Treatment of Smokers on QM2 is shameful!

Having just returned from a 12 day cruise from New York City roundtrip to the Southern Caribbean, I just want to warn smokers that you may not feel very welcome on the QM2. There is only one area designated for cigarette smokers, at the rear of the ship on Deck 8. This is a really long walk for passengers who are in cabins near the front of the ship. There are not nearly enough chairs provided, so many people have to stand. I sat on a lounge chair one day and was told that this is not permitted because the chairs are plastic and a fire hazard. I told the waiter that I'd be happy to sit in one of the heavy wooden chairs if there were any available. He walked away. Another day, a waiter told me I couldn't smoke just a few feet from the totally occupied "smoking" chairs, because it was too windy, which is dangerous. There is no alternative area provided to protect passengers from wind, rain, and cold. Cigarette smokers are not allowed in Churchill's Cigar Lounge, but pipe and cigar smokers freely smoke on Deck 8. Bar service in the evenings was pretty much nonexistent. Ashtrays were hardly ever emptied, and dirty glasses/dishes rarely removed. In summary, the conditions and location of the only smoking area provided for cigarette smokers are unsafe, unhealthy and shameful. :mad:

Surely this must tell you something about other's attitude to smoking? I for one am glad there is only one area and that while on a cruise I will not be subjected to smelling cigarette smoke.

Sorry foxeysandy , but I'm afraid Cunard are not in the business to be making things more comfortable for cigarette smokers ...we heard the same complaints when airlines introduced no smoking.

Confused here :confused: are you saying there are now guests smoking on deck eight under the canopy ? ...Deck nine commodore Churchill's is for Cigar/Pipe smokers....... and this is under review too ;)

Smokers might get more sympathy from younger people who don't recall the "old days" when smokers ruled. Going back 30, 40 and more years few smokers had any consideration for those who chose not to indulge. Those who objected to their eyes stinging, involuntary coughing and clothes stinking because of smoke were often told: too bad.

In wasn't long ago on this board when smokers and their ilk got most upset with Cunard for banning smoking in staterooms, then later on balconies. I recall one comment to the effect of: "If you don't like your clothes smelling of smoke then wash them more often."

Being a compassionate person I do think that smokers should be provided with a separately-ventilated indoor smoking room, provided that no person - crew or passenger - has to enter that space involuntarily. If that means that smokers have to keep it clean themselves due to a lack of volunteers from the crew, then so be it.

Someone said exactly the same to me about smoking on the QM2.

I'm an on / off smoker. I didn't really care for churchills on the Queen Victoria, where you could (but not officially) smoke cigarettes. It made me uncomfortable as it you could almost feel it dripping off the walls. I really dislike smoking indoors anywhere. I don't do it at home and I don't want to do that in public either.

That said the outside area was quite nice and would have been better undercover as it was wet when it rained!

The best smoking area I found was on Regal Princess. It was outside, but undercover with comfy seating. With a bar on the deck below. They even set the area up with tea and coffee in the morning. Very easy for non smoking passengers to avoid as there was the non smoking version of the same area directly below.

Personally I think most smokers really want is somewhere protected from the elements and where they can sit down, enjoy a drink and not inconvenience other guests. It can't be that hard!

I'd love to try the QM2. But I wouldn't. I don't go on holiday to be treated less well than the dogs in the kennels....

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In summary, the conditions and location of the only smoking area provided for cigarette smokers are unsafe, unhealthy and shameful. :mad:

I agree that smokers should be treated more humanely. I guess however that the complaint on the smoking area being unhealthy may not appear to be appropriate to them as others perceive smoking itself to be unhealthy. Unsanitary maybe?

I don't go on holiday to be treated less well than the dogs in the kennels....

This is a meaningless comment that does not stand up to any sort of intelligent analysis or scrutiny.

I'm somewhat confused by the original post since the Cunard website says smoking is allowed on Deck 7 (not 8), and that's how I recall it.

The facilities for smokers seem to suit the vast majority of passengers very well, although personally I would prefer to be able to do circuits of Deck 7 and enjoy the fresh air all the way, without having to weave my way past the smokers and go through their smoke.

 

I'd love to try the QM2. But I wouldn't. I don't go on holiday to be treated less well than the dogs in the kennels....

 

 

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I did not know that the dogs on board were allowed to smoke. Must have missed that paragraph in the passenger contract.

I must say the Q32 on the QM2 was a very pleasant experience with zero smoking allowed in the disco. In past years they allowed smoking in the balcony but it was so heavy downstairs that one could not enjoy the place unless one smoked.

I am sure the extra bar revenue in G32 will more than assuage any regrets Cunard has from losing the odd passenger or two who must smoke.

Having just returned from a 12 day cruise from New York City roundtrip to the Southern Caribbean, I just want to warn smokers that you may not feel very welcome on the QM2. There is only one area designated for cigarette smokers, at the rear of the ship on Deck 8. This is a really long walk for passengers who are in cabins near the front of the ship. There are not nearly enough chairs provided, so many people have to stand. I sat on a lounge chair one day and was told that this is not permitted because the chairs are plastic and a fire hazard. I told the waiter that I'd be happy to sit in one of the heavy wooden chairs if there were any available. He walked away. Another day, a waiter told me I couldn't smoke just a few feet from the totally occupied "smoking" chairs, because it was too windy, which is dangerous. There is no alternative area provided to protect passengers from wind, rain, and cold. Cigarette smokers are not allowed in Churchill's Cigar Lounge, but pipe and cigar smokers freely smoke on Deck 8. Bar service in the evenings was pretty much nonexistent. Ashtrays were hardly ever emptied, and dirty glasses/dishes rarely removed. In summary, the conditions and location of the only smoking area provided for cigarette smokers are unsafe, unhealthy and shameful. :mad:

No doubt your report is accurate, and I am sorry for those conditions. Smoking cigarettes is legal (for adults), and a well maintained and ventilated venue ideally should be provided for those who smoke cigarettes.

But that is not likely to happen. As no doubt cigarette smokers are aware, there is increasingly little tolerance for smokers. I'm sorry, but that is the fact.

Having cruised on RCI / Norwegian + Celebrity, I find CUNARDS policies of fewer smoking areas to be very comfortable + Beyond Fantastic.

I am a convert to CUNARD for 100 % of my future cruises, largely due to their sensible smoking rules~~~~~ its not allowed in the casino~~~ & there are fewer outdoor venues for the nasty habit.

G O CUNARD !!

I would add that smoking on a ship is quite dangerous. There was a terrible fire on a cruise ship a few years ago (Carnival?) caused by someone who threw a lit cigarette overboard that blew back on and caused a fire. While on the QM2 just a couple of weeks ago, we dined at the Mexican pop-up restaurant at Kings Court, Deck 7. We observed, out the window, that someone was smoking in a prohibited area on the Deck 7 promenade and threw his lit butt on the deck, causing a lot of sparks. Scary. Dangerous. We reported it to the server, but it was probably too late to warn the smoker of his/her dangerous behavior. No smoking please.

Bin Cunard and try Silversea. Each ship has a humidor where tobacco products may be freely smoked, the room is kept immaculately clean and has service from either the Humidor's steward after 9.30 pm or by internal phone to one of the bars at other times. The room is self-contained and has a purpose built extraction system.

Occasionally someone will go out of their way to open the door and do the hand-wavy, crinklenosed thing but otherwise grown adults are permitted to conduct a legal activity in peace and quiet and away from the health-fascists and self-righteous. Furthermore, the area is well-used and clearly an important factor for smokers which makes the line attractive to the 10% of the population who admit to smoking and the 20% that actually do.

The line is also Italian which might account for its more tolerant view on personal freedoms - they even let people drink a psychotropic drug - alcohol - in the bars and offer gamblers a chance to further imperil their families fortunes in the casino.

There are certainly things that smell better than cold cigarette fume - what I like is the smell of cigars, it's aromatic and reminds me of my grandfather.

Whether or not smoking is harmful to health (in general it seems to be, for some it isn't), which is one of the reasons (another one are insurance companies' policies) for trying to abolish smoking completely, be it on ships or anywhere else.

I dislike the way this policy is put into practise by some -it is disrespectful and intimidating. Many hotels and restaurants etc. provide rooms for smokers. Is it really asked too much if Cunard did the same and provided an interior room, in addition to the aft of deck 7 of QM2?

Glad to hear.

 

The line is also Italian which might account for its more tolerant view on personal freedoms - they even let people drink a psychotropic drug - alcohol - in the bars and offer gamblers a chance to further imperil their families fortunes in the casino.

Although I agree that smokers are badly cared for its worth pointing out that drinking and gambling have no impact on others, unlike smoking.

DAVID

Is it really asked too much if Cunard did the same and provided an interior room, in addition to the aft of deck 7 of QM2?

Yes, it is. Space on any ship is finite and it is not reasonable to deny space to other people just so that those who from their own free will (albeit that they are addicted) can engage in a habit which, unlike alcohol and gambling, has a negative impact on others. (And please, nobody reply that excessive alcohol consumption can be a nuisance - of course it can, but a "normal" level of alcohol consumption isn't a problem to others while "normal" smoking is).

Deck 7 aft is were smoking is allowed now after 'remastering' on QM2

It used to be deck 8 outside the Todd English , which for non smokers was not a good idea for the ambiance.

A long-standing principle or custom in society is to share. This is also anchored in christianity and in numerous other religions as well. Even in capitalism there is the rule of international division of goods and labour.

I have no problem to share, quite to the contrary: I enjoy it, it is a pleasure to share and most of the time it comes back, so there is double pleasure.

What would it mean to provide an extra room for smokers? Not much more than 3 or 4 in-hull cabins, but for those who believe that they cannot give instead of taking, some free space on the outside of that size could easily be made available on the big Cunard ships.

It is not a question of addiction, there are many other things one can be addicted to. The real question is intolerance, and I find the arguments of those who feel bothered by smoke are insufficient, poor and a sign of petit esprit.

When I see somebody who obviously had a glas too much, I go out of his way, that's all one needs to do.

P.S. I am a modest smoker, but I enjoy coffee and a cigarette after lunch or dinner.

.. In summary, the conditions and location of the only smoking area provided for cigarette smokers are unsafe, unhealthy and shameful...

Your fellow passengers would not even allow that one area for smokers if they had their way. Some even complain that they have to "jog through clouds of cigarette smoke" on deck 7 aft. (A gross exaggeration in my view.)

Churchill's is there to sell cigars along with cognacs and ports. While it makes no practical sense to ban cigarette smoking there from the business sense it does. Cigarette smokers would be taking all the seats and not generating any revenue.

It's only going to get worse for smokers. The general public has decided that they are to be regarded as lepers and/or carriers of the Zombie Apocalypse virus. Cunard has also restricted eCigarettes to the same designated spaces as traditional cigarettes.

FWIW, on my last TA I saw deck 8 port aft being used by smokers as there is an internal stairway that leads directly from the D elevators.

The general public has decided that they are to be regarded as lepers and/or carriers of the Zombie Apocalypse virus.

I think it's more that the general public has decided they don't want to share smokers' ill-smelling and carcinogenic smoke.

Although I agree that smokers are badly cared for its worth pointing out that drinking and gambling have no impact on others, unlike smoking.

 

DAVID

Wow. That will be news to families bankrupted by gambling or the victims of drunks.

I think it's more that the general public has decided they don't want to share smokers' ill-smelling and carcinogenic smoke.

Well, it goes back to governments' measures or initiatives on the basis of health research in the US (to my knowledge) and with the assistance of advertising agencies and the press, which a great part of the public gratefully accepted in a way that one can call totally exaggerated.

It should not be forgotten that the tobacco industry, in the past, had added substances which were liable to encourage addiction. It seems that these substances are not allowed anymore. It also seems that smoking does not only cause cancer, but also hinders certain diseases of the digesting system to break out, and this on the basis of scientific research. As so often, there are differences of opinion amongst experts.

Anyway, if most of the passengers prefer a smoke-free environment on a ship, and in order not to disappoint and discourage smokers from booking, another space for the latter seems justified.

I could not stand the fumes from smokers at the back of deck 7 on our recent QM2 cruise, as we were walking round the deck, sorry, but so depressing, you all looked very unhealthy too. Also we had our diamond lunch in the Verandah on deck 8, view consisted of yet more smokers puffing away outside.i think there should be a designated smoking Area way up on deck 13 where it won't impact anyone

Can't wait until the medical marijuana complaints start: The complaints from those who don't want to be exposed to the toxic smoke versus those who claim that they need to relieve their osteoarthritis pain. :confused:

Surely this must tell you something about other's attitude to smoking? I for one am glad there is only one area and that while on a cruise I will not be subjected to smelling cigarette smoke.

Impressions from recent Cunard cruises are that more ladies than men brave the elements to smoke, that many of these ladies are of a more mature age, and that some are accompanied by non-smoking partners or husbands. It seems quite acceptable to anti-smokers and to Cunard, that these ladies in their formal evening attire, should be required to elegantly walk to the open aft deck smoking area on QM2, particularly on a transatlantic voyage, to indulge in their perceived anti-social pleasure. These ladies may be uncomfortable, but should be pleased, (particularly Grill passengers who smoke), that the comfort of fellow passengers is not being made intolerable.