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

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Friends wishing to try a cruise were asking about cruising, they were keen to sail on HAL until I mentioned that smoking is allowed on balconies.

These are well travelled folk who would purchase at least a balcony stateroom, they and another couple will now book a Celebrity cruise, if they enjoy the first cruise I would expect them to cruise regularly in a suite.

 

So again HAL has lost customers.

 

Opportunity missed, which HAL is oblivious to. Is ignorance bliss??

 

Tom

[erewhon]

Opportunity missed, which HAL is oblivious to. Is ignorance bliss??

 

Tom

 

I have commented on post cruise surveys of many friends reactions to learning of the smoking on balcony policy, all these folk now cruise with other lines.

[cruising_Bif]

Mobs win: liberty loses.

I'm not sure if the old adage, "Your liberty ends where my nose begins", has ever been more appropriate.

[kennicott]

Speaking of ships that accommodate smokers' needs, there are thousands of them.

It's not true that most ships are non smoking as the German, Russians, French, Greek liners etc, all permit smoking.

 

With the mighty US buck, smokers could get a bargain by looking at the European, and Asian cruising offerings (and be with their kindred in a thick haze of blue smoke). May need some translations here or there, but aren't the liberal smoking policies worth it ;)

 

This thread is about HAL's smoking policies, not a review of smoking polices of the cruise industry in general. However, this thread was more or less generated due to all the global major cruise lines, except HAL, discontinuing their smoking on balcony policies, the big 12 to be exact. Thereby creating a situation wherein smokers began leaving their cruise lines of choice in favor of HAL due HAL's more lenient smoking policy.

 

Now, almost all lines still allow smoking of some sort on board, even those who exclude balcony smoking, but to infer there are thousands of ships who allow unrestricted smoking, that's a laugher.

 

As we have been discussing for some time now, HAL is unlikely to be able to prohibit balcony smoking, under the circumstances they now find themselves in, unless and until they have interior areas dedicated to smokers on all their ships, like they do on many other lines, for example the Churchill rooms on Princess and Cunard or the Connoisseur smoking rooms on Regent and other lines. HAL has only one ship with such and their newest ship is coming out without one, to do so for their entire fleet will involve a lengthy and expensive undertaking. Celebrity does not even provide a single smoking room dedicated to smokers so they are very close to being completely smoke free, does anyone suggest Celebrity is about to go under as a result?

 

Some posts here liken HAL to Princess as a smoker's cruise line. This is an absolute falsehood. All I can say is there is very little smoking on Princess, which prohibits balcony smoking, pertinent cheating is almost non-existent, based upon our experience wherein we have just finished our fifth cruise with them, yesterday, in one year, about 80 days sailing, while we discontinued using HAL entirely due their cigar balcony smoking allowances two years ago. We have about 500 total days of sailing with both.

 

Here is a general look at what the industry allows: http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-2/articles.cfm?ID=225

[Aquahound]

I have commented on post cruise surveys of many friends reactions to learning of the smoking on balcony policy, all these folk now cruise with other lines.

 

Some neighbors of mine had an Alaskan HAL cruise booked for this year. They canceled and went with another line when they learned of the balcony smoking policy.

[sun~]

Some neighbors of mine had an Alaskan HAL cruise booked for this year. They canceled and went with another line when they learned of the balcony smoking policy.

 

This is probably very common. For so long we non smokers fought to have smoke free places. In my area, just about every public area is non smoking, including parks and beaches. There is a hefty fine.

 

So to book an expensive vacation and have it ruined or made extremely unpleasant from smoking, folks just will book something else. There are a lot of cruise lines out there.

 

I wrote to HAL after my last cruise, the LRBC charter, to complain about the balcony smoking and the free for all on deck for smokers, even during fuel bunkering and the stage hands in the main show lounge puffing away between sets. It was pretty shocking.

 

For those of us who don't want our air polluted by someone smoking, I can see just not booking a cruise on a ship(s) that allow smoking on verandahs.

 

A designated smoking area is one thing, we can avoid those places.

 

I wonder how many others here have written to HAL about the current smoking policy? Not just a survey. I did not get one after my charter cruise.

[cruz chic]

This is probably very common. For so long we non smokers fought to have smoke free places. In my area, just about every public area is non smoking, including parks and beaches. There is a hefty fine.

 

So to book an expensive vacation and have it ruined or made extremely unpleasant from smoking, folks just will book something else. There are a lot of cruise lines out there.

 

I wrote to HAL after my last cruise, the LRBC charter, to complain about the balcony smoking and the free for all on deck for smokers, even during fuel bunkering and the stage hands in the main show lounge puffing away between sets. It was pretty shocking.

 

For those of us who don't want our air polluted by someone smoking, I can see just not booking a cruise on a ship(s) that allow smoking on verandahs.

 

A designated smoking area is one thing, we can avoid those places.

 

I wonder how many others here have written to HAL about the current smoking policy? Not just a survey. I did not get one after my charter cruise.

 

At the moment Hal is my favorite line. It's easy for people who don't like the line or have no loyalty to say to go elsewhere. That would be super easy for me if it was celebrity. In my mind that is a worst line afloat. Now I'm booking oceanview cabins and if Hal offers me a reasonable upsell I will consider going to a balcony. Let smokers pay a premium.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

At the moment Hal is my favorite line. It's easy for people who don't like the line or have no loyalty to say to go elsewhere. That would be super easy for me if it was celebrity. In my mind that is a worst line afloat. Now I'm booking oceanview cabins and if Hal offers me a reasonable upsell I will consider going to a balcony. Let smokers pay a premium.

 

Just sidestepping the topic at hand for a moment - what happened with Celebrity that makes you feel that way?

 

Our experiences have been (overall) very positive. Granted, we never sailed them before they were acquired by Royal Caribbean - so we really don't know what it was like "before".

 

Tom

[cruz chic]

Just sidestepping the topic at hand for a moment - what happened with Celebrity that makes you feel that way?

 

Our experiences have been (overall) very positive. Granted, we never sailed them before they were acquired by Royal Caribbean - so we really don't know what it was like "before".

 

Tom

 

Every time I'd go to the front desk I'd be there a minimum of 30 minutes for a simple query. Only one line for anytime dining with or without reservations and at least 30 people in front of me every night. I brought wine to the MDR one night. Trying to get someone to open it was extremely difficult. I believe corkage was $25. I didn't drink it all and when he brought it out the next night he slammed it on the table with no ice bucket. Find was very good or inedible. I had one beef dish and I couldn't cut it with a knife.

[Aquahound]

This is probably very common. For so long we non smokers fought to have smoke free places. In my area, just about every public area is non smoking, including parks and beaches. There is a hefty fine.

 

So to book an expensive vacation and have it ruined or made extremely unpleasant from smoking, folks just will book something else. There are a lot of cruise lines out there.

 

I wrote to HAL after my last cruise, the LRBC charter, to complain about the balcony smoking and the free for all on deck for smokers, even during fuel bunkering and the stage hands in the main show lounge puffing away between sets. It was pretty shocking.

 

For those of us who don't want our air polluted by someone smoking, I can see just not booking a cruise on a ship(s) that allow smoking on verandahs.

 

A designated smoking area is one thing, we can avoid those places.

 

I wonder how many others here have written to HAL about the current smoking policy? Not just a survey. I did not get one after my charter cruise.

 

There have been letters written, including one by another person on this thread. Unfortunately, HAL only responds with a generic letter...the same one they respond with when you complain about the policy on the post-cruise survey.

 

You're right though. There are other choices out there and being that I am not married to one line, making other choices comes easy. Cruising Celebrity is a breath of fresh air, literally. My last cruise was on Eclipse and it was excellent! I was able to relax on my balcony without a care in the world, unlike by cruise before that, Oosterdam, where I had a cigar smoker next to me and a chain cigarette smoker below me.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Aquahound

[hrhdhd]

Opportunity missed, which HAL is oblivious to. Is ignorance bliss??

 

Tom

 

Not knowing the specifics of HAL bookings, that nonsmokers are going elsewhere doesn't matter if they are, in essence, being replaced by smokers who would prefer to smoke on their own balconies.

 

Yes, they are losing customers, but they appear to be gaining them as well.

[sun~]

For folks like me who love the fully chartered cruise, I don't have a choice of ships if I want to go on that charter. I love the LRBC, but hate it that it became a free for all for smokers. So I have been stuck with the charters on HAL. Otherwise, I wouldn't set foot on a HAL ship.

 

I have a tough choice to make soon. Go ahead with my booking on the January 2017 LRBC charter on the Konginsdam, or take the same dollars and go on a cruise on a luxury line. After all, I am paying 3x as much for my balcony cabin (I won't cruise in anything less than a balcony) as on a comparable cruise on the same week as a mainstream cruise line.

 

From what the senior officer told me in January cruise, the smoking policy IS changing. When I don't know. He figured it was going to be before the next January LRBC charter.

 

The sad thing is that there weren't many smokers, but so many puffed away constantly it was unbearable. It was really upsetting that nothing was said to the LRBC stage crew (two of whom are serious chain smokers) smoking on stage during set changes. Even during fuel bunkering.

[Joanandjoe]

At the moment Hal is my favorite line. It's easy for people who don't like the line or have no loyalty to say to go elsewhere. That would be super easy for me if it was celebrity. In my mind that is a worst line afloat. Now I'm booking oceanview cabins and if Hal offers me a reasonable upsell I will consider going to a balcony. Let smokers pay a premium.

 

We agree with Cruz Chic, which is why we're on this board, even though we cancelled our Caribbean cruise on HAL (for next month), and are taking a

"land" trip instead. If the smoking policy changes, we'll book HAL again.

 

We've been on Celebrity twice, and didn't like the food, the lines for everything, and the fact that we usually were unable to get into the show room despite leaving our cabin in plenty of time. Now their ships are too big for us, anyway. We're very unlikely to cruise with X.

 

Our one cruise on Oceania was a disaster: 3 Mondays in a row when ports were virtually closed due to Monday holidays (poor planning by the cruise line!), two skipped ports (the ones we most wanted to see) with no compensation,; norovirus, and bad weather that somehow did not cause the line to open up indoor dining areas when the weather was too bad to eat outside. Cross that line off our list.

 

Princess is not a choice: their ships are too big (other than the R ships, which have no itineraries we like). Thus, in the "premium" class of ships, it's HAL or nothing. Right now, it's "nothing", which means vacations other than cruises. We're used to suites, but HAL's smoking policy means that anything with a balcony is a non-starter, and rooms without balconies are to small.

 

"Lots of other choices"? No.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Joanandjoe

[Lizzie68]

We agree with Cruz Chic, which is why we're on this board, even though we cancelled our Caribbean cruise on HAL (for next month), and are taking a

"land" trip instead. If the smoking policy changes, we'll book HAL again.

 

We've been on Celebrity twice, and didn't like the food, the lines for everything, and the fact that we usually were unable to get into the show room despite leaving our cabin in plenty of time. Now their ships are too big for us, anyway. We're very unlikely to cruise with X.

 

Our one cruise on Oceania was a disaster: 3 Mondays in a row when ports were virtually closed due to Monday holidays (poor planning by the cruise line!), two skipped ports (the ones we most wanted to see) with no compensation,; norovirus, and bad weather that somehow did not cause the line to open up indoor dining areas when the weather was too bad to eat outside. Cross that line off our list.

 

Princess is not a choice: their ships are too big (other than the R ships, which have no itineraries we like). Thus, in the "premium" class of ships, it's HAL or nothing. Right now, it's "nothing", which means vacations other than cruises. We're used to suites, but HAL's smoking policy means that anything with a balcony is a non-starter, and rooms without balconies are to small.

 

"Lots of other choices"? No.

 

A great post, and I hope it puts an end to those continual "suggestions" that if you don't like the smoking policy, go elsewhere. Many have spent years earning their stars and getting to the point where they get some decent perks.

[cruisemom42]

We agree with Cruz Chic, which is why we're on this board, even though we cancelled our Caribbean cruise on HAL (for next month), and are taking a

"land" trip instead. If the smoking policy changes, we'll book HAL again.

 

We've been on Celebrity twice, and didn't like the food, the lines for everything, and the fact that we usually were unable to get into the show room despite leaving our cabin in plenty of time. Now their ships are too big for us, anyway. We're very unlikely to cruise with X.

 

Our one cruise on Oceania was a disaster: 3 Mondays in a row when ports were virtually closed due to Monday holidays (poor planning by the cruise line!), two skipped ports (the ones we most wanted to see) with no compensation,; norovirus, and bad weather that somehow did not cause the line to open up indoor dining areas when the weather was too bad to eat outside. Cross that line off our list.

 

Princess is not a choice: their ships are too big (other than the R ships, which have no itineraries we like). Thus, in the "premium" class of ships, it's HAL or nothing. Right now, it's "nothing", which means vacations other than cruises. We're used to suites, but HAL's smoking policy means that anything with a balcony is a non-starter, and rooms without balconies are to small.

 

"Lots of other choices"? No.

 

 

It seems that you like smaller ships -- have you considered Azamara? I've heard lots of good things.

[cruisemom42]

A great post, and I hope it puts an end to those continual "suggestions" that if you don't like the smoking policy, go elsewhere. Many have spent years earning their stars and getting to the point where they get some decent perks.

 

Unfortunately this is probably the wrong place to ask this, but as one who doesn't cruise for loyalty perks, I am honestly curious: if a passenger is going to be booking a suite (as the ones you replied to indicated), what are the additional benefits of being a loyal HAL cruiser that are so irresistable?

 

Not meant to be tongue-in-cheek, in case it comes across that way. I always figure most loyalty benefits are not worth much on any line, compared to the cost outlay of obtaining them in the first place....;) But that's just me.

[Lizzie68]

Unfortunately this is probably the wrong place to ask this, but as one who doesn't cruise for loyalty perks, I am honestly curious: if a passenger is going to be booking a suite (as the ones you replied to indicated), what are the additional benefits of being a loyal HAL cruiser that are so irresistable?

 

Not meant to be tongue-in-cheek, in case it comes across that way. I always figure most loyalty benefits are not worth much on any line, compared to the cost outlay of obtaining them in the first place....;) But that's just me.

 

You asked the question of me - but I don't know the answer, I haven't gotten there yet.:D

 

I always thought you were one of the "nicer" people on this forum, but your post #3340 is simply not nice in response to that poster.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Lizzie68

[cruisemom42]

 

I always thought you were one of the "nicer" people on this forum, but your post #3340 is simply not nice in response to that poster.

 

 

Okay, I am really puzzled. I was trying to be helpful. Is suggesting the consideration of a line that seemed to be omitted a bad thing? :( The poster mentioned twice that they like smaller ships and since they had tried Oceania, I thought it was a logical question..... Is there more smoking on Azamara?

 

What did I do wrong?

Edited February 16, 2016 by cruisemom42

[Joanandjoe]

Okay, I am really puzzled. I was trying to be helpful. Is suggesting the consideration of a line that seemed to be omitted a bad thing? :( The poster mentioned twice that they like smaller ships and since they had tried Oceania, I thought it was a logical question..... Is there more smoking on Azamara?

 

What did I do wrong?

 

You've done nothing wrong. I'll admit we haven't considered Azamara, since we think of it as an adjunct of its direct parent, Celebrity, on which we've had bad experiences on both cruises. Also, although the 8 former Renaissance ships (now owned by Azamara (2), Princess (2), and Oceania(4)) have a nice 700 passenger size, the rooms are mostly quite small, and most of the larger rooms are over or under noisy areas. Maybe we should reconsider.

 

The discussion of alternatives to HAL is a logical consequence of HAL's smoking policy, which causes people who otherwise would love HAL to look elsewhere. Hopefully, Host Walt will not delete these rather civilized posts.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Joanandjoe

[cruisemom42]

You've done nothing wrong. I'll admit we haven't considered Azamara, since we think of it as an adjunct of its direct parent, Celebrity, on which we've had bad experiences on both cruises. Also, although the 8 former Renaissance ships (now owned by Azamara (2), Princess (2), and Oceania(4)) have a nice 700 passenger size, the rooms are mostly quite small, and most of the larger rooms are over or under noisy areas. Maybe we should reconsider.

 

The discussion of alternatives to HAL is a logical consequence of HAL's smoking policy, which causes people who otherwise would love HAL to look elsewhere. Hopefully, Host Walt will not delete these rather civilized posts.

 

Thanks -- I'm glad you did not misunderstand; my intent was good. I can understand being gun-shy of the one line having had bad experiences on the other. (I like smaller ships too, so I am always looking at options in that market -- which is getting fairly small.)

[Aquahound]

"Lots of other choices"? No.

 

You make a good point. You have a cruise style and a type of ship that you like. HAL fits your likes and you want want this policy change. I totally get it.

 

Please do not confuse what I said with those who simply say, go to another line. Just because I am an equal opportunity cruiser does not mean I think ill of those who prefer one particular line.

 

At the end of the day, we both want the same thing for HAL. We want balcony smoking eradicated. You, because it's your preferred line and me, because I want as much choice in cruising as possible. :)

[hrhdhd]

Okay, I am really puzzled. I was trying to be helpful. Is suggesting the consideration of a line that seemed to be omitted a bad thing? :( The poster mentioned twice that they like smaller ships and since they had tried Oceania, I thought it was a logical question..... Is there more smoking on Azamara?

 

What did I do wrong?

 

Nothing. :)

[Lizzie68]

Okay, I am really puzzled. I was trying to be helpful. Is suggesting the consideration of a line that seemed to be omitted a bad thing? :( The poster mentioned twice that they like smaller ships and since they had tried Oceania, I thought it was a logical question..... Is there more smoking on Azamara?

 

What did I do wrong?

 

Perhaps I misinterpreted, but after the poster made it clear why she and many others do not want to change cruise lines to accommodate the smokers, you invited her to try Azamara.

[Joanandjoe]

Perhaps I misinterpreted, but after the poster made it clear why she and many others do not want to change cruise lines to accommodate the smokers, you invited her to try Azamara.

 

Joanandjoe posts are mostly by me, Joe, and there was nothing wrong with suggesting Azamara. Probably Joan's posts are less than 10% of our total.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Joanandjoe

[sammiedawg]

I'm always open to new suggestions, agree totally it is logical to look at premium lines like Azamara, a big step up from holland America. Cruise mom you are fine, I was puzzled too.