This Thread Is To Be Used For All Discussions About HAL's On Board Smoking Policies

Here is the link to the smoking thread that is open:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2084364&page=13&highlight=smoking+thread

Sorry for the smoking question,tried posting on the smoke thread, but it was closed.

 

I am overly sensitive to smoke, always have and on all the cruises we have been on, never been an issue, but I have never sailed Holland America or the Baltic so figure it may be an issue and wondering what the options are.

 

Are there any bars that are smoke free so I can get a drink? Are there any music venues that are smoke free so I can go to the shows?

 

Figure if they are the only cruise line that is smoker friendly nowadays, guess they will get more of those passengers and wondering if there is a place for me, too or whether I need to rethink it.

 

I love the itinerary so am trying to make it work.

 

Did people find it overwhelming?

 

Jenn

You will be fine. All indoor bars are smoke-free. All entertainment venues are smoke-free. Indoors stay away from the Casino. Outdoors stay away from the Aft Starboard side bar - it is a smoking area. The Sports and The Observation Deck also allow smoking. You should also know upfront that at this time guests are allowed to smoke on their verandahs.

You be fine -- bars -- showroom -- no smoking.

Book and enjoy your cruise.

I would avoid the Sports Bar as it is very close to the casino, and you would likely smell the smoke from there.

On most of the HAL ships I've been on, we have found that the piano bar (which is sometimes attached to the Mix) is close enough to the casino to keep us away. But we're hyper sensitive. Crow's Nest? Ocean Bar? A-OK!

You'll be fine!

No indoor bars/lounges permit smoking. Take your pick. :)

Depending which ship you are sailing: Ocean Bar, Explorer's Lounge, Crows Nest, Sports Bar, Pinnacle Bar, Silk Den, Show Lounge are all non-smoking. All ships have Ocean Bar, Explorer's Lounge, Show Lounge and Crows Nest. Vista and Signature class ships have Sports Bar, Pinnacle Bar and only Signature class ships have Silk Den.

Eurodam is the plan. My travel agent (Costco) when I asked said all the bars had smoking allowed and since I've never been on Holland I wasn't sure but thought that seemed a bit too many,

Thanks! I always like a drink or 2 or 3...

Jenn

Eurodam is the plan. My travel agent (Costco) when I asked said all the bars had smoking allowed and since I've never been on Holland I wasn't sure but thought that seemed a bit too many,

 

Thanks! I always like a drink or 2 or 3...

 

Jenn

That was the policy maybe 7-8 or more years ago. I remember when the Ocean Bar on Amsterdam had a little smoking "nook" but that has been gone for years.

Sports Bar on Eurodam will be close to the Casino. May want to avoid that one since it's all quite open. Piano Bar will be fine as when there is a performer the Piano Bar will sort of "close up" (it has doors)

As for the rest, have a blast!

Eurodam is the plan. My travel agent (Costco) when I asked said all the bars had smoking allowed and since I've never been on Holland I wasn't sure but thought that seemed a bit too many,

 

Thanks! I always like a drink or 2 or 3...

 

Jenn

Your TA is wrong! Plain and simple.

That was the policy maybe 7-8 or more years ago. I remember when the Ocean Bar on Amsterdam had a little smoking "nook" but that has been gone for years.

 

Sports Bar on Eurodam will be close to the Casino. May want to avoid that one since it's all quite open. Piano Bar will be fine as when there is a performer the Piano Bar will sort of "close up" (it has doors)

 

As for the rest, have a blast!

On All the S & R ships, Ocean Bar smoking was permitted at the bar, the 'nook' and the few tables abutting the bar but not the rest of the lounge. Ocean Bar was the last indoor bar on those ships to permit smoking along with Casino Bar which no longer exists on ships that have MIX.

That reminds me I forgot to mention MIX when I described above which ships/which indoor bars. I knew I was forgetting one. :) :D

What is MIX?

Don't know all the acronyms!

Jenn

You will be fine. All indoor bars are smoke-free. All entertainment venues are smoke-free. Indoors stay away from the Casino. Outdoors stay away from the Aft Starboard side bar - it is a smoking area. The Sports and The Observation Deck also allow smoking. You should also know upfront that at this time guests are allowed to smoke on their verandahs.

Smoking is still permitted in Sports Bar? I thought they stopped that.

I know the smoke can drift from the Casino but I thought there was no smoking permitted there? :confused:

Smoking is still permitted in Sports Bar? I thought they stopped that.

 

I know the smoke can drift from the Casino but I thought there was no smoking permitted there? :confused:

Sports Deck ... not Sports Bar. I think I mumbled that sentence. ;)

Sports Deck ... not Sports Bar. I think I mumbled that sentence. ;)

Thanks. :)

Sports Deck ... not Sports Bar. I think I mumbled that sentence. ;)

On the Noordam, at least, smoking is not allowed in any outdoor area other than the Seaview Bar, not the Sports Deck or Observation Deck as mentioned in the policy. I don't know about the other ships.

On the Noordam, at least, smoking is not allowed in any outdoor area other than the Seaview Bar, not the Sports Deck or Observation Deck as mentioned in the policy. I don't know about the other ships.

Is smoking still allowed on the Promenade (Walkaround) Deck of any HAL ship? :confused:

On the Noordam, at least, smoking is not allowed in any outdoor area other than the Seaview Bar, not the Sports Deck or Observation Deck as mentioned in the policy. I don't know about the other ships.

On the Zuiderdam, smoking was allowed on both the Sports Deck and Observation Deck - which is where most of the officers went for their smoke breaks.

On the Zuiderdam, smoking was allowed on both the Sports Deck and Observation Deck - which is where most of the officers went for their smoke breaks.

On the Noordam the Officers and any other staff who smoked had to use the Seaview Bar. If HAL ban smoking on balconies this makes them the most restrictive of all the cruise lines.

On the Noordam the Officers and any other staff who smoked had to use the Seaview Bar. If HAL ban smoking on balconies this makes them the most restrictive of all the cruise lines.

That is the big IF. :)

They don't seem to be in any rush to do so.

That is my question too - is smoking allowed on the walking deck? Our cabin is on that deck in the back. I'd really not like to open our door and have someone sitting/standing right there while smoking.

yes you can smoke on the promenade deck while walking or reading

I think HAL has a long way to go to restrict smoking. My most recent experience was on Prinsendam. There was so much smoking in the casino that the stink and smoke permeated the coffee bar next door. The coffee bar was very cozy with comfortable couches and a big screen TV but we could not stand the smoke. There was definitely smoking on the promenade deck by passengers and crew and yes I saw uniformed officers smoking in this location.

The latest Oceania literature says they offer "the comfort of smoke free environments throughout virtually the entirety of our ships". We are sailing Marina in ten days and I will be anxious to see if they deliver on this promise. The cruise director on Regatta told us about the plans to build glass cages for smokers in Horizons and on one of the open decks.

Although we love the Prinsendam (cruised over 140 days in 3 years on her) we now avoid the ship because we got sick and tired of the smoke. It is not just from the passengers. If you have a cabin on the Dauphin Deck forward of the Atrium and the Starboard side (like cabin 430) you will quickly notice that the hallway (and atrium area) smell of cigarette smoke. We never could figure where it was coming from until we were given a tour of the crew deck one deck below. It turns out that there is a large crew lounge located right off the Atrium area where it is like a smoke chamber (this is the regular crew smoking space). The smoke is sucked up the Atrium and the HVAC flow takes it right down the forward Starboard corridor. Funny thing is that we never smelled any smoke on the Port side forward...so we finally figured (and confirmed with an engineering officer) that is has to do with the normal HVAC air flow pattern.

About 3 years ago they nearly had a major riot in the Crow's Nest (where smoking was then allowed on the Port Side) while they were cruising the Fjords up in Norway. At one point, while passing through a very scenic area the Crows Nest was packed (the weather was too rotten to go out on deck) as folks sought the best location for the view. But a small number of passengers were on the Port side smoking cigarettes (which was allowed at the time) which filled the entire room with the stink of smoke. The huge majority of passengers, who were not smokers, started getting very angry about the smoke and eventually a decision was made to stop the smoking at that time. I believe that they finally banned all smoking in the Crows Nest, but this was not done for many months after this particular cruise.

Hank

yes you can smoke on the promenade deck while walking or reading

Not according to HAL ...

That is my question too - is smoking allowed on the walking deck? Our cabin is on that deck in the back. I'd really not like to open our door and have someone sitting/standing right there while smoking.

No - smoking is not allowed on the Promenade Deck - per HAL's website.