Smoking is back in the casino

[mz-s]

6 minutes ago, LaRue1975 said:

They are slot players that enjoy smoking while they play and the big players have plenty of options. They can go back to Vegas or their local casinos or they can wait out the two months it took the cruise lines to give in. The free rooms and perks allows them to spend most of their vacation budget in the casino and the cruise lines like the guaranteed profit they generate. It doesn’t matter if they win or lose, the offers are based on “coin in” and hours played daily. 
 

I think Carnival has made a smart move starting to remove casino bars and allowing smoking only while playing. This gets the smokers out of the casino that just go there to smoke, they will have to go outside. Carnival doesn’t care about them because they don’t add revenue and only add to the smokiness in the casino. 

 

I don't go to the smoking side anymore, I wonder how strictly they're enforcing the "only while actively playing" rule. Are they making sure they're hitting the "bet" button between drags or something?

[LaRue1975]

52 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I don't go to the smoking side anymore, I wonder how strictly they're enforcing the "only while actively playing" rule. Are they making sure they're hitting the "bet" button between drags or something?

I don’t know because I haven’t cruised again but I sure hope so. I will be on the Vista in April, I don’t think they have have a separate casino for non smokers but I hope that’s the future for all the ships. I do like to smoke while playing slots but try hard to be considerate, never sitting down next to someone that is not smoking and when I choose a machine that is open I immediately grab an ash tray and get out my smokes to declare my intentions so to speak. If a non smoker chooses to sit beside me that’s on them. If there was a separate casino for non smokers that would be great for me too. 

[rellersi]

Just saw this thread. Dont know if this has been mentioned before, but when the Magic went into its last dry dock they added a second casino on the deck below which is non smoking, will probably be very crowded going forward

 

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, LaRue1975 said:

I don’t know because I haven’t cruised again but I sure hope so. I will be on the Vista in April, I don’t think they have have a separate casino for non smokers but I hope that’s the future for all the ships. I do like to smoke while playing slots but try hard to be considerate, never sitting down next to someone that is not smoking and when I choose a machine that is open I immediately grab an ash tray and get out my smokes to declare my intentions so to speak. If a non smoker chooses to sit beside me that’s on them. If there was a separate casino for non smokers that would be great for me too. 

At least Carnival removed the casino bars on Vista class, so there won't be that temptation should Carnival ever allow smoking at casino bars again.

[64funwhisper]

people give it a rest -freedom of choice really think there is more important things to talk about and plenty of smoke free cruises to choose from I think some people just like to stir things up 

[rellersi]

8 hours ago, 64funwhisper said:

people give it a rest -freedom of choice really think there is more important things to talk about and plenty of smoke free cruises to choose from I think some people just like to stir things up 

Yes it is freedom of choice. but please name those smoke free cruises that I can choose from. At least I know that on the Magic there is a choice

[DPTexas]

I do not smoke but enjoy playing the slots while cruising. In September I was on the Breeze in the main casino at a bank of slots clearly marked as "no-smoking" and I was the only one NOT smoking. It was a game I enjoy playing and the casino was very crowded, so I didn't want to complain.   The casino host walked by and very kindly let me know about the non-smoking annex which I enjoyed for the rest of the cruise, including a comped dinner one night.  That's why I now enjoy booking cruises on the Breeze and Dream b/c both have casino annexes that are non-smoking.  I need to investigate to see if other Carnival ships have them, including the Panorama.  Yes, they are smaller and sometimes not as busy, but it is nice being able to gamble without the smoke. 

[txgranny]

Just looked at covid protocols on carnival site and it still says no smoking. Can someone tell me where the smoking is allowed again?

Edited February 28, 2022 by txgranny
Misspelled

[hurricane0226]

26 minutes ago, DPTexas said:

I do not smoke but enjoy playing the slots while cruising. In September I was on the Breeze in the main casino at a bank of slots clearly marked as "no-smoking" and I was the only one NOT smoking. It was a game I enjoy playing and the casino was very crowded, so I didn't want to complain.   The casino host walked by and very kindly let me know about the non-smoking annex which I enjoyed for the rest of the cruise, including a comped dinner one night.  That's why I now enjoy booking cruises on the Breeze and Dream b/c both have casino annexes that are non-smoking.  I need to investigate to see if other Carnival ships have them, including the Panorama.  Yes, they are smaller and sometimes not as busy, but it is nice being able to gamble without the smoke. 

Magic also has a non smoking annex.

[DPTexas]

Just now, hurricane0226 said:

Magic also has a non smoking annex.

Good to know!  Thank you!  

[txgranny]

On 2/14/2022 at 6:39 PM, momin05 said:

Unless I just missed something, this occurred without fanfare. The Carnival website now says smoking is allowed in the casino. Previously, smoking was banned completely. I am sure many smokers are happy. Personally, I was looking forward to being able to breathe in the casino and my hair and clothes not smelling like smoke!  

Can you post where this has changed?

[dallasdan]

Celebrity Cruises are smoke free in the Casinos

[momin05]

12 hours ago, txgranny said:

Can you post where this has changed?

If you click on the Have Fun Be Safe link at the top of Carnival’s webpage, it is there. This has the most current info and is date stamped at the top. 

[justafem]

On 2/19/2022 at 4:39 PM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

If smokers are offered free or perk laden discounts on cabins, they'd most likely grumble and stick with a smoke free Carnival than start as an unknown elsewhere. That's my $.02 !

 

Tom

Not true.  Smokers will smoke.  

 

I was on the Ruby (princess) last month and the casino was dead.  My server (who kept popping in every 3 minutes) said her cash tips were down 90% from 3 weeks before, with about the same pax count.  

 

I'm a smoker, so every time I reached for a smoke, I'd have to cash out my slot, grab my drink, jacket, any other incidentals, go to the elevator bank, ride 10 levels, walk to the smoking section, jabber with humans, then think about going back to the casino.  

 

I stopped going to the casino.  As did every other smoker.  Oh sure, we'd pop in there to use our complementary casino credit, but I didn't spend a penny of my own money and walked away with $300.  I "earned" 22 points.  Normally I'd have thousands, if not 10's of thousands and get an immediate offer of a free cruise from the pit boss.  I didn't even get a "book now" discounted casino offer shoved under the door the day before disembarkment.  

 

Then there's the people who only smoke when they drink. Or only smoke when they gamble. Or smoke when they cruise.  Or any combination of the 3.  It's a social thing. 

 

Cruise lines and casinos have tried completely nonsmoking.  It (obviously) didn't work.  You can't ignore 20% of the population, especially that 20% who really do spend the most money at the machines. 

 

Cruise lines also sell cigars, that's why they have cigar bars, huge mark-up.  That was also lost during that brief time of no inside smoking.  

 

It's a fine line.  

[cheer25mom]

Another reason for me to stay OUT of the casino. I am significantly allergic.

[bguppies]

I don't mind the smoking prohibition in the casinos (but it is a bad idea), I hate the prohibition on balconies.

I used to enjoy cigars I bought in ports, on my balcony every cruise.

Went from 2-3 cruises a year in those days to a cruise every few years since the smoking ban on balconies.

[staceyglow]

4 minutes ago, bguppies said:

I don't mind the smoking prohibition in the casinos (but it is a bad idea), I hate the prohibition on balconies.

I used to enjoy cigars I bought in ports, on my balcony every cruise.

Went from 2-3 cruises a year in those days to a cruise every few years since the smoking ban on balconies.

If you smoke on your balcony, that means I don't get to enjoy my balcony because your smoke drifts over to my space. 

 

But if you adhere to the rules about no smoking on the balcony, thank you. I have been on a couple of cruises lately where people didn't, and that greatly affected my enjoyment of the cruise. 

[cruisingguy007]

On 3/1/2022 at 11:35 AM, justafem said:

 

Then there's the people who only smoke when they drink. Or only smoke when they gamble. Or smoke when they cruise.  Or any combination of the 3.  It's a social thing. 

 

 

A lot of people don't realize just how many people fall into this category. It's WAY more than folks realize. Like, way, way more. 

[skiorcruise]

I am a nonsmoker.  I enjoy slots and other games without the second hand smoke.  I don't hassle those who need to smoke, but prefer to be away from them while they indulge in their habit.

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Interesting read (saw THIS on CNN this morning).

 

Tom

[Joe817]

5 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Interesting read (saw THIS on CNN this morning).

 

Tom

Interesting article indeed. And the author certainly doesn't pull any punches! Thanks for posting. 

[bguppies]

On 3/3/2022 at 11:06 AM, staceyglow said:

If you smoke on your balcony, that means I don't get to enjoy my balcony because your smoke drifts over to my space. 

 

But if you adhere to the rules about no smoking on the balcony, thank you. I have been on a couple of cruises lately where people didn't, and that greatly affected my enjoyment of the cruise. 

I have just quit cruising and been doing other vacations where I can enjoy a cigar as I want on my vacation.

Trying another cruise in September. (forget how many years it has been)

If it is a pain to enjoy an occasional cigar, I will leave and continue to enjoy other vacations.

[ledges1]

On the Freedom the week of Feb 26th you could smoke in the casino if you were actively playing. Otherwise, you had to go to the Lido deck. There was no smoking at the casino bar. The smoke was really not noticeable in the casino and I do not smoke. There were more non-smokers than smokers (just the facts). 

[CruzCra-Z]

On 2/20/2022 at 12:45 AM, 64funwhisper said:

people give it a rest -freedom of choice really think there is more important things to talk about and plenty of smoke free cruises to choose from I think some people just like to stir things up 

when you are subjected to second hand smoke and there is only one casino then you "freedom of choice" doesn't exist. 

[PittsburghGirlee]

Hey...I'll stay out of the casino with my stinky cigs if I can go back to smoking on my balcony in an open air environment .  For the love of everything holly...where did all those smoke balcony complainers think us smokers were going to go.  Not to mention that not everyone even has a balcony to smoke on. 

 

Be carful what you wish for....you just may get it!!

 

Oh  yeah, cruise on the MG, there are very little places you can smoke and less than 80 machines are in the smoking area.  There are also specific non smoking closed off rooms for you to peacefully enjoy your casino experience.