HAL Smoking Policy

[MMOMOM]

Sadly there are other people on the planet .... some of them bother us ... yes, the smokers, the drunks, the loud mouths and 'know it all' people on the balcony, the yelling and running children, the crying babies, the players of loud obnoxious music, the loud people cursing late into the night while also on the balcony (hmm ... wonder if alcohol could be involved?), the extremely obese that can't walk anymore and have to ride or get stuck in chairs and hog the halls and buffet lines, the ones that push and shove getting in and out of shows, the rude elevator people who either refuse to move and block you from getting in or out or just 'rush' the door when it opens, the people that litter, the chair hogs, the people that really should shower and brush their teeth a little more while in close contact with the public .... I could go on and on, but you know what? We're all in this together ... some try and be considerate of others, some don't ... it's the price we pay to travel 'with others'. Not everyone lives by our individual standards and complain as we will .... some things will never change. I say ... go on a cruise and just be happy you're there (many are not as fortunate) .... give a little, accept a little, forgive a little, try some compassion .... live and let live .... and then, have a great time! :)

[Hlitner]

If I put a towel and a book on a chair in the front row, can I "reserve" a seat for the show :) ?

 

If you go to a late show on HA you can have the entire theater! Everyone else will be sleeping :)

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Sadly there are other people on the planet .... some of them bother us ... yes, the smokers, the drunks, the loud mouths and 'know it all' people on the balcony, the yelling and running children, the crying babies, the players of loud obnoxious music, the loud people cursing late into the night while also on the balcony (hmm ... wonder if alcohol could be involved?), the extremely obese that can't walk anymore and have to ride or get stuck in chairs and hog the halls and buffet lines, the ones that push and shove getting in and out of shows, the rude elevator people who either refuse to move and block you from getting in or out or just 'rush' the door when it opens, the people that litter, the chair hogs, the people that really should shower and brush their teeth a little more while in close contact with the public .... I could go on and on, but you know what? We're all in this together ... some try and be considerate of others, some don't ... it's the price we pay to travel 'with others'. Not everyone lives by our individual standards and complain as we will .... some things will never change. I say ... go on a cruise and just be happy you're there (many are not as fortunate) .... give a little, accept a little, forgive a little, try some compassion .... live and let live .... and then, have a great time! :)

 

Good post, I agree..........a lot of truth to what you say, as painful as it is for some of us to digest (on some topics!).

[solocanadian]

:cool: Hal is changing the wine policy to keep in step with other lines, so why not step in line with the others on smoking. We have over 400 days and have on a few occasions been bothered by smoke on the balcony, but it was never a constant thing. I guess it depends on how the wind blows. Perhaps the solution would be to set aside a block of balcony cabins as smoking and others as non smoking. Let people choose where they want to be.

 

I like this idea and would like to see HAL consider it.:D

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Believe me, smoking bothers me....not so much my DH (a former smoker also). But I think a little consideration both ways is in order. If there was only a way for the smoker next to the non-smoker could work out a "plan" to alternate times on the balcony, that would be a "perfect world" situation. Alas, I don't think that is going to happen (because there is no PC way to handle it without offending anyone), so the war rages on.........

[dmcfad2]

What is a troll?

[kazu]

Folks - you are being lured - IMO.

 

We've had enough contentious threads - let this one go.

 

this one will turn ugly - it's a policy that's been there for some time.

 

I have been bothered more by loud, obnoxious (and probably over indulged) people on balconies than smoke.

 

I'm not discounting other's issues - but honestly - I'd prefer not to serve up the butter to go with the popcorn.

 

[kazu]

What is a troll?

 

they live under a bridge and hide - and then they come up just for a moment to stir up trouble. They don't care about the bridge or the experience on the bridge - they just like to make trouble:D

[puli]

Maybe 3 posts should be a clue seems more like a Troll than anything else.

 

36 days and the poster could eat on the balcony only twice, horse crackers to that. My DW and I have 100 days of cruising too and we love the balcony and have never been bothered by smoke from others on either side of our cabin, as the OP said the ship is clipping along at 17 or 18 knots, smoke does not hang around at that speed.

 

Yes I vote for the Troll on this.

 

Sorry, but I too have no idea what calling somebody a troll means?

 

Did you make your statement "Maybe 3 posts should be a clue seems more like a Troll than anything else" because you have a few more posts and this is some type of contest????

 

 

Oops, was typing my response while the last few were being posted....I quess now I know what a troll is and that we probably do have a contest going!!!!

[Watson's aunt]

A long time ago well had tall ships in Boston. I was watching a few Russian sailors smoking. They walked a good distance to throw thier butts into the trash. Can you see an American doing that? So when these smokers finish smoking what happens to the butts? How many of them they throw the butts over board.

 

 

 

Mary

[MadManOfBethesda]

Maybe 3 posts should be a clue seems more like a Troll than anything else.

 

36 days and the poster could eat on the balcony only twice, horse crackers to that. My DW and I have 100 days of cruising too and we love the balcony and have never been bothered by smoke from others on either side of our cabin, as the OP said the ship is clipping along at 17 or 18 knots, smoke does not hang around at that speed.

 

Yes I vote for the Troll on this.

 

Really?

 

So you think that someone who has been a member of Cruise Critic since September 2007 has been biding his time waiting for six years just to troll this board about HAL's smoking policy? And all because he hasn't posted much in those six years?

 

Great detective work, Mr. Holmes! You've solved another mystery! :rolleyes:

 

Or maybe not.

[LSEA]

Sadly there are other people on the planet .... some of them bother us ... yes, the smokers, the drunks, the loud mouths and 'know it all' people on the balcony, the yelling and running children, the crying babies, the players of loud obnoxious music, the loud people cursing late into the night while also on the balcony (hmm ... wonder if alcohol could be involved?), the extremely obese that can't walk anymore and have to ride or get stuck in chairs and hog the halls and buffet lines, the ones that push and shove getting in and out of shows, the rude elevator people who either refuse to move and block you from getting in or out or just 'rush' the door when it opens, the people that litter, the chair hogs, the people that really should shower and brush their teeth a little more while in close contact with the public .... I could go on and on, but you know what? We're all in this together ... some try and be considerate of others, some don't ... it's the price we pay to travel 'with others'. Not everyone lives by our individual standards and complain as we will .... some things will never change. I say ... go on a cruise and just be happy you're there (many are not as fortunate) .... give a little, accept a little, forgive a little, try some compassion .... live and let live .... and then, have a great time! :)

 

Well said. I agree... although I still need a reminder from time to time!

[Robin7]

We haven't cruised HAL for several years due to the smoking policy (which has now changed, I see) and costs. (We've also had some financial setbacks which required we spend less $$$ too.) But I like to check in here once in a while just to see what everyone is chatting about. I can see that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

So here's more fuel for the fire.

 

:D

 

Robin (who hopes to go back to HAL soon)

 

http://money.msn.com/now/post--more-americans-want-smoking-banned-entirely?ICID=TheStreet

[trixietx]

A long time ago well had tall ships in Boston. I was watching a few Russian sailors smoking. They walked a good distance to throw thier butts into the trash. Can you see an American doing that? So when these smokers finish smoking what happens to the butts? How many of them they throw the butts over board.

 

 

 

Mary

 

This will be my first cruise on HAL, but I know on RCCL if you are a smoker they have an ashtray on your balcony and no my DH has never thrown a butt overboard! So, I guess some of our smokers are as good as the Russian smokers! That is a big thing with RCCL, you don't throw anything overboard. I suspect HAL has about the same policy.

[alwaysfrantic]

The retreat cabanas are all non-smoking? I hope this is the case. I am now worried the balcony will be un-useable. :(

[cruz chic]

The retreat cabanas are all non-smoking? I hope this is the case. I am now worried the balcony will be un-useable. :(

 

Yes, thankfully they are.

[Copper10-8]

What is a troll?

 

A little supernatural Scandinavian who fell of the ugly truck, dwells in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, lives together in small family units, and is rarely helpful to human beings:cool:

[PirateShark]

FDA will not state e-cigarettes safe. They have too many questions about them.

 

Perfume.... that is often the next subject raised when smoking threads are first started.

Obesity...overeaters are endangering their health but not anyone else's.

 

Drinking..... good those who enjoy a cocktail or two aren't driving when on a ship.

 

What did I forget?

 

Flip Flops, Shorts and Backwards Baseball Caps in the MDR on formal night :D

 

That comes right after the rant about speedos and bathrobes :p

[MermaidWatcher]

said that only 5% of guests smoke, but that HAL won't change the policy because the smokers would go to other cruise-lines and HAL would lose their revenue.

.

 

We have been very fortunate on never having smokers on adjacent balconies, so our worst balcony grievance has been neighbors who leave their balcony light on all night.....to ward off the giant squid I guess ?

I put forth that any line that goes non smoking on balconies would easily make up for any lost customers, just the pure numbers of smokers vs. non smokers in society are in their favor.

Think about it. Using the stated 5%, that is only 100 passengers on a 2000 passenger vessel.

[celle]

A long time ago well had tall ships in Boston. I was watching a few Russian sailors smoking. They walked a good distance to throw thier butts into the trash. Can you see an American doing that? So when these smokers finish smoking what happens to the butts? How many of them they throw the butts over board.

Mary

 

Well, Mary,

I can answer that one on behalf of my DH, who used to be a smoker but is now an ex-smoker, thanks to e-cigarettes:

 

When he was a smoker, he would smoke on the balcony, but he always had a used wine bottle, into which he put about an inch of water. His cigarette butts always went into that bottle.

 

He was very conscious of the danger of fire on board a ship and he never wanted to run the risk of wind blowing his ashes and accidentally causing a fire. He never threw his butts anywhere.

 

While some smokers can be thoughtless, please don't assume that they all are.

[PathfinderEss]

<snip>

So far, we have made great progress.

Verandah smoking is the last change we seek.

We have no problem with their being outdoor and indoor smoking designated areas..... just not in places we cannot avoid.

 

 

 

I would love to think that would be the last change you seek, but I have lots of doubt about that.

Sadly there are other people on the planet .... some of them bother us ... yes, the smokers, the drunks, the loud mouths and 'know it all' people on the balcony, the yelling and running children, the crying babies, the players of loud obnoxious music, the loud people cursing late into the night while also on the balcony (hmm ... wonder if alcohol could be involved?), the extremely obese that can't walk anymore and have to ride or get stuck in chairs and hog the halls and buffet lines, the ones that push and shove getting in and out of shows, the rude elevator people who either refuse to move and block you from getting in or out or just 'rush' the door when it opens, the people that litter, the chair hogs, the people that really should shower and brush their teeth a little more while in close contact with the public .... I could go on and on, but you know what? We're all in this together ... some try and be considerate of others, some don't ... it's the price we pay to travel 'with others'. Not everyone lives by our individual standards and complain as we will .... some things will never change. I say ... go on a cruise and just be happy you're there (many are not as fortunate) .... give a little, accept a little, forgive a little, try some compassion .... live and let live .... and then, have a great time! :)

 

Exactly, thanks for reminding us we are not the only people in this world and we should act accordingly, with some grace and tolerance.

[IRL_Joanie]

:DThe concession stand is open! Popcorn is to the right, sticks to beat the dead horse to the left.:D

 

I'm ready:)

 

 

Joanie

[sprshop]

:(We have also needed to retreat from our balcony due to smokers on both sides. No matter how fast the ship is going, the smoke blows away from the smokers and into the next balcony. Yes, we did know smoking was allowed, but did not think we would be between two smoking balconies:eek:. Every night, stinky cigar, every morning chain smoking cigarets.

 

So after the last cruise, we decided to go with another line that bans balcony smoking. Since one of our favorite things to do on a cruise is to have breakfast on the balcony every morning, we decided to switch to a different line that has a non-smoking balcony policy.

 

Maybe a solution could be for the lines to have smoking decks and non smoking decks. :D

 

We might come back to HAL if that happened.:)

[sail7seas]

Flip Flops, Shorts and Backwards Baseball Caps in the MDR on formal night :D

 

That comes right after the rant about speedos and bathrobes :p

 

Thanks for filling in the blanks.... :D

 

 

I would love to think that would be the last change you seek, but I have lots of doubt about that.

 

 

 

 

<snip>

 

 

I am a woman of my word. If that is what I say, that is what I mean. :)

 

I truly do not think the ships should be totally smoke free. I think there should be at least one sheltered outdoor space for smokers and one place inside. I just want those spots to be avoidable by non-smokers and my verandah is not the place I want to be 'avoidable'.

 

[Richie2pies]

I just can't understand why people who know what HAL's smoking policy is still choose to book HAL. Almost all the itineraries are the same and so is life on a ship. I choose to use HAL because of their smoking policy. I also book NCL and have given up Princess due to the smoking policy. Vote with your wallet!