This Selfish Breach Of Cruise Ship Etiquette Is Bound To Drive Other Passengers Crazy

There's one particular breach of cruise ship etiquette — one of many secret cruise etiquette rules you may not know about — that's become so prevalent that some of the world's best-known cruise lines are stepping up to the plate to thwart chronic culprits. If you've ever been on a cruise, you probably know exactly what we're talking about. That's right. Chair hogs. Those me-first cruisers who get up early to stake claim to pool deck sun loungers only to disappear for hours — maybe they go back to bed for a couple of hours, squeeze in a workout, and savor a leisurely breakfast before returning to their unofficially reserved seat — never giving a second thought to how their hoarding affects the experience of their fellow cruise ship passengers.

Until recently, cruise ship passengers have been left to fend for themselves, weighing the consequences — and risking a potential confrontation if the offender eventually returns — by removing placeholders left behind by long-absent passengers and settling into the unoccupied sun lounger. It's such a sticky situation that some would-be cruisers have taken to social media to seek pre-cruise guidance from their more experienced counterparts. "On my last cruise, it seemed like people staked out their claim (I don't want to do that), but what is the appropriate time to wait before moving someone's stuff?" one cruiser asked via Reddit. While some respondents offered specific advice, others noted that an increasing number of cruise lines appear to be directing the crew to take countermeasures to discourage chair hogs. That's a proactive step up from more lenient policies that left it to passengers to decide whether or not to abide by posted rules.

Cruise lines are beginning to take action against chair hogs. Carnival Cruise Line enforces a 40-minute rule to deter chair hogging."On my last Carnival cruise, the attendants wrote the time on a piece of tape and stuck it to your chair," Kimber80 responded.  Another Reddit respondent, Madmariner7, noted having a similar experience on Norwegian Cruise Line — one of the best choices for a family cruise to Alaska — but said the pool staff didn't consistently enforce the deterrent, adding, "I know this takes some labor, but it makes the kind of guests that you really want happy; seems like a good investment." Pirates915, who also sailed with Norwegian Cruise Line concurred, but advised, "Be careful of people who have their stuff on a chair but are in the pool for a bit."

This brings us back to the potential consequences that can lead to unnecessary drama when passengers take matters into their own hands. If you begin to remove what may appear to be long-abandoned items on a pool chair and the supposedly absent cruiser turns out to be someone who's just taking an extended dip in the pool — you'll know it's them when you hear someone shouting something along the lines of, "Hey that's my stuff" — it's best to good-naturedly acknowledge your mistake and move on. No need for a stand-off. Which is also why some experienced cruisers say it's always good practice to request crew assistance before moving anything. As JohnBPrettyGood advised, "When it comes to 'moving stuff' I strongly suggest you have a Staff Member do it for you. Passenger vs Passenger conflicts are ugly. And then you have to spend the rest of your cruise avoiding people."

Or avoid the hassle altogether and take Kimber80's advice: "That's one reason I always book a seaside balcony room. Nobody can take that away from me, LOL."