Smoking on Azamara

:( We are booked on the Quest December 8, 2007. Have just noticed all the changes - new name Azamara - and the limited smoking area. Particularly the no smoking on your own balcony. Called Celebrity to ask - was told they have been receiving lots of calls about this. They haven't decided for sure about the Quest but it is definite on the Journey. I guess we will have to rethink this cruise. My husband just won't go for two weeks on a cruise where he can't smoke on his own balcony. WOW. Celebrity said they would let me know Monday what the verdict is. I hate to have to start looking for another December cruise, but I'll have no choice.:confused:

Hi:

Where did you hear that you can't smoke on your own balcony? I sure hope you're wrong or they will have alot of cancellations.

Somewhere here on the boards I read where there was smoking only in designated areas on the Journey. No smoking except in the designated areas. Not it the Casino, or pool area, or in your staterooms/suites or verandas. I went to Celebrity web site and there it was. I called Celebrity and they verified that was true for the Journey. I ask about the Quest and was told they would e-mail/call me on Monday. I haven't told my husband yet as he would make me cancel now. I will wait until I have been told it's true also on the Quest. I don't smoke, but, I understand others do and I think they get a bad rap. If you are paying for a suite and veranda, you should be able to smoke on it. If Celebrity is going to enforce this change, we will have to sail with another. :( Hope I can get my money back.:eek:

:( We are booked on the Quest December 8, 2007. Have just noticed all the changes - new name Azamara - and the limited smoking area. Particularly the no smoking on your own balcony. Called Celebrity to ask - was told they have been receiving lots of calls about this. They haven't decided for sure about the Quest but it is definite on the Journey. I guess we will have to rethink this cruise. My husband just won't go for two weeks on a cruise where he can't smoke on his own balcony. WOW. Celebrity said they would let me know Monday what the verdict is. I hate to have to start looking for another December cruise, but I'll have no choice.:confused:

The smoking policy on Azamara makes me very happy! I am going to love it on Journey next September. And I will finaly be able to use a ships Casino!

The smoking policy on Azamara makes me very happy! I am going to love it on Journey next September. And I will finaly be able to use a ships Casino!

I'm with you! Maybe I'll be able to visit the casino, too! :)

For those wanting the exact wording of the smoking policy and answer to other questions, see the FAQ section on the new website.

http://www.azamaracruises.com/07/azamara/about-azamara/faqs.htm

We will all just have to watch and wait. I remember the one smoke free ship and how all the non-smokers just raved about it - but the ship didn't last long. I feel that if Celebrity was going to make this change - they should have done it prior selling staterooms - but we will see.

One day - maybe they will start putting a weight limit on folks.:p

As a former smoker, I do understand about wanting to have a cigarette while you are relaxing on your veranda. Unfortunately the smoke does not know that it is supposed to stay on your balcony only, and it comes to visit me. My husband is very asthmatic and cannot stay on the balcony if the smoke wafts over.

What happens is that your enjoyment interferes with my enjoyment. Neither one of us is more important than the other, so that leaves us with a conundrum. Azamara has settled it by setting this policy. We'll see if it lasts.

Well folks, Oceania's "no smoking" policy (except for limited, designated areas) is one of its big draws--and they literally put you off the ship if you violate it.

on your balcony. We don't cruise Oceania because my friend doesn't want to get dressed in the am to have a cigarette or have to run up 4 decks to get to a designated area. Screw that! So far there seems like no reason to sail this line. No cabin measurements, no details on itineraries and prices. It's more of Hannerhan trying to squeeze more bucks from us.

on your balcony. We don't cruise Oceania because my friend doesn't want to get dressed in the am to have a cigarette or have to run up 4 decks to get to a designated area. Screw that! So far there seems like no reason to sail this line. No cabin measurements, no details on itineraries and prices. It's more of Hannerhan trying to squeeze more bucks from us.

We'll miss you!:)

I see plenty of reasons why Azamara will suit me very well, silly name or not. We're trying Journey by accident, as we originally booked Zenith to Bermuda. I've liked most of the changes I've heard about, and I especially like the severe cut-back in smoking areas. Remember, they don't need to find thousands of people to fill these ships for each cruise, only 710.

Lisa

So far there seems like no reason to sail this line.

I feel just the opposite .... so many great reasons to sail on Journey and Quest - the size of the ships, the interesting itineraries and the non-smoking policy ... plus the affiliation with Celebrity, who we've had 4 great cruises with:)

Sounds like they have found a niche' (cruisers who love restricted smoking ~not totally nonsmoking~ like Oceania) and are trying to fill it.

There are still plenty of other cruise ships for people who don't want to be inconvenienced.

I like the policy. For those that do smoke there is a simple solution - don't sail on Azamara if you feel you must smoke in your cabin or balcony. There are lots of other CLs that don't have this smoking policy. Happy Sailing!

The smoking policy on Azamara makes me very happy! I am going to love it on Journey next September. And I will finaly be able to use a ships Casino!

Hurray Hurray

Finally nonsmoking casinos and other areas

Definitely will look into this cruise line for future cruises!!!!!!!!!

We have also canceled our Antarctica cruise - for the smoking policy. In fact, I'm a TA and we have canceled over $70,000 in Journey bookings (one was a group where the majority were smokers). Ouch! Sadly for Celebrity/Azamara, I can say that most of these folks are now looking at Holland America and or Regent.

We sail on Oceania in twelve days and I can tell you that the smoking policy along with country club casual and open dining was what put them over the top with us. Oceania has had no problem filling three ships of this size and now we will have a choice with RCL who we have liked. This line fits perfectly in with Oceania and I see us using both for future cruises. There are many lines out there that offer plenty of smoking opportunities so two for those of us who prefer to not deal with it seems very reasonable.

To those who point to the Paradise as a failed example you need to understand a few things. One it was Carnival who caters to a very different customer. Two Carnival heavily relies on other on board revenue, casinos, drinks which are much less relied on by Oceania and I would assume on these ships as well. Finally the ships sailed mostly full and it was strictly a profitability decision not a lack of passengers that did in the Paradise.

I am very happy to now have two similar lines available helps to keep prices in line and offers an alternative for those of us looking for something different. I’ll still look to RCL/Celebrity for short Caribbean cruises but I really want to use these lines for those special trips to places one does not get to see on most mass market lines. Thank you Oceania for setting the example and creating this category, I know it follows Rens example, and thanks RCL for having the guts to follow and provide another high quality not luxury line.

...no details on itineraries and prices..

The smoking policy on Azamara makes me very happy! I am going to love it on Journey next September. And I will finaly be able to use a ships Casino!

I'm with you, Charles! When we sailed on Mercury to Alaska last May, we couldn't enjoy our balcony because our neighbors were constantly out on their's, smoking. If we opened our balcony door, our room smelled like an ashtray. I am perfectly happy to know that this will not be the case on our Bermuda cruise (in 2 weeks!! Can't wait!).

We are three couples, all booked for a reunion cruise on Quest..

All cancelling!!!

Thats three suites, 14 nights, x a LOT of champagne, lots of spa treatments, shore excursions and six very extensive bar bills..

NOT happy from this corner either :mad:

The only good thing now however is that the non smokers can now all get together on their own wee ship whilst we party it up on the others..

I am not saying X are wrong..I am however furious that this has not been made clear at the time of booking. We have a lot of plans now to change.. will see what TA says on Tuesday.

What happens is that your enjoyment interferes with my enjoyment. Neither one of us is more important than the other, so that leaves us with a conundrum.

Susan,

This is the best description of the problem that I have ever seen. Short, polite, and indisputable.

It is always much easier for a smoker to "interfere", because in order for a non-smoker to "interfere", they must ask a smoker to refrain. Smokers often interfere without even being aware they are doing so, and many non-smokers are reluctant to ask them to stop or move for fear of confrontation.

If everyone saw the problem as you have described it, I suspect such encounters could be much more civil.

It will indeed be very interesting to see how this policy affects sales and whether or not it stays in place.

Theron

If you read the FAQs you will note that the smoking policy specifically applies to the Journey - the Quest is not mentioned (yet!) so why not hold off on your cancellations until you are sure?

http://www.azamaracruises.com/07/azamara/about-azamara/faqs.htm#will-smoking-be-allowed

My only issue with the "new" smoking policy is that it's causing problems for people who booked before it became widely known. Fortunately it's a lot easier to cancel a cruise ticket than it is an airplane ticket...I hope that those who decide to cancel don't have any problems doing so in terms of getting back their deposits etc.

Going forward into the future I think so long as it is made very clear to people when they are booking that the smoking is quite restricted, then it could work out fine. And if it doesn't, well, Azamara could always change it.

My perception is the real problem is not that you can't smoke but rather the fact Celebrity waited so long to inform anybody that this was their intention.

For months now they have been taking bookings for these ships and at the same time they were tight lipped about how these ships were going to be run. This was not an overnight decision and it is completely inappropriate to spring this on their customers is this manner. To me it is typical Celebrity procedure.

I am all for a no smoking ship, however, the people that are boarding today will no doubt be smoking in their rooms (who could blame them) in defiance of this abrupt policy. The now clean rooms will not recover from the inherent smoke smell in the carpet, furniture and all other soft goods and hence the non-smokers of the future will also receive a surprise in that their room will have that musky smoke odor to it.

Not a great way to start a new cruise line by p#@$ing off your customer base. Word of this will travel quickly through the industry and Celebrity/Azamara is going to be in for some rough treatment on these boards for the manner in which they have so poorly handled this.

If you read the FAQs you will note that the smoking policy specifically applies to the Journey - the Quest is not mentioned (yet!) so why not hold off on your cancellations until you are sure?

http://www.azamaracruises.com/07/azamara/about-azamara/faqs.htm#will-smoking-be-allowed

But the question in the FAQ section, "Will smoking be allowed on these ships?" seems to indicate that the policy will apply to both.

. Word of this will travel quickly through the industry and Celebrity/Azamara is going to be in for some rough treatment on these boards for the manner in which they have so poorly handled this.

They've also made a lot of people very happy, so the rough treatment will be offset by 'pats on the back'.