Sun-lounger Hogs? MAKE A PLEDGE!

[EssexGary]

Hi all, there's a thread going on right now which has turned into the all-to-common debate about chair hogging. Seems to be getting worse, particularly on the Solstice where most of the outdoor space has been set aside for grass (:confused:).

 

I know that these boards have huge weight with the cruise lines, so lets start something BIG. I am really passionate about being able to get out in the sun at a time that suits me and being able to find a chair - something that would be totally possible if people didn't hog chairs and leave them for hours on end.

 

So, lets do it people! Lets give the Celebrity team reading this some REAL customer feedback.

 

IF THERE ARE NO CHAIRS AVAILABLE, I PLEDGE TO ASK PEOPLE SITTING AROUND AN UNUSED CHAIR IF IT HAS BEEN UNATTENDED FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR. IF IT HAS, I WILL CAREFULLY REMOVE THE ARTICLES ON IT AND PLACE NEATLY NEXT TO THE CHAIR. WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY OR EMBARASSED.

Who's with me?? make the pledge!!

Gary

[Germancruiser]

I am absolutley with you, Gary- but I guess I do not have the patience to wait an hour or so just to see if someone shows up. During this hour I may have found a place elsewhere- or not. LOL.

I agree with you, Solstice is worst when it comes to chair hogs- as you mentioned- thats because of the grass and the non existent Prommenade Deck-- well there is one, but almost useless!

Michael

[EssexGary]

I am absolutley with you, Gary- but I guess I do not have the patience to wait an hour or so just to see if someone shows up. During this hour I may have found a place elsewhere- or not. LOL.

I agree with you, Solstice is worst when it comes to chair hogs- as you mentioned- thats because of the grass and the non existent Prommenade Deck-- well there is one, but almost useless!

Michael

 

 

Thanks Michael. I guess I was being generous with the 1-hour... I think the company-line is 30 mins. But thought I would be charitable!

[wvufan]

I have never understood the appeal of those chairs except for folks who are actively using the pool. For the most part, the view these people have is simply other people sitting around the pool area. If I wanted to do that, I could stay in a Holiday Inn Express:D.

 

Somehow or other, these chairs have become considered sort of like the best seats in the high school cafeteria. Supposedly grown adults employ all manner of tricks, reserving, hogging, etc, so they can be in the "best chairs" and among the "in crowd." Ironically, they seem to look down on the rest of us who don't score one of those prime properties, but I consider those seats the worst in the house. They seem to attract some of the noisiest and most drunk people on the ship, little or no view of the ocean, and people walking all around.

 

We have not been on the Solstice, so I don't know about the situation there, but on all the other Celebrity ships, there are tons of great lounges in other areas and decks, including many unoccupied ones which are still close enough to hear the band. We like the deck above the pool area where we can look out at the sea.

 

So, I hereby pledge to never occupy a chair in the pool or surrounding area no matter how vacant it might be. ;)

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[CathyCruises]

I'm in.

[texancruzer]

Geez......... I've already been doing that for as long as I have been sailing :eek:

 

I am also one of those who will tell people that they can't cut in line when they do :D Simple: "The line ends back there" usually works ;)

[BroncosFan2010]

IF THERE ARE NO CHAIRS AVAILABLE, I PLEDGE TO ASK PEOPLE SITTING AROUND AN UNUSED CHAIR IF IT HAS BEEN UNATTENDED FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR. IF IT HAS, I WILL CAREFULLY REMOVE THE ARTICLES ON IT AND PLACE NEATLY NEXT TO THE CHAIR. WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY OR EMBARASSED.

Who's with me?? make the pledge!!

Gary

 

I do pledge to the above on all future cruise voyages!

[Rick-cruiser]

A much more realistic, and effective, pledge:

 

Talk to the person who's job it is to stop it, and can institute immediate results: The Hotel Director.

 

(I won't post my experiences regarding extreme chair-hogging on a previous Celebrity cruise again, but if you're interested you can just do a quick search on my posts.... it should be right near the top).

 

- Rick

[SusieV]

Personally, I'd feel incredibly uncomfortable getting into a potential confrontation with chair hogs, so I can't see doing this. We generally prefer to get a veranda anyway so that we don't have to worry about finding seats- we have two reserved for us.

 

When we were at an AI in February, we did have one encounter with a chair hog. We got to the pool around lunch time and had been sitting under a palapa for about an hour when we decided to go sit in the pool and cool off. About ten minutes later, a woman started to spread her towel over my husband's stuff. We went over to talk to her and she said that had been her chair "all day". My husband told her that not only was there nothing on the chair when we got there, but we'd been there for over an hour and sorry but she'd have to find another seat. She was pretty nasty about it.

 

I can't imagine how bad the fuss would have been if we'd actually moved her stuff! I don't want to have to deal with unpleasantness like that on vacation.

[usha]

Sorry, I've seen enough confrontations with angry chair hogs. No thanks, I don't want to get into THAT sort of thing!:rolleyes: We'll find a place to sit in the sun somewhere, but we won't be taking chairs that have been "claimed" by ghost-tanners.:cool:

I do like the idea of talking to the hotel mgr; THAT sounds like a plan, if the chair-hogging situation looks too intense on the next cruise. Thanks for the great tip, Rick-cruiser!:)

[RainbowTraveler]

I for one don't mind the confrontation but I do try and look for something else first but only one time there were just NO chairs at all (it was a Carnival ship). I just removed the offending property and placed it on the rail above the chair and made myself comfortable.

 

The person came back three hours later (they went to breakfast in the dining room as I was informed by the returning party). They knew they were wrong and move on. It is a gamble and sometimes you loose when you "reserve" your chair and don't actually use it.

 

Any regrets? None.

[pcb412]

I know that these boards have huge weight with the cruise lines, so lets start something BIG. I am really passionate about being able to get out in the sun at a time that suits me and being able to find a chair - something that would be totally possible if people didn't hog chairs and leave them for hours on end.

 

So, lets do it people! Lets give the Celebrity team reading this some REAL customer feedback.

 

If these boards carry so much weight with the cruse lines, let's ask THEM to enforce their own posted policies. I am the one paying to be on vacation and I do not want to be placed in the situation of confronting an angry chair-hogger when they return. This situation will continue to occur only for as long as the cruiselines allow it.

[jetertorre]

I do solemly swear!!

 

Fact is, I don't use the lounge chairs anyway. Now if you're going to ask me not to hog the pool side bar stools, thems are fightin' words!

[hylasgirl]

I pledge to only wait 30 minutes. Hopefully Celebrity does read these boards, but if not... I will claim a seat. I can't stand the thought of waiting in a line to complain to Guest Relations when they don't do a whole lot anyway. All the people sailing on Celebrity claim to be so reformed and classy and such dignified travelers... why would there be any confrontation? :rolleyes:

 

jetertorre... that is funny:D Can you imagine people trying to leave stuff on the chairs in the casino too? hee hee NOW that would be funny! I would buy a ticket to see that freak show.

[gopherhockey]

I have done and will continue to do my part, although I think its a tall order to assume many will do this. Most won't want the confrontation... which is partly why the practice will continue to happen.

 

The cruiselines aren't going to enforce it and people are going to just put up with it, unfortunately. More power to the chair hogs I guess. :rolleyes:

 

I'm glad when anyone isn't afraid to claim a chair. The more the better.

 

I do love seeing this topic come up once every 2-3 days. If nothing else maybe a few out there are reading these and are getting the point.

[jetertorre]

Hylas-

 

Even though I don't gamble, I'd hang around the casino for that kind of entertainment. Watching old ladies pummel some unsuspecting chair snatcher with a well loaded purse (think about all of those hoarded packets of sugar-ouch!) would be hilarious.

 

I'll be occupying one of those bar stools in less than three weeks. Can't wait.

[sammyt]

I too am sick of the chair hogs. I am leaving in just over a week on the Solstice, and I know I will have to put up with it. I have asked the person working around the pool why he doesn't do something about the chair saving, and he says he can't do anything! Why not! Why post that rule if you are not going to enforce it. It would be simple, have a place to put everyone's belongings, and remove all the stuff from the chairs after a certain amount of time. It would only take doing this a few times for everyone to get the picture. I even thought of doing that myself, and saying the cruise ship personnel did it, because it is against rules to save chairs. I won't know what I am going to do until I get in the situation, but most likely I will move the chair and the belongings both. That way they won't know who took their chair!

[hylasgirl]

Hylas-

 

Even though I don't gamble, I'd hang around the casino for that kind of entertainment. Watching old ladies pummel some unsuspecting chair snatcher with a well loaded purse (think about all of those hoarded packets of sugar-ouch!) would be hilarious.

 

I'll be occupying one of those bar stools in less than three weeks. Can't wait.

 

 

I don't gamble either but think it would be worth the price of a ticket. Can you imagine the show??

 

I am jealous! Have a great cruise!:D

[mimisandy]

Total agreement on the rudeness of it all. I believe some of them leave their belongings at the crack of dawn even if they don't plan to be out until noon. There is the same problem with the solarium pool chairs.

I simply ask someone close by if they have seen anyone in the chair in a while. If they say no, I remove the items.

I have been on one ship that actually removed the items and the people had to ask the towel person to get them back.

The only reason I prefer these chairs is IF it is time for a band on deck to play. Then I like to be able to hear the band.

[henry hound]

i for one have no hesitation in removing towels/suncream/sunglasses/ books etc if a bed has not been occupied for some time, it is difficult for the staff to police.....so i appreciate they do not want the confrontation. those offenders are just selfish individuals!!

[TomCruises]

Extreme and ridiculous!! Grab your towel and go lay on that beautiful green grass and sunburn. ;)

[sammyt]

Extreme and ridiculous!! Grab your towel and go lay on that beautiful green grass and sunburn. ;)

 

Hey, I was thinking about doing that, what do you think the crew members would do!

[TomCruises]

Hey, I was thinking about doing that, what do you think the crew members would do!

 

So much for thinking!:rolleyes:

[BriDos]

I don't mind the confrontation around the pool if it happens. I do not hesitate in clearing a lounge chair that has been vacated for 30 minutes or more if unable to find a vacant one. When the person(s) returns and has a problem, I refer them to the ship rules and the staff, never to hear from them again.

[J&BCRUZ]

I was just on the Solstice in Feb. I have never seen chair hogging so bad. It didn't help that the deck areas around the pools seems small and extremely crowded compared to other ships. I witnessed a woman complaining to an "officer" about chair hogs at the pool and heard the officer tell her politely in so many words,there was nothing they could or would do about it.They don't want to "upset" people. The pool staff was useless. So there you have it, your on your own on Solstice.

Of couse it appeared to be the same groups of noisy drunks hogging the chairs everyday! So good luck getting a chair in the sun.Celebrity will not enforce its own rules.