RCCL New Smoking Policy Discussion (merged)

[Cruising Carol]

You have absolutely no control over the smoking habits of the occupants in the next balcony cabin. But, I think smokers are definitely in the minority now. Your chances of getting a smoker next door are possible, but not definite and actually rather slight.

 

So, I'd not book an ocean view cabin to try to stay away from smokers on balconies. I also think the majority of smokers are polite about it, don't stay on their balcony 24/7 smoking and it's really not the big deal you're reading about here.

 

We have been on 7 cruises with a balcony (many more without!). Only once did we find the balcony unusable because of smoke. We were unfortunate to be between two cabins with smokers who wanted to talk to each other when on their balconies. So one leaned over the railing from the left and the other leaned over the railing on the right. They talked. We fled to the cabin and shut the door. It was a 4 night Disney cruise and our first with a balcony. We did not let that bad experience keep us away from balconies.

[Shipyard Cruiser]

I think like the dress code this is more of a Cruise Critic debate and not a big deal to most people who cruise as most cruises don't smoke.

 

I can only speak to what I see. On our cruise in May we saw very few smokers at all. We had a couple of non-smoking nights in the casino and it was very crowded.

 

But I'm happy we have Cruise Critic so the smokers will always have a place to vent.:D

[Mark_K]

Neither one. They reported a 92% drop in profits for the first quarter. The new smoking policy, and the trial of open dining, are just attempts to show the investor community that they are willing to do things to turn it around. Think it's a coincidence that the first place the smoking policy was released was investor relations?

[corona5657]

I think you would find that the vast majority are somewhere in the middle, although there are extreme positions on both sides. Have you tried to understand the non-smokers' point of view?

 

Yes I do understand the non-smokers point of view. My whole family is non-smoking. When we go out to eat, I sit in the non-smoking section with them. When my son and daughter in law come to visit I smoke outside. When their children arrive, I will be outside also. The point I am trying to make is this: No one will ever be happy. I enjoy my cigarettes, but I make every effort to not inflict my "habit" on non-smokers. So, please give me a little bit of a break?? You will find that under my "cloud" of smoke, I am a very considerate smoker. Have a great day!!

[corkpopr]

Ah it is refreshing to have someone post intelligent answers to this issue. How many people were killed last year driving while talking on a cell phone or putting on makeup in the rear view mirror? Industrial pollution, obesity, and unfortunate accidents take many more than smoking every year.

[cruisers7771]

be sure to avoid the pool deck while the ship's engines are running, too. there is a SMOKE stack.

 

sorry, but I just do not understand the uproar over this issue. I am a non-smoker and have never been bothered by smoke on a CRUISE SHIP. I have more fun things to focus on!

 

as long as smoking is permitted on board (which IT IS), those who need a 100% smoke-free vacation should choose another vacation option. whining here on CC won't change a thing.

 

the rest of us will just enjoy our cruises and accept that there are others in the world besides ourselves. have a little humility and realize it's unreasonable to expect vacationing strangers to change their behavior (e.g., not smoke on their balcony) just to facilitate your enjoyment.

 

 

Very well said!!

[Schplinky]

Ah it is refreshing to have someone post intelligent answers to this issue. How many people were killed last year driving while talking on a cell phone or putting on makeup in the rear view mirror? Industrial pollution, obesity, and unfortunate accidents take many more than smoking every year.

 

And the point of this is what? Does that mean we should tear down the fences around our pools because fewer children died that way than others? No, of course it doesn't.

 

I'm pretty sure many, many more people died last year due to heart and lung disease, which are caused in part by smoking, than either of the things you have said. If it helps you sleep at night, that's fine, but for goodness sake, think about what you're typing.

[alcheme]

be sure to avoid the pool deck while the ship's engines are running, too. there is a SMOKE stack.

 

sorry, but I just do not understand the uproar over this issue. I am a non-smoker and have never been bothered by smoke on a CRUISE SHIP. I have more fun things to focus on!

 

as long as smoking is permitted on board (which IT IS), those who need a 100% smoke-free vacation should choose another vacation option. whining here on CC won't change a thing.

 

the rest of us will just enjoy our cruises and accept that there are others in the world besides ourselves. have a little humility and realize it's unreasonable to expect vacationing strangers to change their behavior (e.g., not smoke on their balcony) just to facilitate your enjoyment.

 

The smoke stack of the ship is a red-herring issue that people keep dragging up. You rarely, if ever, get exposed to any emissions from the ship's smoke stack, because they are way above your head and the ship is generally moving. It's a non-issue.

 

I'm glad that you are not bothered by smoke, but that has nothing to do with whether others are or not.

 

If it's reasonably possible to accommodate those who are sensitive to smoke, why not do that, rather than forcing them into choosing a different vacation. It's a compromise. One could just as easily say that the whole ship should be non-smoking and those who just 100% have to smoke should choose another vacation option. Or, you could try to reach a compromise that works for most people.

 

It is hardly unreasonable to expect "vacationing strangers" to change their behaviors, if those behaviors infringe on the ability of other passengers to enjoy their own vacations. Believing so does not equate to me thinking I'm the only one in the world that matters.

[TheBeachBears]

So, before this, no irons and such were allowed in cabins, but lit cigarettes and cigars were? I know I've heard of fires in hotels and dorms starting from lit smoking implements (including the illegal kind) - has there been any fires on cruise ships from them?

 

It is good to remember that smoking is a privilege, not a right. No business has to allow anybody to smoke on their property, cruise ships and hotels included.

 

March 24, 2006

 

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica - A fire apparently started by a cigarette broke out aboard a giant cruise ship early Thursday as it sailed through the moonlit Caribbean, leaving one passenger dead, 11 people injured and at least 100 rooms scorched.

 

The Star Princess, carrying 2,690 passengers and 1,123 crew members, bore evidence of the nighttime drama as it pulled into Montego Bay’s port. About 85 exterior cabins were blackened from the fire, a stark contrast to the otherwise gleaming white exterior of the ship. Metal was twisted, evidence of the heat of the blaze.

 

http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060323/PICT0008.h2.jpg

 

Just some info. I wish that they had started this policy WAY out so no one had to cancel and everyone could see it before they booked. Other than that I have no problem with it.

[Mark_K]

The smoke stack of the ship is a red-herring issue that people keep dragging up. You rarely, if ever, get exposed to any emissions from the ship's smoke stack, because they are way above your head and the ship is generally moving. It's a non-issue.

 

I'm glad that you are not bothered by smoke, but that has nothing to do with whether others are or not.

 

If it's reasonably possible to accommodate those who are sensitive to smoke, why not do that, rather than forcing them into choosing a different vacation. It's a compromise. One could just as easily say that the whole ship should be non-smoking and those who just 100% have to smoke should choose another vacation option. Or, you could try to reach a compromise that works for most people.

 

It is hardly unreasonable to expect "vacationing strangers" to change their behaviors, if those behaviors infringe on the ability of other passengers to enjoy their own vacations. Believing so does not equate to me thinking I'm the only one in the world that matters.

I take it you've never had an aft balcony. On some ship's they have to clean the "non-issue" off your furniture on a regular basis.

[Captain Jake]

I take it you've never had an aft balcony. On some ship's they have to clean the "non-issue" off your furniture on a regular basis.

 

I would be surprised since the Aft balconies are the first to sale.I loved it any found the furniture clean.I have never seened this addressed as a problem on any other thread

[Schplinky]

My mother has smoked her whole adult life. She has also had cancer twice, but I'm sure there are those here who feel that is beside the point. Anyhow, we were walking behind a man once who was smoking his cigar. this was outdoors in a park. My mother grumbled loudly abut this man's disgusting habit and I was stunned. I said to her that she smokes cigarettes all the time and she said "that's different, cigar smoke is gross." I truly think that smokers will never know the sensation a non-smoker has when you are enjoying a pleasant occasion and then someone lights up. She still smokes and still insists that "there's a difference" between a person who smokes a cigar and a cigarette.

[alcheme]

I take it you've never had an aft balcony. On some ship's they have to clean the "non-issue" off your furniture on a regular basis.

 

I've never had that issue, but it makes sense that, if any place would be exposed to smoke from the stack, it would be at the very back of the ship. I've definitely never seen it drift down to the pool area, which was being suggested by the poster I was replying to. It's not impossible, though, during docking and such, when the ship is not moving much. But still, it's not really a valid comparison to passive cigarette smoking.

[Schplinky]

I wonder if this policy will be any better enforced than the booze smuggling, chair hogging or attire policies? At the end of the day, most of the people who would enforce these rules are workign for tips.

[cruisegirl1]

OK – I admit I only read a few pages of this thread.

 

I do not understand the issue as smoking has always been allowed on the balcony.

 

I do not smoke but have only encountered smoke from another balcony just a few times (in many balcony cabins). If bothered, I simply go inside and come back out a few minutes later. The smoke is far more intense in the casino or in certain lounges.

 

I’ve been “bothered” way more by loud music or others screaming from the balcony to the cabins while I am trying to relax on the balcony. Seems like sound carries more than smoke!

 

Marci

[reallyitsmema]

OK – I admit I only read a few pages of this thread.

 

I do not understand the issue as smoking has always been allowed on the balcony.

 

I do not smoke but have only encountered smoke from another balcony just a few times (in many balcony cabins). If bothered, I simply go inside and come back out a few minutes later. The smoke is far more intense in the casino or in certain lounges.

 

I’ve been “bothered” way more by loud music or others screaming from the balcony to the cabins while I am trying to relax on the balcony. Seems like sound carries more than smoke!

 

Marci

The smoking policy has changed effective the beginning of 2008, read a few of the early pages and you can see why people have strong opinions.

[SomeBeach]

What happens if a guest wants to cancel due to

this announcement?

 

Although we do not anticipate many guests canceling cruises

 

due to the new policy, we are asking you to track any

cancellations, authorized by later communications, made for

 

this reason.

 

 

 

RCI is expecting that some people will cancel because of this change. They have even asked that the number be "tracked."

If this policy is available for US customers, it should be available for those across the pond that wish to do so.

[Il navigante pazzo]

So long as there are other cruise ships allowing smoking in staterooms we will patronize them. Just like I said bye-bye to Westin and Marriott properties !!!

 

Il navigante pazzo

[OGCFreddie]

I've read every one of these posts and have come to the decision that there will never be an agreement between smokers and non-smokers. Again I stress that RCI is simply trying to come up with a feasible compromise.

 

I'm a smoker, but I have to admit that it's not an addiction that I am proud of. I know that second-hand smoke can bother people and I try to be considerate. To be honest, I don't like it blown directly into my eyes or face either. But I, like every other "adult" out there, do not like to be told what I can or can’t do by someone with no authority to do so.

 

Face it! We do not set the rules. We don't have to answer to the Corporation or the Stockholders when we've made a wrong decision. But many of the people on this board, both smokers and non-smokers, somehow feel that it is their duty to tell others of us what we can or can't do. I've seen posts where someone is telling the smoker that they need to enter a cessation program or something and then try to rationalize it by saying that it is for the smokers own good. Folks, no matter how you sugarcoat it, that is simply rude. Would you go up to an overweight individual, some stranger you have never met, and tell them (for their own good, of course) that they need to start a weight-loss program? Would you go up to a strange older woman on Formal Night who has dressed to the nines and say that she really shouldn’t reek of so much perfume just because she makes you uncomfortable? Unfortunately after reading these posts, I'm afraid that a few of you might :( . And I’m talking about both smokers and non-smokers.

 

Come on already. It’s time to end this feud. RCI has spoken and we’re all going to have to deal with it. Write your letters, cancel your cruises, do whatever you have to do for yourself and to make you feel good, but keep the rest of us out of it. There are always going to be two sides to an issue but, face it, the sides for this issue will never get together. Focus your attention on a fight worth fighting for (like chair hogs). That’s an issue we can all agree with! ;)

[coy860]

I do not see how they can easily enforce a no smoking policy in cabins, especially ones with balconies. I am a non-smoker and like the policy. I have had smoke fumes come in my cabins in the past either under the doors or through the ventilation system in the bathrooms.

 

 

The ventilation system in bathrooms is EXhaust, moving air from your room. It isn't possible for smoke from another room to enter through the exhaust system.

[massfriends]

I've read every one of these posts and have come to the decision that there will never be an agreement between smokers and non-smokers. Again I stress that RCI is simply trying to come up with a feasible compromise.

 

I'm a smoker, but I have to admit that it's not an addiction that I am proud of. I know that second-hand smoke can bother people and I try to be considerate. To be honest, I don't like it blown directly into my eyes or face either. But I, like every other "adult" out there, do not like to be told what I can or can’t do by someone with no authority to do so.

 

Face it! We do not set the rules. We don't have to answer to the Corporation or the Stockholders when we've made a wrong decision. But many of the people on this board, both smokers and non-smokers, somehow feel that it is their duty to tell others of us what we can or can't do. I've seen posts where someone is telling the smoker that they need to enter a cessation program or something and then try to rationalize it by saying that it is for the smokers own good. Folks, no matter how you sugarcoat it, that is simply rude. Would you go up to an overweight individual, some stranger you have never met, and tell them (for their own good, of course) that they need to start a weight-loss program? Would you go up to a strange older woman on Formal Night who has dressed to the nines and say that she really shouldn’t reek of so much perfume just because she makes you uncomfortable? Unfortunately after reading these posts, I'm afraid that a few of you might :( . And I’m talking about both smokers and non-smokers.

 

Come on already. It’s time to end this feud. RCI has spoken and we’re all going to have to deal with it. Write your letters, cancel your cruises, do whatever you have to do for yourself and to make you feel good, but keep the rest of us out of it. There are always going to be two sides to an issue but, face it, the sides for this issue will never get together. Focus your attention on a fight worth fighting for (like chair hogs). That’s an issue we can all agree with! ;)

 

Very well said Freddie, Come on folks it's time to move on...

[Schplinky]

So long as there are other cruise ships allowing smoking in staterooms we will patronize them. Just like I said bye-bye to Westin and Marriott properties !!!

 

Il navigante pazzo

 

 

Which major hotel chains actually allow smoking anymore? I did a quick search on NYC and saw that Westin doesn't, Marriott doesn't ( nor do its other brands: Residence Inn, Courtyard, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Fairfiled Inn), Hilton Times Square doesn't, Westin doesn't. It apparently costs Westin $200 a room to convert them to non-smoking rooms. That's quite an investment. the same article said that at the time of conversion, 90% of all Westin rooms were already non-smoking. We book there a lot through work now because of the assurance of non getting stuck with a smoking room.

[Chip and Dale]

In all honesty I have not had the time to read all posts.

 

That being said, I am not sure that this issue has been addressed. I am one of many who is extremely allergic to cigarette smoke, I become quite sick and can be incapacitated if exposed for a very long time.

 

We were on the Serenade of the Seas in February and we were shocked that smoking was allowed in a public area like a bar. Another poster suggested that the people who are vehemently opposed to smoke may take it upon themselves to instruct an overweight person to reduce their food intake. That person is not affecting anything other than the space others in the area may use, which is a non issue, however, a smoker is affecting the very air that we breathe.

 

Smoking is an addiction. I will readily admit that I am addicted to the caffeine in my coffee and enjoy it wholeheartedly. But I do not force it on anyone and if the smell of it was making someone ill or causing them difficulty breathing, I would remove myself from their presence.

 

Most cities in Canada have banned smoking from public places. Most hospitals request that for the safety of their immune compromised patients that those entering do not wear perfume or scented products.

Smoking is a personal choice but it is not done in isolation, it affects all of us who are within the perameters that the smoke can travel.

JMHO

Dee

[Hflors]

With the new ban on smoking do you think RCCL will stop selling cigarettes in the convenience store on board? Will cigarettes be one of the banned items they will check your bags for like liquor?

 

Just a thought!

[Sue L]

They are not banning cigarettes, just changing some of the locations where you can smoke and yes I presume they will still sell them.