Balcony Smoking on Carnival

[chrispb]

I am but one person. I am very sure were I not to book a cabin, that cabin would quickly be sold to someone else. :)

 

There are many here who have posted they have left HAL or are planning to leave HAL because of their verandah smoking policy. They don't care if they lose me, they will care if they lose many 'like me'.

 

Sigh, I don't think they really care about anyone, only the magic $. Both smokers and non-smokers are unhappy and are leaving or have left.

[sail7seas]

Sigh, I don't think they really care about anyone, only the magic $. Both smokers and non-smokers are unhappy and are leaving or have left.

 

 

 

People who smoke and book verandahs are happy and if they are still cruising are likely still cruising HAL. :)

 

[rafinmd]

I guess I am not really concerned. For the ships I like to sail, balconies are prohibitively expensive, and there is more than enough deck space where I never miss it. I do hope it will be banned when the R&S class ships are gone, but hopefully that is many years down the pike.

 

Roy

[chrispb]

People who smoke and book verandahs are happy and if they are still cruising are likely still cruising HAL. :)

 

 

Yes, some, but others have left for NCL, Carnival and Costa plus the luxury lines (some of whom still welcome smokers) or taking land-based trips instead.

 

Remember that old saying "you can please some of the people, some of the time but not all of the people all of the time". That's HAL's conundrum and not mine, thankfully.

[sail7seas]

We clearly could go back and forth all day and it is best we agree to disagree.

 

We are both right and we are both wrong but we will not agree. :)

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

I am but one person. I am very sure were I not to book a cabin, that cabin would quickly be sold to someone else. :)

 

There are many here who have posted they have left HAL or are planning to leave HAL because of their verandah smoking policy. They don't care if they lose me, they will care if they lose many 'like me'.

 

I called the Mariners Society here in San Diego, Ca and they say they are very aware of the current changes with Carnival and that the big wigs from HAL corporate are looking into all possibilities with our current smoking laws! It could be all talk, but time will tell!

[Lizzie68]

Oh good, another smoking thread.:rolleyes:

 

Hate to throw a wrench in the mix, but has anyone thought about the impact to HAL if they do this?

 

Those evil people (aka smokers) who book the more expensive cabins will start at looking at other options if this becomes the law of the land (or sea)

 

If the rules are the same then they will look at options and may opt to choose a more upscale line or even a mass market competitor.

 

I know, it's only 20% in America but it is more in Europe and they are the pricier cruises IMO

 

Hopefully, they do a better job of it when and if they do it than they did with the wine policy

 

It's not another smoking thread - it's an informational post on a change taking place in the industry. Hopefully it does not turn into the usual spat. (I haven't read the most recent post yet.;))

[cruz chic]

We'll that wonderful news now all of the above should book on Carnival!

 

Ps

I don't smoke, I hate the smell. But I'm so sick of the bashing of smokers by some of the posters!

Do you have nothing better to do with your time.

 

I don't see one poster bashing anyone up to the point you posted except for you.

[kakalina]

If all of you really want HAL to follow Carnival's lead then HAL will have to go back to allowing smoking in one of the bars. If you read the Carnival policy they allow smoking in one of they nightclubs. HAL does not, at this time, provide an indoor smoking area.

 

Sails, as many people are leaving due to the HAL smoking policy just as many are sailing HAL so they can smoke.

[cruz chic]

If all of you really want HAL to follow Carnival's lead then HAL will have to go back to allowing smoking in one of the bars. If you read the Carnival policy they allow smoking in one of they nightclubs. HAL does not, at this time, provide an indoor smoking area.

 

Sails, as many people are leaving due to the HAL smoking policy just as many are sailing HAL so they can smoke.

 

I think that would be a no brainer for them to do that. I'd be over the moon. They do need an indoor spot for smokers.

[sail7seas]

If all of you really want HAL to follow Carnival's lead then HAL will have to go back to allowing smoking in one of the bars. If you read the Carnival policy they allow smoking in one of they nightclubs. HAL does not, at this time, provide an indoor smoking area.

 

Sails, as many people are leaving due to the HAL smoking policy just as many are sailing HAL so they can smoke.

 

 

That is true and I have written that many times on this forum.

 

 

 

[mountainmare]

I'm somewhat surprised by the short lead time between the official announcement and the when the changes take place. I may be wrong but I think that Celebrity had a longer time frame and does anyone remember how much notice was given when HAL banned smoking from cabins?

If HAL would change (and that is a big IF)I would think the timing would be after the GWC and Grand South America depart. I don't see it happening this year.

[sail7seas]

They could change the policy fleet wide and exempt the GWC and Grand South America.

 

IMO, when (if ?) they change the policy, effective date should be the first date that would permit cancellation and refund prior to final payment due date. As long as they permit cancellation without penalty, that is sufficient.

 

Edited July 8, 2014 by sail7seas

[Shining Clem]

If all of you really want HAL to follow Carnival's lead then HAL will have to go back to allowing smoking in one of the bars. If you read the Carnival policy they allow smoking in one of they nightclubs. HAL does not, at this time, provide an indoor smoking area.

Just because Carnival has designated some interior night club space as smoking friendly, does not mean HAL has to follow suit. There are lines which offer sheltered 'interior' smoking areas, such as Oceania & Celebrity, with no smoking in casinos or bars.

 

When we saw the headline on CC, we were hoping that HAL would be the line ending balcony smoking. A year ago we took the Amsterdam to Alaska, and carefully chose our cabin as the one furthest forward on the deck. Luckily no one seemed to be next to us, and it worked out. We chose that cruise due to the dates which meshed in between some family events.

 

On our evaluation we said we would probably not be choosing another HAL cruise as positive as many of the experiences were, because of the balcony smoking policy. Not only does it disturb breathing from second hand smoke, but adds considerably to fire danger. If people are corralled around a couple of tables, sitting upright with others around, there is much less chance of them dozing off in a lounger on a quiet balcony, with a lighted cigarette in their fingers. I wish all the lines would encourage the crew members to smoke less, too.

 

As for Carnival enforcing it's new policy, it'll probably take a year for it to sink in. And yes, more smokers will migrate to HAL & Norwegian, making them even worse. Unfortunately making one side of the ship smoking & the other non-smoking, would be a nightmare to implement and juggle.

 

On a Celebrity ship, we ran into a passenger who would not change his cabin when offered another, because he deemed it too far to walk to the allowed smoking area. So some are lazy.

 

(sigh....) We hope HAL soon joins the others in forbidding balcony smoking.

[esmo]

We are taking our first HAL cruise, leaving on Saturday. We booked a balcony cabin because we "have" to have a balcony - that is just us. Because this was a last minute cruise for us, we were not even aware when we booked that my husband would be able to smoke on the balcony - and for us that is a bonus but as we have sailed on other lines that do not allow it - not a deal maker or breaker.

 

Of course it is more convenient that he can smoke on the balcony and he will take advantage - and try to do so when neighbors are not out on their verandahs. I do wish, as lines restrict smoking, they would provide a decent, indoor/outdoor place for smokers to go. I don't think that the smoking on balconies issue would be so important to smokers, if they had a viable and comfortable alternative. Instead they are restricted to the casino (which makes nobody happy) and some out of the way spot on deck where if the weather is inclement they have to brave the elements. It isn't as if someone who smokes has paid less for a comparable cabin than a non-smoker. If the non-smoker has the attitude that their cruise would be ruined if they encounter any smoke, what about the smoker, whose cruise experienced is diminished because they are made to feel like pariahs?

[luv4cruises]

Holland America Lines The Smokers' Chioce.

I've posted many times on smoking threads, and now I must applaud Carnival for implementing a smoking policy that respects the health, well being and safety of its guests.

 

It remains so incredulous to me that HAL a very refined cruise line continues to permit a policy that jeopardizes the health, well-being, comfort, and safety of her guests. There is no rational or logical rationale to HAL's smoking policy.

I love HAL ships but have opted to cruise on other ships with a better smoking policy.

 

The HAL ships may soon be overtaken by smokers- making their ships even more dangerous and uncomfortable for cruisers!

 

Wake up HAL!

[OCruisers]

The real shocker to me was Carnival did it before HAL! :eek:

LuLu

[CaveDiving]

Holland America Lines The Smokers' Chioce.

I've posted many times on smoking threads, and now I must applaud Carnival for implementing a smoking policy that respects the health, well being and safety of its guests.

 

It remains so incredulous to me that HAL a very refined cruise line continues to permit a policy that jeopardizes the health, well-being, comfort, and safety of her guests. There is no rational or logical rationale to HAL's smoking policy.

I love HAL ships but have opted to cruise on other ships with a better smoking policy.

 

The HAL ships may soon be overtaken by smokers- making their ships even more dangerous and uncomfortable for cruisers!

 

Wake up HAL!

 

But tell me, are you concerned about the rights and privileges of smokers?

 

Scott & Karen

[midwest 852]

I don't see one poster bashing anyone up to the point you posted except for you.

 

 

You just amaze me!:)

[scm1848]

We just cancelled our November 1 Carnival Cruise due to this change in policy, (thankfully still outside of final payment) and re-booked a Norwegian cruise for December 1. It's 2 days longer and a few hundred dollars less; our only loss was a couple of islands I would like to have seen, but with others overlapping. For our upcoming Med cruise, we have booked an aft wrap on HAL, and on Norwegian booked an almost aft mini-suite. We do this somewhat as a courtesy to non-smokers. When we can't smoke with our morning coffee and late night cocktail on our balcony, we will simply stop cruising.

[solocanadian]

We can only hope HAL will be next.

 

Hear, hear! Hope, hope.

[expectGREATthings]

Let me ask this question. Do you see a trend unfolding here? It's just a matter of time before HAL and NCL ban veranda smoking as well. I give it a year max on HAL. Next it'll be smoke free cruise ships overall. I live in Wisconsin and you can no longer smoke in any public restaurants or taverns. Ten years ago I would have bet a thousand dollars that would never happen here. It is what it is and the clock is ticking.

 

Michael

[AlohaPride]

I'm shocked. Isn't Carnival the "party" line?

[cruz chic]

I'm shocked. Isn't Carnival the "party" line?

 

I'm shocked too. I would think there would be more smokers on carnival because they like to party. Drinking and smokes seem to go hand in hand.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Not only am I surprised, but I'm also surprised at them giving only three months notice until the change goes into effect. I seem to remember both Princess and Royal Caribbean giving notice approaching one year of the policy change.

 

Hope HAL isn't far behind. As a prior poster said, if I was betting I would give it a year tops.

Edited July 9, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal