Smoking in the Spirit Casino... Really?

[1stTimer02/2011]

I've read a few places that there is still smoking allowed in the Casino on the Spirit... is this true?

 

Are there any other places on a ship, outside a persons' cabin, that people are still allowed to smoke?

 

Please tell me NOT the restaurants.. I don't want to be breathing in second hand smoke while i'm eating any of my meals...

 

I'm shocked that its still allowed in a casino?!?! Such a small and confined place??

 

(No offence to any smokers of course)

[TrinaLC]

Smoking is not allowed in the restaurants.

 

It is allowed on open decks.

 

In the pool venue, it is supposed to be only on one side - often disregarded though by smokers

 

Casinos are smoking probably on all ships/lines. Probably a much higher incidence of smoking among gamblers - and nobody wants a gambler to stop for a cigarette break!

 

I'm really, vehemently anti-smoke, and I don't find cruise ships to be particularly problematic.

[Sauer-kraut]

on NCL ships smoking is also allowed in the cabins and on the balconies.

[1stTimer02/2011]

I'm really, vehemently anti-smoke, and I don't find cruise ships to be particularly problematic.

 

I'm glad to hear that its not particularly problematic... I don't want to be walking around holding my breath to get through a cloud of smoke... ick.

 

Thanks!

[newmexicoNita]

I've read a few places that there is still smoking allowed in the Casino on the Spirit... is this true?

 

Are there any other places on a ship, outside a persons' cabin, that people are still allowed to smoke?

 

Please tell me NOT the restaurants.. I don't want to be breathing in second hand smoke while i'm eating any of my meals...

 

I'm shocked that its still allowed in a casino?!?! Such a small and confined place??

 

(No offence to any smokers of course)

 

NCL was the first or one of the first lines to put non smoking policies into affect, but yes, they do allow smoking in cabins and the casino, no not in the hallways as you may have read. There are only a couple of mass marketed lines (in fact I am not sure any) that have taken smoking out of the casinos altogether. Many have non smoking days or nights which is wonderful. Remember most smokers also gamble (I said most) To totally iliminate smoking in the casino would cut way down on the cruise line's profits. Here are the areas people can smoke on NCL: cabins, balconies, one side of the ship and the casino. Most casinos also have non smoking areas. The Spirit and the Pearl do I know. As for smoking on the deck, there is only one side that allows smoking. I have seen many say smokers do smoke on both sides. I guess we have been lucky, never have we encoutered smokers on the non smoking side. I hope we don't. As an X smoker I am not a fan of tobacco. We are the worst I think. Saying that, I do respect those who still smoke, they have rights as well as we do.

 

Nita

[terrymtex01]

OP.. let me say that as a smoker I did not find your posting offensive. I did want to answer your question about why it is still offered in the casino. I can't tell you exactly why this is the case, but if you research where landbased casino's have tried having "no smoking" casinos, it almost always failed because they just did not get as much business from a non-smoking crowd as from those that do smoke. Of course you could always find an exception to that, but in general that has been what most casino's have experienced, at least in what I have read.

 

Trina.. I did always want to say that you should not assume that when you see a smoker on the pool deck smoking on the wrong side they are "disregarding" the smoking areas. Once we had sat down at a table by the pool to have a drink and a smoke. There was an ashtray on the table we sat at and a few tables around us had them as well. We sat, had our drink and a smoke and as I was putting out my cig in the ashtray, I moved the asktray closer to me to make sure I got the cig out all the way. When I did, I saw that the ashtray had been placed over the round metal sign in the middle of the table that showed this was a non-smoking area. Yes, we have cruised enough that we know one side of the pool area is smoking and one is not. But it is easy to be turned around and think you are on one side when you are really on the other and seeing the ash trays on the tables just added to the confusion.

 

I do know there are some that don't abide by the set smoking areas, but on a cruise ship it is very easy to get confused as to where you are allowed to smoke and where you are not. Another example is one night we were dining in Cagneys on the Star and in the middle of dinner I wanted to step out and have a smoke. So I just went out on the deck there on deck 12 and smoked. I knew it was ok to smoke on the Starboard side of deck 7, so I smoked on the Starboard side of deck 12. It wasn't until I was back inside the restaurant that I found out that all of deck 12 is non-smoking. I feel that was an honest mistake and doesnt mean I was disregarding the smoke areas, just got confused on where they were.

[alwalaska]

OP.. let me say that as a smoker I did not find your posting offensive. I did want to answer your question about why it is still offered in the casino. I can't tell you exactly why this is the case, but if you research where landbased casino's have tried having "no smoking" casinos, it almost always failed because they just did not get as much business from a non-smoking crowd as from those that do smoke. Of course you could always find an exception to that, but in general that has been what most casino's have experienced, at least in what I have read.

 

Trina.. I did always want to say that you should not assume that when you see a smoker on the pool deck smoking on the wrong side they are "disregarding" the smoking areas. Once we had sat down at a table by the pool to have a drink and a smoke. There was an ashtray on the table we sat at and a few tables around us had them as well. We sat, had our drink and a smoke and as I was putting out my cig in the ashtray, I moved the asktray closer to me to make sure I got the cig out all the way. When I did, I saw that the ashtray had been placed over the round metal sign in the middle of the table that showed this was a non-smoking area. Yes, we have cruised enough that we know one side of the pool area is smoking and one is not. But it is easy to be turned around and think you are on one side when you are really on the other and seeing the ash trays on the tables just added to the confusion.

 

I do know there are some that don't abide by the set smoking areas, but on a cruise ship it is very easy to get confused as to where you are allowed to smoke and where you are not. Another example is one night we were dining in Cagneys on the Star and in the middle of dinner I wanted to step out and have a smoke. So I just went out on the deck there on deck 12 and smoked. I knew it was ok to smoke on the Starboard side of deck 7, so I smoked on the Starboard side of deck 12. It wasn't until I was back inside the restaurant that I found out that all of deck 12 is non-smoking. I feel that was an honest mistake and doesnt mean I was disregarding the smoke areas, just got confused on where they were.

 

I find the ashtrays on all sides of the ship confusing as well. As a non-smoker, I appreciate that you try to confine your smoking to where it is allowed. I try to walk outside on the promenade deck on the non-smoking side where possible. It is interesting though that so many people say that one side of outdoor areas on NCL ships is non-smoking. I have never found this in writing. Neither the Sky's nor the Spirit's Dailies state this. In my Welcome Aboard packet I just received, it says nothing about one side or the other. It simply states that outside, smoking is not permitted near the kids pool, sports areas, jogging tracks, or food areas.

 

As for the OPs question about the Casino, I have yet to be on a cruise with a non-smoking casino and I don't expect to see one any time soon for the reasons everyone has listed above. Several ships (like the Explorer of the Seas) is looking at how to better contain the smoke from the Casino and also making formal night a non-smoking night in the casino, but there is no talk of making it non-smoking completely. Revenues on the smoke free nights are significantly down from both gambling and alcohol purchases.

[mtwingcpa]

It is interesting though that so many people say that one side of outdoor areas on NCL ships is non-smoking. I have never found this in writing.

 

I agree with your observation. I have never seen that in writing, and I have never seen signage to that effect on the ships themselves (outside of food service areas and possibly the pool). The only place on NCL where a one-side rule MIGHT apply is around the pool, and in my experience that is not consistent from ship to ship, and/or is often unenforced.

[runner15km]

The casino on the Spirit is toward the front of the ship which I like. So many ships you have to walk through the casino to get to other venues.

[terrymtex01]

I find the ashtrays on all sides of the ship confusing as well. As a non-smoker, I appreciate that you try to confine your smoking to where it is allowed. I try to walk outside on the promenade deck on the non-smoking side where possible. It is interesting though that so many people say that one side of outdoor areas on NCL ships is non-smoking. I have never found this in writing. Neither the Sky's nor the Spirit's Dailies state this. In my Welcome Aboard packet I just received, it says nothing about one side or the other. It simply states that outside, smoking is not permitted near the kids pool, sports areas, jogging tracks, or food areas.

 

As for the OPs question about the Casino, I have yet to be on a cruise with a non-smoking casino and I don't expect to see one any time soon for the reasons everyone has listed above. Several ships (like the Explorer of the Seas) is looking at how to better contain the smoke from the Casino and also making formal night a non-smoking night in the casino, but there is no talk of making it non-smoking completely. Revenues on the smoke free nights are significantly down from both gambling and alcohol purchases.

 

Ann.. what you posted is actually one reason it is difficult sometimes to know where to smoke and where not to. We have been on the Sun, Star, Pearl and the Dawn. I know without any doubt that on at least one or two of those it was clearly stated in the Freestyle Daily that smoking was on one side or the other. In fact, on the decks there would be those big metal ashtrays on one side of the ships decks but not the other. In stead, where the big ashtrays would be on that side was a no smoking side. But this isnt consistant through out the fleet. I always have to just follow Doug because honstly I can't keep up with where we can smoke and where we can't. I just trust him if he says it is a place we can, but even with that, I still look for that big metal ashtray attached to the side of the ship.. LOL.

[Stella49]

We just got off the Spirit earlier today. Had an 11th floor balcony and woke up every morning to the smell of our neighbor's cigarette smoke (we left our door open to hear the waves). YUCK!! Don't think we'll be taking NCL again until they change their smoking policies. I am a nurse and see what it does to people and can't understand why the 'rights' of some incredibly insensitive people outweigh my right to clean air.

[Inuvikcouple]

Celebrity does not allow smoking in their casino, at least not on the Constellation and judging by the number of people in the casino it has not hurt their business. I suppose that those cruisers that have to smoke when they gamble would just look for a line where it is allowed which is most lines. As a former heavy smoker (50 or more a day) I would prefer non smoking but I do live with it in casinos and elsewhere. It is when we return to our cabin that we notice the smell of smoke on our clothes and this we don't like. I don't think smokers realize how offensive that stale smoke smell is because they smell it all the time and don't know it. It is what I noticed most when we quit.

[ShedQueen77]

I agree with your observation. I have never seen that in writing, and I have never seen signage to that effect on the ships themselves (outside of food service areas and possibly the pool). The only place on NCL where a one-side rule MIGHT apply is around the pool, and in my experience that is not consistent from ship to ship, and/or is often unenforced.

 

On the Dawn, the smoking areas on the Promenade deck are clearly marked. There are signs every 20 feet or so saying smoking is permitted. Rather cute signs that state "don't throw anything overboard, we get complaints from the fish."

 

Pardon my goofy daughters :) , but here's the sign, it's off to the right:

 

[newmexicoNita]

Celebrity does not allow smoking in their casino, at least not on the Constellation and judging by the number of people in the casino it has not hurt their business. I suppose that those cruisers that have to smoke when they gamble would just look for a line where it is allowed which is most lines. As a former heavy smoker (50 or more a day) I would prefer non smoking but I do live with it in casinos and elsewhere. It is when we return to our cabin that we notice the smell of smoke on our clothes and this we don't like. I don't think smokers realize how offensive that stale smoke smell is because they smell it all the time and don't know it. It is what I noticed most when we quit.

 

I think you are right, they do not realize it, but you are also right, we all have to live together and us non smokers (or X smokers) have to realize it is a give and take world we live in. Those who are so self rightess to think the world should revolve around them tick me off.

 

I am surprised to hear that Celebrity ships have totally non smoking casinos.

 

Nita

[mtwingcpa]

Those who are so self rightess to think the world should revolve around them tick me off.

 

Permit me to ask: So when I choose a 100% non-smoking hotel over a 75% competitor (legally allowed in my state) I am being self righteous?

[minnesotalady]

We just got off the Spirit earlier today. Had an 11th floor balcony and woke up every morning to the smell of our neighbor's cigarette smoke (we left our door open to hear the waves). YUCK!! Don't think we'll be taking NCL again until they change their smoking policies. I am a nurse and see what it does to people and can't understand why the 'rights' of some incredibly insensitive people outweigh my right to clean air.

 

I felt a need to comment on your posting as it appears you are new to cruising. First of all, you are not to leave your door open because of the air conditioning system, clearly stated in your room. Plus, all but Celebrity Cruiselines allow smoking on balconys I believe. Research before booking a cruise. "Incredibly insensitive people", I believe is not true as those that smoked on their balconys were authorized too! Again, do some research before planning your vacation but please do not call people incredibly insensitive for behaviors that are allowed!!!

[peg013]

Permit me to ask: So when I choose a 100% non-smoking hotel over a 75% competitor (legally allowed in my state) I am being self righteous?

 

No, but if you say all hotels should be 100% non-smoking that would be!

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Casinos are smoking probably on all ships/lines.

 

No smoking in the casino's on Celebrity - they're the exception to the rule.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

As for the OPs question about the Casino, I have yet to be on a cruise with a non-smoking casino and I don't expect to see one any time soon for the reasons everyone has listed above. Several ships (like the Explorer of the Seas) is looking at how to better contain the smoke from the Casino and also making formal night a non-smoking night in the casino, but there is no talk of making it non-smoking completely. Revenues on the smoke free nights are significantly down from both gambling and alcohol purchases.

 

I know this is comparing apples to oranges but did you know that one of the worlds most profitable hotels is totally smoke-free?

 

Walt Disney World Hotel and Disney Vacation Club Resort Smoke Free Policy FAQ

 

Beginning June 1, 2007, Disney owned and operated resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club resorts will become smoke-free environments. This policy includes all guest rooms, balconies, patios, meeting spaces, restaurants, lounges and public space. Smoking will be allowed in designated outdoor smoking locations only. A room recovery fee will be charged for smoking in Guest rooms, on balconies, or on patios.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/helpFAQ?id=HelpFAQSmokeFreePage&bhcp=1

If Disney can go non-smoking and still fill their rooms it just goes to show if you've got a good product it doesn't matter.

 

I'm a non-smoker but I feel that smokers should have a right to smoke in their own houses and smoking areas and outdoor areas as well. However when it comes to enclosed areas non-smoking will be the way of the future.

 

Here in FL there was a huge outcry when restaurants were required to become non-smoking. "That will put us out of business" was the biggest complaint but guess what? Still lots of restaurants. larger ones have smoking areas on their patio's.

 

Smoking is an addiction but I don't think that most smokers really know how disgusting it is to non-smokers or how dangerous it is to people with asthma.

[klingoncruiser]

We did a b to b at Xmas. Sadly, this ship is a step backwards from the other ships we use. Smoking is allowed in the cabins. This leads to smoke in the halls from time to time. Smoking is allowed in the Casino. I only went in there once in 3 trips on the Spirit and was quickly cured of that. Not only is it nasty in there but the slots were really tight. Oh well.

 

Celebrity is the only line really taking a step higher. While most lines now ban smoking in rooms, they also ban it on Balconies. GOD love them. On the Xmas leg of our b to b, our balcony was nothing short of unusable.

 

Overall, the smoking was not all that bad on the Spirit. There are always some smokers who will ignore the rules, but they are on every line. We will be back on board at Spring Break. I really love the ship and the run.

[dockrocker]

Great to hear Celebrity doesn't allow balcony smoking -- we might just (cough! cough!) up the money for a balcony again on that line. No point spending the $ for a balcony on NCL and others with so many smokers all around.

[minnesotalady]

We did a b to b at Xmas. Sadly, this ship is a step backwards from the other ships we use. Smoking is allowed in the cabins. This leads to smoke in the halls from time to time. Smoking is allowed in the Casino. I only went in there once in 3 trips on the Spirit and was quickly cured of that. Not only is it nasty in there but the slots were really tight. Oh well.

 

Celebrity is the only line really taking a step higher. While most lines now ban smoking in rooms, they also ban it on Balconies. GOD love them. On the Xmas leg of our b to b, our balcony was nothing short of unusable.

 

Overall, the smoking was not all that bad on the Spirit. There are always some smokers who will ignore the rules, but they are on every line. We will be back on board at Spring Break. I really love the ship and the run.

 

You stated most lines now ban smoking in rooms! Can you provide information on which lines as I think that statement is incorrect. It is my understanding most cruiselines allow smoking in cabins and on balconys. We have sailed many cruiselines over the last two years and find your statement totally incorrect.

[yogimax]

Hard to believe that NCL and Carnival still allow smoking INSIDE staterooms. The stench often permeates the hallways. Not pleasant at all!

[minnesotalady]

Hard to believe that NCL and Carnival still allow smoking INSIDE staterooms. The stench often permeates the hallways. Not pleasant at all!

 

Believe Holland, Royal Caribbean, Princess and others do also except Celebrity!

[Richie2pies]

Why do all these complainers who hate smoking continue to cruise on lines that allow it? HYPOCRITES!