How's the new HAL non smoking policy working out?

[chrispb]

Both my wife and I are non-smokers and allergic to smoke.

We came off the Oosterdam yesterday and the policy they have is a joke.

We had smokers on both sides of us and couldn't sit out on the verandah when in port as the smoke was incredible. You would walk down the hallways and could smell that someone had been smoking there. The casino is all smoking and it will be the last HAL cruise we take.

The cruise director tried his best to get people to give everything a 9 on the survey but we told it the way it was.

 

But you knew when you booked that you may have smokers next door. Nothing has changed, except that smokers can no longer smoke in their staterooms. By the way, I don't buy that "allergy" nonsense, when people are smoking outdoors.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Since there were numerous problems in the past how would anyone possible think things might get better now that the smoking has been stopped in the rooms. The only time the balcony problem will get better is when smoking is stopped on them altogether.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Nothing worse than a reformed smoker or drunk. They are the worst.

 

First, there is no such thing as a "reformed drunk". I have not had a drink in almost 25 years. We are alcoholics; we no longer drink. Therefore, we are not "drunks". I also have not smoked for 40 years. So I'm offended by this characterization and would suggest that there is something far "worse" than either ... people who sit at their keyboards making ignorant comments about something they know nothing about and would never dare make to our faces. People who have stopped drinking or smoking made a decision at some point that they didn't want to do one or either anymore for whatever reason. Good for us.:)

 

I applaud Dbedros for the post above because you have hit the nail on the head. Everyone has a choice. It's not like it's a surprise to get on a HAL ship and find someone smoking on the balcony. We know smoking is allowed there. No cruise line on this earth is going to be all things to all people. But there are whiners in this world who like to whine publicly just so they can feel supported by other whiners.

 

Unfortunately, sometimes we need to be careful what we wish for. Because people complained to HAL about too many public smoking areas they have removed many of them. As a result more people are forced onto their balconies.

 

So some people got what they hoped for, fewer public smoking areas, but it's not good enough. I know there are people who would like to ban smoking altogether everywhere. While we're at it, we can ban peanut butter cookies and chocolate cake because they're not good for us either.

 

It's easy to avoid smoke these days if we want to. If HAL's smoking policy is that important, choose another cruise line.

[BruceMuzz]

Are there any statistics available on how many people have contracted emphysema or terminal lung cancer from inhaling a few whiffs of cigarette smoke outdoors on a cruise?

[m steve]

someone who is so allergic to smoke booking a cruise on a ship that allows it. There are so many other cruise lines who restrict balcony smoking. Must every line cater to their needs and ignore all the others?

[hulamoon]

It's easy to avoid smoke these days if we want to. If HAL's smoking policy is that important, choose another cruise line.

quote from Heather in Fla

 

On early smoking threads the options were limited. It seemed to me only luxury lines offered non smoking. But not anymore!

 

You can't blame smokers who want to smoke on their balcony, good grief, some of them book the cruise with HAL to do so.

 

No one can know how sensitive to smoke another passenger really is, if you are sensitive or simply annoyed, you can vote with your feet and money.

 

I agree, it is going to take at least a year to know the overall impact of limiting cabin smokers to balconies. Some will be lucky and others unlucky, depending on your point of view.

[Sea42]

Both my wife and I are non-smokers and allergic to smoke.

I see this type of comment all of the time. Which amazes me as smoke is not an allergen and you can not possibly be allergic to it. It is an irritant. Some seem to think that if they state they are allergic to smoke they have a more valid reason for not wanting to be exposed to it. But by stating something that is simply not true you undermine your position.

Smoking can cause irritation to the eyes, the lining of the nasal passages and throat. (The smell of smoke does not trigger these symptoms). It can also trigger an asthmatic reaction. These are reasons enough not to want to be around smoke but please don't call it an allergy.

[startwin]

I see this type of comment all of the time. Which amazes me as smoke is not an allergen and you can not possibly be allergic to it. It is an irritant. Some seem to think that if they state they are allergic to smoke they have a more valid reason for not wanting to be exposed to it. But by stating something that is simply not true you undermine your position.

Smoking can cause irritation to the eyes, the lining of the nasal passages and throat. (The smell of smoke does not trigger these symptoms). It can also trigger an asthmatic reaction. These are reasons enough not to want to be around smoke but please don't call it an allergy.

 

Oh yes it does.

[Amuse Bouche]

Boy, am I sorry I started this thread. I just wondered how the new smoking policy was going. Hundreds of posts and very few answers to my original question, but quite a few smoker/ non smoker bashing. I guess this is too touchy a topic to not start people lobbing verbal grenades at one another.

Sorry to those who tuned in to it and got caught in the crossfire!

 

Everyone who has spent time perusing more than 40 hours knows what to expect from a thread that has "smoking" in the title. It was inevitable, and a welcome thing for those who thrive on dramatic bashing. If you search "smoking" you will see there is a pattern where the same people are disrespectful to people, aggressive, rude and judgemental. They beat the horse to death, nothing is ever resolved, other than the bashers have had their "fix". Then, another thread begins, new people come in and provide the "bait" and the bashers have "fresh blood".

It would be fun to go kind of incognito on a ship, meet a bunch of cruise critic smoker bashers, have lunches with them etc...then come back to the boards and reveal my identity to those who were sweet to me onboard, and realize after I'm one of the smokers they have verbally degraded down to a low-life cretin.

At this point, one of the expert bashers will say "I knew you were a smoker, I could smell you before my plane landed, I was just being gracious" Well, no, my dentist of 15 yrs just found out with shock that I smoke. Only because I brought it up. I'm a very clean and considerate smoker.

[lovesublime]

I see this type of comment all of the time. Which amazes me as smoke is not an allergen and you can not possibly be allergic to it. It is an irritant. Some seem to think that if they state they are allergic to smoke they have a more valid reason for not wanting to be exposed to it. But by stating something that is simply not true you undermine your position.

Smoking can cause irritation to the eyes, the lining of the nasal passages and throat. (The smell of smoke does not trigger these symptoms). It can also trigger an asthmatic reaction. These are reasons enough not to want to be around smoke but please don't call it an allergy.

 

 

 

 

Well, it can also cause splitting headaches, nausea, vomiting (in my case) and not to mention those asthma 'reactions' as you put it. My aunt died from an asthma attack at the young age of 52. Call it what you want, but cigarette smoke causes illness, death and destruction. Just because someone chooses to call it an allergen DOES NOT undermine their anti-smoking position.

[Sea42]

Well, it can also cause splitting headaches, nausea, vomiting (in my case) and not to mention those asthma 'reactions' as you put it. My aunt died from an asthma attack at the young age of 52. Call it what you want, but cigarette smoke causes illness, death and destruction. Just because someone chooses to call it an allergen DOES NOT undermine their anti-smoking position.

 

Using false information to bolster your position, no matter what the topic, does undermine your credibility in my view. As I stated, and as you pointed out, there are enough reasons not to want to be around smoke without saying something that just isn't true.

[chrispb]

Well, it can also cause splitting headaches, nausea, vomiting (in my case) and not to mention those asthma 'reactions' as you put it. My aunt died from an asthma attack at the young age of 52. Call it what you want, but cigarette smoke causes illness, death and destruction. Just because someone chooses to call it an allergen DOES NOT undermine their anti-smoking position.

 

 

Vomiting? Headaches? Hmmmm, in the open? Now, if you were talking about small enclosed spaces I just might have some sympathy. As for asthma sufferers, I also know 2 people who died from asthma attacks - nothing to do with smoking, though, so why did you mention that?

[vbmom87]

You can't blame smokers who want to smoke on their balcony, good grief, some of them book the cruise with HAL to do so..

 

Agree, and this is one reason I don't book balconies. I have a sensitivity to smoke and cleaning solutions. Both can cause an asthma flare-up. Fortunately not the gasping out of breath flare-up that could land me in the hospital, but I definitely become short of breath. I have been on two HAL cruises and never experienced a problem, but again, I don't book balconies. For the added cost, I would be disappointed if I couldn't use it. So, I book my cheap cabin, save money, and have a great cruise. From reading these boards before my first HAL cruise, I was very concerned. However, I can say that after two cruises on HAL, I had no problems. The few times we came across someone smoking out on a deck, we simply moved on to another location. No reason we can't all get along! ;) Now, if I did want a balcony, I would look for a line with no-smoking restrictions on balconies.

[vbmom87]

Boy, am I sorry I started this thread. I just wondered how the new smoking policy was going. Hundreds of posts and very few answers to my original question, but quite a few smoker/ non smoker bashing. I guess this is too touchy a topic to not start people lobbing verbal grenades at one another.

Sorry to those who tuned in to it and got caught in the crossfire!

 

When I first read your post, I figured this is the way it would go.....always does on this forum....sad....but it is the way it is....

 

As mentioned, it is just too early to say how the new smoking policy is wokring, but as also mentioned, the main difference is no smoking in cabins. That is harder to give feedback on than if HAL had gone to no smoking on balconies. Princess did go to no smoking on balconies. I think the feedback there might be more interesting.

[kazu]

When I first read your post, I figured this is the way it would go.....always does on this forum....sad....but it is the way it is....

 

As mentioned, it is just too early to say how the new smoking policy is wokring, but as also mentioned, the main difference is no smoking in cabins. That is harder to give feedback on than if HAL had gone to no smoking on balconies. Princess did go to no smoking on balconies. I think the feedback there might be more interesting.

 

Actually the lack of smoking in the cabins should make a difference - especially in those without balconies. i remember walking down a hall way and yes, you could smell the smoke coming from the cabins (insides and OV's). So, there should be a difference I would think :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

What I think many are pointing out to those who seem to have an extreme sensitivity to smoke (call it whatever you want ... allergy, etc.) is that there are so many cruise lines you can book where you won't have an issue with smoke. So why not just book those cruise lines? Contrary to what some may say here, HAL does not hang the moon ... never has, never will. It's a fine cruise line. There are many others.

 

HAL is allowing smoking on balconies for now. Unless they change that, if you get that sick from smoke from a nearby balcony then it seems to me the scales are heavily weighted against booking HAL. Just don't do it.

 

I get sick from cigar smoke, but I don't expect the world to cater to my problem. People smoke cigars; I stay away from people smoking a cigar. We all have to take care of ourselves and cannot expect the world to change just for us!!!!

[2buggers]

More offensive than cigarette smoke: when someone bathes in their cologne/perfume. Apparently they're trying to conceal funky body odors.

[1 HappyCruiser]

More offensive than cigarette smoke: when someone bathes in their cologne/perfume. Apparently they're trying to conceal funky body odors.

 

Yea like tobacco smell. :D

[sugarcharlie]

Yea like tobacco smell. :D

 

 

Touche'!

[hypercafe]

I agree with Heatherfromeflorida. There are lots on cruise lines, instead of making such a big deal just use them. If you are part of the anti smoking change the world crowd this is not the place. If you must have HAL just suck it up. I really don't think HAL cares what you think because their ships sail full each week.

[kelmac]

Here is the bottom line:

 

If you want to avoid smokers and smoke (no smoking in cabins/verandahs), cruise:

 

--Oceania

--Azamara

--Celebrity

--Princess

--Crystal

 

If you want to smoke on your balcony, cruise:

 

--Holland America

--Carnival

--Costa

--Royal Caribbean

--Cunard

 

Vote with your dollars, pounds, euros....,

Kel:)

[1 HappyCruiser]

So some people got what they hoped for, fewer public smoking areas, but it's not good enough. I know there are people who would like to ban smoking altogether everywhere. While we're at it, we can ban peanut butter cookies and chocolate cake because they're not good for us either.

 

Last time I was on a ship there was no one trying to shove peanut butter cookies or chocolate cake down my throat unless I wanted it. :p

[m steve]

or forces you to sit on your balcony all day hoping someone will smoke nearby so you can complain. Think of all the money you can save by not going into the casino as well.

Most of like the way HAL does things and there is no reason for them to change to satisfy a few complainers.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Charlie the answer is that it is just too soon to know. I think it is going to be many weeks before HAL even gets a feel for this in number of complaints. As it was stated before people in the past had problems with smokers next to them on the balcony. You are wanting to know how it is going... well the thing is it really is not different than it has been for HAL.

 

Neither my husband and I have ever smoked and no I do not care for smoke either but I am one to to believe that it will not be any different than it was before because technically nothing has changed that can be observed by the non smoker. I think it will take a year or two to re-evaluate how this is working for HAL. The percentage of people who read the HAL CC board is extremely small, many HAL cruisers do not even know about CC and many more have no idea about the change in the smoking policy. The percentage of those who do not care or will not let it effect their cruise vacation is much larger than those that are concerned. I talk to many cruisers daily and when they book cruises they never ever ask about smoking policies. Far more consider it to be the same on the ship as it is on land. Maybe one out of 50 ask is there a place to smoke on the ship? I answer yes there are designated areas and leave it at that.

 

Just my hunch is that in future weeks those that are very anti smoking will come in here to complain even if they really were not effected to prove a point ;) The same with the smokers they will come in and say that they had neighbors giving them a bad time about smoking on the balcony. This battle will never end yet I got bets if you ask HAL in 6 months you will here things are going well.:)

 

You make some very good points. I wonder if we'll ever know how the fine/fee works. Unless someone is overheard onboard complaining about being fined or comes to CC to post about being fined, how will we know if HAL is really imposing the penalty?

[Silver sailor]

Yes, it is simply a matter of luck if we are able to use and enjoy our veranda. IF you are lucky, you won't have a smoker spoiling the air beside you. If you are not lucky, you could lose use of your veranda for the whole cruise as has happened to us. We had smokers on both sides of us and I don't think they ever left their verandas. Whenever we went out, they were there puffing away.

 

 

If someone is smoking , spoiling air besides you , you do not "lose the use of your veranda..." You CHOOSE not to use the veranda.

 

I'm an ex smoker , quit 15 years ago, and have sailed on cruises where either one or both of the occupants are smokers (including cigars)

 

I have never lost the use of my balcony because of that Either I went outside or ????????? bur it was my CHOICE