Smoking on Costa Ships - Allergic & worried

[Pacific Sandy]

Hi - We would like to try a Costa cruise. Love the itineraries and looking for something different.

 

I am not a "snobby anti-smoker". I am really allergic. If I am around cigarette smoke, I almost instantly develop Bronchitis. It has almost ruined a few vacations. We are scuba divers and I can't dive when I am sick.

 

So, can you advise me about the smoking policies on Costa ships? Is smoking allowed in the indoor lounges/restaurants, etc? Are there many non-smoking areas? Can you smell cigarette smoke throughout the ship?

 

I really appreciate your help.

[CtheW0rld]

smoking is allowed in various areas on costa. i don't think that would be a good choice for you.

 

there are several lines that would suit you better.

 

btw - smoke is not an allergan. it is an irritant.

[blueboo]

We had to search very hard for a cruise line that DID allow smoking..we could not find very many at all and we were glad to have found Costa as we are smokers and would not enjoy our holiday unless we could have a few gaspers. I think for non smokers there are loads of cruises that are smoke free completely..best to stick to those and leave one last bastion for us smokers.

[peabody99]

I find second hand smoke very irritating, and when I had to be around it as bartender in college, I had bronchitis and pneunomia frequently...an issue I have never had to deal with since being away from smoke. That said I found costa smoking not a huge issue. Some smoke lovers (not necessarily on this thread :) ) commenting throughout the cc boards like to be bitter and nasty toward nonsmokers and scare you off, but it is fine. On a couple occasions I briefly experienced contact from smoke drifting from a smoking area...but nothing intolerable. If you are a diver make sure the time in port is sufficiant to get your dives in, costa seems to spend less time in port than other lines which is the only downside to the line imo.

[rothjer]

Costa is very smoker friendly, even in bar areas inside the ship, just look for the smoking/ non smoking signs all over the ship. Because of this, and because of the nature of most ships being designed as a "flow through" meaning that most public spaces are gotten to by walking through other public spaces makes it very difficult to avoid the smoking. Best example is the lounge/bar right beside the MDR on Atlantica was filled with smoke, and this is where many people lined up/lounged around for drinks prior to the MDR being opened for service. Same with the casino, which had to be walked through to get to the Caruso theater. I could only imagine the discomfort for the non smokers! It even became a little too much for us towards the end and we were smokers! Rooms are smoker friendly too, ours didnt smell so much, but we also kept the balcony open almost all the time. Sometimes we would walk by other cabins and get a rather hardy waft of smoke, looks like they were smoking in there without proper ventilation or balcony door open. I cringe to think about a couple of smokers in an inside accomodation !!

[jd1966]

If you want a nearly smoke free environment, then Celebrity is for you. They have a very strict policy and they enforce it!

[Capricruiser]

If you were thinking about Costa, take a look at MSC which is the other Italian cruise line. While smoking on Costa ships is confined to specifically designated smoking areas (usually the casino and one side of a bar/lounge) and the outside decks, it IS allowed in the cabins and balconies. MSC is almost smoke-free with smoking areas only in certain bars and the casino as well as the outside decks, but NOT in the cabins or balconies. Obviously the restaurants and theatre are smoke-free on both lines

[peabody99]

Oddly I found msc smokier, although that was 2 years ago and they might have tightened things up. I had the biggest problem with rccl. They have a smoking policy but it is unenforced

[alwaysfrantic]

I have been on Princess, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Costa, and oddly found the least smoke on Costa. I was very surprised. I was on a Caribbean sailing and think the European voyages might be different. The worst were either Disney or RCI.

 

Outside areas have one side as smoking allowed, one side nonsmoking. I never had a problem with smoke blowing onto our balcony from nearby rooms, which I have had other times. No smoking is allowed in the restaurants. In bars there is a side for smoke and a side for none, I think.

 

Cabin had zero trace of smoke smell from any previous passengers.

[Pacific Sandy]

Hi - Just wanted to Thank everyone for responding and giving frank and honest answers.

 

Thanks especially for not turning my question into a heated Smoking vs Non-Smoking debate which you see on other Boards. I just hate that...must be a Canadian thing !!

 

As much as we would love to try Costa for its interesting itineraries, I just can't handle the smoking so I think Celebrity is more suited to our needs. Such a shame.

 

Happy Cruising:)

[alwaysfrantic]

Does Celebrity have a different policy than Rc?

[georgegirl]

I can really sympathise with you. Last year we did our first cruise on Thomson Destiny and as it is a British ship smoking is only allowed in a very small area

[GOLDENBONNY]

I have been on Princess, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Costa, and oddly found the least smoke on Costa. I was very surprised. I was on a Caribbean sailing and think the European voyages might be different. The worst were either Disney or RCI.

 

Outside areas have one side as smoking allowed, one side nonsmoking. I never had a problem with smoke blowing onto our balcony from nearby rooms, which I have had other times. No smoking is allowed in the restaurants. In bars there is a side for smoke and a side for none, I think.

 

Cabin had zero trace of smoke smell from any previous passengers.

Me too as much as people blub about Costa smokin we never had problem on costa ships,but we really suffer on Carnival Valor:confused:

[goody1]

I would also suggest Celebrity or Azamara. We're also just back from a cruise on the Thomson Spirit, a British ship which has some interesting itineraries including the Red Sea next year. Although you could smoke on one of the outside areas on Deck 6, we never noticed it at all.

[JustAnOrdinaryGirl]

I smoke and I think it should NOT be allowed everywhere. The best thing they did in the UK was to ban it publicly and I would hope cruise liners would do the same. Its my choice to smoke so I dont see why others should have to tolerate it. If a non-smoker was in the smoking area then I would have something to say if they complained! DH doesn't smoke - I just wander off to my allocated area for a quick puff end of story...and it makes me smoke less. So heres hoping they allow us an area and dont force our smoke onto non-smokers.

 

Happy cruising everyone!

[katkell]

I smoke and I think it should NOT be allowed everywhere. The best thing they did in the UK was to ban it publicly and I would hope cruise liners would do the same. Its my choice to smoke so I dont see why others should have to tolerate it. If a non-smoker was in the smoking area then I would have something to say if they complained! DH doesn't smoke - I just wander off to my allocated area for a quick puff end of story...and it makes me smoke less. So heres hoping they allow us an area and dont force our smoke onto non-smokers.

 

Happy cruising everyone!

 

I agree, as a smoker I am very aware of how my pollution is affecting others, on Celebrity a few years ago, the Casino was ALL smoking, it was so bad at night, and then we were on a Princess cruise 1 year later and smoking was allowed in a corner of the sports lounge, but late at night walking the corridors near the casino, you could certainly smell it and if I was in one of those rooms, I would not have been happy. So for all you non smokers out there, some of us care.