Serenade of the Seas, smoking policy

My wife and I just returned from our cruise on the Serenade, while RCCL has come a long way to control smoking throughout the ship, the placement of the smoking areas is absurd. In order to get to Chops Grill or Portofino, you must go through the smoking section of the Schooner bar. In fact to go anywhere aft on deck 6 you must first pass through the smoking section of the Schooner bar. You then get to the smoking section of the Safari Club. Also the starboard side of the jogging track is smoking, how dumb is that, about every 50 feet is a smoking station. Nothing like a good healthy walk to get some fresh sea air, (not on the Serenade anyway). Deck 13 is set up the same , also you must avoid the Champagne bar on deck 6. I am not posting this to get all you smokers upset out there. I am posting it to inform the non-smokers, what they must go through to take a cruise on the Serenade.

From all I saw on the boards, and from info. from RCCL we thought we would be able to enjoy the whole ship. (Well! not the casino Royal). They (RCCL) not the smokers, (who by the way as far as I could see, never smoked in any area they were not allowed to smoke), are the problem. Maybe better placement of the smoking areas would help. The parts of the ship that we were able to go to were fine, but non-smokers should have access to the clubs as well.

Thank You Smokers for following the rules, they just don't go far enough.

Roger and Lois

It´s the same on all Radiance Class ships, not only on the Serenade.

I write this as an absoultely non-smoker and to go further a smoke hater.

Last year on the Jewel I have to say that smoke never bothered me.

Champagne Bar was beautiful and not smokey at all, in fact I didn´t even realized there was a smoking section.

Schooner Bar is always the bar that is quite smokey (I encountered this on all ships so far). But hey just walking through is not that bad. Never had a problem with smoke in the Safari Club, again didn´t even notice where the smoking section was. Sometimes I hate it when sitting right next to a smoker in the casino.

Put on deck I really never ever had any issues with smoke. Usually ther is some wind and the smoke is blown away immediately.

Could it be you just had a cruise with many many smokers onboard?

I have seen people go out of their way to notice smoke. If they smell it at all, they are offended.

How does someone "go out of their way" to notice smoke and how can you tell that they are doing it?? :confused: :rolleyes:

One time I lit a match to light a candle and some woman yelled "somebody's smoking". I just rolled my eyes. What can I say? Phobic.

My wife and I just returned from our cruise on the Serenade, while RCCL has come a long way to control smoking throughout the ship, the placement of the smoking areas is absurd. In order to get to Chops Grill or Portofino, you must go through the smoking section of the Schooner bar. In fact to go anywhere aft on deck 6 you must first pass through the smoking section of the Schooner bar. You then get to the smoking section of the Safari Club. Also the starboard side of the jogging track is smoking, how dumb is that, about every 50 feet is a smoking station. Nothing like a good healthy walk to get some fresh sea air, (not on the Serenade anyway). Deck 13 is set up the same , also you must avoid the Champagne bar on deck 6. I am not posting this to get all you smokers upset out there. I am posting it to inform the non-smokers, what they must go through to take a cruise on the Serenade.

From all I saw on the boards, and from info. from RCCL we thought we would be able to enjoy the whole ship. (Well! not the casino Royal). They (RCCL) not the smokers, (who by the way as far as I could see, never smoked in any area they were not allowed to smoke), are the problem. Maybe better placement of the smoking areas would help. The parts of the ship that we were able to go to were fine, but non-smokers should have access to the clubs as well.

Thank You Smokers for following the rules, they just don't go far enough.

Roger and Lois

It's a shame you fixated on this for your whole cruise.....:rolleyes:

Not all the Radiance class has the same policies. The Schooner bar on Radiance is non smoking.

It's a shame you fixated on this for your whole cruise.....:rolleyes:

We had a great cruise, food, shows, ports, service, everything was great. The "at sea day" was a little nuts, but met some very nice cruisers. Never noticed how many people were on board until Fri., never a line anywhere all week. Smokers will see any complaint about smoking as an attack on their ability to get a fix, (so I guess that makes them FIXATED)

We had a great cruise, food, shows, ports, service, everything was great. The "at sea day" was a little nuts, but met some very nice cruisers. Never noticed how many people were on board until Fri., never a line anywhere all week. Smokers will see any complaint about smoking as an attack on their ability to get a fix, (so I guess that makes them FIXATED)

I'm not a smoker. BUT, maybe I'll start.......on my cruise....;)

I have not noticed smoke on any ship EXCEPT in the casino.. sigh.. it's worse than Las Vegas. I detest it most of the time but I tolerate it to play craps. I expect smoke in bars so it does not really bother me there. I do wish there was not a smoking section on the jogging deck, I am a runner and it bugs me to pieces when I am out running and see someone smoking.. not for the reasons you think. I am also an ex smoker and I usually see someone puffing away about the end of my run when my defenses are down and I REALLY MISS IT! I can rationalize not smoking any other time but at the end of a run I sort of get wierd.

I'm not a smoker. BUT, maybe I'll start.......on my cruise....;)

I doubt that one more will even be noticable....

Not all the Radiance class has the same policies. The Schooner bar on Radiance is non smoking.

Very interesting, thanks for the information.

I like the Schooner Bar but seldom venture there because of the smoke, especially in the evenings. And while on Serenade in Feb, I did find it unpleasant to walk thru Schooner to get to Portofino's. I do not like my hair and clothes to pick up the scent and that often happens when exposed to second hand smoke.

I will leave a bar if it is smoky and look forward to someone having the option of a non smking cruise or ship. They would certainly get my dollars!

CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THE SCHOONER BAR AND CHAMPAGNE BAR ON THE JEWEL HAVE SMOKING SECTIONS? THOSE AREAS ON THE RADIANCE WERE NON-SMOKING. IT REALLY GETS ME WHEN PEOPLE ON THE SHIP COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMEONE SMOKING WHEN THEY HAVE PLACED THEMSELVES SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE FEW SMOKING AREAS!:confused:

I thought the Schooner Bar had a smoking AND a non-smoking area. The smoking area is when you first enter, but when you get closer to the piano and beyond it, it is non-smoking. This has been my experience on the Radiance and the Jewel. I detest smoke but I have never been bothered by it on a cruise. And we've gone to many activities in the Schooner Bar.

I thought the Schooner Bar had a smoking AND a non-smoking area. The smoking area is when you first enter, but when you get closer to the piano and beyond it, it is non-smoking. This has been my experience on the Radiance and the Jewel. I detest smoke but I have never been bothered by it on a cruise. And we've gone to many activities in the Schooner Bar.

On Serenade in Feb, if there was a non smoking area in Schooner it was a well hidden! The entire bar was full of smokers, including the area at and past the piano. I was quite disappointed as I enjoy the piano bar, but putting up with the smkoe was too high a price to pay.

You know what's funny about the title (and icon) of this thread?

It could have gone either way!

Either a smoker complaining about not enough places to smoke or non-smokers complaining about smoke in clearly marked smoking areas

OR

a non-smoker complaining about the smokers and smoking areas!

No matter what you do, there will be people to complain about it!

Happy Monday everyone! ;)

Carol

The Schooner Bar and Champagne Bar on Jewel were definitely smoking as the guys wouldn't have visited the bar otherwise, lol! There were some tables in the lounge area of the schooner which were designated as "no smoking"...

It's a shame you fixated on this for your whole cruise.....:rolleyes:

I don't see it as a fixation. If you have asthma, as I do, it's a concern.

I don't see it as a fixation. If you have asthma, as I do, it's a concern.

I have asthma, and have since I was a toddler, but I can honestly say that smoke does not bother me. In fact, I smoked throughout my teens and 20's.The only reason I stopped was because my X-husband was harping on me about it, even though I smoked when he met me. I guess that's why I stick up for smokers. They are always treated like the dregs of society, and I think it's wrong.

I have not noticed smoke on any ship EXCEPT in the casino.. sigh.. it's worse than Las Vegas. I detest it most of the time but I tolerate it to play craps. I expect smoke in bars so it does not really bother me there. I do wish there was not a smoking section on the jogging deck, I am a runner and it bugs me to pieces when I am out running and see someone smoking.. not for the reasons you think. I am also an ex smoker and I usually see someone puffing away about the end of my run when my defenses are down and I REALLY MISS IT! I can rationalize not smoking any other time but at the end of a run I sort of get wierd.

I second that!! It's either smoke on the jogging track or people who get up before sunrise to lay out the lounge chairs blocking the track.

I did not mention any smoking area in the champagne bar on the Jewel, but I may have been just in the non-smoking part without looking for it.

I have asthma, and have since I was a toddler, but I can honestly say that smoke does not bother me. In fact, I smoked throughout my teens and 20's.The only reason I stopped was because my X-husband was harping on me about it, even though I smoked when he met me. I guess that's why I stick up for smokers. They are always treated like the dregs of society, and I think it's wrong.

Well, you're not the only asthmatic on earth. Smoke does bother me, but I don't stop people from doing it. What I do is try to avoid it whenever I can, and take my inhaler with me. I don't make a big deal of it. However, just as people have a right to smoke, so do others have a right not to have to breathe it in.

Also, saying that smokers are "always treated like the dregs of society" is a bit of an overstatement, is it not? As I recall, the Paradise was switched back to a smoking ship because of market demand. People are allowed to smoke on cruise ships. So I doubt that people who smoke are treated like the dregs of society.

Well, you're not the only asthmatic on earth. Smoke does bother me, but I don't stop people from doing it. What I do is try to avoid it whenever I can, and take my inhaler with me. I don't make a big deal of it. However, just as people have a right to smoke, so do others have a right not to have to breathe it in.

 

Also, saying that smokers are "always treated like the dregs of society" is a bit of an overstatement, is it not? As I recall, the Paradise was switched back to a smoking ship because of market demand. People are allowed to smoke on cruise ships. So I doubt that people who smoke are treated like the dregs of society.[/QUOTE]

 

That's your opinion. I have had this debate before, and I can assure you, I will not change my mind about this, and neither will you. It's a futile debate, and needs no further discussion.

Well, you're not the only asthmatic on earth. Smoke does bother me, but I don't stop people from doing it. What I do is try to avoid it whenever I can, and take my inhaler with me. I don't make a big deal of it. However, just as people have a right to smoke, so do others have a right not to have to breathe it in.

 

Also, saying that smokers are "always treated like the dregs of society" is a bit of an overstatement, is it not? As I recall, the Paradise was switched back to a smoking ship because of market demand. People are allowed to smoke on cruise ships. So I doubt that people who smoke are treated like the dregs of society.[/QUOTE]

 

That's your opinion. I have had this debate before, and I can assure you, I will not change my mind about this, and neither will you. It's a futile debate, and needs no further discussion.

 

I have to agree with Corona on this one, the issue doesn't need further debate......;)