Single Smoking Thread (Use for all smoking discussions on HAL) )

[RuthC]

10 hours ago, RGEDad said:

I do get really , really annoyed by having to walk through the smoking casino to get to the Theater

You can also get to the theatre on the Vista and Signature ships on decks one and three. No need to go on deck 2 at all. 

[RGEDad]

56 minutes ago, RuthC said:

11 hours ago, RGEDad said:

I do get really , really annoyed by having to walk through the smoking casino to get to the Theater

You can also get to the theatre on the Vista and Signature ships on decks one and three. No need to go on deck 2 at all. 

Yes - I know that - but...what typically happens on ships with smoking casinos is I find myself walking toward some place and all of a sudden walking into the smoking casino area. Hate to have to plan anything on a cruise - especially my path from hither to yon on the boat.

And yes: Many times we go to the theater via Deck 1 - less crowded - and faster escape.  However - On our just completed Alaska Cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam - found out the Deck 1 entrance to the theater was locked shut.

Somehow - we survived.

[RuthC]

Since smokers have to go out of their way to find a place to smoke on the ship, it's no hardship for non-smokers to go out of their way if they want to totally avoid smoke. It's a reasonable accommodation. 

Now, having the doors to the theatre on deck one locked can be a hardship. It's the best entrance for those using a mobility device. It's the only way to get to the handicap parking spaces on that deck. 

[mightycruisequeen]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:26 AM, RuthC said:

Since smokers have to go out of their way to find a place to smoke on the ship, it's no hardship for non-smokers to go out of their way if they want to totally avoid smoke. It's a reasonable accommodation. 

Non-smokers who want to totally avoid smoke should keep pressuring cruise lines to eliminate smoking from their ships.  There's absolutely no healthy reason to allow it onboard.  (And aren't we all so into everyone's health, and worrying about the health of others these days?)

Smoking is a hardship that smokers choose to endure, and they somehow expect the rest of us to deal with it too.   That's not a reasonable expectation anymore.    

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, mightycruisequeen said:

Non-smokers who want to totally avoid smoke should keep pressuring cruise lines to eliminate smoking from their ships.  There's absolutely no healthy reason to allow it onboard.  (And aren't we all so into everyone's health, and worrying about the health of others these days?)

Smoking is a hardship that smokers choose to endure, and they somehow expect the rest of us to deal with it too.   That's not a reasonable expectation anymore.    

 

Smokers expect who 'to deal with it too'? The only expectations of anyone onboard are to respect and follow the established rules; which currently allow smoking in a very restricted/dedicated area on the ship. Non-smokers should avoid these areas, and everyone is happy, right?

[Woodfaerie]

Does Holland America sell cartons in their ship stores?

[RGEDad]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:26 AM, RuthC said:

Since smokers have to go out of their way to find a place to smoke on the ship, it's no hardship for non-smokers to go out of their way if they want to totally avoid smoke. It's a reasonable accommodation. 

My only real issue was that when the smoking casinos were in the middle of the traffic lane on that deck and you had to go through it. If they were in an enclosed separate ventilated room (Like some airports), or in a corner of the ship where the smoke does not typically drift to other parts, I have no real personal issue.

Look, I was addicted to smoking when I was in my late teens/early twenties (oh so many years ago) so I have some understanding of the need to fulfill that daily/hourly craving, and when the craving hits, it can distract from the fun times of gaming/gambling. It took me several years and 6 tries to finally understand that I can never, ever, have just one...and that is when I finally understood it was a true addiction.

[RGEDad]

12 hours ago, Woodfaerie said:

Does Holland America sell cartons in their ship stores?

Yup: they do, down in the ships Stores..

Here is a Photo of the Nieuw Amsterdam Shop and you can see them on the shelf..

 

I think I saw some folks taking out Title Loans on their cars to buy some on our September Alaskan cruise. Boy am I glad I kicked that 40 years ago...

[Woodfaerie]

13 hours ago, RGEDad said:

Yup: they do, down in the ships Stores..

Here is a Photo of the Nieuw Amsterdam Shop and you can see them on the shelf..

 

I think I saw some folks taking out Title Loans on their cars to buy some on our September Alaskan cruise. Boy am I glad I kicked that 40 years ago...

 My husband still smokes so its like, "you go ahead and spend your hard earned money buying your cartons of cigarettes. I'm going to spend mine on an excursion, cya when I get back!"

[RGEDad]

1 hour ago, Woodfaerie said:

"you go ahead and spend your hard earned money buying your cartons of cigarettes. I'm going to spend mine on an excursion

Yea - 2 Cartons is a pretty good excursion...Three cartons - wellllll - now we are talking helicopter time...

[richstowe]

On 10/12/2021 at 8:52 AM, RGEDad said:

I think I saw some folks taking out Title Loans on their cars to buy some on our September Alaskan cruise. Boy am I glad I kicked that 40 years ago...

I thought cigarettes are cheap on board . 

[KroozNut]

2 hours ago, richstowe said:

I thought cigarettes are cheap on board . 

 

🤣 🤣

[RGEDad]

 

3 hours ago, richstowe said:

I thought cigarettes are cheap on board . 

I really have no idea what a carton costs, but I know cigarettes  are not as cheap as they were oh so many moons ago when I used to smoke. I know I am always surprised at the pack price as I watch people purchase them at the local convenience store (as I myself make my own periodic, Low Cost, High Yield, Very High RISK...Investment).

[lyndarra]

Australia must be close to having the most expensive cigarettes in the world. Approx. USD35 a pack of 20! If you plan to visit Australia in the future don't be tempted to bring your own supply as you will be required to pay import duty on any quantity over one pack pp.

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Australia must be close to having the most expensive cigarettes in the world. Approx. USD35 a pack of 20! If you plan to visit Australia in the future don't be tempted to bring your own supply as you will be required to pay import duty on any quantity over one pack pp.

 

😮

 

Did the smoking rate go down?

[lyndarra]

9 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

😮

 

Did the smoking rate go down?

It has. Tax and excise on tobacco here has been a cash cow for the federal  government. However, they (government) claim we are balancing the cost of treating smoking related illness in our public health care which is federally funded. I'm inclined to go along with that.

Tax increases have seen only slight decrease in smoking over the last 5-6 years. Annual decrease is now less than 1% to an all time low of 11% as of Jul 2020 from 12.2 in 2016.

Disclaimer: Some sources statistics differ by about 2-3%

 ref: Cancer information and support | Cancer Council

 

[Tom47]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Australia must be close to having the most expensive cigarettes in the world. Approx. USD35 a pack of 20! If you plan to visit Australia in the future don't be tempted to bring your own supply as you will be required to pay import duty on any quantity over one pack pp.

Wow!  I don't smoke, but relatives who do go to the reservation to buy their cigarettes.  I don't know prices.

[AV8rix]

Deleted.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Av8rix
Error in interpretation of quoted message

[Tom47]

9 minutes ago, Av8rix said:

Wow!  That's dirt cheap compared to prices here in the USA.  I haven't smoked in many, many years so I really haven't kept up on the prices but after reading your post I decided to check on it.

https://balancingeverything.com/cigarette-prices-by-state/

I looked at your link.  Prices in the US are dirt cheap compared to Australia.  Highest state was  $12.85, far below $35

[AV8rix]

4 minutes ago, Tom47 said:

I looked at your link.  Prices in the US are dirt cheap compared to Australia.  Highest state was  $12.85, far below $35

And you will also see that I almost immediately deleted my message due to "error in interpretation of quoted message".  I somehow erroneously saw "per carton" instead of "per pack" in quoted message.

[NCTribeFan]

Maybe I missed this in the discussion about the price of cigs.

 

Just for fun, I decided to actually LOOK at HAL's current smoking policy...

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.is-smoking-allowed-on-board.html

 

*Due to the current health and safety protocols in our continuing effort to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19, smoking will be temporarily prohibited in all casinos until further notice.

 

Great news.  I may be booking a couple of Casino sailings in the next couple of days and was concerned that I was booking a ship that still allowed smoking in the casino.  Of course, these sailings won't be until next spring/summer, so smoking may be allowed again by then.  Hopefully not.

[AV8rix]

2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

Maybe I missed this in the discussion about the price of cigs.

 

Just for fun, I decided to actually LOOK at HAL's current smoking policy...

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.is-smoking-allowed-on-board.html

 

*Due to the current health and safety protocols in our continuing effort to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19, smoking will be temporarily prohibited in all casinos until further notice.

 

Great news.  I may be booking a couple of Casino sailings in the next couple of days and was concerned that I was booking a ship that still allowed smoking in the casino.  Of course, these sailings won't be until next spring/summer, so smoking may be allowed again by then.  Hopefully not.

Yeah!!  I saw that a while ago and immediately jumped on my casino offerings and booked four of 'em -- well, actually 2 B2Bs!!  Anyway, 32 days on the ships playing blackjack in clean air.

Edited October 20, 2021 by AV8rix

[Blackduck59]

I wonder if when the current No Smoking in the casino show a rise in casino play maybe they will decide to make it permanent. Wishful thinking I know.

[puppycanducruise]

7 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

I wonder if when the current No Smoking in the casino show a rise in casino play maybe they will decide to make it permanent. Wishful thinking I know.

I'd be happy with that.

[KroozNut]

14 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

I wonder if when the current No Smoking in the casino show a rise in casino play maybe they will decide to make it permanent. Wishful thinking I know.

 

I'm a non-smoker, but you say that as if it's a foregone conclusion that casino play will increase. What if they find that it actually decreases participation?