Princess Cruises tries to curb table hogging problem
Princess Cruises is joining sister line Carnival in introducing new measures to combat table hogging, a problem that plagues sea days on many sailings, especially on longer cruises to cool destinations.
On a sea day - when there's no port to lure passengers off the ship - lounge chairs and buffet tables become the most contested real estate on board. While some passengers get up early to claim a lounge chair by the pool, others grab a buffet table by the window at breakfast and stay there for hours after they've finished their meal, sometimes through lunch and beyond.
In addition to enjoying scenic views from the windows, passengers often use buffet tables to play cards and other games with their cruise companions to pass the time on a relaxed day at sea.
But a problem arises when the lunch rush hits. As hungry passengers arrive and tables fill up, groups of friends hanging out with playing cards in hand becomes a frustrating sight for those searching for a space to sit and eat.
While it's long been an unspoken rule of cruise buffet etiquette, new signage on Princess Cruises ships is now politely spelling out that buffet tables should not be used for cards and games.
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Princess Cruises adds table signs to deter table hogging
Shortly after Carnival began opening up dedicated spaces for card playing on longer sailings to encourage passengers not to use Lido Deck dining tables for games, Princess Cruises introduced a more direct way to discourage table hogging at its onboard buffet.
"To ensure a comfortable dining experience for all, as a courtesy to your fellow guests, we kindly ask you to refrain from using Horizon Court's dining areas for card games or other recreational activities," Princess Cruises' food and beverage team states in a buffet table sign.
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A passenger posted a photo of the sign seen aboard Sapphire Princess in the Princess Cruises Passenger Forum Facebook group on June 10.
More than 1,200 passengers liked the photo and nearly 200 commented to express their approval of the etiquette rule. Some noted that they've seen similar signage on other Princess ships as well.
Princess Cruises invites card players to another dining space
Princess isn't leaving card players without a space to play as it discourages games in the buffet. The cruise line notes that passengers looking for a place to play cards and games are welcome to use a table in a designated main dining room.
"Guests wishing to play cards or board games are warmly invited to the Pacific Moon dining room on deck 6 midship until 3:30 p.m.," the buffet table sign on Sapphire Princess states.
The sign also notes that beverages will be available for passengers playing cards and games in the designated dining room on sea days.
Related: 10 Cruise Etiquette Rules First-Timers Always Miss (And Regret Later)
In the Facebook discussion, a few other passengers added that they noticed board games and decks of cards were even available in one of the main dining rooms during the designated gaming hours on recent cruises.
While Princess and Carnival are both taking steps to discourage table hogging and offer passengers a space to play games during sea days, the success of these efforts will ultimately depend on how well passengers respect the clearer buffet boundaries.
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This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 7:09 AM.