A Friendly question for smokers

[98Charlie]

So .. if ,, the Lung Association or some other organization chartered a cruise and made it a "quit smoking" cruise, would you take it? The ship would be completely non smoking with no stops at ports where you could buy them. 7 days at sea. I wonder if that would work?

This really made me smile. While I'm a non-smoker, DW quit Feb 14, 2007 and I've known a number of smokers who have tried unsucessfully. Some, maybe many, become unbearable during the process. I would hope that the ship had a large enough brig to handle the problem:D

 

Seriously, if there were still a non-smoking ship (a-la the Carnival Paridise), it might be an idea for a group cruise. I don't think that you could fill even the smallest of mass market ships with enough willing-to-quit smokers.

 

As far as ports with no cigarette sales, it would have to stop only at the private islands. I can't think of any port of call where you could not buy smokes.

 

Charlie

[Sue L]

My husband and father both did the same thing. And simply and quietly never smoked again.

 

So let's see, if let's say, the Lung Association or some other organization chartered a cruise and made it a "quit smoking" cruise, would you take it? The ship would be completely non smoking with no stops at ports where you could buy them. 7 days at sea. I wonder if that would work?

 

 

They could call it Nic Fit of the Seas!!

[TexCruise371]

I'm a 'reformed smoker.'

 

The day my doctor told me to quit, I did. My situation made it easy for me: I was having heart palpitations and it was scary. A couple days after quitting, I got sick. really sick, pneumonia. I highly recommend it for getting over those first few days of heebie-jeebies. After that, it gets easier each day. I came up with some little behavior modification things, phrases to tell myself - "Light up and Die" was very effective. With morning coffee, "I don't do that anymore." Whatever works, eh?

 

For me, the trick is Mind over Body. I don't allow my Mind to permit my Body to go buy them. If I do not have them I cannot smoke them. Seems silly and simple. It is. find SOMETHING to distract yourself when you want that smoke. Situps, pet the dog, hop on the treadmill, call a friend, do some housework, whatever, until the urge passes. for me, doing something physical to become out of breath worked great.

 

But here's the thing - you have to kick it for the right reasons or it won't stick! Do it FOR YOURSELF.

 

If you really want to quit, you can. But you must want to. easiest to do while sick. Sore throat and cigs do not go well together.

 

I went cold turkey, others need another method. Find what works for you. It's actually not as hard as it seems. It's those first few days when the actual physical habit is screaming at you to cave in that you need to be VERY STRONG. Hold a pencil or a pretzel or whatever.

 

I'm no one special. If I can do it YOU CAN DO IT.

 

One year after 'being clean', what I would have spent on smokes paid for airfare for 2 of us to go spend a week in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

 

Great post and I did some of the same things you did!

 

I quit on Valentines Day 2005 after 35 years. Because I WANTED TO. I did use the patch but soon found I was addicted to that thing so I threw it off. Quitting is tough but you can do it. It's really a lifestyle change.....just like losing weight (which I promptly did after I quit smoking....75 pounds). Why did I quit.....so I could enjoy life and CRUISE with my wife, scuba dive....(one coughing fit under water will cure ya :rolleyes:) , taste my food, smell the roses and not struggle doing everyday things......oh, and the money :eek:. I'm so glad I did and I feel 20 years younger and, I don't stink anymore.

 

I know it's getting tougher and tougher for those that smoke. We have some close friends that still smoke and they find it hard to find a place to light up without offending someone or some rule. I feel your pain and wish you Good Luck on your decision.

[Nano]

I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but my intention is honorable. For those of you concerned about the cost of non-smoking aids (Chantix, etc.), if you can't justify the cost in what you'll save on buying cigarettes, think of your health. I lost my mother to lung cancer last year. She smoked for over 40 years, and finally quit after being diagnosed. She told anyone who would listen how much she regretted throwing away even one minute of her life due to smoking. Both of my sisters have since quit smoking and my brother in law is also making the effort. Just something else to consider...

 

Congrats to those who have beat the habit and good luck to those who are taking the plunge!

[lkuli]

Nano...that was very nice....I don't think anyone will take that the wrong way. I'm so sorry about your mother. Congratulations to all those who have quit smoking!

[Happy ks]

I will also congratulate all who have successfully stopped smoking, I'm close to the 20 year mark now myself.

 

The drug mentioned sounds like a good idea to try, in the long run just think of the savings (Sue L) you will enjoy :) But in the end it is the individual smoker who has to make the choice, it's up to you and no one else. No matter the method, the end result is wonderful and worth it, we did it for our future children as a gift to them.

 

I don't want to be obnoxious about it, so I'll just say that I wish all of you luck who make the attempt and for those of you who don't, I'll just stay clear of your smoking areas.

[FL_Cruiser64]

I am a smoker but would love to find a way to quit. I did quit cold turkey about ten years ago and gained twenty pounds in six months. Nothing I did helped me lose the weight. I am on five foot and one inch tall, so twenty pounds is a lot of extra weight for me to carry around. To make matters worse, everyone commented on my weight gain, co-workers, friends, family, everybody. I was so depressed. My clothes didn't fit-who has the money to buy a new wardrobe? So, in a very weak moment I bought a pack of cigarettes and the rest is history.

If anyone has suggestions on how to quit smoking without gaining weight, please let me know. Don't suggest I eat less and exercise more, that didn't help either.

 

 

Excellent point. I like to know the percentage of smokers who quit and gained weight. But asking this question may just be considered offensive.

 

My sister in law and brother in law quit about 10 years ago. She was a skinny one, bones and skin. She is gigantic now and has a lot of other health problems.

[98Charlie]

As I stated earlier, DW has been smoke free for just over a year now. 365 days at $4 a pack is around $1500.

 

Hmmmmm 2 insides comes to less than that. Can you say "Free Cruise, Baby"

 

Plus, that doesn't count the extra $20 per week that the insurance wanted to charge if she stayed a smoker.

 

Charlie

[amybear912]

To answer the original question...

 

Currently we are smokers... we want to quit... timing just doesn't seem to be working out for us... we set a quit date and then lo and behold something happens and we say, "now is not the time to try this, too much stress would set us up to fail"...

 

Kind of like in that movie Airplane where Lloyd Bridges keeps saying, "I picked a hell of a week to quit (smoking, drinking, amphetamines)"... he just keeps going on throughout the movie...

 

As it stands right now, as we currently smoke, if RCI banned it altogether, we would have to switch lines... and that is just pathetic IMHO...

 

I've said this before that we need a forum on here for all us who want to quit AND love to cruise... maybe this will become the thread that lends support to everyone who wants to quit! I nominate SueL to be the leader and Chief Motivator!:)

 

Maybe those of us who have the desire should do this:

 

Set a date... DO IT!... Plan a CC Quitters Cruise... Do you think we could fill an entire ship? We could set a date a year out from Quit date to all cruise together with all the money we've saved from quitting!

 

What a great PR move for RCI! A Quitters Cruise... with the goal being to fill an entire ship with people who have quit smoking in the last year to enjoy a love for cruising.... that would truly be a totally smoke-free cruise!

 

And anyone who gets caught smoking during that cruise would be put off:D

[RetireeWannabee]

I am a smoker but would love to find a way to quit. I did quit cold turkey about ten years ago and gained twenty pounds in six months. Nothing I did helped me lose the weight. I am on five foot and one inch tall, so twenty pounds is a lot of extra weight for me to carry around. To make matters worse, everyone commented on my weight gain, co-workers, friends, family, everybody. I was so depressed. My clothes didn't fit-who has the money to buy a new wardrobe? So, in a very weak moment I bought a pack of cigarettes and the rest is history.

If anyone has suggestions on how to quit smoking without gaining weight, please let me know. Don't suggest I eat less and exercise more, that didn't help either.

I did some research on this, as I am also small framed, 5'4" and the weight gain was very noticeable. Turns out that quitting smoking changes your metabolism - it slows down. Quitting smoking is more beneficial to your health. Extra pounds aren't great, but not near as bad for you.

 

Best advice I have for you is to split your daily means into 6 parts and have a little food every few hours. Unscientific reason: keeps your body at a steady pace for burning the fuel vs a few major onslaughts. Slow and easy.

 

I cannot believe how incredibly hard it has been to lose the last of the weight. I'm not a dieter but changed to healthier eating habits, went back to the gym to work myself silly, worked out sometimes 7 days a week .... It's not the same weight loss game as when I was 20, that's for sure. My body changed A LOT with that weight gain.

 

Here's what a dear friend told me after he quit (he was a Marlboro Red guy) and became a smoking cessation counselor: deal with the weight loss later. Get clear of the smokes and then tackle the weight. He's not a big guy but put on 40 lbs. And then lost it.

 

I can relate to how incredibly depressing it is to not fit in your clothes. I went up 2 sizes and when I was having to go back for the 3rd is when I vowed NO MORE ENLARGEMENT. Pilates, elliptical, no more burgers, no more sodas, more walking the dog, more gardening, less tv, less meeting friends for drinks or dinner .... make the little changes and hopefully they will add up to weight loss/smaller clothes. I bought really cheap clothes when I kept upsizing. I hated them and needed to shrink fast to avoid wearing them.

[crusinmama06]

At this point in time, if RCCL banned smoking 100% then yes, we would have to switch lines (hubby smokes).

 

And it would be horrible to plan group cruises because we know so many smokers. Usually it's one person in each couple that smokes. So it just wouldn't effect us, it would effect our ability to cruise with friends/family.

 

It's one thing to go to a smoke free hotel (we do this all of the time). My hubby never smokes inside anyway (of course NEVER around the kids). So going outside for a cig is not a big deal to him. But on a 100% smoke free ship, there is no place to go "outside". ;)

 

As I said on the other thread, you can smoke on a Disney cruise balcony. Why would RCCL ban smoking on theirs?

[RetireeWannabee]

So let's see, if let's say, the Lung Association or some other organization chartered a cruise and made it a "quit smoking" cruise, would you take it? The ship would be completely non smoking with no stops at ports where you could buy them. 7 days at sea. I wonder if that would work?

That would be an awesome theme cruise!! The buddy system could really work, there would be support all over the place, help in redirection, behavior modification, breathing classes...

 

It's my personal belief that the actual physical addiction could be broken in 7 days, it's the psychological part that takes weeks/months to control. Given the tools....

[berwyn]

Excellent point. I like to know the percentage of smokers who quit and gained weight. But asking this question may just be considered offensive.

 

My sister in law and brother in law quit about 10 years ago. She was a skinny one, bones and skin. She is gigantic now and has a lot of other health problems.

I quit 1 year ago and gained 50 pounds. Was always a skinny guy but no longer.

[marle7]

That would be an awesome theme cruise!! The buddy system could really work, there would be support all over the place, help in redirection, behavior modification, breathing classes...

 

It's my personal belief that the actual physical addiction could be broken in 7 days, it's the psychological part that takes weeks/months to control. Given the tools....

 

Actually, they say the physical addiction is broken in three days. After that, there is no nicotine left in your body. There is no doubt, that quitting smoking is a mental game. Why are we able to go places like airplanes, restaurants etc and be ok? Or be able to sleep through the night without the need to wake up and have a "fix". It's mental.

 

I think it would be an interesting concept for a cruise, but it would need to be a smaller ship. I don't think we'd fill the freedom class or the voyager classes!

[FL_Cruiser64]

I quit 1 year ago and gained 50 pounds. Was always a skinny guy but no longer.

 

Thank you for your honest answer.

[FL_Cruiser64]

Actually, they say the physical addiction is broken in three days. After that, there is no nicotine left in your body. There is no doubt, that quitting smoking is a mental game. Why are we able to go places like airplanes, restaurants etc and be ok? Or be able to sleep through the night without the need to wake up and have a "fix". It's mental.

 

I think it would be an interesting concept for a cruise, but it would need to be a smaller ship. I don't think we'd fill the freedom class or the voyager classes!

 

I don't think I want to be with 2000 plus smokers trying to quite on the same ship. I reckon that that ship must enter a refurb right after returning. :D

[HorrorFan]

I started smoking at 14 and smoked for 35 years. A pack a day. I quit a year ago last October. I still miss it, every day, but I will not smoke again. It gets easier, but I don't think the urge to light up ever leaves completely. i used the patch and it helped take the edge off the cravings I think, but if you don't REALLY want to quit, no aid, drug, etc., is going to do it for you.

I honestly don't believe RCI, or any other line will completely ban smoking, but they will continue to tighten up the rules. I find it very strange that they would ban smoking on the balcony's (on Celebrity) but continue to let people smoke in other places INSIDE the ship. That just doesn't make any sense to me but I guess there must have been a LOT of complaints about smoking on the balcony's.

Oh, if RCI had completely banned smoking on their ships while I was still a smoker, then yes, I wouldn't have vacationed with them. If they had just banned it inside and on balcony's, as long as there were still places to smoke on the ship I would probably still have sailed with them.

On both our cruises we were in inside cabins and we NEVER smoked in there anyway, so if we wanted a cigarette, we went outside.

EDIT: I put on about 50 ...yes 50 extra lbs. I just said to heck with it, I REALLY want to quit so I will eat whatever I want until I am sure I have quit for good. Made quitting easier, and I am now losing the extra weight, so it isn't that bad.

[goouchjac]

My motivation to quit was a smokers cough that was really really bad,,,,scared myself to death and said that's it,,,I used the nicotine patch for one week and didn't go on to the next level of nicotine was is less...I think the cough I had really played a big part in mydecision to quit...I was a long time smoker so it was not easy, but I think when you can't talk in the morning without coughting you get the message.

Used to tell myself (years before) that if and when I started to cough I would finally stop,well it took a long while after that...But once I quit so did the cough.

I gained about 20lbs. which isn't too tremendous,,,now I am hooked on life savers and gum,,has been almost two years...Not easy habit to break and I feel for all of you who are trying...Hang in there, one of these days it will happen...Never saw myself without a cigarette, now am happy finally kicked, especially when the prices keep going up....:) ..

I did find that drinking lots of water seemed to help and running outside when the urge got really bad...So good luck to all of you and hang in there!:)

[RickMG]

Normally I smoke a cigar or two a week. It's what I do to relax. Don't smoke cigarettes, but the most important thing to me when deciding on cruising, is that the ship has a cigar lounge. I call multiple times to make sure the first or second operator doesn't just say it does, because I'm taking a cruise to relax. I want my cigars on a cruise, so you can see it would affect my decision. But, I only smoke in the lounge, not anywhere else where it would bother anyone (even smoking areas). If it bothers anyone in a cigar lounge, they shouldn't be there. :p

[RetireeWannabee]

I spent many many years in the low 130s and ballooned past 150 when I got disgusted enuf to say, "You've kicked the smokes, let's start plan B." I think that was about at the 6 month mark. I'm 5'4" so got relatively, um, "hefty."

 

I have not made it back to where I was yet and it's been 3 years. I learned a lot about physical fitness and for those of you going the "exercise more" route, please keep in mind that you need to change your workout every 4 - 6 weeks because the body gets used to A Routine and you must throw in new challenges to keep it working. Keep trying new stuff, get your heart rate up, BREATHE!

 

I've accepted that my body in its 40s is going thru changes from aging and the quitting smoking changed my body chemistry. I was excited when my biceps "came back" and when I could see the beginnings of 6 pack abs. I've decided that super slim and toned is not as important to me as Health. But, hey, I have a habit of telling myself whatever I need to in order to keep something going...

[berwyn]

Normally I smoke a cigar or two a week. It's what I do to relax. Don't smoke cigarettes, but the most important thing to me when deciding on cruising, is that the ship has a cigar lounge. I call multiple times to make sure the first or second operator doesn't just say it does, because I'm taking a cruise to relax. I want my cigars on a cruise, so you can see it would affect my decision. But, I only smoke in the lounge, not anywhere else where it would bother anyone (even smoking areas). If it bothers anyone in a cigar lounge, they shouldn't be there. :p

I agree about customer service. Last year I asked them about "cigar aficionados" on the majesty as I had seen it listed on some compasses. Well they never heard of it. But I found the VC lounge "is" the cigar bar from 9:00pm till closing.

[LonW]

No. I'd simply switch to other lines. If all cruise lines go this way, I'll find something else to do with my vacation dollars.

[hersheykiss]

I quit smoking Christmas day 2006. I had the prescription for Chantrix..I did not like the pill so I quit taking it. I instead read the book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". it was written by a doctor and the instructions were to smoke while you read the book and he tells you when to smoke your last cigarette. I don't know why it worked but it did.My daughter had to read the book twice but she also quit, as did several of her co-workers. I could only find the book on line or at Borders. It is a small price to pay to be smoke free. I hope all of you wanting to quit are successful. one thing I can tell you is to keep trying. This was attempt # 5 for me..and I am sure this one will stick.

[2tall]

As for trying to quit, several years ago, I tried the patch. I was so, um, witchy that my friends actually went out and bought me a pack of cigarettes and told me to take the dang patch off.

 

This January, both my husband and I tried Chantix. It really did help but, for me, also caused insomnia and the most vivid dreams you could imagine. After about a month, I started smoking again, as did my husband. A friend quit the Chantix because it made her nauseous...but it has worked like a charm for several others. (There were about 6 of us who tried to quit in January.) It's worth a shot for those who haven't tried it and it is cheaper than what you might pay in cigarettes for a month, even if insurance doesn't cover it.

 

As an aside, I read some of the research on Chantix and they pointed out that those people who don't cheat while trying to quit (sneaking a few cigs here and there) have better luck in quitting. So regardless of your method of trying to quit (the patch, cold turkey, Wellbutrin, Chantix), it seems that the greatest contributor to success is willpower.

 

GAH! We'll try again but I have to admit that I don't relish the thought.

[FL_Cruiser64]

My question though is: why don't non smokers now switch to Celebrity. Smoke free balconies - thats a dream.

 

I am certainly happy that some Celebrity cruisers will switch to RCI now.