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

[fatcat04]

We just got our "policy change" email for our upcoming cruises in March this morning.

[kazu]

I can't remember if this is where I posted originally, but Jacqui was particularly helpful, so thank you Jacqui. My DH has been a smoker, who is currently trying to quit. I went home and told him about the change in policy (still no formal notification from HAL) and he said no problem. And not to try changing the reservation.

 

While I have to say that on the last HAL cruise I went on the balcony smoking bothered me about as much as a snorkeler peeing in the ocean.

 

But live and let live. :)

 

Glad I could help :)

 

We have no notification from HAL either. You are not alone ;)

[rafinmd]

Glad I could help :)

 

We have no notification from HAL either. You are not alone ;)

 

My TA got a message from HAL last night. She assumed correctly that I was already aware.

 

Roy

[hunt182644]

Going on 16 years on the non smoker wagon. A health scare does wonders to convince a person. Glad I.done it wish I had done it years earlier. The money saved, as I was a three pack a day smoker has helped pay for some nice trips. The one thing I will miss on our balcony during a cruise is the occasional whiff of smoke. Hate to say it but after all these years abit of a smell of fresh smoke still smells good. So if you are ever up on the deck where smoking is allowed and you notice someone just standing not to far away don't worry not a stalker just getting a whiff.:D

[summersigh]

I hope this works for those that wanted HAL balcony smoking banned ...but .... we're non-smokers yet have smelled more second hand smoke on our balconys on RCCL and CCL where it was already banned.:eek:

[cruiseing marly]

Going on 16 years on the non smoker wagon. A health scare does wonders to convince a person. Glad I.done it wish I had done it years earlier. The money saved, as I was a three pack a day smoker has helped pay for some nice trips. The one thing I will miss on our balcony during a cruise is the occasional whiff of smoke. Hate to say it but after all these years abit of a smell of fresh smoke still smells good. So if you are ever up on the deck where smoking is allowed and you notice someone just standing not to far away don't worry not a stalker just getting a whiff.:D

 

20 years smoke free for me . I didn't realize it smelled bad tell i stopped . Now i have to leave the area if someone is smoking. Crazy thing is i remember the airlines stopping smoking and me thinking what a horrible thing that was . Had no idea that i effected anyone in a detrimental manner !

[serendipity1499]

Man, your post actually made me sad. You are going to cancel all your cruises because you cant smoke on your veranda? Your husband is going to go without you because you can't smoke on your veranda? Do you ever go to the Lido (Seaview Bar) or do you get all your meals room-service because you have to stay on your veranda to smoke? Deep down, does it bother you that you are "tethered to your veranda"? I know cigs are hard to quit (I've done it at least ten times myself) but you have made yourself a prisoner to your addiction. It made me sad to read your story. :(

 

You are being unfair to Joanie.. She actually is not tethered to her cabin to smoke..I believe Joanie is thethered to her cabin only because she is in a wheelchair & it is difficult for her to get around without her DH..

 

Just an aside, I've never met a non-smoker who wasn't glad that they quit. Me included.

 

And me included! But it was very hard for me to do!:(

 

When we were married 40 years ago I promised DH that I would stop smoking.. I smoked menthol cigs & it took almost another year for me to stop.. One day our 16 year old SON came home with smoke on his breath.. I was still a two pack a day menthol smoker & was able to smell it on him.. How could I, as his Mother, tell him why he should not be smoking? :(

 

That day I decided not to smoke for one day only.. Next day I decided not to smoke for another day.. Continued the day at a time for one solid year before I could stop wanting a daily cigarette..

 

Our Son never stopped smoking, but when we visited his home many years later they smoked only on their patio.. If they were smoking, I had a craving for a cigarette! :eek: So once in a while I joined them & would have a few puffs of one of their brands of non-menthol cigarettes..:eek: DH never found out!

 

It actually took me almost 5 years to not crave a cigarette, when others were smoking.. :)

Edited October 7, 2016 by serendipity1499

[RuthC]

You are being unfair to Joanie.. She actually is not tethered to her cabin to smoke..I believe Joanie is thethered to her cabin only because she is in a wheelchair & it is difficult for her to get around without her DH..

Actually, Joanie has posted many times that she uses a scooter on the ship, so would not need her husband to get around.

She has also posted in the past that she has gone to the Sea View Pool smoking area.

[kazu]

My TA got a message from HAL last night. She assumed correctly that I was already aware.

 

Roy

 

I guess they are only at February ;) We don't sail until March.

[peddieplease]

I am VERY HAPPY with the new rule, but it still does not go far enough!

 

What would you have HAL do? Ban it completely? Just wondering why. Is it that you can still smell it near the areas where there is still smoking?

[richwmn]

I guess they are only at February ;) We don't sail until March.

I got my notification for a Feb 12th cruise yesterday.

[Cindy]

I guess they are only at February ;) We don't sail until March.

 

 

We received notice (via our TA) yesterday for our cruise on April 27th.

 

 

Cindy

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[richstowe]

Glad to hear that HAL is giving plenty of notice . All those who are unhappy should be able to cancel or modify their bookings without penalty . Different issue but NCL made a bunch of changes this summer with 15 days notice . Changes are inevitable but this short notice really pissed off people including ME !

I hope this works for those that wanted HAL balcony smoking banned ...but .... we're non-smokers yet have smelled more second hand smoke on our balconys on RCCL and CCL where it was already banned.:eek:

It would be foolish to believe that there aren't smoking balcony bandits ;) just because it has been banned . I experienced this on Celebrity, the most "anti-smoking" of the cruise lines . It would also be foolish to believe there won't be a lot less balcony smoking .

[CRUZBUDS]

We just booked the Westerdam for January 31st -- after checking to see balcony smoking will be banned on that ship on January 7th.

 

We would have booked it sooner, but we were on a Princess cruise and just found out about the big and way over-due news.

 

YEAH! :)

[Charles4515]

What would you have HAL do? Ban it completely? Just wondering why. Is it that you can still smell it near the areas where there is still smoking?

 

 

 

Smoking needs to be banned in the casino. Like it is on Celebrity.

 

 

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[kazu]

Glad to hear that HAL is giving plenty of notice . All those who are unhappy should be able to cancel or modify their bookings without penalty . Different issue but NCL made a bunch of changes this summer with 15 days notice . Changes are inevitable but this short notice really pissed off people including ME !

 

Plenty of notice is debatable IMO. Most people have flights booked. Most flights can't be changed and some may have a whole lot of other plans too that are difficult and costly to change at this stage ;). Just saying ;)

 

I don't think that many smokers will cancel if other avenues on board are available. But, HAL does need to find an inside space for the days the decks are closed to be fair.

[IRL_Joanie]

You are being unfair to Joanie.. She actually is not tethered to her cabin to smoke..I believe Joanie is thethered to her cabin only because she is in a wheelchair & it is difficult for her to get around without her DH.. .........<SNIP>......... :)

Actually that is 1/2 the problem Betty. I have several (7 as of today) compression fractures in my spine and it is extremely painful to get onto and off of the scooter. So I only do so for special reasons.

 

The other 1/2 of my problem is my severe allergy to scents. If I am exposed for to long a time (more than a few seconds) I cannot breath. You would not believe how stupid I feel having to wear a surgical mask when I have to be among people.

 

Therefore, the verandah life for me worked beautifully.

 

While I have yet to receive Official Notification from HAL, I have already cancelled all my other cruises after our upcoming Zuiderdam in November.

 

Joanie

[scm1848]

Hi, Joanie,

 

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed meeting your and Roger last year when we were vertical neighbors on our aft corner wraps. I was hoping we would re-connect on another cruise, but I guess we're both done cruising.

 

What so many people don't realize is that while I have other land-based options, it is much more difficult for you to find a place where you can smoke and also access the place in a scooter.

 

Best wishes to you both. So sorry it has come to this. So many people seem so uncaring. Sad.

 

C

[wander]

I for one am NOT uncaring, in fact many who know me say I am too caring for others at my own expense. However, sometimes I just have to care about myself, and smoke free veranda time is my primary desirable indulgence on a cruise. I have had veranda neighbors whose smoking time was barely noticeable to me, and then there was the last cruise.

 

A chain smoker who spent much of her day on the veranda having a "pitty party". Even her husband was upset with her for spending most of her cruise time in her robe, on the veranda, chain smoking. He would go inside the cabin when she lit-up. He was less than kind toward his wife and her smoking. How do I know this - they spoke very loudly. In order to stay out there most time, I had to put wads of kleenex tissue up my nostrils. That got old quickly. Thankfully after day 17 (of 35), they moved to a larger cabin where she was sure she would be more comfortable.

[Lady Arwen]

I think I'm not alone thinking that this thread has reached it's "best before date". It's just the same old, same old, over and over again. Two sides that will never come together. Everyone has their opinion, which they are entitled to, but it solves nothing.

 

The HAL smoking policy has changed. End of story. We can stop beating a dead horse and move on. Whether HAL bans smoking indoors will be determined in the future.

 

It's time to let go of this entire topic and agree to disagree and shake hands. I've decided this will be my last post on this subject. I respect a lot of c.c. folk who smoke and many who don't and I'm just done with it.

[blizzardboy]

I think I'm not alone thinking that this thread has reached it's "best before date". It's just the same old, same old, over and over again. Two sides that will never come together. Everyone has their opinion, which they are entitled to, but it solves nothing.

 

The HAL smoking policy has changed. End of story. We can stop beating a dead horse and move on. Whether HAL bans smoking indoors will be determined in the future.

 

It's time to let go of this entire topic and agree to disagree and shake hands. I've decided this will be my last post on this subject. I respect a lot of c.c. folk who smoke and many who don't and I'm just done with it.

Not to be overly familiar, but...Amen, sister!

Edited October 8, 2016 by blizzardboy

[Lizzie68]

I think I'm not alone thinking that this thread has reached it's "best before date". It's just the same old, same old, over and over again. Two sides that will never come together. Everyone has their opinion, which they are entitled to, but it solves nothing.

 

The HAL smoking policy has changed. End of story. We can stop beating a dead horse and move on. Whether HAL bans smoking indoors will be determined in the future.

 

It's time to let go of this entire topic and agree to disagree and shake hands. I've decided this will be my last post on this subject. I respect a lot of c.c. folk who smoke and many who don't and I'm just done with it.

 

Two thumbs up.

[Jo3]

We are now including HAL back on our cruise options. Our last cruise with HAL had disruptions (even had to move a few of our meals inside) because of cigarette and cigar smoke encroachment and lingering on our balcony.

[Fouremco]

As smoking threads continue to pop up on boards for lines that have long banished balcony smoking, it's unlikely that this thread will go dormant. With the "Battle of the Balconies" having been fought and won - or lost, depending on your perspective - I think the next skirmish will commence next year when posters start complaining that some passengers continue to smoke on their balconies and that HAL isn't strictly enforcing the new policy.

[taxmantoo]

I think I'm not alone thinking that this thread has reached it's "best before date". It's just the same old, same old, over and over again. Two sides that will never come together. Everyone has their opinion, which they are entitled to, but it solves nothing.

 

The HAL smoking policy has changed. End of story. We can stop beating a dead horse and move on. Whether HAL bans smoking indoors will be determined in the future.

 

It's time to let go of this entire topic and agree to disagree and shake hands. I've decided this will be my last post on this subject. I respect a lot of c.c. folk who smoke and many who don't and I'm just done with it.

 

As a former HAL cruiser used to say quite often ...