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Smoke on the Water
Cruise Ships: Where You Can & Can't Smoke 

Churchill's Cigar Bar Aboard Queen Victoria

by Linda Coffman

One of the unhappiest groups of cruisers I've even met were four World War II veterans aboard R-1. It was back in 1999, when now defunct-Renaissance Cruises was the only no-smoking-allowed cruise line in existence. The otherwise charming vets were all cigarette smokers whose wives thought a cruise on a non-smoking ship would prompt them to abandon their habit. They groused about their wives' deception, but managed to take matters into their own hands. In the wee hours of every morning while everyone else was fast asleep, the disgruntled vets held a "smoker" on the fantail of the ship.

While such an action isn't necessary on most ships these days, it is getting harder and harder to find a place to light up during a cruise. Ships are catching up to the rest of the hospitality industry and the smoking lamp has gone out in virtually all restaurants and showrooms at sea, as well as many of their bars and lounges. While casinos are one of the last bastions of smokers, some have "smoke-free" nights to clear the air.

Airlines were leaders in the non-smoking revolution, followed by restaurants and hotels that gradually phased in separate areas for smokers and then eliminated them altogether. Now, local governments across the United States and even Europe have enacted legislation that bans smokers from bars and even some outdoor cafes. The cruise industry was slow to follow the trend, mainly because of non-US passengers who don't object to smoking and, more importantly because of groups. Group bookings are important to cruise lines and groups hesitate to book on a non-smoking ship if even a minority of their members smoke. Groups don't want to leave anyone out or put them in an uncomfortable environment.  There is also the matter of revenue. Carnival Cruise Lines' experiment with the smoke-free Carnival Paradise ended in less than a decade. The ship never matched the revenue of the rest of its fleetmates.

Think of that small group of veteransthey probably wouldn't be able to get away with their fantail rebellion these days. And, happily for them, they wouldn't have to break the rules on most cruise ships. Smokers realize there are designated places to smoke and places that are entirely smoke-free on the seas and most are willing to accept the compromise. The first thing they do is check for ashtrays and make friends with other smokers. "We're outcasts, aren't we?" is a common conversation starter between smokers who gather in smoking-designated areas. Cigar aficionados don't suffer the same indignities when they have their own "cigar lounge" to retreat to. They are accustomed to being banned from most public areas and are happy to find a lounge that accepts them. Otherwise, they are relegated to an outdoor deck, along with pipe smokers.

Only about twenty percent of American adults are currently smokers so it's not a big deal that smoking areas have shrunk. We applaud the cruise lines for their health and safety concerns, but also give them high marks for not ostracizing the minority of smokers who want to be comfortable with their habit. It's a win-win situation in most cases. 

Smoking At Sea

Never smoke in an elevator, on stairways, or in corridors. As a rule of thumb, if there's an ashtray at hand, you can smoke; if there's food served nearby, you can't. Pipes, and sometimes cigars, are often restricted to open decks. These are some of the specific dos and don'ts:

Azamara Cruises

Where to Smoke: Small sections for smokers are located on the port side of the Looking Glass Lounge and the forward area of the pool deck on the starboard side.

Where NOT to Smoke: No other areas on the ships allow smoking, including all restaurants, lounges, casinos, cabins and balconies.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, casinos, and designated areas in lounges and bars.

Where NOT to Smoke: Restaurants, show lounges, and the pool deck on those ships that have "indoor" areas serving food nearby.

Cigars: Cigar smoking is allowed only in cigar lounges and designated areas on open decks.

Celebrity Cruises

Where to Smoke:  The port side of one lounge per ship, a designated slot machine area in each ship's casino, and designated areas on open decks, including the port side of the pool deck and sundecks on each ship, the port side of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Century and on Celebrity's Millennium class of ships, and the port side aft outside of Winter Garden on Celebrity Mercury.

Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, show lounges, theaters, and restaurants, as well as the entire starboard side--indoors and outside. Celebrity Solstice's Lawn Club and the Sunset Bar at the Lawn Club do not allow smoking.

Cigars: Cigars are allowed only in designated sections of the open decks.

Costa Cruises

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, open decks, and designated smoking areas in public rooms.

Where NOT to Smoke: All restaurants and show lounges.

Cigars: Cigar smoking is allowed only in designated areas, including cigar lounges and on open decks.

Crystal Cruises

Where to Smoke: Cabins and in designated areas of bars, lounges, and open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: Restaurants, show lounges, and private balconies.

Cigars: Cigars (and pipes) are allowed in the Connoisseur Club and most open decks.

Cunard Line

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, casinos, and in designated smoking sections of some bars and lounges.

Where NOT to Smoke: Show lounges, theaters, the library, and all restaurants.

Cigars: Cigars (and pipes) are permitted in cigar lounges, as well as on designated areas of open decks.

Disney Cruises

Where to Smoke: Cabin balconies and designated starboard-side open deck areas (including near the adults-only pool).

Where NOT to Smoke: All other indoor areas, including cabins, are smoke-free.

 Holland America Line

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, casinos, and in designated areas of bars, lounges, and open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: All restaurants and show lounges.

MSC Cruises

Where to Smoke: In Cigar rooms, casinos, one dedicated lounge, and designated areas on open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, restaurants, show lounges, and all bars with the exception above.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, casinos, cigar lounges, and designated areas on open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: All indoor public areas, with the exceptions noted above, and outdoor food venues.

Oceania Cruises

Where to Smoke: Smoking is permitted only in the aft port side of Horizons, and the starboard forward section of the outdoor Pool Deck.

Where NOT to Smoke: All other areas are smoke-free. This includes all cabins and balconies, restaurants, public rooms, and open decks except for the two designated smoking areas.

Oceania has tightened its smoking regulations with a "zero tolerance" policy, which imposes strict penalties upon those who smoke outside designated areasup to and including disembarkation from the ship.

Princess Cruises

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, and in designated areas in public rooms and open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: Show lounges, elevators, dining rooms, and all food service areas. Additionally, "smoke-free nights" are scheduled in the casino.

Cigars: Cigar smoking is allowed only in cigar lounges and on open decks; pipe smoking is allowed on open decks.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Where to Smoke: Smoking is permitted on open decks, in the casino and Connoisseur Club on Seven Seas Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager, and in designated smoking areas in one lounge on each ship.

Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, all indoor dining areas, and all public rooms except as noted above.

Cigars: Cigar smoking is permitted in the Connoisseur Club on Seven Seas Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager, and in designated areas of open decks. Pipe smoking is permitted only in the Connoisseur Club on those ships and is prohibited on other ships.

Royal Caribbean

Where to Smoke: Private ocean view balconies, the starboard side of open decks, and in designated smoking areas of certain public rooms.

Where NOT to Smoke: In cabins (passengers who smoke in their cabins will be fined $250), restaurants, show lounges, passageways, the port sides of open decks, and one public lounge on each ship, which is designated non-smoking.

Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking is only permitted within the cigar lounge. If no cigar lounge exists on the ship, there will be a designated area for pipe and cigar smoking

Seabourn Cruise Line

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, and designated areas of open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: Restaurants (including outside areas where food is served), lounges, and elevators.

Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking are allowed only in designated areas on open decks after 9pm.

SeaDream Yacht Club

Where to Smoke: Outdoors on Decks 3, 4 and 6.

Where NOT to Smoke: All indoor spaces, including cabins, and outside on Decks 2 and 5.

Silversea Cruises

Where to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, designated areas of The Bar, aft of the Terrace Café (outside), the casino, and designated areas on open decks.

Where NOT to Smoke: Restaurants, the show lounge, and all other public rooms.

Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted in cigar lounges and designated areas on outside decks.

Windstar Cruises

Where to Smoke: Designated areas on outside decks only.

Where NOT to Smoke: All indoor spaces, including cabins.

Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking are allowed only on designated outside deck areas.


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