“It’s never been allowed, but it’s also rarely been enforced, because ships and staff are afraid to ever tell guests ‘no’ on these types of things.”

In some cases, guests said they’d taken things into their own hands and moved the other passenger’s stuff.

One said: “Times like this make me happy to have a generally disagreeable disposition. If you aren’t where your stuff is and I want to sit there, I’m moving your stuff and sitting there.

“When they eventually come back looking angry, wondering how I have the nerve to do such a thing, I ignore them or tell them I didn’t touch their things.”

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