How Cruise Lines Are Fighting Chair Hogging in Different Ways: 7 Lines Compared

I still don’t really understand the mentality of someone who gets up at 6AM on a cruise just so they can clip a towel to a couple loungers near the pool and go enjoy the rest of the ship all day.

It’s not just a nuisance. It’s a bad experience for all the people who actually want to enjoy the ships refreshing but always-a-little-too-small pool. But now, more cruise lines are doing something about it.

Pool deck lounger saving remains one of the most frustrating parts of cruising for many travelers.

While most cruise lines officially ban reserving chairs with towels and personal items, how these companies enforce the behavior is slightly different.

Here’s a clear comparison of how major cruise lines handle the issue, based on their official policies and real-world practices.

Official Policies at a Glance

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival has one of the most detailed and proactive policies:

“Carnival has a system designed to ensure that all guests are able to enjoy equal access to sun loungers by preventing seat saving in outdoor deck areas. Shipboard team members, the ‘ChairShare Team’ monitor sun lounger usage and if they observe a seat that contains a towel or personal belongings… a sticker is placed on the chair… If the chair remains unoccupied for 40 minutes, the contents are removed and held for the guest’s safekeeping.”

(Source: Carnival Help Center)

Royal Caribbean

“Pool deck chairs are only available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved. … If a pool chair is left unattended for more than 30 minutes with no signs of any guests returning, our crew will remove any belongings and place them in the lost and found.”

(Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ)

Norwegian Cruise Line

“Pool, deck and theatre chairs may not be reserved.”

NCL formally classifies chair hogging as discourteous and disruptive behavior. They rely on crew patrols and stickers, with removal typically after 45–60 minutes on many sailings.

(Source: NCL Guest Conduct Policy)

Virgin Voyages

“If you leave any items unattended on chairs or loungers for more than 40 minutes, we will remove it and safely store it in lost property located at Sailor Services.”

(Source: Virgin Voyages Onboard Policies FAQ)

MSC Cruises

“Pool, deck, buffet and theater chairs may not be reserved. … Guests are kindly requested not to occupy deckchairs and sunbeds by leaving their personal items for more than 30 minutes.”

(Source: MSC Cruises FAQ)

Princess Cruises

Princess does not publish a strict fleet-wide time limit on its website, but daily programs regularly remind guests not to save chairs. Enforcement is handled at the crew’s discretion, often around 30 minutes in practice.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity officially discourages the practice, stating the following on a blog post:

“Celebrity discourages this practice and signs around the Resort Deck say that possessions will be removed if a person does not use their chair within a certain period—usually if a lounge chair is left unattended for one hour or more.”

(Source: Celebrity Cruises Resort Deck Information)

Chart Comparing How Chair Hogging is Enforced

How Cruise Lines Without Strict Website Policies Handle It

For cruise lines like Princess Cruises, Holland America, and Disney Cruise Line, you won’t always find a detailed public policy page, but they still address the issue.

• Princess regularly includes reminders in the daily program, and crew will often step in after 30 minutes or so.
• Holland America passengers report a general 30-minute guideline with crew removing items.
• Disney asks guests not to save chairs with towels and encourages the crew to remove unattended items.

The Standard for Cruisers

Most cruise ships now take chair saving seriously, especially on sea days when demand peaks. The 30–40 minute window has become the industry standard. It’s enough time for a quick meal or swim, but not all-day reservations.

Cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin stand out for transparent rules and visible enforcement. Others rely more on general courtesy and crew judgment.

But you know how it is. If rules continue to be broken, eventually policies change or enforcement ramps up. Cruise lines want happy passengers, so when enough people complain, things change. 

If lounger access matters to you, consider booking a ship with more deck space, arriving early, exploring higher decks, or treating yourself to a cabana on lines that offer them. The battle continues, but the cruise lines are slowly taking back the lido deck.