VACATIONERS will soon have a new rule to abide by when vying for a spot in the sun.
And people who claim loungers by the pool by putting their stuff on the chair and then leaving for hours might not be happy.
Dozens of loungers line a crowded beach[/caption]
Lounge chairs line a cruise ship’s open deck[/caption]
Lounge chairs closest to the water are a hot commodity[/caption]
In a move to benefit all travelers, Carnival Cruise Line plans to enforce a rule that looks to end lounge chair hogging.
Life Well Cruised’s Ilana Schattauer shared a video on YouTube to explain Carnival Cruise Line’s new rule.
Carnival began testing a 40-minute rule in 2024 on some ships, though Schattauer noted she’s seen it on other cruise lines as well.
“What happens is if crew members notice that a chair is unoccupied for a certain period of time, they’ll place a little notice or note card on the chair that will say the time,” she said.
When 40 minutes have passed, the items on the chair get removed.
Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have rules in place to clear unattended chairs.
Their policy will have crew members dump your stuff at a towel stand if you’ve left it sitting on an unoccupied lounger for too long.
However, they don’t enforce these rules often, as it can lead to awkward situations.
When a guest returns to find their chair occupied, they could end up facing off with the new occupant, even though it’s the cruise line and not the guest that moved their belongings.
“If they are not back by that time, we will remove it,” Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald posted on his Facebook page.
“It’s only fair to make it that way. Ever since I’ve worked on cruise ships, there’ve been people desperate to get the chairs,” he added.
“We are doing our very best. It’s not a perfect system; it would be silly of me to suggest otherwise. But it is something we need to do.”
But Royal Caribbean’s policy is different from Carnival’s.
According to Royal Caribbean’s policy pool-deck chairs can be reserved for 30 minutes.
“Pool deck chairs are only available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved,” its website states.
“We want to ensure that all guests have a great time at the pool.”
We are doing our very best. It’s not a perfect system; it would be silly of me to suggest otherwise. But it is something we need to do.
John Heald
And crew members will place belongings unclaimed after 30 minutes in the lost and found – not at a towel station like Carnival.
Royal Caribbean passengers had their thoughts about the rules.
“I have no problems or shame taking a towel off of a chair and placing it neatly to the side while myself and my family occupy an otherwise vacant space,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“I’ve had this discussion with folks on All Inclusive forum boards and while I do remove the towel, I remain amicable to the situation and offer to move if indeed someone had a legitimate reason to leave their stuff (ie. were in line for a drink, etc).”
“I wish RCI would just make cubbies or something where people can keep their towels, sunscreen, and stuff while they’re at the pool,” added another user.
