Smoking On Starboard Side Only?

[sandinmypants]

We're in a balcony cabin on deck 7 of the Serenade, on the starboard side. I've read that smoking is only allowed on your balcony, or on the starboard side of the ship in public areas. I'm not familiar with this policy, I'm wondering if we will notice more smoke smell on our balcony than we would if we were on the port side?

 

(I'm not anti-smoking, I don't want smokers to take offense - you have the right to smoke in designated areas - just that I want to lessen my chances of being uncomfortable on my balcony....)

 

If anyone has had a good/bad experience with this, please let me know.

 

TIA!

[cb at sea]

You can smoke on your balcony, no matter which side of the ship you're on. It's only on the open "public" decks that smoking is kept to the Starboard side. You'll see the ashtrays in the smoking areas.

 

I've found that (especially when the ship is underway) smokers on their balconies don't really bother us. Sometimes, you may catch a "whiff", but it's certainly not like being in a smoke-filled bar or anything! When the ship is moving, the smoke dissapates quickly. We've never been "uncomfortable" on our balcony because of a smoker nearby.

[chef_christoph]

Since smoking is allowed on all balconies, regardless of what side of the ship they are on, it really does become a luck-of-the-draw situation.

 

You may not have one person who smokes around you or you could have them on all sides.

 

I've only ever smelled smoke on my balcony on one cruise and it was from the people right next door. It certainly was nothing that diminished my enjoyment of the balcony.

 

Have a great time on Serenade, she is a great ship!

[BillOh]

You can smoke on your balcony, no matter which side of the ship you're on. It's only on the open "public" decks that smoking is kept to the Starboard side. You'll see the ashtrays in the smoking areas.

 

I've found that (especially when the ship is underway) smokers on their balconies don't really bother us. Sometimes, you may catch a "whiff", but it's certainly not like being in a smoke-filled bar or anything! When the ship is moving, the smoke dissapates quickly. We've never been "uncomfortable" on our balcony because of a smoker nearby.

 

 

 

This concurs with my observations on 3 balcony cruises so far. I am one of those anti-smoking activists, but I've really had no problems on RCI cruises. At least with US based cruises, smoking is down in general enough to the point that a couple of times I was on the pool deck sitting comfortable for an hour or more when someone lit a cigarette and it was only then I realized I was on the wrong side.

[sandinmypants]

Thanks all - I just wanted to make sure that we weren't somehow going to be floating in a "haze" just because we chose the starboard side! Our 9yo has asthma - I know we'll need to avoid the casino, is that the only enclosed area that allows smoking?

[firstimer2009]

We're in a balcony cabin on deck 7 of the Serenade, on the starboard side. I've read that smoking is only allowed on your balcony, or on the starboard side of the ship in public areas. I'm not familiar with this policy, I'm wondering if we will notice more smoke smell on our balcony than we would if we were on the port side?

 

(I'm not anti-smoking, I don't want smokers to take offense - you have the right to smoke in designated areas - just that I want to lessen my chances of being uncomfortable on my balcony....)

 

If anyone has had a good/bad experience with this, please let me know.

 

TIA!

We had smokers on our balcony next to us, but that's not what bothered me...what bothered me was the INCESSANT card playing night and day. You have no clue how loud cards are until you hear the shuffling and smacking of the cards on the table constantly. We came back from port early once to just have some relaxing time on our balcony, and yes, there they were playing their cards! I'm thinking an inside room for the next cruise would be quieter and more relaxing.

[bbrad8]

Thanks all - I just wanted to make sure that we weren't somehow going to be floating in a "haze" just because we chose the starboard side! Our 9yo has asthma - I know we'll need to avoid the casino, is that the only enclosed area that allows smoking?

 

Well it has been a few years since we were on the Serenade and the rules have changed, BUT there are still some bar areas that are allowing smoking (at least there were last year on the Jewel). For sure the Hollywood Odyssey will still allow smoking as this is the Cigar Bar (after 9:00 PM). As we are not smokers, can't help you w/ specifics on other "enclosed areas", but do know this one for sure. ;)

 

Bruce

[sandinmypants]

Thanks - I guess we'll just have to check the Compass to see what places to avoid. We're big fans of live music in the evening (we have early seating in the MDR), we don't do shows, so hopefully we can find something we enjoy.

 

Can't wait for November!

[tuffy0317]

Thanks - I guess we'll just have to check the Compass to see what places to avoid. We're big fans of live music in the evening (we have early seating in the MDR), we don't do shows, so hopefully we can find something we enjoy.

 

Can't wait for November!

 

Hopefully you have more luck than we did on Enchantment. The two lounges where they had live music in the evening, with the exception of the central Atrium, allowed smoking :(

[Goes Cruising]

Every non-smoker has a different tolerance level, but I gave up on balconies because of the smoke. On our Alaska cruise, we were so excited about spending time on the balcony, but our neighbors were out there non-stop smoking. Yes, they were within their rights, but it made the balcony unusable for us. Even opening the door to go in and out let the smell of smoke into the cabin.

 

It is not like being in a smoke filled bar, but the smell/taste is very evident when you are down wind.

[johneeo]

Why?

 

Because people smoking outside on decks below or above you will have absolutley no chance of their smoke reaching your area. zero, zilch, nada.

[BillB48]

We had a balcony on deck 7, starboard just aft of the centrum elevators. The problem we noted is there is a covering for the lifeboats which are above deck 4. While we did not smell smoke strictly speaking, we did notice when the breeze was slight, a very stale odor from the ashtrays. Seemed like they were allowed to accumulate for sometime. This is not the case if your stateroom is in the forward section of the ship, in other words forward of the forward elevators.

[akcruz]

Because people smoking outside on decks below or above you will have absolutley no chance of their smoke reaching your area. zero, zilch, nada.

 

You are obviously very tolerant of smoke. For those that are highly senstive yes you can smell it from that far away.

 

My daughter is very sensitive to smoke. She could smell when someone 2 decks below us and about 10 cabins over lit up a cigarette. She commented on smelling it, I told her she was nuts. She looked around for a second then pointed to appropriate balcony. So to some it is nada to others it is a big deal.

 

We all need to realize not everyone has the same tolerances, experiences, etc as everyone else and be understanding of those differences.

[frito58]

On the smoking thing , I like cigars when I'm on vacation , but I do try to be sure the smoke does not bother my neighbors , which is our traveling buddies on one side so we have to check the other side. I try to make sure no one is out or we go up on deck and take our "cubans" up there . :)

[sandinmypants]

On the smoking thing , I like cigars when I'm on vacation , but I do try to be sure the smoke does not bother my neighbors , which is our traveling buddies on one side so we have to check the other side. I try to make sure no one is out or we go up on deck and take our "cubans" up there . :)

 

It's nice to know that some people are considerate of their neighbors - a whiff of cigar smoke now & then is not a big deal (same thing with cigarette smoke), but I don't want to drown in it - and my son's asthma just can't take a smoke-filled room.

 

I can't imagine being bothered by someone smoking a few balconies away from us. We've had issues before with the people just upwind from us on the beach smoking and having the smoke come directly at us.... :(

[sandinmypants]

aldewitt - I prefer to think that smokers have the right to kill themselves by smoking - I just wish they would do it before they procreate.....kind of a "natural selection" thing, you know? :D

 

And - if there's a smoker in a non-smoking section, I'll be the first one to get a staff member to stop it, post-haste.

[north29]

I wish they would go totally non smoking, period, I know that is a pipe dream, but being a quitter for 40 years, I cannot stand smoke and still wonder why, people still smoke. I did notice, that on one day,maybe more on our last cruise, they eliminated smoking in the Casino, I actually went in and played a little, but I guess smokers who are risk takers are the ones who gamble more than us non risk takers so smoking will still be around for years to come.

Even on the smoking side of the ship,it is not a fun place to be at times. Dam I just though on my next major cruise all the sights will basically be on the smoking side of the ship.

[frito58]

It's nice to know that some people are considerate of their neighbors - a whiff of cigar smoke now & then is not a big deal (same thing with cigarette smoke), but I don't want to drown in it - and my son's asthma just can't take a smoke-filled room.

 

I can't imagine being bothered by someone smoking a few balconies away from us. We've had issues before with the people just upwind from us on the beach smoking and having the smoke come directly at us.... :(

 

:oSadly I dont think about that on a beach in open air I try to stay away from people but I guess It does carry with the wind. If someone walked up and said it was bothering them , I would put it out.

[BillOh]

Thanks all - I just wanted to make sure that we weren't somehow going to be floating in a "haze" just because we chose the starboard side! Our 9yo has asthma - I know we'll need to avoid the casino, is that the only enclosed area that allows smoking?

 

Its been a little more than a year since our last cruise, but then I was hearing rumors of some ships having non-smoking nights in the Casino, usually formal night. I hope that is the case for my upcoming cruises.

[BillOh]

Every non-smoker has a different tolerance level, but I gave up on balconies because of the smoke. On our Alaska cruise, we were so excited about spending time on the balcony, but our neighbors were out there non-stop smoking. .

 

 

Not so much a tolerance level, but experience I would guess. I've had smokers in adjacent cabins several times, but not the not stop type and fairly considerate. Me and this other guy liked to spend time on our balconies while the wives got dressed for dinner. I would just go back in for 5 minutes while he smoked.

[johneeo]

Its been a little more than a year since our last cruise, but then I was hearing rumors of some ships having non-smoking nights in the Casino, usually formal night. I hope that is the case for my upcoming cruises.

 

RCI Explorer of the Seas has no smoking in the casino on formal nights, probably is the same on the whole fleet.

 

I also think that there is non smoking section in the casino.

[sandinmypants]

:oSadly I dont think about that on a beach in open air I try to stay away from people but I guess It does carry with the wind. If someone walked up and said it was bothering them , I would put it out.

I know this isn't the right thing to do, but at a huge A/I with hundreds of lounge chairs on the beach, we've actually been known to "reserve" the loungers directly upwind from us just to make sure they aren't taken by smokers.... (I'm hunkering down to avoid the flames)

 

There are a ton of loungers available, so people can just walk up the beach a bit and find some that they can use - I just hate having it blown directly at me. I'm sure other folks wonder why no one ever uses those loungers w/towels, magazines, flipflops, etc. on them....and at the end of the day when I walk over and pick the stuff up they're probably thinking WTH? :rolleyes::o They need to have a "non-smoking" area even at the beach! :) I don't have a problem giving smokers a place to go, I can avoid the smoking section.

[BillOh]

 

I also think that there is non smoking section in the casino.

 

 

I'll look at that with some interest. I'll admit that Casinos are a very small concern with me. I wouldn't mind not going in at all, but if there is non-smoking availability I will check it out. My experience with non-smoking sections in casinos on land has not been good. I like to play blackjack with a crowded table and I've seen non-smoking tables drawing little or no action in land casinos and being empty or only 1 person there. In a case like that I realize I'm in the minority and walk away. There can also be a row of slots that are non-smoking and right next to rows that are in the smoking section so you might as well be too.

[firstimer2009]

Okay maybe this is better:D:D

No, seriously. I could not believe the noise of the cards and I'm a card player! There were at least 5-6 people on the balcony at all times playing cards, drinking, screaming when they won, etc. I think they were running a card ring on the boat. I like to drink and gamble, so have no issues with that. They did smoke non-stop but that would have been fine, too. It was just simply the noise on the balcony all the time!!! I went outside once at night with the beautiful full-moon thinking they were asleep and I could have the night to myself...and about 5 minutes later all the card sharks arrived. Did not make for a peaceful balcony cruise!

[uksimonusa]

Its been a little more than a year since our last cruise, but then I was hearing rumors of some ships having non-smoking nights in the Casino, usually formal night. I hope that is the case for my upcoming cruises.

 

That used to bethe case, they were having a trial on Freedom in July, there was a small smoking section in the slot area and about 1/3 of the tables were smoking, the rest of the casino, including the bar area, was no smoking. This was for the entire cruise, even on formal night'