The beginning of the end of an era.

Today marks the beginning of the end of a unique and wonderful time. The time when the world had a truly smoke-free cruise ship. Paradise today will leave miami for the last time for many years (I can only hope she will come back to do shorter cruises or longer ones to new ports) and when she arrives in Los Angeles, I will post to signify the end of the nonsmoking policy.

It's a sad day for those of us who have sailed her. It'll be a lot harder to sail her again for me.

See you in 14 days.

Harrison

Yes, it is sad, indeed. My husband and I spent our honeymoon on the Paradise in September 2001. We had hoped to sail her again before she lost her non-smoking status, but we have been unable to find the time to do it. We'll just have to put up with the smoke. At least the dining rooms are non-smoking.

Norma

It was a good idea, but how many times can you sail to St. Maarten ????? Too bad Carnival didn't expand the itinerary of the Paradise.

Carnival did expand the Paradise's itinerary when it switched from normal eastern and western routes to "exotic" eastern and western routes. It was one of the first ships to go to Belize and I think the very first ship to go to Roatan. Unfortunately, that did not increase its profits at all.

I sailed the Paradise twice, and she is a special ship. Both times I sailed her, however, the nightlife was dead. Although I am not looking forward to the smoke on our upcoming Legend cruise, I am looking forward to a little more of a party atmosphere in the evenings. Which is what Carnival is all about, right- the fun?

Our first cruise (2000) was on the Paradise on it's Eastern route; Enjoyed the experience so much, we have not stopped crusiing since; Next up is the Imagination in just about a month. We did do a special cruise in 2002 on the Paradise. It was a 11 day to Aruba, Curacao, Panama, Costa Rica and Key West. Outstanding cruise. We did like the no smoking policy. We will continue to cruise, as like the smoker's to nicotine, we are addicted to cruising...

Sigh, I had two great cruises on Paradise, met some admazing people. The atmosphere was completely different on this ship, still fun just more refined. It was like taking the best parts of Carnival and RCCL and mixing them together.

While it's unlikely Carnival would ever give another newbuild a non-smoking designation, at this point I wouldn't mind it if they converted one of the older holiday class ships over. I'd give up an atrium for clean air.

The worst thing is that Carnival doesn't enforce their smoking policy twell on their other ships. On Victory the smokers were everywhere, hallways, lobbies, outside decks designated as non-smoking, everywhere and anywhere. Smokers would remove the non-smoking signs from tables and then smoke there. While they claimed the ship was "primarily non-smoking" people smoked just about anywhere they wanted and you could get away from it except in the dining areas, main show lounge and the gym/spa.

We sailed the Paradise three times primarily because she did change intineraries more frequently than other ships for the very reason that non-smokers wanted to sail her over and over again. She took us out on our first Eastern route, then the Exotic Western, and then again on the Exotic Eastern. We were on her when she made her first stops in Belize and Roatan. Her staff was very special because many of them had chosen to serve aboard her to also enjoy the non-smoking aspects. The staff loved sailing the Paradise and their love of the ship translated to their wonderful friendly service to the passengers.

We vowed not to sail her again after the first time, because the evenings were dull. But the next time we were cruising, the price was too good not to sail her again. The second and third times aboard were the most fun times we've ever had sailing. The crowd was different every time we cruised -- the first time had a large religious group aboard, so no fun in the evenings. But each subsequent time, we made great friends and had really fun times.

Yes, it's the end of an era ... but our memories of the Paradise will never fade.

Not sure about the end of an era, (I think it will be back!) :)

I do notice a few comments about Carnival not enforcing the no-smoking on other ships but wondered how that related to a thread that marks the fact that Carnival is unable at present to make money on operating a no-smoking ship. (As it cannot find enough commited no-smokers it seems.) :(

Kind of sad when I see all the comments against smoking that not more people wanted to cruise without smokers. It was a great experiment and risk on Carnivals part to see whether people would choose to stick to thier guns and pick an environment of no-smokers and it appears for the near future that is not the case and that people will continue to look for the goverment to enforce no-smoking policy even when they themselves are not prepared to do so with their wallets.

I should point out I am a smoker and really had hoped that Paradise would be a success to allow everyone a choice in smoking and no-smoking environments. :(