Single Smoking Thread (Use for all smoking discussions on HAL) )

[IAcruising]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:57 AM, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Thanks for the clarification, I'm not sure how anyone would know that unless they were following both threads.  In any case, welcome to the new posters to the smoking thread.

 

Well, it's pretty obvious as one of the top, locked threads you immediately see. Anyone who smokes needs to follow only this thread.

 

[KroozNut]

On 9/15/2023 at 10:09 AM, Blackduck59 said:

The smoking pit is starboard aft on all HAL ships.

What is the 'smoking pit'.. is that some secret dungeon where <gasp> smokers are banned to, never to be seen again?

We're all familiar with the 'smoking area' on HAL ships, but I'll admit that this is the first time I've heard/read of the term 'smoking pit'. 🤔

[IAcruising]

On Royal or NCL it's called the "bus station". 😄

 

[QuattroRomeo]

Shouldn't it be butt station?..

[Blackduck59]

4 hours ago, KroozNut said:

What is the 'smoking pit'.. is that some secret dungeon where <gasp> smokers are banned to, never to be seen again?

We're all familiar with the 'smoking area' on HAL ships, but I'll admit that this is the first time I've heard/read of the term 'smoking pit'. 🤔

 

I believe it's a common term, there was a smoking pit at my high school in the 1970s, also at the cadet training camps I attended and any number of other places where smoking was confined to. Sorry if my name for the place where smoking is confined to was confusing for you, I think it is quite descriptive.

[KroozNut]

9 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

I believe it's a common term, there was a smoking pit at my high school in the 1970s, also at the cadet training camps I attended and any number of other places where smoking was confined to. Sorry if my name for the place where smoking is confined to was confusing for you, I think it is quite descriptive.

Okay, I hear you. Just a brand new term for me. And to be honest, it does sound a bit derogatory and condescending to me.

[HamOp]

3 hours ago, KroozNut said:

Okay, I hear you. Just a brand new term for me. And to be honest, it does sound a bit derogatory and condescending to me.

I agree.  Somewhat derogatory.  Kind of like "snake pit".

Perhaps a nicer description could be "smokers garden" 😁 

[Blackduck59]

6 minutes ago, HamOp said:

I agree.  Somewhat derogatory.  Kind of like "snake pit".

Perhaps a nicer description could be "smokers garden" 😁 

The "Snake pit" is a whole different place. I really wasn't looking for a "nicer" term. Smoking as a very detrimental effect on my wife's enjoyment of the cruise we spent a substantial amount of money on. I understand that there needs to be a "smoking pit", I don't think there should be smoking indoors anywhere. With the location of the casino it is impossible to contain the smoke to that area. On Zaandam the smoke drifted into many adjacent spaces.

[Ipeeinthepools]

40 minutes ago, HamOp said:

I agree.  Somewhat derogatory.  Kind of like "snake pit".

Perhaps a nicer description could be "smokers garden" 😁 

 

The last thing that I think about when I think about smoking is a garden.  When I think about a garden I think about a garden fresh smell, that's something that isn't associated with smoking.

[IAcruising]

5 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 I don't think there should be smoking indoors anywhere. With the location of the casino it is impossible to contain the smoke to that area.

 

As a smoker, I agree with your concerns. I don't want you to be exposed to my habit. 

 

However, as a smoker, I would not spend nearly as much money in the casino as I do now if it was all non-smoking. So, there you go.

 

 

[Blackduck59]

1 minute ago, IAcruising said:

 

As a smoker, I agree with your concerns. I don't want you to be exposed to my habit. 

 

However, as a smoker, I would not spend nearly as much money in the casino as I do now if it was all non-smoking. So, there you go.

 

 

 Well there in lies the dilemma. Some 20 years ago smoking was banned in all indoor spaces in greater Victoria. Smokers had rallies about their "rights" etc. It was predicted that bars everywhere would close because the patrons couldn't smoke. There was a lull for a few months then suddenly all the non smokers who couldn't stand the smoke are now going out for drinks, enjoying live music in the night clubs, meals in restaurants and going to the Casino. Smoking is still banned indoors, the casinos are still open and surprise surprise, non smokers gamble too.

[IAcruising]

19 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

  the casinos are still open and surprise surprise, non smokers gamble too.

 

We are on the same page, Black. Unfortunately, we are not privy to the algorithms that show what is most beneficial to HAL. I have to assume, for now, that smoking in the casino is their best option.  

[JesterWA]

I hate to rehash previous questions but haven't had any luck finding an answer here or elsewhere - any experience with whether cabins below get smoke from the starboard smoking area (or smoking pit / smoking garden, if you prefer!)? We can happily avoid the designated smoking areas, but it would be an absolute deal-breaker if noticeable in our cabin 😞  

[IAcruising]

Based on what I've heard, not experienced, it's the cabins above, and behind the smoking areas that occasionally have a problem. Haven't heard anything about cabins below.

 

Others may have heard or experienced differently.

 

[SUESEABE]

@IAcruising

Smoking is allowed on the starboard side of the Sea View Bar/Pool which is on the Lido Deck. There are no cabins above this area nor are there cabins behind this area.

[IAcruising]

2 minutes ago, SUESEABE said:

@IAcruising

Smoking is allowed on the starboard side of the Sea View Bar/Pool which is on the Lido Deck. There are no cabins above this area nor are there cabins behind this area.

 

Pretty sure we're talking about the smoking area on the promenade. Or am I confused?

 

[SUESEABE]

@IAcruisingIAcruising This is taken from Holland America Know Before You Go. No smoking area on Promenade indicated in the Smoking Policy.

 

Smoking Policy

For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. No smoking of any kind will be permitted on any stateroom verandah.

Designated Smoking Areas

Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam

• Sea View Bar area
• Oak Room (Noordam only, including cigar and pipe smoking)

Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam

• Sea View Bar area
• Casino-smoking is allowed in designated areas for active players only and only when outside of 12NM from the Netherlands

Volendam, Zaandam

• Sea View Bar area
• Casino-smoking is allowed in designated areas for active players only and only when outside of 12NM from the Netherlands
• Sports Deck, outside Crow's Nest

Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed.

Electronic cigarettes are not permitted in staterooms or in other public areas of the ship other than designated smoking areas.

Any guest who smokes inside staterooms or on verandahs in violation of our policy will be charged a US$250 cleaning fee per day of violation and will risk being removed from the ship for repeated violations.

Holland America Line reserves the right at any time to modify the smoking policy onboard or alter the locations where smoking is permissible.

Edited September 30, 2023 by SUESEABE

[IAcruising]

Got it. I was confusing HAL with Royal.

 

There is an area next to the Crow's Nest on Volendam and Zaandam, but that wouldn't affect cabins either.

 

 

[Smmessineo]

I asked a question here some time ago and got helpful answers. Now I'm ready to book and would like some more info. Pictures of the Sea View bar on Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam show some nice cushioned seating . Do both these ships have the same amount of this good seating? Is smoking allowed  only near the bar or down the length of the pool all the way aft? 

Thanks for any help !

[RuthC]

16 minutes ago, Smmessineo said:

I'm ready to book and would like some more info. Pictures of the Sea View bar on Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam show some nice cushioned seating . Do both these ships have the same amount of this good seating? Is smoking allowed  only near the bar or down the length of the pool all the way aft?

My memory of the Nieuw Statendam is that the smoking section, on starboard side only, ended toward the stern where the covered area ended. There was a lot of comfortable seating on that side. 
Port side tended to have more tables and chairs than the couches and comfy chairs on the smoking side. Even as a non-smoker, I found starboard a lot more comfortable to sit and read. 

[HELENPSL]

56 minutes ago, Smmessineo said:

I asked a question here some time ago and got helpful answers. Now I'm ready to book and would like some more info. Pictures of the Sea View bar on Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam show some nice cushioned seating . Do both these ships have the same amount of this good seating? Is smoking allowed  only near the bar or down the length of the pool all the way aft? 

Thanks for any help !

Actually you can’t smoke right in front of the bar.  If I remember correctly they put in some fake shrubs to show where the smoking area starts (at the end of the bar) and the smoking area is almost entirely covered.  Fair warning…it does get crowded up there but we are the friendliest people on the ship since everyone else hates us! 😁

Helen

[SeaWatch12]

4 hours ago, HELENPSL said:

Actually you can’t smoke right in front of the bar.  If I remember correctly they put in some fake shrubs to show where the smoking area starts (at the end of the bar) and the smoking area is almost entirely covered.  Fair warning…it does get crowded up there but we are the friendliest people on the ship since everyone else hates us! 😁

Helen

Helen, 

I'm glad you used an exclamation point and smiley at the end of the last sentence. That way I know you really don't believe non smokers hate you. It's the smell of cigarette smoke that non smokers can't tolerate, not you personally! 
 

On a Rotterdam 7 night end of March last year cruise, the smoke drifted over so bad that I couldn't even sit on the port side of the sea view pool.  A shame because the area would of been so nice to enjoy. I hope the situation in that area would be better on a transatlantic sailing. 
 

Mark
 

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour ago, SeaWatch12 said:

Helen, 

I'm glad you used an exclamation point and smiley at the end of the last sentence. That way I know you really don't believe non smokers hate you. It's the smell of cigarette smoke that non smokers can't tolerate, not you personally! 
 

On a Rotterdam 7 night end of March last year cruise, the smoke drifted over so bad that I couldn't even sit on the port side of the sea view pool.  A shame because the area would of been so nice to enjoy. I hope the situation in that area would be better on a transatlantic sailing. 
 

Mark
 

 

Mee too.  I had the same experience.   I don't even consider the Sea View area as an area that I would spend some time.  The secondhand smoke often affects the entire area.

[Seasick Sailor]

11 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Mee too.  I had the same experience.   I don't even consider the Sea View area as an area that I would spend some time.  The secondhand smoke often affects the entire area.

 

It has been disappointing to try to take our lunch out to the Sea View area and the smoke chokes us out.

 

We were onboard Rotterdam Dec/Jan for 35 days and we noticed there were many more smokers than we normally experienced. BUT... on Koningsdam in Mar/April on the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise the Sea View pool was jammed with smokers. You could smell the smoke in the Lido.

 

Smokers need a place to smoke. I understand that. It is one of the reasons we choose a balcony cabin to sit out and enjoy the peaceful sea without the smell of smoke.

 

On another note, do y'all remember at the airports when there was a glassed in smokers area that had a huge fan sucking out the smoke? I worked out of Chicago and I could feel the vibration from those exhaust fans when walking to my flight. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

7 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

….

On another note, do y'all remember at the airports when there was a glassed in smokers area that had a huge fan sucking out the smoke? I worked out of Chicago and I could feel the vibration from those exhaust fans when walking to my flight. 

If you are going way back, do you remember when aircraft seats had ashtrays and there were smoking section on aircraft?