How's the new HAL non smoking policy working out?

[sail7seas]

Just referring back to the thread you started and about age on HAL :D

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1543956

 

 

As I said, I didn't know how to respond as it was such an open ended comment, I had no idea where you were going with it.

 

Could have meant any number of things. ;)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

But, Lisa,

 

Some of us love the "S" ships have full hopes of being able to continue to enjoy sailing them.

 

I'm happy "S" ships /smoking issues won't be an issue for you but it well could be for some of us.

 

We sail her again soon.

Fingers crossed we get lucky and don't have to be disturbed with noxious smoke in our faces.

 

Sail, I think that is the chances you have to take...sail on a cruise line you love, knowing Crew and Officers on board and know how you will be treated or trying a new cruise line, not knowing the Officers and Crew and willing to except that while they may have no one smoking on the verandah will you enjoy the rest of the experience. You may have to switch to more of the larger ships for better odds. I honestly do not know because I would be assuming until we starting hearing many stories we honestly will not know how this is going to effect HAL. But only you can answer the question if this issue of smoking is going to want you to change cruise lines. I also cannot stand smoke and avoid it the best I can but it certainly is not going to change my cruise preferences. Maybe if I had 5 or 6 cruises in a row that it became terrible but in all honesty I doubt this is going to happen.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

As I said, I didn't know how to respond as it was such an open ended comment, I had no idea where you were going with it.

 

Could have meant any number of things. ;)

Did you notice this :D That normally means joking or being funny. And I had hoped that is what people what take it as.

[sail7seas]

Sail, I think that is the chances you have to take...sail on a cruise line you love, knowing Crew and Officers on board and know how you will be treated or trying a new cruise line, not knowing the Officers and Crew and willing to except that while they may have no one smoking on the verandah will you enjoy the rest of the experience. You may have to switch to more of the larger ships for better odds. I honestly do not know because I would be assuming until we starting hearing many stories we honestly will not know how this is going to effect HAL. But only you can answer the question if this issue of smoking is going to want you to change cruise lines. I also cannot stand smoke and avoid it the best I can but it certainly is not going to change my cruise preferences. Maybe if I had 5 or 6 cruises in a row that it became terrible but in all honesty I doubt this is going to happen.

 

 

Larger ships are not the answer.

We had our worst experience ever on Eurodam in terms of being disturbed on our veranda from smoking neighbors.

We loved the ship and most about it. Our neighbors were disgusting.

 

There hardly are many if any who love Maasdam more than us. Our Canada/New England cruises in an "S" are in the range of $1,100 Per Diem

...... that's a lot to risk losing use of our veranda for 14 days.

........ that's a lot to risk for losing use of our veranda for one day.

 

There is the choice to put up with it that noxious smoke, sail another line or not sail at all.

 

This has been an interesting conversation but sadly I think we're still right where we were when we started.

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

Did you notice this :D That normally means joking or being funny. And I had hoped that is what people what take it as.

 

 

Yes, I noticed your smiley but I also have been on forums long enough to know without body language, facial expression, tone of voice etc, it's only a guess trying to know just what the poster means .......... sometimes.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Larger ships are not the answer.

We had our worst experience ever on Eurodam in terms of being disturbed on our veranda from smoking neighbors.

We loved the ship and most about it. Our neighbors were disgusting.

 

There hardly are many if any who love Maasdam more than us. Our Canada/New England cruises in an "S" are in the range of $1,100 Per Diem

...... that's a lot to risk losing use of our veranda for 14 days.

It is sounding like you have made your decision and you are talking yourself into Celebrity or what ever cruise line will not have smoking on the verandah and that is fine too.

I personally would and will not make that decision until I actually see what is going to happen. I am not cruising strictly on HAL, I am looking forward to our Aft Suite on the NCL Dawn this next November.

I guess we are a bit more easy going and do not obsess on what could happen and looking forward to what we know will happen. :)

[sail7seas]

It is sounding like you have made your decision and you are talking yourself into Celebrity or what ever cruise line will not have smoking on the verandah and that is fine too.

I personally would and will not make that decision until I actually see what is going to happen. I am not cruising strictly on HAL, I am looking forward to our Aft Suite on the NCL Dawn this next November.

I guess we are a bit more easy going and do not obsess on what could happen and looking forward to what we know will happen. :)

 

 

No you are badly mistaken.

 

You will not find us on Celebrity or Princess or NCL without some very particular reason such a large group of friends with whom we wish to sail.

 

You should know me better than that. ;)

[pms4104]

I hear you Randy we only do a 7 day Alaska cruise and book the penthouse suite so 250 is nothing as long as we can enjoy ourselves:):)

And, you'll also light up in other areas on the ship designated as non-smoking, such as the MDR or the show lounges?

[1 HappyCruiser]

I will be more then happy to pay :):);)

 

Why don't you get together with a few other smokers & split the fine. It'll also be a little less work for the cabin stewards. :p

[Randyk47]

And, you'll also light up in other areas on the ship designated as non-smoking, such as the MDR or the show lounges?

 

I'm not answering for Cruiserat but for us it wouldn't change the other restrictions. We follow those rules now and would in the future. The upfront fee would strictly be for the cabin alone, no other location in the ship designated as non-smoking.

[sail7seas]

So do we all get to choose which rules we want to follow and wish we think we can ignore?

 

Hmm, let me see..... which rule do I think I'll ignore as it doesn't suit me????

 

[pms4104]

I'm not answering for Cruiserat but for us it wouldn't change the other restrictions. We follow those rules now and would in the future. The upfront fee would strictly be for the cabin alone, no other location in the ship designated as non-smoking.

I asked cruiserat the question ... because when HAL designates a cabin as non-smoking, it is no different than designating other ship areas as non-smoking. Following that logic, if one were to smoke in the cabin, it would be no different than smoking in other designateded non-smoking areas of the ship. Except that there is no spelled-out fine or cleaning fee for doing so.

 

Just wondering why cruiserat,m or any passenger, sees different non-smoking areas differently.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

No you are badly mistaken.

 

You will not find us on Celebrity or Princess or NCL without some very particular reason such a large group of friends with whom we wish to sail.

 

You should know me better than that. ;)

Now Sail, you cannot say that the thought did not cross your mind a time or two or you would not have been posting these threads with questions on other boards. ;)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1540630

 

Then on Celebrity board you asked this

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1537494

 

Everyone knows that you are friends with many HAL Officers why not ask them to let you know if there are more people complaining about smoking on the verandahs. But give it a few weeks, they are not going to know for a while either.

 

[sail7seas]

Yes, Lisa, I CAN say it has not crossed my mind to sail NCL, Princess or Celebrity.

We sailed "X" and Princess enough to have been turned off by them and we do not wish to ever cruise them again with, as I said above, a rare exceptional reason.

 

I CAN and DO say that.

Because I ask a question on a forum, do not make the leap I am booking another cruise line. That's a huge incorrect leap. I am not and will not be in the foreseeable future. I won't say never but darn close to it.

 

 

You forgot option Number three........

 

That is to return to more land Resort vacations that we loved long before we ever started cruising. We did one last summer for the first time in years and absolutely loved it. We had a wonderful time. The only reason we did was because it was summer and HAL had no ships in the Caribbean and, as I said, we would not sail another cruise line, so we chose to go to a Resort.

 

We did a huge amount of European and domestic city/resort vacations before we ever stopped on a ship.

 

That is always an option.

Oh by the way......... as a TA, I am sure you know many hotels do not permit smoking in their rooms and even some that do restrict it to certain floors.

 

 

The choices are put up with smokers possibly ruining our veranda use, cruise another cruise line or stop cruising.

 

 

*** I forgot to mention that I posted on the Seabourn Board last night. I'm not planning to book Seabourn either. A few threads over there had been pointed out to me and I wished to see what my friend was talking about.

[CRUISERAT]

And, you'll also light up in other areas on the ship designated as non-smoking, such as the MDR or the show lounges?

no one said that, i usually stay in my room because of the no smokeing policys:eek:

[cruznbelle]

I'm kinda with LAFFNVEGAS on this one... It's anticipating a problem that hasn't occured for most. Yes we are one of those who moved over to HAL - initially because of the smoking policy (away from Princess, although in full disclosure - we are diamond on RCCL and only considered Princess if they had a better itinerary).

 

I think folks will always maintain their cabin choice based on ability/desire to pay for how they want/like to cruise. I don't think that smokers that cruised on HAL, Princess or X in cabins w/o balconies will suddenly start booking balconies because of the smoke issue. I don't think that people on HAL that could smoke in the cabins that had balconies will suddenly smoke more on the balconies - I imagine they smoked there all along just like my DH as that is really the norm - I haven't been to a house in years where people smoke inside. Balcony smokers on Princess might move over to HAL but more likely to move to RCCL as HAL's prices are not exactly cheap although I'd give a nod to HAL on itinerary. For us, it's a matter of buying the largest amount of sq ft for the lowest cost with itinerary being the ultimate deciding factor. Others may be price only which would be RCCL. I noticed noone thinks HAL cabin smokers will suddenly move to Silver Seas which only allows for cabin smoking / no balcony smoking I believe. Why is that?

 

There are lines for those that can't tolerate any smoke smell at all. I think the majority don't care so much other than it's a preference not a driver. Most are driven by price and by itinerary. Surveys and such do not represent the majority - they are hypothetical by nature and may represent trends but the real vote is with the $$$.

 

Actually if I were making an assumption, mine would be the restrictions might make the situation worse for non-smokers top-side as those w/o balconies that stay with HAL now have to go to public areas for smoking - clustered together making the pool bar and other designated areas much more smoke filled. But again - who knows really - perhaps they never smoked in the cabins to begin with and only smoked in designated areas. Time will tell but I'm thinking HAL folks don't need to worry so much... RCCL - hard to say..

[CRUISERAT]

Why don't you get together with a few other smokers & split the fine. It'll also be a little less work for the cabin stewards. :p

good idea :cool::eek:

[pms4104]

no one said that, i usually stay in my room because of the no smokeing policys:eek:

I apologize ... I misread/misunderstood your post that I questioned.

[m steve]

become a private conversation between a few multi posters. The same things get repeated over and over again.

[sail7seas]

I'm kinda with LAFFNVEGAS on this one... It's anticipating a problem that hasn't occured for most. Yes we are one of those who moved over to HAL - initially because of the smoking policy (away from Princess, although in full disclosure - we are diamond on RCCL and only considered Princess if they had a better itinerary).

 

I think folks will always maintain their cabin choice based on ability/desire to pay for how they want/like to cruise. I don't think that smokers that cruised on HAL, Princess or X in cabins w/o balconies will suddenly start booking balconies because of the smoke issue. I don't think that people on HAL that could smoke in the cabins that had balconies will suddenly smoke more on the balconies - I imagine they smoked there all along just like my DH as that is really the norm - I haven't been to a house in years where people smoke inside. Balcony smokers on Princess might move over to HAL but more likely to move to RCCL as HAL's prices are not exactly cheap although I'd give a nod to HAL on itinerary.

 

 

<snip>

 

 

 

As I pointed out above, for me it isn't anticipation of a problem that has not happened.

 

It has happened to us that we have lost use of our veranda for a full week so I know it can and does happen. I also pointed out we had a 14 day cruise we could not use our veranda for sailaway....... lost that enjoyment every afternoon due to smokers in cabin beneath us.

 

 

I also pointed out through this discussion, I refer to those guests of Princess and Celebrity who now book verandas are the ones I expect will move to verandas on HAL. They are accustomed to being on their verandas and smoking there. They want to continue dong that and HAL welcomes them to do so.

 

I was not talking about people who do not usually book verandas.

 

[CRUISERAT]

I apologize ... I misread/misunderstood your post that I questioned.

hey not a problem, but i do tip my room steward good and he doesnt mind cleaning out the smoke, i leave him smileing

[sail7seas]

become a private conversation between a few multi posters. The same things get repeated over and over again.

 

 

 

The more the better.

Everyone and anyone should join in with their thoughts.

Maybe each of us is representing the one side and the other?

What points are we neglecting that should be raised?

Make the conversation more inclusive and more interesting, please.........

 

[pms4104]

hey not a problem, but i do tip my room steward good and he doesnt mind cleaning out the smoke, i leave him smileing

So, I didn't really misunderstand? You intend to smoke in a designated non-smoking area, your cabin? Do you do the same at hotels, eateries, gov't buildings, etc. and other designated non-smoking venues?

[cruznbelle]

WOW - my post is so old news... the page was on 8 I think when I start - HA -

 

Sail - have they fixed the shaking problem on the Maasdam? I've put off doing another NE/Canada cruise because we like the summer months but seems that Maasdam is the only ship that does that on any regular schedule. In 2006, we were so tired of being rattled to death by the engines on the Maasdam, I felt my whole insides wouldn't stop for days afterwards... Other than that the ship was lovely. Would love to hear that HAL has made modifications to make that constant vibration disappear.

[GeriatricNurse]

Yes, Lisa, I CAN say it has not crossed my mind to sail NCL, Princess or Celebrity.

We sailed "X" and Princess enough to have been turned off by them and we do not wish to ever cruise them again with, as I said above, a rare exceptional reason.

 

I CAN and DO say that.

Because I ask a question on a forum, do not make the leap I am booking another cruise line. That's a huge incorrect leap. I am not and will not be in the foreseeable future. I won't say never but darn close to it.

 

 

You forgot option Number three........

 

That is to return to more land Resort vacations that we loved long before we ever started cruising. We did one last summer for the first time in years and absolutely loved it. We had a wonderful time. The only reason we did was because it was summer and HAL had no ships in the Caribbean and, as I said, we would not sail another cruise line, so we chose to go to a Resort.

 

We did a huge amount of European and domestic city/resort vacations before we ever stopped on a ship.

 

That is always an option.

Oh by the way......... as a TA, I am sure you know many hotels do not permit smoking in their rooms and even some that do restrict it to certain floors.

 

 

The choices are put up with smokers possibly ruining our veranda use, cruise another cruise line or stop cruising.

 

 

*** I forgot to mention that I posted on the Seabourn Board last night. I'm not planning to book Seabourn either. A few threads over there had been pointed out to me and I wished to see what my friend was talking about.

 

Which one will you choose? :confused: