Moving "reserved" towels?

[MSWint]

"Chair saving" happens often at CC also. On our Sept 06 cruise, we got up early on CC day to get down to the beach and get some prime seating locations ... we like the area just past that first life guard tower. It is very close to the bar, food, bathrooms, etc. Anyway, we were on the first tram over and someone had already got there and layed towels down on about 8 tables (sets of table, umbrella, chairs) in a row. He was sitting at the first set of tables near the life guard tower guarding all of his "saved" seating.

As I walked past him I made a comment that a towel does not "save" a chair ... well, I was just going to let it go and keep walking down past his saved 8 sets of tables ... no biggie. But, instead, he made some snappy comment that yes, towels do "save" chairs, we then proceeded to have a few choice words with each other. Anyway, this ticked me off enough that I decided I would take his last set of saved chairs down the beach, there were enough people streaming onto the beach by then and he had his hands pretty full with "saving" the remaining chairs that he didn't bother walking down to the end to see if I grabbed his last set of "saved" chairs.

Anyway, to make a long story short, he was travelling with a very large crowd of folks who finally showed up about an hour later, looked like a family reunion of sorts, and some of the folks were a bit surprised when he had not "saved" the proper amount of space for his very large party.

We got some dirty looks from him later, but we enjoyed it!!!!!

 

[cruisinluver]

Our rule is simple for the chairs by the pool, if you are not in it you are not using it. We don't care if you are in the pool, gone to the bathroom, or just gone "to get a snack". Rarely is any of our family in the water at the same time. Those who like to sun do not "need" to be right by the pool.

An empty chair as far as we concerned is fair game. Same thing in the theatres, where quite frankly seat saving is FAR WORSE, IMHO.

 

[koby]

I am usually just a lurker but the last post infuriated me. "We don't care if you are in the pool, bathroom etc...." What would give someone the right if I was cooling off in the pool for 2 minutes to touch my bag containing my ipod, camera, videocam and other stuff. For the poster to imply that my butt literally has to be in the chair at all times, is just ridiculous. There is a big difference between saving a chair and using a chair.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

Our rule is simple for the chairs by the pool, if you are not in it you are not using it. We don't care if you are in the pool, gone to the bathroom, or just gone "to get a snack". Rarely is any of our family in the water at the same time. Those who like to sun do not "need" to be right by the pool.

An empty chair as far as we concerned is fair game. Same thing in the theatres, where quite frankly seat saving is FAR WORSE, IMHO.

I understand the rudeness of saving chairs an hour or more before you plan to MAYBE use them. However I do not think DCL ever meant for a mom with one chair who's kid comes up and tells her, "Mom, I need to go to the restroom." and she takes him for 4 1/2 minutes needs to give up her chair for it.

AND even though I have read about it on here many times, I did not see much saving of seats in the shows except one night when one grandma was doing so. We were always pretty near the front of the line. Having 6 of us, we took three seats in front of three seats instead of 6 in a row. ONE night I went back out and got DH and I a drink, no problem. Now we were not trying for the front row either. We found aisle seats on the left or right sides to have a better view than dead center. You are looking down the empty aisle instead of into someone's head, great for the kids to sit on the aisle.

 

[cruisinluver]

The problem is, it is not HER chair. Secondly, rarely is a chair saved with an IPOD, videocamera, camera, bag. Usually it is a shoe, or a book, or even a bottle of suntan lotion.

Coming by, no one has any idea if someone has "just gotten into the pool" or "just run to the bathroom". I stand by my feelings. If you are not in the chair, it is free for anyone as no one else is using it.

 

[akdaisy]

....and this is why we only go to the pool on port days.

 

[eva]

I agree koby. I didn't know you had to be literally glued to the chair. I think a quick trip to the restroom or a 5 minute dip in the pool is fine. DH and I usually spend a couple hours by the adult pool each day. Often one of us would go get us a drink or use the restroom. If someone thought they had a right to his chair with me sitting right next to it and his bag, book, and sunscreen on it, I would not be thrilled. I guess my rule is, if you leave the pool deck for more than 15 or 20 minutes, your chair is open. And for sure a towel by itself will not hold the spot. Usually when I see just a towel, I assume that the person left with their belongings and just didn't put the towel in the bin. I must admit that I have a hard time moving personal belongings. But after 30 minutes or so, I will move them. If people were more courteous and just used plain old common sense about this, we wouldn't have nearly as many problems.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

I have wondered this from time to time . . .

Could it be that some of the stories of crusiers acting selfish are more often (NOT ALWAYS!!!!) on the shorter cruises (ie The Wonder) than the 7+ nighters (ie The Magic). BECAUSE you are trying to do more in less time and feel pressure to do so. Just for that reason - trying to do it all in less time. Our cruise was very crowded - Spring Break. Brent mentioned several times that we had over 1100 children on-board! BUT I did not see problems much on deck 9 or 10 or at CC or at the shows.

May a poll could be constructed to see if there is a trend.

"Did you see a lot of attempted chair saving on your Wonder Cruise?"

"Did you see a lot of attempted chair saving on your Magic Cruise?"

NOW there is a greater trun over of Wonder cruisers each week since it fills up twice.

Just thinking!

 

[CapnJackGroupie]

Our rule is simple for the chairs by the pool, if you are not in it you are not using it. We don't care if you are in the pool, gone to the bathroom, or just gone "to get a snack". Rarely is any of our family in the water at the same time. Those who like to sun do not "need" to be right by the pool. QUOTE]



Frankly, I'm scared.

 

[DMMarla07860]

The problem is, it is not HER chair. Secondly, rarely is a chair saved with an IPOD, videocamera, camera, bag. Usually it is a shoe, or a book, or even a bottle of suntan lotion.

Coming by, no one has any idea if someone has "just gotten into the pool" or "just run to the bathroom". I stand by my feelings. If you are not in the chair, it is free for anyone as no one else is using it.

I usually have my bag with my ipod, video camra, camra, and I shirt in it and then just usually take a quick 5 minute dip, since i am not a water person. If somebody felt the need to touch my stuff and just put it on the ground I would be pissed.

 

[dpuck1998]

I don't agree with moving peoples "stuff" if they appear to be nearby, but those are the rules Disney posts in the Navigators. If your not in the chair then its free game. Like I said before, the abusers ruin it for everyone else.

 

[plutojudy]

Refresh us, what is the extact wording in the Navigator?

 

[Celestine]

We Brits have long been the sufferers of such antics by the German tourists around Europe and the Med vacation resorts. This advert was produced to show how to beat them at their own game, not very PC but funny all the same and mean't in good humour. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIJqF8av6I

if the link does not work search YouTube.com for Carling black label sunbeds

 

[FreeTime]

On our last cruise I was on a lounger and DH had a sit up chair (by the loungers for grandpa to sit in as he can't sit on the low chairs, maybe we shouldn't have moved it since it belonged at a table??) anyways, some grandparents kept walking by but never said anything to us. I kept reading my book and the kids would come back and forth occasionally to check in. Finally the person in the lounger beside me got up and the grandparents laid a little girl who was sleeping in the chair. Then stood overtop of her. I got so annoyed with someone standing 2 inches away from me that we got up and left. He thanked me for it. What I didn't understand was why one of them didn't take the girl back to the room for a nap instead of taking up 3 chairs for her to sleep. Maybe they had other kids around, but couldn't one of them waited by the pool for the others??

 

[dpuck1998]

Refresh us, what is the extact wording in the Navigator?

For the courtsy of all guests, reserving sun loungers on deck 9 and 10 is not permitted

 

[oceangirl]

Clearly this is a sensitive topic, but it seems to me, as a previous poster noted, that "reserving" a chair (per DCL's wording) is completely different than being in a chair and using it, but having to go to the bathroom or wanting to cool off in the pool for a few minutes. Surely, DCL does not intend for people to pounce on and occupy chairs that are only temporarily empty because of the aforesaid and similar reasons. Can't there be agreement among us on even this seemingly obvious distinction? Some of the previous comments indicating that an even momentary absence validates taking someone else's chair are very distressing, particularly on this board.

 

[eva]

oceangirl, I agree. I can't believe that DCL thinks that a mother taking a young child to the bathroom should lose her chair. I'm pretty sure when they say "For the courtsy of all guests, reserving sun loungers on deck 9 and 10 is not permitted.", they are not counting the above situation as reserving a chair. I think they are talking about people who leave things on chairs who aren't even on the pool deck.

 

[Billinaz]

oceangirl, I agree. I can't believe that DCL thinks that a mother taking a young child to the bathroom should lose her chair. I'm pretty sure when they say "For the courtsy of all guests, reserving sun loungers on deck 9 and 10 is not permitted.", they are not counting the above situation as reserving a chair. I think they are talking about people who leave things on chairs who aren't even on the pool deck.

I don't think that anyone would have an issue with taking a kid to the bathroom then sitting back in your seat.

Having seats "saved" with one shoe, one bottle of lotion, one towel that never get sat is what gets me unhappy. I gladly move them then sit down.

If you are going to luch inside beach blanket then returning to your seat 30 minutes later, dont expect it to be there.

If you are getting something from the counter serves there then returnign to your seat to eat it, that should be allowable.


Bottom line....................................................simple common courtesy.

On one cruise I was one of the first with my family of 5 into the Walt Theater. As I was almost to the front row a guy with a kid RAN past me and sat about 8 seats apart. When I sent to sit down, he said those seats were reserved.

I sat with my family and told him that you cannot reserve seats, especially with nobody there. His response was that his family was on the way. I told him that there was no way he could not do that as they announe it on the tv and its in every single navigator. He said that he nevver read the navigator... funny he knew the show schedule!

I told him to get in line earlier next time, and have everyone there. I was not moving and if he didnt like that to find a cast member to tell and they would tell him he could not do that.

The guy moves back a row and starts telling his kid that because of rude people he cannot with the rest of the family.

What a jerk.

Funny thing was that when his family got there 30 minutes later I heard his wife tell him that he could not save seats...........

 

[PizzieDuster]

We Brits have long been the sufferers of such antics by the German tourists around Europe and the Med vacation resorts. This advert was produced to show how to beat them at their own game, not very PC but funny all the same and mean't in good humour. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIJqF8av6I

if the link does not work search YouTube.com for Carling black label sunbeds

Ah ha ha...

That is such a crack up!

 

[dpuck1998]

Clearly this is a sensitive topic, but it seems to me, as a previous poster noted, that "reserving" a chair (per DCL's wording) is completely different than being in a chair and using it, but having to go to the bathroom or wanting to cool off in the pool for a few minutes. Surely, DCL does not intend for people to pounce on and occupy chairs that are only temporarily empty because of the aforesaid and similar reasons. Can't there be agreement among us on even this seemingly obvious distinction? Some of the previous comments indicating that an even momentary absence validates taking someone else's chair are very distressing, particularly on this board.

I totally agree. I was just pointing out what DCL stance is regarding saving chairs. I wouldn't take someones chair if it were clearly occupied and in use. I'm just