Coexisting with smokers?

[Lizzie68]

Remind me not to post again saying I might try something someone else has suggested.

 

No clue what I did to make you single me out SeagoingMom, but again, I am NOT the first one who said it.

 

 

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No, you're not - I suggested it too. But for some reason you are the target. I see absolutely nothing wrong with hoping the smoker moves to the other side of the balcony. And if there is someone on that balcony, perhaps they will extinguish the cigarette. Or maybe we are expected to be a martyr and take the smoke for everyone.....

[kazu]

No' date=' you're not - I suggested it too. But for some reason you are the target. I see absolutely nothing wrong with hoping the smoker moves to the other side of the balcony. And if there is someone on [i']that[/i] balcony, perhaps they will extinguish the cigarette. Or maybe we are expected to be a martyr and take the smoke for everyone.....

 

there is nothing wrong with hoping or asking but I think we are tending to forget that it is THEIR balcony too. They are entitled to smoke there. It's not illegal. They are not breaking rules. They are following them.

 

I think most will happily work with anyone. But remember you get more flies with honey - I think asking them and/or expecting them to extinguish a cigarette may be pushing the envelope a wee bit and may not get you the result you desire.

[Lizzie68]

there is nothing wrong with hoping or asking but I think we are tending to forget that it is THEIR balcony too. They are entitled to smoke there. It's not illegal. They are not breaking rules. They are following them.

 

I think most will happily work with anyone. But remember you get more flies with honey - I think asking them and/or expecting them to extinguish a cigarette may be pushing the envelope a wee bit and may not get you the result you desire.

 

I get that, thanks for the lecture. Rules may be rules, but often consideration is outside of rules.

[kazu]

I get that' date=' thanks for the lecture. Rules may be rules, but often consideration is outside of rules.[/quote']

 

no lecture intended at all. ;) Just the facts and the expectation that someone immediately puts their cigarette out (although they could) may give you a let down.

 

Consideration goes both ways - asking nicely with no expectations gets a lot.

 

In any case if I misread your post I apologize but we do have to remember that it is allowed.

[kirin]

No' date=' you're not - I suggested it too. But for some reason you are the target. I see absolutely nothing wrong with hoping the smoker moves to the other side of the balcony. And if there is someone on [i']that[/i] balcony, perhaps they will extinguish the cigarette. Or maybe we are expected to be a martyr and take the smoke for everyone.....

 

I have read a lot of smoking threads over the years, but this is the first time I have ever seen enduring second-hand smoke from an adjacent balcony equated with martyrdom.

 

Very interesting thread.....

 

Kate

[sapper1]

Until I read some of this threads I never realised how lucky we have been on Holland so far. We have caught the occasional whiff of smoke on our balcony but it has never been an issue. I hope our luck continues.

 

What I do appreciate is that we no longer have to find ourselves in a cabin that reeks of tobacco so in that respect, Holland has made a big improvement. I do feel though, in fairness, that a well ventilated indoor venue for smokers other than the casino should be provided. It is not always pleasant to go on deck and not everyone wants to gamble in order to smoke.

 

Perhaps the new build will have an indoor smoking area that will keep everyone happy. Wouldn't that be nice? :)

[1of4]

Glad you found a solution you are happy with. May I ask how you employ the battery operated fans?

 

Thanks!

 

Not sure what you are asking.

 

If you want to know how we may use the fans - they are handheld little fans that are meant to keep you cool in hot climates. Two of them (our older ones) can be held or proped up on a table and just move air. The two newer ones can also be hung around the neck. If smoke was bothering me I would first try putting one on the little table beside me and point it in my direction. If the smoke was still bothering me I guess I would try the necklace attachment and have it blow air up toward my face.

 

As I said, this will be our first balcony on HAL so we don't have any expectations except to be able to use our balcony whenever we choose. We are bringing the fans for shore excursions but can see using them if we encounter conditions that make us uncomfortable on the balcony, wether that be climatic conditions or conditions created by our neighbours. Perhaps I should pack earplugs too as I crave quiet on vacations:confused:

Edited May 29, 2014 by 1of4

[cruz chic]

Until I read some of this threads I never realised how lucky we have been on Holland so far. We have caught the occasional whiff of smoke on our balcony but it has never been an issue. I hope our luck continues.

 

What I do appreciate is that we no longer have to find ourselves in a cabin that reeks of tobacco so in that respect, Holland has made a big improvement. I do feel though, in fairness, that a well ventilated indoor venue for smokers other than the casino should be provided. It is not always pleasant to go on deck and not everyone wants to gamble in order to smoke.

 

Perhaps the new build will have an indoor smoking area that will keep everyone happy. Wouldn't that be nice? :)

I wish I had your luck. Pretty much every cruise I've been on had a smoker next to me. That said, I've been called a liar for saying that by someone that only posts to stir the pot. I think it likley depends on how much time you spend on your balcony. Some folks might be out there a half hour so you are not likely to smell it. Depending on the itinerary I might be out for 3 to 4 hours a day.

[cruz chic]

there is nothing wrong with hoping or asking but I think we are tending to forget that it is THEIR balcony too. They are entitled to smoke there. It's not illegal. They are not breaking rules. They are following them.

 

I think most will happily work with anyone. But remember you get more flies with honey - I think asking them and/or expecting them to extinguish a cigarette may be pushing the envelope a wee bit and may not get you the result you desire.

 

Some smokers are very accommodating but others not so much. When someone posts get over it I doubt that they will be accommodating. I don't feel like getting a strip taken off of me for making a request. I get that people are allowed to smoke, no one has to point that out. Just because smokers enjoy it doesn't mean I have to. I used to smoke too but I kicked the habit. Its not like I don't get it.

Edited May 29, 2014 by cruz chic

[runnergirl71]

Until I read some of this threads I never realised how lucky we have been on Holland so far. We have caught the occasional whiff of smoke on our balcony but it has never been an issue. I hope our luck continues.

 

What I do appreciate is that we no longer have to find ourselves in a cabin that reeks of tobacco so in that respect, Holland has made a big improvement. I do feel though, in fairness, that a well ventilated indoor venue for smokers other than the casino should be provided. It is not always pleasant to go on deck and not everyone wants to gamble in order to smoke.

 

Perhaps the new build will have an indoor smoking area that will keep everyone happy. Wouldn't that be nice? :)

 

Excellent point!! I'd much rather have to deal with the possibility of smoke on my balcony which I can escape than a room that smells like an old ash tray.

[JerseyJaguar]

Peeping toms? How so? No one needs to look to see if you are smoking. You can smell it as hard as it is for smokers to believe.

I'm just trying to understand how so many nonsmokers post that they are "lucky" not to have smelled smoke yet others insist there is no escaping smokers on balconies. Perhaps the lucky nonsmokers just aren't checking to see what the neighbors are doing thus don't know whether or not they smoke. I think my neighbors smoked because the ashtray makes a distinctive sound when it spins, but since I never poked my head around the divider or peeked through anywhere I never saw them smoke.

[SeagoingMom]

Not sure what you are asking.

 

If you want to know how we may use the fans - they are handheld little fans that are meant to keep you cool in hot climates. Two of them (our older ones) can be held or proped up on a table and just move air. The two newer ones can also be hung around the neck. If smoke was bothering me I would first try putting one on the little table beside me and point it in my direction. If the smoke was still bothering me I guess I would try the necklace attachment and have it blow air up toward my face.

 

As I said, this will be our first balcony on HAL so we don't have any expectations except to be able to use our balcony whenever we choose. We are bringing the fans for shore excursions but can see using them if we encounter conditions that make us uncomfortable on the balcony, wether that be climatic conditions or conditions created by our neighbours. Perhaps I should pack earplugs too as I crave quiet on vacations:confused:

That is what I was asking -- how do you use the fans to move smoke away from you. I thought perhaps you used them to blow smoke back onto neighbor's balcony. I am still not clear on how blowing air (presumably with smoke in it) onto your face helps the situation, but you have explained how you use the fans. Thanks.

[sail7seas]

I'm just trying to understand how so many nonsmokers post that they are "lucky" not to have smelled smoke yet others insist there is no escaping smokers on balconies. Perhaps the lucky nonsmokers just aren't checking to see what the neighbors are doing thus don't know whether or not they smoke. I think my neighbors smoked because the ashtray makes a distinctive sound when it spins, but since I never poked my head around the divider or peeked through anywhere I never saw them smoke.

 

 

When we stood at the rail on our verandah at sailaway and were 'enjoying the view', there was no peeking required in order to see the two people smoking on the verandah beneath us. There was no peeking required to see and smell the smoke as it drifted directly up to our faces.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm just trying to understand how so many nonsmokers post that they are "lucky" not to have smelled smoke yet others insist there is no escaping smokers on balconies. Perhaps the lucky nonsmokers just aren't checking to see what the neighbors are doing thus don't know whether or not they smoke. I think my neighbors smoked because the ashtray makes a distinctive sound when it spins, but since I never poked my head around the divider or peeked through anywhere I never saw them smoke.

 

Luck does have a lot to do with it. We have been lucky with balcony cabins on HAL, and only once had neighbors whose smoke we noticed. Again we were lucky. Either they were light smokers or we had different "balcony schedules," because smelled the smoke only a few times (we knew where they were because we could hear them talking, not because we leaned around the partition). And that was an aft balcony.

 

You would think that smoke would just blow away, but it doesn't. Think of the smooth, curved hull designed to cut smoothly through the water. Now think of the superstructure with all those balconies. That is not a smooth surface, so it doesn't "cut through" the air smoothly. The result is turbulence along the sides. Sometimes that turbulence pushes the smoke into a balcony area instead of blowing it away. Wind complicates the issue, too. And at the back, the low pressure area behind the ship does cause smoke to be drawn downward. (Think about the racecar driver's use of slipstreaming)

[1of4]

I am still not clear on how blowing air (presumably with smoke in it) onto your face helps the situation, but you have explained how you use the fans. Thanks.

 

We haven't tried it yet, BUT if we find we are bothered we will try it. My thinking is that the fan would move the air faster than what the atmosphere is doing and therefore we may not spell it as much.

 

We are on deck 4 so there shouldn't be anyone smoking below us so it would only be from the sides.

[SeagoingMom]

Remind me not to post again saying I might try something someone else has suggested.

 

No clue what I did to make you single me out SeagoingMom, but again, I am NOT the first one who said it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

No' date=' you're not - I suggested it too. But for some reason you are the target. I see absolutely nothing wrong with hoping the smoker moves to the other side of the balcony. And if there is someone on [i']that[/i] balcony, perhaps they will extinguish the cigarette. Or maybe we are expected to be a martyr and take the smoke for everyone.....

My comments had nothing to do with you -- there was no "singling out," no "targeting," except of the idea. My comments were on the idea itself. It so happened that your repetition of the idea (and therefore your agreement with it) were what caught my eye, so I quoted your post. I will be more careful in the future not to quote someone whose opinion (or stamp of approval of someone else's opinion) I wish to comment on, but to simply review the idea in an independent post. I thought the concept of quoting allowed folks to follow the discussion of a single aspect of a wider topic. Guess not. (I personally appreciate being quoted when someone wants to comment on what I posted, because it is easy for me to find responses that are directed at my particular postings among a slew of other comments.)

 

It is funny that you should accuse me (personally, I might add) of not reading the entire thread. I did read the entire thread -- but I held off commenting until I had read the whole thread to see if anyone else had commented on this concept. Your post (rather than any older posts) was the one I commented on because it was the most recent, and because it suggested that the idea of handing the smoke problem off to someone else had gained momentum, so I commented. Again, nothing personal.

[cbr663]

<snip>

 

Luck does have a lot to do with it.

 

Of course it is all about luck. Balconies are designated smoking areas, so to go out on one without any smoke is pure luck.

 

Whenever we book a balcony we accept that there is a good chance that our neighbours will be smoking on their balcony. HAL spells it out quite clearly that it allows smoking on all its balconies.

 

We have had the pleasure of sailing with passengers who have smoked on their verandas, and yes, I could smell the smoke. Neither my DW nor I will recoil in horror at the mere sniff of cigarette smoke. We don't let it bother us. It is really nice when we can enjoy our balcony by ourselves without being bothered by anyone else for any reason, but this is a blessing, it isn't a right. I expect other passengers to want to enjoy their balcony as much as we enjoy ours.

 

I accept that even though cruise ships are getting bigger, the side of a cruise ship is actually a small space in which to cram a lot of people. A ship like the Nieuw Amsterdam, for instance, has about 708 veranda cabins, with about 30 at the rear of the ship and the rest on the sides. That is about 339 verandas per side, give or take a few. This also means that if the ship is full, at any given time, there could be 678 passengers on one side of the ship, all out on their verandas enjoying their cruise. That's 678 people talking, laughing, listening to music, drinking, socializing, and yes, even smoking.

 

I have learned that expecting others to behave as I behave is an exercise in futility. I have also learned that expecting everyone to show common courtesy and consideration is naive. I have accepted that some people will act rude, will infringe upon my enjoyment and will ask the most inappropriate of me. Until I am financially in a position to purchase my own luxury yacht, I have no choice to accept that I am travelling with 2000 - 3000 strangers when I board a cruise ship.

Edited May 29, 2014 by cbr663

[LindaM]

Excellent point!! I'd much rather have to deal with the possibility of smoke on my balcony which I can escape than a room that smells like an old ash tray.

 

I agree 100%. I recently read there is a study that says THIRD hand smoke, like what collects in the couches/window treatments is just as harmful.

 

I have a friend who is currently on a heavily discounted Celebrity cruise. His previous suite was occupied by smokers who put out the "privacy please" sign for TWO weeks. I know...it doesn't make sense that no one ever came in to clean or report the smoking, which I can usually smell coming from under the door. He said it took THREE days of cleaning before most of the smoke smell was removed, but never was completely.

 

Those folks who think HAL needs to go back to the "old way" of letting smokers smoke in cabins are being unrealistic. This way we know upfront we may be exposed to smoke, but we have the choice to walk back in our cabins. If I didn't prefer small/midsize ships, I certainly wouldn't book HAL verandahs.

[cruz chic]

I'm just trying to understand how so many nonsmokers post that they are "lucky" not to have smelled smoke yet others insist there is no escaping smokers on balconies. Perhaps the lucky nonsmokers just aren't checking to see what the neighbors are doing thus don't know whether or not they smoke. I think my neighbors smoked because the ashtray makes a distinctive sound when it spins, but since I never poked my head around the divider or peeked through anywhere I never saw them smoke.

 

Yes, I'm checking on my neighbors. I stick my head around the divider or maybe even stand on a chair to look over:rolleyes:. I can smell it. You do not need to look over.

[pbnjrockette]

 

I have learned that expecting others to behave as I behave is an exercise in futility. I have also learned that expecting everyone to show common courtesy and consideration is naive. I have accepted that some people will act rude, will infringe upon my enjoyment and will ask the most inappropriate of me. Until I am financially in a position to purchase my own luxury yacht, I have no choice to accept that I am travelling with 2000 - 3000 strangers when I board a cruise ship.

 

Well said! Kind of like the "serenity prayer"!

[Cruising-along]

Yes, I'm checking on my neighbors. I stick my head around the divider or maybe even stand on a chair to look over:rolleyes:. I can smell it. You do not need to look over.

 

Not only that, besides smelling it, you can see their reflection in the balcony glass. No need to stick your head around. ;)

[Harry1954]

Same here, Joanie, even though I've switched to an e-cig...which is sometimes even more of a hot button topic!

 

that is interesting thought! Dont know much about e-cigs, but I watched a cousin recently use one and it only gives off a vapor ...

harry

[gemsm]

Jacqui,

 

What concerns me about doing this is if your chain smoking neighbors are jerks. If a person booked HAL (particularly in the Caribbean or Alaska) where it would be easy to find a non smoking ship, I assume they booked it for the liberal smoking policy. If you confront them, even in the most pleasant way, they could go off on you. To me, that would be worse than living next to smokers. I understand smoking is an addiction, but there is still that group who are very defensive about their right to smoke. I don't want to get into it with them. I like the idea of the fan....I'm bringing one on our next trip, even though it will probably be too cold to be out much!

 

Linda

 

I am a smoker. I like to enjoy an occasional cigarette on my balcony. One year I purchased an aft balcony suite and I had a cabin/balcony on either side of me. The cabin to my right politely knocked on my door, explained that she had COPD and could we work something out as she was very sensitive to my cigarette smoke. From that day forward if she was on the balcony I either refrained from smoking or (if first thing in the morning) warned her that I would be smoking but I would be finished in 10 minutes and was that OK.

 

The cabin to my left went out on the balcony and nastily complained rather loudly without even attempting to be polite and discuss. I made sure to blow my smoke in his face as often as possible.

 

Most smokers understand that we are the minority and if you explain about your asthma and that you want to work out an arrangement that you both can live with instead of making the smoker feel like they will be unable to enjoy their balcony as well, most will not "go off on you"

[Tiffany's mom]

This thread scares me, We are booked for a 26 day Ta in October. I do not smoked and donit like the smell. I also have a serious lung problem called Pulomary Hyptertension which is fatal. I just got cured of of bladder cancer. The major cause of bladder cancer is smoking. I have never smoked, but my father and husband smoked for years around me. That was before we knew of the danger of smoking.

 

If we have smokers next to us I will be polite about trying to asked for some time that the baloncy will be smoke free.

 

Years ago Princess before changed their policy of smokingon the baloncy, we have a baloncy next to us that both of them smoked all the time. Not only the two of them but their friends were always there smoking too. I could not use our baloncy at all. I really enjoy sitting on the baloncy reading.

 

I can hope for non smokers as neighbors. We choose this cruise because of the different ports.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Tiffany's mom
type o

[cruz chic]

I am a smoker. I like to enjoy an occasional cigarette on my balcony. One year I purchased an aft balcony suite and I had a cabin/balcony on either side of me. The cabin to my right politely knocked on my door, explained that she had COPD and could we work something out as she was very sensitive to my cigarette smoke. From that day forward if she was on the balcony I either refrained from smoking or (if first thing in the morning) warned her that I would be smoking but I would be finished in 10 minutes and was that OK.

 

The cabin to my left went out on the balcony and nastily complained rather loudly without even attempting to be polite and discuss. I made sure to blow my smoke in his face as often as possible.

 

Most smokers understand that we are the minority and if you explain about your asthma and that you want to work out an arrangement that you both can live with instead of making the smoker feel like they will be unable to enjoy their balcony as well, most will not "go off on you"

Thank you for being considerate. It's really appreciated. That said, I would be scared of approaching a smoker. I have a good friend that smokes. Her attitude is too bad, deal,with it. I don't need that stress on a holiday. I have enough already.