Can anyone speak to the "smoke" issue in the Epic?

We're setting sail on the Epic on the 18th and I've read a few reviews about the chronic smoke problem on the casino floor (nearby venues) as well as inside the casino. Can anyone speak to this? Some of the posts I read dated back a few years and I can't find anything recent. Thank you!

I can’t speak to the smoke issue on the Epic. But one solution I do know of is starting to smoke yourself, right now. By the time you board you won’t smell it at all and will actually want to run down to the casino for a delicious cigarette.

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I can’t speak to the smoke issue on the Epic. But one solution I do know of is starting to smoke yourself, right now. By the time you board you won’t smell it at all and will actually want to run down to the casino for a delicious cigarette.

 

 

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Cool! Thanks for the suggestion. Really...

The "casino" is actually the left and right side of the corridor along that deck, there is a bank of slot machines on the left and right and you walk down the middle to get to certain venues, same set up on starboard and port side of the deck, it is not a separate room so the smoke does waft all around the venues on that deck.

There is a non smoking part but it is really just one end of the banks of slots with a space in between, there are also card tables in the middle, they might have been in both the smoking and non smoking parts.

There really is no avoiding the smoke if you plan on being on that deck near the casino area. You can use the deck above to get places but it is more convenient to use the casino deck, I find the casino set up is just as bad as the "bathroom" set up on the Epic but we love to sail out of Port Canaveral and I don't spend as much in the casino because of the weird set up so it's all good:cool:

The "casino" is actually the left and right side of the corridor along that deck, there is a bank of slot machines on the left and right and you walk down the middle to get to certain venues, same set up on starboard and port side of the deck, it is not a separate room so the smoke does waft all around the venues on that deck.

There is a non smoking part but it is really just one end of the banks of slots with a space in between, there are also card tables in the middle, they might have been in both the smoking and non smoking parts.

 

There really is no avoiding the smoke if you plan on being on that deck near the casino area. You can use the deck above to get places but it is more convenient to use the casino deck, I find the casino set up is just as bad as the "bathroom" set up on the Epic but we love to sail out of Port Canaveral and I don't spend as much in the casino because of the weird set up so it's all good:cool:

Thank you for the response and the information about the layout!

Was on Epic in March. We avoided the area completely and I took lots of cash home avoiding the casino.

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Smoking is allowed in the casino. I don’t know that this is an “issue”. Smoking is allowed in all casinos. I don’t know if that is an “issue”.

Smoking is allowed in the casino. I don’t know that this is an “issue”. Smoking is allowed in all casinos. I don’t know if that is an “issue”.

The issue is that the casino is open to surrounding areas so the smoke drifts to areas outside of the casino, including Le Bristro, surrounding bars and public areas.

The smoke can be really bad in these areas.

It is the same on Breakaway, and was so bad at times that I could not stay at maltings to listen to music because of the smoke smell.

Lois

We were on the Epic this past December and yes the smoke from the casino can be an issue and not just on deck 6. There is one section of the Taste Restaurant that is open from deck 5 up to deck 7 and the casino is sandwiched in between on deck 6. On the last night of our cruise we were seated at a table in the Taste Restaurant in that open area. Both my sister and my wife complained of smelling the smoke odor during our meal. If you’re sensitive to the smoke odor you will probably not want to dine at a table in that area of Taste. Sitting deeper into the restaurant we were never bothered with the smoke odor.

I think the next time the Epic is refurbished NCL needs to do something about the air circulation in the casino. Some of the mega-casinos in Las Vegas exchange the air so rapidly with fresh air that you don’t even know gamblers are smoking. This rapid exchange of air led to the casino lore that the casinos were pumping oxygen into the gaming areas to keep the early morning gamblers feeling fresh enough they wouldn’t head off to bed. False lore of course.

Here’s a picture looking down into the Taste Restaurant on deck 5 photographed from deck 7. The casino surrounds this open area on deck 6. You will catch the odor of smoke in this open area of the Epic.

Thank you all for the responses. Sounds like we will probably be avoiding some of those areas. I really appreciate the picture as well as everyone's perspective.

Smoke did not bother us at all on our Epic cruise, and we do not smoke.

The issue is that the casino is open to surrounding areas so the smoke drifts to areas outside of the casino, including Le Bristro, surrounding bars and public areas.

The smoke can be really bad in these areas.

It is the same on Breakaway, and was so bad at times that I could not stay at maltings to listen to music because of the smoke smell.

Lois

Le Bistro is an enclosed restaurant without outside seating on the Epic.

Any ship with those WONDERFUL / Beautiful tall atriums will have a problem with smoke. The constantly opening doors of the casino, with the smokers inside~~~~ will result in smoke moving up the atrium ( like a chimney), and the odor will go everywhere. Sad, but true.

Any ship with those WONDERFUL / Beautiful tall atriums will have a problem with smoke. The constantly opening doors of the casino, with the smokers inside~~~~ will result in smoke moving up the atrium ( like a chimney), and the odor will go everywhere. Sad, but true.

I think what people who haven't been on the Epic don't understand is that there are no doors to the casino. The casino is just basically one of the decks (7 if I recall correctly but not certain). There is the Chinese restaurant, the Cavern Club (I think that's the name, used to be Fat Cats) along the way. Probably more. What I'm getting at is its pretty much the casino is spread along that floor with other venues. There are some non smoking sections (minimal) but the last time I said anything to staff about people ignoring that they acted like they didn't understand me.

Some ships have enclosed casinos but the Epic definitely does not! it does spread as someone posted above to the middle of Taste. That said, I do have a sensitivity to smoke and tend to get sinus infections if I'm around it much, I just know to stay away from certain parts of the ship, especially at night, andI'm fine. I going on the Epic for the 6th time next month. I love the ship.

The same casino configuration is on all of the new ships from the Epic forward (Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Joy, Bliss). It is not unique to the Epic.

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Got off the Epic yesterday. The smell of smoke was more noticeable than the last time I cruised but it's still quite low level. I'm asthmatic so try to avoid it, but didn't find I needed to at those levels. There is more of a concentration near the smoking room by the Maltings bar in my view.

I think what people who haven't been on the Epic don't understand is that there are no doors to the casino. The casino is just basically one of the decks (7 if I recall correctly but not certain). There is the Chinese restaurant, the Cavern Club (I think that's the name, used to be Fat Cats) along the way. Probably more. What I'm getting at is its pretty much the casino is spread along that floor with other venues. There are some non smoking sections (minimal) but the last time I said anything to staff about people ignoring that they acted like they didn't understand me.

We could smell the smoke in the mid-ship MDR and only ate there once. The ventilation is actually pretty good on the Epic, and even the casino, although it smelled like old smoke, didn't impress us as REALLY smokey. The one thing that irritated us was that you could not go all the way forward or aft on the deck below it (and maybe the deck above it). You are directed through the casino to get from the bow of the ship to the stern to go into the larger theater. The set up is intentional, I'm sure, to get you to maybe stop and play a slot or two. We ended up going to deck 8 or 9, walking through the guest hallways, and then back down to avoid the smokey smell.

Hello Smoke

:cool:

Smoking is allowed in the casino. I don’t know that this is an “issue”. Smoking is allowed in all casinos. I don’t know if that is an “issue”.

Not true. Casinos where I live, province of Nova Scotia Canada have been no smoking for years. Also, Celebrity has no smoking in casino. It being an 'issue' is relative to the one asking the question and one can read that they are not a fan of cigarette smoke.

When I sailed Epic, though few years ago now, the smoke was an 'issue' for me and continues to be why I am reluctant to go on subsequent ships NCL that are designed like that. It's really not just casino related but more the drift beyond that area to a highly used floor with many other venues and also to areas above because of the open design.

the last time i was on the Epic, I couldnt seem to find anyone that had any herb to smoke.

So i think you might be disappointed. The Epic Smoke situation is very dire.

Personally, I think the "smoke Situation" pales in comparison to the problem of all of the "Over 45" ladies who drown themselves in awful flowery perfume.

Ladies, we get it. You are trying to smell nice. But you dont have to use half the bottle every time.

the last time i was on the Epic, I couldnt seem to find anyone that had any herb to smoke.

 

 

 

So i think you might be disappointed. The Epic Smoke situation is very dire.

Haha tell me about it!

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Smoking is allowed in the casino. I don’t know that this is an “issue”. Smoking is allowed in all casinos. I don’t know if that is an “issue”.

In all casinos? Only in countries with antiquated smoking and work safety laws.

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We're setting sail on the Epic on the 18th and I've read a few reviews about the chronic smoke problem on the casino floor (nearby venues) as well as inside the casino. Can anyone speak to this? Some of the posts I read dated back a few years and I can't find anything recent. Thank you!

Didn't find any smoke issue. Only issue is whining non smokers. Honestly, usually on the cruise, the smell of cheap perfume and BO in elevators is far more pervasive than smoke.

Didn't find any smoke issue. Only issue is whining non smokers. Honestly, usually on the cruise, the smell of cheap perfume and BO in elevators is far more pervasive than smoke.

Maybe because non smokers easily smell cigarette smoke and are concerned about the damage of passive smoking.

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