RCCL New Smoking Policy Discussion (merged)

[KerriL]

Has anybody ever requested from RCCL Special Services a deep cleaning of their stateroom prior to boarding? We are staying in a RFS next month on Explorer and I requested this service due to allergies and asthma.

Thanks.

[Captain Jake]

I don't think anyone is predicting doom and gloom........it is an unknown factor until January..........but I have no doubt many smokers who now book inside or oceanview cabins will switch to a balcony cabin.......not all but certainly many.........

 

I think we'll just have to see how it plays out.......time will tell.

 

 

what % of smokers will be willing to pay an extra 600 a cabin to smoke on balcony? I sure a lot don't smoke in the cabin now out of respect for non-smoking spouse

[isujim]

what % of smokers will be willing to pay an extra 600 a cabin to smoke on balcony? I sure a lot don't smoke in the cabin now out of respect for non-smoking spouse

 

Who knows the answer to this?? But I have seen many friends really addicted to nicotine that would probably pay that $600..........

 

I agree though with the above posts.........all this is, is a step in the direction of getting with the times........there really isn't much of a change other than eliminating smoking in all but one bar and the inside of your cabin.........smokers may have to take a walk........but it isn't like they are eliminating smoking..........yet:rolleyes:

[RevSmith]

All that smoking has kept me out of the casinos for the past few years...I wish they could have a place where you could gamble that would be smoke free...maybe they could put some slots in the smoke free lounge, that would be nice.

[yogimax]

Well done RCCL!

 

It was just a matter of time and I'm happy that RCCL has acted sooner rather than later.

 

What is interesting now is to see if Carnival will follow suit. I know I will be telling my PVP at Carnival that we will be taking more of our cruise business to RCCL because of their policy.

[vickiw0318]

Who knows the answer to this?? But I have seen many friends really addicted to nicotine that would probably pay that $600..........

 

Or consider the cleaning fee to be part of the cost of the cruise?

[FIRELT5]

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/royal/General_Info/Flyers/07008603_Smoke_policy_FAQS.pdf

[dirtgirl]

On the Liberty pre-inaugural, the Schooner bar was smoke-free and packed to the gills with everyone enjoying Matt Yee.:) It will be lovely to have a lounge to go to that offers that on all ships.:cool:

[SomeBeach]

©2007 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registered in the Bahamas. 07008603 • 07/16/07 • Page 1 of 2

GET READY TO SET YOUR

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION WITH

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL®

ENHANCED SMOKING POLICY

Frequently Asked Questions

Why enhancing this policy?

In order to demonstrate our commitment to a healthy balanced

lifestyle in line with our new Vitality program, Royal Caribbean

International will institute an enhanced ship wide smoking policy

which addresses staterooms, public areas and enforcement.

We also want to listen to our guests’ commentary regarding

creating healthy environments for cruisers as states have

become stricter with smoking policies in public areas.

When will this enhanced policy be implemented?

The implementation of this policy will take place in January of 2008.

Will this policy be fleetwide?

The policy will go into effect for the entire fleet with the

exception of Legend, Rhapsody and Splendour on the first full

sailing of January 2008. The remaining ships will be affected

in the summer transition sailings of 2008.

What are the changes in the policy?

The enhanced smoking policy will include the following

key changes:

• Elimination of smoking within the staterooms, smoking

allowed on balconies.

• Creation of one non-smoking bar on every ship (Champagne

Bar on Freedom, Radiance and Vision Classes - Viking

Crown on Sovereign Class) The designated non-smoking

lounge is subject to change, please inquire once onboard.

• Consistent policy toward non-smoking in any dining area

fleetwide, indoors or outdoors.

• Reinforcement of Smoking Policy fleetwide.

What will happen if the poblic room smoking policy

is violated?

Guests, who are found smoking in a non-smoking area, will be

guided to a space that allows smoking.

What are the penalties for smoking in a stateroom?

Guests who smoke in their stateroom are charged a $250

penalty.

Why do the violations differ from non-smoking areas

to staterooms?

The violations differ because the damage caused by guests

smoking in their stateroom is very high (time, resources,

equipment and cleaning materials to service the stateroom)

vs. smoking in an open space.

What happens to guests who continue to violate the policy?

Guests who continue to smoke thereafter should be managed

using the Guest Conduct Policy and related escalation

guidance up to possible disembarkation.

How will the guest know of a nonsmoking area?

Onboard communication will be included in the Compass,

guest muster drill, Cruise Services Directory, Stateroom

Attendant introduction and Guest Conduct Policy video and

supported by non-smoking signage on stateroom doors and

throughout the ship to designate non-smoking areas.

*Additional information will be posted on the Knowledge Desk under smoking!

©2007 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registered in the Bahamas. 07008603 • 07/09/07 • Page 2 of 2

GET READY TO SET YOUR

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION WITH

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL®

ENHANCED SMOKING POLICY

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this policy be implemented on Celebrity or Azamara Cruises?

The smoking policies for Azamara and Celebrity Cruises have

not changed.

Is this enhanced policy for the entire cruise industry?

Many of our competitors are currently offering the same if not

tighter regulation; aligning us with our competitors.

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.

[DC2OC]

Now if they could only make one side of the ship smoke free balconies...................................Frank

[Bakincakes]

I hope their new policies soon include no non healthy desserts or menu items. They are already getting rid of trans fats...everything else should go too.

 

Oh and liquor...very unhealthy and dangerous.

 

And hopefully they will also ban unprotected sex. :rolleyes:

 

Unless of course "vitality" only means making people stop smoking.:p

[crusinmama06]

The whole thing is ridiculous. Everyone who is saying YEAYYYY is going to be screaming off the rooftops when the balconies are inundated with smokers.

 

And those who book groups won't be booking RCCL because what are the odds that the ENTIRE group is non-smoking? :rolleyes:

 

And on every cruise I have ever been on, I have smelled marijuana in the hallways. If they can't enforce ILLEGAL drugs from getting on the ships, how are they going to enforce legal ones. :confused:

[MaryZ]

I hope their new policies soon include no non healthy desserts or menu items. They are already getting rid of trans fats...everything else should go too.

 

Oh and liquor...very unhealthy and dangerous.

 

And hopefully they will also ban unprotected sex. :rolleyes:

 

Unless of course "vitality" only means making people stop smoking.:p

 

Oh I agree. They need to clamp down. Only two alcoholic drinks permitted per sea card per day. After all, we don't want drunks endangering everyone else. Nothing worse than the stench of a drunk standing downwind from me.

And get rid of all that fattening food. Obesity kills. :rolleyes:

[Hondu]

Well, I'm glad it's officially announced now, rather than being rumor. I wonder if they will have new food choices with that "Vitality" program, or if it will simply highlight the healthier choices already on the menu.

 

It would be great to have food free of High Fructose Corn Syrup and no Trans fats. That would be a good start.

[crusinmama06]

It would be great to have food free of High Fructose Corn Syrup and no Trans fats. That would be a good start.

 

And taste....get rid of anything that tastes good too. I mean, it's a vacation but not let's get too excited or anything. :rolleyes:

[Bakincakes]

The whole thing is ridiculous. Everyone who is saying YEAYYYY is going to be screaming off the rooftops when the balconies are inundated with smokers.

 

And those who book groups won't be booking RCCL because what are the odds that the ENTIRE group is non-smoking? :rolleyes:

 

And on every cruise I have ever been on, I have smelled marijuana in the hallways. If they can't enforce ILLEGAL drugs from getting on the ships, how are they going to enforce legal ones. :confused:

 

Agreed...and I just got an email from a friend of mine who is a stockholder for RCI.....she and a group of friends(smokers) are outraged.

 

They are cruising in November,20 of them are going on the same cruise and are taking extra, cheap, perfumes and aftershaves with them and are planning on "marinating" themselves in them. I cannot imagine the smell of that stuff. The crew on that ship will have to fumigate every elevator they get on.

 

Hope no one with asthma is on that ship.:eek:

[corkpopr]

and escalators and people movers on the decks like at airports to cut down on those heart attacks, and drop dessert and ice cream for those that just cannot push back from the table.

[Hondu]

It took a while to get to this point. Lets say a few more years and they can revisit "Vitality" and eliminate smoking on balconies.

 

A great first step, RCI.

[Cruising89143]

Agreed...and I just got an email from a friend of mine who is a stockholder for RCI.....she and a group of friends(smokers) are outraged.

 

They are cruising in November,20 of them are going on the same cruise and are taking extra, cheap, perfumes and aftershaves with them and are planning on "marinating" themselves in them. I cannot imagine the smell of that stuff. The crew on that ship will have to fumigate every elevator they get on.

 

Hope no one with asthma is on that ship.:eek:

 

Sounds like a group of childish people to me. Smokers are going to have to understand that the MAJORITY of people do not want to be around smoke. Royal Caribbean is listening to the majority. This is the future and this is just another move to eventually move all smoking venues outdoors where they should be in the first place.

[NOT my real name]

are taking extra, cheap, perfumes and aftershaves with them and are planning on "marinating" themselves in them. I cannot imagine the smell of that stuff. The crew on that ship will have to fumigate every elevator they get on.

 

:eek:

 

One issue you mention is the filthy stench associated with second hand smoke. That is a real annoyance. Much more serious are the unhealthful effects of seond hand smoke on innocent victims who do not smoke. Do a google search on "Second hand smoke cancer" and see how many articles you get. Then do a google search on "perfume cancer". Notice any difference?

 

This is not an annoyance issue. It is a health issue. Smokers don't have the right to negatively impact the health of their innocent victims.

[SomeBeach]

Agreed...and I just got an email from a friend of mine who is a stockholder for RCI.....she and a group of friends(smokers) are outraged.

 

They are cruising in November,20 of them are going on the same cruise and are taking extra, cheap, perfumes and aftershaves with them and are planning on "marinating" themselves in them. I cannot imagine the smell of that stuff. The crew on that ship will have to fumigate every elevator they get on.

 

Hope no one with asthma is on that ship.:eek:

 

Oh my, I am certainly glad I won't be on that ship! :eek: I truly hope you and they are only kidding with this comment.

Face the actual facts....

This policy, for smokers, has gone too far.

This policy, for non smokers, has not gone far enough.

[Bakincakes]

One issue you mention is the filthy stench associated with second hand smoke. That is a real annoyance. Much more serious are the unhealthful effects of seond hand smoke on innocent victims who do not smoke. Do a google search on "Second hand smoke cancer" and see how many articles you get. Then do a google search on "perfume cancer". Notice any difference?

 

This is not an annoyance issue. It is a health issue. Smokers don't have the right to negatively impact the health of their innocent victims.

 

Do a GOOGLE on Radon...air pollution is the number one killer of non-smokers who get lung cancer.:(

 

And unless those "innocent victims" live in places that have no busses or trucks or factories that pollute the air they can't just blame their health problems on smokers. But it is easier to do just that.:rolleyes:

[Mark_K]

One issue you mention is the filthy stench associated with second hand smoke. That is a real annoyance. Much more serious are the unhealthful effects of seond hand smoke on innocent victims who do not smoke. Do a google search on "Second hand smoke cancer" and see how many articles you get. Then do a google search on "perfume cancer". Notice any difference?

This is not an annoyance issue. It is a health issue. Smokers don't have the right to negatively impact the health of their innocent victims.

Not much...

 

The bathroom is one of the most toxic rooms in the house for most American families. People use deodorants containing aluminum (Alzheimer's disease), shampoos containing harsh solvents (liver toxicity), toothpaste containing non-organic fluoride (osteoporosis), mouthwash with aspartame (brain tumors) or saccharin (cancer), and to top it off, most people slap on a dab of perfume or cologne containing highly toxic cancer-causing chemicals. In a laboratory analysis, one popular perfume was found to contain more than forty chemicals classified as hazardous to the liver, and yet the FDA still does not require perfume manufacturers to warn consumers about the toxic chemicals found in their products.

[OGCFreddie]

I don't think the policy change is going to be a drastic change that smokers have to get all up in arms over.

 

Actually, by the looks of this thread, it's not the smokers who are up in arms. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the large majority of these posts are from non-smokers who are forecasting doom because RCI hasn't gone far enough. Some people just can't be pleased and, no matter what happens or how many bars and cabins are smoke-free, they will always have something to complain about.

[dc-snoopy]

Although there may be a change in the number of cruisers in the short run (say first six months), I think that it will stabilize probably around where it is now. There will be some smokers who stand up for their rights and boycott RCI. There will be some non-smokers who will shift to sailing RCI and simliar cruise lines that support their preferences (like DW and I, since DW is allergic to smoke and this will help us out a lot like Marriott hotels). However, there are already a lot of smokers who use similar standards already. I know many smokers who would not smoke indoors anyways given the choice; they don't even do so at home. There are some that will bump up to balconies, there are some that will just smoke when convenient, like on open decks or in bars/lounges. Some will 'head down to the casino before dinner" and meet their dinner companions there, so they can get a smoke in first, etc.

 

I don't think there will be a huge shift in cruise patterns over this. Many are very used to this from the handful of businesses, states and countries that are starting non-smoking policies already. It's the direction that things are heading and in the long run, I don't think it will make a huge difference to the vast majority out there. Most will find out either through a letter or when they cruise and they'll adapt. Some will not sail again, some will sail again, some will seek out RCI--the same as now. Smoking will be one more issue for the cruise industry as with everything else.

 

And for those that wonder how this will be policed...most will not notice the policing. It will not be the cabin attendants, it will be done by future passengers. If the next passengers do not complain, no problem. If the next passengers complain, the cleaning will be done and the cleaning fee will be assessed to the passengers that just left, the same as if they afterward discover the towels or robes are gone, if anything has been drunk from the mini-bar, etc. Post-checkout assessed fees are common in the vacation industry and that's how it is likely to be handled. Then it will be up to you to dispute the charges assessed to you.

 

I think it is a significantly larger issue to the CC posters who are up in arms over this controversial topic than it will be to the cruising public in general--and we're what? 1/100 of 1%?