HAL considering going totally non-smoking?

[suse]

smoking is not a big issue on HAL at all. I don't know where these people have been, but we have never had an issue. only place where you will find smoke is casino and HAL has a very good air cleansing system.

 

never saw ashes on the balcony and there are VERY BIG WARNINGS - don't even have the smell.

 

Sometimes I think the anti smoke lobby gets carried away. this is a great ship, great ambiance and the fact that they let a few people enjoy themselves in very special locations should not demean the cruise line.

 

In fact,I think it makes them special. If I don't drink, does that mean we can't have bars.

 

Each to their own. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. but some of them make very good dinner companions (no smoking permitted there either)

 

All the best, Jacqui

IT's like saying, "some of my best friends are smokers!" Ridiculous. Some of those "very special locations" where smokers love to light up are on their balconies right next to me! That is exactly the point being made here. Among others.

Ok, Vic, you forgot tipping.:)

Best wishes anyway, Jacqui (unusual spelling but pretty!)

Susie

[Rustynail]

smoking is not a big issue on HAL at all. I don't know where these people have been, but we have never had an issue. only place where you will find smoke is casino and HAL has a very good air cleansing system.

 

never saw ashes on the balcony and there are VERY BIG WARNINGS - don't even have the smell.

 

Sometimes I think the anti smoke lobby gets carried away. this is a great ship, great ambiance and the fact that they let a few people enjoy themselves in very special locations should not demean the cruise line.

 

In fact,I think it makes them special. If I don't drink, does that mean we can't have bars.

 

Each to their own. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. but some of them make very good dinner companions (no smoking permitted there either)

 

All the best, Jacqui

 

thanks. I hope our experience next month is similar to yours.

[sail7seas]

and the other thing to consider....who books the deluxe verandahs and penthouses???????????? I'm sure HAL knows. I know for a fact on my last cruise there were at least 4 rooms smoking. I was only in SB so I didn't get to know them all, but I think that is pretty revealing. Money talks!! I think they will pay more attention from an SA than an inside cabin.

 

 

Sorry to shoot the theory but DH and I do not smoke and we book 'SA" cabins. We are definitely not alone nor even the minority.

;)

[hulamoon]

Rustynail...I hope you have a great cruise with clean air.

 

Kazu..I have found I smell smoke where there is smoking and smoking is allowed in more than the casino. I am glad the air filtration system works for you. I do believe it has been established there are no special filters for smoke.

 

Everyone has this in common, they want to cruise on HAL, just some of us wish the smoke didn't travel around so much, could be contained or controlled. Drinking isn't quite the same as most who drink, including me, can keep their alcohol in the glass. Except in high seas of course.

 

Hairy Legs contest discussion anyone?

[momofmeg]

and the other thing to consider....who books the deluxe verandahs and penthouses???????????? I'm sure HAL knows. I know for a fact on my last cruise there were at least 4 rooms smoking. I was only in SB so I didn't get to know them all, but I think that is pretty revealing. Money talks!! I think they will pay more attention from an SA than an inside cabin.

 

Well I know some veranda suite booking repeat HAL cruisers must be non smokers, obviously, there are many of them who regularly post here. But if the majority of HAL cruisers are smokers, HAL would know that, and HAL would choose to keep the liberal policy to please the majority of their loyal cruisers.

 

That certainly does not mean there are not loyal non smoking HAL cruisers who book veranda suites, three and 4 times a year or even more, that just means there may be as many smoking cruisers who do this. I know it does not seem that way by the posts on this board, but perhaps these people have never heard of CC.

 

However, even if all veranda suite cruisers were all non smokers, I would think still with all the regular staterooms HAL ships have, smokers could still be spending the majority. There could be numerous smokers who book insides or even a VF to VA's just once every year or 2, who collectively, still spend more than non smokers in the veranda suites. I am sure HAL looks at the big picture overall, and not just the individual couples, who spend the most with them.

[Jemima]

We had a balcony in October and were lucky to have no smoking nearby. I did see some smoking on more distant balconies. This was a 14 day repo cruise and there didn't seem to be many smokers.

[RevNeal]

Here's a quick report LIVE from the Zaandam dealing with the smoking issue.

 

Smoking areas are reduced to:

(1) Crows Nest just behind the bar

(2) The Casino and Casinio/Sports Bar on most nights,

(3) the aft Lido deck on the Starboard side,

(4) the very aft of the Lido, behind the pool ... cigars and such there,

(5) in cabins and on balconies.

 

My mother is smoking in her cabin. One cannot smell it in the hall except for when she opens her door and comes out. My cabin is right next to hers and there's not a whiff of smoke coming through the AC.

 

In the Casino, even with people smoking, the AC ventilation system seems to be sufficient to clear the air ... the smoke isn't choking or thick.

 

We had a post-shore excursion snack on the Lido deck aft/Starboard side ... sitting there so Mom could smoke. Others were smoking. No body bothered them and those who sat in the area either realized it was smoking and accepted that or quickly found out and got up and moved (I saw that happen twice in 30 minutes).

 

SO ... as was my experience in 2009, so now in 2010 HAL continues to operate with reduced smoking areas and it appears to be acceptable to most.

[HWY 101]

miss me? but until that day comes, you are just talking to a very small choir..:)

 

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-smoke-a-turkey:eek:

 

 

Happy Cruising!!

[hulamoon]

RevNeal,

 

Glad you're lungs are free of smoke on your cruise and sincerely hope you have an excellent cruise with your mom in our islands.

 

Brucemuzz reported that the ventilaion is complex and sometimes it is not your neighbors air you are getting but air from a deck below or on the other side of the ship.

 

Also it was reported there is no special ventilation filter for your room if you are sensitive or especially so to smoke. There are a thousand shades of grey from sensitive to a little sensitive though. So each passenger will have to know themselves and what works for them, but it is only fair they know that there are no special smoke filters for their room. Ozone is provided, but smoke can still come into the room, even after given a deep cleaning. Someone slightly sensitive may have no issues at all.

 

There is no guarantee if you book a balcony smoke will not come from below or from the side and reduce some passengers ability to enjoy fresh air.

 

On our last HAL cruise some people were not bothered by smoke at all in hallways, but some were located in very smokey areas and there is no way to really know until you are onboard.

[jimmy2x]

"I know it does not seem that way by the posts on this board, but perhaps these people have never heard of CC."

Bingo! The vast majority (virtually all) of HAL cruisers I've ever spoken to about CC have never heard of it and could care less. I suspect that HAL headquarters is quite aware of this and base their decisions accordingly.

[cruz chic]

On our last HAL cruise some people were not bothered by smoke at all in hallways, but some were located in very smokey areas and there is no way to really know until you are onboard.

Smoke does seep out from under doors. As I've walked down the hallway on various ships I can always tell where the smokers are.

[hulamoon]

Yes, it looks like Halloween. Only with carcinogens instead of dry ice.:eek:

[Vic The Parrot]

Ok, Vic, you forgot tipping.:)

 

 

Nah ...

 

 

That topic has been covered too much here.

So much that, if I had a dime for each posting, I'd have enough money to buy a Porsche. :rolleyes:

 

 

How about another bane of cruising?

 

Inconsiderate twits who leave thier balcony doors open 24/7 ...

[suse]

Nah ...

 

 

That topic has been covered too much here.

So much that, if I had a dime for each posting, I'd have enough money to buy a Porsche. :rolleyes:

 

 

How about another bane of cruising?

 

Inconsiderate twits who leave thier balcony doors open 24/7 ...

And see, that's another benefit of reading the informative postings here. How would you know that it's not a good thing to bring your nifty little bungee cord from home and hook it up?

This site is chock full of it. Information, I mean.:)

[hulamoon]

CC has a pretty good overview of smoking on cruise ships but this is very comprehensive and speaks to European trends.

 

http://www.frommers.com/articles/5872.html

[Vic The Parrot]

How would you know that it's not a good thing to bring your nifty little bungee cord from home and hook it up?

This site is chock full of it. Information, I mean.:)

 

 

 

Yep ...

 

 

Looks like that bungee cord will have to be saved for something else. :cool:

[bluewave]

Inconsiderate twits who leave thier balcony doors open 24/7 ...

 

Or for that matter - the balcony lights on all night long! I hate that!

[suse]

I'm thinking of starting smoking. So, then I can understand both sides. What else can you do? Then I can run for office because I have seen the light. You know what I mean.:)

[momofmeg]

Yep ...

 

 

Looks like that bungee cord will have to be saved for something else. :cool:

 

I know you guys are just being sarcastic, and I know this really has nothing to do with this thread, but MY HAL blacony door would lock open on the Zuiderdam, if I put it in a certain position-I think the bungee cords are needed for Carnival.

 

BTW- no, I did not leave my door open for long periods. It was hot down by the Panama canal and within 10 minutes or so we would notice the air being hotter in our stateroom, so we decided that was not a good idea.

[m steve]

since the topic has changed to open doors. Close it until someone asks again because they won't scroll down a page or so. If so, maybe the next time it could be a question and not a false statement like the one that started this thread.

[jtl513]

I know you guys are just being sarcastic, and I know this really has nothing to do with this thread, but MY HAL blacony door would lock open on the Zuiderdam, if I put it in a certain position-I think the bungee cords are needed for Carnival.

No, seriously - when you leave the balcony door open it reduces the back-pressure in your room, so that the air goes out through the door and everybody else in your HVAC zone gets less cooling. This is particularly bad for any inside rooms in your zone.

[momofmeg]

No, seriously - when you leave the balcony door open it reduces the back-pressure in your room, so that the air goes out through the door and everybody else in your HVAC zone gets less cooling. This is particularly bad for any inside rooms in your zone.

 

I Know that-what I meant was-(1) this is not what the thread is about. I also was simply stating that no bungee cords were needed for our HAL Zudierdam balcony, so I wondred if (2) bungee cords woudl be needed on ay HAL ship- ( perhaps in the Veranda suites on ships older than vista class?) I was also thinking that was a "Carnival thing," because outside of Carnival and HAL, our balcony rooms had sliding doors, (Princess, Disney, Celebrity, NCL) not doors that opened like a house door.

 

I must add, I do know it also made our room hot-and since we were down in the Panama canal area and it was pretty hot-we did not want that. So, even though we could put our door in an open position and it would stay open, we did not want that, as within 10 minutes our room became hot.

[RevNeal]

Brucemuzz reported that the ventilaion is complex and sometimes it is not your neighbors air you are getting but air from a deck below or on the other side of the ship.

 

Also it was reported there is no special ventilation filter for your room if you are sensitive or especially so to smoke. There are a thousand shades of grey from sensitive to a little sensitive though. So each passenger will have to know themselves and what works for them, but it is only fair they know that there are no special smoke filters for their room. Ozone is provided, but smoke can still come into the room, even after given a deep cleaning. Someone slightly sensitive may have no issues at all.

 

There is no guarantee if you book a balcony smoke will not come from below or from the side and reduce some passengers ability to enjoy fresh air.onboard.

 

I am fully aware of the interconnected nature of the ships AC systems. I was simply reporting my experience on this current cruise.

 

It might be worth something for me additionally remark that in over 257 days aboard HAL ships, I have NEVER been bothred in-cabin bysmoke coming from someone elses cabin. I usually book either inside or outside whithout balcony accomodations, hence I get. My air from the AC. When I have had balcony accomodations I have noticed people smoking on other balconies, and I would imagine that those who are sensitive to smoke would have had problems.

[hulamoon]

Of course your experience is worth something to anyone with your level of sensitivity. It would reassure them.

 

On the other side of the scale are the few of us who have been more than bothered and in some instances lost vacation time and needed medication because of smoke. The most sensitive have a right to know exactly what can help, what might help, and what the worse case scenerio could be for them. We found that it is impossible to cut off the air coming into a cabin that produces the positive pressure so there is no way to stop other passengers air from entering your cabin. Your air quality is dependent on how many smokers are on the ship smoking. Frankly, I have considered all sorts of goofy things, like bringing my own HEPA filter, covering the air vent, etc. But it makes no sense and may not help. It is a gamble on who is traveling with you.

 

I honestly thought that cabin restrictions were inevitable, therefore worth continuing to book on HAL. But, I recently came to my senses.

[suse]

Now, I have no idea what I will do with my bungee cord. I'm not one to tie luggage to the roof of my car. So. Conundrum.