As the world of the deck chair is changing, we are left to ask this of cruise lines:
What took so long?
For years, we have seen books sunbathing on deck and lounge chairs by the main pool on a cruise ships. We've seen shoes, catching some rays. And towels, Even clothes. All of these items are stand-ins for the people who have believed they can be used the way reserved signs are in theaters and restaurants. In fact, there have probably been "reserved signs" placed on deck chairs, too.
Cruise lines blissfully ignored this agitating habit, presumably because they didn't want to risk alienating customers but possibly because it was going to be an expense to monitor whether the owner of the latest Danielle Steel novel was just away swimming or had gone for lunch. (By the way, we spend so little time on deck chairs and loungers that this is not a personal issue, but we can see that it is for many others.)
This summer, two cruise lines took the chair by the straps and tried to do something about it.
First, Carnival tested putting "chair cops" to work on the Breeze. Stopwatches in hand, they timed absenteeism. Forty minutes free, then you pay…by having your Danielle book and whatever else you used to make a reserve sign swept away (to a safe place) for you to pick up upon your return.
About the same time, Norwegian ran a similar test on the Star. Those results aren't in, but Carnival's are, and "all cops on deck" will apply to the entire fleet of 24 ships as quickly as possible. No doubt this will but just be fleet-wide but industry-wide.
What's next?
How about chair meters, in which you insert coins to reserve the lounger for "x" minutes, so that you park your body just like you do your car?
Emerald Princess
12 nights
October 26, 2012
Quebec City, Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport, New York, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale
Inside: $999
Cost per day: $83
www.princess.com