KroozNut

Of course there are.

Have you ever seen one though? They are disgusting ugly 🫤I recall not too long ago when some of the airports still had them, before most banned indoor smoking altogether. Even though they were well occupied most of the time, you usually couldn't see any people inside because the smoke was so thick. It was like the foggiest day you've ever witnessed in your life all the time. 😯

You're right.. I'm one of those former smokers (quit 12 years ago), and I continue to be amazed by many of comments in this discussion.

I'm curious if you felt this same way 25 years ago when you were still smoking.

It never moved, and has always been starboard side aft of the Sea View Bar.

Did you perhaps ask the staff there to address the issue of smokers breaking the rules by smoking on the wrong side? I have to say that on our most recent NS sailing, I never observed any smokers using the port side of the sea view pool area to smoke. I guess that we were lucky on that particular sailing in that the smokers were more well behaved and actually followed the rules.

Actually you mixed it up again. The smoking area on Rotterdam is deck 9 aft, starboard side near the sea view bar area. It is not now, and has never been on the port side.

Is smoking permitted on Holland America Line cruises? Answer: For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. No smoking of any kind will be permitted on any stateroom verandah. Designated Smoking Areas: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam Sea View Bar area* Oak Room (Noordam only, including cigar and pipe smoking) Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam Sea View Bar area* Casino-smoking is allowed in designated areas for active players only and only when outside of 12NM from the Netherlands Volendam, Zaandam Sea View Bar area* Casino-smoking is allowed in designated areas for active players only and only when outside of 12NM from the Netherlands Sports Deck, outside Crow's Nest Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed. Electronic cigarettes are not permitted in staterooms or in other public areas of the ship other than designated smoking areas. Any guest who smokes inside staterooms or on verandahs in violation of our policy will be charged a US$250 cleaning fee per day of violation and will risk being removed from the ship for repeated violations. Holland America Line reserves the right at any time to modify the smoking policy onboard or alter the locations where smoking is permissible.

Hmmm, day 2 is our first sea day, so I suppose that will be the Evening Chic Night for us. Thanks!

No worries, I figured it was worth a try 🙂

@D. B. We are on this same sailing next May on Summit, and are trying to figure out when the 'Chic Evening' will be (assuming only one for a 6-nighter). I may have missed this in one of your posts, but can you tell us when the chic night was on your sailing? At this point, we're guessing day 4, which is our second sea day (after SF). Thanks, and we really enjoyed your posts about your experience.

San Diego evenings in December can get downright chilly, and sometimes wet..

Right, and that replacement (non-alcohol) package is a lot less expensive than the alcohol package, making the total cost significantly less expensive overall.

I just used their main number, and the agent I spoke with seemed very familiar, and knowledgeable about the request.

Just their customer service line connecting to one of their agents. Any one of them should be able to assist with this.

Agree, no right or wrong. But I was just commenting on what I thought was your biggest concern with fixed dining, which seemed to be the timing (too early/too late). And if you prefer 6:30pm, my point was that early fixed at 6pm is only 30 mins different than what you prefer. Sounds like you simply like Anytime for various reasons, not that fixed times are too early/too late, and that's great!

With matching ball caps?

Isn't it 'anything goes' in the OVC?

I love your optimism 👍

But only nice, clean ones..

I'll leave it at that, thanks!

Because your response that I quoted seemed convoluted and confusing, that's all.

When I booked our sailing for next May, we chose early fixed, which was 6pm.

This is what it says, but if one person in your party drinks and another doesn't, as is the case with us (DW doesn't drink, I do), you can call Celebrity and request that the non-drinking person be allowed to purchase the less expensive (non-alcohol) package instead of the alcohol package, and they will arrange it for you. For our next sailing on Summit, I have the premium alcohol package, and DW has the basic non- alcohol package. It only took one simple phone call to customer service to set it up, and they were very accommodating. But you do have to make the phone call, as it's not advertised they will do this, because of course they're counting on you not to be aware of this, and to just buy the alcohol package for both persons (as the rules read). Saved us over $400 for our sailing..

Huh? 🤔