starnsky

Celebrity also has a smoking area on one side of the pool deck, and as on RCI the odor can drift into the enclosed Solarium/Thalassotherapy pool area. The only real difference between Celebrity's and Royal Caribbean's current smoking policies is that Celebrity's casino is smoke free, and RCI allows smoking in the casino. There is no inside smoking anywhere on Celebrity.

ROLL TIDE CINDY!!

I see your Aggies fan. Anyways yeah I forgot about us wanting to play poker but could not stand to be in casino long enough to even spend $10.00 in slots. The smoke was horrible there to. I know smokers have rights, and I am all for their rights. I just wished they would make special smoking areas away from the pool deck. As some mentioned they never had a problem, but for me and my hubby we are both sensitive if not allergic to it and my hubby coughed all week with runny eyes. I don't know what the future holds for us in cruising, but as I said, we will research next time.

I think it's more luck of the draw/fellow passengers than where smoking is allowed, because the locations are very similar on all ships. Sometimes there are a lot of smokers, and sometimes there aren't. If you're so sensitive to smoke that it can land you in the hospital, then you have to realize you're taking a risk going to any public location where smoking is permitted. You could board the Serenade tomorrow and be just as bothered as you were on the Independence if the right (wrong for you) passengers were aboard.

 

 

 

 

I have always experienced the reserved suite seating to be the tiered loungers on both sides of the ship. Has that changed recently? Why didn't you try the Solarium where there's never any smoking permitted?

 

I tend to agree with those who have said if you have such an extreme reaction to smoke you shouldn't take the risk of going to places where it's allowed at all. I am not narrow minded, and you need to expect that if you post something on a public message board there are going to be many who disagree with you. Some will express themselves politely and some won't. Accusing them of being narrow minded doesn't add to the discussion YOU started.

I did yry the solarium area, there was not any smoking there bit it seem to have smokey smell. Not all ships and resorts allow smoking on pool deck, especially since most of us want to play by pool on vacation. I think celebrity has smoking on deck 5 port side. I have nothing against smokers at all, its their choice and right to smoke, I just expect resonable efforts to accomodate all guest and I personally think smoker should never be allowed on pool deck unless they have create pool deck to accomondate each smokers only.

I will in future make sure and double check where smoking is allowed before booking any vacation, and if I can't live with it then I will simply not go. i always book the expensive balconies aft to avoid wind blowing smoke my way and been on several cruise and this was first time I ever had a problem.

Did not intend to call other member narrow minded but he can't seem to understand that just because he did not smell smoke does not mean I did'nt, or just because he thought food was good does not mean I did or others did. Everyone has difference experieces which is what makes world go around.

I also had lots of positive things to say about the cruise, if adults wants a unique experience they should try couples cruise at least once.

Did you try the Solarium area? We went to the hot tub in the Solarium area almost every day and I was never bothered by cigarette smoke. (It would have been nice if they'd cleaned the sand out, but that's another topic, I suppose...)

 

As far as food, I'm not a huge fan of the Windjammer either, except for the fact that they always have a lot of fresh fruit available. We ate in the MDR as often as possible- they were open for lunch on sea days, plus dinner every night. We mostly at the Windjammer for breakfast and late-night snacks, plus lunch the day we were in Roatan, since the MDR wasn't open. I had some nice lunches in the MDR- the Greek salad wasn't stingy with the feta! :) I never ordered the steak in the MDR at dinner, but everything I had was fine....not *amazing* but decent. The appetizers and cold fruit soups are my favorite part of the meal.

 

Anyway, it sounds like other than the food and smoking, you enjoyed the cruise. As I'm sure you know from all the brochures and ads on-board, there are going to be a lot of options for adults-only cruises on lines other than Royal Caribbean. I just booked the April 2016 cruise on the Divina, and I'm really looking looking to trying MSC! I hope you'll give this kind of cruise another chance.

Thank You Cat, I will read about the smoking policy before booking any cruise in the future, or at least find out where the smoking area is. I don't know if the celebrity one will have better food or not? I have never heard anything about the Divina to make a decision about it but I HOPE YOU HAVE GREAT TIME. There are so many fun people on couples cruise, even if you are not swinger, they are friendly and just a fun crowd. You will have a great time.

No, people were not smoking on the port side. We spent most of every afternoon there, and strolled around AND used the hot tubs most evenings after dinner. Saw ONE woman light up on the port side, and she was told to put it out by ship staff within less than a minute.

 

If you're THAT sensitive to smoke and it ruined YOUR CRUISE, than I agree it's probably best that you never cruise RCI again - or any other cruise line for that matter, not to mention land-based resorts too.

 

By the way, if all you ever ate at the Windjammer was hard rolls & bad burgers & hotdogs, than you missed/ignored about 90% of the food there. It's not "gourmet" at the Windjammer, but your claim of only burgers, hotdogs & hard rolls is ridiculous.

Windjammers daily, had the asian, had lamb, had sushi, had american, had salad. I did get the salad and my salad was ok, the fruit was ok, but the american food was this. Runny instant mash potatoes, of course the hamburger/hotdog buffet, it had hand carved ham or beef, which the beef was chewy and few other things. The desert was fair, only have cheesecake one day, the rest was just ok in my opinion.

As far as me never going on vacation again as you stated is crazy. Do you tell someone with peanut allergy to never take vacation? I can't help that I am sensitive to the point of hospitalization twice from Cig smoke, but I am. I think you are right in one point, RCI, especially Independence of the seas is not for me due to where they allow smokers. In my opinion they should not allow that in areas close to non smokers, you would not throw peanuts around if someone had allergies. The serenade of the seas cruise was 1000% better, I never ever smelled smoke and the food was amazing.

For some of you its easy to go on cruise, but from where I live I have to drive 3 hours just to get to airport and I already covered the price of the plane ticket, so YES I HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS of enjoying my vacation.

The people on the boat were wonderful and friendly, the staff was good, and the couples cruise staff were also amazing and professional, but I stand by what I wrote about the food and smoke.

You have a very narrow mind to try to make me think the problem is me after I spent $6000.00 for this cruise, I was disappointed that lounge chairs reserved for suites were on the starboard side, WHICH WAS THE SMOKING SIDE, and RIGHT BESIDE IT. it was miserable and the smoke was everywhere on that side. Each and every day the port side had ZERO loungers even though booking suites, I had them complimentary over by the smoke. I could have sat up on the top deck I guess, but why should I have to?

I would never tell someone where they should and should not go, but I guess you can, so obvious you are narrow minded.

The good things about Couples Cruise is you can be very erotic with your spouse, and for us we were celebrating my BDAY which was end of Nov and our Anniversary which is Dec 1st. A couple can be erotic and feel the passion just from being nude on their own balcony. I did walk down to the playroom one night, but its hours were 10 p.m to 3 a.m and for us, we wanted time to ourselves in our cabin, my hubby works away from home and I go months without seeing him. Again this was suppose to be dream trip for us, and in alot of ways it was great but in other ways horrible.

I hate to keep harping about the food, but where we live there are no restaurants except one gas station that serves pizza. I have to drive 3 hours to eat, and before this cruise had not been out to eat in 9 months, so the FOOD WAS THE MAIN REASON I WENT ON CRUISE.

Well... I say! As earlier noted, we were out on the pool deck on the non-smoking side for the better part of several afternoons. It definitely was not smoky there - I would have noticed, I don't like to be around smoke either.

 

I hope you're right about that!

I could not WALK THE POOK DECK AT NIGHT EITHER FOR THE SMOKERS.. I tried four times to sit on the port side of pool but could still smell it, I don't know if they were smoking on the wrong side or just smelled of smoke, but either way this ruined MY CRUISE.

We were on this cruise and here are a couple of observations.

 

1-Smoke was no issue for us even on the smoking side of the pool.

 

2-The food was much better then the Enchantment 3 weeks earlier. Was is great? No, but it never is anymore. The Windjammer was open late and had many decent choices.

 

3-The crew was fine, better then the Enchantment. Our Cabin Attendant loved the cruise. Much easier to attended to rooms with no kids as they are far less messy. Plus he enjoyed the fact that most ladies were very nicely dressed each night.

 

4-There was FAR less drinking/partying then on a standard weekend cruise from Florida.

 

5-We went for the no kids/adults only and it was nice. The morning we left there was a screaming toddler in the hotel dining area which reminded us of exactly why we were going. This was a fair amount more expensive then other options that week but was worth it.

 

6-The cross section of people was amazing to us. Even if half were just there for the adults only it sure makes you look at the people in the Supermarket check out line and wonder.

 

7-The people watching was right up there with Vegas and NYC. We would often sit and watch, you have to see it to believe it.

 

8-Reconfirming our Enchantment observation the beverage package has lead to a complete change in way you are served. There was a complete lack of waiters in the pool area and in general. Instead of them coming to you to give you a drink and get your money they now make you walk to a bar in order to get the drink you have already paid for. We would often be on deck or in one of the hot tubs and not see a waiter for over an hour.

 

9-Looked all week for a bunch of Playboy Bunnies covered in baby oil on a big plastic sheet, didn't even come close, oh well maybe next time.

I laughed about the toddler screaming, because when we were in hotel after cruise a family of five had two screaming and I was glad I was not going on their boat.

The smoke and food was what bothered me, the people were are shades and colors live and let live people, which I loved. Last cruise had great food, and I did not pay $3800.00 and from where I live the plane tickets were $800.00 each, so basically $6000.00 plus before and after hotel, I expect something more than CHEWY STEAK in the main dining room and more than HARD ROLLS AND HAMBURGERS AND HOTDOGS in Windjammers. Yes of course there was lamb, which was nasty, and asian which I don't like. I love seafood and southern food. Again, to me the food was not up to standards.

If I smell smoke, I get sick, so basically I could not use the dang pool area or hotub.

I do not smoke but I tell people this all the time. It is impossible to be allergic to cigarette smoke. :)

My hubby and I both are either allergic to or sensitive to smoke. I never have asthma but I can smell one Cig. and develop asthma, if I am around alot of smoke, I end up in the ER. So whether allergic or sensitive does not matter when it makes me so ill.

That is unfortunate that you experienced that. Booking on a full ship charter is nothing like booking a cruise through RCI I as the group that chartered the ship basically controls everything and all Royals standards are off the table. Again this is unfortunate but it is not Royals fault and certainly not typical of any of their regularly scheduled cruises.

I guess I did not know that RCI rules did not apply here. I was never told that at all. I am glad you told me this, because frankly I was blaming RCI for this and really thought to myself how bad they have fallen.

Ugh! If you are positive there was nothing in the marketing materials or special terms and conditions of this charter, I would lodge a strong complaint about the lack of notice that smoking rules would not be enforced. That is unconscionable. So sorry for you!

 

 

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Thanks for your advice and I will take it. I am going to contact the charter company and complain, my whole trip was spent on my balcony because of smoke. It did not help to have the excursions rained out with high winds either. I will say this, my cabin was wonderful and my husband and I spent most of the cruise there. Thanks for the advice.

My husband and I wanted an adult only vacation, we signed up for a couples cruise on Independence of the Seas Nov 15th - 22nd 2014. It was classified as a lifestyle cruise, which is mostly swingers, even though we are non swingers we decided to go.

I want everyone to know and understand that my last cruise was on Serenade of the Seas and was very very nice, from the food to the service, which was not so on the independence of the seas.

Our food on this boat was almost not edible. It mostly consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers and other nasty stuff. I say nasty because nothing was prepared by chefs, it all seemed like boxed stuff you buy at frozen food dept.

Second thing that was awful was the SMOKING. People were allowed to smoked All Day and All NIGHT on the Deck 11 pool area, and I do mean EVERYWHERE. I never even sat out by the pool or hot tub because I am allergic to smoke. Nobody advised us that this was a smoking cruise when we booked.

The people that went on the cruise after us will without a doubt smell smoke when they board. I feel very sorry for them!

Royal has really gone down hill, and the food alone was NASTY, but add the SMOKING and this cruise was filthy. I will NEVER CRUISE ROYAL AGAIN!

Heads up, the next couples only cruise is on Celebrity Silouette in Dec 2015.:mad: