Did You/Are You Switching Cruise Lines Because of HAL's Smoking Policies?

In response to the OP's question: Have you or are you planning to switch cruise lines because you do not like that HAL continues to permit smoking on verandas?

We have been on six HAL cruises, the most recent two years ago on the Noordam. We shall not cruise with HAL again until they recognize that we are now in the 21st Century and adopt 21st Century smoking policies. No one has the right to pollute the air that I breathe on my balcony with second hand smoke.

Even though we are 4 star mariners our 2015 Noordam cruise will be our last on HAL. The only reason we are going on that one is we had a booking deposit we needed to use before it expired. HAL's insistence on allowing smoking on the balconies is the final deal breaker after the various service and quality deficiencies that have occurred.

 

Our first HAL cruise was in 1988 and it was terrific even though we had a cabin at the waterline with two bunk beds. The service and food was over the top. We were hooked big time. It was five years before we could afford to cruise again, but we have taken a HAL cruise almost every year (sometimes two) since.

 

Best to all.

you can request your future cruise credit deposit to be refunded...I did, and 2 days later the credit appeared on my credit card statement.

Carol

I do smoke so balcony smoking is important to me. We have sailed HAL for years and intend to continue!

Even though we are 4 star mariners our 2015 Noordam cruise will be our last on HAL. The only reason we are going on that one is we had a booking deposit we needed to use before it expired. HAL's insistence on allowing smoking on the balconies is the final deal breaker after the various service and quality deficiencies that have occurred.

 

Our first HAL cruise was in 1988 and it was terrific even though we had a cabin at the waterline with two bunk beds. The service and food was over the top. We were hooked big time. It was five years before we could afford to cruise again, but we have taken a HAL cruise almost every year (sometimes two) since.

 

Best to all.

If you are referring to an on board deposit from a cruise HAL will refund it to you if not used in 5 years. I've also heard that you can call and request it be refunded at any time.

I am not a smoker but partner is, yet we have never booked on HAL for the smoking policy. We love the Neptune Lounge and the wrap around aft balcony.

Would it make both sides happy if balconies on only one side of the ship allowed smoking? Why the all or nothing approach? It makes sense to me and should satisfy most people, right? By cutting off all balcony smoking you force smokers into a more public area, which will then bother the non smokers enjoying that area.

To answer the original question, we are taking a cruise on HAL for the first time to accommodate a smoker who wishes to enjoy the balcony for the occasional cigarette.

Best wishes,

Waltysmom

Would it make both sides happy if balconies on only one side of the ship allowed smoking? Why the all or nothing approach? It makes sense to me and should satisfy most people, right? By cutting off all balcony smoking you force smokers into a more public area, which will then bother the non smokers enjoying that area.

 

To answer the original question, we are taking a cruise on HAL for the first time to accommodate a smoker who wishes to enjoy the balcony for the occasional cigarette.

 

Best wishes,

 

Waltysmom

You may not have noticed this has been suggested again and again and the problem with that would be there are not enough smokers to fill all the verandahs on one side of the ship. Maybe if you add the non-smoking verandah cruisers who don't mind being exposed to smoke you might fill more of those cabins but possibly/probably ? not all?

Also, there are many folks who prefer one side over another and have a favorite cabin on one side of the ship. Many feel as though a non-smoker or smoker should not be denied the ability to book the cabin of their choice, if available, and not be exposed to the smoke or forbidden to smoke as the case may be.

If it could be solved that easily, I am sure HAL and perhaps other cruise lines would have done just that. :)

Thanks for trying to find a workable solution. Keep thinking about it. You just might be the person who can find the fix to this problem. I certainly hope sop. :)

You may not have noticed this has been suggested again and again and the problem with that would be there are not enough smokers to fill all the verandahs on one side of the ship. Maybe if you add the non-smoking verandah cruisers who don't mind being exposed to smoke you might fill more of those cabins but possibly/probably ? not all?

 

Also, there are many folks who prefer one side over another and have a favorite cabin on one side of the ship. Many feel as though a non-smoker or smoker should not be denied the ability to book the cabin of their choice, if available, and not be exposed to the smoke or forbidden to smoke as the case may be.

 

If it could be solved that easily, I am sure HAL and perhaps other cruise lines would have done just that. :)

 

Thanks for trying to find a workable solution. Keep thinking about it. You just might be the person who can find the fix to this problem. I certainly hope sop. :)

 

How would you know there are not enough smokers who would want to book a balcony? Just asking. The thread suggests there are quite a few.

The best place for smoking is off the ship. Have you ever noticed that when thier doctor tells them quit smoking now or it will kill you; but they keep smoking even after they get cancer and/or are on oxygen. If it is going to kill you, what do you think that it does to people around you. Give us all a break and live a healthy life style! Have a little respect for others.

How would you know there are not enough smokers who would want to book a balcony? Just asking. The thread suggests there are quite a few.

Clearly there are less than 50 percent that smoke.

Chiming in that I am thinking of HAL for a cruise next summer if I may still smoke on my balcony. If there's no smoking on balconies, my cruising days are sadly over.

Hi

I can see a ship sailing with port side full with no smokers and the and the startboard side empty or half full. Since non smkers would not go thier. What do you thin HAl would do.. charge more to the smoking section or deep discount those cabins for non smkers.. You cannot tell me that many smokers will be on a ship that many times.

I would be happy to pay extra to smoke and continue to cruise.

I have to admit that while Holland America was our last cruise and we loved it, we have no particular loyalty to any line. We've chosen a cruise based on several factors: Itinerary, date, cost, cabin all combined. Holland America had the nicest balcony suite with the itinerary we wanted at the right price, and it was great. But if we find the right combination on another similar line, we'll book that. Smoking has not and will not be a factor, even though we do it occasionally.

Here's another suggestion regarding smoking and balconies: How about, say, a certain number of balcony cabins set aside for smokers toward the stern on one side? There will be no smoke drift problem at least. Perhaps they could go by the percentage of the population who smoke and use that percentage of balcony cabins toward the stern on one side. Just a thought. :)

You may not have noticed this has been suggested again and again...

Yes it has, hasn't it? Just an ounce of thought into that idea would (or should) make one realize it isn't possible.

I'm curious how many of those who say they will cruise HAL because they can smoke on the verandah actually have cruised or have a future cruise booked on HAL?

Don't know what made me think of that but I wonder.

How would you know there are not enough smokers who would want to book a balcony? Just asking. The thread suggests there are quite a few.

The most logical reason to know it is because were it possible cruise lines would have been doing this long ago. It isn't such a unique concept that no one ever thought of it before.

NCL did try it before. We sailed on the Dreamward when one side was smoking allowed on the balconies and one side was non-smoking. Evidently it didn't work or was more of a reservation hassle than it was worth as they no longer have it that way. I have no idea how long they tried it as we only sailed on NCL once.

I'm curious how many of those who say they will cruise HAL because they can smoke on the verandah actually have cruised or have a future cruise booked on HAL?

 

Don't know what made me think of that but I wonder.

 

Wasn't that the subject of the other thread where the OP said not to post unless you agreed with her:rolleyes:?

Here is the link to that thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076696

Wasn't that the subject of the other thread where the OP said not to post unless you agreed with her:rolleyes:?

 

Here is the link to that thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076696

You're right.

I forgot about that thread.

Thank you. :)

We have also booked away from HAL. We have had better service on Norwegian as of late... yes you read that correctly. Plus we love the specialty restaurant package on NCL. We are 3 star on HAL and are soon to be platinum on NCL.

 

 

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I also find the NCL service excellent and do not understand why some don't. I'm still sailing HAL but will book wherever I find the itinerary and price that is best. I'm on Celebrity for two because of the land tour packages that an agency has bundled with the cruise, not because I'm ditching my two favorite lines, HAL and NCL.

There seems to be a lot of "picking up my marbles and going home" posts and threads here lately. HAL is a great line and I'll continue to sail with them when itinerary and price are favorable. Or in the case of VOV...just the itinerary, lol.

We have just returned from Oceania's Riviera to the Black Sea after our 11 last cruises on HAL. We were on this partly because having cancelled Odessa and Yalta the cruise had the other Black Sea ports that we wanted to visit, partly because DH has wanted to try another cruise line and Oceania was top of the list as I don't like smaller ships but quite fancied the size of Marina and Riviera which are comparable to the R class ships of HAL and partly because it was a very good deal.

I was slightly concerned because I have always felt that if we tried a more upmarket ship we might like it too much!!!

Well we did like it very much. A beautiful ship and a crew of 800 to 1240 passengers it felt like we had arrived in an upmarket five star hotel. The food was good and I have no doubt that they spend more on it as the quality and cuts of meat/fish were excellent. Lobster abounded, in fact you could get lobster and fillet steak each evening in the Terrace and Waves - the deck restaurant even had surf and turf on ciabatta. We don't actually like lobster very much and we had the feeling that HAL menus were perhaps more us. The terrace (lido) restaurant was very good - more like a proper restaurant with waiters serving all drinks and often carrying the plates of the fit and healthy. In my case with a stick I always had my plate carried, in fact at the counter when food was served (always served) I would turn around and there would be someone standing behind me to help. They often offered to get my food. Waves - was set out as an eating place all in one area. The tables were properly set with mats, linen serviettes and glasses and the same thing applied there. Burgers were black angus beef.

There were lots of quiet places to sit, and on the pool deck I was impressed with the mattresses on the sunbeds and the white towelling covers which were removed for washing every day.

Embarkation and disembarkation - well I feel they could learn a lot from HAL!!

The three things I would say for anyone considering Oceania - the excursions are very, very expensive - eye wateringly so, the drinks are also expensive and the internet exhorbitant.

For us this was fine - we were in Europe where we do not tend to do excursions, we use our mobile phone to text family (where I would take my laptop elsewhere) and because I am on extra strong tablets alcohol is out. Non drinkers are well provided for - all included. In addition to the speciality coffees including iced cappuccino, sodas, all fruit juice and non alc punch they do an excellent line in smoothies and milk shakes and also have three mocktails which are complementary. You can also have alcohol in your cabin.

So we enjoyed it but what of the future. There are pros and cons. We would really like a balcony these days but the cost of a veranda on R and S class ships is actually dearer than on an offer with Oceania. That said at the end of 10 days we were ready to come home - perhaps too much luxury. We can stay happily in my case, 30 to 35 days on HAL. So we may go on Oceania again for a short trip to Europe but for longer trips will almost certainly be with HAL. A good job as we are booked for 22 nights, Melbourne to Singapore in November! It is just that we now have two favourite cruiselines.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

I've enjoyed different cruise lines in the past. Smoking in certain places has never been one of my reasons for choosing a cruise. I am happy about the no smoking on the balcony policy on several cruise lines. Smoke bothers me a lot.

We have just returned from Oceania's Riviera to the Black Sea after our 11 last cruises on HAL. We were on this partly because having cancelled Odessa and Yalta the cruise had the other Black Sea ports that we wanted to visit, partly because DH has wanted to try another cruise line and Oceania was top of the list as I don't like smaller ships but quite fancied the size of Marina and Riviera which are comparable to the R class ships of HAL and partly because it was a very good deal.

 

I was slightly concerned because I have always felt that if we tried a more upmarket ship we might like it too much!!!

 

Well we did like it very much. A beautiful ship and a crew of 800 to 1240 passengers it felt like we had arrived in an upmarket five star hotel. The food was good and I have no doubt that they spend more on it as the quality and cuts of meat/fish were excellent. Lobster abounded, in fact you could get lobster and fillet steak each evening in the Terrace and Waves - the deck restaurant even had surf and turf on ciabatta. We don't actually like lobster very much and we had the feeling that HAL menus were perhaps more us. The terrace (lido) restaurant was very good - more like a proper restaurant with waiters serving all drinks and often carrying the plates of the fit and healthy. In my case with a stick I always had my plate carried, in fact at the counter when food was served (always served) I would turn around and there would be someone standing behind me to help. They often offered to get my food. Waves - was set out as an eating place all in one area. The tables were properly set with mats, linen serviettes and glasses and the same thing applied there. Burgers were black angus beef.

 

There were lots of quiet places to sit, and on the pool deck I was impressed with the mattresses on the sunbeds and the white towelling covers which were removed for washing every day.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation - well I feel they could learn a lot from HAL!!

 

The three things I would say for anyone considering Oceania - the excursions are very, very expensive - eye wateringly so, the drinks are also expensive and the internet exhorbitant.

For us this was fine - we were in Europe where we do not tend to do excursions, we use our mobile phone to text family (where I would take my laptop elsewhere) and because I am on extra strong tablets alcohol is out. Non drinkers are well provided for - all included. In addition to the speciality coffees including iced cappuccino, sodas, all fruit juice and non alc punch they do an excellent line in smoothies and milk shakes and also have three mocktails which are complementary. You can also have alcohol in your cabin.

 

So we enjoyed it but what of the future. There are pros and cons. We would really like a balcony these days but the cost of a veranda on R and S class ships is actually dearer than on an offer with Oceania. That said at the end of 10 days we were ready to come home - perhaps too much luxury. We can stay happily in my case, 30 to 35 days on HAL. So we may go on Oceania again for a short trip to Europe but for longer trips will almost certainly be with HAL. A good job as we are booked for 22 nights, Melbourne to Singapore in November! It is just that we now have two favourite cruiselines.

 

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Wonderful report.

Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Welcome back. :)

My family loves HAL. However, my mother and I are taking an Azamara cruise this October. The only reason why is because of the itinerary and the great deal we got on it. Otherwise we were going to take the Prisendam on a similar itinerary. I do plan on returning to HAL next year for my honeymoon though!