This Thread Is To Be Used For All Discussions About HAL's On Board Smoking Policies

Seabourn just sent out an email to agents changing their smoking

Policy. Hopefully HAL isn't far behind.

Seabourn just sent out an email to agents changing their smoking

Policy. Hopefully HAL isn't far behind.

Do you know what the email says? If Seabourn now prohibits smoking on balconies, it becomes a cruise line that we can consider taking.

Seabourn's website still indicated that smoking is permitted "On the verandas of guest suites". Hopefully this is only a delay in updating the website, and that the change will nudge HAL in the right direction.

This zips Seabourn past HAL on smoking starting in December. Up to then, smoking is permitted in the equivalent of the Crows Nest after 8PM as well as on balconies. The changed policy will be just in time for my December Odyssey crossing.

I suspect it will not be long until HAL follows suit on balconies.

I seem to have a knack for boarding ships as the smoking policy changes. HAL banned smoking in cabins on 5 Feb 2012, the day I boarded the Zaandam. Of course I got no benefit from that. I wouldn't have smoked in any case but the people in the cabin before me could have stunk up the place.

At least this time I'll get the benefit of no smoking in the Observation lounge.

(Wow, this thread was moved with lightning speed. I expected it would have lasted as a separate thread for at least an hour or 2 but appears to have come under the eye of some very alert reporters and hosts.)

Roy

Seabourn's website still indicated that smoking is permitted "On the verandas of guest suites". Hopefully this is only a delay in updating the website, and that the change will nudge HAL in the right direction.

They do permit it now. They will not beginning in December. Balconies or anywhere inside.

Roy

Another step in the right direction. HAL can't be that far behind.

They do permit it now. They will not beginning in December. Balconies or anywhere inside.

 

Roy

Thanks for the extra details Roy.

I'll link to this post rather than the thread, as the thread is likely to be merged into Seabourn's single smoking thread:

Well, I would say it is about time... received this from Seabourn this morning...

 

Dear Travel Partner,

 

Thank you for continuing to recommend Seabourn to your valued clients.

 

We are writing to give you advance notice that we will soon be implementing changes to our onboard smoking policies to better align them with the wishes of our guests. These changes are being made for the comfort and convenience of all our travelers, in response to surveys conducted during the past year, as well as ongoing comments from our guests and their travel agents.

 

The new smoking policy takes effect on all ships starting on the following dates (as well as any combination cruise spanning these dates):

• Seabourn Quest: 11/28/16, Buenos Aries – Valparaiso

• Seabourn Encore: 12/4/16, Athens – Dubai

• Seabourn Sojourn: 12/5/16, Dubai – Singapore

• Seabourn Odyssey: 12/7/16, Lisbon – Ft. Lauderdale

Smoking will no longer be permitted anywhere inside any Seabourn ship at any time, including on the private verandas of guest suites.

 

For guests who wish to smoke, there will continue to be designated areas:

• On the starboard half of the Sky Bar on Deck 9 (Seabourn Encore Deck 10) including the bar stools

• On the starboard half of the open terrace aft of The Club on Deck 5

• Smoking of cigarettes, pipes and cigars is permitted on the open terrace aft of Seabourn Square on Deck 7. This is the only area on board where pipe and cigar smoking is permitted.

Smoking of water pipes, glass pipes or other smoking devices is not permitted on board. Smoking is not permitted on open decks during fuel bunkering operations in port. Smoking of electronic cigarettes is permitted in guest suites, as well as other designated smoking areas.

 

Please share this information with your clients. Additionally, Seabourn will notify guests with contact information on file via email or mail sent July 27, 2016. The revised policy will be posted on our website in the section entitled FAQs under the heading "Is Smoking Allowed?" It will also be printed in the daily Seabourn Herald on board all Seabourn ships.

 

Should your clients have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us by August 15 to discuss options.

 

We thank those of you who have taken the time to advise us of your opinions about our smoking policies.

 

Sincerely,

 

Seabourn

Roy

For guests who wish to smoke, there will continue to be designated areas:

• On the starboard half of the Sky Bar on Deck 9 (Seabourn Encore Deck 10) including the bar stools

• On the starboard half of the open terrace aft of The Club on Deck 5

• Smoking of cigarettes, pipes and cigars is permitted on the open terrace aft of Seabourn Square on Deck 7. This is the only area on board where pipe and cigar smoking is permitted.

Smoking of water pipes, glass pipes or other smoking devices is not permitted on board. Smoking is not permitted on open decks during fuel bunkering operations in port. Smoking of electronic cigarettes is permitted in guest suites, as well as other designated smoking areas.

 

 

They are offering a few more outdoor smoking areas than HAL, with only one at the aft Seaview Deck.

"The revised policy will be posted on our website in the section entitled FAQs under the heading "Is Smoking Allowed?" It will also be printed in the daily Seabourn Herald on board all Seabourn ships."

That is great news. I suggest they also amend their cruise contract accordingly, then non-smoking guests won't have to listen to smokers violating this policy then contend, when challenged by the crew, that the cruise contract takes priority over FAQs and other policy statements. Like some smokers do on Princess when Princess fails to make policy language consistent.

FYI, the Seabourn email showed up in my inbox at 9:23 tonight (EDT).

Roy

Received the Seabourn email re: smoking (or lack thereof :D) last evening as well. YAY!!! Being chased out of areas due to smokers was the one thing that marred an otherwise stellar cruise to Antarctica this past December and we're SO glad to see they will be adopting this new policy. Now we can only hope HAL does the same! And even though I've contacted HAL about their smoking policy on more than one occasion and also complained about it in the post-cruise questionnaires, I think I'm going to email them again, citing sister-company Seabourn's new policy and asking when they intend to implement it on HAL. Perhaps others of you might want to email them as well.

Received the Seabourn email re: smoking (or lack thereof :D) last evening as well. YAY!!! Being chased out of areas due to smokers was the one thing that marred an otherwise stellar cruise to Antarctica this past December and we're SO glad to see they will be adopting this new policy. Now we can only hope HAL does the same! And even though I've contacted HAL about their smoking policy on more than one occasion and also complained about it in the post-cruise questionnaires, I think I'm going to email them again, citing sister-company Seabourn's new policy and asking when they intend to implement it on HAL. Perhaps others of you might want to email them as well.

Do you have a suggested email address for HAL? We cancelled a cruise this past March due to the smoking policy, but might re-book the cruise next year if smoking is banned on balconies.

Do you have a suggested email address for HAL? We cancelled a cruise this past March due to the smoking policy, but might re-book the cruise next year if smoking is banned on balconies.

I believe these are correct -

Stein Kruse, Chief Executive Officer

Holland America Group

300 Elliott Ave. West

Seattle, WA 98119-4198

(206) 281-3535

skruse@hollandamerica.com

Orlando Ashford, President officeofthepresident@hollandamerica.com

(and assume it's the same mailing address)

Do you have a suggested email address for HAL? We cancelled a cruise this past March due to the smoking policy, but might re-book the cruise next year if smoking is banned on balconies.

Write to Orland Ashford, President at this email address ...

Officeofthepresident@HollandAmerica.com

. . .for the handy link. I just wrote HAL and told them that we would stop cruising when we can no longer smoke on our balcony. I also let them know that we have 45 days on 2 cruises booked in Neptune Suites for this year alone.

We have no other cruise line to choose from. Non-smokers have all the rest of them.

. . .for the handy link. I just wrote HAL and told them that we would stop cruising when we can no longer smoke on our balcony. I also let them know that we have 45 days on 2 cruises booked in Neptune Suites for this year alone.

We have no other cruise line to choose from. Non-smokers have all the rest of them.

Just to put that statement in perspective... HAL has a daily capacity of approximately 24,000 passengers on its 14 ships. That is 24,000 times 365 days or 8,760,000 cruise days. Your 45 days times 2 represents 90 of those days or roughly 1 thousandth of 1 percent :eek: I am sure they will give your email all the attention it deserves even giving it double points for a Suite ;)

. . .for the handy link. I just wrote HAL and told them that we would stop cruising when we can no longer smoke on our balcony. I also let them know that we have 45 days on 2 cruises booked in Neptune Suites for this year alone.

 

We have no other cruise line to choose from. Non-smokers have all the rest of them.

I also just wrote HAL with the basic same comments as yours. I'm very limited in my mobility, even with my scooter. My Verandah is my home for the cruises we are on and IF HAL bans smoking on it then I will take hubby's money and stay at home.

If all of us who are smokers take the time to write HAL with our promises to walk or roll away from them.........Our voices may sway the Policy to stay the same. One can only hope:)

Joanie

Good bye.

Good to see that another line has tightened its smoking policy. Hopefully HAL is not far behind. I have written to HAL in the past on this subject, but given Seaborn's recent action, I think it is worth our while to write again.

Finger's crossed that balcony smoking will hopefully be GONE from HAL!

I also just wrote HAL with the basic same comments as yours. I'm very limited in my mobility, even with my scooter. My Verandah is my home for the cruises we are on and IF HAL bans smoking on it then I will take hubby's money and stay at home.

 

If all of us who are smokers take the time to write HAL with our promises to walk or roll away from them.........Our voices may sway the Policy to stay the same. One can only hope:)

 

Joanie

I mean this in the nicest possible way. But if you're not out and about the ship gambling, drinking, specialty diners, spa, they probably don't care if you leave.

I believe these are correct -

 

Stein Kruse, Chief Executive Officer

Holland America Group

300 Elliott Ave. West

Seattle, WA 98119-4198

(206) 281-3535

skruse@hollandamerica.com

 

 

Orlando Ashford, President officeofthepresident@hollandamerica.com

(and assume it's the same mailing address)

Thank you. I let them know I can stop throwing away their mailers I get every week if they change the policy and can book a verandah for my family when / if the policy changes.

We may be younger than the current demographic but I book a cruise for the whole family 2x a year. Seabourn is way above my pay grade. But when I get there it is nice to know I won't have to worry about this issue.

Maybe the smoking issue is why I get mailers for 7 day Caribbean cruises starting at 499 per person with kids sailing free?

Since smoking on the balconies has been banned on most cruiselines, I have actually seen more people smoking on the balconies on our recent cruises than when it was allowed. I truly haven't seen any changes "in practice." Last cruise we were on, none of the rules were followed! People were hogging pool chairs, children in diapers were "swimming" in the adult pool, people were wearing jeans and t-shirts and shorts on formal night in the dining rooms, and people were smoking on the balconies! Did it ruin my vacation? Not at all! Life is too short to worry about what everyone else is doing...

Since smoking on the balconies has been banned on most cruiselines, I have actually seen more people smoking on the balconies on our recent cruises than when it was allowed. I truly haven't seen any changes "in practice." Last cruise we were on, none of the rules were followed! People were hogging pool chairs, children in diapers were "swimming" in the adult pool, people were wearing jeans and t-shirts and shorts on formal night in the dining rooms, and people were smoking on the balconies! Did it ruin my vacation? Not at all! Life is too short to worry about what everyone else is doing...

I have recently been on Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, and have not noticed anyone violating the smoking policy on any of those cruises.

Cindy

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

But if HAL changes it's smoking policy then what will you all have to complain about, oh I'm sure you'll find something. No I don't smoke and have never been bothered by it, I don't let other people run my life. But some of you are fanatics. Why do you want every ship?