Smoking on HAL

[welshaussie]

Hi - have cruised Princess, RCI and Celebrity. I assumed all lines had limited designated smoking areas. Have booked Oosterdam, balcony room, and now discover HAL allows smoking on balconies and many public areas.

The balcony bit in particular disturbs me - have all smokers gravitated to HAL? Should I be worried?

[CruiserBruce]

A little reading on the board would find many threads on this very controversial topic. Yes, smoking is allowed on balconies. I wouldn't say many public areas. Rather smoking is banned in most public areas, not allowed.

 

As we don't know anything about you, how would we know whether you should be worried or not? DW is fairly sensitive to cigarette smoke, my Dad died from lung cancer after smoking for 40+ years. So we will never be viewed as fans of smoking. But the overall pluses of HAL far outweighs the smoking issue, in our opinion.

Edited November 10, 2013 by CruiserBruce

[kjw869]

Hi - have cruised Princess, RCI and Celebrity. I assumed all lines had limited designated smoking areas. Have booked Oosterdam, balcony room, and now discover HAL allows smoking on balconies and many public areas.

The balcony bit in particular disturbs me - have all smokers gravitated to HAL? Should I be worried?

 

If this is a concern to you, I would cancel your cruise on the Oosterdam and stay with Celebrity or Princess. You cannot be guaranteed that you will not be next to smokers so why take the chance? Where did you read that smoking is allowed in "many public areas"?

 

Smooth sailing!

Edited November 10, 2013 by kjw869

[andilynnwright]

My Mom and I hate cigarette smoke. Sorry, it's just not our thing, no offense to anyone. Should we be worried? You would think most of it dissipates with the ship moving and all. Not true?

 

We are on an aft verandah in 2 weeks.

[welshaussie]

I read it in the current HAL Cruise Contract - smoking allowed on -

"Stateroom verandahs and other designated, outside decks. Designated smoking areas for ALL ships are stateroom verandahs, the Casino (for active players only), the Seaview Bar and the Sports Deck. Guests on the (7 ships named, including Oosterdam) may also smoke on the Observation Deck"The named two decks, Seaview Bar and Casino I'm happy to avoid - but the verandah I was hoping to enjoy.

[Seavoyage]

Hi - have cruised Princess, RCI and Celebrity. I assumed all lines had limited designated smoking areas. Have booked Oosterdam, balcony room, and now discover HAL allows smoking on balconies and many public areas.

The balcony bit in particular disturbs me - have all smokers gravitated to HAL? Should I be worried?

 

We had smokers as neighbors on our cruise last year - the smell was bothersome...we just tried to aviod the balcony when they were out there - they seemed to smoke then go inside. I felt sorry for how they would cough when they smoked -sounded like it hurt. What was annoying (to me anyway) was when the cig butts and ashes blew onto our balcony...oh well - certainly didn't dampen our fun. Have a great cruise:-)

[innlady1]

Hi - have cruised Princess, RCI and Celebrity. I assumed all lines had limited designated smoking areas. Have booked Oosterdam, balcony room, and now discover HAL allows smoking on balconies and many public areas.

The balcony bit in particular disturbs me - have all smokers gravitated to HAL? Should I be worried?

 

On our recent cruise, we were in a balcony cabin on the stern...the people on the aft wrap next to us were smokers. We, too, went inside when they were out there. :p

Edited November 10, 2013 by innlady1

[mamaofami]

Now that HAL has limited the amount of wine that can be brought on board, perhaps smoking will be next. One can only hope.

Edited November 10, 2013 by mamaofami

[HamOp]

Now that HAL has limited the amount of wine that can be brought on board, perhaps smoking will be next. One can only hope.

 

HAL changed the wine policy to augment their bottom line. Limiting smoking further will have no such effect. What would you have them do? Limit each person to 1 pack brought on board?

 

As you said, one can only hope. (If of course that's your point of view)

[mightycruisequeen]

Hi - have cruised Princess, RCI and Celebrity. I assumed all lines had limited designated smoking areas. Have booked Oosterdam, balcony room, and now discover HAL allows smoking on balconies and many public areas.

The balcony bit in particular disturbs me - have all smokers gravitated to HAL? Should I be worried?

We also prefer the smoking policies of Princess, RCI & Celebrity. That said, we still sail on HAL, but we don't pay for balcony cabins, only insides or ocean view. Not going to shell out money for a balcony we might not be able to fully enjoy.

[Fouremco]

HAL changed the wine policy to augment their bottom line. Limiting smoking further will have no such effect.

There are a lot of people, DW and I included, who love HAL but have chosen not to sail with them anymore because of the liberal smoking policy. This year, we endured a 21 day cruise with smokers on either side of us, almost entirely stopping our use of our balcony. As there are more and more non-smokers cruising, I believe that eliminating smoking, at least from the balconies and casino, would very much benefit their bottom line.

 

[FNJ]

We also prefer the smoking policies of Princess, RCI & Celebrity. That said, we still sail on HAL, but we don't pay for balcony cabins, only insides or ocean view. Not going to shell out money for a balcony we might not be able to fully enjoy.

 

Totally agree with this post. We already were on a cruise where we paid extra for a balcony and could not use it due to smoke blowing through it from smokers foward of us. It was constant, not just when our neighbors were out there smoking, it was from alot of the balconys in front of us. If we were sailing Carnaval or Princess we would take a balcony. On HAL we booked an inside cabin. Hopefully they will ban smoking on their balconys eventually.

[CruiserBruce]

We have over 200 days on HAL, every single day in a balcony or higher cabin. In those cruises, I can think of only one 10 day cruise where smoke on the adjoining balcony was a problem, and that was a brief problem. On many cruises we occasionally smell smoke, but never had a problem.

 

The "liberal" smoking policies of HAL is a bit of a stretch. I am at the Grand Wailea on Maui right now. The Grand Wailea, a 4 star hotel, like most hotels I am aware of, allows smoking on their balconies. HAL, like most places, including most cruise lines, allows smoking in their casino. HAL, like most cruise lines, allows smoking on a very limited areas of open deck. So, HAL's policy is more similar to the rest of the world than different. And if you think HAL allows smoking in probably under 10% of the public areas of their ship, and given smokers are 18% of the US population, greater elsewhere, that makes the "liberal policy" a bigger stretch.

 

Again, we are no fans of smoking, as explained in post #2. The pluses of HAL far outweight the smoking issue.

Edited November 10, 2013 by CruiserBruce

[TracieABD]

I do believe that smoking will become more limited on HAL in the future. There were many people who forecasted that Princess would go under when it banned smoking from its balconies. That just doesn't seem to be the case.

 

I will state, I am sympathetic to smokers. I was one for 20 years. I quit about 18 years ago (and have never looked back). Still, I do not want to be subjected to other's habits. I am hoping on our Dec. cruise, that we are not surrounded by smokers to the detriment that we cannot use our balcony.:)

[mtwingcpa]

The Grand Wailea, a 4 star hotel, like most hotels I am aware of, allows smoking on their balconies.

 

In Washington state, the "25 foot rule" arguably prohibits smoking on hotel balconies. And most local hotels that I'm aware of conform to that rule.

 

I am merely pointing out that smoking on hotel balconies is not universally allowed. :-)

[boulders]

 

The "liberal" smoking policies of HAL is a bit of a stretch. I am at the Grand Wailea on Maui right now. The Grand Wailea, a 4 star hotel, like most hotels I am aware of, allows smoking on their balconies.

 

Smoking on a hotel balcony is illegal in Hawaii. http://hawaii.gov/health/healthy-lifestyles/tobacco/Smoke-Free-Law.htm

[cruz chic]

We have over 200 days on HAL, every single day in a balcony or higher cabin. In those cruises, I can think of only one 10 day cruise where smoke on the adjoining balcony was a problem, and that was a brief problem. On many cruises we occasionally smell smoke, but never had a problem.

 

The "liberal" smoking policies of HAL is a bit of a stretch. I am at the Grand Wailea on Maui right now. The Grand Wailea, a 4 star hotel, like most hotels I am aware of, allows smoking on their balconies. HAL, like most places, including most cruise lines, allows smoking in their casino. HAL, like most cruise lines, allows smoking on a very limited areas of open deck. So, HAL's policy is more similar to the rest of the world than different. And if you think HAL allows smoking in probably under 10% of the public areas of their ship, and given smokers are 18% of the US population, greater elsewhere, that makes the "liberal policy" a bigger stretch.

 

Again, we are no fans of smoking, as explained in post #2. The pluses of HAL far outweight the smoking issue.

 

You've been lucky. Hal does have liberal smoking policies whether you like to admit it or not. Hopefully sooner than later Hal will change it's policy.

[chrispb]

Smoking on a hotel balcony is illegal in Hawaii. http://hawaii.gov/health/healthy-lifestyles/tobacco/Smoke-Free-Law.htm

 

I think some hotels turn a blind eye to it - there's a very useful website for hotels that permit/ban smoking.

[Fouremco]

The "liberal" smoking policies of HAL is a bit of a stretch. I am at the Grand Wailea on Maui right now. The Grand Wailea, a 4 star hotel, like most hotels I am aware of, allows smoking on their balconies. HAL, like most places, including most cruise lines, allows smoking in their casino. HAL, like most cruise lines, allows smoking on a very limited areas of open deck. So, HAL's policy is more similar to the rest of the world than different.

Your hotel comment is a non sequitur as we are discussing cruise line policies. What the hotel industry does is a totally separate issue and of no interest to me.

 

Staying on topic, most cruise lines currently do not allow smoking on balconies and more are following suit. For example, there will be a fleet-wide prohibition on Royal Caribbean commencing January 2014 and P&O will have banned smoking on its fleet's balconies by April 2014.

 

As for casinos, some have banned it and others now have designated smoking and non-smoking areas within their casinos. HAL is one of a declining number of lines that allows smoking throughout its casinos.

 

As for other designated locations, I agree that most allow smoking in a limited number of public spots, but I suspect that only HAL allows it on its Sports Deck!

 

All things considered, I think its quite reasonable to describe HAL's smoking policy as being liberal. You disagree, but that's your prerogative. I won't sail with HAL until there's a change in policy because of our experience this year, but that's my choice and if others don't mind the smoke, by all means sail with HAL.

 

BTW, the only change that would do it for me would be the balconies. I don't frequent the casino and can avoid the other designated smoking areas, but I won't put up with a balcony where I have no guarantee of a smoke-free environment.

 

[HamOp]

There are a lot of people, DW and I included, who love HAL but have chosen not to sail with them anymore because of the liberal smoking policy. This year, we endured a 21 day cruise with smokers on either side of us, almost entirely stopping our use of our balcony. As there are more and more non-smokers cruising, I believe that eliminating smoking, at least from the balconies and casino, would very much benefit their bottom line.

 

 

But explain how prohibiting smoking on the balconies and casino could benefit the bottom line when most if not all ships sail at capacity now?

 

We have always had at least a balcony and never once have been bothered by second hand smoke. Guess we've just been lucky.

 

How is it that with so many people not smoking these days, so many people end up with one or both sides smokers. It just doesn't make sense to me.

[iancal]

We have never been bothered by people smoking on their verandahs.

 

But the entire issue is so very straightforward.

 

HAL makes the policy well known. Cruisers then make a choice-select HAL or another cruise line. Not certain what all the other noise is about. Ultimately the customer decides based on their preferences-there are no surprises.

 

All things equal between two or three ships....the smoking policy on HAL would make it simple to eliminate them from our short list. We are not complaining about it. Choice is what drives the marketplace.

Edited November 10, 2013 by iancal

[Sow There]

But explain how prohibiting smoking on the balconies and casino could benefit the bottom line when most if not all ships sail at capacity now?

 

We have always had at least a balcony and never once have been bothered by second hand smoke. Guess we've just been lucky.

 

How is it that with so many people not smoking these days, so many people end up with one or both sides smokers. It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Ditto that. We are both lifelong non-smokers and have had smokers and non smokers as neighbors. We've never been bothered by cigarette smoke.

 

Same deal when smoking on airplanes was permitted.

 

The health dangers from fumes from the funnels and other sources are far more significant than a puff of smoke from a cigarette.

 

What I don't get, however, is how many people object to e-cigs that have no health issues at all, but that's another subject.

[Fouremco]

But explain how prohibiting smoking on the balconies and casino could benefit the bottom line when most if not all ships sail at capacity now?

 

That's true on certain cruises but by no means all, and to fill them they frequently have to offer significant reductions. They'd possibly sell more at regular prices if those with smoking issues no longer worried about who would be next to them. I think it was Princess announcing its decision to stop balcony smoking that led to predictions of drops in sales, only to find it was quite the opposite. Where I live, smoking has been banned from bars for a good number of years. When the legislation was first discussed, it was nothing but doom and gloom and predictions of closure after closure from the owners. Guess what? The non-smokers returned to the bars and they are doing a better business than they were before.

 

We have always had at least a balcony and never once have been bothered by second hand smoke. Guess we've just been lucky.

 

Different experience in my case.

 

How is it that with so many people not smoking these days, so many people end up with one or both sides smokers. It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

There's a standing joke in gymnasiums that if there are only two people in a row of lockers trying to get changed after a workout, their lockers will be side-by-side. It happens far more frequently than the law of averages would suggest.

 

As for balconies, there are three above you, three below you and one on either side, for a total of 8 adjacent balconies. As smoke from two balconies away can be quite noticeable, that brings the total to 24. I'd say that there are pretty good odds of a smoker or two being in one of those 24 cabins. :(

Pax vobiscum!

[holacanada]

Hi fellow cruisers !

 

The most intolerent people, those who bark the most are former smokers. Try to expain this to me.

There's too much hate, wars, flood, conflict of all sort. So you guys and gals don't want to give us a break with this soooooooo boring discussion.

 

Hope you have some fun anywhere in your life. - PEACE

 

Holacanada

 

 

Holacanada from Quebec city.

Next cruise on Noordam for the 21 days Collector Cruise / Turkey's At Sea...

Edited November 10, 2013 by holacanada

[HamOp]

Pax vobiscum!

 

I had to Google that one:o:D