Is the Non Smoking Policy on Balconies Strictly Enforced?

[paulandfran]

I've heard that all Celebrity balcony cabins are non-smoking and I wanted to know if that's strictly enforced. I'm pregnant and if it's enforced I will book with Celebrity but I wanted to make sure before booking.

 

Thanks,

Francie

[cruisestitch]

Usually. There have been sporadic reports of non-compliance which wasn't handled well by Celebrity, but for the most part, reports have been that if you are bothered by someone smoking on their verandah and go to Guest Relations, they will deal with it.

 

On the matter of pregnancy, be sure to check out the rules for travel while pregnant, to wit:

 

 

Pregnancy

Celebrity Cruises cannot accept guests who will have entered their 24th week of pregnancy by the beginning of, or at any time during the cruise or cruisetour. A physician's "Fit to Travel" note is required prior to sailing, stating how far along (in weeks) your pregnancy will be at the beginning of the cruise and confirming that you are in good health and not experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. The "Fit to Travel" note should be faxed to the Access Department at 1-954-628-9622. Please contact us at 1-866-592-7225 or at special_needs@celebrity.com if you have already booked a cruise or cruisetour and do not meet this requirement.

[emileg]

I've heard that all Celebrity balcony cabins are non-smoking and I wanted to know if that's strictly enforced. I'm pregnant and if it's enforced I will book with Celebrity but I wanted to make sure before booking.

 

Thanks,

Francie

If someone smokes on the balcony, show them pictures of the Star Princess fire from 2006. The fire started because some thoughtful passenger flicked a lit cigarette butt onto the balcony below them.

 

http://www.google.com/images?q=star+princess+fire&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=9GtXTL_EMsH-8AawnbmUDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CDwQsAQwBQ&biw=1658&bih=934

 

[cawd]

I sailed on the Summit in late June and there were many instances of smoke wafting by my balcony. I never contacted Guest Relations because I could never pinpoint the balcony involved. I suspect several balconies in all directions were involved. I can't say it really bothered me as I just smelled cigarettes rather than inhaled second-hand smoke.

 

There is, of course, no good way for the cruise line to monitor/police the balconies proactively. However, I have heard Guest Relations will respond if you can identify the smoker.

[Lsimon]

From reading lots of postings on Cruise Critic, my impression is that they will enforce it if the culprit can be identified. But if you call and complain that you smell smoke but don't know which cabin it is from there is little they can do. Also, most postings seem to indicate that where action can be taken it was done quickly but I've read at least a comment or two where someone indicated that not much was done until they met with ship management do discuss the matter and get it fixed.

 

I think most posters have been very happy. Personally we haven't smelled any smoke on our verandas - something that we did experience on almost every cruise before the smoking ban.

[Oren]

The very few times we encountered a smoking problem on a Celebrity ship balcony, the smokers were clearly leaning over the rail so it was apparant who it was. Those times we actually said something politely to the smokers on the balacony and they did refrain. You can always report them if you do not want to confront the person but guest relations needs to know which room it is coming from. Still, all in all, this smoking policy beats all other large-ship cruise lines which have made us true Celebrity loyalists.

[AmyinVail]

I can't begin to tell you how excited we are to sail on a "smoke-free" line. On one of our most expensive cabins on NCL, there was a couple smoking....well....not cigarettes on their balcony. Hacking, coughing, the smell......we contacted guest relations and it ceased a few days later....but we missed our balcony for a few days as we (or our children) did not want to contact that. If I see a smoker? I will not hesitate to say something. I keep my kids well behabved and obey the "adults only" rules.....smoking adults need to do the same.

[STEVE-O]

I've heard that all Celebrity balcony cabins are non-smoking and I wanted to know if that's strictly enforced. I'm pregnant and if it's enforced I will book with Celebrity but I wanted to make sure before booking.

 

Thanks,

Francie

 

Not sure if it matters to you but.....The casino's on Celebrity are also non-smoking!!!.....I don't spend a lot of time there but it's more enjoyable without the smoke......

 

Steve-O

[GeorgiaPeach51]

We were on the Equinox and had zero issues with smoking. I can tell you though, that if I encountered smokers in non-smoking areas, particularly on a balcony, it would be a BIG issue for me. If they were reported and it continued, I would be cranking away at the guest relations desk until the situation was resolved.

 

It is the only issue I can think of on a cruise ship that I would be really adamant about. We've never once complained to anyone about anything on a cruise ship, though there might have been cause. It's a vacation so we relax and enjoy and don't sweat the little stuff. We don't go on cruises expecting perfection, and heaven knows we've been on enough that had issues!

 

But, as other posters have said, the joy of sailing on a "non-smoking" ship after so many years of having to put up with it is Celebrity's biggest draw for us. If Celebrity says an area/balcony, etc. is non-smoking, then by golly I expect them to maintain their own policies (though you might have issues with sneaky, hard to catch smokers...but I'd work overtime to catch them!) ;)

[reklawr]

We have never had a problem with smokers on any of our cruises. :)

[paulandfran]

Thanks everyone, that's reassuring to hear. And that's a great bonus having the casino nonsmoking too! Love it! Looks like we'll be booking Celebrity.

 

Thanks again,

Francie

[eandj]

If anyone smells smoke on their balcony and doesn't report it, the offender will continue. Some cruisers don't want to "cause waves"...excuse the pun. I don't get that. If you pay for a verandah to USE it, and you smell smoke....:rolleyes:

 

If you should smell smoke when on your balcony, and you aren't near the legal smoking area, Call your room steward to join you on your balcony. His/her job is to help locate the offenders. ESPECIALLY if it is more than a one time offense.

 

We haven't had any problems with smokers. OP, you should have no fears!

[bubbie617]

I can't begin to tell you how excited we are to sail on a "smoke-free" line.

 

The ships are not entirely non-smoking. There are a few designated smoking areas, but I haven't smelled smoke anywhere else since the policy went into effect. It's a welcome change. It used to be that there were areas of the ship that I had to go up and down steps to get to because I had to avoid walking through the smoke-filled casino.

[kymbakitty]

For the most part, smoking on the balcony has never been an issue for us. The ocassional cigerette or "other" smoke doesn't bother us at all....it is cigars that make us lose valuable time on the balcony. It makes me want to wrench just thinking of cigar smoke. The cigar smokers don't think twice about it though.

 

I could care less about pot....it doesn't make me gag (smell) or have smoke like cigerettes. I wish they would hurry up and make it legal so we can stop paying a gazillion dollars a year for them to be in prison with murderers!!! How can we say it is more dangerous that alcohol without laughing? And we know prohobition didn't work!!!! They are on equal playing grounds..make them both illegal or neither. Actually, alcohol kills WAY more people than pot ever will (just ask anyone familiar with MADD). And no...I don't smoke anything. Off my soapbox...

 

:)

[MEcruzr]

On a recent cruise a woman in the cabin next to us was smoking on her veranda. I looked around the partition to be SURE (she was sitting there, cig in hand). I call Guest Relations, told them what I had just seen and within minutes someone was knocking on my door to investigate. She had put out a "do not disturb" sign so they said they couldn't even knock on her door. :mad: They did assure me that they would "discuss the issue" with her at the earliest opportunity and if it happened again to call GR. The room steward also came and told me that he would remind them (her and her husband) of the no smoking policy and review the consequences should they ignore the rules. Result? No more smoking. She was probably mad at me but oh well.

[Peteymil]

When I saw somebody smoking several doors down, I called guest relations and they took care of it immediately.

[paulandfran]

It's good to hear they enforce the policy. I'm so looking forward to sitting on my smoke free balcony and when I hear my neighbor come out not having to worry they're going to light up and force me back inside. Love it!

[Dabu17]

Last year we had an AFT cabin right above the Penthouse. My DH absolutely can't stand the smell of smoke and wouldn't join me on the veranda. I looked over the rail and saw/heard the culprit. I told our cabin steward and he somehow took care of it. That wa:cool:s the end of the issue.

[jt1120]

We were on the inaugural sailing of the Solstice and some (insert negative descriptor here) decided to smoke on his balcony, right next to mine. I immediately called the front desk and within a half hour I heard someone from the staff knocking on their cabin door. It happened again the very next day and our room steward told us that the passenger was fined either 200 or 300 dollars, I forget. EXCELLENT! Rules are rules. Next time, choose NCL!

 

BTW, the smoking ceased.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Last year we had an AFT cabin right above the Penthouse. My DH absolutely can't stand the smell of smoke and wouldn't join me on the veranda. I looked over the rail and saw/heard the culprit. I told our cabin steward and he somehow took care of it. That wa:cool:s the end of the issue.

 

Good to hear! We're in the same position for our upcoming cruise, and I wondered if the high rollers in the PH would be given preferential treatment. Apparently not.

 

The smoking policy is THE reason we choose to sail with Celebrity.

[TommyD3]

We are frequent cruisers on Celebrity (86 total). We have problems with smokers on EVERY cruise. The crew does try to do what they can and when reported they will call back every few days and follow up. The problem is the smokers really dont care and Celebrity does not do the best job of informing them. If they put a sticker on each balcony door saying "No smoking in the cabin or on the veranda" the incidence would drop considerably.

 

If you go, make sure you have a cabin on the port side. There are certain designated smoking areas on the starboard side with cabins very close. Those cabins get smoke ALL THE TIME. So much for "No Smoking on the Balcony" when you have a cabin near a designated smoking area !!!!

[tally10]

We are frequent cruisers on Celebrity (86 total). We have problems with smokers on EVERY cruise. The crew does try to do what they can and when reported they will call back every few days and follow up. The problem is the smokers really dont care and Celebrity does not do the best job of informing them. If they put a sticker on each balcony door saying "No smoking in the cabin or on the veranda" the incidence would drop considerably.

 

If you go, make sure you have a cabin on the port side. There are certain designated smoking areas on the starboard side with cabins very close. Those cabins get smoke ALL THE TIME. So much for "No Smoking on the Balcony" when you have a cabin near a designated smoking area !!!!

 

On our May Eclipse cruise to the Batlic, the smoking areas were on the port side. We almost changed our cabin because of it. There was an area on Deck 5 port side near the Bistro on 5 where they were allowed to smoke, even though Celebrity told me there was no such area. Obviously they were wrong. There was really only one day where it bothered us when we went out to enjoy our balcony. Our cabin was on Deck 7 on that cruise.

[Wine-O]

We are frequent cruisers on Celebrity (86 total). We have problems with smokers on EVERY cruise. The crew does try to do what they can and when reported they will call back every few days and follow up. The problem is the smokers really dont care and Celebrity does not do the best job of informing them. If they put a sticker on each balcony door saying "No smoking in the cabin or on the veranda" the incidence would drop considerably.

 

If you go, make sure you have a cabin on the port side. There are certain designated smoking areas on the starboard side with cabins very close. Those cabins get smoke ALL THE TIME. So much for "No Smoking on the Balcony" when you have a cabin near a designated smoking area !!!!

 

The smoking is on the Port side, not the Starboard.

[jackdiamond]

I am a non smoker, but we have rarely, if ever, had a problem. The only time that I can imagine that this might be a problem might be when the ship is in port. When the ship is at sea, I don't believe that this is a problem, except for those who might be overly concerned about matters of a trivial nature.

[yogimax]

It was a joy on Millenium to be able to go to the casino and enjoy it without having to deal with cigarette smoke.

 

Well done Celebrity!