If you can find the pool manager and mention there are 100 reserved chairs that look vacant, they will put notices on the chairs and remove towels after about 30 minutes
I’ve known this happen too but not in every RC ship. I usually don’t care as I always have a cabin with a balcony so my own sunbed but on my next booked cruise I couldn’t get a balcony cabin & although I’m a early riser, I wouldn’t dream of placing a towel on a chair I wasn’t going to use immediately. The pool staff should make it clear ‘saved’ beds aren’t tolerated. Little point in having rules if they aren’t carried out.
We sailed on NCL a couple of years ago. Their pool attendants would put a sticker on an empty (saved) chair, with the time written on it. After 20 minutes, the attendant would return, bag the belongings and take them to lost and found.
@@kenleung506 Not too short. People leave their stuff and go eat breakfast or other activities. If everyone just took a chair when they actually wanted to use it, we wouldn’t have this problem.
I'm not personally super interested in sitting in a pool chair for an extended period of time, I'm usually just looking for somewhere to put my stuff down while I swim. Would be nice to see more ships with Cubbies for this purpose. Noticed on adventure that there are cubbies on either side of the solarium bar, great concept
Agreed! I personally love to lay out by the pool and make my pale skin not so pale anymore for about an hour or 2 lol. But so many when I went on my cruise last year just sit their stuff on pool chairs and use the chairs as a place to just put their stuff down while they swim! All the ships need to have a locker or cubbie area for personal belongings for people who aren't actively using the chairs.
It’s ok to put your stuff on a chair if your somewhere on the pool deck, in the pool etc. what isn’t ok is when people wake up at 6am go outside, put their towel on a chair and don’t come back to the pool deck till 12:00. But I do agree, they should have a cubby area to keep stuff if your just want to swim and don’t want to take up a chair
Once we were looking for chairs about 11 am and a bunch were hogged in one area. A guy sitting nearby said he had been there since 8 am and nobody had been in any of those chairs. We stopped a Deckhand and asked for the towels and book to be removed on two chairs. We sat down and soon told another couple looking for chairs the same thing. They couldn't get a Deckhand to remove the stuff so they moved it over and sat down. About 12:30 a guy comes and said these were his chairs and was yelling and cursing. He got a Deckhand and said we stole his chairs and punched him. Security interviewed everyone then watched the videos. Of course, the guy was lying so Security told him to pick his stuff up and leave. He then picked up stuff from 8 chairs around there. I'm sure he was a solo cruiser and just wanted no one around him. Too many jerks like that.
Yup happens All the time. I'm with you. We move there stuff too. I'm not letting these loosers ruin my cruise. If you stuff is sitting on a chair for 3 hrs chances are your sleeping in your room.
I tried all of these suggestions during my cruise to Greece. The one time that I did get a chair, I lugged it from a far corner and put it near the pool. There were dozens of chairs with towels draped on them. My husband and I took turns using this one chair. When we finished, I took the chair back to the original spot. I tried to get one of the pool loungers. It was empty and when I approached it, a really rude young girl threw his suntan lotion on it an yelled, "TAKEN!" Royal Caribbean needs to step up their game.
I am going to get up one morning and rip away every towel I see!!!!!!!!! I know you said not to do it Matt but It really fires me up when I see people doing it. I do have a casita booked for one of my sea days just so it doesn't get me upset as much.
I have been on 40+ cruises and have visited most Caribbean Islands, because of this, we don't even get off the ship anymore, unless it's a new port. Sometimes it seems that we have the ship almost all to ourselves. I do wish that RCCL would monitor the chairs more often but, it is what it is!!! I agree, confronting guests yourself if just not the way to go.
I've done that with the portable parking prohibited signs they use to reserve space for equipment during construction and road maintenance. I just pick them up and place them further back just enough space for my car to fit.
I usually avoid the pool area, unless there is an obviously open spot, and head straight to the top deck near the stairs. That way I can head down the stairs, cool off, then head back up to read and sunbathe. I've never seen a full deck above the pool area.
I prefer the decks where I can turn my chair around and look out to the ocean. I don’t mind standing around looking at the pool entertainment but I when I want a lounge chair, I want peace with a book, a drink and the ocean.
I was recently onboard freedom of the seas. No one was on the top decks. Easy access to all the bars and snacks but no one around. My wife and I loved it.
My strategy is to look around. If there is no one actually using the chair, I move all the towels to one chair and use whatever I want. If no one ever comes back when I leave I put them back. If someone actually does show up, there are usually places for them to sit. If anyone really needs the chair, they would already be there. I have used this strategy many times with no problem. If I was confronted I would ask for help. I am disabled and really need to be able to sit down.
@reynaldoflores4522 I'm 6'4 280 soild! I've moved peoples stuff and have been confronted numerous times. I simply say sorry, but no one was here and the chair was empty and they still argue about it. Yes I moved there stuff and yes they can go get it at the towel station but by then there are no chairs to be had and it sets them off. I don't scare easily and I do not get confrontational with these nuts because they think they own the ship and it's just not worth it but I'm certainly not going to let a chair hog ruin our cruise either. My advice to people is if it's empty more then 2 hrs chances are there still in there room sleeping.
if u have to return towels or get charged how is this such a problem? if all these people leave towels and never come back arent they owing $$$? i wouldnt want to leave my towel and risk it getting taken and lose $$$
I moved a couples backpack from one of the circular beds on Freedom 🤷🏻♂️ they came up 2 hours later and said , “ Oh we’re sorry “ . Like yea I’m sure you are 😂
If there are only towels (those of which are provided by the ship) on the lounger and no other personal items, we just move the towels onto another lounger and sit on there. If someone comes up to us saying they had the chair we just say sorry and move to another spot with towels and continue that way. Fair game if there are no personal items or is no one has returned for 30mins
Interesting.. I'm not shy, I'll still move items if I've seen the same chairs throughout the day or if I've been monitoring while sitting at a bar or something
I normally agree with most everything you talk about but this one was not it. What I heard is let the people come in the early morning and put their towels out and reserve the chars for after they get the kids up and have breakfast. I seen this on the Alaska cruise where they one person was tagging groups of chars and lounges. Your advice is let them and get what ever is left over when ever they get tired for the day. That is not "Beat the Char Hogs" that is more of "how to find leftovers".
It is also nice if groups/families consider only using 1-2 chairs per… that way someone in your group is usually “back and forth” to the chairs. We have done this for years and it works great! If more would do this, then there would always be enough space for a chair per family to “hold your stuff” and enjoy pools and sun!
I once observed a woman sitting in a chair and holding two vacant chairs for someone else. Someone came up and politely asked if she could sit in one of them until whoever returns. The chair hog agreed, the polite person occupied the chair for a couple hours then moved on. No One else sat in those chairs all afternoon.
I was just on the oasis of the seas, with my nephews and we couldn’t find a chair to put our shoes on the play in the pool. I took it up with the manager on the pool deck and he just blew me off. They are useless
People are so inconsiderate. Drives me nuts. If people would just stop reserving them when they aren’t even using them there wouldn’t be a problem. Port days are fine but I like getting off the ship to see what the place is about.
Great advice Matt thanks! For my girlfriend and I, we don’t mind sitting away from the pool then waking over when we want to go in. What really bugs us is when the pool is super crowded. Matt have you ever done a video on dining etiquette? Perhaps a video on all dining including specialty restaurants, but most importantly for The Windjammer. One of the most annoying things I’ve seen on other cruise lines and on my first Royal a few months ago, people don’t follow the proper flow of the line at the different food stations.
I often use the method of getting a chair that is not next to the pool but within sight of it. That keeps me close enough to cool off occasionally without having to get up at the crack of dawn and camp out all day
You shouldn’t have to do this though. Cruises are expensive enough. If only the crew would enforce the rules. If a sunbed isn’t used within 30 min of reserving, then remove the towels…end of.
On cruises we go with TUI. we tend to head towards in the indoor pool , as it a lot quieter , can have a indoor sun lounger and still able to grab a drink. on non cruises if we want a sun chair or chair the owners are usually very good and have taken action by removing the items if the person have left them for more then 1 hour and not come back.
Same here. I don’t want to lay ‘in the sun’, I just need a sunbed to put my things while I have a swim, then to lay on for a hour. The indoor pool is the place to go. Of course, you miss the pool ‘fun’, but I usually just want to read anyway.
On our recent Odyssey of the Seas cruise we witnessed two fights over pool chairs. This is more than an annoyance, it’s a problem. Those incidents and a few others put a bad taste in our mouth for Royal which is too bad because their ships are a lot of fun. The overcrowding seems to be the problem IMO.
@@renaldolama9517 Crowding is a problem on a cruise ships but I found Norwegian to actually take care of the problem. They are patrolling the decks and will remove items that happens on more than 20 minutes. If not, you can ask them to.
Great video. I'm not going to engage in a chair strategy while on vacation-this needs to be fixed by the cruise line. I'm mystified why this is even an issue. The only thing you're missing are wonderful views of obese people wearing bikinis & speedos, half-naked young adults, and middle-aged people talking about their stock portfolio, so others can hear. If this is a deal breaker for your trip, then complain in the online customer survey and try a different cruise line. I fail to understand why consumers don't vote with their feet more often. Cruise lines aren't government agencies; they will make immediate changes if something threatens their profits. Just my $.02
It’s just ridiculous! By 7 am you can’t find one and I was watching my little girl at kids pool ! Chairs was empty for more than 2 hours! No funny !!manager should do something it !! Was at Freedom of Sea on last April 22!
I’m going to set where I have to and keep my eyes on the chairs I want I wait 30 to 45 minutes and if no one shows I will take there stuff to the towel booth and have a seat if something is said I will tell them where there stuff is and tell them we waited no one shower tell them the rules and carry on
I don't like the sun, so not an issue. But getting a great seat in the shade is almost as difficult. It helps when you have a cabin mate (Brother Johnny V!) who gets up at 5am! Also, Port Days ON SHIP....that is truly Heaven! No crowds and quiet! Yes please! Happy Sails To You!
Thanks Matt for the pool chair hog video. Hopefully Chair Hogs will be considerate of others. As it works both ways really. Be apart of the solution and not the the problem so all might enjoy their vacation 😊
😄 I don’t think the word ‘considerate’ is in the Chair-Hogs vocabulary, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. The same as people with young families keeping their kids up in the evenings when they’re obviously tired & whiney just because they don’t want to shorten THEIR evening & take the kids back to their cabin. Admittedly though, you don’t get this as much on cruises as you do in resort hotels but it really gets my goat.
I usually hit up the Solarium. Most of the folks that tend to be chair hogs tend to go to the main pools, but I go to the "Adults Only" pool and have no issues finding a chair.
I usually wake up early, but on a couple of occasions I struck up a conversation with a couple of other guests and ended up splitting the chairs. Also, if you are starting to get tired about being on the pool deck and see someone looking, it doesn’t hurt to just offer your seat. Or if you see someone ditching their stuff to hold their seat, just kindly ask if you can sit there until their return…if it is a couple of hours you could be doing the chair hog a favour while getting yourself a seat. Most people don’t want a chair ALL day
was on RC and had my chairs in a little cove by the pool. Cove in a "u" shape. lady comes along with her chairs and sticks them right in front of our chairs , touching. We asked her to please move up a couple inches so we could get out. Shes said no and said we werent entitled to to sit there? We were trapped and she wouldnt move. had to climb on her chairs to get in and out, with drinks and stuff. Told the pool mgr and she called security which basically said get along or youre all going downstairs???? they basically rewarded this moron and let her stay there. I think her strategy was to make us so uncomfortable that we would move and she takes the spot. Im so tired of the pool chair game. Also if youre not out there by 8am , then youre not getting a chair by the pool
Royal Caribbean Chair Hogs I wish Royal Caribbean would enforce the 30min rule for saving a chair with some sort of belongs, towel, sunglasses, books, empty tote bags, etc. in the wee hours. I would bet that every booked passenger would donate US $10 to hire several TOWEL HOGS SECURITY GARDS FOR THIS SERVICE. Which would make all passengers able to get a chair whenever they are ready to seat around the pools or shade areas around the Ship. The security guards would only have to work for a few hours in the morning starting at sunrise for a couple hours. Then everyone has a fair share to get a chair for their couple of hours around the pools, etc. Thanks for listening.
That was my experience as well. My husband and I were unsuccessful in securing lounge chairs. I refused to get up that early on vacation just to grab a chair. I will definitely search for the pool manager on my next cruise.
Been up at 8am also on oasis ots and same thing every chair was taken with only 25% of the people there. Mostly books on every chair and a fresh dry towel and the net sometimes still over the pool! Guess have to start doing this on our next cruise too if royal won't step up.
My fiancé and I normally pile our stuff onto one chair unless we actually plan on sitting in them. I think if more people took this approach, less chairs would be "taken"
That is better than hogging two chairs but if you don't plan on actually sitting in the chair then please just put your stuff in a corner somewhere, so you don't hog any chairs.
I feel that if you have no personal belonging on the chair ( those towel clips don’t count) like a bag or flip flops, shoes, etc. then the people who are reserving the chairs are not at the pool or slides
Did a cruise earlier this month. We had chair hogs. We searched the deck but having my husbands service dog. Ppl, actually cared. They made sure we got at least a chair in the shade. There were 2 other dogs on the ship. One In A stroll.er and one on the island. That one ran after and attacked a service dog. But there was not any other poop bags other than my husbands service dog. So wtf. We’re actually not planning on cruising again bc of this. The staff and most passengers were great but some treated us like we were trash. Going to the islands we have had to pay to have them accept a service dog when they normally aren’t recognized. They have been better than most. Love cruising but just about done.
Me either, just the chap who hands out the towels & HE isn’t going to do anything about chair-joggers. The answer lies with YOU, Matt. You work for the company. What;s the point in having Rules if you aren’t going to implement them….you soon jump on any one trying to bring their own booze onboard. - & No, I never have. Shrugging your shoulders & just saying ‘suck it up’ is NOT a solution. The chair-joggers do it because they know the Company will let them get away with it. It doesn’t bother me as I usually have a cabin/balcony or I use the indoor pool but it’s unfair to others. 30 mins is long enough to leave a chair without an occupant on a busy cruise.
I don’t know what happen after this video was made but prices must have skyrocketed because today it’s $199 on port day and $349 for sea day for a casita 😢😂
I am so glad that all of those people love sitting by the pools. Because that means that my favorite spots on Royal Caribbean ships, the outside promenade decks, the heliport on many ships, and the terrace outside the Windjammer of Radiance class ships will be vacant, end quiet
I don't know about a cruise; but on a beach vacation we've had people actually take our chairs. So make sure you don't just have a generic towel on there. Throw on sunglasses, or a shirt or something. One was a cabana WE paid for. I couldn't believe it. We walked up to the guy and then he took off. Another one we didn't pay for it was just a regular chiar: we had a cooler on it. For some reason security walked off with our cooler and claimed it needed to be investigated.... fortunately, I didn't have my phone in it. There was no alchohol in it. So a cooler may not be a good idea.
My wife and I show up at the pool deck early, before breakfast (which is unpredictable on a sea day, right?). We pick our chairs, one of us leaves to get breakfast and bring it back, then I go (😉). We do all what you said, enjoy the sun, pool, read, or nap in the shade and then leave when it is lunch time.
Instead of the paying customer solving the problem that some asshole cruisers create, how about the Cruise line actually do their job? The problem is that cruise lines want to be the friend of everyone...and we all know in life that doing so is impossible. We were on an RC cruise many years ago and there was an actual pool attendant that removed towels and crap from reserved chairs after a long period of time. He was a fucking hero! But alas, complaints from latte sucking, big city, big money, spoiled brat cruisers forced RC to stop the practice.
That’s why they stopped enforcing the Pool Rules is it ? Interesting to know. One rule for them & another for the rest of us who have to suck it up. I don’t care as I always have a balcony cabin but most unfair for those that don’t.
How do we handle it? Luckily for my husband and I, we’re not pool people. There are better areas to lounge, take in the views and read a book without all of the splashing and chaos.
Would it be fair to say that part of the problem with RCL even being able to deal with this comes in the fact that you are required to register the number of towels that you take for use? Point being that if an RCL employee, or any guest for that matter, were to move your towel, they works technically be moving your $25 since that’s the cost for a towel that isn’t returned.
Book a suite. Spend 199 dollars a day for rental. Get up very early in the morning on a holiday to sit in a sunchair when it’s neither sunny or warm. Go late in the afternoon when it starts getting chilly. Miss out on port trips. Get splashed by water around the kids area… This is not “beating” chair hogs. This is taking it in the ass and accepting their premises by compromising on the quality of your own vacation while chair hogs get exactly what they want. If you see a chair being “reserved” and not used. Talk to a manager. If they won’t do anything. Remove the towel yourself. Take the sunbed to another area and leave the towel on the ground where the bed was.
just got off odyssey, someone reserved chairs in the sun, in the shade and in the solarium……. karma as the “shade” chairs ended up in the direct sun and she stormed off.. also on the second sea day the staff began to take off towels as the whole deck was vacant but towels everywhere!!! only downside to that is me and my partner had to jump out of the pool mid water aerobics to save our chairs! shame people ruin it for others
I am a large person and do not fit well in the seats, does Harmony have seats in theater where the arm rest go up. On Freedom & Oasis I found these seats where they do. I enjoy all of the information in this blog.
I might not get the chairs but I have a ton of fun seeing other people fight. Simply move the chair hogs belongings down a few. New people come and sit, hogs come back. PRESTO
I’m new to cruising so I apologize for my question. My question is…where do I put my belongings then when I’m in the pool? To my understanding, Walking around the a swim suit is a no and I need my towel to dry off. Of course, I’m going to be in the pool for more than 30 minutes.
You leave them on a chair. Most people don't spend more than 20 minutes cooling off in the pool. If you are going to stay in the pool more than 30 minutes you can place your stuff within site in a corner or even ask someone if you can leave it by their chair on the ground, they will keep an eye out for you.
Use the Solarium/Indoor pool where there are vacant chairs if all you want is a cool down. I wouldn’t dream of trying to get a chair in the deck-pool area & I don’t want one anyway….far too nosy.
…..but still no solution. As Matt works for the company how about he has a word with the Management about this problem. They make the rules - they should stick to them. If no-one uses a reserved chair within 30 mins of placing a towel there then it should be removed & allow others WHO HAVE ALSO PAID for their cruise to be able to use it.
Chair hogs aside... I chuckle to myself when guests arrive poolside around noon and have this perplexed "What, No Lounge Chair" look on their faces ;-)
I have read all 219 comments. Most comments mentioned personal belongings. How much crap are you all carrying around??? I was carrying sunglasses my sea pass / cabin key card and a pack of Extra Delicious Tax Free cigarettes. One day I added a book. What’s to steal? What’s got to be put in a cubby?? And why is there so much eating next to the pool? How lazy is everyone on vacation? I am pretty lazy to lazy in fact to carry extra crap fight with chair obsessed mothers and way to lazy to put up with other peoples horribly behaved children. There was tons and tons of space to check out the ocean. In lounge chairs. Most of them on my cruise went unused.
telling people to take chairs near the kids zones kind of adds its own problem you didn't want to be apart of. Parents who have kids actually want to use those to hang out while kids play.
When we were on Anthem in April, there was a sign next to the pool station that said if items are left unattended for 40 minutes or longer, items would be removed by a crew member and brought to the towel station. A crew member walked around the solarium all day with a clipboard and made note of unoccupied chairs with things on them. She would ask passengers in the hot tubs, pool and bar if the belongings were theirs. She did remove things. There was a group of women who had their belongings removed. They came back and were mad. They told her they were only gone about 30 minutes to eat. They were gone a couple hours as I was there the whole time. The crew member also told them she noted the time the things were left on the chairs. Kuddos to the crew! They had to share 2 table chairs and one lounger for the group of 6. The crew member even helped them get the chairs and find a lounger. The women didn’t even thank her.
@@kristen2209 thank you so much for telling me about your experience! 40 minutes is okay I think since you have time to eat unless there would be crazy lines… And yes, good on the crew for making sure they stick to their policy. Is it also possible to bring breakfast/lunch to the chairs?
@@anabelle.. Yes, you can bring food to your chair. It was nice on Anthem because you could get breakfast in the Solarium Bistro and bring it right to your chair. I did that every morning.
@@kristen2209 that’s perfect!! then you can be up early and just bring your food to the pool and stay all day in the sun. Thank you for letting me know!!
Thank you for asking. No, I would say that is chair hogging. If you are not using the chairs, e.g. leaving to eat lunch, then you should not be "saving" the chairs. Just because your next activity after lunch is sitting at the pool doesn't mean you get to keep the chairs. If you want lunch and the chairs, then get some food at the buffet and come right back. That only take 5 or 10 minutes being gone. Best to take turns.
Dare you to write various names on some paper or something that won’t below away and put them on their chairs “Betty’s Chair 🐷”, “Bob’s Chair 🐽” hahaha
those are the most useless solutions. you are saying avoid them so they can hog chairs just like they normally do. the best way to beat them is put a piece of paper with time and warning on the chair. if you still see the paper after 30 minutes, take their stuff and throw it in the trash. IT IS OUR JOB to intervene when there is a problem. if you see someone beating up an old lady, would you step up to intervene? if everyone steps up, it will solve the problem immediately. you really think the chair hogs can fight back when everyone else is looking down on them?
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If you can find the pool manager and mention there are 100 reserved chairs that look vacant, they will put notices on the chairs and remove towels after about 30 minutes
I’ve known this happen too but not in every RC ship. I usually don’t care as I always have a cabin with a balcony so my own sunbed but on my next booked cruise I couldn’t get a balcony cabin & although I’m a early riser, I wouldn’t dream of placing a towel on a chair I wasn’t going to use immediately. The pool staff should make it clear ‘saved’ beds aren’t tolerated. Little point in having rules if they aren’t carried out.
We sailed on NCL a couple of years ago. Their pool attendants would put a sticker on an empty (saved) chair, with the time written on it. After 20 minutes, the attendant would return, bag the belongings and take them to lost and found.
Why can't all Lines be like that?
NCL 20 minutes time constraint appear to be too too short concur chair hogs should be done away with
@@kenleung506 Not too short. People leave their stuff and go eat breakfast or other activities. If everyone just took a chair when they actually wanted to use it, we wouldn’t have this problem.
@@Jazzykatt23 Respect your opinion thanks
@@Jazzykatt23 20 minutes is definitely much to short. I go in the hot tub of pool for a least that amount of time.
I'm not personally super interested in sitting in a pool chair for an extended period of time, I'm usually just looking for somewhere to put my stuff down while I swim. Would be nice to see more ships with Cubbies for this purpose. Noticed on adventure that there are cubbies on either side of the solarium bar, great concept
Agreed! I personally love to lay out by the pool and make my pale skin not so pale anymore for about an hour or 2 lol. But so many when I went on my cruise last year just sit their stuff on pool chairs and use the chairs as a place to just put their stuff down while they swim! All the ships need to have a locker or cubbie area for personal belongings for people who aren't actively using the chairs.
@@CrispiePotato yes. This should definitely be a thing. Cause I just wanna be able to put my stuff somewhere.
It’s ok to put your stuff on a chair if your somewhere on the pool deck, in the pool etc. what isn’t ok is when people wake up at 6am go outside, put their towel on a chair and don’t come back to the pool deck till 12:00. But I do agree, they should have a cubby area to keep stuff if your just want to swim and don’t want to take up a chair
@@princesskkay221I would just move the Towels
Once we were looking for chairs about 11 am and a bunch were hogged in one area. A guy sitting nearby said he had been there since 8 am and nobody had been in any of those chairs. We stopped a Deckhand and asked for the towels and book to be removed on two chairs. We sat down and soon told another couple looking for chairs the same thing. They couldn't get a Deckhand to remove the stuff so they moved it over and sat down. About 12:30 a guy comes and said these were his chairs and was yelling and cursing. He got a Deckhand and said we stole his chairs and punched him. Security interviewed everyone then watched the videos. Of course, the guy was lying so Security told him to pick his stuff up and leave. He then picked up stuff from 8 chairs around there. I'm sure he was a solo cruiser and just wanted no one around him. Too many jerks like that.
Yup happens All the time. I'm with you. We move there stuff too. I'm not letting these loosers ruin my cruise. If you stuff is sitting on a chair for 3 hrs chances are your sleeping in your room.
I tried all of these suggestions during my cruise to Greece. The one time that I did get a chair, I lugged it from a far corner and put it near the pool. There were dozens of chairs with towels draped on them. My husband and I took turns using this one chair. When we finished, I took the chair back to the original spot. I tried to get one of the pool loungers. It was empty and when I approached it, a really rude young girl threw his suntan lotion on it an yelled, "TAKEN!" Royal Caribbean needs to step up their game.
I'd grab her suntan lotion and rub some on and say, "hey, thanks!"
the attendants need to do their job. The pool is a huge part of cruising experience.
I am going to get up one morning and rip away every towel I see!!!!!!!!! I know you said not to do it Matt but It really fires me up when I see people doing it. I do have a casita booked for one of my sea days just so it doesn't get me upset as much.
Relax. You are on a holiday, not a crusade! Enjoy your vacation.
I have been on 40+ cruises and have visited most Caribbean Islands, because of this, we don't even get off the ship anymore, unless it's a new port. Sometimes it seems that we have the ship almost all to ourselves. I do wish that RCCL would monitor the chairs more often but, it is what it is!!! I agree, confronting guests yourself if just not the way to go.
And you can always throw their stuff on the deck and move the chair to another area, they'll never know! LOL!!!!!
Lol! I like the way you think!
@@karenlockhart790 Fight 🔥 with 🔥!!!
Esp. if they've had a few drinks! LOL 😂
We tried that once. A lady came yelling. She had two sets of chairs, one in the shade and one in the sun that she would alternate between.
I've done that with the portable parking prohibited signs they use to reserve space for equipment during construction and road maintenance. I just pick them up and place them further back just enough space for my car to fit.
We eat breakfast at 7:00 at windjammer then get two chairs. We also leave and give up our chairs when we are done, so others can enjoy too!
And? Do you want a medal for being a decent human?
I usually avoid the pool area, unless there is an obviously open spot, and head straight to the top deck near the stairs. That way I can head down the stairs, cool off, then head back up to read and sunbathe. I've never seen a full deck above the pool area.
I prefer the decks where I can turn my chair around and look out to the ocean. I don’t mind standing around looking at the pool entertainment but I when I want a lounge chair, I want peace with a book, a drink and the ocean.
I was recently onboard freedom of the seas. No one was on the top decks. Easy access to all the bars and snacks but no one around. My wife and I loved it.
My strategy is to look around. If there is no one actually using the chair, I move all the towels to one chair and use whatever I want. If no one ever comes back when I leave I put them back. If someone actually does show up, there are usually places for them to sit. If anyone really needs the chair, they would already be there. I have used this strategy many times with no problem. If I was confronted I would ask for help. I am disabled and really need to be able to sit down.
That would only work if you're 6'5, 220 lbs. with brawny arms.
No chair hog would confront you.
@reynaldoflores4522 I'm 6'4 280 soild! I've moved peoples stuff and have been confronted numerous times. I simply say sorry, but no one was here and the chair was empty and they still argue about it. Yes I moved there stuff and yes they can go get it at the towel station but by then there are no chairs to be had and it sets them off. I don't scare easily and I do not get confrontational with these nuts because they think they own the ship and it's just not worth it but I'm certainly not going to let a chair hog ruin our cruise either. My advice to people is if it's empty more then 2 hrs chances are there still in there room sleeping.
if u have to return towels or get charged how is this such a problem? if all these people leave towels and never come back arent they owing $$$? i wouldnt want to leave my towel and risk it getting taken and lose $$$
I moved a couples backpack from one of the circular beds on Freedom 🤷🏻♂️ they came up 2 hours later and said , “ Oh we’re sorry “ . Like yea I’m sure you are 😂
If there are only towels (those of which are provided by the ship) on the lounger and no other personal items, we just move the towels onto another lounger and sit on there. If someone comes up to us saying they had the chair we just say sorry and move to another spot with towels and continue that way. Fair game if there are no personal items or is no one has returned for 30mins
The hogs often put items of no value to them like a book borrowed from the library or an old hat.
Hogs are on to that ploy, they now leave a hairbrush.
Interesting.. I'm not shy, I'll still move items if I've seen the same chairs throughout the day or if I've been monitoring while sitting at a bar or something
I normally agree with most everything you talk about but this one was not it. What I heard is let the people come in the early morning and put their towels out and reserve the chars for after they get the kids up and have breakfast. I seen this on the Alaska cruise where they one person was tagging groups of chars and lounges. Your advice is let them and get what ever is left over when ever they get tired for the day. That is not "Beat the Char Hogs" that is more of "how to find leftovers".
I was thinking this, too. I expected advice on how to actually deal with the chair hogs. I wish the RC attendants were more proactive.
It is also nice if groups/families consider only using 1-2 chairs per… that way someone in your group is usually “back and forth” to the chairs. We have done this for years and it works great! If more would do this, then there would always be enough space for a chair per family to “hold your stuff” and enjoy pools and sun!
We always get up early and stay with the lounger. My hubby and I take turns getting breakfast so one of us is at the chair
I once observed a woman sitting in a chair and holding two vacant chairs for someone else. Someone came up and politely asked if she could sit in one of them until whoever returns. The chair hog agreed, the polite person occupied the chair for a couple hours then moved on. No One else sat in those chairs all afternoon.
Sounds like a nice chair hog!
Is there such a thing ?
I will ask the pool manager to remove the towels that have been sitting there for a long period of time...simple
If they’ve been gone for more than 30 minutes, take their crap off, and make yourself comfortable.
That's what I do.
Yes Steve, it’s the pool managers duty to handle the chair problem. The rules are made by the ships management.
I was just on the oasis of the seas, with my nephews and we couldn’t find a chair to put our shoes on the play in the pool. I took it up with the manager on the pool deck and he just blew me off. They are useless
@@brycearmstrong9144
It is a real shame for RCCL
I would complain to the Hotel Director
Got a better service on the Freedom OTS
The only pool rules they enforce is the "reserved for suite guest"
People are so inconsiderate. Drives me nuts. If people would just stop reserving them when they aren’t even using them there wouldn’t be a problem. Port days are fine but I like getting off the ship to see what the place is about.
Great advice Matt thanks! For my girlfriend and I, we don’t mind sitting away from the pool then waking over when we want to go in. What really bugs us is when the pool is super crowded.
Matt have you ever done a video on dining etiquette? Perhaps a video on all dining including specialty restaurants, but most importantly for The Windjammer. One of the most annoying things I’ve seen on other cruise lines and on my first Royal a few months ago, people don’t follow the proper flow of the line at the different food stations.
Wrong use of THE I
@@robertosanchez4117 YOUR right 😜
Do you mean a line to go passed each station, or do you mean a queue at each station ? Not sure what you mean.
I often use the method of getting a chair that is not next to the pool but within sight of it. That keeps me close enough to cool off occasionally without having to get up at the crack of dawn and camp out all day
I reserved a Casita. Still had to wake up early to pick one. But I do think it was worth every dollar got a sea day Casita for $150.
You shouldn’t have to do this though. Cruises are expensive enough. If only the crew would enforce the rules. If a sunbed isn’t used within 30 min of reserving, then remove the towels…end of.
It's pretty easy, remove the towels and sit in the chair.
And when the hogs return: hey, they were empty. When did you leave them here?
Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.
On cruises we go with TUI. we tend to head towards in the indoor pool , as it a lot quieter , can have a indoor sun lounger and still able to grab a drink. on non cruises if we want a sun chair or chair the owners are usually very good and have taken action by removing the items if the person have left them for more then 1 hour and not come back.
Same here. I don’t want to lay ‘in the sun’, I just need a sunbed to put my things while I have a swim, then to lay on for a hour. The indoor pool is the place to go. Of course, you miss the pool ‘fun’, but I usually just want to read anyway.
i read a book ...inside ...in the AC w a view of the ocean ...aaahhhh so relaxing... and i do not get a sunburn 🤣😂🤣
It would be great if you could reserve a chair on the app. Similar to the way they have chairs on beaches.
On our recent Odyssey of the Seas cruise we witnessed two fights over pool chairs. This is more than an annoyance, it’s a problem. Those incidents and a few others put a bad taste in our mouth for Royal which is too bad because their ships are a lot of fun. The overcrowding seems to be the problem IMO.
You haven't been to an NCL pool then! Neither have I, and I've been on two cruises with then. Crowding is universal.
@@renaldolama9517 Crowding is a problem on a cruise ships but I found Norwegian to actually take care of the problem. They are patrolling the decks and will remove items that happens on more than 20 minutes. If not, you can ask them to.
Just pickup the towels & give them to any employee. The cabin stewards will note the missing towels & they will get charged for them. Simple.
Great video. I'm not going to engage in a chair strategy while on vacation-this needs to be fixed by the cruise line. I'm mystified why this is even an issue. The only thing you're missing are wonderful views of obese people wearing bikinis & speedos, half-naked young adults, and middle-aged people talking about their stock portfolio, so others can hear. If this is a deal breaker for your trip, then complain in the online customer survey and try a different cruise line.
I fail to understand why consumers don't vote with their feet more often. Cruise lines aren't government agencies; they will make immediate changes if something threatens their profits. Just my $.02
You have a good point. This made me laugh! I think I'd just avoid the pool all together.
It’s just ridiculous! By 7 am you can’t find one and I was watching my little girl at kids pool ! Chairs was empty for more than 2 hours! No funny !!manager should do something it !! Was at Freedom of Sea on last April 22!
Him: "I've got the top ways to beat the chair hogs...up next."
Me: A baseball bat???
I was going to give more violent suggestions, but hey, we’re all on vacation here. Let’s take it easy!
I’m going to set where I have to and keep my eyes on the chairs I want I wait 30 to 45 minutes and if no one shows I will take there stuff to the towel booth and have a seat if something is said I will tell them where there stuff is and tell them we waited no one shower tell them the rules and carry on
I’m not trying to be a butt but fair is fair
I don't like the sun, so not an issue. But getting a great seat in the shade is almost as difficult. It helps when you have a cabin mate (Brother Johnny V!) who gets up at 5am! Also, Port Days ON SHIP....that is truly Heaven! No crowds and quiet! Yes please! Happy Sails To You!
The pool is usually too loud. I find one on the side of the ship in the shade.
The only actual solution, pick up stuff off the chair and set it on the ground next to it. Chair is now free
this is why I paid for a casita on one of our sea days. I at least want ONE day I don't have to worry about it lol
If I’m sure that nobody is sitting there, I take their belongings, put it on the deck, and move the chair to another spot.
Thanks Matt for the pool chair hog video. Hopefully Chair Hogs will be considerate of others. As it works both ways really. Be apart of the solution and not the the problem so all might enjoy their vacation 😊
😄 I don’t think the word ‘considerate’ is in the Chair-Hogs vocabulary, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. The same as people with young families keeping their kids up in the evenings when they’re obviously tired & whiney just because they don’t want to shorten THEIR evening & take the kids back to their cabin. Admittedly though, you don’t get this as much on cruises as you do in resort hotels but it really gets my goat.
I usually hit up the Solarium. Most of the folks that tend to be chair hogs tend to go to the main pools, but I go to the "Adults Only" pool and have no issues finding a chair.
ADULTS ONLY, what a great concept. 4 out of 5 kids prefer Disney, 10 out of 10 adults hope they go on Disney.
@@ronbowman9387 Your comment doesn't even make sense!
It’s always the Solarium & Indoor pool for me. I don’t even bother looking for a chair on deck.
@@cruisingwithkristen adults wish the kids would stick to Disney cruises and leave the rest for adults only
I usually wake up early, but on a couple of occasions I struck up a conversation with a couple of other guests and ended up splitting the chairs. Also, if you are starting to get tired about being on the pool deck and see someone looking, it doesn’t hurt to just offer your seat. Or if you see someone ditching their stuff to hold their seat, just kindly ask if you can sit there until their return…if it is a couple of hours you could be doing the chair hog a favour while getting yourself a seat. Most people don’t want a chair ALL day
Sounds smart but in reality, chair hogs are not the type of people to share. Being a jerk is just as important to them as saving a chair.
Chair hogs are totally rude and evidently had no upbringing. I am pretty laid back but when it comes to rude people I don't have much patience.
was on RC and had my chairs in a little cove by the pool. Cove in a "u" shape. lady comes along with her chairs and sticks them right in front of our chairs , touching. We asked her to please move up a couple inches so we could get out. Shes said no and said we werent entitled to to sit there? We were trapped and she wouldnt move. had to climb on her chairs to get in and out, with drinks and stuff. Told the pool mgr and she called security which basically said get along or youre all going downstairs???? they basically rewarded this moron and let her stay there. I think her strategy was to make us so uncomfortable that we would move and she takes the spot. Im so tired of the pool chair game. Also if youre not out there by 8am , then youre not getting a chair by the pool
Royal Caribbean Chair Hogs
I wish Royal Caribbean would enforce the 30min rule for saving a chair with some sort of belongs, towel, sunglasses, books, empty tote bags, etc. in the wee hours. I would bet that every booked passenger would donate US $10 to hire several TOWEL HOGS SECURITY GARDS FOR THIS SERVICE. Which would make all passengers able to get a chair whenever they are ready to seat around the pools or shade areas around the Ship. The security guards would only have to work for a few hours in the morning starting at sunrise for a couple hours. Then everyone has a fair share to get a chair for their couple of hours around the pools, etc.
Thanks for listening.
That’s what I do !
walk around explore the ship you’ll be surprised how many spots you can find in the sun ☀️
On my last cruise I was up and at the lido deck by 8 am and ALL the chairs were taken. It was insane.
Yes I’ve witness the same thing.
That was my experience as well. My husband and I were unsuccessful in securing lounge chairs. I refused to get up that early on vacation just to grab a chair. I will definitely search for the pool manager on my next cruise.
Been up at 8am also on oasis ots and same thing every chair was taken with only 25% of the people there. Mostly books on every chair and a fresh dry towel and the net sometimes still over the pool! Guess have to start doing this on our next cruise too if royal won't step up.
This is why we get a balcony. We have our own quiet space, drinks delivered to the room. No problem.
My fiancé and I normally pile our stuff onto one chair unless we actually plan on sitting in them. I think if more people took this approach, less chairs would be "taken"
That is better than hogging two chairs but if you don't plan on actually sitting in the chair then please just put your stuff in a corner somewhere, so you don't hog any chairs.
To be honest I really don't
look for a chair at the pool because it's too loud over there. But if I want to for me works the best early rising
Got off Freedom of the Seas on Friday. The chairs were super crammed together. It was uncomfortable to get in and out of them.
I feel that if you have no personal belonging on the chair ( those towel clips don’t count) like a bag or flip flops, shoes, etc. then the people who are reserving the chairs are not at the pool or slides
Did a cruise earlier this month. We had chair hogs. We searched the deck but having my husbands service dog. Ppl, actually cared. They made sure we got at least a chair in the shade. There were 2 other dogs on the ship. One In A stroll.er and one on the island. That one ran after and attacked a service dog. But there was not any other poop bags other than my husbands service dog. So wtf. We’re actually not planning on cruising again bc of this. The staff and most passengers were great but some treated us like we were trash. Going to the islands we have had to pay to have them accept a service dog when they normally aren’t recognized. They have been better than most. Love cruising but just about done.
Please correct the title to "How NOT to beat the chair hogs and just live with it"
Thought the same.... Others mention "pool manager" but I've never seen a "pool manager" around. ha! #earlyriser
Me either, just the chap who hands out the towels & HE isn’t going to do anything about chair-joggers. The answer lies with YOU, Matt. You work for the company. What;s the point in having Rules if you aren’t going to implement them….you soon jump on any one trying to bring their own booze onboard. - & No, I never have. Shrugging your shoulders & just saying ‘suck it up’ is NOT a solution. The chair-joggers do it because they know the Company will let them get away with it. It doesn’t bother me as I usually have a cabin/balcony or I use the indoor pool but it’s unfair to others. 30 mins is long enough to leave a chair without an occupant on a busy cruise.
I don’t know what happen after this video was made but prices must have skyrocketed because today it’s $199 on port day and $349 for sea day for a casita 😢😂
I am so glad that all of those people love sitting by the pools. Because that means that my favorite spots on Royal Caribbean ships, the outside promenade decks, the heliport on many ships, and the terrace outside the Windjammer of Radiance class ships will be vacant, end quiet
Click bait. Doesn't stop chair hogs at all. I kept waiting for how to get the staff to remove items and free up chairs. Never came.
I don't know about a cruise; but on a beach vacation we've had people actually take our chairs. So make sure you don't just have a generic towel on there. Throw on sunglasses, or a shirt or something. One was a cabana WE paid for. I couldn't believe it. We walked up to the guy and then he took off. Another one we didn't pay for it was just a regular chiar: we had a cooler on it. For some reason security walked off with our cooler and claimed it needed to be investigated.... fortunately, I didn't have my phone in it. There was no alchohol in it. So a cooler may not be a good idea.
How long were you gone? Going to the bathroom or getting a drink etc just takes a few minutes. More than that is chair hogging.
My wife and I show up at the pool deck early, before breakfast (which is unpredictable on a sea day, right?). We pick our chairs, one of us leaves to get breakfast and bring it back, then I go (😉). We do all what you said, enjoy the sun, pool, read, or nap in the shade and then leave when it is lunch time.
Oh so is it possible to get breakfast and take it to eat by the pool?
Wish I had some pig token to place on the chairs when I walk by. Hahaha
Try putting that plastic play vomit on the chair next to their towels and when they move their stuff it's all yours.
Hi! Great video! Do I need to bring towels for the beach excursions?
Instead of the paying customer solving the problem that some asshole cruisers create, how about the Cruise line actually do their job? The problem is that cruise lines want to be the friend of everyone...and we all know in life that doing so is impossible. We were on an RC cruise many years ago and there was an actual pool attendant that removed towels and crap from reserved chairs after a long period of time. He was a fucking hero! But alas, complaints from latte sucking, big city, big money, spoiled brat cruisers forced RC to stop the practice.
That’s why they stopped enforcing the Pool Rules is it ? Interesting to know. One rule for them & another for the rest of us who have to suck it up. I don’t care as I always have a balcony cabin but most unfair for those that don’t.
Sorry I missed you last night, Matt! Hope you had a great stream!
How do we handle it? Luckily for my husband and I, we’re not pool people. There are better areas to lounge, take in the views and read a book without all of the splashing and chaos.
Great video ❤❤❤❤
Get up early and throw all the towel in the pool lol
Would it be fair to say that part of the problem with RCL even being able to deal with this comes in the fact that you are required to register the number of towels that you take for use? Point being that if an RCL employee, or any guest for that matter, were to move your towel, they works technically be moving your $25 since that’s the cost for a towel that isn’t returned.
Book a suite.
Spend 199 dollars a day for rental.
Get up very early in the morning on a holiday to sit in a sunchair when it’s neither sunny or warm.
Go late in the afternoon when it starts getting chilly.
Miss out on port trips.
Get splashed by water around the kids area…
This is not “beating” chair hogs.
This is taking it in the ass and accepting their premises by compromising on the quality of your own vacation while chair hogs get exactly what they want.
If you see a chair being “reserved” and not used. Talk to a manager. If they won’t do anything. Remove the towel yourself. Take the sunbed to another area and leave the towel on the ground where the bed was.
Disappointed that number 1 wasn't "Beat them physically"
Turn in their towel. They will get a $25 charge if they can't return it.
Keep it and make $25 for yourself.
Those were great ideas thinks Matt
You can avoid all this hassle by booking a suite in First Class. You would have your own reserved space with a deck chair.
I eat breakfast by the pool. One, to be able to get chairs. Second, to help reduce my calorie intake. Lol
I love all cruise ship royal caribbean is so larges't in world wonder of the seas my dream
just got off odyssey, someone reserved chairs in the sun, in the shade and in the solarium……. karma as the “shade” chairs ended up in the direct sun and she stormed off..
also on the second sea day the staff began to take off towels as the whole deck was vacant but towels everywhere!!! only downside to that is me and my partner had to jump out of the pool mid water aerobics to save our chairs! shame people ruin it for others
Good advice.
Thanks!
I am a large person and do not fit well in the seats, does Harmony have seats in theater where the arm rest go up. On Freedom & Oasis I found these seats where they do. I enjoy all of the information in this blog.
Thank you so much!
I might not get the chairs but I have a ton of fun seeing other people fight. Simply move the chair hogs belongings down a few. New people come and sit, hogs come back. PRESTO
Which pool was it that had chairs in the water?
We are taking our first cruise ever and have 9 kids. Any advice? Thank you for your videos it is really helpful
You're doing exactly what I would recommend: research as much as you can to be prepared.
Get the kids booked into the Kids Club. They’ll have a whale of a time & you should get some time to yourself - if that’s what you want.
I’m new to cruising so I apologize for my question. My question is…where do I put my belongings then when I’m in the pool? To my understanding, Walking around the a swim suit is a no and I need my towel to dry off. Of course, I’m going to be in the pool for more than 30 minutes.
You leave them on a chair. Most people don't spend more than 20 minutes cooling off in the pool. If you are going to stay in the pool more than 30 minutes you can place your stuff within site in a corner or even ask someone if you can leave it by their chair on the ground, they will keep an eye out for you.
Use the Solarium/Indoor pool where there are vacant chairs if all you want is a cool down. I wouldn’t dream of trying to get a chair in the deck-pool area & I don’t want one anyway….far too nosy.
Why are there not enough chairs for everyone? That says to me they’re over booked
If all said "chair hogs" have left is a towel, simply sit down. Pretend ignorance when they show up claiming the chair.
I can’t see how anyone can enjoy swimming in such busy, overcrowded conditions. Groups of strangers in hot tubs is gross.
I’m a natural early riser, so I get breakfast at 6am, then grab a chair for my wife and I
I totally read the title as “How to beat the hair clogs on your cruise ship” 😅
Pick up the items, hand to crew, “lost and found.”
Excellent Suggestions Matt! 👍😁
…..but still no solution. As Matt works for the company how about he has a word with the Management about this problem. They make the rules - they should stick to them. If no-one uses a reserved chair within 30 mins of placing a towel there then it should be removed & allow others WHO HAVE ALSO PAID for their cruise to be able to use it.
After a few days I figured if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em
That's just what the previous chair hogs said. You are also the problem.
Chair hogs aside... I chuckle to myself when guests arrive poolside around noon and have this perplexed "What, No Lounge Chair" look on their faces ;-)
It's easy to beat a chair hog... I just do them a solid favour and return their towel to the towel station.
I have read all 219 comments. Most comments mentioned personal belongings. How much crap are you all carrying around??? I was carrying sunglasses my sea pass / cabin key card and a pack of Extra Delicious Tax Free cigarettes. One day I added a book. What’s to steal? What’s got to be put in a cubby?? And why is there so much eating next to the pool? How lazy is everyone on vacation? I am pretty lazy to lazy in fact to carry extra crap fight with chair obsessed mothers and way to lazy to put up with other peoples horribly behaved children. There was tons and tons of space to check out the ocean. In lounge chairs. Most of them on my cruise went unused.
telling people to take chairs near the kids zones kind of adds its own problem you didn't want to be apart of. Parents who have kids actually want to use those to hang out while kids play.
What are the “rules” if you leave for lunch? Let’s say you’re gone for 30-40 minutes to grab lunch. Can you leave your towels on the chairs?🤷🏻♀️
When we were on Anthem in April, there was a sign next to the pool station that said if items are left unattended for 40 minutes or longer, items would be removed by a crew member and brought to the towel station. A crew member walked around the solarium all day with a clipboard and made note of unoccupied chairs with things on them. She would ask passengers in the hot tubs, pool and bar if the belongings were theirs. She did remove things. There was a group of women who had their belongings removed. They came back and were mad. They told her they were only gone about 30 minutes to eat. They were gone a couple hours as I was there the whole time. The crew member also told them she noted the time the things were left on the chairs. Kuddos to the crew! They had to share 2 table chairs and one lounger for the group of 6. The crew member even helped them get the chairs and find a lounger. The women didn’t even thank her.
@@kristen2209 thank you so much for telling me about your experience! 40 minutes is okay I think since you have time to eat unless there would be crazy lines… And yes, good on the crew for making sure they stick to their policy. Is it also possible to bring breakfast/lunch to the chairs?
@@anabelle.. Yes, you can bring food to your chair. It was nice on Anthem because you could get breakfast in the Solarium Bistro and bring it right to your chair. I did that every morning.
@@kristen2209 that’s perfect!! then you can be up early and just bring your food to the pool and stay all day in the sun. Thank you for letting me know!!
Thank you for asking. No, I would say that is chair hogging. If you are not using the chairs, e.g. leaving to eat lunch, then you should not be "saving" the chairs. Just because your next activity after lunch is sitting at the pool doesn't mean you get to keep the chairs. If you want lunch and the chairs, then get some food at the buffet and come right back. That only take 5 or 10 minutes being gone. Best to take turns.
On the Harmony and the hogs were out in force this morning.
Dare you to write various names on some paper or something that won’t below away and put them on their chairs “Betty’s Chair 🐷”, “Bob’s Chair 🐽” hahaha
I never save a chair. I don’t mind people do it but Do Not Do it all day
those are the most useless solutions. you are saying avoid them so they can hog chairs just like they normally do.
the best way to beat them is put a piece of paper with time and warning on the chair. if you still see the paper after 30 minutes, take their stuff and throw it in the trash. IT IS OUR JOB to intervene when there is a problem. if you see someone beating up an old lady, would you step up to intervene? if everyone steps up, it will solve the problem immediately. you really think the chair hogs can fight back when everyone else is looking down on them?