Smoking Policy (More...)

[Aussiepair]

We just got off the Noordam yesterday. Our chain smoking neighbor made our aft wraparound balcony useless. While the cruise was otherwise good, we will not sail HAL again until smoking is prohibited on the balconies. The balcony is an important part of our cruise experience, and adjacent smoking ruined it for us. I respect HAL's right to make any business decision which is in their best interest, but we are not dealing with that stench again. HAL has been our line of choice and we are 3 star Mariners, but the balcony smoking is deal breaker for us.

 

We feel your pain, we couldn't use our balcony for 2 weeks due to a cigar smoking 300lb gentleman living on his balcony that happened to be in front of ours. Even when traveling at 20knots the stench of his filthy habit was obnoxious. Not only did we cop his smoke we also copped his ash. No more cruising with HAL for us until they change their smoking policy and bring it into the 21st century.

[sapper1]

Buddy, we do hear you and truly understand. Some folks (especially the smoking crowd) do not want to hear this, but the air currents that swirl around the outside of a ship often create a vacuum effect that sucks smoke right into balconies....even if its coming from several balconies away. This is why cruise ships beg smokers not to toss cigarette butts overboard from any deck (they can be sucked into a balcony). This has been ruled the most likely cause of the big Star Princess fire which started on a balcony.

 

Hank

 

A poster on a recent TA talked of hanging her laundry out on the balcony several times. The tossed cigarette/fire issue was what came to mind when I read the review. I wondered at the time why the steward didn't report it as I know it is a definite no no for safety and aesthetic reasons.

The fire danger is the more important issue but also consider if everyone strung laundry. The ship would look like the pictures of Hong Kong tenements.

[cdnsteelman]

We feel your pain, we couldn't use our balcony for 2 weeks due to a cigar smoking 300lb gentleman living on his balcony that happened to be in front of ours. Even when traveling at 20knots the stench of his filthy habit was obnoxious. Not only did we cop his smoke we also copped his ash. No more cruising with HAL for us until they change their smoking policy and bring it into the 21st century.

 

What does his weight have to do with anything? Sounds like the guy was following the rules, rules you knew existed before you set sail.

 

I sincerely hope you find a cruise line that meets your needs going forward. Perhaps there's one that prescreens passengers by weight so you can ensure you don't run into any more 300 pounders.

 

And before you post back saying his weight wasn't an issue for you just realize you wouldn't have added that detail if it wasn't.

 

Happy cruising,

csm

[Mimosa09]

On a post in the "Balcony Horror Stories" thread (post#295), Erex pointed out that the ashtray on their balcony wasn't emptied everyday. So this person made a point of having it emptied everyday and cleaned. They felt the unemptied unclean ashtray could be a cause for lingering odor & unwanted wafting to other balconies of non-smokers. This was a RCCL ship before they changed their smoking policy.

 

So my question is - how often do the room stewards empty out the ashtrays on balconies on HAL?

[kakalina]

On a post in the "Balcony Horror Stories" thread (post#295), Erex pointed out that the ashtray on their balcony wasn't emptied everyday. So this person made a point of having it emptied everyday and cleaned. They felt the unemptied unclean ashtray could be a cause for lingering odor & unwanted wafting to other balconies of non-smokers. This was a RCCL ship before they changed their smoking policy.

 

So my question is - how often do the room stewards empty out the ashtrays on balconies on HAL?

 

The ashtrays provided by the ship on HAL are covered ashtrays with the thingy in the middle that you push on, it spins and everything falls into the base of the ashtray. I know it eliminates any chance of blowing ash or butts, I would think it may eliminate odor from spreading also. It seems to me they emptied our ashtrays daily.

[CRUZBUDS]

What does his weight have to do with anything? Sounds like the guy was following the rules, rules you knew existed before you set sail.

 

I sincerely hope you find a cruise line that meets your needs going forward. Perhaps there's one that prescreens passengers by weight so you can ensure you don't run into any more 300 pounders.

 

And before you post back saying his weight wasn't an issue for you just realize you wouldn't have added that detail if it wasn't.

csm

 

Fat Tony didn't appreciate the weight comment either -- it really was unnecessary and did nothing for your argument

 

[sapper1]

Fat Tony didn't appreciate the weight comment either -- it really was unnecessary and did nothing for your argument

 

 

LOL. I tried to wipe the smudge off my screen until I realised it was just the smoke from Tony's cigar. Duh!!!:)

[BuddyP]

I do hope you let HAL know of your decision. And I hope you wrote a cruise review as well.

 

I have posted my review.

[sail7seas]

Please......

 

would you post your review here, also?

Maybe copy and paste or a link?

 

Thanks if you can do that. :)

[chrispb]

You are way behind the times. In the US hotels have been joining the no smoking bandwagon for quite some time. Here is an interesting article on the topic:

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/story/2011/02/More-hotels-go-completely-smoke-free/43823744/1

 

Since USA published that article many more hotels/motels have gone smoke-free. There are still many hotels/motels that have "smoking" rooms, but I guess that smokers need to carefully do their homework unless they want to spend part of their time walking outside their hotel to have a smoke :)

 

Hank

 

We had no problems earlier this year on the west coast (driving holiday) in the US. I think we only spent 1 night in a non-smoking hotel. Seek and ye shall find:)

[chrispb]

I explained the situation to them in the after cruise survey. I mentioned that they could contact me if they so desired.

 

I will be writing a review. I do miss the warm weather! :)

 

As you've sailed with HAL so often, I would have thought you'd know their smoking policy?? Just as I, a smoker, wouldn't book with Celebrity. We all make choices in life;)

[chrispb]

The ship would look like the pictures of Hong Kong tenements.

 

Hee-hee, I love Hong Kong but haven't seen the washing flapping there for a good number of years.:D

[runnergirl71]

Buddy, we do hear you and truly understand. Some folks (especially the smoking crowd) do not want to hear this, but the air currents that swirl around the outside of a ship often create a vacuum effect that sucks smoke right into balconies....even if its coming from several balconies away. This is why cruise ships beg smokers not to toss cigarette butts overboard from any deck (they can be sucked into a balcony). This has been ruled the most likely cause of the big Star Princess fire which started on a balcony.

 

Hank

 

This (the swirling currents) smoking thing is exactly the reason why I'm NOT changing my cabin to a verandah one on my Alaska cruise. As much as I would love to have the verandah to use, it would be my luck that I would end up with someone smoking nearby and be unable to enjoy it at all. I'll take the price difference and use it for a verandah on my scheduled 2015 Disney cruise to the Western Caribbean since they don't allow smoking on their verandahs any longer. :)

[CRUZBUDS]

The ship would look like the pictures of Hong Kong tenements.

 

The faces were changed to protect the guilty -- the line did come down when the ladies were finished visiting ;)

 

[sapper1]

The faces were changed to protect the guilty -- the line did come down when the ladies were finished visiting ;)

 

LOL again..:)

[Aussiepair]

What does his weight have to do with anything? Sounds like the guy was following the rules, rules you knew existed before you set sail.

 

I sincerely hope you find a cruise line that meets your needs going forward. Perhaps there's one that prescreens passengers by weight so you can ensure you don't run into any more 300 pounders.

 

And before you post back saying his weight wasn't an issue for you just realize you wouldn't have added that detail if it wasn't.

 

Happy cruising,

csm

 

Sorry if my description of the size of this gentleman offended you, I was just trying to paint a picture. For the record we never saw him out of his bathrobe either and I was actually flattering the guy, he was well over 300lb.

[startwin]

The faces were changed to protect the guilty -- the line did come down when the ladies were finished visiting ;)

 

 

 

I know who that is, Jim! (or Alison) LOL

[CRUZBUDS]

I guess I didn't scramble Alison's face well enough ;)

 

Nobody is smoking :D

[cdnsteelman]

Sorry if my description of the size of this gentleman offended you, I was just trying to paint a picture. For the record we never saw him out of his bathrobe either and I was actually flattering the guy, he was well over 300lb.

 

You just keep digging yourself a deeper hole here. The picture you've painted is one your yourselves peering around the divider between verandas intruding on someone's right to privacy. Must have been difficult to do when you could never use your balcony. I ask again, what does this man being well over a certain weight and constantly wearing a bathrobe on his veranda have to do with anything? Would his cigar smoke have bothered you less if he was trim in a tux?

 

I love a good cigar on a balcony, indeed sometimes in my bathrobe or - gasp - bare chested. Not only is it not filthy or obnoxious, it's completely within the rules. Please tell me what cruise line you move to so I don't make he same move, looky-looing around to a neighboring balcony is what's obnoxious.

[Aussiepair]

You just keep digging yourself a deeper hole here. The picture you've painted is one your yourselves peering around the divider between verandas intruding on someone's right to privacy. Must have been difficult to do when you could never use your balcony. I ask again, what does this man being well over a certain weight and constantly wearing a bathrobe on his veranda have to do with anything? Would his cigar smoke have bothered you less if he was trim in a tux?

 

I love a good cigar on a balcony, indeed sometimes in my bathrobe or - gasp - bare chested. Not only is it not filthy or obnoxious, it's completely within the rules. Please tell me what cruise line you move to so I don't make he same move, looky-looing around to a neighboring balcony is what's obnoxious.

 

 

Yes you are right, he was not doing anything against the rules, that is the whole point of the post.

 

People who have never sailed with HAL need to be aware of what HAL deem to be acceptable and what they might have to accept if they cruise with HAL.

 

If you do not like the stench of secondhand smoke and you book a balcony on HAL you may be wasting your money and would be better served with an oceanview cabin.

 

Better still cruise with one of the cruise lines that don't allow nicotine addicts to invade your space with filthy, carcinogenic smoke, that is what we will do in future.

[iancal]

I do not understand what the big surprise or upset is with people smoking on their verandahs. Either cigarettes or cigars.

 

HAL permits people to smoke on their verandahs. End of story.

 

People who are offended/bothered by the smoke have two options. Book an outside/inside cabin or book on another cruise line.

 

It is your choice.

[Hlitner]

I do not understand what the big surprise or upset is with people smoking on their verandahs. Either cigarettes or cigars.

 

HAL permits people to smoke on their verandahs. End of story.

 

People who are offended/bothered by the smoke have two options. Book an outside/inside cabin or book on another cruise line.

 

It is your choice.

 

Actually there is a third choice which is to do everything possible to convince HAL that they need to join with most of the civilized world and further restrict smoking. Whether or not HAL listens is still a big question, but it does seem like they have been gradually (too gradually for my taste) been restricting smoking. We look forward to the day when, as a non-smoker, I can go anywhere on a cruise ship (including my balcony) and not have to breathe smoke. We leave for a Celebrity cruise tomorrow, and know that on that ship we will not have to put up with any smoke except in one small area on an outside deck. If it were not for HALs pro smoking policy this particular cruise would have been a HA cruise. We continue to cruise on HA because of their fabulous itineraries, great service, and OK food. But instead of spending over 100 days a year on HA we now spend a lot of those days on other lines where they believe that all cruisers have a right to fresh sea air.....on their own balcony.

 

Hank

[sammiedawg]

Smoking pollutes the shared environment with carcinogens and noxious smoke. There is no such thing as polite considerate smoking. Not to mention the fire hazards and smoke damage to the walls, carpets and cabin. Many apartment owners have enacted smoking policies and the majority of property owners will not rent to smokers in my area. Employers also screen out smokers, many will not hire. But HAL allows smoking on balconies. Totally agree it is a waste of money to get a balcony cabin but the smoke also wafts down to the promenade decks. It is very difficult to avoid.

[iancal]

As a non smoker I would very much like HAL to change their policy and it certainly does influence our choice of ship. I do not think that HAL listens very well.

 

I think when some people say they would like smokers to show some consideration their view of consideration is 'don't smoke on your verandah whilst I am on mine'. That is an unrealistic pipe dream.

[CRUZBUDS]

I love a good cigar on a balcony, indeed sometimes in my bathrobe or - gasp - bare chested. Not only is it not filthy or obnoxious, it's completely within the rules.

 

I'd say you only got one out three things correct - yes, it is currently completely within the rules.

 

Enjoy it while you can :)