Smokiing on QM2

The latest Conde Nast Traveler includes a letter complaining about a "British-owned line" where myriad smokers ignored the posted antismoking regulations. The letter also said that the crew never stepped in to enforce the rules in nonsmoking areas, of which there were few. Worse yet, "by one Scottish passenger's reckoning, the ship was a smokers' paradise". I am going on a 14 day cruise from New York in December and am concerned about this. Has anyone experienced this problem on the QM2?

Hi,

I was on QM2 3/16-26. I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke (asthma) and was a little concerned about this prior to our trip. You can certainly avoid almost all contact with smoke during your cruise. The only areas I ran into a smoky situation was in the pub at night and when walking by the casino. The ventilation was so good that I rarely even smelled smoke from other patrons in the bars.

David

casino, g32, starboard side of commodore club...quite smokey. otherwise, no problem at all. and i am very sensitive to smoke as well....go and enjoy, you shouldn't have a problem if you avoid those areas.

Keep in mind that the issue of smoking brings out the extremists on both sides of the argument.

Congratulations to the two prior posters for accurately designating they have a sensitivity to smoke instead of an allergy.

39 cruises: mainly Cunard, Carnival, HAL, NCL, RCI, Starclipper, Seabourn. ~498 days total, ~312 on HAL

I was on the Maiden Voyage and don't remember much smoking but after reading the above posts, yes, I do remember some smoking in these areas but it certainly isn't much. There is a cigar bar, Churchill's, for the cigar afficianados, but its tightly closed!

The main place I noticed (cigarette) smoke was sitting at the bars. It seems there is no restriction. What a shame for the bartenders who have to work with smokers right next to them all the time.

Other than that I felt the smoke in Lotus at lunch times was more intrusive, albeit less fatal.

QM2 Three Continents Cruise

Since there is a room, the Oak Room, I believe, which is referred to as a smoking room, is there an equivalent room (in decor, ambiance, luxuriousness) set aside for non-smokers?

It's only fair.

The British and Europeans tend to smoke in larger numbers than in the U.S., so if you take a trip that departs from there you can expect more smoking than Americans are used to in public spaces.

Also, the British and European crew tend not to enforce the no smoking rules as much as we are used to in the US where almost all public areas are smoke free, so do be prepared.

My asthma acts up whenever I am in smoky conditions. Last fall on QE2 there were only a few places that were really smoky, and I just tried to avoid them. Thankfully, my cabin was fine.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gillianrose:

Since there is a room, the Oak Room, I believe, which is referred to as a smoking room, is there an equivalent room (in decor, ambiance, luxuriousness) set aside for non-smokers?

It's only fair.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

1. The Oak Room is the cigar lounge on HAL ships.

2. The area set aside for non-smokers on QM2 totals about 98% of the ship's public areas.

3. Is the non-smoking space equally decorous, full of ambience, luxurious? I think most people would say it is.

Gillian:

The dining rooms are 100% non-smoking... that doesn't strike me as very fair.

Michael

NYC

Cunard certainly does not enforce any of the so called "rules". If you choose to slop around in t. shirt and jeans on a formal night, reserve your deck chair for all day by leaving a book on it or arrive in the dining room for dinner on an informal night (which to Cunard still means collar and tie) it is unlikely that you will have any problems.

One tip about smoky cabins is that if you find that your cabin, on arrival, smells like a pre war billiard hall, just contact your deck housekeeper who, while you are at dinner will arrange to have it de smoked. We found that leaving a cabin that had that stale foul smell familliar to all non smokers, and returning to one that was clean and fresh was a great pleasure.

David.