Cruise veterans know a major faux pas in cruising etiquette is trying to reserve sunbeds on the pool deck.
The cruise lines make it a point to put up ample signage telling passengers that reserving is just a no no.
But still it goes on. Sometimes with a towel or an open magazine. Sometimes with bags and items of clothing.
Violence has broken out over the issue. And now, an altercation between German cruise ship passengers over whether a sunbed had been reserved is due to be decided by a court.
The dispute happened on a cruise ship while it was sailing through the Indian Ocean towards Mauritius last year. The captain had invited guests to join him at a special party around the ship’s pool.
The party must have been good, because a big crowd turned up and sunbeds were hot property.
An elderly woman claimed she wanted to reserve two sunbeds for herself as well as her 70-year-old husband. But another female passenger put her handbag onto one of the ‘reserved’ loungers.
Enter the husbands. In the words of as preliminary court report, they “engaged in an argument” during which the 70-year-old man alleged he suffered injuries to his lower arm.
The younger couple, in their account, claim they had already saved the sun lounger with a handbag when the older couple asked if it was free. The older man told them it had been reserved, causing a heated argument to break out.
The 70-year-old is now seeking €4,200 for “loss of holiday pleasure” and his injuries.
A district court in the eastern town of Auerbach, Saxony has summoned the wives of the two men, the mother-in-law of a defendant and a security officer with the cruise line for a hearing, scheduled to take place next month.
Careful how you reserve your seats for this court spectacular.
The deck staff should pay more attention to whats going on. If the passenger’s are swimming or in the spar they would know Otherwise if the deck chairs haven’t been used for up to 1/2hr remove whats been left and take to towel station.My husband a nd l stay out on deck a lot .We take it in turns to go for a walk or grab some refreshment. I see empty chairs with stuff on them all the time so unfair to people looking for a chair. Quiet often it a group or family reserving a lot then going for breakfast or lunch 2hrs latter They return and make so much noise even in the sanctuary. Just rude selfish people.No consideration for anyone else.It is a real PROBLEM and does put you off being AROUND them.
We were on a cruise several years ago when an American lady was physically pulled off a sunlounge by a German woman who maintained it was “hers”! Not very pleasant for passengers to observe! Maybe cruise lines should provide a token which allows a 2hr. stint per day per person so that everyone has a fair go!”
Would think that common courtesy would take precedence over any ban on reserving a sun lounge. Surely if one is using a sun lounge and waiting for their partner to join them this is not unreasonable.
I go on cruise ships a lot, and when I got. Out to the pool area where the all the chairs are, for a walk in the morning at 6am people have already reserved their sun chairs for the the day, and they can get very nasty and aggressive to even if you want it sit on the end of it, while they are in the pool, people think they own them, and the cruise staff should do something about it