smoke on balcony

[nojoke]

We are considering a cruise on Holland America after an absence of several years. Our cruises lately have been on Celebrity and Princess where smoking is banned on balconies. Will this make more smokers sail on Holland America? How much chance do we (non-smokers) have of inhaling adjoining balcony smoke?

If you have sailed on HAL recently, I would really be interested in your opinion.

[mountainmare]

You are opening a can of worms here. Smoking is allowed on balconies, your neighbors beside you above you or below you may smoke and you will smell it. If this will bother you you should stay with the cruiselines you know and like that ban balcony smoking. It doesn't matter if people come and say on their cruise last week didn't have any smoke, the truth is that you are simply taking a chance. If balcony smoke is not a big deal to you then book HAL, if the chance of having smokers next to or below you (and possibly chain smokers) is a deal breaker then don't book HAL. Smokers have every right to smoke on balconies on HAL.

 

Off topic--PLEASE look at my name. I have had the misfortune to lose a beloved horse--yes she is dead. Every time I see the "dead horse" comment it causes me pain. So please pick something else.

[Relax@Sea]

We are considering a cruise on Holland America after an absence of several years. Our cruises lately have been on Celebrity and Princess where smoking is banned on balconies. Will this make more smokers sail on Holland America? How much chance do we (non-smokers) have of inhaling adjoining balcony smoke?

If you have sailed on HAL recently, I would really be interested in your opinion.

 

This is what was on there web site.

 

Effective on all cruises departing on or after January 4, 2013, our smoking policy will change to reflect our commitment to the comfort of all of our guests. The ship by ship schedule is below.

 

For the guests who wish to smoke, there will continue to be designated areas available for smoking on outside decks. In addition, smoking is permitted on stateroom verandahs. Cigar and pipe-smoking is permitted in the designated smoking areas of outside decks and verandahs only and not inside the ship.

 

Designated smoking areas:

 

Stateroom verandahs

Casino (Active players only)

Seaview Bar

Outside Decks

Sports Deck

Observation Deck (ms Prinsendam, ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Noordam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam, and ms Zuiderdam only)

 

 

Electronic cigarettes are permitted in staterooms but not in public areas. Any guest who smokes cigarettes, cigars or pipes inside staterooms in violation of our policy will be charged a $250 cleaning fee.

Ship Effective Date

ms Amsterdam 05/01/2013

ms Eurodam 01/05/2013

ms Maasdam 01/04/2013

ms Nieuw Amsterdam 01/20/2013

ms Noordam 01/07/2013

ms Oosterdam 01/12/2013

ms Prinsendam 05/17/2013

ms Rotterdam 01/09/2013

ms Ryndam 01/06/2013

ms Veendam 01/30/2013

ms Volendam 01/07/2013

ms Westerdam 01/06/2013

ms Zaandam 01/05/2013

ms Zuiderdam 01/14/2013

[DaveOKC]

We are considering a cruise on Holland America after an absence of several years. Our cruises lately have been on Celebrity and Princess where smoking is banned on balconies. Will this make more smokers sail on Holland America? How much chance do we (non-smokers) have of inhaling adjoining balcony smoke?

If you have sailed on HAL recently, I would really be interested in your opinion.

 

In 15 cruises, we have never really been bothered by balcony smoke. We have experienced it rarely, and even then it was a minor item.

 

I have a theory (and its just a theory) that certain balcony cabins are more likely to have smokers nearby than others. I know smokers who would rather be in an inside or ocean view cabin, but take the lowest price balcony cabin just so they can smoke, so I would avoid these. Of course, you will find smokers at every level of cabins (even the Neptune suites), but I think that you are more likely to find them as I just described.

 

DaveOKC

[catl331]

but take the lowest price balcony cabin just so they can smoke, so I would avoid these.

But smokers booking a VH guarantee may be assigned the VA next to you.

[GmaPajama]

I've been an on-again-off-again smoker for years (currently off). We book Neptune Suites. Not all smokers are bargain hunters - some of us are just plain addicted. And I just broke my own rule about never, ever posting to a smoking thread.

Edited June 27, 2014 by GmaPajama

[HamOp]

No real comment here, I just wanted to get in on the first page before it goes to 3 or 4 pages!:D

[Hlitner]

If smoke bothers you (or if you have a health problem (such as Asthma) where is can be dangerous) it is like rolling the dice to book a HAL balcony cabin. We detest smoke and go out of our way to avoid it. We also routinely cruise on HAL because of their terrific itineraries. On a majority of our HAL cruises we book outside cabins (no balcony) because we cannot justify the additional expense (quite significant on certain ships) of a verandah that we may not be able to use. On other HAL cruises we sometimes will pay for a verandah and just pray in a little luck. Last spring we spent 35 days on the Westerdam in a verandah cabin and never smelled any smoke for the entire cruise. But we have previously had verandahs on HAL ships where we were often driven off our balcony by cigarette or even cigar smoke.

 

If this is a major issue we suggest (and recommend) booking Celebrity or Princess if you can get a cruise that meets your other needs. Our personal practice is we only book a HAL cruise if it has an itinerary that we cannot possibly find elsewhere. In a sense, we now see HAL as our last option when nothing else works.

 

Hank

Edited June 27, 2014 by Hlitner

[DaveOKC]

I've been an on-again-off-again smoker for years (currently off). We book Neptune Suites. Not all smokers are bargain hunters - some of us are just plain addicted. And I just broke my own rule about never, ever posting to a smoking thread.

 

I was not trying to imply that smokers are "bargain hunters". What I was saying that smokers who would normally book an Inside or Ocean View cabin often move up a bit to the lowest level balcony, just so that they can smoke. Please do not take offense.

 

DaveOKC

[jaguarstyper]

I've been an on-again-off-again smoker for years (currently off). We book Neptune Suites. Not all smokers are bargain hunters - some of us are just plain addicted. And I just broke my own rule about never, ever posting to a smoking thread.

Yes, this is true, sadly I am a smoker and I always book a Neptune suite. However, I like to consider myself a polite and considerate smoker. If I hear my neighbors out and about on their balcony, I will refrain from smoking. I also tend to not smoke on the balcony very much when in port and not moving. While I am addicted and freely admit that, I am not a chain smoker and sometimes go for hours and hours without smoking. I never smoke at work, for example, and I tend to work long hours.

 

Not all smokers are chain smokers and some of us are actually nice people and try to be considerate of others around us. However, this consideration is rarely reciprocated by non-smokers. But, its our cross to bear and I bear it well.

[KirkNC]

We are considering a cruise on Holland America after an absence of several years. Our cruises lately have been on Celebrity and Princess where smoking is banned on balconies. Will this make more smokers sail on Holland America? How much chance do we (non-smokers) have of inhaling adjoining balcony smoke?

If you have sailed on HAL recently, I would really be interested in your opinion.

 

Its a coin toss. We usually do not get balconies but do ocassionally and we have had cruises were it is never an issue and others were it is.

[nb125]

We are considering a cruise on Holland America after an absence of several years. Our cruises lately have been on Celebrity and Princess where smoking is banned on balconies. Will this make more smokers sail on Holland America? How much chance do we (non-smokers) have of inhaling adjoining balcony smoke?

If you have sailed on HAL recently, I would really be interested in your opinion.

 

 

You may as well just read through this thread as I don't suppose anything has changed in the last few weeks.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2056912

[GmaPajama]

I was not trying to imply that smokers are "bargain hunters". What I was saying that smokers who would normally book an Inside or Ocean View cabin often move up a bit to the lowest level balcony, just so that they can smoke. Please do not take offense.

 

DaveOKC

Thanks for explaining that. I am no longer offended. :)

[sail7seas]

In 15 cruises, we have never really been bothered by balcony smoke. We have experienced it rarely, and even then it was a minor item.

 

I have a theory (and its just a theory) that certain balcony cabins are more likely to have smokers nearby than others. I know smokers who would rather be in an inside or ocean view cabin, but take the lowest price balcony cabin just so they can smoke, so I would avoid these. Of course, you will find smokers at every level of cabins (even the Neptune suites), but I think that you are more likely to find them as I just described.

 

DaveOKC

 

 

 

There is also the factor of free upgrades and low cost upsells. Someone may have booked a less costly category and got lucky to be moved up to a higher category.

 

[mrsraggy]

I am so sorry to hear about your horse. I lost my gelding of 25 years awhile back and I am still grief stricken. My heart goes out to you.

 

As far as smoky balconies go, we have had some good luck and some bad luck.

 

Being able to cruise is the best luck of all.

 

:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our last cruise -- Nieuw Amsterdam -- March/April -- the woman in the cabin next to us sat out on the verandah nearly all day and smoked consistently. We rarely used our verandah.

We have had this happen several times.

JMO -- but I so think that HAL is attracting more smokers since they know that they can smoke out on the balconies/verandahs.

[jaguarstyper]

JMO -- but I so think that HAL is attracting more smokers since they know that they can smoke out on the balconies/verandahs.

I do have to admit that it does factor in to my decision to cruise on HAL a teeny tiny little bit. So did the liberal bring your own wine on board policy, but that one is gone. I suspect the liberal smoking policy will also be gone some day too.

[solocanadian]

I do have to admit that it does factor in to my decision to cruise on HAL a teeny tiny little bit. So did the liberal bring your own wine on board policy, but that one is gone. I suspect the liberal smoking policy will also be gone some day too.

Not soon enough for me. Hate the way the casino stinks some days. Last cruise on the Oosterdam I never smelled smoke when on my balcony but strangely enough could smell it some days out in the hallway.

[tangerinebunny]

It can happen. If it's important enough to ask about, you may want to rethink HAL.

[eandj]

We enjoy time on the balcony. On warm weather cruises we have breakfast out there as well as before dinner cocktails. Sometime a late night sit. And maybe reading druing the sea days. Having experienced a smoker nearby our room once, we are very careful NOT to book HAL for any cruise that might include being hit in the face with some one's smoke. Balcony rooms on HAL's ships come at quite a $$ premium. So to have our time affected by smoke, is a chance we won't take.

 

It's a chance you either take, don't take or don't care about either way. No one can tell the OP what their chances are of getting a heavy smoker nearby. I'd think first about when and how often you use your balcony. Many just use it for views and and actually spend little time just sitting.

Edited June 27, 2014 by eandj

[Fouremco]

After our last HAL cruise, in 2013, during which we had a bad experience with heavy smokers situated next to us for 21 days, we vowed never again. Like the OP, enjoyed Celebrity's smoke-free balconies cruises, but when looking for an Alaska cruise this fall, found that only Holland America offered the combination of dates, itinerary and duration that works for us. As we like HAL, other than the smoking policy, we simply opted for an ocean view cabin.

[PathfinderEss]

I see we couldn't last a week.

[nojoke]

Thanks to everyone who answered my “smoking” question! Sorry if it seemed to be a reoccurring thread--I didn’t know. You have just confirmed what I suspected--in that there’s always a good chance someone will be smoking on a balcony. We had not experienced a problem several years ago, but at that time smoking was allowed on all ships--so the chance of having a next-door smoker was sort of spread around.

[mountainmare]

Since the OP has had his question answered maybe the hosts can lock the thread.

[Typhoon1]

Indeed, smoking has been talked to death for several years now.