Royal Caribbean staff forced to step in against 'selfish' passenger act
Passengers welcomed the move but said often little was done to ensure people were abiding by the rules.
It's a battle many don't want to participate in, but often if there is any hope of kicking back and relaxing by the cruise ship pool, chances are holidaymakers need to act — and act fast.
Reserving pool chairs has long been a contentious topic due to the high stakes involved. Hopeful loungers can be left either empty-handed or face the wrath of fellow passengers who find themselves missing out.
Staff are being forced to step in, and pool chair markers were recently spotted around a pool of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. They read, 'Hold that thought. No reserving deck chairs. Unattended items will be held at the towel stand.'
Despite the sentiment behind the markers being praised online, many blasted the cruise ship staff for not enforcing the rules.
Do you have a story about reserving pool chairs on holiday? Contact reporter Sophie Coghill at sophie.coghill@yahooinc.com
'Selfish' passengers blasted for continuing to reserve pool chairs
Passengers online were delighted more official action had been taken by the cruise liner in an attempt to combat pool chair reservation, but many said little was done to actually ensure everyone was playing fair.
"Unfortunately this is an unenforced rule," one wrote despite saying it was a "good idea" in theory, while another person blasted all who choose to reserve pool chairs as "selfish".
"People don’t care about those signs. Not enough enforcement as anytime after nine [it is] very hard to find anything not reserved around the pool," a passenger wrote.
However, others said the intense tension has made it difficult to place belongings on a pool chair at all without being accused of misuse, even if it's for a short duration.
"I support monitoring the misusers... but what if I put my towels, book, phone etc down and go for a 20-minute dip. I’m not meant to take it all in the pool with me," one argued.
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Royal Caribbean stands firm on pool chair rules
The cruise company confirmed the rule was enforced on ships and there was a time limit on how long belongings can be on a pool chair before they are removed by staff.
"Pool deck chairs are only available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved. We want to ensure that all guests have a great time at the pool," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia. "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."
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