Pride of America Smoking Policy

[anniegb]

I apologise in advance for asking this question.

 

Is it possible to reserve a non-smoking cabin on the POA?

 

Also in general what is the smoking policy of NCL

 

Thanks

[fergusonvt]

From the NCL website FAQ's (see below). I am a non-smoker and never had an issue except for the casino on the Sun.

 

 

 

What about smoking on the ship?

We want you to be comfortable on board, so public areas throughout all NCL ships are smoke free. If you smoke cigarettes, you can do so in your stateroom, on your balcony, in the casino or Cigar Bar (where available). If you prefer pipes or cigars, you can smoke in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. Also, you can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks (just not around food venues, sport decks, kids' pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas). Cigar and pipe smoking inside your stateroom or on your balcony is prohibited.

[che5904]

NCL webiste FAQ

 

"What about smoking on the ship?

We want you to be comfortable on board, so public areas throughout all NCL ships are smoke free. If you smoke cigarettes, you can do so in your stateroom, on your balcony, in the casino or Cigar Bar (where available). If you prefer pipes or cigars, you can smoke in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. Also, you can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks (just not around food venues, sport decks, kids' pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas). Cigar and pipe smoking inside your stateroom or on your balcony is prohibited."

[anniegb]

Thanks - smoking is allowed in cabins therefore Hawaii and POA cancelled.

[sparks1093]

Thanks - smoking is allowed in cabins therefore Hawaii and POA cancelled.

 

You would never know it because they do a great job cleaning the cabins. If for some strange reason your room does end up smelling like smoke a quick call to housekeeping will rectify the matter (you would need to give them 2 hours in the cabin).

 

Both DW and I are former smokers and are very sensitive to the smell. As fergusonvt says the only time it's an issue is the casino (which I don't believe POA has). If you don't want to go because a room "might" smell like smoke that's your business, but you are possibly missing out.

[fergusonvt]

I have allergies and never smelled any smoke inside anywhere (except the Casino). I hate the smell of cigarette smoke and would have asked them to re-clean our cabin if I smelled any.

[bcakes]

Since POA is a US flagged ship, it has a more restrictive smoking policy than other NCL ships. There are fewer smoking areas. Non-smoking areas were better enforced. (To contrast, on Epic I had someone sit next to me in a non-smoking area and light up a big cigar. Not one crew member said anything.) There's no casino, so no smoking there.

 

You are right that smoking is allowed in the cabin, but I agree with others who said they never smelled smoke in an NCL cabin. The only possible caveat is that you might have a neighbor who smokes on his or her balcony. I had that experience on Epic and it stunk (literally and figuratively). I think it's less likely to happen on POA since the ship is in port so much.

 

I really enjoyed my POA cruise and I think it's worth rolling the dice smoke wise. Chances that you will have no issues far outweigh the chances that you will have a chain smoking neighbor out on their balcony 24/7.

[Little Stinker]

Thanks - smoking is allowed in cabins therefore Hawaii and POA cancelled.

 

I'm so glad that cigarette smoke doesnt bother me beyond a annoyance. I would hate to cancel a cruise, let alone a Hawaii cruise all because someone might have smoked in my room at some point.

[anniegb]

I'm so glad that cigarette smoke doesnt bother me beyond a annoyance. I would hate to cancel a cruise, let alone a Hawaii cruise all because someone might have smoked in my room at some point.[/quote

 

If someone could guarantee an allocation of rooms that no-one had smoked in - no issue. I am extremely disappointed as well but I have an extreme sensitivity to cigarette smoke and there are so many alternative vacation choices available.

 

Thanks everyone

 

Annie

[Pokeraddict]

Non smokers here and have cruised POA twice and will a third in January, we have never had an issue with smoke in cabins or the ship period. Don't forget there is NO casino so that's a lot of smoke elimination.

This is a port intensive cruise so when folks are in their cabins their sleeping off an exhaustive long day.

 

If I had to pick one cruise to avoid as much smoke as much as possible it would be this one and we have cruised close to 25 cruises alone with NCL. But again we haven't had issues with smoke on NCL ships except casino which we don't spend much time in anyway.

[downsized]

Actually, due to the fact that POA is a USA flagged ship, and the fact that it does not sail beyond Hawaii waters, the smoking restrictions are much more than most NCL ships, they follow Hawaiian laws.

 

First, there is no casino on POA, and no cigar bar.

There is only one outdoor smoking area, and it is high up on the fantail of the ship. It is (I think) the Oasis Bar. If you never hike up there, you will never smell us smokers....and the only reason that you would hike up there is to agitate (this comes from actual experience.)

 

Passengers are not allowed (supposed) to smoke on balconies, only in their cabins, or at the Oasis.

 

NCL does a great job of clearing all cabins of any smoking smells, so even if the last occupants of your cabin chained smoked, I doubt that you could tell. If you even catch a whiff of smoke in your cabin, call housekeeping and they will respond right away and run their machine again.

 

Those of you that are offended by most anything may still be offended by us smokers on the POA, but you should not be able to catch even a whiff of our smoke, unless you go out of your way to do so.

[phillygirl63]

Thanks - smoking is allowed in cabins therefore Hawaii and POA cancelled.

 

It's a shame that you cancelled this cruise on POA due to a possible smell of smoke. I am a smoker but never smoke inside my cabin and have just a couple on my balcony in the morning and at night before bed. My husband is very sensitive to smoke and even he said there was no smokey smell anywhere on the ship except the Waikiki bar at the aft of the ship. This is the only place where cigar smoking is permitted on POA and one of the very few places for cigarette smokers. Since there is no casino, there is no smell of smoke anywhere inside the ship.

 

IMO this is probably the best cruise to take if you are sensitive to smoke. With no casino on the ship and it being such a port intensive cruise, most people are off the ship during the day. After 11:00 p.m. there are very few people up and about. I must also add that Hawaii has very strict laws concerning smoking in public areas. Outside public buildings the smoking areas are set far away from any entrance.

 

Even though I am a smoker, I can understand people's concerns, especially about the smell in the cabins, which I myself would not be too keen on, but I can honestly say that after two cruises on NCL, they do an exceptional job at removing any remnants of smoke in the cabins. It is amazing how they accomplish that.

 

I really wish you would reconsider a cruise on POA. It was an amazing vacation, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Already trying to get a group together for next year.

[anniegb]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

 

I see it quite simply - I can request a non-smoking hotel room therefore why can't I request a non-smoking cabin?

 

The cruise/trip to Hawaii was one alternative for a special celebration.

 

A group of us are not prepared to fly 24 hrs from Europe to board a vessel where we may encounter stale cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke from a nearby balcony - it is simple as that.

 

I respect the rights of smokers to smoke; all I am looking for is an allocation of non-smoking balcony cabins.

 

Thanks again

 

Annie

[jonbgd]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

 

I see it quite simply - I can request a non-smoking hotel room therefore why can't I request a non-smoking cabin?

 

The cruise/trip to Hawaii was one alternative for a special celebration.

 

A group of us are not prepared to fly 24 hrs from Europe to board a vessel where we may encounter stale cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke from a nearby balcony - it is simple as that.

 

I respect the rights of smokers to smoke; all I am looking for is an allocation of non-smoking balcony cabins.

 

Thanks again

 

Annie

I do agree with you about having non smoking cabins. BUT........

Im a former smoker that quit 20 years ago. I am overly sensitive to people smoking.

Ive done 25+ cruises and in the past 8-10 years I havnt had any issues with a bad smelling cabin from smoke.

Hawaii is a wonderful place to visit and it would be a shame for you not to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world.

[Ms belp]

Thanks - smoking is allowed in cabins therefore Hawaii and POA cancelled.

 

Bye. I wish everything could be perfect in my world.

[Toyz711]

hate to burst your bubble, but a non-smoking room could be made up with a pillow, thought cleaned, from a smoking room. all linen go down the chute to the same cart. work at a hotel, yes, it does have non-smoking rooms vs smoking rooms. can't tell you how many people get non-smoking rooms, the only ones left, and then smoke in them.

you will have more trouble with smoking in tourist areas of hawaii then on the ship. hate being on the beach and having someone lit up next to me. but it happens.

[downsized]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

 

I see it quite simply - I can request a non-smoking hotel room therefore why can't I request a non-smoking cabin?

 

The cruise/trip to Hawaii was one alternative for a special celebration.

 

A group of us are not prepared to fly 24 hrs from Europe to board a vessel where we may encounter stale cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke from a nearby balcony - it is simple as that.

 

I respect the rights of smokers to smoke; all I am looking for is an allocation of non-smoking balcony cabins.

 

Thanks again

 

Annie

 

Wow.

It's your way, or the highway.

 

You respect smokers rights, but only under the circumstances that you choose.

 

Have a good life.

[Pokeraddict]

Passengers are not allowed (supposed) to smoke on balconies

 

I am not aware nor read anything about not being allowed to smake on their balconies in fact out October cruise seemed like every cabin above, below, both sides and all around us were smoking. We were in an aft cabin.

 

So if your correct it's news to me, not that I go out of my way to read the smoking signs.

 

If in fact your correct then I will say what I said about the other lines changing their policy to only smoking on balconies that it doesn't make any sense and don't see how they could enforce it.

Pax will just say "oh it must have blowin in from the balcony"

[che5904]

Wow.

It's your way, or the highway.

 

You respect smokers rights, but only under the circumstances that you choose.

 

Have a good life.

 

I'm kind of looking at this in another way. When I first read this I did get that feeling. The more I thought about this the more I figure this might be one of the smartest smoking vs non-smoking threads I've seen on CC.

 

I doubt the OP respects anyone's rights. I agree

I doubt the OP will find a room unless in a brand new hotel or resort that "someone could guarantee an allocation of rooms that no-one had smoked in"

 

But I would much rather someone do their research to discover what the policy allows and decline instead of coming back here, knowing full well what the policy is, and then complain about smokers smoking where they are permitted to.

[mtwingcpa]

A group of us are not prepared to fly 24 hrs from Europe to board a vessel where we may encounter stale cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke from a nearby balcony - it is simple as that.

 

I applaud you for taking a position and voting with your pocketbook. I wish more non-smokers would do likewise.

[gagal10]

A group of us are not prepared to fly 24 hrs from Europe to board a vessel where we may encounter stale cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke from a nearby balcony - it is simple as that.

 

Annie

 

 

Good for you Annie. I am allergic and turn blue so we map out the smoking areas and avoid them like the plague and DH goes out to the balcony before me to make sure it is a go zone. I travel armed with Epi Pens and tons of Benadryl because I love cruising. As I get older, I get more sensitive and our Cruising Days are probably going to end because I like living more.. My allergy has something to do with the Filter, so leftover smoke will make me sniffly, but it doesn't trigger a reaction. I've dreamed of doing the Epic since our last cruise on the Pearl, so I AM GOING.. My doc & I have a plan, which will require more meds than I like to consume, but this is something I really want to do and smokers are a hazard everytime I leave my house, so I refuse to let them keep me from living my life... Again, may kill me one day, but what sort of life is there living in a bubble?? I've been on several cruises and the only time I've ever noticed smoking was on the Pearl on our last cruise because our balcony neighbors smoked and weren't very nice.. DH told them I was allergic and the guy intentionally blew smoke in my face and it was bad. Not being able to breathe when you are floating on the ocean in the middle of nowhere is not a good feeling...

 

We may try Princess next as they have banned smoking in cabins and balconies beginning 1/1/12, I believe.. I've been told that others are thinking about following suit and I AM SO EXCITED!!! :)

[mesci14]

Wow op I am thoroughly surprised by the somewhat attacking responses you have had. I believe as you do that smokers have a right to smoke and I would not Want to infringe on their rights... But non smokers also deserve not to have their rights infringed upon either(to be smokefree). A point that seems to be missed is that smoking is a health hazard... Second hand smoke can be significantly dangerous. Many DO have strong adverse reactions to cigarette smoke on top of the typical dangers that have been proven to be associated with second hand smoke. I too am surprised that they don't make one floor or one side of the shipdesignated for smokers or for the nonsmokers. I have posted my own questions about smoking on cruises as well and felt many provided very helpful information.. I am very shocked at the aggressively negative responses you have had to your(I thought) nicely phrased question/concerns.

[Pokeraddict]

If it's not smoke its colgne if its not colgne its fat people in the buffet lines or fumes from cars and trucks and the list goes on.

 

You have two choices either cruise or stay home and live in a bubble its a s simple as that.

These conversations would take on a different tone if we were all in the same room face to face to one another.

Life is too short to bitch about issues, we need to learn to deal with it and move on.

 

Don't like it don't cruise simple!

[jonbgd]

If it's not smoke its colgne if its not colgne its fat people in the buffet lines or fumes from cars and trucks and the list goes on.

 

You have two choices either cruise or stay home and live in a bubble its a s simple as that.

These conversations would take on a different tone if we were all in the same room face to face to one another.

Life is too short to bitch about issues, we need to learn to deal with it and move on.

 

Don't like it don't cruise simple!

 

 

So whos alter ego are you:cool:

[agabbymama]

Wait until January 2012, then sail Princess. I believe their new smoking policy is no smoking in the cabins and no smoking on the balconies.

 

Or Celebrity is the same now.