Connoisseur Club on Liberty

[amcb]

Hi all.

 

Does anyone know if this is still a cigar lounge in the evenings? I know they are being phased out but my DH did enjoy using them!

 

🙂 amcb

[cruisegirl1]

It is no longer used as a cigar lounge.
 

It is used as a library, but since the return, there are no books. It may be used for other functions as well.  

 

From  early evening (Around five) till about 8 o’clock it is used as the venue for the pinnacle member lounge

 

m

Edited January 26, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[amcb]

Thanks for the info!  That's a bummer, but we're learning to get used to cigars under the stars.

 

🙂 amcb

[Cigar King]

FWIW, I did not see an organized event for cigars under the stars on our recent cruises.  Perhaps I missed it.  I also noticed very little cigar smoking in general.

[amcb]

On 1/26/2022 at 2:32 PM, Cigar King said:

FWIW, I did not see an organized event for cigars under the stars on our recent cruises.  Perhaps I missed it.  I also noticed very little cigar smoking in general.

We were on Navigator over the Christmas holidays and there was no organized event, but we had to sit up on the pool deck for my DH to smoke his cigars.  I want to say he was the only one smoking cigars.

 

🙂 amcb

[DCPIV]

The Connoisseur Club on Liberty was being used as the Pinnacle Lounge when we were on board a couple weeks ago, and I expect it will be for some time. 

 

There was the cigar event at the Sky Bar every night, but I never checked it out. 

[cruisegirl1]

3 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

The Connoisseur Club on Liberty was being used as the Pinnacle Lounge when we were on board a couple weeks ago, and I expect it will be for some time. 

 

There was the cigar event at the Sky Bar every night, but I never checked it out. 

It is only used for the pinnacle event for a couple of hours each evening.

 

m

[DCPIV]

36 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

It is only used for the pinnacle event for a couple of hours each evening.

 

m

 

And there was no smoking on there then or other times. 

[woneill63]

As a cigar smoker I am not thrilled that Royal has phased out their cigar bars.  On my last Mariner cruise, twice I checked out what used to be a cigar bar, it is now a library, both times it was completely empty.  I don't understand why they took it out.  I was on the NCL Epic three years ago and the cigar bar onboard was packed every night.  My friends and I really enjoyed our smokes and drinks there.  

I have an Explorer cruise this summer, and, according to the deck plans, it still has a cigar bar.  We shall see.

 

[Cigar King]

12 hours ago, woneill63 said:

I have an Explorer cruise this summer, and, according to the deck plans, it still has a cigar bar.  We shall see.

The deck plans are out of date.  I believe the last lounge was on Freedom.

[bajathree]

14 hours ago, woneill63 said:

As a cigar smoker I am not thrilled that Royal has phased out their cigar bars.  On my last Mariner cruise, twice I checked out what used to be a cigar bar, it is now a library, both times it was completely empty.  I don't understand why they took it out.  I was on the NCL Epic three years ago and the cigar bar onboard was packed every night.  My friends and I really enjoyed our smokes and drinks there.  

I have an Explorer cruise this summer, and, according to the deck plans, it still has a cigar bar.  We shall see.

 

RCI cruise lines (as many others I suspect) have become very non-smoker friendly in general. I used to enjoy being able to smoke a cigar up on the suite pool deck on Oasis Class.....now they have even taken that away. 

[cruisegirl1]

17 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

It is only used for the pinnacle event for a couple of hours each evening.

 

m

Correct - no smoking on the old cigar clubs. 

m

[texasreb]

I just saw a July video of Liberty. Yes RCCL has made it the Pinnacle Lounge. Very little use. Royal's own deck plans still show Connoisseur. I have been on Liberty several times. Always had good folks in the Connoisseur. Makes me think I will go back to Norwegian.

[davekathy]

An excellent move by RC. 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

I do miss the real cigar lounges.  I can't recall the ship but we sailed the Med many years ago and there was a beautiful dark wood, leather chairs, ocean view lounge with a fireplace, waiters, and full bar on the ship.  The attendant even lit our cigars using a cedar skewer.  We even got the DW's to smoke.  Good Montecristo and glass of scotch .............. .I will leave it at that.   

[rudeney]

I am not a big cigar smoker, but I will occasionally have a cigar at a social outing.  I hate that ships no longer have a good place for those who enjoy them.  Given the smoke wafting from the casinos into other areas of the ship, I can't imagine they closed the cigar bars for "health" reasons.  My guess is they couldn't make enough money on them.  If they do want to send cigar smokers outside, then the least they could do is give them a nice seating area to enjoy them with a drink.  

[deliver42]

I don't know about the Liberty, but on all the Royal ships I've been on, there is a nice smoking area on the pool deck. On Quantum class, there is also the bus stop, which is a semi enclosed are hanging over the side of the ship with very comphy seats and a nice table.

[texasreb]

Yes on pool deck. Not the same as having a room to go to. Meeting folks of interesting backgrounds once all get settled in. I have met a Federal Judge, TV producer, dairy assoc President, two different former American business owners ran out of China, two brothers that had just retired from US State Dept, a Boston doc that had stories on the marathon bombing, and so on. My wife who does not smoke will come into Cigar Lounge to meet folks, and hear the stories. She really hit it off with the Hollywood producer. I only took up cigar smoking after retiring. Usually only smoke while on ship or at a port bar.

A Carnival cruise story about 10 years ago. Smokers would gather at pool bar at night. One night a lady was speaking with her man. They got into talk about boobs. She comes over and shows them to me. Sometimes crazy stuff on those ships.

[texasreb]

22 hours ago, rudeney said:

I am not a big cigar smoker, but I will occasionally have a cigar at a social outing.  I hate that ships no longer have a good place for those who enjoy them.  Given the smoke wafting from the casinos into other areas of the ship, I can't imagine they closed the cigar bars for "health" reasons.  My guess is they couldn't make enough money on them.  If they do want to send cigar smokers outside, then the least they could do is give them a nice seating area to enjoy them with a drink.  

The Liberty in evening would have a bartender in Cigar Lounge. Sometimes have a whiskey tasting. On the Norwegian ships I have been on. The drink waiter would come around real often.

[rvlandandsea]

My DH and I used to enjoy those lounges with cigars and aged Port wine. He now enjoys them in port in San Juan and Falmouth. Good cubans in Jamaica. In San Juan there is a nice cigar shop with great rum and cozy smoking area at the back. 
 

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, texasreb said:

They got into talk about boobs. She comes over and shows them to me.

Did you tell your husband. 

[zebra36]

We certainly are a vanishing breed. I have always enjoyed a smoke in the lounges when they were around. My all-time favorites were on Holland America ships where the hostesses in the lounge would slowly heat the cigar after dipping the tip into cognac. a real show to go along with the smoke and a drink. Still smoke outdoors on ships but often not easy to find a spot that is not overly windy when the ship is in motion. On port days I will just sit out on promenade deck with a bourbon.

[2flacruisers]

Sad to see that is no longer a cigar smoking lounge as my husband would use the lounge; I, not so much...but to each their own.  And to see that it is on their app today as still being a cigar lounge is very misleading because I know of people who have booked the cruise solely on such. 

[firefly333]

On 8/27/2022 at 1:03 PM, texasreb said:

I just saw a July video of Liberty. Yes RCCL has made it the Pinnacle Lounge. Very little use. Royal's own deck plans still show Connoisseur. I have been on Liberty several times. Always had good folks in the Connoisseur. Makes me think I will go back to Norwegian.

Why not just go up by the pool or is it you want to socialize?  I always see plenty up by the pool. 

 

Lol ncl prima is coming to Galveston but costs about double. Until prices come down there isnt anything I'd pay double to do on prima. ..waiting. 

[texasreb]

At night when ship is sailing, too darned windy ! Only 1 night out of 7 could I stand the wind last week. I read some reviews on Prima. They were some what lackluster. venues packed, and can't make reservations.