Smoking onboard

[tv24]

Just wondering...

 

What would Seabourn's Seattle management have to say if passengers posted signs outside all the ships' Observation Bars saying "Out of courtesy to your fellow guests, please refrain from smoking inside the Observation Bar" with a subtext as "From your fellow passengers and not from Seabourn management"?

 

I doubt that any of the crew would mind although, of course, the hotel manager will probably be annoyed that he or she is an impossible place.

What place is that? It's where he or she aims to fulfill passenger requests and demands of the vast majority of the guests, while being expected to deliver on the (rather thoughtless, IMO) current smoking policy.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

You go, Markham!

[Mr Luxury]

Of course many hotel managers smoke as do many of the crew

[markham]

In the Observation Bar? I don't think so.

 

And if a hotel manager were foolish enough to smoke in the Observation Bar and thereby drive non-smokers out of there, I would hope that Seabourn dismisses him or her for exercising poor judgment and reckless behavior.

 

I mean, really... Seabourn and its staff are not in the business of willfully damaging the health of their customers, are they?

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[cello44]

I check Seabourn's site and this one regularly hoping to find that Seabourn has prohibited balcony smoking. My wife and I would love to come back to Seabourn; we tried Silversea, it was fine, but for many reasons we much prefer Seabourn. I will keep checking and hoping.

[softsands]

I check Seabourn's site and this one regularly hoping to find that Seabourn has prohibited balcony smoking. My wife and I would love to come back to Seabourn; we tried Silversea, it was fine, but for many reasons we much prefer Seabourn. I will keep checking and hoping.

 

Until sufficient numbers of clients speak with their feet, it appears Seabourn will maintain this archaic policy despite obvious, significant detriments all other cruise lines have long recognized and mitigated. That two guests are permitted to render a popular common room unusable and scatter a group of other guests just boggles the mind.

[vaitape]

It does indeed! Seabourn provides several of areas to smoke. Smoking on verandas and in the Observation Bar is a no-go.

 

Have walked with our feet.

[umtali]

wripro has mentioned safety, which is of major concern to many other cruise lines, cigarettes not being disposed of properly have caused many incidents at sea.

 

Also, one of the reasons for strict anti smoking legislation introduced in Australia in recent years has been the proven 'passive' smoking problems caused to staff being exposed to second hand cigarette smoke on a regular basis.

 

Surely it is time for cruise lines, such as Seabourn, to become more proactive in this matter, rather than be reactive in the future.

[Solon]

We will never try Seabourn because of their smoking policy. These posts have confirmed that decision. Thank you.

[markham]

To Seabourn Marketing:

 

Are you listening?

 

Still not convinced that you are out of step with the market?

 

And that your policy disserves the overwhelming majority of your passengers?

 

And harms your sales?

 

The silence from Seabourn is deafening.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[oregon50]

SB policy is clear. If you have been a victim of second hand smoke, why would you return and pay to be victimized again? Insanity. No shortage of smoke free options.

[Techno123]

SB policy is clear. If you have been a victim of second hand smoke, why would you return and pay to be victimized again? Insanity. No shortage of smoke free options.

 

But none of them quite as good as Seabourn, unfortunately.

 

There are over 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. It is a significant carcinogen. This is not the same as saying go to another ship because you don't like the food or you don't like the excursions.

 

I think whilst the majority of us non-smokers accept that some people have an addiction to nicotine, the dangers of second hand smoke cannot be refuted and it is the ship's responsibility to protect their staff and passengers from harm - this also includes the ship going up in flames because of a stray cigarette end thrown off a balcony!

Properly monitored outside smoking areas and a ventilated inside smoking area should be the minimum.

 

The vast majority of First World countries do not allow smoking indoors and yet, Seabourn continues to do so. We passengers can grumble but in most cases can move away from the smoke - staff can't. The fact that many of the staff smoke is not an excuse - they still have a duty of care to protect those staff who don't (never mind their customers!).

[ladyfrog]

Has anyone been on a Seabourn cruise to Antarctica? How do they handle people throwing cigarette butts into the water or crushing them in the rocks on shore? I just read a blog where another cruise line stopped their ship, lowered a tender and retrieved the offensive polluting butt!

[fudge]

We went on Silversea to the Antarctica, the ship were very strict indeed on what you could take off shore, in fact they had to check all our clothing we took on board and hoovered every item before we went ashore, there were constant reminders of what to touch and what not to touch.

Most people if not all were aware of the environment.

[galeforce9]

I absolutely abhor smoking. However, why is a smoker more likely to litter with cigarette butts than a non smoker with something else? Think we are getting a bit off course here.

[jakes47]

I presume with the current smoking on balconies policy I will also be able to light up an aromatic candle or incense/mosquito cone. This would be particularly handy when cruising in the tropics. :D

[Lioncub]

Most of the fun people I have met on cruises are smokers. Just grab a well ventilated spot and prepare to meet some great people. With a glass of your favourite tipple in hand of course [emoji898]

[JVNYC]

Most of the fun people I have met on cruises are smokers. Just grab a well ventilated spot and prepare to meet some great people. With a glass of your favourite tipple in hand of course [emoji898]

 

This is one of the oddest things I've ever heard.

[Ravenscroft]

This is one of the oddest things I've ever heard.

 

Agree!

Edited June 20, 2016 by Ravenscroft

[bspill]

Just got off the Quest after 3 great weeks. During that time we had two "smoking events", both in the Observation Bar. We took the attitude that the OB was off limits after 8 pm and dealt with it. Not necessarily a game channger as far as any future Seabourn cruises, but, hard to understand Seabourn management's position. In both cases only two smokers made it uncomfortable for dozens of guests. Doesn't make much sense.

[Horsegrl]

SEABOURN guests need to take action to insist that the main office reduces and limits smoking on these ships- if we don't band together nothing will happen. What are they thinking?

[2SailingNomads]

This is one of the oddest things I've ever heard.

While I am totally in agreement with restricting smoking in public places especially in the Observation Bar and at the actual "bar" part of the Sky Bar, I totally agree that some - certainly not all - of the folks I have met who were the most interesting and some have become long lasting friends from Seabourn cruises, were / are smokers. All of them were respectful of those of us who do not smoke. If I refuse to accept those people my life would have not been enriched by the shared times and friendships that continue to today. So while we non-smokers hope management will restrict smoking from the Veranda and OB, let us not turn the discussion into - as so unfortunately many other conversations are - a case of us vs. them.

[markham]

2SailingNomads,

 

I agree entirely with you. Everyone deserves respect, just as everyone is expected to respect the comfort and welfare of others. My smoker friends on Seabourn would never dream of lighting up in the Observation Bar. They know that it would be detrimental to the health others and, for that matter, their own reputation with us.

 

That's why we should all put our energies into constructive criticism of Seabourn's outdated and lax policies which all smoking in the Observation Bar and on verandas.

 

It's a pain for us and for them a no-brainer to ban it. It's 6 months until Encore. Isn't 6 months a perfect notice period for such a ban?

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited June 21, 2016 by markham
Typo

[Ravenscroft]

While I am totally in agreement with restricting smoking in public places especially in the Observation Bar and at the actual "bar" part of the Sky Bar, I totally agree that some - certainly not all - of the folks I have met who were the most interesting and some have become long lasting friends from Seabourn cruises, were / are smokers. All of them were respectful of those of us who do not smoke. If I refuse to accept those people my life would have not been enriched by the shared times and friendships that continue to today. So while we non-smokers hope management will restrict smoking from the Veranda and OB, let us not turn the discussion into - as so unfortunately many other conversations are - a case of us vs. them.

 

I may have misundersood JVNYC's comment, but I thought it was 'lioncub's initial post that inferred it was us vs them situation.

I understood the post you've quoted to be pointing that out. I haven't seen any posts here recently suggesting that smokers are bad or unpleasant people and so it seemed an odd thing for lioncub to post that 'most of the fun people' he/she has met are smokers. I read it and wondered "where on earth did that come from?!". That's why I posted in agreement with JVNYC.

So if I did read it incorrectly, then I should make clear that I don't want a us vs them situation either. I definitely don't discriminate against people for being smokers. in my daily life I no longer have any friends or family who smoke, although several including myself are former smokers. I don't think any of us have become any less fun since we quit - although there may have been a few tough months in the beginning ;)

 

My view on smoking on Seabourn hasn't changed but I certainly don't think that smokers are in any way 'less than' the rest of us. Perhaps Lioncub will come back and talk about this some more

Edited June 21, 2016 by Ravenscroft

[Ravenscroft]

2SailingNomads,

 

 

 

It's a pain for us and for them a no-brainer to ban it. It's 6 months until Encore. Isn't 6 months a perfect notice period for such a ban?

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

Markham, we were talking about this just a few days ago with Seabourn friends.

The smoking policy was last amended just over two years ago. SB gave at least 3 or 4 months notice of the new policy coming into effect. They delayed it by an extra month or so for Sojourn because it would have come into effect mid world cruise, they waited until the wc was over.

It seems to me that now is exactly the time for SB to announce a stricter policy, as you say in time for Encore.

 

I do believe that a stricter policy is coming to SB, I just hope it's sooner rather than later. In the meantime I'll continue to raise the subject on post-cruise questionnaires and onboard if/when smoking is an issue on my cruise.

[florisdekort]

Totally agree Seabourn should ban smoking on verandas and in the Observation Bar.