I have witnessed many incidents of people "holding" chairs at the pool on cruiseships & resorts. . Let us not be so quick to assign blame to German tourists and others. To be fair, when making a first appearance at an upscale resort 's pool(e.g. 4 Seasons), a discreetly-palmed bill of a large denomination to a pool attendant, goes a long way to insuring that your well-placed chaise is set up when you amble over after breakfast.