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.