Smoke on the Water
Cruise Ships: Where You Can & Can't Smoke
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Churchill's Cigar Bar Aboard Queen Victoria |
by Linda Coffman
Updated, October 2016: 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 veterans—they 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: A small section for smokers is located at 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: Dance clubs, designated areas within the casino and casino bar, certain sections on the open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, restaurants, show lounges, and the pool deck on those ships that have "indoor" areas serving food nearby. A $250 cleaning fee will be applied to the passenger's onboard account if smoking has occurred inside any accommodations.
Cigars: Cigar smoking is allowed only in designated areas on open decks.
Celebrity Cruises
Where to Smoke: Designated areas on open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, show lounges, theaters, and restaurants. Celebrity Solstice-class ships' Lawn Club do not allow smoking.
Cigars: Cigars are allowed only in designated sections of the open decks.
Costa Cruises
Where to Smoke: Private balconies, open decks, and designated smoking areas.
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: In designated areas of bars, lounges, and open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Restaurants, show lounges, staterooms, and private balconies.
Cigars: Cigars (and pipes) are allowed in the Connoisseur Club and most open decks.
Cunard Line
Where to Smoke: Churchill’s Cigar Lounge (cigars only), designated areas on open decks, and the upper level of G32 on Queen Mary 2.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, and everywhere not specifically designated.
Cigars: Cigars are permitted in cigar lounges.
Disney Cruises
Where to Smoke: Designated open deck areas.
Where NOT to Smoke: All other indoor areas, including cabins and private balconies are smoke-free.
Holland America Line
Where to Smoke: Designated areas available inside and on outside decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies (effective January 2017), all restaurants, and show lounges. A $250 cleaning fee will be applied to the passenger's onboard account if smoking has occurred inside any accommodations.
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: Casinos, cigar lounges, and designated areas on open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, all indoor public areas, with the exceptions noted above, and outdoor food venues.
Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted in cigar lounges on ships that have them and in designated outside deck areas.
Oceania Cruises
Where to Smoke: Smoking is permitted only in a designated area at 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 designated smoking area. Note: Oceania's smoking regulations have a "zero tolerance" policy, which imposes strict penalties upon those who smoke outside designated areas—up to and including disembarkation from the ship.
Princess Cruises
Where to Smoke: Cigar lounges, a section of the disco and casino, and a portion of the open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Cabins, private balconies, show lounges, elevators, dining rooms, and all food service areas. A $250 cleaning fee will be applied to the passenger's onboard account if smoking has occurred inside any accommodations.
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 in designated areas 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 and is prohibited on outside decks.
Royal Caribbean
Where to Smoke: The starboard side of open decks, and in designated smoking areas of certain public rooms.
Where NOT to Smoke: In cabins, on private balconies, any dining venue, food outlet, theater, hallway or corridor; nor in Central Park, The Boardwalk or The Jogging Track on Oasis-class ships; nor in the H2O Zone on Oasis and Freedom Class ships. A $250 cleaning fee will be applied to the passenger's onboard account if smoking has occurred inside any staterooms or on private interior balconies onboard Oasis-class ships.
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: Designated areas of specified lounges and open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Suites, private balconies, restaurants (including outside areas where food is served), most lounges, and elevators.
Cigars: Cigar and pipe smoking are allowed only in designated areas on open decks.
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: The casino, cigar lounges, and designated areas on open decks.
Where NOT to Smoke: Suites, private balconies, 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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