Would you pay a little extra for a premium deck chair in a great spot, maybe something near the pool, on a sea day? According to a story making the rounds, one man figured out a way to make money that even the cruise lines themselves — always good at charging for perks — hadn’t. Donning an official looking shirt and walking around with a clipboard, he rented deck chairs to those willing to pay the very reasonable price of $12 for a half day and $20 for a whole day.
Too Good To Be True
According to a story posted to DudeHumorReport, the man in question awoke early each morning, claimed chairs with rolled up towels and then sold the use of them to guests. After being caught when a guest approached an actual crew member asking where they could pick up their reservation confirmation, the man supposedly was escorted off the ship while those watching him be removed applauded.
Of course, there’s not a bit of truth to the story. The site on which it started describes itself as “a social media page that shares satirical and fictional ‘reports’ of absurd, humorous and often elaborate situations.”
They go on to say that their content “is presented as official-sounding news stories but is clearly for entertainment.”
Why It Was Easy to Believe
As the internet did what it does, the story began to spread with some reposting it as if the humorous scenario had truly unfolded. Why? Well, like the best hoaxes, it has enough of a ring of truth that it’s highly believable.
Who hasn’t walked along the lido deck on a sea day, grumbling about the lack of chairs available? How many articles have we read about those notorious chair hogs who rise early, plop their belongings onto a lounger and then vanish for hours? If, on a day like that, one were approached by someone wearing what looked like an official cruise line outfit, bearing a clipboard and offering to sell a spot for less than $20… well, mightn’t you be tempted?
Of course, there are very obvious signs that the story wasn’t legitimate. For example, how were guests paying for the premo spots? A “cash-only” operation would be suspicious, and it’s not as if they could pay via their Sail-and-Sign card or Medallion.
Could Fiction Become Fact?
More than a few of those who read the story noted that while false, it’s not hard to imagine it becoming a reality. Already, most cruise lines have at least some form of pay-to-play cabana situation, both on the ship and at private destinations such as Great Stirrup Cay or Relax Away Half Moon Cay. So is it really that far-fetched to imagine a day when a cruise line decides to rent all of the lounge chairs, priced based on location.
And of course, once a single cruise lines makes a move, the others follow suit. (Need convincing of that? Watch what happens the next time a line ups their daily gratuities.) So while the story making the rounds is not true, it does — like all good satire — hit close to home. Or, in this case, close to the pool… where you can never find a free lounger!
Read Next: Is Chair-Hog Lawsuit a Warning?
