Chair Saving Poll

[petesweet]

Indeed. I find my answer to the poll question is different if I think about it from the perspective of the person looking for a chair vs when I am the person who got up from the chair with intention to return later.

 

I think a large chunk of the issue arises when folks save chairs because they're so hard to find, because they're all reserved by folks who save chairs, triggering a vicious spiral of getting up earlier and earlier and saving them longer and longer. If just the most obvious cases (say over 1 hour) could be eliminated it might make a large difference. i.e. I don't need to save a chair because I know I can get one reasonably quickly when I need it.

 

I'm not a pool person, so I don't speak from experience (except one occasion in the Solarium). How many of these cases do you think arise from people who just abandon their used towels and leave for the day?

[petesweet]

That is the right way to go about it, by asking the people in the area and talking to the attendants but to just remove there articles not knowing if they are coming back is still my opionion rude.

 

I don't consider myself a rude person. In fact, I bend over backwards the other way. But if I wanted a chair and it had been abandoned for an hour, it would be mine (after I asked the person next to the chair)--no matter how I disposed of the towel and/or book.

[berwyn]

I'm not a pool person, so I don't speak from experience (except one occasion in the Solarium).

How many of these cases do you think arise from people who just abandon their used towels and leave for the day?

Quite often. Someone saves a few chairs and then they decide to do something else for the day and then "the heck with the towels."

[Maureen and Bill]

i guess that is just my nature. :p

:) :) :) lol!

[dwjoe]

How many of these cases do you think arise from people who just abandon their used towels and leave for the day?

Quite often. Someone saves a few chairs and then they decide to do something else for the day and then "the heck with the towels."

That probably does happen sometimes. Or, someone might leave for the day and just not pick up their towels, leading others to think that perhaps the chair's still occupied, as petesweet mentioned. Which makes me want to be more careful about removing my towels when I'm done with my chair. :)

[ellbon]

if a chair has a towel no book no lotion they are gone or left for the day. then i grab it. if i see a book or shoes then i think pool. no shoes then i ask if anyone is using the chair if i get a no then i use it.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

are you putting timers on all of the abandoned chaises? Do you know that that one is under 30 and this one is over 45 minutes.

 

Just so I'm perfectly clear:

 

When my girl and I go to the pool, she likes to lay out right by the pool and she uses me as her chair hunter. We first settle down, I purposely select us empty chairs away from the pool, we strip down to swimwear and apply sunscreen to each other.

 

All the while, I'm looking out for "reserved" chairs. It's not hard to spot them; look for chairs where no one in the pool has either come to, thrown stuff back at or talk to neighbors (probably family). Also, during this timeframe, you'll also notice if someone was talking to someone else four chairs down or if someone returns from the bar, etc. This is the weeding process.

 

After 30 minutes, I make my move. I go up to two still empty chairs and ask the immediate neighbors if they've seen anyone in them. Almost always, they say no. I then ask them how long they've been there. If people tell me they've been there longer than half an hour and haven't seen anyone in those "reserved" seats, I remove the stuff, set it to the side (ala university dorm laundry facilities) and take the seats. Period.

 

I've yet to have anyone say anything to me after doing this.

 

Also, before someone wishes to challenge me, let me state that I live and die by my rule. If anyone sees my chair empty for longer than 30 minutes and lays claim to it, it's fair game. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you set my things off to the side (again, ala dorm laundry) rather than taking it to the staff. That way I can simply retrieve my items and not have to hunt down the staff member who knows where I can find my things.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

Indeed. I find my answer to the poll question is different if I think about it from the perspective of the person looking for a chair vs when I am the person who got up from the chair with intention to return later.

 

Ah, the power of reflection. If only more people actually took the time to simply do what you just did. ;)

 

For me, the Golden Rule is nice, but it doesn't go far enough. Imagine our world if people HUMBLED themselves and placed their fellow man/woman before themselves? Threads like this wouldn't even exist...

[CruiseKeeper]

Just so I'm perfectly clear:

 

 

Also, before someone wishes to challenge me, let me state that I live and die by my rule. If anyone sees my chair empty for longer than 30 minutes and lays claim to it, it's fair game. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you set my things off to the side (again, ala dorm laundry) rather than taking it to the staff. That way I can simply retrieve my items and not have to hunt down the staff member who knows where I can find my things.

 

I don't think you sound like such a Bad Boy after all. :D

[captainannoyed!]

Ok, this might raise some He-double hockey sticks, but at the country club I used to work at, you are only considered using a chair if you are in it! That means if you get up, your seat becomes available! As a staff member, we used to watch chairs. If someone go up to use the bathroom or swim in the pool, they would ask us to watch their seat. If they went to the lounge, got a drink, went to the cafe, they lost their seat.

 

So, why is it okay to consider a seat taken if someone leaves to get food or a drink on a cruise ship?

I understand swimming and leaving your stuff on the chair! You are still on the pool deck. I can understanding getting up and going to the bathroom. However, I find it obnoxious that people think they can go get lunch or go hang out somewhere else on the ship for a while and come back and still get their seat. In my opinion, you CHOSE to begin a new activity, and therefore you have lost your seat.

 

Now, there is a big difference if you forgot your book, and you kindly ask someone nearby to alert other people that you will be back in 10 minutes with your lost item to reclaim your seat.

 

I couldn't agree more! I voted 15 minutes, and was a little peeved that ZERO minutes was not an option! The simple fact of the matter is that there is not enough room on the sun deck for all the passengers in the first place, and as these ships become ever more bloated the problem will only worsen. :( I can see taking a dip in the pool for a few minutes and leaving your book or whatever while you do. But if you go to lunch that chair is not yours anymore! Why anyone would think that a pool side chair should be theirs when they are not using it (and if you are not sitting in it you are by definition not using it) is beyond me! :mad: Here is a thought . . . if NO ONE 'saved' pool side chairs maybe there would be enough to go around and we wouldn't all be b*tching about them in the first place! :rolleyes:

[captainannoyed!]

Be there earlier, huh? So since I'm up at 3 in the morning partying, I guess it's ok for me to drop a towel there and then go to bed, right? After all, I'm there earlier than you!

 

The point is you just can't drop your stuff off and disappear for two hours and then use an excuse of "I was here first". I'm liable to retort "yeah, but I'm here now!"

 

Be very careful with this one. ;)

 

Oh, I like this idea, hahahahah GOOD ONE!!:D

[captainannoyed!]

I really think 30 minutes is plenty.

 

However' date=' I voted for 1 hour...which is plenty of time to grab a bite to eat, return to the cabin or whatever.

 

Personally, I have no problem removing items after 30 minutes.....and giving them to the deck attendant.

 

On Carnival, they have signs posted all over the pool areas that after 40 minutes, items will be removed.....that's reasonable.[/quote']

 

I like the idea of a posted sign like that, and would happily support enforcing such policy.

[DevilsJets Fan]

I voted for 30 minutes. Personally if you are gone from your chair for more than that time then you really don't need the chair. If you are in the pool for an hour or more, find a spot to put your stuff, then when you are ready to get out find a chair.

 

30 minutes is more than enough to hit the rest room, stop by the bar or run to the windjammer to grab something to eat (of course you may need to bring it back with you, not sit there to eat it!).

 

If I'm in the pool for 35 minutes and I see someone take my things off my chair, we're going to have a serious problem.

[sfcook]

Last time DH and I were on a 12-night cruise only once did we manage to get two loungers together in the solarium. As early at 7:30 more than two-thirds of the loungers were "taken" with no one in sight.

 

One hour max and then belongings should be given to the attendant, if you can find one who will take them!:)

[captainannoyed!]

DevilsJets fan,

 

I think most, if not all, agree that actually being in the pool and not in your seat continuously isn't the 'seat hogging' problem. Neither is a quick trip back to the cabin to retrieve the book/sunscreen/sunglasses/etc. that one forgot, a trip to the bathroom, or a trip to the pool bar. I don't care about those situations one bit, even given my PP. I think the big problem is when people are not even in the pool area and expect that lounge chairs should just sit empty 'in case' they decide to use them at 'some point' in the day.

[akcruz]

If I'm in the pool for 35 minutes and I see someone take my things off my chair, we're going to have a serious problem.

 

From the results of this poll so far, looks like you are going have problems, more than 75% responded either 30 or 15 minutes is more than long enough to wait!

 

Think of the person who only wants to sit there for half an hour. The entire time you are in the pool they could be sitting in your chair instead of your stuff!

 

Now I won't go along with the you get up you loose your chair as there are times you need to use the rest room or run back to cabin for the sunscreen you forgot, or to take a dip in the pool or whatever but in book it is common courtesy if you know you will gone more than 30 minutes take your stuff with you. If everyone did this when you came back there would be another one waiting for you!

[nlcentralchmps03]

Ok, then how long does you butt have to be in the chair after the "30 min. limit" before you can get up and take another dip? Is there a limit there, too?

 

If you are actively USING the chair, even if you're spending time in the pool, or standing 3 chairs down talking to someone....that is NOT chair-hogging!

 

Chair-hogging is saving chairs for potential later use.

 

Some of you scare me--will you take my things while I'm legitimately using my chair?

I agree 100% with this.

 

Maybe I'm just too nice, but there are plenty of other chairs around the deck. I would never actually move somebody's things. It is vacation. I am there to have a good time, and relax. Not time how long people are out of their seat :rolleyes:

[nlcentralchmps03]

If I'm in the pool for 35 minutes and I see someone take my things off my chair, we're going to have a serious problem.

I agree with you. People have no right to touch your things. Leave that up to the pool patrol.

[Nano]

I agree with you. People have no right to touch your things. Leave that up to the pool patrol.

 

The pool patrol is not doing its job - at least not consistently. I've been on 5 RCI cruises and I've yet to see the pool patrol move anyone's things from a chair that has been "reserved" for an extended period of time. If they would do this, the problem would go away because A) people would stop reserving chairs they aren't actively using and B) with the chairs turning over regularly, there would be plenty to go around.

 

This problem used to really irritate me when my children were younger because I needed to be sitting somewhat near the pool so I could monitor them while they were swimming. Now that they are teens, I'm content to sit a level up (still watching, but not right next to the pool).

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I don't think you sound like such a Bad Boy after all. :D

 

*sinister laugh*

 

You don't know me very well, do you?

 

Well, allow me to educate you on my "finer" points. It will be fun...so naughty and deliciously fun! :p

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

If I'm in the pool for 35 minutes and I see someone take my things off my chair, we're going to have a serious problem.

 

Serious problem? Your name is DevilsJets Fan and I'm a Rangers/Giants fan. I think we already have a serious problem! :rolleyes:

[yarlenna]

I think that chairs should be for sitting on. They should give us lockers to keep things like books and shoes. They could have towels on each empty chair. Then there would be lots of seats and no problems.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

From the results of this poll so far, looks like you are going have problems, more than 75% responded either 30 or 15 minutes is more than long enough to wait!

 

Think of the person who only wants to sit there for half an hour. The entire time you are in the pool they could be sitting in your chair instead of your stuff!

 

True story - DG and I are at the pool, her sunbathing as usual and I'm swimming. I notice a couple looking for seats but the place is packed and of course "reserved chairs".

 

I notice one empty chair in the distance so when they walk over to DG to ask what I presumed was "is this seat taken?", I swim up and tell the guy to grab the empty chair, bring it over by us and his GF can take my chair.

 

It all boils down to consideration for others.

[captainannoyed!]

The pool patrol is not doing its job - at least not consistently. I've been on 5 RCI cruises and I've yet to see the pool patrol move anyone's things from a chair that has been "reserved" for an extended period of time. If they would do this, the problem would go away because A) people would stop reserving chairs they aren't actively using and B) with the chairs turning over regularly, there would be plenty to go around.

 

This problem used to really irritate me when my children were younger because I needed to be sitting somewhat near the pool so I could monitor them while they were swimming. Now that they are teens, I'm content to sit a level up (still watching, but not right next to the pool).

 

+1 I agree the pool staff is very lax on this. All the better reason to post a sign with a limit on unoccupied, 'saved,' lounge chairs as was mentioned previously, and enforce it evenly!

[CruiseKeeper]

*sinister laugh*

 

You don't know me very well, do you?

 

Well, allow me to educate you on my "finer" points. It will be fun...so naughty and deliciously fun! :p

 

You tease. :rolleyes::eek::)