Sarah BretzAh, chair hogs. If you’ve been on a cruise, you’ve seen them. They’re usually out on the pool deck in the early morning hours, covering lounge chairs with towels and other belongings to “reserve” them. They then disappear to other parts of the ship for hours on end, leaving others who arrive to the pool deck later with nowhere to sit.
“The early bird gets the worm,” you might say. Not so fast. Hogging deck chairs like this is rude and unfair to those who will use these prime lounge chairs immediately. Many cruise lines have policies concerning those who hog deck chairs. Here’s the rundown on each cruise line’s policy and some tips and tricks to make sure you get a lounger and are able to make the most out of your day by the pool.
What is a chair hog, anyway?
As mentioned, a chair hog is someone who, quite literally, hogs a chair. Specifically, it’s someone who thinks that they have the rights to a chair they don’t plan on using right away — or for long periods of time — but still want to keep it for themselves. On a cruise, you’ll mostly find people hogging deck loungers, especially in prime spots like right next to the pool.
Chair hogs usually come out early in the morning before most other passengers have gotten up and around for the day, placing towels and other belongings on loungers to “reserve” them. Instead of sitting down and using the chair right away, they then go do other things on the ship — sometimes for hours on end. Maybe they haven’t even gotten ready for the day so they’ll head back to their cabin to take a shower, go have breakfast, or do any number of other activities that do not involve using the lounger they saved on deck.
Let’s be clear: going between your chair and the pool is fine. You can even hop into the buffet to grab a snack as long as you come right back to your chair with it. You’re still on the same deck, and you’re still using it. That’s not considered chair hogging. Chair hogging is when you fully leave your chair to go do something else for an extended period of time, intending to save your prime spot for whenever you feel like coming back. It’s selfish, and prevents others who want to actually use the lounger in the moment to use it.
How long can you leave your chair unattended?
Many cruise lines have policies on how long a guest can leave personal belongings on a chair that is unattended (we have specifics on that below). Once that time limit is up, crew members reserve the right to remove belongings so that others can use the lounger.
While these policies vary by line, a good rule of thumb is to try not to walk away from your chair for more than 20 or 30 minutes. But remember, as we said previously, this doesn’t mean you have to set a timer for how long you’re in the pool if your lounger is nearby. Crew members and guests generally understand that, of course, you’re likely going to be swimming if you’ve snagged a chair by the pool.
When is the best time to snag a deck chair?
The best time to snag a lounger in an ideal spot is, as the chair hogs know, in the early morning. The caveat is that if you’re getting up early in the morning to grab chairs, you need to be ready to actively use them. That’s not a bad thing, though! It can be very peaceful to head out into the sunshine before other passengers and have some quiet moments at the pool to yourself.
If you aren’t looking to wake up early, there are other times you’re likely to find a great spot on deck. If it’s a port day but you’re planning to stay on the ship or not get off until the afternoon, head up to the pool. Chances are the deck will be pretty empty. Another great time is just before and during the dinnertime hours, as many guests are either in their cabins getting ready or are eating dinner.
If you’re one of the first people to board the ship on embarkation day, you also have a shot at getting a prime spot on the deck before the crowds arrive — just be sure to move quickly because lots of other cruisers have the same idea!
What are cruise lines doing about chair hogs?
Most major cruise lines have policies in place to help prevent guests from hogging deck chairs. Here, we’re going over those rules.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line has a system to prevent guests from reserving sun loungers on its ships. On the line’s FAQ page, the policy says “Shipboard team members, the ‘ChairShare Team’ monitor sun lounger usage and if they observe a seat that contains a towel or personal belongings (flip-flops, books, etc.) but appears to be unoccupied, a sticker is placed on the chair indicating the time the sticker was placed and when personal items will be removed. If the chair remains unoccupied for 40 minutes, the contents are removed and held for the guest’s safekeeping.”
Announcements by the cruise director, signage on outdoor decks, on the poolside theater screen, and in the Carnival HUB app remind passengers of this policy.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean’s policy states that pool deck chairs are available on a first come, first served basis and reserving isn’t allowed. The line’s policy states that “If a pool chair is left unattended for more than 30 minutes with no signs of any guests returning, our crew will remove any belongings and place them in the lost and found.”
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line’s guest conduct policy says that “pool, deck and theatre chairs may not be reserved.” It doesn’t elaborate on what the line’s official policy is to prevent chair hogs. But past guests have indicated that crew members use the sticker method, marking loungers that have been unattended for a while and then coming back about an hour later to remove the belongings if the occupant hasn’t returned. Since NCL doesn’t indicate a specific time period before items are removed on its website, the policy may differ from ship to ship.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises’ conduct policy states that pool and deck chairs cannot be reserved, except in cases of a disability. An onboard notice says, “In consideration of all our guests, unattended personal items will be removed after 30 minutes and safely stored for your protection. You may collect them at the Guest Relations Desk.”
Holland America Line
We can’t find an official policy on reserving deck chairs on Holland America’s website. However, the line has put out signs on its ships that say “Please do not reserve seats. Towels left unattended for more than 30 minutes will be removed.”
Princess Cruises
We can’t find an official policy on Princess’ website about reserving deck chairs. However, past guests have indicated that crew members do remove towels on chairs if they have been unoccupied for a while.
MSC Cruises
On MSC Cruises’ FAQ webpage, the line says that sunbeds “cannot be reserved” and that guests are “kindly requested not to occupy deck chairs and sunbeds by leaving their personal items for any long absences (more than 30 minutes).” The policy doesn’t state whether crew members pick up belongings after 30 minutes or where they put them if/when they do.
Disney Cruise Line
We can’t find an official policy about reserving deck chairs on Disney Cruise Line’s website. However, a post on Disney’s official PlanDisney website says that “Disney Cruise Line does ask that guests not reserve chairs by leaving towels on them” and that “if you see chairs that are left unattended for quite some time, only having a towel on them, don’t hesitate to chat with a Cast Member about that, as they will most likely remove the towel for you so you can have the chair.”
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages’ onboard policies web page says that “in fairness to all our Sailors on board, we think everyone deserves a spot in the sun. If you leave any items unattended on chairs or loungers for more than 40 minutes, we will remove it and safely store it in lost property located at Sailor Services on Deck 5 Mid.”
What should you do if you notice someone being a chair hog?
It’s important to remember that even if the cruise line you’re sailing has an official policy concerning chair hogs, not every cruise ship or crew member may be diligent about enforcing it. We’ve heard about lots of instances where a cruise line does have a posted policy about people leaving their things for extended periods of time, but crew members don’t ever come around to remove things after the set amount of time.
In this case, if you know someone has been gone a while and you want their chairs, find a crew member and ask them to remove the items. Though you could move them yourself, it’s best to let a crew member handle it.
Otherwise, there’s not much else you can do. Try to find chairs in a nice spot elsewhere on the deck. Or, look for another sundeck to enjoy the fresh air. Above all else, try not to let someone else’s selfish actions ruin your day. Chances are, there are lots of things to do and spots to relax on your cruise ship. Enjoy your vacation, even when things don’t work out exactly the way you would have wanted them to.
Comments
What are your thoughts on chair hogs? Do you think the cruise lines do a good job enforcing these policies? Drop us an anchor below to share how you’ve dealt with these annoying passengers on a cruise.
