Chair-hogging wars heat up as cruise travelers use sneaky tactics amid crackdowns

Chair hogging has long been a problem on major cruise lines — and now a few popular companies are cracking down on so-called pool pirates.

For decades, cruise passengers have practiced a time-honored tradition of grabbing anything they can find — towels, flip-flops, even dolls — to reserve lounge chairs by the pool for hours when the individuals are nowhere to be found, according to several cruise blogs.

Now, social-media reports indicate Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is getting serious about the issue.

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"Norwegian Cruise Line is earning praise from passengers for actually enforcing its chair-hogging policy," according to the unrealcruises Instagram account.

"Crew members aboard Norwegian Escape have been actively marking unoccupied chairs and removing towels and personal items from loungers left unattended," the post continued.

"Passengers reported that crew members began marking reserved chairs with stickers at approximately 10 a.m."

The post went on, "If the chairs were not occupied an hour later, crew members removed items, so other guests could use the space. The enforcement has received overwhelmingly positive reactions from cruisers."

Fox News Digital reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line for comment.

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The cruise line's official policy about reserving chairs can be found on its company website.

"Pool, deck and [theater] chairs may not be reserved," the website states.

The policy continues, "Topless sunbathing is not permitted. Boom boxes or loud radios are not permitted."

It adds, "Roller blades, roller skates, skateboards, scooters, surfboards, bicycles and similar items may not be utilized on-board, except for mobility aids related to special needs, as approved by the ship's management."

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Cruise passengers sounded off on Facebook, Reddit and Instagram about the deck drama.

"We faced this on the [Norwegian] Bliss, but my husband was my hero," one NCL passenger wrote on Facebook recently.

"I avoided the confrontation. He went and put the stuff on the ground behind the chairs, and we came and sat down. He would tell them they know the rules, and too bad for behaving worse than a child."

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Another traveler responded by saying, "You shouldn't touch people's belongings. … Have the attendant do it."

Another cruise passenger noted, "Some ships have a better deck supervisor who will deal with these entitled folks."

One traveler on Instagram said, "Peace at last."

Another traveler in r/Cruise on Reddit said, "I’m not a chair hog, but I know why people do it. Because they’re entitled, and they think the rules don’t apply to them."

Many passengers applauded timestamp systems that provide a clear way to monitor chair usage. Others made the distinction between how families are reserving the chairs.

"If you're using the pool or whatever attraction where you are saving your chair, absolutely fine," a traveler in r/Cruise said.

"If you are eating lunch at the buffet or in some other area of the ship while your towel and hat [have] been sitting on a chair for the past hour — not fine."