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

[Hlitner]

You are correct, but I believe mllewis48 was asking about "K" (Koningsdam).

 

Awww gee....what's in a letter :)

[KenNMB]

I'm not certain what HAL is doing smoking wise in the Casinos on all ships today, but it appears to me from posts here that their policy is pretty close to the new smoking rules Princess has, for instance: "The Casino and Casino Bar are non-smoking areas on board, with the exception of designated slot machines where guests are permitted to smoke only while playing at those machines. All table games are non-smoking. The Casino will also have one or more non-smoking nights (6 pm to closing), depending on length of voyage."

 

 

 

We cruise a lot on Princess, I don't frequent the casinos but my wife does, to do the slots after dinner. She says Princess sticks to the above rules, which makes her happy as she doesn't smoke. What happens on the non-smoking nights is that new-comers mistakenly assume that the casino is always non-smoking because they were there one night when it was non-smoking.

 

 

 

I remember the 'No Smoking at Tables' from the Veendam; however, several folks chain-smoked for hours at nearby slots, and it was miserable at the only Hold 'Em table whenever they were there. Wish HA would ban smoking. But, the truth is that many of us gamblers also smoke. Nothing's worse than the attitude of a gambler who quit smoking 39 years ago toward those who still smoke around him.

 

 

KenNMB

Volendam: NYC to Bermuda (1978)

Nieuw Amsterdam Seattle to Alaska (2007)

Noordam: Port Everglades TA to Rome (2014)

Zuiderdam: to Panama (partial) (2015)

Veendam: Port Everglades to Montreal (Spring 2016)

Zuiderdam: Quebec City to Port Everglades (Fall 2016)

[HELENPSL]

I was on the Zuiderdam in Jan. 2016 and spent a lot of time (too much time) in the casino. There is no smoking at any of the table games. There is an area on the opposite side from where the tables are located that is only slot machines and is completely non-smoking. On the side where the tables are located there are specific slot machines designated as non-smoking. These are the ones that are closest to the tables. The majority of slots where you can smoke are furthest away from the tables. And, of course, you can only smoke if you are playing.

 

On the Eurodam last Thanksgiving there were 2 nights that were non-smoking nights. I have read that since that time the casino on the Eurodam is totally non-smoking but I have no personal knowledge of that one.

 

Helen

[mommyto2girls]

I was on the Zuiderdam in Jan. 2016 and spent a lot of time (too much time) in the casino. There is no smoking at any of the table games. There is an area on the opposite side from where the tables are located that is only slot machines and is completely non-smoking. On the side where the tables are located there are specific slot machines designated as non-smoking. These are the ones that are closest to the tables. The majority of slots where you can smoke are furthest away from the tables. And, of course, you can only smoke if you are playing.

 

On the Eurodam last Thanksgiving there were 2 nights that were non-smoking nights. I have read that since that time the casino on the Eurodam is totally non-smoking but I have no personal knowledge of that one.

 

Helen

 

 

Thanks for the response a little disappointing thought the Casino would have more smoking areas.

[mommyto2girls]

IF Zuiderdam's casino is set up like Nieuw Amsterdam's (I suspect they all are about the same) my memory says there are no table games in the smoking area.

 

BUT... Keep in mind that I do not pay attention to any table games since I do not play them. I only play slots, and can only speak for that area.

 

Joanie

 

Thanks Joanie, I know we are in the minority (smokers) but a little disappointed to hear they don't have table games at all that allow smokers, also a bit ironic since we are retuning to HAL via a very enticing Neptune Suite Casino offer. We have been loving NCL but wanted to do this Panama Canal itinerary.

[KenNMB]

'On the side where the tables are located there are specific slot machines designated as non-smoking.'

Helen, I expect you are referring to the Three-Card Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat tables; unfortunately, the 'cash game' ten-top Hold'Em Table must have been amidst smoking machines.

[HELENPSL]

Sorry-don't know where the cash game table is located. Also no smoking at the craps table.

[kevingastreich]

And, of course, you can only smoke if you are playing.

Helen

 

Supposedly that is the rule but the last time on Oosterdam, my buddy ducked into the casino to grab a quick smoke anytime he wanted one. He just pretended to look around deciding which machine to play! :p

[Adoptionmsw]

Supposedly that is the rule but the last time on Oosterdam, my buddy ducked into the casino to grab a quick smoke anytime he wanted one. He just pretended to look around deciding which machine to play! :p

 

 

 

Wow! What a sense of entitlement!

 

 

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[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Wow! What a sense of entitlement!

 

 

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It just helps to show the force of addiction.

 

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[kevingastreich]

Wow! What a sense of entitlement!

 

He was standing next to other people who were smoking already so it was no big deal. Plus, he does play a lot of slots in the casino anyway so ya, I think he was entitled.

[KenNMB]

He was standing next to other people who were smoking already so it was no big deal. Plus, he does play a lot of slots in the casino anyway so ya, I think he was entitled.

A truly great American.

Hope we continue to miss each other; if not, I hope the no smoking rule is in effect wherever I am. I play a bit, myself.

[CatManDoo73]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

[Midwestern Cruiser]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

 

Completely agree. I thought they'd all gone smokeless on balconies...I didn't learn HAL hadn't until after I booked my AK cruise (leaving next Saturday). Am so hoping my balcony neighbors don't smoke.

[meglet]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

 

Love your name CatManDoo73. You're going to NCL, I'm coming from NCL. And some smokers pay a premium for a balcony or verandah just like non smokers do. By the way, the smoking policy is NOT why I'm switching this year. NCL prices are WAY higher than previous summers.

[alwaysfrantic]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

 

It is the line of smoker's choice now, sadly.

[richstowe]

Love to check in on this thread from time to time just to see if there are any new points of view . Nope . ;)

It is interesting to note how many post are from those not addicted to CC and learn to their dismay that HAL still allows balcony smoking . I'm sure there are a few who discover this policy and are delighted but mostly not .

For those who absolutely want a balcony experience on HAL without the smoke , they can get a Lanai cabin .

We were upsold this cabin type and loved it . Our "balcony" was 30 000 sq feet . :D

[sammiedawg]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

 

I highly recommend Princess for Alaska and they prohibit balcony smoking.

Enjoy Alaska, our favorite destination on the planet.

[mightycruisequeen]

I keep checking this thread to see if HAL finally made balconies smoke-free, but nope. :(

I thought surely they were going to do it when they rolled out Koningsdam, but nope. :(

[Love2Cruise4Less]

I've chimed in on this thread a few times over the years. I suspect, in the future, both my visits here and my cruises will be severely curtailed. But before I go, please allow me to say just one thing one more time....

 

There are dozens and dozens of cruise lines. There are hundreds and hundreds of ships. Nonsmokers have thousands of options. Currently, to the best of my knowledge, smokers have ONE option: balcony cabin on HAL. (Which, BTW, are rarely discounted for us single/solo folks.)

 

Alas, nonsmokers will not rest until even this ONE choice for smokers is gone.

 

One last caveat and I'll be gone.... I spent several decades as a dealer in Las Vegas. Innumerable times over the years I'd see a nonsmoker walk up to a table, sit down, then immediately start huffing and puffing (complete with arm waving) at the sight of a smoker. We would often inform them there was a completely smoke-free casino just across the street.

 

That completely smoke-free Las Vegas casino went out of business in a few short years.

 

Carry on with your fight for a completely smoke-free world (at least at sea). We smoking cruisers will all be dead and gone soon enough.

 

 

The end.

[Bostonjetset]

I've chimed in on this thread a few times over the years. I suspect, in the future, both my visits here and my cruises will be severely curtailed. But before I go, please allow me to say just one thing one more time....

 

There are dozens and dozens of cruise lines. There are hundreds and hundreds of ships. Nonsmokers have thousands of options. Currently, to the best of my knowledge, smokers have ONE option: balcony cabin on HAL. (Which, BTW, are rarely discounted for us single/solo folks.)

 

Alas, nonsmokers will not rest until even this ONE choice for smokers is gone.

 

One last caveat and I'll be gone.... I spent several decades as a dealer in Las Vegas. Innumerable times over the years I'd see a nonsmoker walk up to a table, sit down, then immediately start huffing and puffing (complete with arm waving) at the sight of a smoker. We would often inform them there was a completely smoke-free casino just across the street.

 

That completely smoke-free Las Vegas casino went out of business in a few short years.

 

Carry on with your fight for a completely smoke-free world (at least at sea). We smoking cruisers will all be dead and gone soon enough.

 

 

The end.

 

Thank you for your reply. I also try to stay away from this thread because much of it involves the same people [many of whom are lovely people in general and quite helpful on other threads] over and over saying how awful smoking is and how HAL should "get with the times". Many exaggerated claims of ruined cruises and wasted money for balconies have been thrown about on this thread for years. The fact is, there are people who smoke and people who don't. There is no reason that both sides cannot get along on this issue and I've found that IRL the two sides generally do; it is on these boards that you have the extremists [from both sides but generally it is the non-smokers who whine and whinge the most].

 

As you have stated, there are hundreds of ships that do not allow balcony smoking and HAL is one of very few that actually do [seabourn and Costa also do but the former is very high end/expensive and the later does not have many sailings from US ports]. The times I've had a balcony [on CCL and NCL, but not on my sole HAL trip] I booked it because I could smoke. Once those lines [and most others] stopped allowing it I felt no need to pay a premium for a balcony and instead I book insides or oceanviews as I have to go up on deck [or to a smoking lounge] anyway. The same can go the other way; people who don't like HAL's smoky balconies don't need to book one, just as I [and many other smokers] choose not to book balconies on the lines that don't allow smoking. Every one of my cruises has been wonderful, regardless of whether or not I've had a balcony or where I am allowed to smoke.

 

Non-smokers have whined for years about indoor smoking and now that it is mostly a thing of the past [at least in the USA] they whine about outdoor smoking. There are numerous studies about second-hand smoke and its effects in closed spaces...however, those are not generally applicable to slight whiffs of smoke after it has been dissipated by the ocean breeze whilst outdoors; many of those who complain about outdoor smoking do so for the sake of complaining and for their general dislike of smoking, not because it is based on scientific evidence. I always wonder what percentage of these people travel outside of North America and the West Indies because many other countries have far less restrictive smoking laws than the US and Canada have; in China and Japan if you go to a restaurant and ask for non-smoking they simply take the ashtray off your table. In most European countries, indoor smoking is now banned so everyone eats and drinks on the restaurants' outdoor terraces instead.

[Dismomx5]

New to non-Disney cruising and just found out today that HAL allows smoking on their balconies. That's probably a deal-breaker for us on our July 2017 Alaska tour. We were planning on HAL, but now may turn our attention to PCL or NCL. What a disappointment. Get with the program, HAL. :mad: It's one thing to allow smoking in the casino, which can be avoided, but to allow it on balconies, which guests have paid a premium for, is just stupid.

We booked HAL for our Alaskan cruise, and I was unaware of the smoking policy. The itinerary was the best and that is what we wanted. We had no issues except one day, and it didn't affect our experience or excitement with the scenery. That said, I have my eye on a couple of cruises in the next year, and I will book Oceanview or Inside to avoid the possibility of limiting my enjoyment.....and to save a few bucks as well.

 

Save

[nb125]

Thank you for your reply. I also try to stay away from this thread because much of it involves the same people [many of whom are lovely people in general and quite helpful on other threads] over and over saying how awful smoking is and how HAL should "get with the times". Many exaggerated claims of ruined cruises and wasted money for balconies have been thrown about on this thread for years. The fact is, there are people who smoke and people who don't. There is no reason that both sides cannot get along on this issue and I've found that IRL the two sides generally do; it is on these boards that you have the extremists [from both sides but generally it is the non-smokers who whine and whinge the most].

 

As you have stated, there are hundreds of ships that do not allow balcony smoking and HAL is one of very few that actually do [seabourn and Costa also do but the former is very high end/expensive and the later does not have many sailings from US ports]. The times I've had a balcony [on CCL and NCL, but not on my sole HAL trip] I booked it because I could smoke. Once those lines [and most others] stopped allowing it I felt no need to pay a premium for a balcony and instead I book insides or oceanviews as I have to go up on deck [or to a smoking lounge] anyway. The same can go the other way; people who don't like HAL's smoky balconies don't need to book one, just as I [and many other smokers] choose not to book balconies on the lines that don't allow smoking. Every one of my cruises has been wonderful, regardless of whether or not I've had a balcony or where I am allowed to smoke.

 

Non-smokers have whined for years about indoor smoking and now that it is mostly a thing of the past [at least in the USA] they whine about outdoor smoking. There are numerous studies about second-hand smoke and its effects in closed spaces...however, those are not generally applicable to slight whiffs of smoke after it has been dissipated by the ocean breeze whilst outdoors; many of those who complain about outdoor smoking do so for the sake of complaining and for their general dislike of smoking, not because it is based on scientific evidence. I always wonder what percentage of these people travel outside of North America and the West Indies because many other countries have far less restrictive smoking laws than the US and Canada have; in China and Japan if you go to a restaurant and ask for non-smoking they simply take the ashtray off your table. In most European countries, indoor smoking is now banned so everyone eats and drinks on the restaurants' outdoor terraces instead.

 

Thank you for a non arrogant reasonable post, a rarity on this thread.

[Slarty]

" ... We smoking cruisers will all be dead and gone soon enough. "

 

Promises, promises, promises ...

 

My last 3-week cruise balcony experience was totally ruined by a cigar chain-smoking doofus who, from the crack of dawn, until well into the last light of the day, was on the balcony polluting the draft for dozens of passengers. Tried balcony breakfast early in the cruise -- gross! Had to move indoors.

 

If HA insists on allowing these smelly people on board, they should only allow balcony assignments at the stern, or else, drag them in a dinghy behind the ship.

[nb125]

" ... We smoking cruisers will all be dead and gone soon enough. "

 

Promises, promises, promises ...

 

My last 3-week cruise balcony experience was totally ruined by a cigar chain-smoking doofus who, from the crack of dawn, until well into the last light of the day, was on the balcony polluting the draft for dozens of passengers. Tried balcony breakfast early in the cruise -- gross! Had to move indoors.

 

If HA insists on allowing these smelly people on board, they should only allow balcony assignments at the stern, or else, drag them in a dinghy behind the ship.

 

I am always very dubious about these continual claims that people pay a lot of money to cruise only to spend every minute of it on their balcony smoking.