Choosing a ship or line based on Smoking policy?

[Blondie008]

I voted yes. We had NON REFUNDABLE deposits on a Celebrity cruise in 2009. Eight rooms travelling, four in suites. Not only would they not refund our HUGE deposits, they charged us to transfer the booking to RCI - in hindsight now we would just have taken the loss of deposits. As we already all organised our business schedules for the cruise, the only cruise we could come up with to suit all of us travelling from all over the world, was a Caribbean out of NYC in January... when transferring.. the one and only Royal Penthouse became available.. grand piano (supposedly) room to entertain 60 guests etc etc. My husband and I decided to surprise the family as a once of a lifetime.. well can tell you this it was our WORST cruise ever..have had better cruises on NCL in a simple ocean view! Hated Explorer of the Sea..and hated that our phone or door bell rung every five minutes in that damd suite! This was the biggest mistake we ever made in our lives... but .. it was all due to the fact that Celebrity changed their policy and the deal breaker for us on that one was the balconies.. paying thousands of GBP for flights and suites to have to go up deck in the morning..no way! BUT in the UK.. we do NOT get our deposits back. I am currently looking at booking a land vacation, but for the first time, putting the booking through in $$$ through a US agent. She tells me deposits are fully refundable right up until final pay date. MUCH BETTER!!!!! If this was the case for us, I would have no worries over booking cruises and worrying about them changing their policy re smoking. As it is, we booked Carnival BECAUSE of the smoking policy! My daughter and I were having a day out in Grand Cayman when the ship was in. Got talking to lovely young couple who told us all about the ship - sounded like a lot of fun to us! So... Carnival's relaxed policy..is precisely how we ended up here...

So for us 100% yes.. we book what suits us.

I think it is wrong of people who are adverse to the policy EITHER WAY to book and then whinge about it. If the policy affects you either way which it is detrimental to your enjoyment of your vacation..then dont book it in the first place! :)

[pe4all]

I missed one answer: if I had two fairly similar itineraries, same quality ship and the price was about the same, I would choose the one with the stricter smoking policy.

 

We are both non-smokers, and don't like to sit in somebody elses smoke, but we would not pick a cruiseline only for that reason. "The whole package" must be right: quality, price, initerary, travel date etc.

You took the exact words right out of my keyboard!:D Ditto this!

[mermaid72]

I voted yes because we enjoy our cigars and smoking we feel us smokers need to fight back alittle for our rights there is far worse things out there to attack people on such as selling drugs to kids and drunk drivers who can kill families on the roads ... this is far worse then being jerks and bullys to the smokers. We are so fed up with this goverment and BS over all of this about smokers the worse is west coasters and their yupie thinking. we have only cursied with carnvial and if this gets worse you can count out about 25 family memebers who will stop using this cruise line.

Say what?

[maxxedout2]

As non-smokers we never go into any casinos, avoid smoking

bars/lounges and just find a nice upwind spot on deck.

 

Our gambling actually comes in the form of, possibly, not being able to

sit on our balcony because of upwind chain smokers. Could happen.

 

So far no problems (most of the chain smokers seem to be

in bars and casinos), but that would get us to say forget this

crap shoot.....and reconsider our options.

 

:cool::cool:

[friedshrimp]

Smoking policy on a ship would be the last of my concerns on choosing a line/ship/itinerary and would be something like number 47 on the tie breaker list (right after whether they give you free shampoo and soap in the cabin's bathroom)!

[AWCHIEF]

Only using one issue to determine which cruise line to use to me is sort of stupid, sort of like voting for President based on a single issue.

[CARIBBEANBLUESKY]

We both smoke, and definitely take smoking policies into consideration when booking our cruises. We went on our first Princess cruise in April and it was nice, but since Princess no longer allows smoking on balconies, we will not be cruising with them again. We always have balconies and never smoke in our cabin anyway, so we didn't care when Royal, our preferred line, changed the policy to no smoking in the cabins. As long as we can smoke on the balcony, we are happy.

 

I do believe that in the not too distant future, all lines will be non-smoking in cabins and balconies, and at that point, if we have not stopped smoking, we will just stop cruising. We have been considering more land-based vacations anyway. Getting a little tired of cruising (never thought I would say that!!!)

 

Can't blame the cruise lines, though. It is all about doing what the majority of their customers want, and we smokers are a dying breed (literally and figuratively). Even though I am a smoker, if I operated a cruise line, I would try my best to do what the majority of my customers want. That is what the cruise lines are doing, and that is as it should be.

[H82seaUgo]

carnival is actually making it easier for people to try other lines. they seem to be giving their business away.

[MissDiva1]

Yes you are EXACTLY right there are LAWS about drinking and driving and in most states now smokers are banned from smoking in bars so they opt to stay home which in turn means NON SMOKERS are now breaking the law by drinking and driving ... too funny how law makers goofed on that one.

 

What:confused: That makes no sense.....

[2tall]

We already do let it influence our choices of companies. My husband and I both smoke and haven't had a problem on RCCL (or likely on our upcoming Carnival cruise) since smoking is allowed on the balcony. We have not, however, booked Celebrity since they don't allow smoking on the balcony even though we've heard great things about X and have been attracted to some of their itineraries. Although it shames me a bit to admit it, RCCL and Carnival will be off the list too if they ban smoking on balconies. However, if we quit, the next cruise will be on Celebrity!

[The4Cruisers]

The smoking policy ranks lower in my shopping process than whether I want to cruise with the childish, feet-stomping, "I'm not gonna' sail CCL anymore" people. :mad:

 

Hopefully these people will be TRUE to their word and go elsewhere, although I doubt it. Nothing like a little internet grandstanding. :D

[H82seaUgo]

The smoking policy ranks lower in my shopping process than whether I want to cruise with the childish, feet-stomping, "I'm not gonna' sail CCL anymore" people. :mad:

 

Hopefully these people will be TRUE to their word and go elsewhere, although I doubt it. Nothing like a little internet grandstanding. :D

 

what happens if it was predestined that one of these people would have saved your life on board?

[C Cruise Dude]

When you choose your ship or line to cruise on does the smoking policy matter to you?

 

For me it is not important, I am not bothered by others smoking so I don't really care either way.

 

As a rule, I could care less about the smoking policy, I rarely come in contact with smokers on cruise except the casino. I would consider paying more for a smoke free casino or like I have heard on Princess, smoke free days in the casino.

[The4Cruisers]

what happens if it was predestined that one of these people would have saved your life on board?

 

Really??? That's the rebuttal? :confused:

 

OK, then... If I wish that one of these people were to use another line given the circumstances you provided, I would either be: 1) rescued by another pax who took their spot on the ship, or 2) I'd go 'toes up'.

 

You gotta' go sometime! (And it wouldn't be too bad kicking the bucket while navigating the seas! :D)

[halos]

Even before the new smoking restrictions, I didn't choose a cruise based on the policy. As a non-smoker, I just lived 'around' the smokey areas...avoiding the bad ones like the casino (which didn't bother me too much, as I don't gamble) and the piano bar. Now that the restrictions are tighter, it gives me more freedom, (I am really looking ofrward to spending more than 10 minutes in the piano bar!!) but I will not even consider the smoking policy when booking a cruise....at least I don't think so. I don't anticipate any problems on my balcony. One half of the couple we often cruise with smokes ;) and we just booked cabins right next to each other, so obviously I am not bothered THAT much by smoke on the balcony. I can share my air space without a problem. :)

[pnjkeith]

Only using one issue to determine which cruise line to use to me is sort of stupid, sort of like voting for President based on a single issue.

 

Many voted for Obama for his color!

[H82seaUgo]

Really??? That's the rebuttal? :confused:

 

OK, then... If I wish that one of these people were to use another line given the circumstances you provided, I would either be: 1) rescued by another pax who took their spot on the ship, or 2) I'd go 'toes up'.

 

1 - it doesn't happen that way.

 

2 - the usama method? intetresting choice.

[azpilot]

Alrighty, I'll be the odd ball out probably but whatever. I could personally care less about the smoking ban if that is what you want to call it. I for one have always said if smokers want to smoke go for it, its there right as much as mine to not smoke. it does not bother me too much, if it does I move. Its the same crap as all the other rules, regulations, can't do this and can't do that. The whole fricken country is turning into a bunch of assnine rules!

 

Flame away if you wish, I really don't care either way. I'll cruise on the ship and itinerary of my choosing whether the rules upset me or not.

 

I'll improvise as I always do and have a great time!

[AWCHIEF]

Many voted for Obama for his color!

 

 

Exactly what I mean, a perfect example.:(