Why I will not cruise on HAL any more.

[ariawoman]

Adios, see ya ....more cabins for me! Try Celebrety....stop crusing....hold your breath!:D and I am a non smoker!

 

Ironically - I smelled smoke on celebrity more often than i did on HAL.

 

Just food for thought :-)

 

There were more outdoor smoking areas that i came across on X than I came across on HAL, somehow. Not sure how...

 

I'm sensitive as well to it, however it didn't bother me on either cruise. If it was present where I was, I changed my location. :-) It's a big ship. :-)

[TheCalicoCat]

I am asthmatic. Very allergic to perfume/cologne. Anyone have any idea how I can tell people to please not wear it (like in doctor's office). I can only hope that people don't "bathe" in it. It closes my lungs up.

 

I'm not allergic per se, but the scent gives me a headache - as do many flowers. :mad: Meanwhile, I don't like the scent of tobacco, but I am a realist & the reality is that people smoke. (Luckily not as much or in as many public places/ closed in places as before.)

[kazu]

Kazu, on the P/ Dam trip you mention the odor in the hall a few doors from us was nasty from cigar/pipe ....I thought W. Churchill and S. Holmes were sharing the stateroom LOL...........and He smoked his bent pipe on the balcony upwind of course ....I did raise / complain with/to GR Super and of course nothing changed in the 20 days ...........sometimes people don't complain if they believe the complaint will be ignored !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!iCheers

 

what a shame don carlos - I thought cigars and pipes were forbidden on verandahs - we had no odours/pipes/tobacco on our deck:)

[m steve]

since you have so many other lines that have a more restrictive smokig policy and they are for you. HAL isn't that special and you will probably find a line that suits you better. Princes is similar to AL and has more smoking limits. Food and cabins and prices are comporable and Carnival still gets your money.

[Boytjie]

Now I'm worried about our upcoming Nieuw Amsterdam sailing on Jan 2. I'm a reformed smoker, (the worst kind).....I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

 

I am an ex-smoker too and have been on 4 HAL cruises; while the biggest issue for me with smoking has been in the casino. I have not experienced a lot of smoke issue on the balcony (but got some whiffs at times but not anything worse that elsewhere in public) and there was occasionally the smell of smoking coming from a cabin - perhaps walking past that 2-3 times during a 7 day cruise.

[bebob]

I just got off the Westerdam yesterday and was really shocked at how strong the smell of smoke was in the majority of public spaces. This is the 5th Holland America ship I have been on and have never smelled as much smoke as this. When we first got on the ship it was very overpowering and many people were talking about it. Not sure why.

[doncarlos]

since you have so many other lines that have a more restrictive smokig policy and they are for you. HAL isn't that special and you will probably find a line that suits you better. Princes is similar to AL and has more smoking limits. Food and cabins and prices are comporable and Carnival still gets your money.

 

 

I do not think it is appropriate to suggest one leave Hal for another line as too many posts have proposed .:(.................I do, however , think that Hal should stand by [ read enforce ] the rules it promulgates and promotes :)

 

By know you do know I like Hal and am a cheerleader , rah rah sis bum bah :D

[peaches from georgia]

I just got off the Westerdam yesterday and was really shocked at how strong the smell of smoke was in the majority of public spaces. This is the 5th Holland America ship I have been on and have never smelled as much smoke as this. When we first got on the ship it was very overpowering and many people were talking about it. Not sure why.

The majority of public spaces? The smell must have been something other than cigarette smoke. Other than the Casino there are almost no indoor public places on any HAL ship where smoking is allowed anymore and smoke from the casino is not going to drift throughout the ship.

[hal lover]

The majority of public spaces? The smell must have been something other than cigarette smoke. Other than the Casino there are almost no indoor public places on any HAL ship where smoking is allowed anymore and smoke from the casino is not going to drift throughout the ship.

 

 

Absolutely! Some people refuse to compromise so they complain about things that are not true...:rolleyes:

[lvz2cruz]

The majority of public spaces? The smell must have been something other than cigarette smoke. Other than the Casino there are almost no indoor public places on any HAL ship where smoking is allowed anymore and smoke from the casino is not going to drift throughout the ship.

 

 

It could be the smell on people's clothing. A couple who smoke sat behind us in church yesterday. I kept smelling it very strongly--and right now I have a bad cold. We have sat around a table with them at church and the smell is very strong yet they have not had a cigarette in a few hours.

 

When you are on a ship you cannot wash your clothes as easily as at home. Maybe this is what people are smelling.

[IRL_Joanie]

I am asthmatic. Very allergic to perfume/cologne. Anyone have any idea how I can tell people to please not wear it (like in doctor's office). I can only hope that people don't "bathe" in it. It closes my lungs up.

 

I am also allergic to scents:( So many people do not understand this allergy and are insensitive to it being real:(

 

What I have learned to do is to carry a mask with me at all times and to use it when i enter a room where the smell is almost unbearable.

 

When I meet someone who has perfume on I apologize to them and let them know, as I am putting my mask on and moving away from them, that I have an allergy to scented products and ask that they try to understand that I am not being rude, but trying to breath.

 

Most times this works, but when it does not I take into consideration that they are unaware of just how deadly it can be for me and let it go as I move away from them and the area they are in.

 

Most people who over use scented products are not even aware of just how strong their scents are. It is not just perfumes and colognes but also products that they use such as hairspray, hair gels, deodorants, fabric softeners, laundry detergent, air fresheners, etc... Until they develop the allergy they will not understand just how real it is and stop using it......

 

Joanie

[1 HappyCruiser]

New policy in effect mid January has most cruise lines limiting smoking to designated areas of the ship. No smoking in cabins or balconies, however HAL is allowing smoking on the balconies.

I enjoy the tropics and breathing the sea air on Caribbean cruises and hope I don't have a cigar smoker on my adjoining veranda to spoil it.

Since there are designated areas for smoking where other smokers congregate I am hoping most heavy smokers will be considerate enough of their neighbors in adjoining suites to not overdue it on the veranda.

 

You do realize that the problem will only worsen on the balconies after Jan 2012.

[KirkNC]

I am probably about as smoke adverse as anyone but have only had problems in the casino and on balconies (which we no longer get). Hardly a reason to never sail the entire line but thats why we have feet. :D

 

Kirk

[KirkNC]

You do realize that the problem will only worsen on the balconies after Jan 2012.

 

I agree with that!

 

Kirk

[centrum]

Thank you all for the mostly sensible replies. To the smokers, you will be happy that you can now smoke on deck, by the pool, by the bars, in the casino, in the piano lounge and also the Karaoke Loune(I forgot the name.) Many smokers continue to smoke from their balconies.

 

I am a non smoker and detest the smell. It premeated throughout the ship. You are right and I do have a choice and will use that choice when taking my next cruise. It's a pity HAL will not be in the equation due to their negligence in this area.

 

Could be Celebrity, Azamara, Silversea etc. or change the smoking policy and bring it in line with 2011.

[hal lover]

[quote name='centrum']Thank you all for the mostly sensible replies. To the smokers, you will be happy that you can now smoke on deck, by the pool, by the bars, in the casino, in the piano lounge and also the Karaoke Loune(I forgot the name.) Many smokers continue to smoke from their balconies.

I am a non smoker and detest the smell. It premeated throughout the ship. You are right and I do have a choice and will use that choice when taking my next cruise. It's a pity HAL will not be in the equation due to their negligence in this area.

Could be Celebrity, Azamara, Silversea etc. or change the smoking policy and bring it in line with 2011.[/quote]

[COLOR=red]To my knowledge you CANNOT smoke in the piano lounge or the Queen's Lounge.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]Really folks, most smoker's really do try to be considerate to those who do not smoke.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]HAL allows smoking on the balconies and if you book one, it's the luck of the draw. I really understand that a non smoker does not want to smell cigarette smoke as they enjoy their balcony, but you must try to understand that HAL has taken away the right to smoke in an inside stateroom and a smoker who has gone to the added expense of purchasing a balcony has the right to smoke there.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]I'm really not so sure that HAL has done the right thing in not allowing smoking in the inside staterooms. Thier cleaning process had always worked very well and now they have this new issue at hand.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]It will be interesting to see how these new policy's work out. I really hope that we can all find a happy medium.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]Enjoy your cruise to the fullest no matter the little things that might irratate you. You never know when it may be your last one![/COLOR]

[GeriatricNurse]

[quote name='1 HappyCruiser'][FONT=Comic Sans MS]You do realize that the problem will only worsen on the balconies after Jan 2012. [/FONT][/quote]

[quote name='KirkNC']I agree with that!

Kirk[/quote]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][B]One reason that I have never nor would ever book a balcony! ;) [/B][/SIZE][/FONT]

[1 HappyCruiser]

[quote name='GeriatricNurse'][FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][B]One reason that I have never nor would ever book a balcony! ;) [/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Cruising is just not the same thing without a balcony & it will be so much more enjoyable in the future when they stop the smoking problem. [/FONT]

[Harris Jeffer]

[quote name='GeriatricNurse'][FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][B]One reason that I have never nor would ever book a balcony! ;) [/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

Each to his own ! I would never book an inside cabin. Once you book a balcony it's hard to go back to the dungeon!:rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

[quote name='centrum']I recently returned from a Caribbean cruise on the Niew Amsterdam. The food in the MDR was fine, accommodations fine, service was fine but the smoking on board was dreadful. The pungent smell of an old ashtray was everywhere. Unless the smoking policy changes, I will not cruise HAL any more.[/quote]


[B]We were on Nieuw Amsterdam for Collectors Cruise, Thanksgiving week and the following week.[/B]

[B]The first week we had no smoke issues at all.[/B]
[B]Second week, same cabin, the hallway on Rotterdam Deck had horrid smoke odors. Our neighbors and their neighbors seemed to smoke non-stop and we all held our breath trying to walk down the hall. We were midship, across from Neptune Lounge. It wasn't until the last night of our cruise we even saw the people in the cabin beside us and we never saw the people who had the next cabin.[/B]

[Linda VH]

I had to laugh when I saw the person post that they could "cleanse" the smell of smoke from an inside cabin. Obviously a smoker because their "smell" has gone. The smell of smoke permeates the area - as an ex smoker who was appalled at the smell of her own closet with the clothes removed, etc. I can tell you that it is the reason I get a non-smoking room at hotels. I am a big casino fan and will use it whether smoking or no - I just lay out my clothes overnight to get the stink out and try not to smell my hair before I wash it. I hope we don't have hard core smokers on the balcony near us on our cruise but if we do I'll live with it.

[jkrislc]

While I didn't experience any major problems with smoke on the Oosterdam, I will say that I could smell smoke in the hallway outside of some cabins. For example, my mom is a smoker and I could always tell when she was smoking as it traveled through the vent/grill in the bottom of the door. I don't recall seeing these types of vents on other cruise lines, so that may be the reason why some people complain about the smell of smoke in the hallways. Fortunately, I don't recall smelling any smoke from our balcony (mom had her own OV cabin).