No flames please -- just truly curious...

[Msrobnson]

I hate to make this my first post as it is such a controversial subject, but I am curious and I've done a search and not found the info I'm looking for.

 

I am curious about how Celebrity's very strict smoking policy is affecting Celebrity's bottom line. Are the ships still sailing full? Are they still making as much $$ on alcohol sales and gambling?

 

From what research I've done, it seems that the ships are still sailing full.

 

Bottom line is I'm wondering if Celebrity is as healthy financially as they were prior to the strict smoking policy because I'm wondering if other mainstream cruise lines will head in the same direction.

 

I am not a troll trying to "stir" things up. I will not be a one-post wonder. If someone wants to ask me a question, I will answer. Thank you.

[Gonzo70]

All I can say is on my cruise on Equinox this past December only one stateroom was not sold (one of the two Penthouse suites which was running $40,000); otherwise every room was full. The casino was fairly busy every night and I myself used the casino more than on any prior cruise because of the smoke free atmosphere. On my next cruise (also Equinox) the prices have been slowly creeping upwards when I have been looking for price drops, so it appears to be selling well. Since about 80% of people are non-smokers, I would imagine their policy is really helping their bottom line. They have enough smoking areas that most smokers would not refuse to sail with them, but they have the greatest policy for non-smokers of the major cruise lines. In the next couple of years IMHO there is an excellent chance that some of the other lines will invoke similar policies.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

That's a good question. Regardless on how you feel about the smoking policy, it would be interesting if it's paying off. We switched to Celebrity specifically because of their current policy, so it would be nice to know if we're oddballs or part of the fashionable trend:p!

 

Good luck with the posts, and I hope you don't need to line your monitor with asbestos!

 

Edit-- wow, you joined in 2006, and this is your first post?!?

[Msrobnson]

All I can say is on my cruise on Equinox this past December only one stateroom was not sold (one of the two Penthouse suites which was running $40,000); otherwise every room was full. The casino was fairly busy every night and I myself used the casino more than on any prior cruise because of the smoke free atmosphere. On my next cruise (also Equinox) the prices have been slowly creeping upwards when I have been looking for price drops, so it appears to be selling well. Since about 80% of people are non-smokers, I would imagine their policy is really helping their bottom line. They have enough smoking areas that most smokers would not refuse to sail with them, but they have the greatest policy for non-smokers of the major cruise lines. In the next couple of years IMHO there is an excellent chance that some of the other lines will invoke similar policies.

 

Thanks for your response. It is very encouraging. I can no longer book a balcony cabin on my cruise line of choice. I am not looking for a completely non-smoking cruise. On every smoking thread I have ever read they say that financially a non-smoking cruise line will only lose money on alcohol sales and gambling. I do believe there is a happy medium out there and it seems that Celebrity has found it.

[Msrobnson]

That's a good question. Regardless on how you feel about the smoking policy, it would be interesting if it's paying off. We switched to Celebrity specifically because of their current policy, so it would be nice to know if we're oddballs or part of the fashionable trend:p!

 

Good luck with the posts, and I hope you don't need to line your monitor with asbestos!

 

Edit-- wow, you joined in 2006, and this is your first post?!?

 

Maybe after starting a thread like this, it will be my last post:eek:!

 

What can I say? I'm a much better reader than writer!!

[WineDown17]

We also wear by X because of the NS policies.

 

DS has asthma so we need to do everything we can to keep him away from smoky environments...

 

Here is an interesting study on the demographics of smokers vs non smokers

 

http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/732/smoking-stress-quitting

 

 

There are significantly more non smokers that make 100K+ .. but that does not mean these are the people sailing X, or that they spend more money on a cruise.... So very difficult to translate the study into a scientifically correct response to the OP.

 

Given the large numbers of smokers and non smokers that exist in general..paired with the fact that only 5% of all travelers in a year take a cruise... there exists plenty of opportunity for any cruiseline to take a certain stance on smoking and stand to profit, whether it be smoking friendly or non smoking friendly....Does that make sense?? (I often dont per DH.):o

[Cruise Junky]

I honestly think in this day and age the majority of people are looking for a smoke free experience. Probably 10 years ago, it wouldn't have been a good idea. I hope other lines follow suit soon.

[WineDown17]

I honestly think in this day and age the majority of people are looking for a smoke free experience. Probably 10 years ago, it wouldn't have been a good idea. I hope other lines follow suit soon.

 

 

22% of people consider themselves "smokers" and 24% former smokers....

 

54% consider themselves non smokers.. so any way you slice it, yes, the majority are nonsmokers...

[BPutnam]

We just booked our first cruise ever. We chose Celebrity just because of the smoking policy. I didn't even look at lines that allow smoking in the cabins or balconies or dining rooms.

[h & m]

We just booked our first cruise ever. We chose Celebrity just because of the smoking policy. I didn't even look at lines that allow smoking in the cabins or balconies or dining rooms.

 

 

We are looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise, several factors including timing and ports were part of our decision making, but the restricted smoking on board is a big plus factor.

 

The idea of only having to avoid a few areas on the ship in very appealing, and the casino may get a few of our dollars this cruise :)

 

Hilary

[DocJohnB]

I do believe there is a happy medium out there and it seems that Celebrity has found it.

 

I think that is a valid observation.

 

As we probably all know, Carnival launched a completely smoke-free ship, the Paradise. Smoke free from the yards onward. Had some pretty strenuous regulations (i.e., booted off if caught, etc.). For non-smoking cruisers, it was a fantastic idea. However, non-smoking cruisers apparently did not/could not sustain its' profitability.

 

Celebrity hasn't completely banned smoking on its' ships, but they have minimized its' use. Sailing on Celebrity ships is now almost as comfortable as was the Paradise (for non-smokers).

 

Whether they will they be able to maintain their minimal smoking posture and maintain a profitable bottom line remains to be seen. I believe this question will take some time to be reliably answered. However, we have sailed twice in the past year and both sailings were filled (albeit, a transatlantic was deeply discounted). We are booked on the same cruise as Gonzo70 is this coming fall (another t/a), and that cruise is selling extremely well with prices rising (and I have no doubts that it will sail full).

 

I agree with Gonzo, that other lines are going to look hard at what Celebrity is doing in this regard. I suspect some may even come in line with Celebrity's policy over the next couple of years.

 

I personally believe Celebrity has it right in this debate.

[goldencruiser]

Celebrity's smoking policy is the reason we switched cruiselines. We have cruised with Carnival, Royal and Princess and have been smoked out of our cabin/suites and balconys. Our son has asthma and was greatly effected by the smoke. We love Celebrity for their restrictions on smoke. I believe that smokers should be able to smoke - just don't let it bother people who have health problems or allergies to it.

[tuggers]

My lungs are certainly thankful! Many times I had to leave the casino because of the smoke.

OP, just curious, what is your cruise line of choice?

[ccruisequeen]

I'm looking forward to being able to breath for 2 weeks & not having to use Fabreeze all over to get rid of that lingering odors in my clothes!

[uppitycats]

I've not cruised Celebrity...yet...but was considering it for my next cruise (now booked somewhere else..) Anyway, I wasn't aware of their strict no-smoking policy. I'm certainly going to look more closely at them next time! I hope this does work out for them!

[City_Woman]

My first post on this topic.

 

IMHO, Carnival Paradise was ahead of it's time. We sailed her 3 times, twice in 2003 and one in 2004.

 

If we consider the changes in smoking laws / bans that have taken place across North America in the past 6-7 years, the change that Celebrity has made is, again IMHO, right on schedule.

 

I am looking forward to my upcoming trip and I do believe that we will see other lines (but not all) follow suit.

 

I don't believe we will see a ship that 100% no smoking again (like the Paradise). I just don't see that's realistic or achievable in the long term.

 

Judy

[dkjretired]

As someone who has an interest in Casinos and especially does a lot of people watching, I did see the casino on Equinox full every night. I am curious as to the affect of smoking on the high rollers in the casinos. Just from a non scientific observation, I did not see many people playing the five dollar machines during the course of the cruise.

[1980dory]

Just an observation here: I notice that all the posters to this thread have been clear, and articulate in what they have posted. Spelling, aside from a very few typos, has been accurate. Grammar and punctuation has been very accurate.

So I must conclude that the posters are most likely very educated. It's nice to see a (smoking) thread that has not deterioriated to anger, name calling, sarcasm, and personal attacks.

This is refreshing and I hope no one gets offended by my comments!:)

[Solstice23]

Id rather Pay more for my cruise to keep Celebrity's smoking policy! Its great!

[librarylady19]

I also chose Celebrity based on their non-smoking policy and would not switch. I don't care how good service/food/entertainment, etc. may be on another line, I could not enjoy it if I had to breathe in a smoky atmosphere.

In Illinois (and many other states) smoking is banned in restaurants, bars and casinos. As a result, I am able to avoid smoking entirely (other than in front of some bars!) and want my hard earned cruise vacation to be the same.

One note of concern for me on Equinox was the fact that there were multiple smoking areas including one inside the Sky Lounge and in an area betw. the Solarium and the pool. I certainly hope X is not catering to the smokers who complained (after all, they have plenty of other cruise lines to choose from) and relaxing their policies. Imo, they will lose business for this reason, not because they have a stringent non-smoking policy.

[PelicanLvr]

We too strongly support X's smoking policy!

[markstudy]

3 interesting points

 

- We left Princess, because they inherited the heavy smokers from Celebrity who switched lines when Celebrity stopped smoking on balconies. So now Princess has more smokers booking balcony cabins, and if you are a non-smoker its really noticeable.

 

- As ships ban smoking in more areas... people who smoke move to book balcony cabins. So another problem with Princess is that the amount of smoking on balcony seems to go up as fewer public areas allow smoking.

 

- We are booking are next cruise with Celebrity, only because they promise a balcony without smoking. This is important to us because we like to eat breakfast in the morning on the Balcony, and that's unfortunately when the smokers all roll-out of bed and have to have that first smoke of the day. We want to smell the fresh sea air and eat a nice meal without the smell of smoke. One smoker can rob 5 cabins (down-wind) of this small but important pleasure.

[thepeacha]

I definitely spend more on my X cruises, as a direct result of the limited smoking policy. I can enjoy my drink in a cozy bar/ environment without the scent of smoke... I stay longer and do indeed run up a tab, lol. And I do appreciate passing through the clean-air casino as well.

 

Happy sails to all!

[Solstice23]

3 interesting points

 

- We left Princess, because they inherited the heavy smokers from Celebrity who switched lines when Celebrity stopped smoking on balconies. So now Princess has more smokers booking balcony cabins, and if you are a non smoker its really noticeable.

 

- As ships ban smoking in more areas... people who smoke move to book balcony cabins. So another problem with Princess is that the amount of smoking on balcony seems to go up as fewer public areas allow smoking.

 

- We are booking are next cruise with Celebrity, only because they promise a balcony without smoking. This is important to us because we like to eat breakfast in the morning on the Balcony and that's when the smokers roll out of bed and have to have that first smoke of the day.

 

 

When we were recently on Princess we noticed the smoking from our aft balcony everyday, we hated it, and since we did not like the ship that much we wanted to spend much time on the balcony and the smoking next door did not help

[GITC]

I don't believe we will see a ship that 100% no smoking again (like the Paradise). I just don't see that's realistic or achievable in the long term.

 

Judy

Really? In the long term, given the way things are going with less and less places for smokers to light up, I can certainly see this happening and fully expect it.