Quest smoking

Joined the ship yesterday for a 14 day fiords cruise.

Helen & I looked forward to Sunday afternoon tea in the observation lounge only to find smokers & they're now allowed at all times in any area!!! Horrible.

Last SB cruise until policy is changed...but assured by 'higher up' that those changes may be coming soon...can only hope.

When did the policy change to allow smoking in there before 8pm ?

I need to contact SB Club at some point during the next couple of days, and given your post here I want to address this with them.

I've followed your WC blogs and general posts so I know that you're SB regulars with a lot of nights onboard.

The SB website definitely still says smoking after 8pm. can you tell me when it changed and on whose authority ?

Sorry this is affecting your cruise.

I don't think the policy did change -- if someone did smoke there during the afternoon it may have simply been overlooked by crew who unfortunately IMHO prefer to ignore such a situation rather rather than confront a passenger.

And I also have it on very good authority that within the next six months the smoke policy will change.

I know when we boarded Sojourn in February there was smoking in the observation lounge, but it was short lived We were told it was being allowed because the ship was refueling and no one was allowed to smoke outside.

Were you still in port by any chance?I know that doesn't explain someone telling you it was allowed anywhere, anytime, but I am curious. Thanks.

I don't think the OP stated that someone told them it was allowed anywhere, anytime. Just because you see someone doing something onboard does not mean what they are doing is allowed. There are many who chose to ignore SB policies and hope the crew will take the path of least resistance and turn a blind eye.

 

smokers & they're now allowed at all times in any area!!! Horrible.

 

I'm concerned and puzzled by this. It seems very odd that smokers are allowed in any area at all times? Are you saying that they're allowing guests to smoke in the restaurants?

We're booked on Quest in a few months and if this is true we will cancel, even thought it would mean losing our hefty deposit.

I think Bristol Golfer means anywhere in the Observation Bar (it's meant to be just one side as if that makes any difference :rolleyes: and after 8pm at night)

I think Bristol Golfer means anywhere in the Observation Bar (it's meant to be just one side as if that makes any difference :rolleyes: and after 8pm at night)

I think you're right, and that makes more sense than smokers being allowed to smoke 'in any area' which is how 3 of us here read the post, ie as meaning *anywhere* on the ship given the thread title.

On our last two cruises smoke was not a problem in the Observation Bar.

It's a blatant breach of their own smoking policy if they're permitting smoking during the afternoon tea service as clearly it's not served after 8pm.

I understand the reluctance of the crew to get involved but someone needs to handle this.

I was horrified to read BristolGolfer's post here - I know they are keen Seabourn travellers and not like some of the 'trollers' we get on here. I hope it was an aberration and not anything to do with policy; certainly needs sorting. Would it be better, with his permission, if we just had the one smoking thread on here, incorporating his experiences?

OK...here's the latest...Have met with the GSM and he's adament that smoking is only allowed after 8pm.

He will now be meeting with the Obervation Lounge staff to make sure that smoking is NOT permitted before 8pm.

It's strange though because the OL staff member did say that he was told that the policy was now to allow smoking at any time. He hated it!!

Helen & I will keep you informed. It was after all one single lady that seemed to think it ok to 'light up'

Glad to see it was as I suspected -- one smoker going against the policy and a crew member unwilling to ruffle feathers. I left the Odyssey a week ago and I would have found it strange for the two ships to have different smoking policies.

...by the way I meant anywhere in the Observation lounge...sorry if I didn't make that clear and caused confusion...anyway we have been assured that smoking is definitely only allowed in the Observation lounge after 8pm and if we see anyone smoking there outside this time we should report it to the staff immediately.

Chairsin,

I read with interest your comment about a possible smoking rules change in the next 6 months. That's good news, assuming it comes true.

I was told by John Delaney, Head of Marketing, a full 18+ months ago at a Christmas lunch, that smoking rules might well change sometime in the future. I took it to mean in 6-8 months, for some reason.

Let's see what happens in the next few months. That would be a welcome Christmas gift.

Happy and healthy sailing!

Ps - here's a shout out to BristolGolfer and his wife. Thanks for your cruise report.

Markham,

Yes, the source who told there will be a major change in the next six months is very credible.I suspect the timing will coincide with the launch of the encore -- but that is just a guess.

Markham,

Yes, the source who told there will be a major change in the next six months is very credible.I suspect the timing will coincide with the launch of the encore -- but that is just a guess.

That would be my guess for the timing as well - makes perfect sense from a PR and communication point of view.

We were on the Quest last week and when a guest asked if smoking was allowed, the waiter in the observation bar told him it was allowed only on the port side after 8 PM. I can't believe the policy changed in the past week. Sounds like someone on the staff may have gotten their signals crossed.