JulieAF

I was on the Breakaway in May and was selected to have dinner with an officer. During dinner, he asked all of us to be totally honest and give our opinion of all departments and our general thoughts on that cruise as well. He had a pad & pen and took notes!

 

Officers have a rotating schedule to dine with passengers weekly to socialize while getting feedback. This officer said that the smoking issue is the number one complaint they hear during their weekly meals with guests. All six of us said that the neighbors' smoking was preventing us from enjoying time on our balconies.

 

This officer stated that he smokes, but understands it bothers so many people.

 

I would think that the sheer quantity of complaints may have led to this policy change.

Where are some of you getting this idea the new smoking policy is due to insurance? Is that some sort of conspiracy theory you came up with to make an excuse for your beloved cruise line telling you smoking is no longer allowed on balconies? Cruise ships are insured by a consortium of insurers, and most lines/ships use the same underwriters. If insurance or SOLAS had anything to do with this, the policy would have been industry wide, and at the same time. To think the root cause is any other reason than passenger complaints is foolish.

 

This is because of smokers who cannot act decently in a public setting. Some smokers are courteous, but most aren't. An example - the last suite I stayed in had a surround sound stereo. I really wanted to crank it up and jam to some music but did I? No. because I knew it might bother the neighbors. But when it comes to smokers, all too often, I've had my breakfast ruined because neighbors are too discourteous to check their surroundings before lighting up.

 

And this thread is the epitome of those people. Some of you, especially those few of you who appear to have been on this thread all day yesterday, including one of you who I don't believe for one second is a non smoker, are exactly why this new policy is going into place. If you were the courteous type, you would be pissed off at those who ruined it for you, not those who are celebrating the new policy. But you're not, and you can only blame yourselves.

 

LIKE!!!!

I thought the same thing about that "non-smoker!" No way she's just standing up for the rights of smokers. No one believed that for a second.

[quote name='triptolemus']I [B]know[/B] I don't like the stench of it and I [B]know[/B] I don't like to breathe it. Undebatable and non-debunkable, Q.E.D.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely.

[quote name='Beaver1975']...and I can present as many studies, reports, tests and articles that debunk everything that you "know" about secondhand smoke.[/QUOTE]

Lol.

[quote name='Beaver1975']Nope.

Any rights/privileges taken away from anyone bugs me. Most all of the arguments proffered by the virulent anti-smokers are at best uninformed. Much like many things in our society people have become go along to along to get along. People put too much credence in other peoples "opinions" without educating themselves.[/QUOTE]

But I don't think it's an [I]opinion[/I] we're discussing. I think the smell of smoke [B]really[/B] bothers some people who should have the God-given right to breathe fresh air.

I wouldn't suggest getting into the [I]education[/I] part, if I were you. The studies, reports, tests, articles ALL claim that secondhand smoke is dangerous. I think knowing the dangers and trying to avoid them makes us educated.

[quote name='thraak']I was joking. I will probably only be on the balcony before 8am and after 10pm. Who wants to hang out on a tiny balcony anyways?[/QUOTE]

Oh. OK then.

[quote name='thraak']I am also doing the Happy Dance because I will be sailing on the Getaway on Sept. 27th and my 14th deck balcony will be full of Marlboro plumes in honor of those smokers sailing after Nov. 1st!!!
....just a warning for those on the 14th deck, starboard.[/QUOTE]

Trying to spite the cruise line by intentionally chain-smoking. Nice. :rolleyes:

[quote name='Beaver1975']As an even more loyal Platinum member I am very unimpressed with the decision. By the way, I am a nonsmoker.[/QUOTE]

I don't get it. Why would you be unimpressed if you're a non-smoker? You must travel with smokers then.

[quote name='Charles4515']Just because it is in Wikipedia does not make it true. I take many cruises on Celebrity which bans smoking in the casino and the casino is always pretty active. And that was over ten years ago.

I did think their policy was too draconian back then. And I think it would be too draconian for now. They were tossing people for just having cigs, not only for being caught smoking. And I think there should be an outdoor smoking area.[/QUOTE]

I stated that Wikipedia is not always trustworthy....but the article cites a book written on the topic. I had also read several articles back in 2003 when the change occurred.

But...everyone is entitled to [I]your[/I] opinion. :rolleyes:

You have no proof that they gave up on it because of drinking and gambling. I think they gave up on it because it only did one itinerary and it's was only one ship. Really you can't have one ship with different policies than the rest of the fleet. Have to have consistency.

 

Maybe you're the one who is wrong....

 

I read about it in several articles when it happened. This is from Wikipedia, (I know, not always trustworthy), but it has a source cited:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Paradise

 

Non-smoking rules were strictly enforced. No smoking materials of any kind were permitted aboard. If anything was seen or found, the passenger was fined $250 and put off at the next port (transportation home to be provided at passenger's own expense). Due to poor revenue, Carnival decided to discontinue the smoke-free ship in December 2003 because non-smokers tend to not drink or gamble as much as those accustomed to smoke.

Not for me, don't smoke and drink very little. It is a misnomer that most gamblers smoke and drink.

 

Maybe you're in the minority. I read that the Carnival Paradise, which was designed & built to be entirely non-smoking, gave up on that plan when they found that the non-smokers didn't drink or gamble nearly as much as smokers.

Hi All,

We would just like to respond that smoking will be permitted in the private outdoor decks of the Garden Villas primarily because these are very private outdoor spaces and not balconies. Garden Villas are only available on select ships and do have large very private outdoor spaces.

 

This does not apply to any other Haven suites or the Haven courtyard area.

 

As with the overall changes to the smoking policy, we thank you for your understanding.

 

Nooo... Thank YOU!!!!!!! And please thank management for the new policy!!

I have to question your sanity. That type of attitude will hold no water whatsoever when someone who has worked in the casino for 4 or 5 years decides to sue a cruise line because they have lung cancer and that day will come. That would be akin to a car company knowingly making defective cars then saying, "well, you didn't have to buy it. Nobody forced you".

 

This is why I laugh out loud at this new policy. It has absolutely nothing to do with safety and well being of anyone or anything other than the bottom line which is why they didn't ban it in the casino. Smokers gamble, the cruise lines know this. Ever been on a ship that has done a smoke free night? I was on a couple of Carnival ships that did that. You could fire a canon off in the place and not hit anyone. I guess all the high class non-smokers were too busy polishing their halos.

 

I don't go to the casino on smoke-free nights because I tried it...and the place still reeks. And my clothes reeked when I left.

The penalty of $250 for SMOKING on the balcony or cabin (stateroom is far too formal),is presumably for the smoking of cigarettes. The vaping of E-cigs is therefore not punishable by any charge which should allow anybody vaping on the balcony no problem, providing that they are not seen by nosey neighbours.

 

If it isn't smoke wafting onto my balcony or into my room, I don't care.

Rest assured that if smokers smoke on their balconies/in their cabins despite the ban...even if they pay the $250, if the smoke prohibits non-smokers from breathing fresh air on their balconies, there will be complaints and security knocking at doors.

 

I am to assume I will be able to enjoy my balcony from now on without my air being polluted.

That's an enforceable rule! With that being said, NCL isn't CCL and NCL doesn't have a totally non-smoking ship.

 

That situation you described seems bizarre: why would a smoker travel on a non-smoking ship?

 

Or was it there wasn't smoking allowed in rooms and on balconies but in other places on the ship?

 

 

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The Paradise was 100% non-smoking. It was the teenage son who was smoking but the family was disembarked with all their belongings.

That's fine -- complain. But if someone pays their $250 and that's all NCL will do, then it's not really enforceable.

 

That's why I said it seems like a joke if a $250 fine is all they're doing if you smoke inside/outside a cabin. They should put more rules in place if they're serious about enforcing the rule.

 

When Carnival had the Paradise (totally non-smoking) and we sailed on that ship, they removed a family at the next port because a cabin steward reported seeing ashes in the toilet. That would be a deterrent.

Per NCLs policy:

"Smoking inside your stateroom or on your balcony will result in a $250 cleaning charge added to your onboard account. If cigarette burns on furniture, linens, towels or carpeting are detected; guests will be advised and charged for the damages."

 

If people want to smoke that bad on their balcony, pay the extra $250 and call it a day! Just don't burn anything with your cig or you'll pay for it.

 

I'm not sure how this "cleaning charge" enforces anything. If NCL really wants to enforce this new policy they should fine people AND state they will kicked off the ship at the next port. That's how you enforce a policy like this -- and that very well may be the case. But if that's what they plan on doing and not just fining people, then they should state that.

 

The $250 "cleaning charge" is kind of a joke.

 

I don't smoke but I have plenty of friends that do, and if they said they would just pay the "cleaning charge".

 

 

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Us non-smokers would complain if we smelled smoke while trying to enjoy our balconies. They would have many angry people if the rebels just smoked on their balconies anyway.

Probably from their own forum. John Heald HATES Cruise Critic big time lol

 

He is on Facebook daily.

Theres No sinner like a reformed sinner ;)

 

Guilty as charged. But will live longer to enjoy my former sins! :D

Would you mind a bar venue on the ships that allowed smoking, within a closed space, and air filters that scrubbed that air?

 

They have that now I believe. No way to "scrub" the air though. Until you quit smoking, you don't realize how bad the stench is,and how long it lingers. I didn't know.

I get the no smoking part of NCL's new rules. I could even accept their no e-cigs. But how lame is it to say they just do not want confused cruisers?

 

I get it. Passengers will constantly be calling the Guest Services desk or Security to report the e-cig "smokers." They would think the vapor is smoke and I understand it.

Sorry... but as a former smoker, current smoke hater, I am kinda thrilled that the smokers are jumping ship with their NCL bookings. :p ;) :D

I quit smoking in 1992 and have since used the money I save in not buying cigarettes, to go on a cruise every year. When I quit, cigarettes were $2.50/pack. Now that they're so much more expensive, I can now book better balcony cabins and travel more than once a year!

 

I deserve to breathe the fresh ocean air...without having to inhale or smell other peoples' bad habit.

On both our cruises on NCL, our balconies were permeated with the smells of the smokers on adjacent balconies.

 

Years ago, before states started to implement bans on indoor smoking, hotels had figured out they needed to offer smoking and non-smoking rooms. If this was only about smoke, it would seem as though with a little effort, NCL could have offered blocks of smoking and non-smoking balconies... Non Smokers could book smoking balconies, but would do it knowing that the chance of smelling smoke was pretty high on the balcony. But that wouldn’t address the safety aspect of this.

 

Our state implemented an indoor smoking ordinance. Businesses (taverns) said they would all shut down. Smokers vowed they would never go out to eat/get a drink/go indoors or whatever. It’s been years and years, and you know what? There are still bars on every corner, and smokers have not all become shut-ins. Everyone adapts.

 

Parents who wanted to smoke on their balcony while their child was in the stateroom will find that NCL has a great children’s club for children if they want to have a few moments to themselves. Cruisers who booked balconies just to have a cigarette will find that there is a social element to gathering in designated areas to have a smoke, and will use the opportunity to make new friends.

 

In a few years, when you travel on a ship that does allow smoking on the balconies, it will be just as much of a culture shock as it is today to go to Europe and see a store clerk smoking as she checks out your groceries. Because after all, a while ago in the U.S., store clerks here could smoke as they checked out your groceries, bakers could smoke as they baked your cakes, department store patrons could smoke as they rifled through the racks of clothes, and diners could smoke as they went through the buffet line.

 

We’ve come a long way, baby…and this is just a little farther we have to go.

 

Very insightful post!