get rid of smoking in the casino

[DISFANS3]

Money talks...

[Casino Comp Chick]

17 hours ago, ljason913 said:

i love to play tables but i dont smoke i am very disappointed that they are allowing people to smoke...who can we speak to about this maybe they will change there mind.

Or how about you get me an email address and I can write to thank them instead for not bowing down to the anti smoking lobbyists?

[soremekun]

The workers in the casino have to endure secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke for extended hours.  Their job includes known health hazards.  Hopefully they're given warnings about this, additional healthcare accomodations, and they are paid accordingly.

I wouldn't think they would have to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 6 months in such conditions.

Edited June 22, 2021 by soremekun

[Cruise a holic]

We love sailing on Royal- however the smoke in the casino is awful.  We prefer the Celebrity ships.  What a difference.  On Royal, we do not go into the casino- on Celebrity we do.

 

 I recall when smoking was banned in restaurants and bars at the beginning many said that they would go out of business, however it never happened and the restaurants and bars are busier then ever.  Perhaps some smokers might quit smoking and due to no smoking allowed policy live longer.

Edited June 22, 2021 by Cruise a holic

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

There is one huge change and that is Covid.  If I were a RCI decision maker, I would do another test on one ship maybe, to check the results. They might be surprised with the number of non-smokers that show up to gamble.  

I don't see how COVID is a change, it hasn't significantly changed human behavior and that is what is at issue here. 

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, coffeebean said:

This discussion seems to not be addressing the Covid issue with smoking. As I said in an earlier post, exhaling cigarette smoke is a strong more forceful exhale than regular normal respiration.

 

To assume Covid will not ever come on board a ship is just not possible even with all the testing and vaccinated on board. Why pose a risk to those people in the casino with people exhaling all that cigarette smoke which just may contain Covid virus? As someone mentioned above, this certainly is the opportunity for Royal to ban smoking in their casinos and state the reason is for Covid mitigation.

Until the science actually supports that I wouldn't expect to see any change. They can justify a change for any reason that they want to, but that doesn't mean that passengers will be acceptive of the change or that the change will not result in a revenue loss in one of the revenue generating departments. I've no doubt in my mind that if the numbers showed that banning smoking in the casino would result in more revenue that Royal would ban it in a second without justifying it at all.

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I'm sure there are many, like yourself, that think the same way.  All 86% of us. I can't believe that they are catering to the 14% of smokers and not to the 86% of non smokers.  Surely within the 86% I'm sure there are at least 14% or more that gamble and don't smoke and would come to the casino to gamble or gamble even more if there was no smoking allowed.  

Those numbers represent society as a whole, what is the percentage of non-smokers/smokers who actually book cruises? What is the percentage of non-smokers who will spend hours on end in the casino spending gobs of cash versus smokers who will do just that? How many of the non-smokers who do spend hours on end in the casino spending gobs of cash actually care that smoking is going on around them? How many in that category would actually show up if smoking were banned? Conversely, how many smokers would take their business elsewhere if Royal banned smoking in the casino?  I would be very surprised to find out that Royal doesn't have the exact answer to those questions and similar ones. If I were a big gambler the fact that there is a non-smoking section in the casino would be enough to entice me there, but since gambling is a ho-hum activity to me the only time I will ever venture in is early in the morning when there is hardly anyone in there. 

[sparks1093]

13 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I would probably spend a lot more time in the casino if they did. I’m sure I’m not their target market but you never know if I might become if they made it more pleasant for me to be there. 

I don't think Royal is wiling to take that gamble.😉

[CRUISEFAN0001]

14 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I'm sure there are many, like yourself, that think the same way.  All 86% of us. I can't believe that they are catering to the 14% of smokers and not to the 86% of non smokers.  Surely within the 86% I'm sure there are at least 14% or more that gamble and don't smoke and would come to the casino to gamble or gamble even more if there was no smoking allowed.  

Unfortunately that's happening to this point, and it's consistent with noise-making people on other fronts as well. 

 

While most people oppose something, the noisy get the attention (because they're noisy and in plenty of cases simply won't stop). 

 

Given Covid, the overall "health kick" (we all must love the endless Peleton commercials 😖), and the green clean air movement...continuing to coddle smokers is one of the greatest hypocrisies of our time. Even the casinos win with more people going there instead of avoiding it for all the smoke.

[whyrlygig]

It seems obvious that many smokers flock to the casino BECAUSE they can smoke there.  Since such a low percentage of people actually smoke, I think that if they ban it from the casino far more non-smokers will take their place.  

[sparks1093]

32 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

We love sailing on Royal- however the smoke in the casino is awful.  We prefer the Celebrity ships.  What a difference.  On Royal, we do not go into the casino- on Celebrity we do.

 

 I recall when smoking was banned in restaurants and bars at the beginning many said that they would go out of business, however it never happened and the restaurants and bars are busier then ever.  Perhaps some smokers might quit smoking and due to no smoking allowed policy live longer.

I'm sure Celebrity doesn't rely as heavily on casino revenue for generating a profit. Over the years that I smoked the areas where I could smoke slowly eroded over time until it became a big PITA finding a smoking area when out in public, but that isn't what got me to quit. What got me to quit was a heart attack. Caused by smoking. At the ripe old age of 47. I have a lot of friends who smoke and that wasn't enough to make them quit (nor was the lung cancer that I got 10 years later). What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. 

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

I don't think Royal is wiling to take that gamble.😉

LOL 😀

 

I'd love to see the actual numbers of smokers on Royal cruises vs. the population in general ( I suspect it is much higher) and more importantly, I'd love to see the profit Royal makes per smoker per cruise from the casino  vs. a non smoker, non casino cruiser ( or even a non smoker, casino playing cruiser). There has to be some really big reason Royal does not convert their casinos to non smoking and my bet (😉) is that they make a killing off of gambling smokers. 💲💲 Just think of it. If smokers' only refuge is the casino they will likely stay and play longer vs. non smokers and with those wonderful house odds on cruise ships, staying and playing = more profits for Royal. 

[sparks1093]

13 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

LOL 😀

 

I'd love to see the actual numbers of smokers on Royal cruises vs. the population in general ( I suspect it is much higher) and more importantly, I'd love to see the profit Royal makes per smoker per cruise from the casino  vs. a non smoker, non casino cruiser ( or even a non smoker, casino playing cruiser). There has to be some really big reason Royal does not convert their casinos to non smoking and my bet (😉) is that they make a killing off of gambling smokers. 💲💲 Just think of it. If smokers' only refuge is the casino they will likely stay and play longer vs. non smokers and with those wonderful house odds on cruise ships, staying and playing = more profits for Royal. 

Which is exactly what my gut is telling me. Unfortunately that type of data is typically proprietary in nature and not easily obtainable. And while the smoking rates for the US have been repeatedly cited another thing to consider is the smoking rates in other countries and how many folks from those countries book cruises (and gamble). Finally, if Royal were to ban smoking in the casino how many smokers would take their business to the competition who are still allowing smoking in the casino? Considering all of this it's no wonder that Royal hasn't made any changes and isn't likely to (until there is a significant shift in the demographics).

[PTC DAWG]

13 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I'm a nonsmoker and my only pet peeve about smoking in the casino is that smokers use it as a smoking lounge with a bar and just take up space and are not there to gamble.  

I think that is the biggest issue, I saw it on NCL cruises too..my last cruise was on Celebrity, so refreshing on the casino…

[DirtyDawg]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

Which is exactly what my gut is telling me. Unfortunately that type of data is typically proprietary in nature and not easily obtainable. And while the smoking rates for the US have been repeatedly cited another thing to consider is the smoking rates in other countries and how many folks from those countries book cruises (and gamble). Finally, if Royal were to ban smoking in the casino how many smokers would take their business to the competition who are still allowing smoking in the casino? Considering all of this it's no wonder that Royal hasn't made any changes and isn't likely to (until there is a significant shift in the demographics).

 From Royal's perspective things will not change until there is a significant shift in profitability!

 

Of course, Royal will keep the data I'd like to see to themselves but I'd still like to see those numbers with my own 👀.  

[CroozFanatic]

7 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

 From Royal's perspective things will not change until there is a significant shift in profitability!

 

Of course, Royal will keep the data I'd like to see to themselves but I'd still like to see those numbers with my own 👀.  

 

I hope Royal doesn't know who smokes and who doesn't. Why?

 

Because if they do...what other information are they collecting on you and what are they going to do when some Russian hacker accesses that data and blows up your credit profile. (Okay, hypothetical)

[davekathy]

12 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

This!

 

I'm also a non-smoker but grew up in a smoking family so it doesn't really bother me....heck, sometimes the smell is nostalgic....but it's annoying when I have to ask someone to move while thy are  sitting at slot machine, not gambling, puffing away.  Most of the time, they apologize and move but I've gotten the stink eye once or twice, especially when there is a group of 4 or 5 that have to move.

 

EDIT TO ADD: They should just convert the Diamond Lounge into a Smoking Lounge. That will free up the casino for non-smokers and alleviate the crowding in the DL. A two-fer-one.  🤣

Until you become diamond then you'll change your tune. 🤣🤣

 

My father was a chain smoker and I will admit I always liked the smell. I started smoking when I was 13 and quit cold turkey after smoking for 26 years. Smoke free now for over 30 years. 

 

Agree that the RC casinos are smoking lounges that allow gambling at times. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by davekathy

[livingonthebeach]

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Those numbers represent society as a whole, what is the percentage of non-smokers/smokers who actually book cruises? What is the percentage of non-smokers who will spend hours on end in the casino spending gobs of cash versus smokers who will do just that? How many of the non-smokers who do spend hours on end in the casino spending gobs of cash actually care that smoking is going on around them? How many in that category would actually show up if smoking were banned? Conversely, how many smokers would take their business elsewhere if Royal banned smoking in the casino?  I would be very surprised to find out that Royal doesn't have the exact answer to those questions and similar ones. If I were a big gambler the fact that there is a non-smoking section in the casino would be enough to entice me there, but since gambling is a ho-hum activity to me the only time I will ever venture in is early in the morning when there is hardly anyone in there. 

 

Those are average numbers give or take.  They are representative of the US smoking population. I'm sure if enough people complain about the smoke in the casino, RCI will take Celebrity's cue and get rid of the smoking section in the casino altogether or at least enclose it like on some of NCL's ships.  

 

The problem as it stands today is that there is no partition between the smoking and non-smoking sections and unfortunately all the smoke from the smoking section blows into the non-smoking section -- not a very pleasant experience for most non-smokers that enjoy gambling.   

[sparks1093]

20 minutes ago, CroozFanatic said:

 

I hope Royal doesn't know who smokes and who doesn't. Why?

 

Because if they do...what other information are they collecting on you and what are they going to do when some Russian hacker accesses that data and blows up your credit profile. (Okay, hypothetical)

They deal with percentages, not names. They know what percentage of cruisers smoke, what percentage of cruising smokers gamble, what percentage of non-smokers gamble, etc. While this data isn't likely to be exact it is within a tolerable limit that allows them to make decisions.

[sparks1093]

4 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Those are average numbers give or take.  They are representative of the US smoking population. I'm sure if enough people complain about the smoke in the casino, RCI will take Celebrity's cue and get rid of the smoking section in the casino altogether or at least enclose it like on some of NCL's ships.  

 

The problem as it stands today is that there is no partition between the smoking and non-smoking sections and unfortunately all the smoke from the smoking section blows into the non-smoking section -- not a very pleasant experience for most non-smokers that enjoy gambling.   

It might not be pleasant, but they are still there so in Royal's eyes it's a non-issue. People can complain all they want to, as long as Royal is making money they will maintain the status quo. They have no reason not to.

 

I did discuss this with DW (also a former smoker) and she agreed that we would spend more time in the casino if smoking were banned...walking through it to get to our next activity. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by sparks1093

[ryano]

4 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

I'm sure if enough people complain about the smoke in the casino, RCI will take Celebrity's cue and get rid of the smoking section in the casino altogether  

 

How many is "enough" though? Id venture a guess that they get thousands of complaints a year about it.  There has to be a reason they still allow it.

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

It might not be pleasant, but they are still there so in Royal's eyes it's a non-issue. People can complain all they want to, as long as Royal is making money they will maintain the status quo. They have no reason not to.

 

They may find they will make more money if more non-smoking gamblers frequent the casino.  They have no way of knowing what it will be like in today's environment unless they do further testing.  Besides the awful smell, another thing to worry about is the spread of CV19 as some posters have mentioned.  Even if it is not a real threat, it is certainly a perceived threat that will drive many non-smokers away.  

[livingonthebeach]

2 minutes ago, ryano said:

 

How many is "enough" though? Id venture a guess that they get thousands of complaints a year about it.  There has to be a reason they still allow it.

 

The complaints as well as the reduced number of non-smoking gamblers will get their attention. 

[sparks1093]

Just now, livingonthebeach said:

 

They may find they will make more money if more non-smoking gamblers frequent the casino.  They have no way of knowing what it will be like in today's environment unless they do further testing.  Besides the awful smell, another thing to worry about is the spread of CV19 as some posters have mentioned.  Even if it is not a real threat, it is certainly a perceived threat that will drive many non-smokers away.  

May. Maybe. Might. That's not the way that multi-billion dollar corporations work or make decisions.

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

May. Maybe. Might. That's not the way that multi-billion dollar corporations work or make decisions.

 

No, they test the waters, like they've done in the past.  If it turns out more revenue for them, they will adopt the changes like Celebrity.