Deck chair hogs are one of the biggest pests to cruisers. They surface early, stake their claim with a few personal items, and then disappear for as long as they please. Most cruise lines now have policies working against these occupiers; however, just in case, we have come up with 5 ways to avoid deck chair hogs on your next cruise.
1. Get There Early
The early bird gets the worm, right? The best way to best a deck chair hog is to simply beat them to the draw. If you really want the best chair on the block, plan to get to the deck as early in the morning as you can.
2. Ask a Crew Member
These days, practically every cruise line has a deck chair policy that limits how long someone can reserve a chair. On most ships, a crew member will remove a cruiser’s items after 45 minutes or 1 hour, depending on the line’s policy. The crew will hold onto the items until the cruiser comes to claim them, but in the meantime their deck chair becomes fair game.
3. Find Another Deck
Maybe you had your heart set on some prime lido deck real estate, but don’t be so quick to write off other decks. Most ships these days have a private, adults-only deck space that typically offers more peace and quiet than the lido deck, or many lido decks offer multiple levels and multiple pools to lounge around. Give the whole ship a walk-around before you throw in the towel (pun intended) on your sunbathing.
4. Book a Balcony
If a guaranteed chair in the sun means that much, it may be in your best interests to book a balcony or suite stateroom. That way, you don’t have to worry about chair hogs at all because you will have your own personal piece of deck space the entire cruise.
5. Cruise in the Off-Season
While it offers no guarantees, cruising in the off-seasons may help alleviate some of the additional crowds found in the summer and around the holidays. This also means there will likely be fewer children on your cruise, meaning fewer people on the lido deck and near the pools overall.
