Our smokey smelling cabin

[chil-laxin]

PescadoAmarillo,

 

I am just curious if you ever got an apology from anyone at Princess? I am a huge Princess fan and it would be nice to know they at least recognized the poor situation....if you don't mind letting us know?

 

Thanks

[1 HappyCruiser]

For us, it was easier to switch to Celebrity as our favored cruise line. Why take a chance with your vacation.

 

Try telling that to an Elite cruiser with over 400 sailing days under their belt !;)

[Liz54]

PescadoAmarillo,

 

I am just curious if you ever got an apology from anyone at Princess? I am a huge Princess fan and it would be nice to know they at least recognized the poor situation....if you don't mind letting us know?

 

Thanks

 

 

I would be very interested in this as well. Its a credit to you that you were not demanding compensation on the spot, but if indeed Princess reads these boards, they would be crazy not to at least apologize, likely something like an OBC for next time! We are all following with interest!

[ibfern]

Thanks for your post! I have been in the same position as you and I have Asthma which makes this situation even more difficult. Recent research indicates that 3rd hand smoke (smoke from a past cruiser) can cause health problems so who would want to stay in a smokers room?

 

I don't know the answer here, but if there were non-smoking ships I would be cruising more!

 

Amelia

[CrusinAgain]

Moral of the story:

Don't rent inside cabins if you're a non-smoker. Better to have a balcony door to open to get some air.

 

The OP did state that there was a balcony cabin with the same problem of smell so although it does help to have some fresh air, it just makes the non smoker pay for the smokers who stunk up the cabin and it could have been those folks with the balcony that were checking out due to the odor.

[Pam in CA]

By effectively banning smoking in just about all of the public rooms, the cruise lines are driving the smokers into their cabins and balconies. I agree with others on this board who advocate returning some of the bars and lounges to smoking areas, but of course, the zealots would never accept that either.

For me, this isn't a solution because as long as smoking is allowed in a lounge or a section of a lounge, it spreads throughout the lounge and the area nearby. There's no effective way to contain it. Events during the day are held in these lounges and, at least for me, makes them unusable and I'm unable to attend whatever is happening. Even if there isn't someone smoking near me, there is a residual odor that makes me ill plus it gets into my clothing which I then have to get cleaned. It's unfortunate but that's the nature of smoke; it's airborne and clings to everything it comes in contact with. :(

[PescadoAmarillo]

First, to the moderators, thanks for keeping this thread open. :)

 

By effectively banning smoking in just about all of the public rooms, the cruise lines are driving the smokers into their cabins and balconies. I agree with others on this board who advocate returning some of the bars and lounges to smoking areas, but of course, the zealots would never accept that either.

I have to disagree. Anyone who smokes in the cabin's bathroom is going to smoke in the cabin regardless of what public areas are made available.

 

I am just curious if you ever got an apology from anyone at Princess? I am a huge Princess fan and it would be nice to know they at least recognized the poor situation....if you don't mind letting us know?

Not yet, other than the expected "Sorry, but we can't stop people from smoking in their cabins". But I'll keep you posted. I noted this situation in our cruise survey (limited to 1000 characters) and then sent an email too, with a photo to support our story, once we returned home.

 

Try telling that to an Elite cruiser with over 400 sailing days under their belt !

Well, we're Elite on Celebrity too. ;) For our upcoming cruises, though, for an almost identical itinerary, Celebrity's price was considerably higher than the Emerald, so we chose the Emerald again. Had it been the same or maybe even a tad higher, we'd be on the Equinox. We like both cruise lines very much. We just never really considered that we would ever encounter this issue on any cruise line, since we hadn't in 38 cruises. You know, counting on that super duper deodorizer to magically clear the air in our cabin before we ever boarded. Like I said, never say never.

 

The OP did state that there was a balcony cabin with the same problem of smell so although it does help to have some fresh air, it just makes the non smoker pay for the smokers who stunk up the cabin and it could have been those folks with the balcony that were checking out due to the odor.

This is very true. There was no one actively smoking in the cabin when the smell of smoke remained. I'm convinced that all the air movement in the world would not have helped. The smell was in the nicotine that I scrubbed off the hard surfaces and vents.

 

 

Even our cabin, as bad as it was, was habitable from about noon on Day 2. Like I said, it took a few more days before we stopped noticing the smell of the cabin when we first entered, but eventually it faded. So, as bad as it was, I bet the current occupants are unaware there was even an issue. We're not nervous about encountering this again on the Emerald in 10 days. BUT, if we do, to the same degree we did on our recent cruise, I think we'll be the ones checking back off the ship with our luggage in hand.

[stretchcruz]

Thank you so much for your honest assessment of this issue. I doubt that I would have been as accepting, and willing to clean, as you were, as I think it may have made me sick. We no longer do balconies because of the smoking issue, and so far we've been (relatively) lucky in our cabins...only having to ask for new comforters and pillows and deodorizing.

I think that it is really distressing that as Elite cruisers you were not able to access folks that had the ability to help you out. (The ship should have helped anyone with this problem, but as Elite booked B2B you would have thought that they would have bent over backwards.)

Please keep us informed as to whatever answer you get from Princess, as I believe that they really need to address this issue.

Thanks for being so impartial and informative for all of us.

[woollybugger314]

Easy solution: Smoking staterooms and no-smoking staterooms. It's been done in hotels successfully for decades. The ship is a big hotel. It can be done on a ship.

 

Why is Princess so reluctant to address this situation? What would convince Princess to do something? The fatal fire apparently caused by a careless smoker tossing a butt wasn't enough to cause Princess to go to a no-smoking policy, so I tend to doubt that Princess will do anything at all.

[AndrewK]

... Easy solution: Smoking staterooms and no-smoking staterooms. It's been done in hotels successfully for decades ...

 

I agree. Book a hotel room in Australia and you usually get asked whether you want smoking or non-smoking. If you smoke in a non-smoking room you'll get hit with a mandatory cleaning fee.

 

Wife is elite and I'm platinum and fortunately we've never had an issue with smokers or smoking on Princess cruises. Don't dare ask me about MSC though !!! :eek:

[moniquet]

Easy solution: Smoking staterooms and no-smoking staterooms. It's been done in hotels successfully for decades. The ship is a big hotel. It can be done on a ship.

 

Why is Princess so reluctant to address this situation? What would convince Princess to do something? The fatal fire apparently caused by a careless smoker tossing a butt wasn't enough to cause Princess to go to a no-smoking policy, so I tend to doubt that Princess will do anything at all.

 

Even that wouldn't satisfy the paranoid....they would be whinging they could smell smoke coming through a vent 3 decks up.:) Personally if I was so traumatised by a whiff I would sail on another cruise line...Princess is OK but not superior to some other lines. How did some of you survive when the policies were very lenient some years ago?

[1 HappyCruiser]

Easy solution: Smoking staterooms and no-smoking staterooms. It's been done in hotels successfully for decades. The ship is a big hotel. It can be done on a ship.

 

It's not as easy where almost all the the ship is sailing completely filled. How you you deal with non smokers to whom you couldn't give a non smoking room to? Also in a hotel on avg. people don't stay 7 to 14 day at a time which can be more easily dealt with.

Why is Princess so reluctant to address this situation? What would convince Princess to do something? The fatal fire apparently caused by a careless smoker tossing a butt wasn't enough to cause Princess to go to a no-smoking policy, so I tend to doubt that Princess will do anything at all.

 

As soon as the complaints build up sufficiently and they know they'll lose business because people are fed up with the situation they will change policy, which doesn't appear to be that far away.

 

Even that wouldn't satisfy the paranoid....they would be whinging they could smell smoke coming through a vent 3 decks up.:) Personally if I was so traumatised by a whiff I would sail on another cruise line...Princess is OK but not superior to some other lines. How did some of you survive when the policies were very lenient some years ago?

 

You know very well that it's more than just a whiff of smoke that causes the problems - like trying to use a balcony next to a cigar smokers who camps out there during the while cruise or the cigarette chain smoker who smells up a cabin for the next cruise.

[Toddy709]

Even that wouldn't satisfy the paranoid....they would be whinging they could smell smoke coming through a vent 3 decks up.:) Personally if I was so traumatised by a whiff I would sail on another cruise line...Princess is OK but not superior to some other lines. How did some of you survive when the policies were very lenient some years ago?

 

How are people that complain about an offensive odor any more "paranoid" and "whiney" than people that complain about the "complainers"?:eek:

[BroncoLvrs]

My husband and I are sailing on our first cruise in May...we've been saving for years to get a mini-suite (we have another couple traveling and wanted plenty of balcony space for all four of us) to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I am now contemplating either changing our room to an inside or cancelling our reservation and looking for another cruise line. The balcony is a much wanted treat and I will be so upset if I can’t use it whenever I want due to smokers. Unhappy….I chose the cruise line based on itinerary (Southbound Alaska)…no one else goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay :( I understand smokers want to smoke, but I have just as much right not to be in smoke AND enjoy the itinerary I want....

[Talisker92]

Please take the cruise. What you are dealing with here is what statisticians call a biased sample. Most of the people who did not have smokey rooms or people smoking on balconies are not going to post here that they did not have a problem.

I am sympathetic with those who did have a problem, but they are in the minority.

BTW, I am not a smoker

[trixiee]

My expereince (in 10 cruises, 8 with balcony) has been about 50/50. So overall, only bothered 4/10 cruises... I'm surprised at how many people don't use their balconies much!

[hulamoon]

I would think twice about ditching a balcony to avoid smoke as it comes in through the vents. Not all ships can cut off the circulation into the room. They can't on HAL's newer ships, not sure about Princess.

 

I know the balconies can be difficult but you never know what air is being vented into your room from some other locations. My worst smoke experience was on the Regal Princess in an OV. I got so sick I couldn't leave the room, but probably needed to leave the room to feel better. I got home and all my clothes reaked of smoke, even the ones that never left the closet. This was a heck of a way to learn how smoke sensitive I was.

 

Depends your level of sensitivity, most folks don't seem to notice smoke circulating from the vents, but if you do, the balcony may give you fresh air.

 

You never know what you will find.

[woollybugger314]

My husband and I are sailing on our first cruise in May...we've been saving for years to get a mini-suite (we have another couple traveling and wanted plenty of balcony space for all four of us) to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I am now contemplating either changing our room to an inside or cancelling our reservation and looking for another cruise line. The balcony is a much wanted treat and I will be so upset if I can’t use it whenever I want due to smokers. Unhappy….I chose the cruise line based on itinerary (Southbound Alaska)…no one else goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay :( I understand smokers want to smoke, but I have just as much right not to be in smoke AND enjoy the itinerary I want....

 

We were in a Princess mini-suite for the Alaska cruise. We never smelled smoke anywhere on board, except in the casino, one of the bars and outside Churchill Lounge. So smoke was not a problem for us, and we have respiratory problems so this is important. One possible explanation may be the demographic on the Alaska cruise has few smokers. Perhaps the situation is different in the Med.

[windsor26]

Thanks for the info.

 

Are you aware if it affects P&O Australia bookings with your fellow Aussies?

 

The Dawn and Sun and now Diamond Princess are smoke free throughout the ship which means we can use the casino comfortably but this is because they start and end in Australia that is why it did not affect the LA to Sydney cruises

[moniquet]

Most posters seem to agree that smokers are a minority (I am not a smoker) never smelt smoke even on my balcony,,,,statistically most people won't:D Just a minority experience it.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Most posters seem to agree that smokers are a minority (I am not a smoker) never smelt smoke even on my balcony,,,,statistically most people won't:D Just a minority experience it.

 

Not at all true.

[Astro Flyer]

:eek:

My husband and I are sailing on our first cruise in May...we've been saving for years to get a mini-suite (we have another couple traveling and wanted plenty of balcony space for all four of us) to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I am now contemplating either changing our room to an inside or cancelling our reservation and looking for another cruise line. The balcony is a much wanted treat and I will be so upset if I can’t use it whenever I want due to smokers. Unhappy….I chose the cruise line based on itinerary (Southbound Alaska)…no one else goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay :( I understand smokers want to smoke, but I have just as much right not to be in smoke AND enjoy the itinerary I want....

 

I would recommend that you don't cancel your cruise because most smoke related issues are not severe & have solutions. The original poster even said this was the 1st big problem they've had with smoke & it was their 39th cruise.

 

I've been on 25 (16 with Princess) & have only had smoke affect me once. It was on a balcony to Alaska (Seattle roundtrip on the Golden) but even that worked out okay. We had a heavy smoker in the cabin upwind next to us & we'd avoid the balcony when she was smoking. While sailing in the Tracy Arm and listening to the guide commenting about it being the clearest room we'd ever breath, I decided to talk to her. I mentioned that the smoke bothered me & she apologize saying that her non-smoking husband would be happy if she'd stop smoking so much. After I talked to her, she was very considerate...since she had no way to know it was affecting me, I should have talked to her sooner.

 

Thus by treating her with respect, the problem was solved by treating her the same way I'd like to be treated...really simple. Even though I'd prefer a non-smoking cruise, I respect smokers who follow the rules & I adjust accordingly. All cruise lines have pros & cons...for me the one with the best combination is Princess. It's the same for most on this board even though each of us have things we don't like & wish would be changed.

 

So please take your cruise, I'm sure that you'll have a great 25th anniversary cruise. While there are real problems experienced by some...it's no more than you'd experience anywhere else. :)

 

I don't know what ship you're sailing, however most mini-suite balconies are smaller & uncovered than the half covered larger BA Caribe deck balcony cabins. Someone posted that a mini-suite was 6'x6' with BA cabins 6'x9'.

[Toddy709]

My husband and I are sailing on our first cruise in May...we've been saving for years to get a mini-suite (we have another couple traveling and wanted plenty of balcony space for all four of us) to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I am now contemplating either changing our room to an inside or cancelling our reservation and looking for another cruise line. The balcony is a much wanted treat and I will be so upset if I can’t use it whenever I want due to smokers. Unhappy….I chose the cruise line based on itinerary (Southbound Alaska)…no one else goes to both Hubbard and Glacier Bay :( I understand smokers want to smoke, but I have just as much right not to be in smoke AND enjoy the itinerary I want....

 

I agree with Astro Flyer. Don't cancel.

 

So far we have only had one balcony rendered "unusable" due to smoking neighbors. Most of the time it is simply an annoyance to have to put down my book, pick up my beverage and go inside while a neighbor is smoking. Therefore, I have chosen to take my chance and keep booking balconies, while advocating strongly for non-smoking balconies.

[stretchcruz]

Is the Diamond Princess nonsmoking on the Auckland to Sydney route? Does that include staterooms, balconies, everything??

Thanks, we've booked that cruise and I would be very excited!

[Astro Flyer]

:eek:

 

While sailing in the Tracy Arm and listening to the guide commenting about it being the clearest room we'd ever breath

 

That'll teach me to proof read my posts better...cleanest air :eek: