Banning smoking in casinos anytime soon seems unlikely

[F27TW]

13 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

They are getting free drinks.  Not a source of revenue for Royal Caribbean.  

 

Like smoking, RC invests booze into luring gamblers.  

 

More often than not, the "free drinks" don't come quickly (or they're weak) ... i end up at the bar anyway for my drinks .. thats why there are bars inside the casino too. 

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Again its down to culture or where you live. In the uk there is no smoking inside. This has been so much better esp in nightclubs and pubs. Casinos have been fine as well as people are now used to it. Even smokers i know say its better inside yes annoying they have to go outside but its not a big issue for them anymore.

RCL cruise from a lot of ports usa, europe where smoking is allowed inside so people on those cruises expect to be able to smoke inside. Its not pleasent for us non-smokers but at end of the day if its allowed then it is what it is. I just dont go in the casinos.

 

Same ports as Celebrity which operates fine with no smoking anywhere within the ship. 

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, BND said:

Usually it means "Dear". Or it can mean whatever you want it to lol.  On Disney sites, it means "Disney".

 

I don't even know where else you can smoke.  I've seen occasional reports of bars in some places allow it.  Where we live about 25 miles outside of Washington, DC, it's not allowed inside.   Pretty sure all of DC is the same.  The Fed Gov has a lot of influence over those rules being in place.    For example, the US legal age to purchase tobacco is 21and that's Federal Law.

Surprisingly that was just federalized recently.  It was still 18 in many states prior to September 2021.

A few states still sell to 18 year olds, albeit under the threat of federal persecution; but that doesn't concern anyone anymore than the threat of persecution from selling recreational Cannabis.

Many states also have an exception to the 21 year old rule for those with military ID.

Edited July 2, 2022 by not-enough-cruising

[John&LaLa]

17 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The $3 in alcohol that the casino invests makes hundreds while the server goes to get it and brings it back. And the more $3 drinks they give out, the [much] more money they bring in at the tables. 

 

I can attest to that. Dropped a lot of cash waiting on that drink. I go to bar now😉

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Have you seen the lines wrapped around buildings at Royals most recent job fairs? A supply of willing labor is not a problem. 

 

VISA processing seems to be the culprit 

[John&LaLa]

7 hours ago, time4u2go said:

Do they hold job fairs for jobs like room stewards, waiters, etc.?  Where are those held?

 

3rd world countries

[LittleJoefromKokomo]

Controversial question here...

Personally, as a 50 year old that has never smoked a cigarette in my life (but has gambled since I was 16) smoke is something that I personally don't like, it's a minor nuisance for me but it would never keep me away from the Casino. I just take a shower before I go to bed and remember the early 90:s when smoking was everywhere.

On the other hand, my wife almost always refuse to make me company in the casino due to the smoke. If the casinos were smoke free I am sure she would spend more time there. For me it doesn't really matter. I personally don't mind gambling alone but I wouldn't mind if the casinos were made smoke free either.

I guess they will be in 5-10 years from now anyway.

For now I will continue gambling, smoking allowed or not 🙂

[loman]

In Canada you cant smoke in all indoor enclosed areas ,

and that includes casinos.

[ReneeFLL]

13 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Have you seen the lines wrapped around buildings at Royals most recent job fairs? A supply of willing labor is not a problem. 

Were you there? Maybe they don’t have a problem hiring, but a problem keeping them?

[rudeney]

1 minute ago, ReneeFLL said:

Were you there? Maybe they don’t have a problem hiring, but a problem keeping them?

 

I think they have a problem getting them "approved to hire" in terms of background checks and visas.  

[rhino7176]

15 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Have you seen the lines wrapped around buildings at Royals most recent job fairs? A supply of willing labor is not a problem. 

LOL, yep, people trying to stay on unemployment.  It's the same anywhere, lots interview, few take the jobs.  I see it at a local casino here and the restaurants here.

 

[rhino7176]

12 hours ago, BND said:

Go first thing in the morning when the smoker/drinkers (apparently they're the same people) are sleeping off the night before 🙂

 

Far from the same people!  I am a drinker and my wife and  most my friends are with only 2 of them in total being smokers.  Hard to lump that group together, that is clearly a misnomer if you look at the people on RCCL cruises now adays.

 

[rhino7176]

9 hours ago, BND said:

Usually it means "Dear". Or it can mean whatever you want it to lol.  On Disney sites, it means "Disney".

 

I don't even know where else you can smoke.  I've seen occasional reports of bars in some places allow it.  Where we live about 25 miles outside of Washington, DC, it's not allowed inside.   Pretty sure all of DC is the same.  The Fed Gov has a lot of influence over those rules being in place.    For example, the US legal age to purchase tobacco is 21and that's Federal Law.

Here in Tampa Bay you can't smoke inside any restaurant or bar except for the Hard Rock Casino.  I can't tell you how happy I am that changed 10 or so years ago.  The casino here is very well ventilated and does have non smoking areas, but I don't gamble except on a cruise so I don't know how good the ventilation system works, outside my wife at times smells like cigarettes when she gets home from work, but only rarely, but I just may be used to it, who knows.

[the penguins]

3 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

I think they have a problem getting them "approved to hire" in terms of background checks and visas.  

Plus the long time for the Covid tests and isolation periods before they can work on the ship currently around 4 weeks minimum from being offered the job to starting work.

[fsufancc]

21 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

No, I haven't. Do you have any links to these pictures?

 

[time4u2go]

9 minutes ago, fsufancc said:

 

That's from 2016:

 

https://www.cruisejobfair.com/gallery/liverpool-2016/

 

[BND]

@Merion_MomThis was just in June.

https://crew-center.com/overwhelming-number-applicants-turn-out-royal-caribbean-recruitment-fair-trinidad-and-tobago

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by BND

[fsufancc]

1 hour ago, time4u2go said:

That's from 2016:

 

https://www.cruisejobfair.com/gallery/liverpool-2016/

 

That was what I got from a Google search for "2022" cruise job fairs - did not mean to mislead

 

Here was a job fair in Jamaica (June 23rd - Jamaican Observer).  There are people out there wanting to work.  They just have to get them screened, vetted and trained. I assume that is a several months long process at least. So, no shirt-term relief for the shortage for the summer crowds sailing.

 

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/watch-hundreds-flock-to-cruise-ship-job-recruitment/

[not-enough-cruising]

8 hours ago, rhino7176 said:

LOL, yep, people trying to stay on unemployment.  It's the same anywhere, lots interview, few take the jobs.  I see it at a local casino here and the restaurants here.

 

You think the countries they are hiring from offer unemployment benefits? These people

are jumping at the opportunity to make 3 times their annual potential salary in 9 months at sea. 

[davekathy]

Man this thread went up and smoke. Can't even have have decent smoking thread without getting off topic!! 😈

[bucfan2]

On 7/1/2022 at 1:37 PM, yogimax said:

Don't you see an ethical problem with that - placing corporate profit over the health and well being of cruisers and staff?

Would love to see smoking stopped in the casino, but they didn't consult me on the issue.  Can't imagine your ethical tears playing into their business decision at all either.

Edited July 4, 2022 by bucfan2

[Casino Comp Chick]

On 7/1/2022 at 9:14 AM, time4u2go said:

From Michael Bayley:

 

"Every, I would say every couple of years, we do test this and we take one or two or three ships and we ban smoking in the casino. And the result is less people go in the casino and that's the reality of it," he explained.

 

Will Royal Caribbean Ban a Popular Bad Habit, Add Unpopular Fee? - TheStreet

They prove it over and over again but the nonsmokers refuse to believe it. Poor them.

[BND]

20 minutes ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

They prove it over and over again but the nonsmokers refuse to believe it. Poor them.

You can say something similar about smokers, yet a lot of them keep smoking.

 

Pretty sure the reality is, as smoking continues to drop, this will take care of itself.

Edited July 4, 2022 by BND

[hallux]

On 7/2/2022 at 6:30 AM, vjmatty said:

I’m surprised more cruise lines don’t take advantage of this “best of both worlds” option and put a wall in like this. The ships all dry dock every few years, it wouldn’t take long to accommodate. 

 

On 7/2/2022 at 10:42 AM, BirdTravels said:

The Wonder was 100% opposite of what it needs. The Golden Room is a tiny space for nonsmokers. Not very useful.

 

Consider NCL's newest ships (Joy, Bliss, Encore) which all have larger, enclosed smoking areas with the main casino (which is open to halls) as non-smoking space. 

 

 

Well, @vjmatty @BirdTravels made the comment I was going to make.  NCL has the walled-off smoking area in the casino, it's an absolute PLEASURE to sail on one of those ships!  You can walk through the casino and not be walking through a cloud of smoke.  Oh, and the smokers need to be ACTIVE players, they can't just go in there for a smoke (there are only 1-2 other, small, areas on the ship where smoking is allowed, including vaping products).

[cherokeesmom]

Recently went on Enchantment.  Maybe because of increased fresh air exchange, and/or smoking only when actively playing slots in smoking section the air was much better.  I’m very sensitive to smoke, but was able to stay in casino as long as I wanted (or money lasted).