Official : Celebrity Revamps Smoking Policy Effective 10/1/08

[JCDeck]

Very true. If you read any of the other boards everyone would see that people are jumping ship on other cruise lines and making plans for X. This is what a LOT of people have been waiting for. I am one of them. Our next cruise is on Celebrity.

 

I just checked out a few other boards and didn't notice any of this

'ship jumping" I didn't even notice anyone talking about it on other boards.

'

[usha]

I wasn't asked either and I am both Captain's Club member and a stockholder. I don't recall seeing anything mentioning that a majority of any type of customer was polled though. Most "polls" are BS anyway. I guarantee you a professional pollster can word a survey that will result in whatever outcome is desired.

Come ON! This is HYSTERICAL!!!!! (I'm definitely smelling sour grapes.:p )

[Drew B]

I never got a survey...

 

I still am of the mindset that these decisions are not made lightly, I think they are fully aware they are going to pi$$ off a certain number of people and they are prepared for that. I do feel empathy for all that do smoke and I can't say I'm unhappy about the change but I take no glee in their unhappiness about it. I hope eventually it will all work to everyones' satisfaction.

 

I agree. I still don't understand why more of a compromise couldn't have been made, even if only on a trial basis or as the first step in a gradual phasing out of smoking in cabins/balconies, but I'm sure I will never know...

 

In a lot of ways, I do think this is a good thing - at least for the moment. The more the cruiselines differentiate themselves and become less cookie-cutter copies of one another, the more choices are available to everybody. With variety and competition, hopefully everybody can find the line that suits their needs. I fear, though, that this will not be the last cruise line to drastically curtail smoking. I think the industry will be watching this test case very carefully...

[Dalmar]

Lose revenue??? I don't think so....Celebrity will lose their smoking customers but gain non smoking customers who may not have sailed on them before. In fact, Celebrity will probably have more customers now than ever before. I keep reading on this thread that the US population is 80% non smokers. I think that's a bit high but I do see so much less smoking now. Chances are there will be lots of folks coming to Celebrity from other lines who will embrace Celebrity's new smoking policy.

 

The stock price is down 3% since the announcement. My concern as a stockholder is that they are rolling out two new ships in the next year that are both slated for the European market. Europeans smoke like chimneys. This could have a far greater impact on those bookings than it will for Caribbean sailing that are very popular with American and Canadian customers. The worlds anti-smoking fanatics are in North America, not Europe. This 80%-20% number that keeps getting tossed around is not accurate for the European market.

[raudacruise]

Very true. If you read any of the other boards everyone would see that people are jumping ship on other cruise lines and making plans for X. This is what a LOT of people have been waiting for. I am one of them. Our next cruise is on Celebrity.

I read the NCL board and have seen NO examples of this. Can you post the addresses of threads where you see this happening?

[marle7]

The stock price is down 3% since the announcement. My concern as a stockholder is that they are rolling out two new ships in the next year that are both slated for the European market. Europeans smoke like chimneys. This could have a far greater impact on those bookings than it will for Caribbean sailing that are very popular with American and Canadian customers. The worlds anti-smoking fanatics are in North America, not Europe. This 80%-20% number that keeps getting tossed around is not accurate for the European market.

 

 

My husband and I were saying exactly the same thing over dinner tonight. We'll watch and see what happens as we are stockholders as well.

 

I read the NCL board and have seen NO examples of this. Can you post the addresses of threads where you see this happening?

 

I did see a couple. Then again, CC'ers are what, 1% if a cruiseline's market?

 

I be

[raudacruise]

My husband and I were saying exactly the same thing over dinner tonight. We'll watch and see what happens as we are stockholders as well.

 

 

 

I did see a couple. Then again, CC'ers are what, 1% if a cruiseline's market?

 

I be

 

But we are a very vocal !% ;).

[JCDeck]

3% stock drop:p is not huge in the grande scheme of things,it'll come back up...way up when the dust settles.

[lovesublime]

I read the NCL board and have seen NO examples of this. Can you post the addresses of threads where you see this happening?

 

Here's one

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=753691

[Drew B]

Very true. If you read any of the other boards everyone would see that people are jumping ship on other cruise lines and making plans for X. This is what a LOT of people have been waiting for. I am one of them. Our next cruise is on Celebrity.

 

I've been reading the thread about this on the Carnival boards. While many have expressed that they hope that Carnival follows suit, very few have said that they will sail Celebrity. The things that made fans choose the lines they chose still exist, regardless of the smoking policy. It all comes down to whether or not our smoking/non-smoking needs trumps the other choices we make...

[lovesublime]

Here's another one that sort of died

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=754406

 

There was a very heated thread on RCI that went poof

[lovesublime]

Here's another from Princess

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=754249

[Wingy]

3% stock drop:p is not huge in the grande scheme of things,it'll come back up...way up when the dust settles.

Well the stock closed today at $32 and change, down 2.4%. But it's down some 13% for the year, and I don't think this move will help. Non smoking cruisers have been cruising for quite some time now and this move does nothing to swell those ranks. Some might move but a vocal few switching from Princess does not a ground swell make. However it will absolutely effect smokers to drive them away.

Make no mistake, this is a gamble and quite a large one. Kind of desperate in a business that the stock analysis says is only worth 66% of what it was worth last June. If this doesn't pan out I see a quick reversal or an Aloha Airlines fate awaits them.

[marle7]

I agree, and again, I don't think anyone would have blinked if they'd simply enacted Royal Carribean's policy. I think this is a bit of a risk for them, again, particularly with the heavy marketing and moving of ships to Europe.

 

Well the stock closed today at $32 and change, down 2.4%. But it's down some 13% for the year, and I don't think this move will help. Non smoking cruisers have been cruising for quite some time now and this move does nothing to swell those ranks. Some might move but a vocal few switching from Princess does not a ground swell make. However it will absolutely effect smokers to drive them away.

Make no mistake, this is a gamble and quite a large one. Kind of desperate in a business that the stock analysis says is only worth 66% of what it was worth last June. If this doesn't pan out I see a quick reversal or an Aloha Airlines fate awaits them.

[raudacruise]

Here's one

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=753691

Of the posters (of which you posted many times) on this thread only a couple that gave any indication that they were even thinking of jumping ship to Celebrity.

 

There were the same old arguments about smoking on board previous to the new Celebrity policy.

 

Again, the smoking issue is a non-issue to me. But if they have to cut things like maintenance and food because of this - big issue to me.

[raudacruise]

Here's another from Princess

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=754249

 

This was even better. The question seemed to be on how long Celebrity would be able to enforce the ban and then a point Renaissance had the no smoking thing are now out of business.

[Coco Creek]

The stock price is down 3% since the announcement. My concern as a stockholder is that they are rolling out two new ships in the next year that are both slated for the European market. Europeans smoke like chimneys. This could have a far greater impact on those bookings than it will for Caribbean sailing that are very popular with American and Canadian customers. The worlds anti-smoking fanatics are in North America, not Europe. This 80%-20% number that keeps getting tossed around is not accurate for the European market.

 

The stock market dropped over 2% across the board today. The correlation with the smoking announcement is weak.

 

European smokers "smoke like chimneys"--huh. Well, more than Americans, but here are the figures:

 

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/tobacco/demographics_tobacco.htm

[usha]

Sour grapes about what? I don't smoke.

 

I'm just saying that they didn't make this decision based on any poll of passengers, stockholders, or Captain's Club members. What's so hysterical about that?

Sorry, I assumed you were a smoker... and I also pretty much assumed that Celebrity came to the decision to restrict smoking based on a LOT of research.

[Dalmar]

Sorry, I assumed you were a smoker... and I also pretty much assumed that Celebrity came to the decision to restrict smoking based on a LOT of research.

 

I'm sure you're right about that. I just got back from a 15 day South America cruise on Infinity (corner aft balcony) and there was a fairly small percentage of smokers on board. I tended to walk on the other side of the ship to avoid the smoking lounges and one guy a deck below would smoke cigs that would waft by the balcony, but the smell wasn't oppressive...a second or two at most. Same thing in the evenings with the cigar smokers a few decks above at the bar at the back of the ship. I'm an ex-smoker so I understand that when you get the urge, it's very uncomfortable not to be able to indulge. I'm one of those that used to avoid long flights and select airlines, restaurants, and cruise lines that were smoker friendly. I found the habit to be completely relaxing and enjoyable. If I hadn't watched my dad die gasping for breath from emphysema caused by years of smoking, I'd probably still be a smoker.

 

Rightly or wrongly, I am basing my point of view from my own experiences. I just don't want to see the company go too far in either direction that would be off-putting to potential customers, and I think they went too far here.

[Host Walt]

The rules, policies, enforcement and changes are all legitimate and appropriate topics for Cruise Critic. Frankly, if people would read the OP carefully and stay on topic without inserting gratuitous commentary, we'd all be happy.

 

For future reference, please keep in mind that this forum is designed to be a place to discuss cruising, not the moral, legal, legislative, medical and/or social aspects of smoking.

 

The topic, in this case, is a legitimate subject for open discussion. However as seems all too frequently to be the case, a discussion about smoking policies turned into a forum on smoking.

 

There is an appropriate place for such discussions and it isn't Cruise Critic.

 

 

TRY THIS - http://www.smokinglobby.com

 

OR THIS - http://www.smokingpassions.com/forums

[raudacruise]

Sorry, I assumed you were a smoker... and I also pretty much assumed that Celebrity came to the decision to restrict smoking based on a LOT of research.

We've been on 4 X cruises, one in a PH for 10 nights, 3 in RS for 14 nights each. We never got contacted and obviously have spent a lot of money with X.

 

Here is what I think they might have done. They have a lot of money rolling on Solstice and this new Aqua suite class (an entire deck and restaruant). Call those future bookers up and yes, they would probably be delighted with the smoke-free environment.

 

If you do your market research right you can always come up with your own conclusions.

 

I remember when they were advertising "fresh herbs from your garden" for the PH on Summit. When we got on the only plants were rubber. No Thanks. Reminds me of the new grass area they are planning on Solstice.

 

They need to focus on what they have.

[cruisinelsewhere]

I would really like to have stayed out of this fray....but here I go anyway. I smoke. I tried to quit on the patch...worked pretty well until I started to break out in welts where the glue was. I tried gum....rotted my teeth. I tried Chantix...can you say projectile vomiting? I would rather not smoke but it is a daily battle that someday I will hopefully win. That being said, this new rule has definitely taken the sheen off the Solstice Inaugural that I have been so looking forward to. Will I cancel? Absolutely not. Will I book again....who knows. My first cruise on Zenith there were no balconies, and since I would never smoke in my cabin (because I know it stinks) I would have to toss a hat on, trot outside with big sunglasses on hoping to not be recognized looking like yesterdays leftovers and have my morning fix. I have since always paid the premium for a portside balcony. One cigarette in the morning, a 1/2 between shower and hair before dinner and another 1/2 before bed....hard to believe this would be a hardship for my neighbors and if it was, I apologize, I never do it for more than 2 minutes and it is outside. That being said, no, I did not recieve the survey from Celebrity. No, I am not in the lower socioeconomic class. No, I am not insensitive to nonsmokers...I go out of my way to follow the rules (on the ship) and even when visiting friends I smoke occassionally outside and make sure I dispose of the waste so that they don't need to. Just because we smoke we are no less human than nonsmokers....it is an addiction. Guess I will be shopping for some hats and big sunglasses for Solstice.

[Davey Interweb]

This was even better. The question seemed to be on how long Celebrity would be able to enforce the ban and then a point Renaissance had the no smoking thing are now out of business.

 

Okay, but the smoking policies onboard Renaissance ships had nothing to do with their eventual bankruptcy -- ill-advised business practices had everything to do with it.

 

I agree with some of the other posters who have argued that perhaps this new policy likely would not have had as much of a negative impact (among smokers at least) if it were more closely aligned to the one adopted on Royal Caribbean ships. Their timing is also awkward; Celebrity has quite a bit of new capacity coming online at a time when a staggering amount of disposable income - money that may have otherwise been spent on such luxuries as leisure travel - is increasingly evaporating. I'm not so certain that RCL's alienation of a goodish percentage of their customer base is such a great idea in an economic climate such as we're experiencing right now.

[Host Anne]

Folks ~ before posting anything else to this thread, please scroll up and read Host Walt's post carefully.

 

THANKS !!!

[hajekfam]

We've been on 4 X cruises, one in a PH for 10 nights, 3 in RS for 14 nights each. We never got contacted and obviously have spent a lot of money with X.

 

Here is what I think they might have done. They have a lot of money rolling on Solstice and this new Aqua suite class (an entire deck and restaruant). Call those future bookers up and yes, they would probably be delighted with the smoke-free environment.

 

If you do your market research right you can always come up with your own conclusions.

Hi George & Marybeth!

Have you recouperated from that wonderful transatlantic?

We got the survey right after our Med/Trans Millie cruises this past Nov/Dec. We are Captain's club elite, shareholders, have only booked categories 2B's or lower, and are booked on the solstice maiden voyage - but only in a 1A cabin - not aqua class. But after having smokers in the forward cabin next to ours on our second transatlantic and having their smoke from their balcony blow onto our balcony and into our cabin on those fabulous sea days, I like finally not having to having to hope and pray that we don't have smokers in the forward cabin next to us on our future transatlantics.