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Smoking on Marina !!!!


roger b
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Having just arrived back from a 30 cruise on Marina, I find that the smoking area on deck 12 to be in the worst and most objectionable position,on leaving the lift and exiting the left hand door you hit by a strong smell of smoke any time during the day also the beds that are directly adjacent to the smoking area are the last to go and anybody sitting there spends the day in a cloud of smoke.

Please could it be moved to another deck area lifeboat deck if possible.

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We have just adapted by using only the forward Port door on the pool deck, and the Starboard entrance to Horizons. If we forget once, we won't forget again :rolleyes:.

 

There is no normal passenger access to the lifeboat deck on Marina or Riviera. I find the current smoking areas tolerable, especially since they partially glass enclosed the indoor smoking area in Horizons. It is one of the most restrictive smoking policies in the industry. I don't believe there are any cabins adjacent to the deck 12 smoking area. The closet aft of the smoking area (where the smoke would blow) are on Deck 11, under the Deck 12 overhang. I have never heard objections from those cabins. The Oceania Suites on Deck 12 are significantly forward of the smoking area; smoke should only possibly reach them when the ship is backing up...they are also enormously popular and among the first to be reserved.

Edited by hondorner
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We have just adapted by using only the forward Port door on the pool deck, and the Starboard entrance to Horizons. If we forget once, we won't forget again :rolleyes:.

 

There is no normal passenger access to the lifeboat deck on Marina or Riviera. I find the current smoking areas tolerable, especially since they partially glass enclosed the indoor smoking area in Horizons. It is one of the most restrictive smoking policies in the industry. I don't believe there are any cabins adjacent to the deck 12 smoking area. The closet aft of the smoking area (where the smoke would blow) are on Deck 11, under the Deck 12 overhang. I have never heard objections from those cabins. The Oceania Suites on Deck 12 are significantly forward of the smoking area; smoke should only possibly reach them when the ship is backing up...they are also enormously popular and among the first to be reserved.

 

I am not referring to the suites on deck 12 it is the sun beds next to the smoking area that have no screen.

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Roger, I totally agree with you. We had 7 sea days and lounging by the pool on the outdoor smoking side was annoying. I wrote it up in my comment card, but one person is not going to change the location. We had a man with a cigar waft the smoke all afternoon and he never sat in far corner, but right next to the lounge beds. There are days when one prefers the smoking side to get out of the sun or wind. Then on the other side it is keeping a distance from the constant ping ponging that happens just when you are dozing off...lol

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Definitely agree that this is in a bad place, especially on the Riviera. My experience is that you smelled the smoke in the starboard hallway and the stairwell even though there were doors leading to the outside. The biggest issue is that it is in an enclosed space backed up to the artist loft area and no wind comes through there. People that are sensitive or just don't like smoke have a legitimate complaint. There are better places for it, (a deck up comes to mind, or outside Barristas on starboard side) but there is always someone that would not be happy no matter where it's at.

 

I felt the enclosed area and the public areas leading up to it in Horizons were the absolute worst though. You could start smelling the cigarette smell on the steps on deck 14 and it permeated the whole Horizons lounge. I've noticed people mention before that they didn't smell it in Horizons on the other side. I noticed it every time I was in Horizons, on either side. It didn't bother me, I just find stale cigarette smell unpleasant smelling.

 

I think Oceania should be like Celebrity and not allow any indoor smoking.

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Definitely agree that this is in a bad place, especially on the Riviera. My experience is that you smelled the smoke in the starboard hallway and the stairwell even though there were doors leading to the outside. The biggest issue is that it is in an enclosed space backed up to the artist loft area and no wind comes through there.

 

I felt the enclosed area and the public areas leading up to it in Horizons were the absolute worst though. You could start smelling the cigarette smell on the steps on deck 14 and it permeated the whole Horizons.

 

I think Oceania should be like Celebrity and not allow any indoor smoking.

 

How about NO smoking period!:rolleyes:

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I guess part of the issue for the line is people who smoke also pay for the trip so it is not fair for them to be excluded or put in some very poor spot. It's funny what puta people off. I liked to sit at the outside bar there and found the ping pong table there to be very annoying, the noisy of the game and people chaseing their balls under my feet. It's hard to please all.

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We just returned and noticed the same thing. It was a problem for us since we like to walk on the deck above. There also seemed to be more smokers onboard than normal.

 

It is very possible that O is now selling more bookings in those in countries that have a higher percentage of smokers than the US. Thus more smoke onboard.

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... ping pong table there to be very annoying, the noisy of the game and people chasing their balls under my feet.

 

What rocket scientist decided to put ping pong tables outside in the wind on a rolling ship's deck to begin with?

 

On to the original subject. I'm a former smoker and don't like the smell of ashtrays any more than the next guy but I think Oceania is quite reasonable in their policy. Be a little charitable and give the smokers (and the cruise line) a break on what, if you really look at it, is an almost completely avoidable and relatively minor irritant.

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What rocket scientist decided to put ping pong tables outside in the wind on a rolling ship's deck to begin with?

 

On to the original subject. I'm a former smoker and don't like the smell of ashtrays any more than the next guy but I think Oceania is quite reasonable in their policy. Be a little charitable and give the smokers (and the cruise line) a break on what, if you really look at it, is an almost completely avoidable and relatively minor irritant.

i don't smoke (cigs) and never have, and...excellent post. To be fair it appears most are saying it is Oceania's fault for picking a bad spot, not the smokers who are in their designated area.

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The issue is that smoking in the permitted area is an irritant (or more) to other cruisers. The referenced cigar smoker was impacting a significant part of the non-smoking pool area.

 

So the "solution" that O has implemented is not "fair" to the largest segment (non-smokers) of those on board. It seems clear to me O has work to do here.

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We were also bothered by smoke from the 'outside' smoking area on Marina, both just from walking by (on deck 12) or above (on deck 14) as well as trying to use the starboard side of the pool deck under the overhang (we prefer shade). We even smelled smoke occasionally in Waves when eating outside; I assume the forward motion of the ship led to the smoke drifting back in the direction of Waves.

 

I wondered why O couldn't 'glass in' the covered smoking area on deck 12? There are existing operable windows on the windowline, so there would still be fresh air in that space. A glass window wall to separate the smoking area from the pool deck and the public walkway, with an automatic door operable by a push button to provide access, would really cut down on collateral smoke wafting into the nearby pool areas as well as the elevator lobby/stairwells.

 

I will say we once had a deck 10 PH cabin almost underneath the deck 12 smoking area and never smelled smoke on our balcony, but being two decks down may have lessened the chance.

 

Perhaps they can put this on the list for the next Marina retrofit. It would make the starboard deck 12 public spaces more appealing to the nonsmokers, who do seem to be the majority of the O demographic.

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As a former smoker, I am quite militant about not being in the area/vicinity of any type smoke!! On our recent Riviera cruise, I was pleased that the areas were glassed in -- we had only been on the smaller ships prior -- and interestingly enough, there were usually officers from the ship in the smoking area, including the Captain - not passengers.

 

As long as the Staff Officers continue to be heavily European, it's unlikely the smoking policy will get much more strict.

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Regarding the desire just to ban smoking entirely ... Well, I personally agree.

 

However! Renaissance had an absolute ban (which was not always adhered to) but had decided to permit limiting smoking. This new rule was to have taken effect around December 2001, but of course Ren went belly up in September of that year. When Oceania started up not that long after, they kept to the "new" rule that Renaissance had planned on.

 

I also on occasion have walked across the pool deck without thinking about where the smoking area was and then was overwhelmed with the aroma. But I realized I was wrong, they weren't ... I was just on the wrong side of the deck.

 

I'm not happy with the smell of smoke at all. I would like to see cigar smoking totally banned, but I can tolerate cigarette smoking if the smoking areas are better protected. It seems I'm not alone.

 

Yes, in the most perfect of all worlds no smoking would be permitted... but somehow I don't think that is in the cards. Especially, as has been said, with more marketing to other parts of the world where more smoking exists.

 

Still, we've been very surprised in recent years as to how much smoking in public has been reduced in Europe. We used to be overwhelmed in major European cities with the smoking, and that is rarely the case these days.

 

I guess we can continue to hope.

 

Mura

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The trouble is, smoke doesn't stay in the smoking section. Cigar smoke especially (as someone else pointed out) travels and stinks up a far wider area. We were recently on a non-Oceania R class ship with a person who smoked a cigar all afternoon long every day (there were several sea days). And it stunk up the pool bar, that corner of the decks above, and even the inside hallways and stairwell for the deck with the smoking section AND the deck below. When it's just cigarette smoke, it's easy enough to avoid. When it's cigar smoke, avoiding it means avoiding a large area with desirable locations. Based on what we learned on earlier cruises, we limit our cruise line selection to lines with most-restrictive smoking policies. It was disappointing that one person was allowed to impact such a large section of the ship. (And yes, I did complain during the cruise and filled out the information on the survey.) Cigar and pipe smoking should be banned, IMHO.

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I'm not a smoker, and, yes, smoke bothers me. But I agree we must be a bit charitable to the smokers aboard. They are (most, anyway) aware they are looked down on, but they are so addicted they can't stop. I've always found simply controlling my breathing if I happen to forget and pass the areas where they smoke negates the issue. Holding my breath for about 10-15 seconds gets me out of range of the smoke smell, even cigars. And I train myself to simply not pass by/through the areas designated for smoking.

 

Frankly, I find the odors presented by those who douse themselves in perfume/cologne and the stinky kind of sunscreen to be just as offensive as the smoke. And I don't get close enough to the puffers to worry about the effects of second hand smoke, so I don't worry about that particular issue.

 

Would I say anything to any of the above-described folks? No! They are all within their rights to do whatever they choose. I simply try to stay far enough away that their habits don't impact me. As long as they have the right to smoke/wear strong perfume or sunscreen it's my responsibility to take charge of my own actions, not simply complain and expect the cruise line to "fix it." Now, the clueless/rude folks who smoke on their balconies or, worse yet, in their cabins are a different story. They are truly putting the rest of us at risk (fire).

 

So, let's try to keep life in perspective. Simply having to move a bit farther away under the overhang is a small concession for fellow passengers, rather than prohibiting smoking altogether, forcing addicted smokers to break the rules, smoke in their cabins, and possibly put us all in real danger.

Edited by TKS
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I wrote the same thing on comment card after the annoyance on pool deck. BAN CIGARS in bold letters. We are outside for fresh air and to suck up someone else's unhealthy indulgence is awful. He sat right next to the lounges like it was on purpose instead of near a window to drift out the smoke. I am sorry...I just had to weigh in again...lol

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I am not a smoker but grew up in LA in the 50-60"S and am pretty immune to the smell of diesel engines Cigars, brush fires and cigarettes. I seldom notice them today. I think when anyone gets emotional about anything it heightens their sensitivity and lowers there tolerance for differing ideas.

 

I have found on ships that as a general rule you meet some of the nicest and kindest people in the smoking section... from staff to passengers. No one is upset with anything and totally low key easy going and happy to a man.

 

If I have the choice to be with a gaggle of zelots preaching and thumping their chests, I think I would prefer to be with laid back happy smokers.... Who knows...I may even decide to join them !

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This smoking stuff goes on and on on all the boards. The cruise line consideres everyones money just as green and they make the rules on the ship. Their goal is not to offend anyone enough so they will not come back. As long as all are following said rules there really is no grounds to complain. Years ago Carnival had a no smoking ship, didn't work out to well for them!

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It would seem when you limit the areas that people can smoke, the areas where people can smoke will become more concentrated with smokers (and smoke), therefore it seems prudent for non smokers to give a wide berth to the two areas on the ships where smokers are allowed to do their smoking. It is not as if either of those areas are unique and have no non-smoking equivalent.

 

Please note: I am a non-smoker and take my own advice.

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Currently onboard Riviera. There seem to be a lot of smokers on this cruise, more than I have noticed on other recent cruises.

 

The smoke from the pool deck smoking area does go into the stairwell area and drift into the corridor by Artist's Loft for sure. The cigar smoke is really the main irritant to me. The cigarette smoke seems to dissipate more quickly.

 

The side of Horizons where the smoking lounge is also is pretty stinky, so I just don't sit there. I think they should completely enclose the smoking area up there instead of leaving it partially open.

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