How good are cabins cleaned after a smoker had been the last guest

[chriscc]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at taking my first HAL cruise after many years with Celebrity.

I believe that HAL has more smoking areas than Celebrity especially inside the cabins and on balconies.

I don't want a huge debate to start between smokers and non smokers. I understand smokers enjoy smoking and as longer as rules are abided by in smoking/non smoking areas, I do not have a problem.

I know HAL allows smoking inside the cabins.
Can I ask any non smokers out there who have sailed with HAL, is it a problem if you get an inside cabin after the last guest in the cabin had been a smoker? Does HAL get rid of the smoke smell properly?

Any info would be appreciated;)

[TMWeddle]

You can ask HAL to do a deep cleaning before you get on board. AFAIK, this works - I have not seen any reports that it doesn't.

[RuthC]

I am a non-smoker who always books inside cabins. Never have I entered my cabin to find the smell left from smoke.

My understanding is that the stewards notice when there has been a smoker in the cabin, and proceed with the deep-cleaning on turn-over day.
Should you arrive and the cabin does not smell fresh, you can ask for the deep-cleaning. An ionizer can also be used, if necessary. The soft goods can be replaced, as a last resort.

[schoolinmy3]

Three of the five us in the family have asthma. We sailed together in May in two cabins. My daughter (age 11) is the most sensitive to smoke. Her asthma was triggered when she was 4 when she stayed in a hotel room that had lingering smoke odors. She became very ill. However on the Eurodam she had no problems at all. She was in an inside room with her brothers. We were in a veranda room and we did have a neighbor smoking on his balcony. The only area that we stayed away from is the casino as they allow smoking. But we did not notice odors in other public areas or in our rooms.:)
Diane

[Krazy Kruizers]

The cabin stewards are aware of cabins with smokers. We have done a lot of back-to-back cruises and have seen the cabin stewards go into a few cabins where there were smokers with a special machine -- cleaned the carpets, drapes -- etc.

[kazu]

Never have smelled a hint of smoke in any HAL cabin. Celebrity used to permit smoking in their cabins and never smelled it there either. I think you should be fine :D:D

[chriscc]

Thanks everyone for the info.

Looking forward to my first cruise now with HAL. I have booked the Hawaii cruise from Vancouver to Seattle in April 2012 on Oosterdam. That gives me a year to save the balance!!:rolleyes:

[iancal]

We have never had a problem with this on any ship that we have been on...but like you it is always at the back of our minds.

[catl331]

We also have never had a stale-smoke smelly room.

[PCruzer]

Only once did we have a smoke smell upon entering our cabin. Whoever occupied it before us must have smoked a lot in the room because the smell was very evident. The cabin steward came in and sprayed something on all the soft goods. That still did not take care of it, so he brought in an ionizer machine which ran constantly for 48 hours. After that, the smell was gone. That was the only time we encountered this problem in all of our 30+ cruises.

[Loreto]

Early on in our HAL cruising we had a inside on the Zaandam that smelled worse than a Vegas lounge. The room was made up, but the robes were filthy with stains. The cabin steward came immediately and said the smoke was so bad he didn't even like going in to clean the room. The Hotel Manager was summoned and agreed it was horrible. We were given an ioinizer which we ran 24/7 the entire 10 day cruise. The next day, while we were at Half Moon Cay, everything was taken out of the room and laundered, and the carpet was shampooed.

That solved the problem, but to the very end there was a faint odor of smoke in the mattress. We were very polite about the whole ordeal, and our TA followed up with HAL and they gave us a letter with no expiration date giving us a 3 category upgrade on a future cruise. She asked if they offered to put us in another stateroom, but I heard that the ship was full ( which I later found was not the case.)

Now every time we enter our stateroom for a new cruise, this experience is always on my mind. Since then we have never encountered a situation like that.

Karen

[gigianne]

Never having smoked I am very sensitive to the smell. I can honestly say that I have never even smelled any lingering smoke in any of the cabins we have stayed in on the HA ships. But, I did have an incident on the balcony when an inconsiderate fellow passenger who was in a cabin 2 decks up from us - butted his ashes and they landed on my head - to say the least I was mortified - gave him a nasty look and never saw him - or his cigarettes again!!! Question - why are passengers continually surveyed about smoking on the HA ships - when over the past 5 years that we have been completing the survey - nothing has changed.

[kakalina]

Never having smoked I am very sensitive to the smell. I can honestly say that I have never even smelled any lingering smoke in any of the cabins we have stayed in on the HA ships. But, I did have an incident on the balcony when an inconsiderate fellow passenger who was in a cabin 2 decks up from us - butted his ashes and they landed on my head - to say the least I was mortified - gave him a nasty look and never saw him - or his cigarettes again!!! Question - why are passengers continually surveyed about smoking on the HA ships - when over the past 5 years that we have been completing the survey - nothing has changed.

Plenty has changed over the last 5 years. They have restricted several smoking areas. Smokers used to be able to smoke in the Ocean Bar - no more; also by the Lido main pool - no longer; many ships have closed off the Crows Nest to smokers. Oh yes, they have restricted smoking over the last few years. Just 6 years ago there was smoking allowed in the MDR - no longer.
So perhaps you should do a little more research before you make sweeping statements like the above.

[mightycruisequeen]

Plenty has changed over the last 5 years. They have restricted several smoking areas. Smokers used to be able to smoke in the Ocean Bar - no more; also by the Lido main pool - no longer; many ships have closed off the Crows Nest to smokers. Oh yes, they have restricted smoking over the last few years. Just 6 years ago there was smoking allowed in the MDR - no longer.
So perhaps you should do a little more research before you make sweeping statements like the above.
IMO, not enough has changed. Pax are still allowed to smoke in staterooms & on private balconies. :(Yuk!:(

[SadieN]

Never smelt smoke in the cabin nor in the pillows. Pillows always seem to absorb those odors.

[mightycruisequeen]

Pillows always seem to absorb those odors.
Are you saying that's a GOOD thing????:eek:

[chrispb]

Hi everyone,

I am looking at taking my first HAL cruise after many years with Celebrity.

I believe that HAL has more smoking areas than Celebrity especially inside the cabins and on balconies.

I don't want a huge debate to start between smokers and non smokers. I understand smokers enjoy smoking and as longer as rules are abided by in smoking/non smoking areas, I do not have a problem.

I know HAL allows smoking inside the cabins.
Can I ask any non smokers out there who have sailed with HAL, is it a problem if you get an inside cabin after the last guest in the cabin had been a smoker? Does HAL get rid of the smoke smell properly?

Any info would be appreciated;)
May I ask why you want to change from Celebrity where you know you won't have a problem with smoking in staterooms?
Just curious, perhaps you feel like a change which I fully understand.

[marvin]

We usually cruise on "X" or Azamara both of whom restrict smoking. Trying Holland for the 1st time in over 5 years. One thing I do know, we will be saving money as the smoke will keep us out of the Casino. This will be a test for us, if the smoke smell is too intrusive it will be the last HAL cruise for us. Marvin

[mikeqube]

IMO, not enough has changed. Pax are still allowed to smoke in staterooms & on private balconies. :(Yuk!:(

It's a private balcony that is outside.

[ariawoman]

I'm very sensitive to lingering smoke odors as well and I had no issues aboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam this fall. I also had no issues on Seabourn in a cabin which allowed smoking (older ship too) so I believe these ships have a good method for removing the odors. If they didn't, they'd probably go smoke free to not have to deal with the extra cleaning/sanitizing/complaints. I think you'll be fine.

The only area of the ship that smelled, was the casino, and well I'd just hold my breath and walk through as fast as I could, since the Showroom at Sea was beyond it. I suppose I could have walked on another deck and then went down to avoid it, but it wasn't THAT bad that i felt that was necessary, for me.

Enjoy your trip!

[wdw1972]

Once my stateroom stunk of stale smoke when I arrived, but we were cruising Alaska so I left the balcony door open that afternoon and it aired it out suitably. That's not really possible in warm climates, and it's not advised in any climate, as it can mess with the air conditioning. But, I figured if HAL is going to allow people to stink up the cabins I'll do what I have to.

My last cruise (Nov 23rd Zuiderdam 2010) at least one couple in our roll call had a terrible time with their stateroom absolutely reeking! The ship was full, and HAL did so some deep cleaning stuff but it was a couple days before the stench was gone. Obviously HAL knew the previous guests were chimneys, so why did the stateroom stink so bad for the next guests?? This was a verandah stateroom - not an inside or oceanview without a door to let in some fresh area.

Until smoking is banned in staterooms whether or not a stateroom will stink is the luck of the draw. Fortunately it happens relatively infrequently as fewer smokers are out there.

Sue/WDW1972
Eurodam 3/5/11
DCL Dream 11/10/11
Noordam 1/13/12

[Arwen]

Once my stateroom stunk of stale smoke when I arrived, but we were cruising Alaska so I left the balcony door open that afternoon and it aired it out suitably. That's not really possible in warm climates, and it's not advised in any climate, as it can mess with the air conditioning. But, I figured if HAL is going to allow people to stink up the cabins I'll do what I have to.

My last cruise (Nov 23rd Zuiderdam 2010) at least one couple in our roll call had a terrible time with their stateroom absolutely reeking! The ship was full, and HAL did so some deep cleaning stuff but it was a couple days before the stench was gone. Obviously HAL knew the previous guests were chimneys, so why did the stateroom stink so bad for the next guests?? This was a verandah stateroom - not an inside or oceanview without a door to let in some fresh area.

Until smoking is banned in staterooms whether or not a stateroom will stink is the luck of the draw. Fortunately it happens relatively infrequently as fewer smokers are out there.

Sue/WDW1972
Eurodam 3/5/11
DCL Dream 11/10/11
Noordam 1/13/12

Hubby and I have been on nine HAL cruises and out of those we encountered two staterooms that reeked. On our cruise to NZ we were on the Volendam. We had to vacate our room to allow the ionizer to work. That process had to be repeated twice, the odor was so strong. The worse part was when we showered and the steam, the cigarette odor was unbearable. I finally figured out that the shower curtain had not been changed. Also the tile surround reeked because it hadn't been scrubbed down.

As a nonsmoker, it is fine for smokers to smoke in their staterooms but HAL MUST be sure that the rooms are adequately deep cleaned for the nonsmoker. It is simply not fair to have to deal with this as the new occupant and to have to be inconvenienced. Thankfully, since then, we have not encountered any issues....I hope it remains that way as we are scheduled for a Med cruise in October with HAL.