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BON VOYAGE, Rose & Howie!! Have a terrific cruise! Keep that nose up!!!!

BON VOYAGE, Keith & Rita!! Have a terrific cruise!

BON VOYAGE, uiristoo!! Have a terrific cruise!

BON VOYAGE, tracyd1014!! Have a terrific cruise!

BON VOYAGE, guidinglight!! Have a terrific cruise!

Maybe they sent to the people who never cruised with them before.

Excellent point, Steve!!

Great review Jim. Thanks much. Glad you enjoyed the cruise.

Here's the article: Smoking issues on cruise ships can get very heated, and rarely do you see the opposing sides reach a meaningful point of compromise. So when the cruise lines have to create smoking policies the challenge is to try to please both sides, smoking and non-smoking passengers, at the same time. Not an easy thing to do! This article will focus on the smoking policies of some of the major U.S.-based cruise lines, and what you can expect will happen once you actually get onboard. First of all, there is no entirely smoke-free cruise line serving the North American market. While most cruise ships are largely smoke-free, all the cruise lines provide at least some areas for cigarette smokers, and even for pipe and cigar smokers. However, even cruise lines owned by the same parent corporations are not created equal, and some of them are far more restrictive than others. First of all, no major cruise line permits smoking in any of the dining venues onboard, nor do they allow it in the main show lounge. The famed ocean liner, Cunard's QE2, was the last ship to have limited smoking sections in certain dining venues onboard, including the Caronia Dining Room. But with the retirement of that vessel an era ended for smoking and all dining venues on all ships today are completely smoke-free. Other than dining rooms and show theaters the smoking policies are unique to each cruise line. We'll highlight the policies of some of the major ones as they exist in early 2009. Be forewarned, these policies can and do change at a moment's notice, and if smoking is a "hot" issue for you, you are best off checking with your cruise line prior to departure to find out the current policies for the specific ship you plan to sail. Article continues below Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival is the cruise line that once ran the only totally smoke-free cruise ship servicing North American waters. The Carnival Paradise sailed Caribbean itineraries and smoking was entirely banned. Passengers and crew had to sign a form upon boarding signifying that they understood the rules, and the penalties for breaking them were quite severe; disembarkation at the next port of call. Unfortunately, while it was a noble experiment it didn't last long. After about two years Carnival changed the smoking policy -- some say sailings on the vessel were never very profitable. Today all of the ships in the Carnival fleet have areas where smokers are free to light up. Today all of the ships in Carnival's fleet provide smoking areas in the casinos, most of the bars and lounges, the discos and in designated areas on the open decks including the outside dining area of the Lido cafe. Smoking is also permitted in the cabins and on balconies. Dedicated cigar bars are provided on some of the larger ships in the fleet. Smoking is not permitted at all in many public rooms, including the library and certain lounges. Celebrity Cruises Celebrity "made waves" a year or so ago when it instituted a fleet wide policy prohibiting smoking in cabins and on private balconies. Smoking is also prohibited in all of the lounges and bars except one where the port side of one lounge per ship is designated for smokers. The casino is pretty much smoke-free as well, with the exception of one small section of the slot machines area. Outdoors smoking is allowed on the port side of the pool and sun decks, as well as in sections of most of the outdoor bar areas. Pipe and cigar smokers are especially restricted on Celebrity. They can only light up in a limited number of specially designated areas on the open decks, with no indoor venues provided for them at all. Costa Cruises Costa Cruises, based in Italy and generally appealing to a European clientele, is pretty liberal in its smoking policy. Lighting up is permitted in sections of most of the public rooms, including bars and lounges. Passengers are also free to light up in their cabins and on balconies. Smoking is allowed in designated areas on all open decks and in the casinos. Smoking is only fully prohibited in the restaurants and the show lounges. Cunard Lines Smoking is permitted in the cabins and on balconies, and in designated areas of most bars and lounges. Smoking is allowed in the casino as well. Smoking is not permitted in the libraries on either of the line's two ships, nor in the Planetarium on the Queen Mary 2. Cigar and pipe smokers are free to light up in the Churchill's Cigar Lounge only. Disney Cruise Line Disney, as the most family-oriented cruise line, prohibits smoking in all indoor venues, including passenger cabins. Smoking is allowed on the starboard side of the open decks, including pool areas, with the exception of the area around Mickey's Pool (the pool used by very young children). Smoking is permitted on private balconies. Holland America Holland America is in the midst of conducting an onboard "smoking survey," which has been going on now since about the beginning of 2008. Every disembarking passenger receives an "addendum" to their cruise evaluation form asking about three questions regarding their feelings about smoking; i.e., would you cruise Holland America if the fleet were entirely smoke-free, would you cruise the line if smoking were greatly restricted, and other questions of that nature. Since the survey process started, smoking has become more and more restricted onboard, so it is obvious that a majority of the survey respondents favor tighter controls over the practice. However, Holland America still allows smoking in cabins and on balconies as of early 2009. Smoking is also permitted in the casino and the casino bar. Half of the Crow's Nest Lounge allows smoking. There is no smoking allowed in the Explorer's Lounge nor in the Piano Bar on some ships. Some Holland America ships also now prohibit smoking entirely in the Ocean Bar, though that is not a fleetwide policy as of early 2009. There are designated areas on the outside decks where smoking is permitted, as well as on the aft deck pool area. There is no longer any smoking permitted anywhere under the magradome on the outdoor Lido deck. Some Holland America ships are experimenting with alternating smoking and smoke-free nights in the casino, but the initial results are not impressive based on my personal experience. Article continues below MSC Cruises As the main competitor to Costa Cruises for the European audience, MSC has a reputation for fairly smoky ships, but they are tightening up their policies. Designated cigar lounges are provided. At least one lounge on each ship is open to smokers, while the rest are smoke-free. Smoking is also permitted in the casinos. Outside decks have designated smoking areas on one side. Smoking is prohibited in all passenger cabins, as well as on balconies. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) NCL has a cigar bar available to its smoking passengers on most ships and smoking is permitted in the casinos, as well as on most open decks. All other indoor public spaces are smoke-free for the most part. Smoking is allowed in the passenger cabins and on balconies. Oceania Cruises If you're an avid smoker, you probably want to avoid this cruise line because they have one of the most restrictive smoking policies in the entire industry. This was also the case when Renaissance owned their fleet of ships. Smoking is only permitted in two designated public areas onboard Oceania ships -- the aft and port-side area of the outdoor eating venue Horizons, and on the outdoor pool deck -- forward section starboard side. That's it. No smoking is allowed in the cabins, on balconies nor in any indoor public venues onboard the ship. Princess Cruises Princess allows smoking in the cabins and on balconies. Smoking is also permitted in designated areas on the open decks. Most of the bars and lounges also have designated smoking areas. For cigar and pipe smokers, Churchill's Lounge, available on most ships, offers accommodation. The only other public venue for cigar and pipe smokers is the open decks around the ships. Regent Seven Seas Cruises Regent tightened up their onboard smoking policies about two years ago and smoking is now prohibited in all suites and on balconies. Smoking is allowed in designated smoking areas in the lounges, and also on the open decks, including at the outdoor pool bars. Smokers can also light up in the casinos, and at the "Connoisseur Club," which is also open to pipe and cigar smokers as well. Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean is unique in that their smoking policy prohibits smoking in cabins, but allows it on private balconies. Smoking is also allowed on the starboard side of the open decks around the ship. There are also designated smoking areas provided in some of the public rooms, such as the selected bars and lounges.

I received the same thing today, Debbie. It's always a nice touch to receive a thank you note after a cruise.

BON VOYAGE, mahlerlover!! Have a terrific cruise!

Here's an article that talk's about the smoking policy of several of the cruiselines, including Carnival. http://www.cruisecrazies.com/articles/featur...king-051809.cfm

What a great place to meet before dinner.

Steve, on the other hand, is exactly what you would expect.

I'll say one thing, Howie is nothing like you would expect (believe me,I say that with nothing but love).

Great party you threw, Rose.

I guess you're right, MaryLou. It makes me sleepy just thinking about it.

Come to think of it Rose. Didn't you get some pictures of that last episode?

But Howard - which Island and which incident are you referring to? There are so many! So true, MaryLou, so true... Should I talk about the incident in Antigua?....oh no probably not that - way too embarassing ....or how about in Aruba?....no, not that one either..... You're right. especially for you know who! But don't forget about that time with the "wrong cabin"!!!

But Howard - which Island and which incident are you referring to? There are so many! So true, MaryLou, so true...

Oh go ahead, Debbie. Tell them about that thing that happened on the island. You do remember, don't you?

Unfortunately, we all found out that we're nothing but a bunch of boring people (excluding Howie, of course,and maybe Steve, and then again there's Rose, and how about what happened to MaryLou...), so there isn't much to talk about.

This truly was a great cruise. We would do it again in a second.

BON VOYAGE! Have a terrific cruise!