DesertPesce7751

HAL only allows smoking in the casino when it is open and the rules are that anyone smoking must be actively gaming. People are not to just come in, stand around and smoke their cigarette and leave.

 

They actually did a few non-smoking nights on our last cruise and we were delighted to finally be able to use the casino.

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement! I made it through a whole, 31 day cruise without feeding my addiction and I made some life-long friends at our meetings. Only problem now is that I really miss everyone and my meetings at home just aren't the same.

In recovery,

DesertPesce7751

I'm on the Statendam right now for a 31 day cruise and haven't noticed ANY smokers. No smell on the balcony, no smell in the casino…nothing! I think that goes to show that the policy isn't a draw for most passengers. Then again, this itinerary is very nature/education/history focused, so maybe people with those (our) values are less likely to smoke in the first place. I see the smoking going away on HAL in the near future. Clientele like those of Carnival might welcome it for years to come. Different values.

 

Really? :confused: You've seen that many bothersome drunks on HAL ships? I'm happy to say I find that to be a very rare experience.

 

 

 

I have been more bothered by verandah neighbors' second hand smoke than ever by drunkedness on HAL cruises. In over 80 HAL cruises, I can really only remember two specific instances where a person drank too much and got out of hand. Security took care of the situation, it ended in mere minutes and no more trouble. On the other hand, we have lost full use of our verandah due to non-stop smoking neighbors who made it impossible for us to enjoy our verandah for an entire cruise.

 

 

Knock on wood! ;-) We were once on a Princess ship with a semi-exposed verandah. Drunk pax in the room just above left us a gift in the morning. So glad I was wearing my shoes when I "discovered" it.

Thanks everyone! I'm so looking forward to the on-ship meetings now!

Every cruise I have ever been on has welcomed all 12 steppers in the Friends of Bill meetings. There often are members of OA and NA joining the group.

Awesome! Thank you!

I'm a member of the Overeaters Anonymous (OA) 12-step program. Like AA, we follow the 12 steps and we use the same Big Book as our guide. My sponsor (yes, we have those too) said that it would be great to check out the meetings onboard but to be prepared to be told I can't stay if an alcoholic feels uncomfortable that I don't belong. The meetings really help me keep committed and I know they'd help while away from home.

Anyone have a thought on this?

Looking for what HAL offers that makes repeat loyal customers , although they do not agree with their smoking policy. Looking for first time cruise on HAL, Since there are multiple cruise lines with non smoking on balconies, was wondering what brings criusers back to HAL.

The itineraries.

I thought smoking had been banned on the promenade deck on all ships.

It has, but some ships are lax on enforcing this. Also, some ships still have built-in ash trays around the Promenade decks, so it confuses people.

We had a similiar experience to Northern Bears's Eurodam sailing, it was our last balcony on HAL. We had a "spa suite", much touted for wellness and health. The cabin featured some extra wellness amenities but our balcony was useless due to adjacent smoking of cigarettes and cigars. The stink and smoke overwhelmed us.

I thought they banned cigars and pipes on the balconies?

We really loved our butler, but found that, at least with leadership elsewhere onboard, the reigning theme was that we weren't in an "elite suite" and thus couldn't do things like eat in Blu. As nice as the room was and as friendly as the butler was, that whole thing left a sour taste. We did, however, really love the big difference a little extra space makes. There's something nice about not having to maneuver around to pass your travel companion while walking past the bed! We also loved the size of the balcony though we didn't use it much up in the Northern Pacific.

As for the person who mentioned that the OP had already cruised, I don't see why that matters. Whenever someone posts a new/fresh question about a topic previously discussed, a responder always talks down to them and tells them to use the search feature at the top to find an older post in which the topic had been discussed. It's not really fair to talk down to the posters who took the time to use the search feature and comment or reignite the thread. As there are still sky suites, the topic is still pertinent. This thread helped us make a choice on our most recent X cruise earlier this year. ;-)

It probably won't be a problem but perhaps when the ship is docked, smoke could drift your way?

 

Please let us know when you return.

Have a great cruise.

 

Thanks! Will do! :D:D:D

Quick question, so we're going to be doing the round trip from San Diego to Peru in a week on the Statendam. We had a window room and just upgraded to a balcony, but we don't know where it will be. All of the rooms look fine and we wouldn't usually be worried about an abundance of smoke. However, if they let people smoke on the deck by the pool on the aft of deck ten, and we get assigned a balcony near that, will it be smokey all the time? Anyone have words of wisdom?

Each year I read the cruise catalog and find it very interesting, but it's nearly always about the same old thing. Here's an idea for those who really enjoy cruising and to very interesting places: an American Pacific Cruise.

The cruise would begin in San Diego, CA the cruise north along the west coast to Victoria, British Columbia. After a day there it would proceed to Skagway, Alaska. After another day it would sail to Seward or Anchorage, Alaska. After about two days there it would sail south to Hawaii. We'd spend at least two days visiting Hawaii then sail back to San Diego.

I estimate the trip would take about 18 days. This would certainly be an excellent time for those who really enjoy cruising and for those who can afford the time. In our experience the overwhelming majority of cruisers are retirees and those retirees have cruised several times, and likely with the same cruise ship company.

Holland America, are you paying attention?

I imagine it would be really challenging to plan a cruise with such different climate needs. The packing alone...

Those are a gem! My grandparents started cruising with HAL decades ago and it's exciting to see the ads they saw when they booked!

I'm not talking about body parts hanging out. You are in public and I don't think pyjamas and robes are walking around clothing. Clearly you think it is, so we will have to agree to disagree.

Interesting. I wasn't talking about a robe, but since you brought up "robes," are you in the camp that prefers people arrive at the pool or to their spa appointments fully dressed in their day clothes, only to change once they arrive and to put on their dry day clothes over wet swimsuits upon leaving the pool/spa area? I imagine that that would be quite uncomfortable.

About the soft flannels, until someone from a cruise line instructs me otherwise, I don't think I'll be donning slacks, a blouse, and a blazer to go down to the lounge for a cup of herbal tea at bedtime. That just seems a little too contrived for a vacation. I won't judge you if you chose to dress differently, though. ;)

True, but people should understand that wearing pajamas in public shouldn't be done. I wonder why he thought that was a nice compliment.

Maybe I'm the odd one out here, but one of the things I like about the mass-market lines is the fact that we can step out of the room for a cup of tea before going to bed in our comfortable flannels. Not to the shows or shopping or casino or a meal, but simply to the coffee bar, either in the neptune or the lido deck. I've done both and I don't regret it. I certainly wasn't imposing on anyone and didn't have any lewd body parts exposed.

It is funny you should mention this; I am an avid collector of vintage advertising and a recent acquisition was an old HAL ad picturing a lady in the dining room ordering, while smoking a cigarette.

As they say..."Pics or it didn't happen."

What I mean is, we'd love to see it. What a neat hobby!

Don't proselytize at dinner. This is, by far, my biggest issue. Everyone has their personal beliefs and we should be able to act like adults and respect each other's boundaries in the MDR. When you sit down with strangers at dinner, even if you're a missionary, it's not the right venue to talk about your faith, whatever faith it is. That's a private thing and we didn't consent to a religious dinner.

Same thing goes for non-scientific political beliefs--I've held fossils in my hands and have worked in the sciences. Sitting down to tea with people on board for an anti-evolution conference would have been perfectly fine if they didn't try to get "into it" with the rest of the table. Scones, tea sandwiches, glaciers and whales: those are safe subjects. "Your field of research is a giant fraud" is not appropriate.

We've never been to Canaletto. It didn't really look that impressive from the outside being just a corner of the Lido restaurant. What has everyone's experience been with dining there? Is it worth it? We're going on a longer cruise this time (1 month) and might consider mixing it up if there are enough dishes that aren't focused around starch. I've already googled and found a PDF of the menu, but it's hard to really tell what the portion ratios are and whether they're accommodating.

Thanks everyone! We're going to stick to our LP window cabin for now and take the opportunity to explore each and every nook of the ship when we sail next month.

We've been looking at the deck plans for the Staatendam and found something we didn't know about: what looks like a public open deck at the forward of the Veranda Deck.

We're going on a month-long cruise and are currently booked in an ocean view room on the Lower Promenade Deck. We typically book a verandah but, because it's such a long cruise, this was out of our budget. So, the next best thing, we thought, was to get a room on a floor with outdoor access.

The LP has a lot of traffic (walkers, clandestine smokers, etc.), so when we saw that the Verandah deck has what look like a cluster of cabins near doors to go outside, we got curious.

Has anyone booked these rooms? If so/if not (either way), has anyone been out on the deck by these rooms?

1. Is it unbearably windy when the ship is in motion?

2. Is it heavily patronized by smokers or pretty smoke-free?

3. Are there deck chairs and is there shade/cover overhead?

Thanks so much!

Oh my gosh.....I can't imagine. I hope you had a sense of humor about it and headed to the Lido!

Well, I know I didn't gain weight that day! :eek:

And a pair of black Crocs Cleo that just are two straps across top of foot- they serve for formal night, pool slippers, shower shoes, and bedroom slippers.

 

Pool, shower, formal and slippers in one? LOVE IT! I find crocs too wide for my feet, but am going to try and find a pair of something as versatile! Thanks!

Just polling the peanut gallery to see if I typically under-pack or over-pack.

What shoes do you typically bring on a cruise? Feel free to differentiate between male or female, cold-weather and warm-weather, or between under ten and over ten days (or weekenders or longer voyages).

Thanks for the help!