New Smoking Policy ruins Cruise

[John&LaLa]

Gambling, smoking ..... Why not put all the bad habits together :D

 

Don't forget drinking. :o

 

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[RoyalDiamond]

I find those who gamble moaning about those who smoke very hypocritical.

 

Gambling addiction has massive repercussions for that person and others. I'm surprised it hasn't been banned altogether on cruise ships.

 

Smoking causes cancer and death...gambling on a ship causes either fun or frustration....not quite the same.

[WestfieldTraveler]

As long as Royal will allow smoking somewhere in the interior, it must be a a place with good ventalation, so perhaps when they send Oasis into drydock they can fix it for that ship.

 

There must be so many spaces on the larger ships I don't understand why they can't create one smoking place (bar probably) that has good ventalation where the smokers can hang out, and assign those crew who would not mind smoking while on shift themselves. Perhaps even sell expensive tobacco products there - more revenue!

[Adayatatime]

Smoking causes cancer and death...gambling on a ship causes either fun or frustration....not quite the same.

 

 

This really depends on how you look at it.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Adayatatime

[caribbean sailor]

Im a past smoker of 25 years that quit cold turkey 5 years ago this month. Im probably more anal about being around cigarette smoke than MOST non smokers who have never smoked before. I absolutely cannot hardly tolerate it now.

 

But "ruin" your cruise? Come on now. Dramatic much?

 

Funny thing is, I love the smell of a good pipe tobacco and the smell of most cigars.

 

Like you i am a non smoker have not smoked in over twenty five years.Also do not like the smell of smoke.But under stand that people do smoke and enjoy it, like i used to.I would prefer they go back to balcony smoking,never had a problem with smoke on the balcony.:)

[PompeySailor]

A suggestion with respect to smoking, firstly want to state that I am a smoker and abide by the policy and smoke in the designated areas.

And fully understand and appreciate the concerns for the non-smokers.

 

RC could dedicate a bar on the ship that is fully enclosed, with a similar entry system like to the CL or DL. Have the room fully equipped with an extraction system and advertise that this bar is for smokers and those who do not mind the smoke.

 

Not saying you will need to get sea pass card activated so ONLY smokers can enter, but this would eliminate the issues of smoke drifting into non smoking areas.

 

RC have tried non-smoking nights in the Casino, and these were quickly stopped.

Probably due to a significant revenue drop.

 

People gamble, people drink, people smoke, not saying all go hand in hand

But people choose to do what they enjoy doing on a cruise that they have paid for with their hard working cash.

 

Do people moan about Cellphones? Maybe there should be a no Cellphone area on the ship as well.. YOUR on VACATION ... Let it go for a week or so!

Or ban Cellphones completely!!

Await the wrath on this one :)

 

Eventually I see RC will stop smoking completely, and that is their choice, and for those who smoke, will then be their choice as to whether they sail RC

Or try another cruise line that do still allow smoking.

 

The Casino has a designated non- smoking area, no smoking on balconies, and pretty much smoking is now restricted to some of the casino, Deck 4 starboard side and pool deck one side of ship.

RC have listened and taken action.

 

Are employees also going to be hired as Non-smokers? That would be interesting,

But for a later discussion.

 

So for all the people that like to Gamble Smoke, Drink. From all the complaints looks like Disney is the way to go, for those who have no vices.

Then you'll moan about the kids!

 

IMHO why let others bother you, it's your cruise, your money, you worked hard for your vacation, as did the thousands of others on a cruise.

Not everyone is going to be pleased 100%. We do not live in a perfect world.

 

Take the rough with the smooth, make sure your glass is always 1/2 full, and look on the bright side of life.. YOU ARE ON a CRUISE.

Some will never have the opportunity.

[LetsGetWet!]

I'm not aware of any cruise line that does not allow inside smoking. Certainly the mainstream lines allow it and with the casino being the money maker that it is, no way you'll see it banned there any time soon. It does seem some ships are worse than others.

As others have already pointed out, sister line Celebrity does not allow smoking in the casino. And the fact that the casino is such a money maker is precisely why I think you WILL see smoking banned there soon. Smokers using it as a smoking lounge without gambling and driving away non-smoking gamblers will drive down the revenue significantly, and THAT will drive the change.

[Adayatatime]

A suggestion with respect to smoking, firstly want to state that I am a smoker and abide by the policy and smoke in the designated areas.

And fully understand and appreciate the concerns for the non-smokers.

 

RC could dedicate a bar on the ship that is fully enclosed, with a similar entry system like to the CL or DL. Have the room fully equipped with an extraction system and advertise that this bar is for smokers and those who do not mind the smoke.

 

Not saying you will need to get sea pass card activated so ONLY smokers can enter, but this would eliminate the issues of smoke drifting into non smoking areas.

 

RC have tried non-smoking nights in the Casino, and these were quickly stopped.

Probably due to a significant revenue drop.

 

People gamble, people drink, people smoke, not saying all go hand in hand

But people choose to do what they enjoy doing on a cruise that they have paid for with their hard working cash.

 

Do people moan about Cellphones? Maybe there should be a no Cellphone area on the ship as well.. YOUR on VACATION ... Let it go for a week or so!

Or ban Cellphones completely!!

Await the wrath on this one :)

 

Eventually I see RC will stop smoking completely, and that is their choice, and for those who smoke, will then be their choice as to whether they sail RC

Or try another cruise line that do still allow smoking.

 

The Casino has a designated non- smoking area, no smoking on balconies, and pretty much smoking is now restricted to some of the casino, Deck 4 starboard side and pool deck one side of ship.

RC have listened and taken action.

 

Are employees also going to be hired as Non-smokers? That would be interesting,

But for a later discussion.

 

So for all the people that like to Gamble Smoke, Drink. From all the complaints looks like Disney is the way to go, for those who have no vices.

Then you'll moan about the kids!

 

IMHO why let others bother you, it's your cruise, your money, you worked hard for your vacation, as did the thousands of others on a cruise.

Not everyone is going to be pleased 100%. We do not live in a perfect world.

 

Take the rough with the smooth, make sure your glass is always 1/2 full, and look on the bright side of life.. YOU ARE ON a CRUISE.

Some will never have the opportunity.

 

Fab post. I honestly believe people pick on smoking as they are armed with a bit more knowledge. If people actually knew the harm other addictions did they may not be so quick to judge.

 

I am a none smoker but I do like my wine, so why would I complain about smokers.

[Big_G]

We just got off Celebrity Summit and judging by the crowded nonsmoking casino, I don't think Royal would take a big hit if they did the same.

[dixieva]

The policy of still allowing smoking in the casino will change when it makes a dent in the revenue the casino generates.

 

I now spend a lot less time in the casino because of smokers coming in there to smoke and they do not gamble. The current reality is more people are non-smokers. Before the "new" smoking policy the casino was not nearly as smoky because smokers had lots of other places to smoke. Now I understand that since the smoking areas are limited they have to come to the casino to smoke.

[PompeySailor]

Fab post. I honestly believe people pick on smoking as they are armed with a bit more knowledge. If people actually knew the harm other addictions did they may not be so quick to judge.

 

I am a none smoker but I do like my wine, so why would I complain about smokers.

 

Agreed, I do not drink, nor do I moan about drinkers. I do not use an electronic device on a cruise, do I moan about all those who can't detach from them for a Vacation, no.

Drinking is a drug

Gambling is a drug

Smoking is a drug.

And they are all legal. why? Because they generate $$$$$

[Gopher1934]

A suggestion with respect to smoking, firstly want to state that I am a smoker and abide by the policy and smoke in the designated areas.

And fully understand and appreciate the concerns for the non-smokers.

 

RC could dedicate a bar on the ship that is fully enclosed, with a similar entry system like to the CL or DL. Have the room fully equipped with an extraction system and advertise that this bar is for smokers and those who do not mind the smoke.

 

Not saying you will need to get sea pass card activated so ONLY smokers can enter, but this would eliminate the issues of smoke drifting into non smoking areas.

 

RC have tried non-smoking nights in the Casino, and these were quickly stopped.

Probably due to a significant revenue drop.

 

People gamble, people drink, people smoke, not saying all go hand in hand

But people choose to do what they enjoy doing on a cruise that they have paid for with their hard working cash.

 

Do people moan about Cellphones? Maybe there should be a no Cellphone area on the ship as well.. YOUR on VACATION ... Let it go for a week or so!

Or ban Cellphones completely!!

Await the wrath on this one :)

 

Eventually I see RC will stop smoking completely, and that is their choice, and for those who smoke, will then be their choice as to whether they sail RC

Or try another cruise line that do still allow smoking.

 

The Casino has a designated non- smoking area, no smoking on balconies, and pretty much smoking is now restricted to some of the casino, Deck 4 starboard side and pool deck one side of ship.

RC have listened and taken action.

 

Are employees also going to be hired as Non-smokers? That would be interesting,

But for a later discussion.

 

So for all the people that like to Gamble Smoke, Drink. From all the complaints looks like Disney is the way to go, for those who have no vices.

Then you'll moan about the kids!

 

IMHO why let others bother you, it's your cruise, your money, you worked hard for your vacation, as did the thousands of others on a cruise.

Not everyone is going to be pleased 100%. We do not live in a perfect world.

 

Take the rough with the smooth, make sure your glass is always 1/2 full, and look on the bright side of life.. YOU ARE ON a CRUISE.

Some will never have the opportunity.

 

Excellent post !!! I used to smoke But still think smokers should be able to have an indoor place to go. No one is 100% able to always have every area of the ship their way and why should they.

[PompeySailor]

Excellent post !!! I used to smoke But still think smokers should be able to have an indoor place to go. No one is 100% able to always have every area of the ship their way and why should they.

 

Agreed Gopher, the ship is for all to enjoy.

Happy Days.

[LetsGetWet!]

Smoking causes cancer and death...gambling on a ship causes either fun or frustration....not quite the same.

This really depends on how you look at it.

I guess that's true, but ALL smokers are at risk of cancer and early death from smoking, as well as the non-smokers around them. Unless you're one of the small percentage with an uncontrollable gambling addiction gambling causes no negative effects, it's just another recreational activity. And it has no effect on the others in the venue with you.

 

So if you look at it INTELLIGENTLY, there's no reasonable comparison. :rolleyes:

[Mapleleafforever]

As others have already pointed out, sister line Celebrity does not allow smoking in the casino. And the fact that the casino is such a money maker is precisely why I think you WILL see smoking banned there soon. Smokers using it as a smoking lounge without gambling and driving away non-smoking gamblers will drive down the revenue significantly, and THAT will drive the change.

 

I agree 100%. It's only a matter of time before smoking is also banned in the casino.

[PompeySailor]

Great posts, and will always be an interesting thread, it is inevitable there will be changes to policies w.r.t smoking.

Agreed % of smokers to non-smokers is at its lowest in years.

So we will have to wait and see what RC does.

For me either way!

I will still cruise RC and other lines that have no smoking.

And still gamble, and still leave my Cellphone at home.

Happy Cruising :D

[aaron3219]

I haven't cruised RCCL yet(will be next august!) and have only been on a carnival ship.

 

Carnival has the same policy except you can smoke on your balcony.

 

I am an ex smoker now, actually started my non-smoking life style on the first day of the cruise. I found the smoke to be like a wall when you walked into the casino. And the way Pride is laid out the only way to get to some areas from that end of the ship is to walk through the Casino, unless you go all the way around the ship and walk back.

 

I found it to be a bit annoying. I never realized how much smoke stinks until I quite smoking.....But it certainly didn't "ruin my cruise"

 

IMO You are going to encounter smokers everywhere. And honestly, I feel like they have given up enough by being shoved in a few small areas to smoke to allow them one area inside where they can get drinks and gamble and enjoy a good smoke.

 

I honestly never would of quit smoking but with the second baby, and my non-smoker wife, I decided it would be best for everyone.

[CruisinCrow]

I personally would have preferred to let the smokers smoke on their balconies and NOT allow smoking in the public spaces inside the ship.

 

I agree with you on this. At least on the balconies, the smoke drifts away in the wind. In the casino, it has nowhere to go and if someone sits down beside you and smokes, you're surrounded by it.

 

On our last cruise (on Carnival, BTW), the smoke was so bad in the casino that we only spent about 10 minutes in there before we gave up. I wouldn't say it "ruined" our cruise but it was kind of disappointing. It probably saved us money in the long run. :)

 

I like that Celebrity has non-smoking casinos. We're thinking about a Southern Caribbean cruise for next year and this definitely gives Celebrity an edge as we decide which ship to take.

[PompeySailor]

As long as Royal will allow smoking somewhere in the interior, it must be a a place with good ventalation, so perhaps when they send Oasis into drydock they can fix it for that ship.

 

There must be so many spaces on the larger ships I don't understand why they can't create one smoking place (bar probably) that has good ventalation where the smokers can hang out, and assign those crew who would not mind smoking while on shift themselves. Perhaps even sell expensive tobacco products there - more revenue!

 

Totally agree. Crew have a dedicated area. So for customers an inside blocked off key entry system would be perfect.

No cellphones or showers allowed though:D

[awhcruiser]

Try Celebrity. We too are non smokers but it has never ruined our cruise.

Recently returned from a 13 night cruise to Iceland on Adventure of seas.

The cruise itself was good except for the new change to the smoking policy we were not aware of when booking the cruise.

 

Apparently this policy has been applied to all Voyager and freedom class ships.

 

The change itself theoretically seems to be a change to allow smokers an inside space to now smoke since they have lost the ability to smoke on their balconies.

 

RCI have introduced smoking in the casino, now the problem, for those guests who don't smoke or have problems with breathing smoke. The layout of the voyager and freedom class ships with the casino having the spiral staircase leading to the royal promenade acts as a chimney for the smoke from the casino. directly next to this stair exit are two of the most popular bars, we found this very difficult o frequent these bars when the casino was open and smoke was dissipating out of the stair well and even spreading as far as the promenade café.

 

The casino also has large open doors at either end and the smoke bellowed out into the Schooner to such an extent that we never used this bar the smell was just too much. My Wife suffers severe migraines and cigarette smoke is one of the triggers (these migraines can last several days)

 

I find it hard to believe that RCI have not realised this would happen with this layout of ship with large open spaces.

 

There were not that many smokers in the Casino and the smoke travelling outside was very bad, I can only imagine what it would be like when the ship has a lot of smokers on board.

 

How can RCI force their casino workers to work in smoke filled environments for long hours, I though the laws had changed to not allow this?

 

The consequences of this new policy are:

 

We never used the casino

we spent a lot less money on drinks due to the loss of venues

Are seriously considering alternative cruise lines that do not have inside smoking.

 

I personally would have preferred to let the smokers smoke on their balconies and NOT allow smoking in the public spaces inside the ship.

 

What do other think?

[cruzsnooze]

 

 

Do people moan about Cellphones? Maybe there should be a no Cellphone area on the ship as well.. YOUR on VACATION ... Let it go for a week or so!

Or ban Cellphones completely!!

Await the wrath on this one :)

 

 

 

 

IMHO why let others bother you, it's your cruise, your money, you worked hard for your vacation, as did the thousands of others on a cruise.

Not everyone is going to be pleased 100%. We do not live in a perfect world.

.

Cellphones = annoying not detrimental to my health.

Smoking = detrimental to my health

 

There is no comparison and it's ridiculous to compare the two.

[impatientlywaiting]

I agree with you on this. At least on the balconies, the smoke drifts away in the wind. In the casino, it has nowhere to go and if someone sits down beside you and smokes, you're surrounded by it.

 

Sorry to disagree with you, but smoke on balconies does not just drift away. It "drifts" right next door to the balcony where the person is trying to enjoy the ocean and all you get is stinky cigarette smoke. On a 17 day cruise on Legend (before the new smoking policy went into effect) the people in the cabin next to us were chain smokers and we couldn't even go out onto our balcony to enjoy the ocean. On our recent 17 day cruise, we were one deck below the smoking section of the pool deck and at least 3 times a day the cigarette smoke drifted down to us. Lesson learned, I will never book a cabin on that side of the ship again! Also on the Legend, the smoke coming out of the casino was so bad you could smell it halfway down into the theater.

[Adayatatime]

I guess that's true, but ALL smokers are at risk of cancer and early death from smoking, as well as the non-smokers around them. Unless you're one of the small percentage with an uncontrollable gambling addiction gambling causes no negative effects, it's just another recreational activity. And it has no effect on the others in the venue with you.

 

So if you look at it INTELLIGENTLY, there's no reasonable comparison. :rolleyes:

 

 

Oh, I thought we were on about how smoking affected an individual, either directly or indirectly, on a cruise, for a week.

 

If we are saying that all cruise passengers care about the smoking habits of their fellow passengers all year round, then I take your point.

 

On a cruise, for that week, I would feel safer standing next to a smoking addict than I would standing next to a gambling addict. For obvious reasons, if you look at it INTELLIGENTLY.

 

And all gambling, like smoking, starts somewhere. Look at it intelligently.

 

:rolleyes:

Edited June 26, 2014 by Adayatatime

[beckster42]

I would rather the ships be non-smoking all around, however I do appreciate the new change in policy. And I understand the designated areas for smokers around the ship. Some are easily avoidable by non-smokers, others are not.

 

Smoking in the casino, fine, I don't gamble so I don't really care. BUT with it now being the ONLY indoor smoking venue, the ventilation definitely needs some help. On the Freedom earlier this month, it just smelled nasty. Stale smoky air at all hours of the day, whether or not the casino was open or not. We only smelled it when walking through the casino from the Schooner to the dining room. The proximity of the pool smoking area to the baby splash pool however, that is a bit absurd. I did take issue with that.

 

On our honeymoon 5 years ago, we had heavy heavy smokers on the balcony next to us and that truly did change how we enjoyed our balcony. So I welcome the no smoking on balconies.

[bogofman]

Maybe Ruined was a little over exaggeration but it certainly generated a lot of posts.

 

We had great cruise but we did have our experience reduced compared to previous cruises out of UK on independence 2012 and 2013 that did not have smoking in the casino.

 

the cruise compass highlighted the new (must be to uk) smoking in the casino policy ( I will scan and post it here)

 

I don't mind if the casino is smoking (just means we can avoid it) but on the voyager//freedom ships the layout of the ship(casino in the middle) the smoke then drifts to the adjacent bars though the spiral stairs to the promenade and out the large open doors to the schooner, the smoke even drifted to the stairwell outside the theatre.