One of the biggest issues when it comes to cruising, at least to hear frequent cruisers tell it, is the practice of chair hogging employed by some cruisers.

Chair hogs are those who come out to the pool area very early in the morning and through various methods “reserve” chairs to be used during prime pool hours. The method of reservation might be a towel placed on the chair, of a flip flop, or a piece of fruit.

A piece of fruit? It’s been known to happen.

thanks to that one person who left the orange. It was tasty! The one flip flop in one lounger, the other flip flop in the next lounger, the towel in the next one and the magazine in the next one was kind of lame, though. ~Kristi Williamson

The chair hogs then leave the pool area and go on about their day, secure in the knowledge that should they decide they want to come back and enjoy the pool later they have chairs at the ready.

How big of a problem is this? Pretty big, as evidenced by this statement made by BoardingArea blogger and avowed cruiser Marshall Jackson of MJ on Travel in one of his cruise reports:

The most amazing statistic from 2 weeks aboard this beautiful ship? For me, it was the fact that we never had trouble finding a pool chair. When was the last time you could say that on a cruise?

Need more evidence of the deeply felt emotions cruisers have surrounding the whole chair hogging issue? Over on the CruiseCritic forums a discussion about how to solve this problem nearly breaks out into a virtual fist fight.

Break a couple noses to send a message to the other hogs. Problem solved. ~Salt Wind

God help the person that steals my chair and towel while I spend a little time in the pool. ~StaceySteveDMB

You move my towel while I am taking a dip in the pool and you will need a life vest ~Jenal2

Interestingly, one cruiser suggests an elite-level benefit solution to the problem, which is quickly critcized as an unwanted class system:

On day 1 at 3pm, Diamonds get first pick and get to hang a name tag on the chair of their choice and then Platinum’s choose and then Gold and Red and Blue get chairs without name tags. ~TXFATGUY

That is realy lame! Some sort of class system has no class ~detroitlions

Even if you don’t cruise, this discussion is well worth a read if just for the entertainment value alone.

Read the thread in its entirety: Chair hog solution?