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

[beachchick]

I was harrassed and assaulted by a chair hog on my last cruise. Yes, you read it. I was verbally harrassed and then assaulted. Said chair hoggers left no personal items, simply towels that are recycled by the deck attendants. I was not watching their space when I moved into the apparently abandoned chairs,had not noticed them that morning at all. I was in my pool chair approximately 30 minutes when they came back and said they had gone to lunch for 10 minutes . . .cruise time misconceptions. I told them that I was sorry and that the chairs were clearly abandoned. They told me how they had these chairs since 7:30 AM. It was their chair and their towel. They accused me of moving the one personal item they had left behind which was still on the chair where they left it, untouched by me. I tried to remain calm and asked chair hogger to please not address me, but to speak to the deck attendants about "their" chairs. The man who was verbally harrassing me about the chair then grabbed my book that I took out from the Ship Library and ran off with it. I swear he did this. When I went after him to retrieve my book, he ran back and jumped in my seat which was where the physical assault occured. The cruiseline did nothing about it. I opted not to complain further after leaving the scene and the chair of the insane man. I did my best to forget the incident. But it turns out that physical harm can actually come from chair hoggers.

 

You're a more forgiving (or at least, trying to be forgiving) person than I am. Physical assault? I would have taken it all the way to the captain if necessary. There are explicit passenger rules of behavior. Physically assaulting another passenger is right up there at the top. I would have wanted to see the man disembarked at the next port. Period. There is no excuse for what he did, and there should be no second chances. The cruise line knows this and had no excuse for doing nothing about it.

 

beachchick

[gloce]

to your original question (from someone who has never cruised before, but who is very well travelled) ...... people think it's ok to hog chairs because it's "All about them", all about their fun. This is the way the world is heading, sadly.

 

Its a new era, we thought "turn on, tune out" in the 60's and 70's was ok, well, this is a new era times ten. Sad but true. I say move the towel after an hour and then smile and politely decline to get up when, and if, they return.

 

Simply ask, loudly enough for those seated around you to hear, "after a full hour (or two or three), how is this still 'your chair?'"

 

They wont have an answer, at least not one good enough for most reasonable folk. ;)

[Rick-cruiser]

I have not read the entire string so I don't know if anyone has had the b*lls to actually stand up and proudly admit their wrongdoings so here I am. :D Before anyone gets their panties (or cruise towels :) ) in a wad, I need to let you know that I did not hog chairs on a cruise ship (never have, never will)...it was at an AI resort in Mexico. The buzz on the forum I was frequenting before my trip was that this was the thing to do in order to get your desired spot by the pool. I was down there at 7:00 each morning with our stuff then back up to the room for some more snooze time before wandering off to breakfast. We probably arrived at our hogged chairs by 10:30 - 11:00 each day and spent the rest of the day there.

 

I'm certainly not defending chair hogs (I've done the deck dance many times looking for one myself) but maybe they've been misled, like me, into thinking that this was the thing to do. I'm embarrassed that I hogged those chairs many years ago in Mexico...but, it sure was nice to know that we had "our spot" waiting for us when we finally got to the pool each day. ;)

 

There, it's been done. A chair hog confession has been made, even if it wasn't on a ship. :D

 

WOW.... we were all ready to pounce on the first person to admit to being a chair hog.......

 

but your "confession" (which is actually a very rational and understanding story) made that pouncing impossible to do.. :)

 

Rick

[njmomof2]

I mentioned this issue to DH last night, saying there was a great deal of discussion lately about chair hogging. He told me that we did this on our Liberty cruise. I told him that we did not do this: we got chairs around the H2O zone (our boys at that time were almost 10 and a bit over 5 so we needed to keep an eye on the younger one). I only got 2 chairs, feeling that the boys didn't need chairs and could sit with us on our chairs if they needed to. When we wanted lunch, one of us got up and went to Windjammer and brought plates back, then the other one went, so our chairs were never sitting empty waiting for us. He then realized what I meant by chair hogging.

 

Our issue is one of needing a seat near the kid water area. Now that my older one will be 11.5 on our next cruise, and my younger one will have turned 7 a month before, we might not need to watch them like hawks, but really, I don't want the big one to have to be completely responsible for the little one near the water. That's my job as a mom. But I can't do that from an upper deck and really, do I want to be sitting on the side of the H2O zone the entire time? Yet this area is full of chair hogging. It makes it extremely difficult to successfully watch your kids.

 

If we need to, we will have to get the deck patrol to deal with it. I hope that most of the people in this area have kids in the water so they will be sitting in their chairs, but people, if you have little kids, they really don't need their own chairs...have them sit with you so that you can free up a chair or 2 for others in the same predicament.

[scgirlatheart]

On our first cruise we ran into another family during muster drill and we started talking. They found out it was our first cruise, and the dad said (proudly) the number one tip I can give you is to get to the pool area early, find the chairs you like, then leave your towels on them. They'll be yours for the rest of the day. My family and I looked at him in disbelief. Never in a million years would that be something we would do. Everytime this thread comes up I think of him.

[BoPippy]

I hang around pool deck and if i see there are 2 chairs not being used after 1 hour,i chuck everything off and use them!!:)

[Kristi Williamson]

I mentioned this issue to DH last night, saying there was a great deal of discussion lately about chair hogging. He told me that we did this on our Liberty cruise. I told him that we did not do this: we got chairs around the H2O zone (our boys at that time were almost 10 and a bit over 5 so we needed to keep an eye on the younger one). I only got 2 chairs, feeling that the boys didn't need chairs and could sit with us on our chairs if they needed to. When we wanted lunch, one of us got up and went to Windjammer and brought plates back, then the other one went, so our chairs were never sitting empty waiting for us. He then realized what I meant by chair hogging.

 

Our issue is one of needing a seat near the kid water area. Now that my older one will be 11.5 on our next cruise, and my younger one will have turned 7 a month before, we might not need to watch them like hawks, but really, I don't want the big one to have to be completely responsible for the little one near the water. That's my job as a mom. But I can't do that from an upper deck and really, do I want to be sitting on the side of the H2O zone the entire time? Yet this area is full of chair hogging. It makes it extremely difficult to successfully watch your kids.

 

If we need to, we will have to get the deck patrol to deal with it. I hope that most of the people in this area have kids in the water so they will be sitting in their chairs, but people, if you have little kids, they really don't need their own chairs...have them sit with you so that you can free up a chair or 2 for others in the same predicament.

 

 

You're NOT a chair hog! :)

 

And, as I posted earlier, when we leave next week on the Fascination we won't even be looking for chairs near the pool because of people just like you. Passengers with kids, the elderly, disabled, or just earlier risers need and deserve those chairs! I won't have my kids with me, but I know how difficult it is to try and watch them from the higher up decks. That's one of the reasons that I always know which chairs are being hogged! When my kids are in the pool and I'm forced to be way up on the higher decks, going back and forth every 10 minutes gives a really clear indication of who's chair hogging! :eek:

 

And as I've already posted quite a few times, when my kids are with me and chair hogs have been gone from the lower chairs near the pool for almost an hour, I hand their things over. I think it's fair and justified.

 

I also just read the post where some guy assaulted someone for "taking" his chair!!! Honestly, if anyone said so much as a word to me after being gone for AT LEAST an hour, my husband would remedy that in about .00001 second. There is no such thing as "their" chair and anyone who attempted to get "their" chair back, after leaving it empty for hours, would see the next port much longer than they had originally planned!

[Sea Hag]

I was harrassed and assaulted by a chair hog on my last cruise. Yes, you read it. I was verbally harrassed and then assaulted. Said chair hoggers left no personal items, simply towels that are recycled by the deck attendants. I was not watching their space when I moved into the apparently abandoned chairs,had not noticed them that morning at all. I was in my pool chair approximately 30 minutes when they came back and said they had gone to lunch for 10 minutes . . .cruise time misconceptions. I told them that I was sorry and that the chairs were clearly abandoned. They told me how they had these chairs since 7:30 AM. It was their chair and their towel. They accused me of moving the one personal item they had left behind which was still on the chair where they left it, untouched by me. I tried to remain calm and asked chair hogger to please not address me, but to speak to the deck attendants about "their" chairs. The man who was verbally harrassing me about the chair then grabbed my book that I took out from the Ship Library and ran off with it. I swear he did this. When I went after him to retrieve my book, he ran back and jumped in my seat which was where the physical assault occured. The cruiseline did nothing about it. I opted not to complain further after leaving the scene and the chair of the insane man. I did my best to forget the incident. But it turns out that physical harm can actually come from chair hoggers.

 

Good grief! That's terrible, and I'm sad to hear that it happened to you. People can be amazing - and not always amazingly good.

[mustangjoe]

DW & I are in our mid 50's. We starting cruising 4 years ago and love it. We have devised a plan that seems to work. We enjoy the sun and atmosphere around the pool so we make it a point to do this. Even if we are out til 1 am the previous night, we always seem to be up and headed for breakfast around 7:30. When finished, we head for the pool where I plop down into a chair and take a very short cat nap. DW goes back to the cabin, does a few things and returns about 30 minutes later with our towels, tanning products, etc. When we get hungry, one of us gets lunch and brings it back to the chairs, then the other does the same. The only time we both away from the chairs at the same time, is when we are in the pool and hot tub. And we keep a close eye on our chairs when we are in those areas.

[GenXer85]

I fully intended to complain further about what happened to me with the chair, but then I just wanted to forget it and get back to enjoying my vacation. I didn't want to have to tell the story 100 times to get a result. I would have loved to see that idiot off the ship, but I decided it was not in my personal best interest to continue upsetting myself over it. I felt so horrible right after it occured that I actually had the desire to be "back home". I'm supposed to be in heaven on a beautiful ship in the Caribbean, and I was desiring being back home in the freezing weather.

 

It did not appear that he had been drinking. I believe he was just a belligerent selfish cad.

 

Interesting thing that occured to me, he kept holding up his ONE bag as proof of his "ownership" of the THREE chairs. I took one for myself and one for my friend, total of two, leaving his "bagged" chair for his selfish use. Also he was holding three chairs, one for himself, one for his wife, and one for his young son that had been in the Kids Club since about 9AM (incident occured 12 noon) . .how do I know this? My friend's daughter was in Kids'

Club with the little boy. BTW: We did not attempt to save a chair for the child with us in Kids' Club so the child could have a lounger from 12-2 when Kids' Club shut down for lunchtime.

 

Oh, and the entire incident was in front of his son. My friend told me that when the man

grabbed/assaulted me in the chair, I called him a "pig". I don't remember that, but I probably did. I do remember commenting in disgust how he could behave this way in front of his son . .who btw was crying, telling his dad to "stop" . .so was my friend's 7 year old daughter. It was very bad.

 

There are signs around the Princess decks asking people not to "save" chairs.

[houstoncruisers2001]

I also just read the post where some guy assaulted someone for "taking" his chair!!! Honestly, if anyone said so much as a word to me after being gone for AT LEAST an hour, my husband would remedy that in about .00001 second. There is no such thing as "their" chair and anyone who attempted to get "their" chair back, after leaving it empty for hours, would see the next port much longer than they had originally planned!

 

Ditto for me. I'd have flipped out if someone jumped my wife for that. "Their" chair would have been smashed over "their" head.

 

By the way....I AM a chair hog.........on my own balcony.

[pappagene]

You probably should have taken this up with the ships officers and there would have been a real good chance that they had a recording of the incident. At the very least they could hve pointed out the no "chair hog" signs which were posted. It really is a sad time for all when these things happen while on vacation. Most of the time, these folks do not realize that they are doing what they are doing. If I was that man, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said that I lost those chairs and would go find others. Some men believe that the only way they get what they want is to act like a 2 year old and play the beat you to it game.

[Trevoli]

Ain't no 'semi' about it: you are a chair hog.

[usha]

I don't like chair hogging, but I'm NOT going to chance that the chair hog might return & find me in "HIS" chair. I can find an unhogged deck chair SOMEPLACE, even if it's a deck or two up.:cool:

[Trevoli]

I hear you. I'm generally very non-confrontational. The downside of that, is that the chair-hogger is 'rewarded' for their bad behavior, and will never change.

[shelby_36]

I think it is priceless when I've gone to hotels where I can see the pool from my room and you see these people go out at 6 am and put their stuff on a chair and then go back to bed. Geez.

[Trevoli]

Luxurious suite at 5-star hotel? $459 per night

 

Pampering facial at the spa? $110

 

Finding the belongings you left on a chair by the pool that you abandoned 4 hours ago, now floating IN the pool? Priceless

[Sea Hag]

I don't like chair hogging, but I'm NOT going to chance that the chair hog might return & find me in "HIS" chair. I can find an unhogged deck chair SOMEPLACE, even if it's a deck or two up.:cool:

 

Golly! I love your birds and animal bar! :)

[Two@Sea]

Luxurious suite at 5-star hotel? $459 per night

 

Pampering facial at the spa? $110

 

Finding the belongings you left on a chair by the pool that you abandoned 4 hours ago, now floating IN the pool? Priceless

 

I could have used a little warning before reading that... laughing hysterically while sipping coffee makes quite a mess on the keyboard! :D:D:D

[DizzyDallasDi]

I think it is priceless when I've gone to hotels where I can see the pool from my room and you see these people go out at 6 am and put their stuff on a chair and then go back to bed. Geez.

 

Guilty. :o See post #73. But, it wasn't 6:00 am, it was more like 7:00 or 7:30. :D What, pray tell, were you doing up at 6:00 am while on vacation?!?! The only excuse for being up that early when you don't have to is that you're just getting back from a night of fun. :D

 

Diane

[dmndlil]

i may or not be a chair hog...i guess it depends on your definition...for example..this me..

 

i am up by 7...towel on my lounge chair by 7:15 in solarium..briskly walk to the windjammer to get my breakfast togo..back on my lounge chair by 7:25 with food in hand...i continue to lay here until the noonish hour when my dh finally ask,"are you ready for lunch"...of course i say yes...he graciously asks me to join him for lunch...once again i briskly walk to the windjammer to get lunch togo just like breakfast..10 minutes later i am back on my towel with lunch and a fresh foo foo drink...then i continue to lay on my towel until roughly 4:00-4:30...then it's time for the spa...

 

would i be considered a chair hog???? I am unsure:rolleyes:

 

if this is chair hogging(maybe sun worshipping).....i am looking forward to easter sunday...for a short 7 day trip to mexico...

 

angela

 

not at all!!!

[Jeffski]

Okay I'll take the other side...

 

It is nice to have two chairs together somewhere on the ship where you can park your stuff for the day. That way the kids can run off and do whatever, Mom and Dad can lay out for a while or go play ping pong or grab something to eat, and everyone knows where to find each other eventually....AT THE CHAIRS.

 

I don't hesitate to do this. The most I'll be gone from our chairs is 1 hour, and I'm not saving 1 chair for each person when typically only 2 of us are there at a time. 2 chairs are plenty for a family of 4. Also, if you don't save chairs next to the pool no one will care and you won't have your stuff stolen or removed (PS lying to the chair hog about not removing their stuff isn't any lower on the "integrity scale" than the chair hog, imo).

 

Typically our location moves once during the day. We'll hang in one spot all morning then pack everything up, get lunch, do an activity, and then find new chairs for the afternoon.

 

Hopefully this is a more practical answer to first time cruisers about chair hogging, and if what I've described makes me one then, well, who cares. I won't be the worst offender on the ship and I won't be bothered with uncomfortable confrontations....and my kids will know where to find me even if I've left for the ping pong tournament.

[jaybird1]

Why all this fuss over Chair Hogs? I'm not sure what this means and I don't think I'm a hog but here goes.

 

We usually get up before breakfast 7:00AM or so, go for a walk or jog. On the way we take our towels and make the effort to put loungers in a good spot in the sun we place our towels and usually a book on the lounger.

We made the effort here! After our work out, shower and breakfast we return to our loungers, usually around 10AM or so.

Is that hogging? ..........we are not hoggin the chairs just reserving our place!!

 

What bothers me is people that sleep in and then wander around the ship around 10:am or so and then complain they can't get a lounger anywhere.

Get up earlier and make the effort to put some loungers aside!!

 

Are we chair hogs??? I don't think so.

[berwyn]

So who gets to use those chairs between 7 and 10 am?

[mustangjoe]

Why all this fuss over Chair Hogs? I'm not sure what this means and I don't think I'm a hog but here goes.

 

We usually get up before breakfast 7:00AM or so, go for a walk or jog. On the way we take our towels and make the effort to put loungers in a good spot in the sun we place our towels and usually a book on the lounger.

We made the effort here! After our work out, shower and breakfast we return to our loungers, usually around 10AM or so.

Is that hogging? ..........we are not hoggin the chairs just reserving our place!!

 

What bothers me is people that sleep in and then wander around the ship around 10:am or so and then complain they can't get a lounger anywhere.

Get up earlier and make the effort to put some loungers aside!!

 

Are we chair hogs??? I don't think so.

 

Definitely Chair Hogs!! That is no different than if I went to the pool deck and put towels, books, etc. on the chairs at 7:00 and went back to bed for 3 hours and then went to the chairs.

 

I would not do such a thing and do not condone it with my fellow travlers!