This Thread Is To Be Used For All Discussions About HAL's On Board Smoking Policies

[Dogstar]

Thank you HAL for boldly implementing this revised policy. I'm sorry this further limits the available smoking space for those who desire/require it but I welcome the reduced intrusion of these toxins &/or fumes in (shared)public & (semi)private spaces.

 

Who knows, maybe one day HAL may further restrict e-cigarettes same as tobacco smoking? We're already seeing this type of legislated change here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0049-001002.

 

"Under the new act, e-cigarettes cannot be sold in public buildings and their use is banned on public and private school grounds, in indoor public spaces and workplaces."

[kura]

i Is Peinsdendam doing nextWorld Cruise?

 

Sorry...a typo mistake....I meant Grand S.America voyage

[erewhon]

With HAL banning balcony smoking, we will now be able to recommend HAL to our friends.

[lvz2cruz]

Lulu, it should be, I posted it in a separate thread with the official announcement from HAL on Friday morning but CC pulled the thread so not sure why:confused: Someone felt that all discussion about smoking could only be done on this thread. Sadly MANY will not know because they would not even consider opening this thread to read. I know cI certainly would not have had I not been shocked that my thread was pulled. I have actually spoke with a few people this weekend that read CC frequently and they were shocked they had no idea but they also would never bother reading this thread. Totally a loss for the HAL CC Board on important news that needs to be told.

 

You are so right. I found out about the change on the Celebrity board. I haven't opened this thread in years because it isn't usually news but arguing.

[lvz2cruz]

One thing puzzles me about the timing. Seabourn made this change in Late July, and I really expected HAL to make their announcement by mid-August. The wheels must have been turning by then.

 

Roy

 

I think it had been decided back then.

Usually a 7 night Caribbean is inside cabin price say 699 ov 799 then 899 balcony. This time the difference from outside to balcony was 500 instead of the usual 100. This was late August.

Balcony real estate is more valuable now.

Edited October 3, 2016 by lvz2cruz

[Bostonjetset]

So if I interpret the new policy correctly - on the Vista class ships the ONLY smoking areas will now be the Seaview bar, and the Casino until the ships go through their revamps adding Billboard onboard, at which time the Casino then becomes non smoking, leaving the Seaview bar as the ONLY smoking area on the entire ship?

 

Is smoking no longer allowed on any portion of the Promenade deck or other open deck areas?

 

 

Smoking was also allowed on deck 10 forward, starboard side on the Westerdam. Right outside of the crow's nest. It was not as solidly covered (just tarps) as the seaview area but was nice to have something on both ends of the ship.

 

I also wanted to confirm that smoking was not banned in either outdoor area during the glacier bay scenic cruising. I know some have reported it would be but on the Westerdam it was not (officers were outside smoking along with the passengers as well).

 

 

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[kennicott]

Canceled this post, I made a mistake, sorry.

Edited October 4, 2016 by kennicott

[eldercruser]

About time! We had booked away from HAL because of the balcony smoke the last couple of years. We crossed our fingers and booked a Zuiderdam cruise for late January since Celebrity's prices were a little over the top.

 

I noticed a ton of balcony cabins still available a few days ago even though the cost was considerably less than a comp Celebrity accomodation. My guess is that economics ruled the day in the end.

[lahlah57]

Only wish it had come.sooner for my cruise the end of this month!

I will probably have a load of chain smokers above,below, north and.south of me and my balcony with them knowing the end of smoking is on the horizon:rolleyes:

Edited October 4, 2016 by lahlah57
Complete.thought.

[scm1848]

Like Joanie, we will be doing our last HAL cruise with our upcoming 21 day Caribbean cruise in November. We just returned from a 24 day Med cruise 2 weeks ago. Both of these were or will be in Neptune Suites. On our last cruise, we reached 4 star Mariner status and were presented our bronze medallions for 100 actual sea days. We only started really enjoying cruising about 6 years ago, then started doing one or 2 per year.

 

I will not cruise where I have to get dressed in decent street clothes and walk/ride to a smoking area to have my first cigarette with my coffee. I will not spend all day sitting in the crowded, often noisy, smoking section of the Seaview Bar area in order to read or play cards with my husband. I will not have my final cocktail of the night with a cigarette in my pj's in a public area!!

 

I will so miss the wonderful staff of HAL and the wonderful memories we have made aboard the ships.

 

All of you non-smokers had your choices with all of the other cruise lines. I hope all of you non-smokers will pick up the average $30,000 per year we were spending on our cruises. Bon voyage!!

[Sailor_Sally]

of you non-smokers had your choices with all of the other cruise lines. I hope all of you non-smokers will pick up the average $30,000 per year we were spending on our cruises. Bon voyage!!

 

 

They will make so much more than $30,000 with all the cruisers who eliminated Hal because of the smoking and are now considering it . Sorry that you are letting a habit run your life but it is your choice .

[Cruise Junky]

Like Joanie, we will be doing our last HAL cruise with our upcoming 21 day Caribbean cruise in November. We just returned from a 24 day Med cruise 2 weeks ago. Both of these were or will be in Neptune Suites. On our last cruise, we reached 4 star Mariner status and were presented our bronze medallions for 100 actual sea days. We only started really enjoying cruising about 6 years ago, then started doing one or 2 per year.

 

I will not cruise where I have to get dressed in decent street clothes and walk/ride to a smoking area to have my first cigarette with my coffee. I will not spend all day sitting in the crowded, often noisy, smoking section of the Seaview Bar area in order to read or play cards with my husband. I will not have my final cocktail of the night with a cigarette in my pj's in a public area!!

 

I will so miss the wonderful staff of HAL and the wonderful memories we have made aboard the ships.

 

All of you non-smokers had your choices with all of the other cruise lines. I hope all of you non-smokers will pick up the average $30,000 per year we were spending on our cruises. Bon voyage!!

 

I'm not attacking, just curious. What are you going to do instead of cruising? So many hotels have the same policy. So many private rentals don't allow smoking. What are your vacation options?

[lahlah57]

Yes now I can enjoy my balcony and have my morning coffee without smoke blasting me in my face.

I would like to go to.the Seaview bar and enjoy a drink instead of spending an hour trying to find a spot that may lend me smokefree as possible.

I would like to enjoy a cocktail on my balcony in my pajamas as I wonder the vastness of the ocean instead of enduring the smoke that clouds my eyes and tastebuds.

Edited October 4, 2016 by lahlah57
Spelling

[scm1848]

First of all, we will increase the time we spend in Europe and Latin America, where the answer to whether I can smoke on a balcony or terrace has always been, "But of course, it's outside!!"

 

Secondly, while some condo rentals do allow smoking inside, most of them graciously allow smoking on the terrace or balcony.

 

We have SO many more problems in this world than people smoking outside.

[Love.II.Cruise]

We learned about this on the NCL boards. We have never sailed HAL because of their smoking policy. But we will consider it going forward. We get their brochures all the time and some of their itineraries look interesting.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Like Joanie, we will be doing our last HAL cruise with our upcoming 21 day Caribbean cruise in November. We just returned from a 24 day Med cruise 2 weeks ago. Both of these were or will be in Neptune Suites. On our last cruise, we reached 4 star Mariner status and were presented our bronze medallions for 100 actual sea days. We only started really enjoying cruising about 6 years ago, then started doing one or 2 per year.

 

I will not cruise where I have to get dressed in decent street clothes and walk/ride to a smoking area to have my first cigarette with my coffee. I will not spend all day sitting in the crowded, often noisy, smoking section of the Seaview Bar area in order to read or play cards with my husband. I will not have my final cocktail of the night with a cigarette in my pj's in a public area!!

 

I will so miss the wonderful staff of HAL and the wonderful memories we have made aboard the ships.

 

All of you non-smokers had your choices with all of the other cruise lines. I hope all of you non-smokers will pick up the average $30,000 per year we were spending on our cruises. Bon voyage!!

 

While I am sympathetic to your concerns, as I often travel with people who smoke, might I ask what cruise lines you have found that will be able to accomodate your preference to smoke on the balcony? To my knowledge it's pretty much not allowed on any line these days, though some of the European based lines like Costa still allow it I believe.

 

I am honestly curious as to what lines may be able to accommodate you, and others with a like minded preference :D

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I am very pleased with this news! We'd given up on HAL when we wanted a balcony and booked elsewhere.

 

 

 

Even under HAL's current smoking policy, smoking isn't allowed on the Promenade Deck.

 

I seem to remember it being allowed when I was on the Ryndam, as my traveling companion on that trip is a vehement, and vocal, anti-smoker and he complained he couldn't use the Promenade deck as a result.

 

I often travel with people who smoke, so try and base my room choices on easy access for them to indulge. I'm a compromiser in that regard, even as a non-smoker :)

[Mary Ellen]

I seem to remember it being allowed when I was on the Ryndam, as my traveling companion on that trip is a vehement, and vocal, anti-smoker and he complained he couldn't use the Promenade deck as a result.

 

I often travel with people who smoke, so try and base my room choices on easy access for them to indulge. I'm a compromiser in that regard, even as a non-smoker :)

Just because someone was smoking on the Promenade doesn't mean that that was permissible under HAL policy. Host Walt included the old/current policy in post #1 of this thread:

We have established this thread to be the "go to" thread for all discussions pertaining to Holland America's on board smoking policies. This thread is intended to make it easier for all Cruise Critic members to discuss these policies and any future changes thereto.

 

Here's a link to HAL's policy summary Shipboard Life: Is smoking allowed on board? - Click on "Shipboard Life" and a drop down menu will appear. Click on "On Board Policies" in that menu and you'll see the last question is "Is smoking allowed on board?"

 

Here's the currently posted policy (as of August 9, 2014):

 

-----

Is Smoking Allowed On Board?

For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. While smoking is not permitted in staterooms, guests are allowed to smoke on stateroom verandahs. Smoking is also permitted on certain other designated, outside decks. The designated smoking areas for all ships are as follows unless otherwise noted.

 

• Stateroom verandahs
  
• Casino (Active players only)
  
• Seaview Bar
  
• Outside Decks
  
  • Sports Deck
    
  • Observation Deck (ms Prinsendam, ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Noordam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam, and ms Zuiderdam only)
    

 

Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed and on stateroom verandahs. Electronic cigarettes are permitted in staterooms but not in other public areas of the ship other than on outside decks designated as smoking areas.

Any guest who smokes inside staterooms in violation of our policy will be charged a US$250 cleaning fee per day of violation.

----

You'll note that the Promenade isn't listed as one of the smoking allowed locations under Outside Decks. Have we noticed passengers smoking there? Yes. Should they have been? No.

 

I do believe that HAL should have a comfortable, well ventilated, indoor space like the Oak Room on all of their ships. Hopefully much better ventilation than pitiful excuse we experienced on Oceania's Riviera.

[sammiedawg]

It's fine for everyone to vent their feelings but I remember reading and hearing the same doom and gloom 20-30 years ago when US restaurants, bars, hotels, workplaces banned smoking. Smokers sad these entities would all go out of business, smokers were going to boycot.

10 to 15 years ago apartment complexes started barring smokers. We are long time owners of an income property business and dealt with bringing in haz mat people to rehab a unit after smokers left.

In the last ten years many employers refuse to hire smokers. Many employers do not allow smoking anywhere on their campus, not even in parked cars.

Condo HOA's are now dealing with calls to ban smoking as much of the property is shared space.

Restrictions will continue to toughen up. 15 per cent of Americans smoked as of 2015.

Smoking kills. Second hand smoke kills.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Just because someone was smoking on the Promenade doesn't mean that that was permissible under HAL policy. Host Walt included the old/current policy in post #1 of this thread:

 

You'll note that the Promenade isn't listed as one of the smoking allowed locations under Outside Decks. Have we noticed passengers smoking there? Yes. Should they have been? No.

 

I do believe that HAL should have a comfortable, well ventilated, indoor space like the Oak Room on all of their ships. Hopefully much better ventilation than pitiful excuse we experienced on Oceania's Riviera.

 

If you read my signature you would see I last sailed HAL in 2011 on the Ryndam. At that time, on that ship, smoking was being allowed on one side of the promenade as there were ashtrays installed on the railings.

[kirin]

If you read my signature you would see I last sailed HAL in 2011 on the Ryndam. At that time, on that ship, smoking was being allowed on one side of the promenade as there were ashtrays installed on the railings.

 

My recollection is the same as yours. I recall seeing the ashtrays on one side of the promenade deck until December of 2011. Interestingly, I seldom saw passengers using them; it was usually officers of the ship, employees of the shops or entertainers.

 

I think the 2 ashtrays may have disappeared in early 2012, when smoking in staterooms was finally banned. At any rate, they were not there when I cruised in mid-2012.

 

Kate

[ksmaxey]

Just received an email from HAL that our cruise on January 2, 2017 will not allow any smoking on private balconies. Big change

[Charles4515]

 

 

 

All of you non-smokers had your choices with all of the other cruise lines. I hope all of you non-smokers will pick up the average $30,000 per year we were spending on our cruises. Bon voyage!!

 

 

Many of us did make the choice to cruise other cruise lines. I did. The last two years I did many cruises on Celebrity. The HAL price for a Veranda on the sailings the same week was always less. Not much more than an outside. Yet I picked the higher price sailing on Celebrity every time because of HAL's policy. With 85 per cent of the US population being non smokers I think they were taking a major hit, your 30,000 will easily be picked up with the change. Nothing personal, sorry about your addiction, but I like HAL and I am happy to have them as a choice again.

 

 

 

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[grayjay]

I was curious and tried to find out for the smokers among you where it's still possible to smoke on the balconies of staterooms: there's still Costa Cruises and some German cruiselines like AIDA that have liberal smoking policies.

So there's hope for the addicts and joy for those who prefer smoke-free balconies on HAL ships.

;) We have been non-smokers for close to 40 years now ...;)

[KenNMB]

Thoughtful of you, GJ!

But, the anger from smokers is as palpable as that previously exhibited by us non-smokers before the policy change announcement. Makes sense. The unfortunate gloating by non-smokers reminds me of the previous gloating by smokers.

No wonder partisans stopped compromising. It seems anger and hate, sarcasm and retribution are far more satisfying, to far too many. I'm old enough to remember when folks were more interested in harmony, considering principled adversaries as friends, and even love. Sad.