For 7-14 days, all I want to do is have fun, be happy, engage with people, eat way to much and drink ever so slightly more then I normally do.  In real live have a drink a week.  I break the rule on a cruise. 

 

If you ever cruise with me, we will do shots, by the pool, in a lounge chair far from the pool because I will not tipping to get the chair.  We will laugh, watch the action and I assure you.  That show will be better then the Oceania Shows we have seen.  

 

All the way you look at things.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[MEFIowa]

Though here I'm reminded of what Pogo told us during the Nixon Administration and the Vietnam War: "We have met the enemy and he is us." We have only our fellow passengers to blame along with O senior staff and crew that don't like enforcing rules or telling anyone "No, sorry you can't do that." And this isn't about some silly thing. We'd all like to think that getting a lounger or pool chair should be egalitarian, first come first serve from an actual "start" time with the item actually being in use, not just reserved for someone later or who is absent.

 

But it does remind me why I cruise--for excursions--and why I spend so little time in or around the pool--I've got other things to see and do. Our upcoming 22 nights on Sirena in the Baltic has 1 sea day and 1 canal transit day.

 

As for providing additional tipping for cabin steward and room attendant, I only do that if they go what I think is "above and beyond", BUT I also try to interact with them daily, talk to them, get to know them, thank them for something they've done that I've requested, etc. So far on our 4 O cruises, we have tipped both. They earned it and deserved it. Our THX. AND anyone who cleans my toilet gets tipping consideration.

[clo]

12 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Could not agree with you more. Too bad that pool attendants supervisors aren’t in agreement. It’s hard to believe that if it is this obvious, that their managers don’t notice. 
Self importance seems an accurate term johnthomas. 

If anyone sees the 'transaction' I'd suggest walking up and asking to see the authorization in writing allowing this. Stop being wimps, people.

[Vallesan]

1 hour ago, clo said:

If anyone sees the 'transaction' I'd suggest walking up and asking to see the authorization in writing allowing this. Stop being wimps, people.

Come on Clo this is supposed to be a ‘holiday’ not a ‘duel at midnight’!

[davencl]

5 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I was SO scared and really it was effecting my attitude and mental health at home.  It had been at least a week, 7 long days, since I had seen a stream on the subject of "Chair Hogs".   

Fortunately there was a Bait and Switch thread posted that filled in the gap for me.  🙂 🙂 

[clo]

3 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Come on Clo this is supposed to be a ‘holiday’ not a ‘duel at midnight’!

So it's more relaxing in the real world to have complaint after complaint but to take no action? And if not taking that kind of action then how about asking someone in authority and giving their name(s)?

[Vallesan]

19 minutes ago, clo said:

So it's more relaxing in the real world to have complaint after complaint but to take no action? And if not taking that kind of action then how about asking someone in authority and giving their name(s)?

I just don’t see the ‘issue’ as ‘life threatening’. I  just prefer to see my holiday as not perfect but also not a time  to ‘sweat the small stuff’. 
 

Cruising is time to ‘wind down’, ‘enjoy’, ‘smile’ and be happy. I’m not in a supermarket queue with people pushing in front of me!

Edited June 7 by Vallesan

[clo]

9 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Cruising is time to ‘wind down’, ‘enjoy’, ‘smile’ and be happy.

Oh, okay. Since we're retired, most of our life is like that. But people then come here and 'belly ache' about it. Over and over. It seems to bother people when they're ON the ship but they choose not to do anything about it. So they're upset about it at the time it occurs and when they're back home. If I choose not to do anything about something that bothers me to the extent that it does some - not you then I'm part of the problem.

[Vallesan]

6 minutes ago, clo said:

Oh, okay. Since we're retired, most of our life is like that. But people then come here and 'belly ache' about it. Over and over. It seems to bother people when they're ON the ship but they choose not to do anything about it. So they're upset about it at the time it occurs and when they're back home. If I choose not to do anything about something that bothers me to the extent that it does some - not you then I'm part of the problem.

Sorry not quite sure what your point is???

[ORV]

I wouldn't get all wound up that it's the norm due to one report. I personally don't hang around the pool, so I don't care, other than if there is a policy that's affecting other people, then it should be followed. Otherwise, if it becomes a situation where you can pay an attendant and have it reserved, it's really no different than the special treatment that the upper suites get on the mass market lines. 

[clo]

9 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

If I choose not to do anything about something that bothers me to the extent that it does some - not you - then I'm part of the problem.

No idea what your point is.

 

 

5 minutes ago, ORV said:

I personally don't hang around the pool,

I've been by a pool on a ship once, in the shade, for maybe an hour 🙂 

[Vallesan]

@clo I was quoting your post. Guess you have no idea what you were posting!

 

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

@clo I was quoting your post. Guess you have no idea what you were posting!

 

Good grief! 
 

 

25 minutes ago, clo said:

38 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

If I choose not to do anything about something that bothers me to the extent that it does some - not you - then I'm part of the problem.

 

THIS is my point. I don't find that hard to understand. If I do nothing then I'm part of the problem. Get it? Finally?

 

[jonthomas]

19 minutes ago, ORV said:

I wouldn't get all wound up that it's the norm due to one report. I personally don't hang around the pool, so I don't care, other than if there is a policy that's affecting other people, then it should be followed. Otherwise, if it becomes a situation where you can pay an attendant and have it reserved, it's really no different than the special treatment that the upper suites get on the mass market lines. 

That's the point tho', It's not just around the pool.

The extra tipping I and others witnessed was in the Terrace Cafe, food being brought from the buffet to the table, which is wonderful. Tipping with bills was just not necessary. Other staff are witness to this and of course also feel they are deserving.

We were at a loss as to what to do, so we did nothing.

Can't see how O can enforce the no tipping at pool area, Terrace Cafe etc without enforcing ALL extra tipping. 

The EXTRA tipping is a fairly recent phenomena, yes even for cabin attendants. It was definitely not as prevalent as it is now.

Now all attendants get the automatic and feel slighted if not given extra.

All other staff in all  departments are influenced and I can't blame them.

 

[Kay S]

Back to the point: is this "bribery" against official Oceania policy or not?  Is there a written statement somewhere outlining this?  That's what I would like to know.

[ORV]

12 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

That's the point tho', It's not just around the pool.

The extra tipping I and others witnessed was in the Terrace Cafe, food being brought from the buffet to the table, which is wonderful. Tipping with bills was just not necessary. Other staff are witness to this and of course also feel they are deserving.

We were at a loss as to what to do, so we did nothing.

Can't see how O can enforce the no tipping at pool area, Terrace Cafe etc without enforcing ALL extra tipping. 

The EXTRA tipping is a fairly recent phenomena, yes even for cabin attendants. It was definitely not as prevalent as it is now.

Now all attendants get the automatic and feel slighted if not given extra.

All other staff in all  departments are influenced and I can't blame them.

 

I think you're comparing apples and oranges. 

[EJL2023]

All of this and the OP even stated they have no idea if any money was transitioned.  

[clo]

1 hour ago, jonthomas said:

Now all attendants get the automatic and feel slighted if not given extra.

 

Is that really so? The all-get-it part?

[jonthomas]

Well I don't know of anyone pulling the automatic grats.

I do know that just the automatic is no longer appreciated the way it used to be and we all know why.

[clo]

2 hours ago, jonthomas said:

I do know that just the automatic is no longer appreciated the way it used to be and we all know why.

Why? I don't know.