Two more cruise lines tighten smoking policies. Are you for or against?

Jason · August 20, 2013

Add Seabourn and Cunard to the list of cruise lines tightening smoking policies.

The two Carnival Corp.-owned cruise operators have joined Disney Cruise Line this month in announcing smoking bans for more areas of their ships, including most cabin balconies.

A spokesperson for Cunard tells USA TODAY it is prohibiting smoking on the cabin balconies of its three vessels starting next spring. The ban will take effect April 28 on the 2,014-passenger Queen Victoria and 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 and May 9 on the 2,092-passenger Queen Elizabeth.

Luxury line Seabourn also is banning smoking on a small number of cabin balconies as well as inside passenger cabins (the line is one of the last to still allow smoking in the interior part of cabins).

A spokesperson for Seabourn tells USA TODAY that, effective early next year, smoking will be prohibited in all cabin interiors, including on the balcony-like openings found in category B suites on the line's smaller ships (Seabourn Legend, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Pride). Smoking still will be allowed on cabin balconies attached to other suites on smaller Seabourn ships as well as cabin balconies on the line's newer, larger vessels (Seabourn Sojourn, Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Odyssey).

Disney announced new smoking rules last week that take effect on its ships in November.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today

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DebbieandJerry · August 20, 2013

I can see no smoking inside the cabin. Just curious as to how the Europeans and Asians will handle these changes ...

Mach · August 20, 2013

I LOVE to smoke a cigar on my balcony at sunset and sip a good scotch... I'm hoping that Carnival has more sense than to ban smoking on balconies. Think about it... the ship is doing 20 to 25 mph... how much of my smoke is actually going to end up on anyone else's balcony? Next to none...

jacketwatch · August 21, 2013

For me the problem with smoking on balconies is how do you prevent the smoke from getting into the cabin? You could say close the balcony door but I don't see how everyone will remember or comply with this. Non smokers are sensitive to the odor cig smoke leaves. If we entered a cabin with this odor it would be very unsuitable for us. I used to smoke and realized after I stopped how I had become unaware of cig odor as what I did not sense as a smoker I sensed as a non smoker so I think cabins and balconies should be smoke free not only from an odor perspective but also from a safety perspective as well.

However how do you accommodate smokers? If you smoke you can't go for an entire cruise w/o a puff so designated smoking areas are necessary.

Restrictions on smoking are a clear sign of the times as fewer people smoke. I think cruise lines are following what offices, most public buildings and private homes are doing.

I am an RN and have been for 34 yrs. and remember when everyone smoked in the hospitals, even patients so long as there was no oxygen in the room. When I tell some of the newer folks they are astounded. Things change.

Mach · August 21, 2013

For me the problem with smoking on balconies is how do you prevent the smoke from getting into the cabin? You could say close the balcony door but I don't see how everyone will remember or comply with this. Non smokers are sensitive to the odor cig smoke leaves. If we entered a cabin with this odor it would be very unsuitable for us. I used to smoke and realized after I stopped how I had become unaware of cig odor as what I did not sense as a smoker I sensed as a non smoker so I think cabins and balconies should be smoke free not only from an odor perspective but also from a safety perspective as well.
However how do you accommodate smokers? If you smoke you can't go for an entire cruise w/o a puff so designated smoking areas are necessary.

Restrictions on smoking are a clear sign of the times as fewer people smoke. I think cruise lines are following what offices, most public buildings and private homes are doing.

I am an RN and have been for 34 yrs. and remember when everyone smoked in the hospitals, even patients so long as there was no oxygen in the room. When I tell some of the newer folks they are astounded. Things change.

I certainly am not opposed to restricting the areas where smoking is permitted and most, if not all, cruise lines have done this. I do find your concern regarding smoking sneaking into the cabin a bit of a stretch. For a very large part of the time that my cigar is lit it's idle, either between my fingers or resting in an ashtray. Given the fact that the smoke dissipates almost instantly I can't imagine smoke getting into the cabin. I can assure you it never has gotten into my cabin.

I don't smoke cigarettes, haven't in 40 years, BUT I do enjoy the occasional cigar. I don't inhale ( I can't imagine what that would be like) and I try to be mindful of others around me when I do indulge in one as does everyone I know who smokes cigars. I'm sure there's the odd twit who could care less how the people around him are affected by his actions but that would be true regardless of situation. I can't tell you how many obnoxious drinkers I've run into on cruises, regardless of cruise line.

Carnival was the first cruise line to introduce a totally smoke free ship (The Sensation) and they had to change the concept because of suffering sales. There are quite a few statistics out that that claim that only about 24% of the population smokes these days. I'm betting that number is skewed a bit by people providing the politically correct answer to make themselves feel better.

I do have to say that I was pleased to see Carnival's piano bars go smoke free. It really wasn't that the smoke in the room bothered me as much as the smell of my clothes the next morning!!!

jacketwatch · August 21, 2013

I dont think all smokers would be as considerate and what about smoking multiple times on the balcony? Its not just the occasional cigar though as a Scotch drinker and fancier myself I can se how you would enjoy that moment on your balcony. Also as a non smoker I can assure you I can tell when someone has been smoking in a room or been around those who smoke. My son had a friend whose parents smoked and you could always tell as it got into his clothes. Smokers can become sort of immune to cig smells but as a non smoker you notice rather easily.

JM2C.

Karen55 · August 21, 2013

As someone who gets migraine headaches from cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke.. to have to go to the hospital after being 'unintentionally' exposed to that type smoke even accidentally can ruin a vacation for me and cause me to have to spend my time in the sick bay... Not a good deal for me... So the fewer places someone can smoke on board a ship the better for me... I have to be realistic and know that all smokers will not comply with smoking rules and there will always be the odd few who will be rude no matter what you say or do... so .. I try to avoid those 'smoking' areas and make sure that my cabin has been a smoke-free environment...

crazy4disney · September 4, 2013

Well, Royal Caribbean has gone the same route now. This is excerpted from their FAQ on their website:

"Smoking is not permitted inside any stateroom and any stateroom balcony. This applies to all stateroom categories onboard. If a guest is in violation of this stateroom policy, a cleaning fee of $250 USD will be applied to their SeaPass® account and may be subject to further action pursuant to the "Consequences Section" of the Guest Conduct Policy.

Royal Caribbean updated the smoking policy July 2013 and the above policy is in enforcement on all ships with cruises departing on or after January 1, 2014."

I'm very grateful that when this was rumored a couple of weeks ago, I decided to switch from the aft balcony I had for next February (that I wouldn't be able to smoke on) to a Promenade stateroom, and save $450. I drove myself nuts with the decision for a week, wondering how I would feel if the rumors didn't pan out and I ended up having given up my balcony for nothing. (Well, not nothing -- $450! Which is a huge amount of money in my budget.)

A week later, the price for the Promenade I switched to went up $600! And now the policy change is fact. So I will have $450 to spend in the casino or the spa, and I will be forced to go out and be more social instead of hiding away on my balcony. I always meet really interesting people in the smoking areas anyway, so it's all good. :-)

Just wanted to let y'all know of the change on RCI!

-gina-