I Don't Want To Chair Hog

[disneygirl8]

My first cruise is on the Enchantment soon. From reading these boards I can see that saving chairs at the pool for longer than half an hour is a big NO NO. I want to go by the rules. But I am worried that because so many other people don't follow the rules that I'll be left without chairs for my friends and I. So this is my question: We are 8 adults. On our at-sea day we will probably make our way over to the pool around 11am. What are our odds of finding 8 chairs together? We don't need to be right on top of the pool. Just near it somewhere - near the bar would be nice? My next question: If you see chairs with towels on them for a long time, do you ask an employee to remove them or do you just do it yourself? I'm on vacation and don't really want to fight with anyone!

[Believe in your dreams]

You can go to a pool employee and ask if they can help you find 8 chairs. On our last cruise some did this and they brought out more chairs.

[Sue L]

As long as you don't have to be right next to the pool you should be fine. there is no rule that says you can't move chairs to an empty spot so that you can all be together. Most people will shift their seats to accommodate others.

 

Also look along the sides many times there will be stacks of unused chairs and you can grab those to set up your own area.

[mikeblum]

i have been on 13 cruises and 10 have been with rccl and the pool charis on the days at sea are a huge premium...11am... good luck...you may want to plan to have one person from each cabin hit the pool no later then 9am...to find 8 right in the same area...people will start heading to the pool by 8am if not earlier on these days...11am you have missed half the day already...sleep at the pool if you need to...but finding 8 chairs together at 11am...not real good...but that's my opinion...

[BillOh]

You can go to a pool employee and ask if they can help you find 8 chairs. On our last cruise some did this and they brought out more chairs.

 

 

What a thoughtful, probably great suggestion! You looking for trouble?

[disneygirl8]

Next question - If we get lucky and find chairs, is it OK in the middle of the afternoon to go to the Windjammer for a quick lunch and leave towels on the chairs? Or is that considered too long?

[BillOh]

Next question - If we get lucky and find chairs, is it OK in the middle of the afternoon to go to the Windjammer for a quick lunch and leave towels on the chairs? Or is that considered too long?

 

When this has been brought up before, the technical answer is no, but most think it is less obnoxious than the people abandoning them for hours. since you are in a group of 8, perhaps you can eat in two shifts?

[Boo Boo]

From my experience, 11am would be difficult to get 8 chairs together ANYWHERE near the pool - even 8 chairs together on the upper deck can be tough (people like to spread out and often you find a chair here, a couple of chairs there, 3 chairs there... but rarely 8 together). It may be possible to move some chairs together, but things can be pretty tight around the deck.

 

I only cruise with my husband, so we generally don't have a problem getting a couple of loungers together. We like to go to the pool fairly early (9/9.30am) and can normally find a couple of seats. We probably wont spend more that a couple of hours there - we always take everything away with us when we leave (for lunch or anything else that means both of us leaving the loungers). If we decide or plan to go back to the pool later on, then we go find two new loungers.

 

Wish that everyone thought like us... life would be so much easier... :rolleyes:

 

Boo

[BillOh]

I only cruise with my husband, so we generally don't have a problem getting a couple of loungers together. We like to go to the pool fairly early (9/9.30am) and can normally find a couple of seats. We probably wont spend more that a couple of hours there - we always take everything away with us when we leave (for lunch or anything else that means both of us leaving the loungers). If we decide or plan to go back to the pool later on, then we go find two new loungers.

 

Wish that everyone thought like us... life would be so much easier... :rolleyes:

 

Boo

 

 

I'll watch for you on a future roll call. My wife and I feel the same way. We had that same conversation with the couple from Sweden our last cruise.

[Boo Boo]

I'll watch for you on a future roll call. My wife and I feel the same way. We had that same conversation with the couple from Sweden our last cruise.

 

I am typically British - believe in being fair, queueing and not inconveniencing others - not that all British people are like that, unfortunately... :(.

 

I also insist on leaving our cabin tidy when we go out - I believe that cabin stewards are there to keep the cabin clean, not to pick-up and tidy-up after us...

 

Unfortunately this means I tend to get very annoyed when others don't treat me with the same consideration - which is far too often :( ;)

 

I like to think of myself as a sane person in an insane world. Although it is probably the other way round ;)

 

Boo

[BobBeaSea]

From my experience, 11am would be difficult to get 8 chairs together ANYWHERE near the pool - even 8 chairs together on the upper deck can be tough (people like to spread out and often you find a chair here, a couple of chairs there, 3 chairs there... but rarely 8 together). It may be possible to move some chairs together, but things can be pretty tight around the deck.

 

I only cruise with my husband, so we generally don't have a problem getting a couple of loungers together. We like to go to the pool fairly early (9/9.30am) and can normally find a couple of seats. We probably wont spend more that a couple of hours there - we always take everything away with us when we leave (for lunch or anything else that means both of us leaving the loungers). If we decide or plan to go back to the pool later on, then we go find two new loungers.

 

Wish that everyone thought like us... life would be so much easier... :rolleyes:

 

Boo

 

Exactly what we do! :)

[Annefran]

I agree with the posters, 11am way too late to get chairs near the pool area, upper or lower. I am usually alone because my daughter runs off with her friends for the day. I am up near the pool about 9:30am on sea days to get a couple chairs. I ask my daughter to come back around lunch time to either sit on the chairs so I can go to Windjammer to get lunch or she goes to get me lunch. I've seen too many people move the towels and take the chairs when they are unoccupied for more than even 30 minutes. Have a few people go up earlier to get the chairs and sit there until you all can get there. And I would advise not all going to lunch at the same time if you don't want to lose your chairs. Good luck!

[Micki Dee]

I travel with a large group every other year on the Enchantment. On sea days we always get up no later than 8am to get our chairs together. That is really when the the prime spots start to fill up. We also eats in shifts usually never leaving our chairs for no more than 15 mins at a time. If you wait until 11 am, you'll be hard pressed to find 2 chairs together let alone 8.

[katiel53]

I agree with the posters, 11am way too late to get chairs near the pool area, upper or lower. I am usually alone because my daughter runs off with her friends for the day. I am up near the pool about 9:30am on sea days to get a couple chairs. I ask my daughter to come back around lunch time to either sit on the chairs so I can go to Windjammer to get lunch or she goes to get me lunch. I've seen too many people move the towels and take the chairs when they are unoccupied for more than even 30 minutes. Have a few people go up earlier to get the chairs and sit there until you all can get there. And I would advise not all going to lunch at the same time if you don't want to lose your chairs. Good luck!

 

I am a little confused. You say you are alone because your daughter is with friends but you get 2 chairs. Why do you get 2 chairs if she doesn't come back until lunch? That's part of the problem with others not being able to get chairs because you are holding a chair for a long time with no one sitting in it. Why do you do this? To me, you are being a chair hog.

 

If I have misunderstood, and someone else sits in the chair until your daughter gets back, I apologize. I am not just picking on you, because many people do what y ou do as well as encourage others to do the same thing. I just don't understand why people feel entitled to hold chairs. We are all paying to use them. So, we shouldn't have to get some pool attendant to have things removed from a chair because someone hasn't used it.

 

 

Katie

[WhiteSoxFan]

When we grab chairs by the pool we typically will get 2 for three of us, my daughter usually spends more time in the pool. I actually prefer the chairs below the top deck in the shade. Being from the north and cruising in March I don't really need to spend a whole lot of time in the sun.

 

When we grad the chairs in the shade we'll go sit at the edge of the pool with our feet in the pool for 30-45 minutes, that is good enough for me.

[merryecho]

Last week the Wall Street Journal ran a big article about resorts cracking down on chair hogs. It seems people have complained to the management enough about it that they finally have started posting signs and enforcing them. Most customers love it, according to the article.

When does it become chair hogging? Imagine you and your 7 friends are looking for chairs. The only ones around are empty, but covered with towels. You stand there with nowhere to sit, while the chair holders are in the restaurant, 'just for a little while'. Do you feel that is OK?

As the song goes, 'let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me'. If I am not using my chair, I take my towel with me.

[bambam2972]

I just don't understand why people leave their things. I've been taught to be leery of people, and I don't want my belongings unoccupied.

 

I hate walking by a group of 4 chairs with kid's shoes on them (they're obviously in the pool). Why do they need a separate one? We all know when kids get out, they leave the pool area.

 

When my friends and I go in the pool we all use 1 chair to pile our stuff on. Wow imagine that, the concept of sharing.. hmm... :rolleyes: :p

[bullsfan]

DH and I don't like to sit in the sun but under cover yet enjoy the fresh air and breeze. We have been on both Enchantment and Mariner. When we went on the Enchantment it was simply too hot to be out on the pool deck for any length of time except in the evenings so I don't know what the situation there is like during the day.

 

We found that by 11am it was hard to find just 2 lounges together out of the sun on the Mariner particularly on the non-smoking side but in the sun there were plenty but not necessarily right up next to the pool.

 

We also found those that headed off to the Windjammer to eat and left their stuff (we heard that's what they intended to do) to be quite rude. I guess you have to remember that yes, this is your vacation but it is not your ship alone unto yourself. You need to treat others as you would like to be treated and realize there are others who wish to sit down also while you go eat and enjoy your friends in another atmosphere.

 

Just my opinion.

[smithcruise]

Hi all! This is my first post as I have been lurking for quite awhile. We have not cruised before but are learning so much from everyone here. I have a question relating to this topic - if you have two chairs on the pool deck, can you send one to windjammer and back - what I mean is can you bring food out on the pool deck? I'm guessing probably not.

Thanks!

[Believe in your dreams]

What a thoughtful, probably great suggestion! You looking for trouble?

 

 

What do ya mean looking for trouble? :p

[Believe in your dreams]

Hi all! This is my first post as I have been lurking for quite awhile. We have not cruised before but are learning so much from everyone here. I have a question relating to this topic - if you have two chairs on the pool deck, can you send one to windjammer and back - what I mean is can you bring food out on the pool deck? I'm guessing probably not.

Thanks!

 

Yes you can and you will be fine. :o

[Annefran]

I am a little confused. You say you are alone because your daughter is with friends but you get 2 chairs. Why do you get 2 chairs if she doesn't come back until lunch? That's part of the problem with others not being able to get chairs because you are holding a chair for a long time with no one sitting in it. Why do you do this? To me, you are being a chair hog.

 

If I have misunderstood, and someone else sits in the chair until your daughter gets back, I apologize. I am not just picking on you, because many people do what y ou do as well as encourage others to do the same thing. I just don't understand why people feel entitled to hold chairs. We are all paying to use them. So, we shouldn't have to get some pool attendant to have things removed from a chair because someone hasn't used it.

 

No problem Katie, I get two chairs because my daughter will start out sitting with me, then run off for a bit and keep coming back/forth. If I know she's not coming back, I give up the chair. So I'm not among the chair hogs at all. But as I sit there, I do see many many chair hogs all around me. It makes me nuts. I feel at times, like I can't even go to the bathroom for 5 minutes because someone will take my chair. So I usually make friends with people around me to ask them to watch my chair during those breaks, :rolleyes: .

[Annefran]

duplicate

[CPT Trips]

Towels don't indicate someone plans to return, they just indicate that the person who left figured some one would pick up after them. If the cruise crew doesn't, you should feel free to move it for them. If you really want to save the chair, you leave a flip (that is half of a pair of flip flops, right?) or Chuck Barkley's book (few will dare to remove you with that saving your place).

[cb at sea]

Anniefran has the right idea. Talk to the folks around you--make friends!!! Then, when you go to grab lunch, or for a potty break, tell them!

Chair hogging is obvious. These are the lounger's that have had a towel slung over them since 7am!!! Using the chair and leaving to swim or grab a bite, or whatever is NOT chair-hogging!

There really are PLENTY of chairs for everyone--they just all aren't within 5 feet of the damn pool! There are several decks--forward and aft. And yes, you can drag an empty chair to an empty space, if you need to!