This Thread Is To Be Used For All Discussions About HAL's On Board Smoking Policies

[sugcarol]

I love to cruise, and love HAL, I will still cruise if balcony smoking is banned, I have a choice as everyone does. After all these pages on the subject, it's time to give it a rest and worry about things that really matter. We're darn lucky to be able to cruise at all, I know I am.

[cruz chic]

Being exposed to smoke is not a small thing. To excuse it as being minor is only fooling yourself. Hopefully sooner rather than later Hal will adjust its archaic smoking policy. A poster reported that there was no smoking in the casino on his cruise. Hopefully this is the next step before balcony smoking us eliminated. The subject will rest when posters are not interested in posting. All posters do have the option of skipping threads that are of no interest.

Edited October 13, 2015 by cruz chic

[sugcarol]

Wow, no smoking in the casino on a HAL ship. Please tell us what ship he was on, news like that in this thread is important. I don't live on this board like some people do, from now on I will check periodically, but in the meantime it would be helpful to know what ship that poster was on.

[cruz chic]

Wow, no smoking in the casino on a HAL ship. Please tell us what ship he was on, news like that in this thread is important. I don't live on this board like some people do, from now on I will check periodically, but in the meantime it would be helpful to know what ship that poster was on.

 

If I remember correctly it was the Noordam. I will try to find the thread but I won't spend a long time looking for it.

 

Edited to say I can't find the thread. It wasn't that long ago, maybe a month or so ago. I thought I'd remembered the poster but I couldn't find it under their posts. For all I know I could be within this thread.

Edited October 13, 2015 by cruz chic

[cruz chic]

I found the post that refers to the Noordam casino being smoke free. See Post 2484 by tyler919 in this thread.

[kennicott]

HAL is doing price promotions as all lines are doing, but they haven't gotten into excessively deep discounting and/or nickel and dime extra charges for every little thing (NCL with their room service charges and Princess with their extra charge for fancier coffee drinks purchased with their coffee card and Carnival with their $60 early boarding fee).

 

LOL, Oh yes, HAL doesn't nickel and dime like the others do, to wit:

 

"HAL----Bringing wine or Champagne onboard: It's allowed. Passengers, aged 21 or older, may bring one bottle of wine or Champagne (no larger than 750ml) onboard in their carry-on luggage at the beginning of a sailing. This bottle is not subject to a corkage fee if it is consumed in the cabin. Additional wine or Champagne bottles brought on in carry-on luggage will incur a corkage fee of $18 a bottle, irrespective of where they will be consumed."

 

Princess---$15.00 per bottle over one bottle.

 

NCL--------$15.00 per bottle over one bottle.

[IRL_Joanie]

Wow, no smoking in the casino on a HAL ship. Please tell us what ship he was on, news like that in this thread is important. I don't live on this board like some people do, from now on I will check periodically, but in the meantime it would be helpful to know what ship that poster was on.

That poster stated it was on the Noordam just a month -6 weeks ago. Anyway, we were on for 2 weeks in May 2015 and I had no problem lighting up in the Casino as did a few others who were playing the machines.

 

I believe, and it is ONLY my belief, that the poster might just have been in there on the 1 (one) smoke free day per cruise that I've heard about, but not seen for myself. Or, I shudder to think this, the poster is correct and Noordam is the 1st HAL ship doing a test.....I sure hope not, since that is the only inside area that we can smoke in during times when the outside decks are closed.

 

So, before panicking or worrying might be the better word for it.... wait until you board and then find out from the Casino staff.

 

Joanie

[Aquahound]

If I remember correctly it was the Noordam. I will try to find the thread but I won't spend a long time looking for it.

 

Edited to say I can't find the thread. It wasn't that long ago, maybe a month or so ago. I thought I'd remembered the poster but I couldn't find it under their posts. For all I know I could be within this thread.

 

I found the post that refers to the Noordam casino being smoke free. See Post 2484 by tyler919 in this thread.

 

As hopeful as I was that news was true, I find it hard to believe since there has been zero other mention of it. I could only dream of HAL taking on a policy like Celebrity.

[Hlitner]

HAL doesn't nickel and dime? ROFLMAO. I guess it is true since nickles and dimes will not even get you a toothpick. Have you looked at the price of pictures, the Art Auctions, the cost of Bingo cards, the various clothing "sales," overpriced excursions, increase in the cost of suggested tips (as of 12/15), alternative restaurants (where it is the norm to tip on top of extra charges, the price of wine (with lower priced bottles often marked-up by over 600%), automatic gratuities added to the price of every drink (including a bottle of water), etc???? Yes we do agree there is no nickel and diming on HAL.

 

And to be clear, we are not singling out HAL for these type of items/charges as HAL is just one more mass market cruise line following strategies similar to the other mass market lines in order to maximize onboard revenue.

 

Hank

Edited October 13, 2015 by Hlitner

[cruz chic]

As hopeful as I was that news was true, I find it hard to believe since there has been zero other mention of it. I could only dream of HAL taking on a policy like Celebrity.

 

I would hope the poster was not just making it up.

[cruz chic]

That poster stated it was on the Noordam just a month -6 weeks ago. Anyway, we were on for 2 weeks in May 2015 and I had no problem lighting up in the Casino as did a few others who were playing the machines.

 

I believe, and it is ONLY my belief, that the poster might just have been in there on the 1 (one) smoke free day per cruise that I've heard about, but not seen for myself. Or, I shudder to think this, the poster is correct and Noordam is the 1st HAL ship doing a test.....I sure hope not, since that is the only inside area that we can smoke in during times when the outside decks are closed.

 

So, before panicking or worrying might be the better word for it.... wait until you board and then find out from the Casino staff.

 

Joanie

 

There should absolutely be an indoor space. The poster that said that the casino was non smoking said they have the cigar room for smokers. They also said that was the first cruise that this was effective. The person went into a lot of detail. I know that you didn't say this but it would be my wish to never hear that non smokers should just go elsewhere. That just is a recipe to annoy.

Edited October 13, 2015 by cruz chic

[bellalisa]

It sounds like they were not making it up but when they were on the HAL and in the casino they didn't notice any smoke. They probably went in there a few times when there were no smokers around and reported that they didnt see any smoking in the casino

Not a new policy and not making it up either.

[cruz chic]

It sounds like they were not making it up but when they were on the HAL and in the casino they didn't notice any smoke. They probably went in there a few times when there were no smokers around and reported that they didnt see any smoking in the casino

Not a new policy and not making it up either.

 

Apparently the casino workers reported that this was the first cruise under the new policy. Were they confused by the lack of smokers in the casino? It appears that the poster was on the Noordam at the end of September. It doesn't sound to me that the poster was confused. No way to find this out for positive without being on the ship.

[Lizzie68]

Even if they had a one-night-no-smoking the place would still stink like an ashtray as usual. Conversely, I am sure we would have heard much more about it if the casino actually had been made smoke-free even on a trial basis. But I choose to avoid going in or through the casino.

[sppunk]

HAL is testing a new no-smoking policy in the casino? It's about time. HALLELUJAH!

[cruz chic]

HAL is testing a new no-smoking policy in the casino? It's about time. HALLELUJAH!

 

I'd be more happy if they tested it on balconies. I can easily avoid the casino.

[cruiseing marly]

I'd be more happy if they tested it on balconies. I can easily avoid the casino.

 

 

I agree even though I use the casino it's much easier to quit gambling if your losing with someone smoking next to you ! I don't like being chased from our balcony !!!

[taxmantoo]

Maybe they could just move all the slot machines to a corner aft balcony and designate that as the casino/smoking room :D then have the rest of the ship smoke-free.

[Fouremco]

I'd be more happy if they tested it on balconies. I can easily avoid the casino.

Yup, MUCH happier!

[sppunk]

I'd be more happy if they tested it on balconies. I can easily avoid the casino.

 

Agreed! I will say the casino rule would be great though since that nasty air infiltrates other spaces and you often have little choice but to walk through the casino to get someplace else.

[Aquahound]

I would hope the poster was not just making it up.

 

So would I....but to be clear, I'm not calling that person a liar. I just think there might have been some sort of misunderstanding because otherwise, it seems this would have been reported by someone else by now.

[freestyling]

Maybe they could just move all the slot machines to a corner aft balcony and designate that as the casino/smoking room :D then have the rest of the ship smoke-free.

 

Don't even think of it :) . It's hard enough to secure an aftwrap!

Edited October 13, 2015 by freestyling

[kennicott]

A few posts back Host Walt provided the Princess smoking rules from their website. Below is the same from the HAL website. We just got off Regal Princess and as I previously posted this was our on board impression the first week. "For almost the first week of the voyage we noticed no smoking, to the point we wondered if a new rule had been created making this ship a totally non-smoking one."

 

As it turned out there is a limited amount of smoking in the Casino exactly as described in the Casino smoking rules Host Walt provided. What initially through me off was the absence of smoke smell when you walked through the casino, (not like the old days when you almost needed a respirator). There were also "non smoking in the casino" days designated and that non-smoking is applicable to the entire casino except at designated slot machines, no gaming table smoking. There is also a limited amount of smoking within a fenced off portion of the Terrace Pool, Deck 17 (plenty of ashtrays were here on the tables with an attendant at hand to empty them and make certain smokers remained inside the enclosure), and in an inside lounge called "Churchill's" dedicated for smokers only (Interesting that the Princess website rules don't mention their inside Churchill's cigar lounge). Also there is a short section of outside deck on the starboard side of deck 7 which allows smoking. I talked to the front desk and a couple of smokers to determine that this was accurate, which is pretty much as their rules prescribe.

 

HAL's on board smoking pretty much follows that on Princess with the exception of the exclusive cigarette/cigar smoking room "Churchill's" on Princess, HAL still allows casino smoking at some table games and that HAL allows cigar smoking on balconies and all other outside deck areas on which smoking is allowed. I'm confused as to whether or not Princess allows cigar smoking on outside decks, their website doesn't address that either. It occurs to me that a lot of poster confusion on this thread might originate from unclear smoking signage on these ships as to where smoking is or is not permitted even though both lines like to say "Clearly marked “Designated Smoking Areas” are available onboard".

 

 

"Princess----The Casino and Casino Bar are non-smoking areas on board, with the exception of designated slot machines where guests are permitted to smoke only while playing at those machines. All table games are non-smoking. The Casino will also have one or more non-smoking nights (6 pm to closing), depending on length of voyage. Show lounges, dining rooms and all food services areas on board all Princess ships are non-smoking."

 

"Holland America Lines----For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. While smoking is not permitted in staterooms, guests are allowed to smoke on stateroom verandahs. Smoking is also permitted on certain other designated, outside decks. The designated smoking areas for all ships are as follows unless otherwise noted:

 

Stateroom verandahs

Sea View Bar (not available on ms Rotterdam and ms Veendam)

Outside Decks

Sports Deck

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

Casino

Active players only, when the casino is open

Designated slot machines only

Each sailing will offer one or more non-smoking nights depending upon the length of the voyage

 

Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed and on stateroom verandahs. Electronic cigarettes are permitted in staterooms but not in other public areas of the ship other than on outside decks designated as smoking areas.

 

Any guest who smokes inside staterooms in violation of our policy will be charged a US$250 cleaning fee per day of violation."

[cruz chic]

So would I....but to be clear, I'm not calling that person a liar. I just think there might have been some sort of misunderstanding because otherwise, it seems this would have been reported by someone else by now.

 

If the poster wasn't so specific I would agree. This is a very recent development. It was the end of September. There has only been maybe one or two cruises. Maybe it was just one cruise. The poster doesn't seem to be someone that stirs the pot. I have no reason to not believe them.

Edited October 13, 2015 by cruz chic

[Stratheden]

If the poster wasn't so specific I would agree. This is a very recent development. It was the end of September. There has only been maybe one or two cruises. Maybe it was just one cruise. The poster doesn't seem to be someone that stirs the pot. I have no reason to not believe them.

 

Maybe the poster wasn't a frequent gambler and just happened to pick the Smoke Free Night to visit the casino and assumed that was the rule every night.