I will continue to sail on HAL if balcony smoking is permitted.

I can certainly understand why someone who does not book balconies would prefer the current situation to continue rather than risk having to deal with increased smoke in other outer areas of the ship.

Since you quoted me, let me emphasize, that's not what I said. I never said I want the current situation to continue.

I said that I don't want the current amount of smoking to be confined to less space, as it just makes that space worse than it already is.

I do not have faith that HAL will provide for new smoking areas---either inside or outside. Over the last several years, HAL has consistently reduced the areas where smoking is allowed. There were indoor smoking areas, the Oak Room being a prime example, where no one needed to be bothered by smoke. The Oak Rooms even had a door directly to the outdoors!

How many times, when that room was still there, was it taken over for a private party, and no smoking was allowed? I was at one such party, so I know it happened. Hardly fair to the smokers who were kicked out of their own room.

And what happened to those convenient, comfortable, designated smoking rooms? They were taken away.

There was an indoor smoking room near the dining room on the Vista ships. That didn't last long at all, when it was given over to sales purposes (rug sales, iirc)---which also didn't last. But was the smoking room returned when sales there stopped? No, it wasn't.

New smoking areas to replace balcony smoking? I'll believe it when I see it.

My wife won't cruise without a balcony we love HAL! We have not had issue with smoking enough to change our minds. As long as we don't end up next to a chain smoking inconsiderate people i can't see why i would go with anther cruise line .

Sorry, I forgot to answer your question, yes we would continue to sail with HAL if smoking was allowed on the balconies. So far, we have never been bothered on our verandahs except for one instance when a group next to us had a "wine tasting" party that lasted six hours!

 

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I loved your post. We just returned from a cruise where we had our first ever suite. We were thrilled. A young couple next door, newly weds I think, along with at least two other couples had a lot to drink the first night. They were loud. Coarse. Everything that drunks do and they were young drunks. they had a lot of endurance. We were upset. What would we do? Ask for a room change? So we decided to sleep on it..early in the morning when the racquet quieted down.

We never head a peep out of them again. Not for the next 8 days. I never saw them coming in and out of their cabin. I wondered if they had survived the night, but DH said he saw the young woman coming out of the cabin late one morning. It turned out to be the most peaceful cruise ever. No nothing.......from either side of the balcony. It is funny now, but I was chapped the first night. And we are not party poopers. they were REALLY having a good party over there. I feared one of the idiots might fall into the ocean.

I loved your post. We just returned from a cruise where we had our first ever suite. We were thrilled. A young couple next door, newly weds I think, along with at least two other couples had a lot to drink the first night. They were loud. Coarse. Everything that drunks do and they were young drunks. they had a lot of endurance. We were upset. What would we do? Ask for a room change? So we decided to sleep on it..early in the morning when the racquet quieted down.

We never head a peep out of them again. Not for the next 8 days. I never saw them coming in and out of their cabin. I wondered if they had survived the night, but DH said he saw the young woman coming out of the cabin late one morning. It turned out to be the most peaceful cruise ever. No nothing.......from either side of the balcony. It is funny now, but I was chapped the first night. And we are not party poopers. they were REALLY having a good party over there. I feared one of the idiots might fall into the ocean.

Congrats on your first suite AmberTeka!! The people that I mentioned were easily in their 50's all 6-8 of them., They were also very loud, but after I mentioned that my wife was trying to sleep at 11 PM, they toned it down. On my 15+ cruises with HAL, I've only seen one man drunk. Of course, I don't go looking for them.

Was your cruise on a HAL ship? It sounds like what you described, honeymoon for a young couple, that it would be more common on RCCL or Carnival.

as long as HAL allows smoking on the balcony I will continue to book with them. if they ban it, they will become my fourth choice.

Considering a future Alaska cruise with HAL because everyone I talk to says "HAL does it right". For a once in a lifetime unique experience I am considering it. But to me Alaska is worthy of a balcony room. Wife won't book balcony on any line that allows balcony smoking.

So, HAL is in the running; by the time we are ready for Alaska though there will be no balcony smoking permitted, so that could make our choice easier.

Yes, I have never been bothered by balcony smoke in over 100 cruises! This issue has become a "cause celeb" for too many people!

I am a non smoker who loves HAL. I can always retreat to the spa if smoke ever became an issue. Love those Dam ships!

Considering a future Alaska cruise with HAL because everyone I talk to says "HAL does it right". For a once in a lifetime unique experience I am considering it. But to me Alaska is worthy of a balcony room. Wife won't book balcony on any line that allows balcony smoking.

 

So, HAL is in the running; by the time we are ready for Alaska though there will be no balcony smoking permitted, so that could make our choice easier.

right, forgot you know things but can't talk sources ;)

for the OP's question, will we book HAL - probably - definitely the Prinsendam, the other ships, I have another one booked and will not cancel.

Whether we continue on HAL or not is not about smoking. It's the least of our worries.

There are many other aspects that we focus on in determining the cruise ship we will be on. HAL has been our cruise line of choice for a number of years and we are breaking the mold next year to go on Oceania.

For the record, we are not going on Oceania because of the smoking policy. We are going because of the timing, itinerary, specialty restaurants, food, and smaller size, etc.

right, forgot you know things but can't talk sources ;)

 

Good recollection.

Yes we would continue to sail on HAL.Speaking on behalf of 4 HAL cruisers we would sail on HAL only if they kept their current policy of smoking on balconies. I have often wondered what these people that can't stand the smell of smoke did 15 or more years ago when smoking was allowed everywhere.

Yes we would continue to sail on HAL.Speaking on behalf of 4 HAL cruisers we would sail on HAL only if they kept their current policy of smoking on balconies. I have often wondered what these people that can't stand the smell of smoke did 15 or more years ago when smoking was allowed everywhere.

They happily sailed on HAL ships. All the lounges had smoking sections in the bar area which was always full with both smokers and non-smokers, so it didn't seem to bother the non-smokers then as up close and personal as you can get sitting inside at the bar or table right next to a smoker. It just was not a topic on CC until smoking began to be limited. As HAL bans smoking in one place, like cabins, the campaign then began to ban it on balconies. If balcony smoking is banned of course more smokers will be pushed to the outside decks smoking allowed areas and the complaints will begin about smoking being a problem outside. Many of these folks posting are the same non-smokers who never missed a night at the bar with the smokers.

We will continue to sail HAL as long as they allow balcony smoking.

I will also continue to sail with HAL but then I am a smoker who prefers the option of balcony smoking to having to move several decks away to enjoy my habit.

Many of these folks posting are the same non-smokers who never missed a night at the bar with the smokers.

Now that's funny, but probably true. ;)

They happily sailed on HAL ships. All the lounges had smoking sections in the bar area which was always full with both smokers and non-smokers, so it didn't seem to bother the non-smokers then as up close and personal as you can get sitting inside at the bar or table right next to a smoker. It just was not a topic on CC until smoking began to be limited. ........

 

Many of these folks posting are the same non-smokers who never missed a night at the bar with the smokers.

Many non-smokers are former smokers who, having gotten off the habit, would rather not still have to breathe other people's' smoke. Other (lifelong) non-smokers are no longer in the minority and now feel they can speak up.

Many non-smokers are former smokers who, having gotten off the habit, would rather not still have to breathe other people's' smoke. Other (lifelong) non-smokers are no longer in the minority and now feel they can speak up.

Well said!!!!

Many non-smokers are former smokers who, having gotten off the habit, would rather not still have to breathe other people's' smoke. Other (lifelong) non-smokers are no longer in the minority and now feel they can speak up.

Yes, of course. However, I was speaking of those non-smokers who had the choice of smoking or non-smoking areas to enjoy the ship, but purposely sat in the smoking areas when they didn't have to and never complained or moved away from the smoke when they could have.

We only sail on HAL because we can smoke on the balcony, as well as four other couples we know. If balcony smoking goes, we go too as there are other lines we prefer for several things. But morning coffee with a cigarette on the balcony is the most important for us!

I actually cancelled a cruise on NCL which was to leave Boston in November to the Southern Caribbean because effective November 1st they changed their smoking policy and you were no longer permitted to smoke on your private balcony. I agree with a previous post - I don't want to get dressed as soon as I get up to go and have my coffee and a cigarette. I will continue to cruise on HAL as long as they keep their smoking policy in place.

Yes we will continue to sail with HAL ; balcony smoking permitted of course.:D

Virtually all of our longer cruises are taken on HAL because its smoking policy is more lenient than most others. Change that policy and there are always a dozen other lines we could move to.

Some of your earlier comments about sitting next to smokers in bars made me laugh. I used to date an attorney who HATED smoke - but, boy, get him in a "girlie" bar in Bangkok, or one or our local casinos when he was winning - NARY A PEEP ABOUT SMOKE!!

Yes, I would cruise HAL again, booking a balcony, as an occasional smoker. Both hubby and I are trying to quit completely, but whether we do or not, we would book a balcony on HAL.

I actually cancelled a cruise on NCL which was to leave Boston in November to the Southern Caribbean because effective November 1st they changed their smoking policy and you were no longer permitted to smoke on your private balcony. I agree with a previous post - I don't want to get dressed as soon as I get up to go and have my coffee and a cigarette. I will continue to cruise on HAL as long as they keep their smoking policy in place.

We cancelled our cruise on RC after they changed there smoking policy and got a full refund:)