Smoking in the Spirit Casino... Really?

[terrymtex01]

Careful there little buddy. You are starting to sound like a conservative. ;)

 

PE

 

LOL.. Heaven forbid..

[Christine Frances]

For the non-smoking complainers: If they banned smoking, I'm not going on the ship. If I don't go on the ship, I can't play in the casino. If I don't go to the casino, I cant lose tens of thousands of dollars. If they don't get tens of thousands from me... they'll get it from you! Your cruise fare WILL go up. Why do you think smoking is promoted in the casino? Also... we smokers pay almost $2.00 per pack in taxes to the government. I GUARANTEE that you're getting more of our money second hand than our smoke! :)

 

We were on the Gem in Sept and Celebrity 2 weeks ago. We noticed people walking into the Casino on the Gem and lighting up, walking around and then butting out without playing:mad: - using the casino as an indoor smoking area. The Casino was much busier on the non-smoking X than on NCL. It was jammed most nights and I had to wait all the time for my fav slot machine to open up:D

[Tanless]

I guess most here don't remember how well Prohibition worked out for this country.

 

Hey, it gave us the Kennedys.

 

As to the topic - I cruised twice on the smoke free CCL Paradise because DW is very smoke sensitive; then cruised on the CCL Legend twice - we didn't notice any real difference in "smokiness" not counting casino. Maybe we just got lucky being in the after corners of the ship. Hopefully it will not be an issue on the Pearl (not sure if smoking is allowed in the courtyard).

[chrispb]

As the other tread about smoking somehow disappeared!? I will add my contribution to the smoking discussion here.

 

What I miss in the discussion is the impact on the staff in the public areas where smoking is allowed. As a passenger you still have the option to use the venue but the staff don't have a choice.

The main reason for prohibiting smoking in public areas, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands is the protection of the staff.

 

A non-issue! There are no indoor smoking areas apart from the Casino and staterooms on most cruiseships, just like ashore. Plenty of the bar-crew smoke and I'm sure some would much prefer to work with smokers:cool:

[big_boat]

For the non-smoking complainers: If they banned smoking, I'm not going on the ship. If I don't go on the ship, I can't play in the casino. If I don't go to the casino, I cant lose tens of thousands of dollars. If they don't get tens of thousands from me... they'll get it from you! Your cruise fare WILL go up. Why do you think smoking is promoted in the casino? Also... we smokers pay almost $2.00 per pack in taxes to the government. I GUARANTEE that you're getting more of our money second hand than our smoke! :)

 

So does this mean you don't fly anywhere? All domestic airlines ban smoking so do you not go on the planes?

[G'ma]

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?

 

Not at all.

 

But, to expect nonsmoking on a ship where smoking is permitted is self-righteous.

 

You know what you're getting when you put down the money..or you should.

 

There are nonsmoking ship options around...try one.

[G'ma]

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

 

I assume, then, that you don't cruise on either one, right??

[G'ma]

Because there's no mass market line that doesn't allow it? (Are there even any luxury lines that totally disallow it? Anybody know?) There are nonsmoking vessels: Oceania and Azamara come to mind. Celebrity restricts smoking to 2 small areas on an outside deck.

 

Because we're entitled to ask any cruise line we patronize to make changes, just as any passenger is?

 

Because, to paraphrase Inigo Montoya, "You use this word 'hypocrite.' I do not think it means what you think it means"?

 

If your health is more important than your pocketbook, there are other cruise lines with severe restrictions on smoking or where it's banned comppletely.

[G'ma]

So when a voter initiative to ban ALL smoking in restaurants and bars passed by a 65% margin in Washington State a few years ago, that was an act of "self righteousness" on the part of the thousands of people who voted for it?

 

No, again.

 

A cruise ship is not a state...it is not a democracy, people don't vote on policy, meals, itineraries.

 

But, to expect the world to revolve around you is self-righteous.

[G'ma]

I just returned from our cruise last week on the Spirit. My husband and I spent approximately 1 - 3 hours every day in the casino, and commented frequently how much the smoke was bothering us. There were a LOT of smokers there! Also, we had two adjoining rooms with balconies - both rooms on either side of us had cigar smokers in them. We couldn't leave our balcony doors open when they were out there because our rooms instantly stunk like cigars. Not a pleasant experience for a non-smoking family with three young children!

 

So, the smoking casino, where you were so bothered, didn't stop you from spending 1-3 hours a day there?

 

And, you were bothered because smoking on neighboring balconies came through your door?

 

Honestly. And, did you know that you are not supposed to leave your balcony door open? There are signs posted and it is in the daily paper....it is a fire hazard and affect the air-conditioning of the cabins around you in your module.....and you, with 3 young children exposing them to danger...tsk,tsk,

[G'ma]

I can't seriously believe that there are people who think I'm out of line to complain about my neighbors cigar smoke in my OWN room. I never said anyone was 'incredibly insensitive', I merely said that it was unpleasant for us. And to suggest that I need to leave my balcony doors closed all the time - what the heck are balconies for if you can't sit out there and enjoy them??? We never once complained to either of our neighbors or the staff - we just chose to leave when they were out there smoking. But I do have the right to my own opinion and to suggest that we're just looking for something to complain about is absurd.

 

You said you were bothered by smoke COMING INTO YOUR CABIN WHEN YOUR DOORS WERE OPEN......

 

Get your story straight...and, pay attention to the signs next time.

[Richie2pies]

So does this mean you don't fly anywhere? All domestic airlines ban smoking so do you not go on the planes?

 

No... I don't fly anymore. I live in SW Florida and cruise out of Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Miami. I started cruising when the airlines banned smoking, and I'll stop cruising if the cruiselines ban or severely restrict smoking. Nothing worse than a reformed smoker or drinker. They go too far. I once saw one of them waving at their nose when a person was using one of those fake cigarettes that emits only air. These people would advocate a smoking ban on a 5,000 acre ranch in the middle of nowhere.

[G'ma]

In about half a generation this will all be settled. People will be shaking their heads--"Do you believe people used to smoke in cruise ship cabins and casinos?"--the way we currently do about people smoking in offices, movie theaters, etc.

 

Those of you who can't wait half a gen for the relief, my sympathies to you. I will raise a glass to your memory as I enjoy my finally pleasant balcony and casino.

 

HA!:D You might want to think that through.

 

If cigrettes and manufacturing of cigarettes was banned....here are some of the consequences:

 

HUGE black market.....bigger than prohibition and twice as dangerous. New gang of thugs will join up with the existing dealers and sellers and increase their revenue.

 

Billions and billions and billions of taxes now collected by states and the gov't would have to be put on other commodities...like every bite you put in your mouth, or alcohol, or candy bars, cars, real estate..... Heck, Texas alone colledtes 1/2 BILLION a year in tax on tobacco.

 

Cigarette smoking would be a criminal offense, like pot smoking is today. Build more prisons, bust more citizens, increase the cost of our prison system.

 

The tobacco growing and manufacturing states in our country would go bankrupt....thereby calling for more Federal aid....ramping up more taxes for ya.

[G'ma]

Of the lines I have been on. RCI does not, Princess did not on the last ship I was on, Celebrity does not and I have not been on Carnivore in a while but have heard that they also have banned it in the rooms. Princess is the one that nearly burned down a ship with a carelessly tossed cigarette. I think they also banned the smoking on balconies shortly after that accident that killed one person.

 

So..... I still go on NCL. Doesn't mean I have to like the policy, just have to live with it. Our Xmas leg of our b to b on the spirit was as bad as I have had in about 10 years. Luck of the draw to get two heavy smokers in the room next to us. There was a door between the two rooms and every time they left the balcony door open we were inundated in smoke from the room. (That was often).

 

I am a big boy and know what I am getting into. I will be on the Spirit at spring break are still in that room. We will fix that problem next xmas as we have changed rooms to get rid of that door.

 

Well, you're wrong.....here, from a Cruise Critic article several months ago is the policy on ALL ships.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=225

[tkportersat]

I don't think it said anything about banning the manufacturing of cigarettes but widening the ban in certain places (sorry if I missed it). Knowing my parents and friends who are smokers they will pay any price to get their cigarettes...that is why those billboards sprung up here in Texas saying "I will pay _____ for cigarettes" or something like that.

 

It will get us one way or another in cost, you don't think we pay more in healthcare for all the illnesses smoking causes? To make it seem like all the fees/taxes smokers pay is making our little World go round is ridiculous.

 

HA!:D You might want to think that through.

 

If cigrettes and manufacturing of cigarettes was banned....here are some of the consequences:

 

HUGE black market.....bigger than prohibition and twice as dangerous. New gang of thugs will join up with the existing dealers and sellers and increase their revenue.

 

Billions and billions and billions of taxes now collected by states and the gov't would have to be put on other commodities...like every bite you put in your mouth' date=' or alcohol, or candy bars, cars, real estate..... Heck, Texas alone colledtes 1/2 BILLION a year in tax on tobacco.

 

Cigarette smoking would be a criminal offense, like pot smoking is today. Build more prisons, bust more citizens, increase the cost of our prison system.

 

The tobacco growing and manufacturing states in our country would go bankrupt....thereby calling for more Federal aid....ramping up more taxes for ya.[/quote']

[dockrocker]

I don't think it said anything about banning the manufacturing of cigarettes but widening the ban in certain places (sorry if I missed it).

 

You are correct. Contrary to G'ma's dramatic fantasy, my post said nothing about making the manufacture and sale of cigarettes illegal. I think everybody else was able to understand, but what I referred to when I said that "in half a generation this would all be settled" is that the arc of social antipathy to smoking in public places has been established; the momentum is on the side of protecting people from secondhand smoke. The number of smokers continues to steadily decline and it will eventually seem quaint and anachronistic that anyone could ever smoke in a cruise ship cabin, just as it seems unbelievable now that people smoked in offices, university classrooms and hospitals.

 

By that time, most of the diehard (and yes, they will) resisters will no longer be of this earth. Sometimes the best way to achieve change is simply to wait out the reactionaries, who in smoking as in other social throwbacks, tend to be older. Time is on our side.

[darrengs]

My experience on the Dawn this past August, was that all indoor areas, except for the cabins, casino and cigar lounge, were non-smoking. And that all outdoor areas besides the kids pool area were smoking.

[tkportersat]

Yeah, it is really hard to believe that you used to be able to smoke on an airplane. I don't mean to come off as insensitive to smokers, obviously my parents and I have these debates all the time as they know how I feel about it. I know there are no guaranties in life but I would at least like the chance to have as many years with my parents as possible. And to be able to not have to be exposed to second hand smoke as much as possible....

 

You are correct. Contrary to G'ma's dramatic fantasy, my post said nothing about making the manufacture and sale of cigarettes illegal. I think everybody else was able to understand, but what I referred to when I said that "in half a generation this would all be settled" is that the arc of social antipathy to smoking in public places has been established; the momentum is on the side of protecting people from secondhand smoke. The number of smokers continues to steadily decline and it will eventually seem quaint and anachronistic that anyone could ever smoke in a cruise ship cabin, just as it seems unbelievable now that people smoked in offices, university classrooms and hospitals.

 

By that time, most of the diehard (and yes, they will) resisters will no longer be of this earth. Sometimes the best way to achieve change is simply to wait out the reactionaries, who in smoking as in other social throwbacks, tend to be older. Time is on our side.