? About ppl reserving deck chairs and Obsv Lounge seats

[Cruising Lynne]

10 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Your opinion contradicts NCL's policy. If there was a "drink hog" thread and someone wrote "...IMHO, anyone who has more than 5 drinks per day with the PBP is a drink hog..." would that opinion mean anything? If NCL allows people to leave their chair for a certain amount of time, the person can go wherever they want to go as long as they are back in time. 

 

 

It's very simple. A chair hog is someone who violates the policy. 

 

Get up at 6am, drop a towel, and return to the chair at 9am? = A chair hog. 

 

Get up at 6am, drop a towel, get a cup of coffee, and return to the chair at 6:10am? = Not a chair hog. 

 

Get up from a chair and sit in the hot tub that is 10 feet away for longer than the dailies state? = A chair hog. 

 

Get up from a chair and walk 600 feet back to your stateroom and return to the chair in less time than the dailies state? = Not a chair hog. 

I do not know why some people find this so hard to understand. Some people just enjoy being contrarian (trolls). 

 

Usually, I can find a lounger if I am patient and keep my eyes open for a few minutes waiting for a lounger to become empty. It may not be in the perfect location, but that is okay. Sometimes my husband and I put our things on a chair from where the tables and chairs are, while we go in the pool or hot tub. If we are observant we can usually get loungers after a little while. It really  isn't that difficult.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Tell it to NCL. 

Their ship, their rules. 

Next time you're on board, ask the pool deck attendant what THEIR policy is for removal of items from an 'abandoned' chair.  THOSE would be the rules to follow.  Hint: I have a feeling that they will NOT remove items belonging to someone actively using the pool deck facilities (hot tub, pool, water slide) from a chair.  THAT will be the rules to follow, not your interpretation of them...

[Two Wheels Only]

14 minutes ago, hallux said:

Next time you're on board, ask the pool deck attendant what THEIR policy is for removal of items from an 'abandoned' chair.  THOSE would be the rules to follow.  Hint: I have a feeling that they will NOT remove items belonging to someone actively using the pool deck facilities (hot tub, pool, water slide) from a chair.  THAT will be the rules to follow, not your interpretation of them...

 

Enforcement can be hit or miss. No argument from anyone on that.

 

 

If you feel that they won't remove your items, you have nothing to worry about...until one of the other forum members asks the attendant to move them. If the items are moved after the time limit, the attendant has done nothing wrong.

[EngrJones]

33 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

I do not know why some people find this so hard to understand. Some people just enjoy being contrarian (trolls). 

?!  Isn't a contrarian just somebody who doesn't agree with everybody else?  Are you sure that is what a troll is?  That doesn't seem right.

[Distinctive-Destinations]

50 minutes ago, hallux said:

Next time you're on board, ask the pool deck attendant what THEIR policy is for removal of items from an 'abandoned' chair.  THOSE would be the rules to follow.  Hint: I have a feeling that they will NOT remove items belonging to someone actively using the pool deck facilities (hot tub, pool, water slide) from a chair.  THAT will be the rules to follow, not your interpretation of them...

How exactly do you think they will track hundreds of people with hundreds of chairs? Every random NCL deck attendant is just going to know that Ted and Ethel from Toledo are in the hot tub and will be right back? Frank from Akron is just getting a quick refill?

[hallux]

42 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

If you feel that they won't remove your items, you have nothing to worry about...until one of the other forum members asks the attendant to move them. If the items are moved after the time limit, the attendant has done nothing wrong.

That's the difference between you and me - if I can clearly see that the stuff was left on the chair by someone in the pool area (I go there wearing a shirt and sandals, bring reading material, water, a hat, sunglasses, all that stuff would be left on or under the chair along with a towel) I wouldn't think twice to move on to find another chair that would be eligible for bumping the 'hog' because they left only a towel because that chair seems to be in use.  Believe me - when you consider the items I may have in my beach bag, we'll be seeing each other in the security office on board if my stuff is messed with (I'm a solo traveler, I don't have a spouse to sit in the chair next to mine and tell people I'm in the pool), and one of us may end up in the brig.

15 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

How exactly do you think they will track hundreds of people with hundreds of chairs? Every random NCL deck attendant is just going to know that Ted and Ethel from Toledo are in the hot tub and will be right back? Frank from Akron is just getting a quick refill?

See above, there are certainly clear indicators MOST people bring with them to the pool deck that would be left on/with the chair if they're there but would not be if they were just reserving the chair for later.  I know I certainly don't pack an extra pair of sandals just to make a chair more 'used'.  However, I may have also seen some timers or other devices implemented to 'time' a 'hogged' chair.  Maybe they were put in place because someone asked for them to remove the items so they gave the person 15 more minutes?  IDK...

[Two Wheels Only]

33 minutes ago, hallux said:

That's the difference between you and me - if I can clearly see that the stuff was left on the chair by someone in the pool area (I go there wearing a shirt and sandals, bring reading material, water, a hat, sunglasses, all that stuff would be left on or under the chair along with a towel) I wouldn't think twice to move on to find another chair that would be eligible for bumping the 'hog' because they left only a towel because that chair seems to be in use.

 

You've just given chair hogs the blueprint on how to appear to not be a chair hog. If a chair hog (not you)  puts the exact same items on a chair and disappears for 3 hours, what should happen after the first hour?

 

36 minutes ago, hallux said:

Believe me - when you consider the items I may have in my beach bag, we'll be seeing each other in the security office on board if my stuff is messed with

 

That would be between you and the staff member. I have repeatedly stated that guests should not move another guest's items. The staff has the authority to move items, not guests. 

 

38 minutes ago, hallux said:

...and one of us may end up in the brig.

 

That would be either you or the staff member. 

Do you want to guess which is more likely?

[EngrJones]

52 minutes ago, hallux said:

we'll be seeing each other in the security office on board if my stuff is messed with (I'm a solo traveler, I don't have a spouse to sit in the chair next to mine and tell people I'm in the pool), and one of us may end up in the brig.

Good grief.  So if somebody moves your crap off a chair then Security is going to lock somebody up?  Don't they have real issues to deal with?

[OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER]

What usually happens with something that doesn't have a fee is taken advantage of by too many people (hence this thread and many others), is a drastic change to policy that nobody likes. You lose the priviledge of self monitoring because respect and responsibility have gone out the window. I can imagine a new policy for the pool/sun deck and observation lounge. First come first serve. There's a timer attached to each chair/lounger. A crew member activates the timer with the swipe of your state room card. Everyone gets one free hour to occupy a lounger/chair. Whether it's with their body or items. Once the hour is up you have 15 minutes to get the assigned crew member to "log you out" or you will be charged an additional $15 for every 15 minutes you are still logged into an active timer. There's a minimum wait time of 30 minutes before you can be logged into another timer. If the loungers/chairs are not in demand for example the ship is in port, a supervisor can disable the timers in mass or override the length of "free time." WARNING: If passengers cannot figure out how to not be selfish, don't be surprised if another fee is on the horizon.

[EngrJones]

47 minutes ago, OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER said:

What usually happens with something that doesn't have a fee is taken advantage of by too many people (hence this thread and many others), is a drastic change to policy that nobody likes. You lose the priviledge of self monitoring because respect and responsibility have gone out the window. I can imagine a new policy for the pool/sun deck and observation lounge. First come first serve. There's a timer attached to each chair/lounger. A crew member activates the timer with the swipe of your state room card. Everyone gets one free hour to occupy a lounger/chair. Whether it's with their body or items. Once the hour is up you have 15 minutes to get the assigned crew member to "log you out" or you will be charged an additional $15 for every 15 minutes you are still logged into an active timer. There's a minimum wait time of 30 minutes before you can be logged into another timer. If the loungers/chairs are not in demand for example the ship is in port, a supervisor can disable the timers in mass or override the length of "free time." WARNING: If passengers cannot figure out how to not be selfish, don't be surprised if another fee is on the horizon.

Well that's just plain silly.  Cruise ship lounge chairs aren't really that comfortable, and certainly aren't worth fighting for.  Just don't hog my chair at the bar!!

[hallux]

11 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

You've just given chair hogs the blueprint on how to appear to not be a chair hog.

You think they're not already putting books with their towels?  haha!!  I'm talking about stuff no sensible person would pack multiples of or would leave unattended for hours without being anywhere on the pool deck.

 

11 hours ago, EngrJones said:

Good grief.  So if somebody moves your crap off a chair then Security is going to lock somebody up?  Don't they have real issues to deal with?

Relocate my $800 cell phone - it's THEFT!  They absolutely have time to deal with that!

[KansasTexan]

Sigh. It really comes down to manners and consideration. Don't so many things in society also come down to these two things? If someone REALLY feels they need to occupy a hot tub (or pool) AND a lounge chair at the same time, there's nothing we can say to change their mind. 

[graphicguy]

Like the slicing and dicing of who is or isn't a CHOG.  I've seen things removed from a chair by an attendant, sometimes by request of another, sometimes by the attendant seeing a chair that's been empty for 20 minutes or so.

 

The things a person doesn't mind "losing" (like an old pair of "flip-flops", and old, torn book, etc) will be available at the attendant's "storage area" after it is removed.

 

What you're doing with that time where the lounger is empty is really none of our business....lunch, nap, at the bar, etc....is irrelevant.

[Two Wheels Only]

32 minutes ago, hallux said:

You think they're not already putting books with their towels?  haha!!  I'm talking about stuff no sensible person would pack multiples of or would leave unattended for hours without being anywhere on the pool deck.

 

You're thinking in terms of a "sensible" person. A chair hog does not think in this way. Imagine how many old/useless cell phones that a person has in their home. A chair hog will think nothing of bringing an old phone on a cruise and using it, a towel, a book, etc. and placing them on a chair to look identical to what your chair looks like. 

 

To someone else just walking by, it would appear that "...oh, that person left their cell phone and tablet on the chair...they must be nearby in the pool or hot tub..." when the person (not you) is actually away for hours and is simply hogging the chair. 

 

That's why it is impossible to know simply based on what is on the chair. 

 

13 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

What you're doing with that time where the lounger is empty is really none of our business....lunch, nap, at the bar, etc....is irrelevant.

 

Correct. 

Time is nondiscriminatory. There are no good reasons nor bad reasons to be away from the chair. There is no good distance away nor is there a bad distance away. There is no definition of "in the area" nor "away from the area". Using a set time removes all opinions and everyone uses the same measure of time. 

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

That's why it is impossible to know simply based on what is on the chair. 

Correct. 

Time is nondiscriminatory. There are no good reasons nor bad reasons to be away from the chair. There is no good distance away nor is there a bad distance away. There is no definition of "in the area" nor "away from the area". Using a set time removes all opinions and everyone uses the same measure of time. 

Sounds like justification for a policy of 'If you're not in it, it's not your chair."

[hallux]

Just as there's no talking sense into people that are the worst offenders as chair hogs (talking those that place towels at 7 AM only to return after 10 AM, NOT someone that spends an hour in the pool while they have their stuff on a chair), there's simply no talking sense into some people in this thread.

 

I've asked SEVERAL TIMES and never gotten an answer - as a SOLO CRUISER where am I supposed to place my stuff when I go for a dip in the pool if I'm not supposed to leave it on a chair?  It's not like there are lockers or cubbies on the pool deck where I can put my stuff if I want to spend more than 15 minutes in the water.  THIS IS WHAT THE CHAIRS ARE FOR!!!! 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

5 minutes ago, hallux said:

Just as there's no talking sense into people that are the worst offenders as chair hogs (talking those that place towels at 7 AM only to return after 10 AM, NOT someone that spends an hour in the pool while they have their stuff on a chair), there's simply no talking sense into some people in this thread.

 

I've asked SEVERAL TIMES and never gotten an answer - as a SOLO CRUISER where am I supposed to place my stuff when I go for a dip in the pool if I'm not supposed to leave it on a chair?  It's not like there are lockers or cubbies on the pool deck where I can put my stuff if I want to spend more than 15 minutes in the water.  THIS IS WHAT THE CHAIRS ARE FOR!!!! 

Why can’t you just bring a tote bag and set it down near the pool?

[RocketMan275]

9 minutes ago, hallux said:

Just as there's no talking sense into people that are the worst offenders as chair hogs (talking those that place towels at 7 AM only to return after 10 AM, NOT someone that spends an hour in the pool while they have their stuff on a chair), there's simply no talking sense into some people in this thread.

 

I've asked SEVERAL TIMES and never gotten an answer - as a SOLO CRUISER where am I supposed to place my stuff when I go for a dip in the pool if I'm not supposed to leave it on a chair?  It's not like there are lockers or cubbies on the pool deck where I can put my stuff if I want to spend more than 15 minutes in the water.  THIS IS WHAT THE CHAIRS ARE FOR!!!! 

No, the chairs are not for storing your stuff while you enjoy other experiences.  

BTW, do you  think you should be able to 'reserve' a spot in the pool or the hot tub while you're using a lounger?

[hallux]

7 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Why can’t you just bring a tote bag and set it down near the pool?

A random pile of stuff on the deck is MORE likely to be absconded with than stuff placed on a chair!  A small beach bag is actually what I carry my stuff to the pool in.

 

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

No, the chairs are not for storing your stuff while you enjoy other experiences. 

"other experiences"?  I'm enjoying all that the POOL DECK has to offer!

 

Consider this - you go to a water park, get a chair in a spot you like.  Do you leave your stuff there while you go use the water slides or do you pack up and stow your stuff someplace while you're off to do a couple slides (which is going to take 30 minutes or so)?  Similar situation, but I bet you leave your stuff on a chair, don't you?

[Distinctive-Destinations]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

A random pile of stuff on the deck is MORE likely to be absconded with than stuff placed on a chair!  A small beach bag is actually what I carry my stuff to the pool in.

So put your name on it. And I didn’t say a pile of stuff, I said a tote bag.

 

We bring a bag with us with suntan lotion, book, whatever. If there are chairs, we get one. But let’s say the weather is nice and it’s a sea day, all the chairs are taken. What do you do then? Just turn around and leave? 

[RocketMan275]

4 minutes ago, hallux said:

A random pile of stuff on the deck is MORE likely to be absconded with than stuff placed on a chair!  A small beach bag is actually what I carry my stuff to the pool in.

 

"other experiences"?  I'm enjoying all that the POOL DECK has to offer!

 

Consider this - you go to a water park, get a chair in a spot you like.  Do you leave your stuff there while you go use the water slides or do you pack up and stow your stuff someplace while you're off to do a couple slides (which is going to take 30 minutes or so)?  Similar situation, but I bet you leave your stuff on a chair, don't you?

If  you're not enjoying your lounger, then you're enjoying other pool deck amenities.  

And, no, I wouldn't leave my stuff unattended in any location.

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

And I didn’t say a pile of stuff, I said a tote bag.

tote bag, sandals, towel..  quickly becoming a pile.  No, I'm not putting my towel IN the bag, I'm not getting the stuff in the bag wet when I go to take the towel out!

 

3 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

What do you do then? Just turn around and leave?

I wander around to see if I can find another solo that I can leave my stuff with, or an empty chair, whichever I find first.

 

We're obviously not going to change each other's minds, I feel like this thread has run its course...

Edited July 7 by hallux

[Two Wheels Only]

18 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Sounds like justification for a policy of 'If you're not in it, it's not your chair."

 

No, the way that the policy is, you CAN walk away from the chair and leave your items behind. When you return, the items are still there and the chair is still yours to use. Nobody should touch your items/chair if you return within the time limit. The amount of time that you can be gone will vary by ship.

 

24 minutes ago, hallux said:

I've asked SEVERAL TIMES and never gotten an answer - as a SOLO CRUISER where am I supposed to place my stuff when I go for a dip in the pool if I'm not supposed to leave it on a chair?

 

See above.

 

25 minutes ago, hallux said:

It's not like there are lockers or cubbies on the pool deck where I can put my stuff if I want to spend more than 15 minutes in the water.  THIS IS WHAT THE CHAIRS ARE FOR!!!!

 

It's not always 15 minutes. If the ship gives you an hour, you have an hour.

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, hallux said:

A random pile of stuff on the deck is MORE likely to be absconded with than stuff placed on a chair!  A small beach bag is actually what I carry my stuff to the pool in.

 

"other experiences"?  I'm enjoying all that the POOL DECK has to offer!

 

Consider this - you go to a water park, get a chair in a spot you like.  Do you leave your stuff there while you go use the water slides or do you pack up and stow your stuff someplace while you're off to do a couple slides (which is going to take 30 minutes or so)?  Similar situation, but I bet you leave your stuff on a chair, don't you?

For how long?

[Distinctive-Destinations]

9 minutes ago, hallux said:

tote bag, sandals, towel..  quickly becoming a pile.  No, I'm not putting my towel IN the bag, I'm not getting the stuff in the bag wet when I go to take the towel out!

Get a bag with 2+ compartments if that’s your concern.