For the Chair Hogs: Why Is It Okay to Hog Chairs?

[eddiesgal]

Well, you could always do what we do. Typically we're pretty mellow people and usually we don't have any problems finding chairs, but on ocassion, especially when you're on a shorter cruise and younger people don't know the rules, it's been a real problem so this is what we do:

 

If we come down 2 or 3 mornings in a row and every chair near the pool has been "taken", but no one shows up for an hour or so, I just pick the stuff up off of all those saved chairs and hand it to an attendant and tell him someone must have "lost" their things. He knows EXACTLY what their doing and EXACTLY what I'm doing and every single time, we've gotten a big smile and a "Thank you, I'll be sure to turn them in to lost and found."

 

We then sit our behinds in those chairs and enjoy ourselves. If they come back, and honestly that's only happened ONCE which makes me just shake my head, we just tell them to check with the attendant, no one was here when we got here, obviously.

 

I've paid for my vacation just like they have and I shouldn't have to struggle to find a chair to actually use while people wander all over the ship all day long and only come around if they decide they might want to use "their" chair. It's rude and unreasonable. I feel absolutely zero guilt about doing this.

 

And for those who ask how we know if they've been gone for an hour or longer, it's simple: When you're forced to use a chair on the upper decks, even though you're actually using the pool, the bar, the grill and the chair, you pass those chairs enough during the day to know who's there and who's not been there even once.

 

Excellent post:) Maybe the chairs should have timers on them and when they expire it's up for grabs..LOL

[Sea Hag]

Excellent post:) Maybe the chairs should have timers on them and when they expire it's up for grabs..LOL

 

Let's do a musical chairs with them! Every half hour, a gong would sound and music would start to play. Everybody would get up and start walking around the pool (this will only work well in the pool area). The deck attendant on duty will remove one chair. When the music stops - well, you all know what comes next! Not sure how we'd handle empty chairs ... :D:D

[eddiesgal]

Let's do a musical chairs with them! Every half hour, a gong would sound and music would start to play. Everybody would get up and start walking around the pool (this will only work well in the pool area). The deck attendant on duty will remove one chair. When the music stops - well, you all know what comes next! Not sure how we'd handle empty chairs ... :D:D

 

What a hoot!!!

[Kristi Williamson]

Let's do a musical chairs with them! Every half hour, a gong would sound and music would start to play. Everybody would get up and start walking around the pool (this will only work well in the pool area). The deck attendant on duty will remove one chair. When the music stops - well, you all know what comes next! Not sure how we'd handle empty chairs ... :D:D

 

 

LMBO!!! Imagine the chair hogs faces when they come back and we're all sitting there. And just about that time....GONG! :D

[ducklovemama]

Just remember the earley bird gets the worm. Ha Ha !!!!:)

[Grandpaul]

Kristi

That's exactly what we do. Works every time.

[klauer]

The way I look at it, you can complain on message boards, or have one of your party get up early in the a.m. to reserve chairs. The real solution would be to have enough deck space and chairs for everyone.

[Kristi Williamson]

The way I look at it, you can complain on message boards, or have one of your party get up early in the a.m. to reserve chairs. The real solution would be to have enough deck space and chairs for everyone.

 

Well, maybe you're misunderstanding. The ships DO have enough room and chairs, it's just that many of them are quite a ways from the pool, grills, bar, etc... Why should I be forced to be way up there when I typically get out to the pool area around 9:30ish or so on sea days, when there's 45 chair hogs saving chairs right in front of the pool and bar and not even using them for hours and hours? (which is actually what you suggested in your post) Why should those chairs be left empty and "saved" just because someone may decide to stroll out around 1 or 2 pm? or not?

 

So...as previously stated in another post; if you "get up early" to "reserve" chairs and I see it empty for longer than 1 hour, I'll be removing your "reservation", turning it over to the pool attendant as lost and found personal items that someone must have forgotten about, and taking it myself. The rules are very clear that their are no "reserved" chairs. You get what's available when you get there. Available means no actual bodies in them, not a few sandals and a book strewn over 8 chairs so you can have the "best" chairs when you decide to wander back from where ever you've been all day long.

 

How's that fair to the other paying passengers who actually ARE up and looking to enjoy their vacation by getting some sun and playing with their kids in the pool? Why should anyone, even for one minute, think they could "reserve" a seat by the public pool even though they didn't want to actually use it just yet (or even hours later)? ...shakes head... It just makes no logical sense to me, at all. :confused:

 

If someone chooses to stay in bed till noon, eat "breakfast" at 12:30 and wander out around 1 or 2, I think that's great! I've done that a few times myself. I also fully expect to be on the top pool deck, having to walk down mutliple decks of stairs each time I cool off in the pool, want a snack, can't find a waiter, etc... No biggie! It's the pay off for sleeping in and I'm fully aware of that. My time to relax was had by sleeping in on that sea day.

 

However, if that same person thinks they can get a wake-up call at 7, run up and toss a few things on a chair, go back to their roon, and THEN continue to sleep till noon and wander back to "their" chair and find it waiting patiently for them directly in front of the pool, grille, etc... they are rude, inconsiderate and in for a shock if I get there at 9:30am. "Their" chair won't be "their's" anymore. :D

[Rick-cruiser]

Well, maybe you're misunderstanding. The ships DO have enough room and chairs, it's just that many of them are quite a ways from the pool, grills, bar, etc... Why should I be forced to be way up there when I typically get out to the pool area around 9:30ish or so on sea days, when there's 45 chair hogs saving chairs right in front of the pool and bar and not even using them for hours and hours? (which is actually what you suggested in your post) Why should those chairs be left empty and "saved" just because someone may decide to stroll out around 1 or 2 pm? or not?

 

So...as previously stated in another post; if you "get up early" to "reserve" chairs and I see it empty for longer than 1 hour, I'll be removing your "reservation", turning it over to the pool attendant as lost and found personal items that someone must have forgotten about, and taking it myself. The rules are very clear that their are no "reserved" chairs. You get what's available when you get there. Available means no actual bodies in them, not a few sandals and a book strewn over 8 chairs so you can have the "best" chairs when you decide to wander back from where ever you've been all day long.

 

How's that fair to the other paying passengers who actually ARE up and looking to enjoy their vacation by getting some sun and playing with their kids in the pool? Why should anyone, even for one minute, think they could "reserve" a seat by the public pool even though they didn't want to actually use it just yet (or even hours later)? ...shakes head... It just makes no logical sense to me, at all. :confused:

 

If someone chooses to stay in bed till noon, eat "breakfast" at 12:30 and wander out around 1 or 2, I think that's great! I've done that a few times myself. I also fully expect to be on the top pool deck, having to walk down mutliple decks of stairs each time I cool off in the pool, want a snack, can't find a waiter, etc... No biggie! It's the pay off for sleeping in and I'm fully aware of that. My time to relax was had by sleeping in on that sea day.

 

However, if that same person thinks they can get a wake-up call at 7, run up and toss a few things on a chair, go back to their roon, and THEN continue to sleep till noon and wander back to "their" chair and find it waiting patiently for them directly in front of the pool, grille, etc... they are rude, inconsiderate and in for a shock if I get there at 9:30am. "Their" chair won't be "their's" anymore. :D

 

a person who lives and acts by their principles... thank god there's another one on here... :)

 

If more people were like you and me, this problem wouldn't exist at all.

[mr green]

The question, 'Why is it OK to be a chair hog' may be partly explained by an article that I saw, a few months ago, in one of our local papers, under the heading of

 

TIPS ON CRUISING.

 

While not word for word, the writer wrote. 'Regarding deck chairs, you may find notices "Forbidding the reservation of deck chairs" ' The writer goes on to say, "You should disregard these notices, just get up early to mark, and claim your chair, since so many others do it.:mad:

I/we do not use chairs, I hate to say it, but, they are too darn low for us to get in and out of.:eek:

I don't know how widespread the artical may have been, but it does not help, in my opinion the normal, honest cruiser!

 

john

[Sea Hag]

The question, 'Why is it OK to be a chair hog' may be partly explained by an article that I saw, a few months ago, in one of our local papers, under the heading of

 

TIPS ON CRUISING.

 

While not word for word, the writer wrote. 'Regarding deck chairs, you may find notices "Forbidding the reservation of deck chairs" ' The writer goes on to say, "You should disregard these notices, just get up early to mark, and claim your chair, since so many others do it.:mad:

I/we do not use chairs, I hate to say it, but, they are too darn low for us to get in and out of.:eek:

I don't know how widespread the artical may have been, but it does not help, in my opinion the normal, honest cruiser!

 

john

 

Very interesting! Like you, I don't know how widespread the article was, but it for sure must have encouraged some who read it to reserve deck chairs.

[Rock Chick]

a person who lives and acts by their principles... thank god there's another one on here... :)

 

If more people were like you and me, this problem wouldn't exist at all.

 

I have to agree. I don't have a problem removing items 'left behind' on loungers for more than 30 minutes. Perhaps if more folk were proactive and put their money where their mouth is, then the chair hoggers would eventually realise that they can't always get away with this practice. It's because they are so rarely challenged that they get away with it.

 

So my suggested answer the OP's original question is - They do it because they can!

 

Carol

[4merlurker]

I agree....if your "stuff" is sitting in your chair and YOU haven't come around for a decent amount of time...then,thanks for the chair! :D

[BroncosFan2010]

On my upcoming cruise (less than 2 weeks!!!), we have only one sea day. It is the last day. I am more than prepared to kindly hand over any and all "lost" or misplaced items on pool chairs. Hopefully, it won't be too busy in the Solarium.... I plan on spending most of the day in that particular area of the ship!

[beachchick]

The way I look at it, you can complain on message boards, or have one of your party get up early in the a.m. to reserve chairs. The real solution would be to have enough deck space and chairs for everyone.

 

With 2,000+ pax on what are now considered "mid size" ships, how exactly could they have enough deck chairs and deck space for everyone to have lounges right on the pool deck? There are enough spaces, but they're not all on the pool deck. It would be a rare day indeed when all 2,000+ wanted to sit by the pool at the same time. There is no saving of chairs because it's simply not logistically possible for each person to sit exactly where they want at the exact second they want.

 

There is no excuse for chair saving. We wouldn't do it, even if everyone else onboard was. We would find somewhere else to be or something else to do. It's not as if the only place to be is right by the pool or the only thing to do is a pool-related activity. If we really wanted lounges and noticed that some were "chair hogged," we'd get the deck/pool attendant, point out the rules if necessary (which are pretty clear on most ships), and request that the attendant remove the items. That way, the crew would actually be enforcing the rules and we wouldn't have to figure out what to do with someone else's stuff. I wouldn't care to be accused of theft or damaging something.

 

beachchick

[Sea Hag]

So my suggested answer the OP's original question is - They do it because they can!

 

Carol

 

That's my best guess as well, but I was curious to see if anybody would trot out a truckload of justifications why it's "okay" for them to do it. Doesn't look like anybody's going to bite, but it was an interesting thing to try anyhow.

[JudeeJim]

During our cruise on the Navigator of the Sea I chose my chair and started to enjoy the sun. Along comes a woman who lays towels on three chairs and then leaves. About an hour later a man shows up and takes the chair furthest from me and makes himself comfortable. He straightened the other chairs and towels. Another hour later a nice lady comes up to me and asks if the chair next to me was taken. I replied in my playground voice that I have not seen anyone in those chairs for at least 2 hours. I suggested she just move the towels and join me. About 15 minutes later the man seemed uncomfortable and gathered his and the other chair towels and said I am leaving now and these chairs are now available. This man knew he had been caught. :rolleyes:

 

Judee

[Sea Hag]

Caught in the act!

[klauer]

I guess I didn't really explain myself -- I am a person who hates confrontation, so I can't imagine moving someone's stuff and sitting smugly waiting for the person to return. And I wouldn't sit and wait for an hour eyeing an unoccupied chair that I was ready to pounce on.

 

So I either get up early to get a chair, or accept whatever I can find later in the morning. I absolutely disagree that there are plenty of chairs on all ships -- I have spent plenty of time circling the decks looking for a spot.

[Leejnd4]

I guess I didn't really explain myself -- I am a person who hates confrontation, so I can't imagine moving someone's stuff and sitting smugly waiting for the person to return. And I wouldn't sit and wait for an hour eyeing an unoccupied chair that I was ready to pounce on.

 

So I either get up early to get a chair, or accept whatever I can find later in the morning. I absolutely disagree that there are plenty of chairs on all ships -- I have spent plenty of time circling the decks looking for a spot.

 

Yes but, when you were circling the decks looking for a spot - how many of the chairs were occupied by bodies, vs. articles?

 

On even the most crowded, sunworshipping cruises that I've ever been on, as far as I could tell, every single passenger looking for a deck chair to actually SIT on would have been able to find one if there were no saved chairs. So the bottom line is, eliminate chair hogging, and you eliminate the NEED for chair hogging. :)

 

Also, just in case you find yourself in this situation again - there is no need for confrontation with chair hogs. You just hand their stuff to a pool attendant and take the chair. If they even bother to ever come back and ask you about it, you simply have to say that it was empty when you got there, and they should check with the pool attendant for their missing stuff. No confrontation - no unpleasantness.

 

Sometimes, when possible, I will move the chair to a slightly different location so they won't even be able to tell that this is the chair upon which they abandoned their belongings hours ago. Problem averted! :)

[Sea Hag]

On even the most crowded, sunworshipping cruises that I've ever been on, as far as I could tell, every single passenger looking for a deck chair to actually SIT on would have been able to find one if there were no saved chairs. So the bottom line is, eliminate chair hogging, and you eliminate the NEED for chair hogging. :)

 

Also, just in case you find yourself in this situation again - there is no need for confrontation with chair hogs. You just hand their stuff to a pool attendant and take the chair. If they even bother to ever come back and ask you about it, you simply have to say that it was empty when you got there, and they should check with the pool attendant for their missing stuff. No confrontation - no unpleasantness.

 

Sometimes, when possible, I will move the chair to a slightly different location so they won't even be able to tell that this is the chair upon which they abandoned their belongings hours ago. Problem averted! :)

 

I somewhat agree with what you said about eliminating chair hogging eliminating the need for chair hogging, but I also somewhat disagree with it. If every deck chair was created equal, then what you say would be completely true. But we all know that they aren't all equal. Some locations are deemed more desirable than others by a significant number of people. Near the pools is the best example I can think of for that. I suspect, and I won't state this as a fact but only as a suspicion, that more people will always want a chair right next to a pool than there is room for chairs right next to the pool. If that's true, then there's always going to be competition for those chair.

 

I for sure agree with you about avoiding chair-based confrontations! I can't think of any worse thing to have on a vacation than an ugly argument over something like this. Others may have a different take on this, since it might spoil another's vacation to take the quiet avoidance route.

[pappagene]

I guess that you could call me a semi-chair hog. Usually either DW or myself will go out and find a "happy" location for the two of us and take possesion of 2 chairs for the day. The other person usually wanders to the pool a couple of hours later to join their SO.

 

When we are looking to find a slot for the two of us, we will be polite & ask if the chairs are taken from those around. If there is no response and it is obvious that they haven't been occupied in awhile, they are ours for the taking. Be polite, but be firm. No fist fights over chairs. And if you are ready to give them up, take your stuff with you.

 

Gene

[Kristi Williamson]

I somewhat agree with what you said about eliminating chair hogging eliminating the need for chair hogging, but I also somewhat disagree with it. If every deck chair was created equal, then what you say would be completely true. But we all know that they aren't all equal. Some locations are deemed more desirable than others by a significant number of people. Near the pools is the best example I can think of for that. I suspect, and I won't state this as a fact but only as a suspicion, that more people will always want a chair right next to a pool than there is room for chairs right next to the pool. If that's true, then there's always going to be competition for those chair.

 

I for sure agree with you about avoiding chair-based confrontations! I can't think of any worse thing to have on a vacation than an ugly argument over something like this. Others may have a different take on this, since it might spoil another's vacation to take the quiet avoidance route.

 

 

Well, it's not a "competition". The rules are quite clear that there is NO reserving seats. Chair hoggers simply want to "reserve" the best seats just in case they decide to come out by the pool that day.

 

Let me be clear in saying that I don't have a problem with the upper decks as long as the lower ones are full of PEOPLE. However, when the chairs are just full of people's stuff, that's another thing entirely.

 

And I've never had one single confrontation after removing these items and handing them off to a pool attendant. As a matter of fact, I've only had ONE person ever show up at all, even hours after I removed them!! The one time they did wander on back for their things, it was a good two hours later and they simply asked if I'd seen some sandals and a book. (that were strewn across three different chairs, I might add!) I simply told them they would probably have better luck checking with the pool attendant. That was the end of that.

 

The reason no one's been here professing to be chair hogs is because they KNOW it's wrong and selfish. You'll never have any confrontation from these people because they already know up front that they're wrong and they shouldn't be doing it. It's really that simple.

 

Your posts makes it sound like people are fighting over the chairs just to get in the "front of the line". That's not the case, at all. Well, at least for me it's not. I want the best seats that are actually available to me. The ones that are filled with paying cruisers who are enjoying their vacation makes me happy! However, I won't stand in the back of the line and wait for some phantom person to show up at their leisure, or not.

 

Let's look at this another way... If you went to a musical concert and every person at that concert had paid the same price to attend, and it was completely general admission, but when you walked in there were signs all around that said, "This seat on the front row is taken. We're not sure if we'll be here or not, because we got caught up in something else, but we've come early to place our things on the front row because we MIGHT decide to come", would you really be OK with that?

 

It's exactly the same when chair hogs actually presume to believe that they can "reserve" chairs that they aren't even using when other people, who fully paid, are actually there and want to use what they paid for.

 

At any rate, I remove their things if they aren't there within a reasonable amount of time. I hand them off to the attendant and don't think another thing about it. It's not avoidance, at all. It's more about standing up for oneself in a polite, correct way. :D

[hajekfam]

Here's a problem we just dealt with on our last cruise. We'd get up early to go to the pool and lo and behold they were already saved with towels and various items ...after about the third day of this we realized that unless we saved our chairs before breakfast we didn't get one! We firmly don't believe in chair saving but how do you get around it if everyone else saves them??? It's truly frustrating!!!

If you are on Celebrity and get up early and go to the pool and find pool towels rolled up on the seats or folded over the arms, those do not necessarily mean saved chairs. The pool stewards when setting up the chairs in the morning put a towel on each chair.

[Sea Hag]

Well, it's not a "competition".

 

At any rate, I remove their things if they aren't there within a reasonable amount of time. I hand them off to the attendant and don't think another thing about it. It's not avoidance, at all. It's more about standing up for oneself in a polite, correct way. :D

 

I didn't mean "competition" as in competing for the title of Miss Universe. I meant "competition" as when there's a limited quantity of something and more people want it than that limited number. That's competition for sure.

 

And I think you're handling the problem perfectly! You're sticking up for your rights and seem to be doing it in a way that doesn't create any drama. I never sit by the pool myself - or practically anywhere else where chairs are in short supply for that matter - but I figure it'd be just my luck that if I ever went to move somebody's things, they'd come back and pitch a fit.:)