Every time you step on a cruise ship, you join a few hundred or a few thousand other people who are ready for a wonderful vacation. So, for as long as you’re on board, it’s important to be considerate of your fellow passengers. Skipping the line, smoking on a balcony, making noise in a hallway, or talking during a performance are just a few examples of disruptive behavior to avoid. But above all, don’t be a deck chair hog – it’s a top irritator on many cruises.
Chair hogs put
towels or other belongings on deck chairs (usually in a prime location, such as
next to the pool or looking toward the best view). Then they disappear,
expecting the chairs they claimed to remain theirs for the entire day – even
while other passengers are searching the decks for available chairs.
Chair hogging may
seem like standard cruise behavior, but it’s not a way to make new friends on
board. Chair hogging can make you unpopular among your fellow passengers and also
among the crew, who receive the frustrated complaints of other guests. Some
cruise lines now post rules intended to stop chair hogging: when a claimed chair
goes unoccupied for a certain length of time, the crew removes the belongings and
puts them in a secure location.
Whether or not your
ship has official chair-hogging rules, passengers often take matters into their
own hands when a deck chair is claimed but goes unoccupied. If you’re ever tempted
to hog a chair, remember that it may not be worth the risk of having your belongings
moved and misplaced.
If you take it upon
yourself to move a chair hog’s belongings, be sure to treat them carefully and
respectfully. It’s always best to ask a crew member for help. And, keep in mind
that chair hogging may be unintentional. A passenger who places their things on
a deck chair may sincerely intend to use that chair; but if they leave to find
a family member, get a bite to eat, or do an errand at the service desk, they
may be away much longer than intended.
Again, if you
don’t want others to hog chairs, don’t do it yourself. With deck chairs and
other shared amenities, do your part toward peaceful, pleasant coexistence with
your fellow passengers. For more tips about good cruise ship etiquette, talk with
Anita, your professional travel advisor.
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