Best cruise ship for smokers and bring own drinks?

[Terri68]

Some friends of mine used to cruise often but had some major life changes and were unable to go for the past 10 years. Now they are able to cruise again (and we would like to help make that happen) but are they are upset by their inability to bring a bottle of rum and some of their own beer aboard. They are also smokers and have heard that cruise ships are very unfriendly toward smoking. They mainly want to be able to smoke in their room (or on their balcony) and somewhere near their dinner restaurant.

So, I am looking for a ship that would be welcoming toward their preferences but also be good for the rest of the group who are nonsmoking. Any ideas? Thanks!

[Tarkus]

while i've never cruised them, i've heard costa is the most lenient (wrt smoking) and tends to have the most smokers aboard (btw, that's the primary reason i've never cruised them).

 

can't help you on the booze issue, although if you keep it discreet many of us have brought our own bottles aboard in checked luggage for many cruises now w/o any problems. now, a lot of beer would be another story - if for no other reason than bulk/weight. could just be that they'll have to pay whatever the going-rate on the ship they select for that indulgence.

 

good luck and happy cruising!

[98Charlie]

they are upset by their inability to bring a bottle of rum and some of their own beer aboard. They are also smokers and have heard that cruise ships are very unfriendly toward smoking. They mainly want to be able to smoke in their room (or on their balcony) and somewhere near their dinner restaurant.

So, I am looking for a ship that would be welcoming toward their preferences but also be good for the rest of the group who are nonsmoking. Any ideas? Thanks!

Smoking in their cabin is not a problem on the lines that we have used (NCL, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean). Just ask the room steward for an ashtray.

 

Depending on the ship, the casino may be near the dining room or access to an outside deck may be one deck up from the dining room. The reality is that unless they have a mobility problem, it's not that far to a smoking area.

 

Regarding the rum, if they stick a bottle in their luggage, make sure it is well protected. I have personally seen how the luggage is moved from the dock to the ship. It isn't pretty.

 

There is also the option, on some cruise lines, to purchase a bottle in their shop on board and pay a fee to have it in your room. Don't remember which line that is.

 

Charlie

[familycruzer]

I will most likely get slammed for this statement but I really dont think smoking should be allowed in cabins on a ship. Talk about a fire hazzard.

[Cotton]

Terri - I don't remember much about my NCL or Princess cruises, but being a Carnival cruiser now, I can offer some thoughts:

 

They can smoke in their cabin (there are no non-smoking cabins) or on their balcony. If no ashtray, ask the cabin steward. (I just take my own little patio ashtray.) Just to keep the air fresher in my cabin, I do take a small can of Lysol. I don't want the steward choking when he enters my cabin.:D

 

Of course, all dining venues are non-smoking, but there are areas within a minute or two where they can smoke, so this has not presented a major problem for me. There are lots of smoking areas on ships - most outside decks, about half the bars/lounges. No smoking in the main show lounges, of course. One side of the deck where the main pool is, is designated smoking - the other side is non-smoking. The casino is a smoking area, so no problem there.

 

I don't think they should worry about smoking on any Carnival ship. I've never felt frowned upon just because I'm a smoker; however, I'm a very considerate smoker.;) There are no non-smoking ships in any cruise line that I'm aware of...not since the Carnival Paradise went from non-smoking to smoking.

 

I hope they have a wonderful cruise!

[DEL67]

As the other posters said, most lines allow smoking in the cabins, the casino and selected other locations.

 

Do not sail NCL if you are planning to bring liquor aboard. If liquor is found in your luggage, it is not delivered to your cabin. You are sent a note requesting you to pick the luggage up and the liquor is confiscated until then end of the cruise.

[tumeroll]

Best cruise ship for smokers and bringing your own booze is the one you charter for you and your friends. Then everyone will be happy. The rest of the passengers and the cruise line as you are the boss.

[not Cozumel again cruiser]

Obvioulsy from the way some of the cabins smell on cruise ships you can smoke to your hearts content in your cabin- also some of the casinos are quite smoky. some people smuggle liquor onboard in mouthwash bottles- Also try a European cruise company since there seems to be no fear of lung cancer in Europe. Seriously smoking is not good for you, try to quit for your own health and you know what- it is my business because I am a nurse who has watched people die of lung cancer.............good luck Janice RN

[98Charlie]

With regard to residual smoke odor in cabins, here are a couple of links to other threads on that topic:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=164623

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=126803

 

As I have said before we have never encountered a cabin with smoke odor.

 

Charlie

[CruisinFools]

Why is that smokers are considered the "rude" ones and yet, if someone asks an innocent question, some non smoker always has to add their un-requested 2 cents? The poster asked which cruise line is more accomodating of smokers and drinkers - they did not ask for anyone's opinion on the subect of smoking. But of course, the smokers are the rude ones, right? Is there such a thing as second-hand pain in the neck?

[Cotton]

:D :D Oh so true.

[judyjudy999]

I will most likely get slammed for this statement but I really dont think smoking should be allowed in cabins on a ship. Talk about a fire hazzard.

 

That's a great point. I can attest that in all my smoking years I've started at least...hmmmm NO fires. What's next? curling irons, hairdryers, or maybe the dreaded wire coat hangers, we all know they can be a hazard too if stuck in electrical outlets.

 

JudyJudy

[Terri68]

Thank you to everyone who answered my questions. I told my friends about your comments and it looks like my friends are planning on cruising again and they are busy looking for the perfect ship. Yea!

[Square]

That's a great point. I can attest that in all my smoking years I've started at least...hmmmm NO fires. What's next? curling irons, hairdryers, or maybe the dreaded wire coat hangers, we all know they can be a hazard too if stuck in electrical outlets.

 

JudyJudy

Yea, great point! Why would anyone say something negative about a positive, healthy habbit such as smoking? It is clearly a brilliant idea to keep it up as long as you are responsible enough not to start fires.

 

lol...I really don't care if you smoke, but I couldn't pass up the sarcasm. I figure you should just try to eat yourself to death since it is becoming fashionable. C'mon...everybody's doing it!

 

Anyway, I've never had any problems on Carnival with booze. The beer might be hard to get a weeks worth supply on board, but you could probably get a few cans through. It is easiest to just bring some whiskey/rum/gin in a traveler (plastic bottle) wrapped in clothes. You can get fancy with mouthwash bottles if you want. I've never had a room smell too much like smoke anyway. I'd tell your friends that they will probably spend less time in their room than they think. Something about hanging out on the deck gets addictive. They can probably smoke all they want out there as well. Anyway...have fun.

[judyjudy999]

Yea, great point! Why would anyone say something negative about a positive, healthy habbit such as smoking? It is clearly a brilliant idea to keep it up as long as you are responsible enough not to start fires.

 

lol...I really don't care if you smoke, but I couldn't pass up the sarcasm. I figure you should just try to eat yourself to death since it is becoming fashionable. C'mon...everybody's doing it!

 

Anyway, I've never had any problems on Carnival with booze. The beer might be hard to get a weeks worth supply on board, but you could probably get a few cans through. It is easiest to just bring some whiskey/rum/gin in a traveler (plastic bottle) wrapped in clothes. You can get fancy with mouthwash bottles if you want. I've never had a room smell too much like smoke anyway. I'd tell your friends that they will probably spend less time in their room than they think. Something about hanging out on the deck gets addictive. They can probably smoke all they want out there as well. Anyway...have fun.

 

Gee, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think Terry was asking for anyone's opinion on the health issues of smoking.

 

You mention eating yourself to death, but why not reference your next paragraph about the dangers of drinking. Should drinking be allowed in the cabins? Hmmmm, I wonder if after a few drinks someone might be tempted to jump off the rail. Maybe the line should prohibit cabin drinking for the safety of everyone on board, after all think of the safety issues if you fall on someone one deck below. Just another quick thought, gee I sure hope my cabin doesn't stink from the spilled drinks on the carpet from the previous guest.

 

Oh and lol.....forgive my sarcasim too, I really don't care if you drink, another real healthy habit I might add. Its a brilliant idea to keep it up as long as you're responsibile enough not to tumble off your balcony to a deck below. :p

 

JudyJudy

 

It's hard to be humble......when you're perfect in every way.

[KruznKel]

LMAO... needed a good laugh after a long week!!! Eat.. Drink... Smoke and whatever else you wanna do or don't and BE HAPPY!!! You only live once... :)

[OCruisers]

Why is that smokers are considered the "rude" ones and yet, if someone asks an innocent question, some non smoker always has to add their un-requested 2 cents? The poster asked which cruise line is more accomodating of smokers and drinkers - they did not ask for anyone's opinion on the subect of smoking. But of course, the smokers are the rude ones, right? Is there such a thing as second-hand pain in the neck?

 

:D Ditto! :D

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[caviargal]

I will offer my opinion based on the ships I have found to be the smokiest, and therefore ones I do not sail.

 

The Carnival ships I have sailed have been the smokiest of all my cruises. Not sure if it the demographic they attract - a more casual, blue collar, partying crowd IME - or just coincidence.

 

I am recently off the Glory and had a hard time finding a non-smoky place; definitely not a bar to go into if you did not want to be around smoke.

 

Perhaps you should check them out.

[beckers]

I did not see many people smoking on Princess so maybe they better not go on that one:D

[Cotton]

QUOTE=caviargal] I am recently off the Glory and had a hard time finding a non-smoky place; definitely not a bar to go into if you did not want to be around smoke.

 

Friends were recently on the Glory, and they are non-smokers. They said there were two nice lounges on the Glory that were non-smoking, and one had a combo playing every night....that's where they went every evening. These folks are very anti-smoking, but had NO complaints whatsoever about a 'smoky atmosphere'. Believe me, I would have heard about it, as I recommended Carnival.

 

Not sure if it the demographic they attract - a more casual, blue collar, partying crowd IME - or just coincidence.[quote

 

That wasn't a very nice thing to say.:o

[caviargal]

QUOTE=QUOTE

 

That wasn't a very nice thing to say.:o

 

It was not meant to be rude. IMHO, it is quite accurate. I grew up in a blue collar family so did not mean the comment to be demeaning in any way. For the price point and cruising experiece Carnival offers, the target market is not high income.

 

Carnival does not try to be a upscale line and the passengers are - in general - not those you will find on a Crystal or Radission. There were some really ill behaved people aboard and I saw a few things I have not before seen on cruise ships. Broken beer bottles, a man verbally abusing his wife in public in a very loud voice, a racial incident that was totally out of line, purposeful damage to the interior of one of the elevators, etc.

 

I was working aboard and had a table set up in one of the lobbies. Each time I went to work after being gone, it was trashed. One day someone had smeared chocolate ice cream all over it, as well as dumped some on my chair. And I was unfortunate to have had to endure some very off color remarks from drunks that lurched past and had to stop and offer a comment or two. I have been on many cruises both working and as a guest and these were all new experiences.

 

My taste in nightlife runs to jazz and the disco but the jazz bar was the cigar bar and the disco was full of kids. I do not go in for combos so that is probably why I did not check out the club your friends enjoyed.

 

The pool area was divided into smoking and non smoking sides. I did not even walk thru the section that was smoking - I could not believe that even being outside the smell was unbelievably strong! I read that Glory has made changes to their ventilation system based on smoke problems so I cannot imagine what it was like previously.

 

I am glad your friends enjoyed their cruise.

[Cotton]

Thank you. I appreciate your comments. However, I have found that on Carnival, NCL, and Princess, there is a good 'mix' of passengers. I have yet to see actions such as you described, but I'm sure ALL cruise ships have a few passengers like that. For instance, my super-snob aunt told me about a very inebriated man on Celebrity who fell into her table, spilling food and wine all over everyone....and it took the Maitre 'd and three waiters to physically remove him from the dining room.:eek:

[waterrats]

If you cruise Princess, don't bother bringing your own booze. You can buy the booze by the bottle on the ship through room service or at a bar. It will most likely cost less than if you were to buy it at home. You can also walk on with any wine and champagne that you want.

 

If you cruise RCCL, when we were on the voyager, you can buy a bottle on the ship and pay an extra $10 corkage fee to bring it back to your room. It worked out to be less than if you brought it from home.

[Bruin Steve]

Wow...when I first saw this thread pop up, I ignored it...thought it was a sarcastic joke...like "What's the best cruise line for smoking, smuggling booze, hogging deck chairs, allowing one's bratty kids to run amok unsupervised, stealing robes and towels, harassing other guests, ignoring dining room etiquette and p*ssing in the jacuzzi?"

 

Like someone was rolling all the major pet peeve threads into one sarcastic cruise recommendation satire...

 

But, I finally went ahead and read this and found out someone's SERIOUS!!!

 

Look, most ships allow some smoking to go on in sections of the ship...With Carnival changing the policy on the Paradise, I don't think there's a completely nonsmoking ship out there...ALTHOUGH THEY ALL SHOULD BE...Smoking IS evil...and it IS harmful to those around the smoker...especially to asthmatics like myself...Unfortunately, such a policy is not in effect anywhere in the cruise business today...So, discussing the merits in response to this thread is moot...

 

However, if what they also might be concerned with is how they might be received as smokers, there is some amount of difference in the acceptance of smoking cruise line to cruise line, ship to ship and itinerary to itinerary...Some ships have larger areas restricted than others...

 

The first thing to look at is the nationality-demographics...Europeans and Asians are more likely smokers than Americans...A cruise line that specifically caters to Europeans like Costa, for example, is likely to have a larger proportion of smokers and therefore, less restrictive rules and more overall acceptance...

 

And beware any cruise out here on the West Coast...California has the most restrictive smoking laws and has had them in effect for the longest time...and California also has the smallest proportion of smokers in the entire US...Smoking just isn't quite as accepted here as it is in other parts of the country...Cruises out here have a much higher number of Californians and, therefore, far fewer smokers...and smokers may feel less at ease with us anti-tobacco vigilantes on board...

 

Smuggling drinks is another matter...and I've discussed that at length on another thread...

 

Whatever your friends do, please tell them NOT to cruise on the Constellation this July...and keep them off the Pacific Princess next July...

 

Many of us are looking for the ships that discourage smoking...don't cater to booze smugglers...and also are adverse to those who hog deck chairs, folks who allow their bratty kids to run amok unsupervised, people who steal robes and towels, people who harass other guests, ignoring dining room etiquette and, especially, p*ssing in the jacuzzi...

[Bruin Steve]

oops