Smoking in cabins

[startwin]

I have sent an email to point out the inaccuracy, but have yet to hear from them on this matter.

 

I also sent a snail mail letter to inform them and hope that maybe that will get them to change it. But, as you know, HAL seldom responds with more than a standard form email or letter.

 

You have to keep in mind that HAL has deck plans that are also inaccurate and have been for years, so do you really think they will change something as insignificant as their policy regarding smoking on board their ships on the web site??

 

Joanie

 

 

In all the years I have been sailing with HAL - and on the different classes of ships - I have always found their website information pretty accurate. There are many long-time CC posters who can fill in the blanks and most of us know whose information is usually reliable.

[halmariner]

Absolutely agree...HAL has their act together.

[lawyerrose]

What about the non smokers next to you? Wouldn't it be more considerate to find a smoking area on a n outside deck? That is not even considering the fire issue!

 

Non smokers need to just look out for themselves. And I'm sure it's a big fire issue considering ALL the fires there have been on cruise ships over the years from people smoking in their staterooms.:rolleyes:

[james90210]

Also If Hal felt it was such a threat to there ship they would ban it!!

[IRL_Joanie]

In all the years I have been sailing with HAL - and on the different classes of ships - I have always found their website information pretty accurate. There are many long-time CC posters who can fill in the blanks and most of us know whose information is usually reliable.

 

I always assumed the same as you when it comes to the Deck Plans. HOWEVER, on the HAL Staterooms/Cabins Thread I had a post from Cruisin Kay D. just a couple days ago.

 

Here is why she posted (I've included the Warning that I have on the Web Site):

 

VD 4159 & VD 4161 Deluxe Verandah Ocean View Stateroom Deck 4 Upper Promenade Deck

[

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: "CONTRARY to the Deck Plans from HAL, VD 4159 & VD 4161 ARE NOT CONNECTING ROOMS!!"

[

Let me tell you -- not only was I furious, my TA has been also going round & round with Seattle on this matter, trying to find out why they would leave a mistake (the door between those 2 rooms) on deck plans for all these years. She cannot believe that I am the FIRST one to be misled! Now the man in Seattle she has been talking to (Walter) is saying that the person who told her for sure they were connecting is "doesn't work with Westerdam -- he was in charge of Eurodam" whatever the heck that means. All we got to soothe our problem was the balcony separator door opened and "compensation" of 3 soda cards and a 5 bottle wine pkg (cheaper one). Another note you should put on the quad balcony cabins is that when the loveseat is opened into a twin bed, the bottom is up against the desk/refrig door, so we could not get to the balcony door, which was the way I was supposed to go to check on my grandkids in the other cabin. The oval table is in the way it was put out on the balcony. Closet storage is good with 3 closets but nearly no drawers -- 2 per bedside nightstand and that is all!!! No storage at all in the desk nor above it -- that was exceptionally disappointing. Due to storage situation, I let the 3 girls keep their things in 4159 and shower/dress there, and in 4161 we had the 3 boys' clothes as well as Mike's & mine. One boy slept in the girls cabin and 2 boys slept with us.

(Oh on top of this cabin disaster, Seattle managed to split us 8 up for dinner with some at one table and rest at another!!!! We got it solved quickly by maitre'd, but it was just another thing my TA was furious about!!! ) Information March 2011

[

Cruise Critic Member: Cruisin Kay D

 

So, Yes, HAL can be wrong as has been pointed out to me by a few of the more experienced and highly respected Cruise Members.

 

Joanie

[startwin]

I always assumed the same as you when it comes to the Deck Plans. HOWEVER, on the HAL Staterooms/Cabins Thread I had a post from Cruisin Kay D. just a couple days ago.

 

Here is why she posted (I've included the Warning that I have on the Web Site):

 

VD 4159 & VD 4161 Deluxe Verandah Ocean View Stateroom Deck 4 Upper Promenade Deck

[

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: "CONTRARY to the Deck Plans from HAL, VD 4159 & VD 4161 ARE NOT CONNECTING ROOMS!!"

[

Let me tell you -- not only was I furious, my TA has been also going round & round with Seattle on this matter, trying to find out why they would leave a mistake (the door between those 2 rooms) on deck plans for all these years. She cannot believe that I am the FIRST one to be misled! Now the man in Seattle she has been talking to (Walter) is saying that the person who told her for sure they were connecting is "doesn't work with Westerdam -- he was in charge of Eurodam" whatever the heck that means. All we got to soothe our problem was the balcony separator door opened and "compensation" of 3 soda cards and a 5 bottle wine pkg (cheaper one). Another note you should put on the quad balcony cabins is that when the loveseat is opened into a twin bed, the bottom is up against the desk/refrig door, so we could not get to the balcony door, which was the way I was supposed to go to check on my grandkids in the other cabin. The oval table is in the way it was put out on the balcony. Closet storage is good with 3 closets but nearly no drawers -- 2 per bedside nightstand and that is all!!! No storage at all in the desk nor above it -- that was exceptionally disappointing. Due to storage situation, I let the 3 girls keep their things in 4159 and shower/dress there, and in 4161 we had the 3 boys' clothes as well as Mike's & mine. One boy slept in the girls cabin and 2 boys slept with us.

(Oh on top of this cabin disaster, Seattle managed to split us 8 up for dinner with some at one table and rest at another!!!! We got it solved quickly by maitre'd, but it was just another thing my TA was furious about!!! ) Information March 2011

[

Cruise Critic Member: Cruisin Kay D

 

So, Yes, HAL can be wrong as has been pointed out to me by a few of the more experienced and highly respected Cruise Members.

 

Joanie

 

 

Yep, and that's the answer - listen to the highly respected and experienced CC members. Know who you can trust and whose information can be relied on.

[dmwnc1959]

On the contrary, an individual's call, email or snail mail to HAL is easy to ignore. An open discussion on boards read by potential customers who are considering HAL's product is not. Policy changes (more commonly, small adjustments, since a major policy change is always about the $ and that's it) have more than one impetus. Discussions on public boards are one of them. This refers to all policies, not just smoking policies, BTW.

 

You are dead on with this statement. And it not only refers to policies and procedures, but can extend much further. Case in point: When Celebrity Cruises changed their advertising campaign that (to say the least) disturbed nearly everyone on the CC Celebrity Boards, and shortly thereafter the President of the cruise line appeared as a CC guest on a forum chat and found out the huge number of people who were dissatisfied and concerned with the possible unintended misinterpretation of the new ad campaign, it was literally changed within days. The president of the cruise line thanked the CC members for their input and noted their concern as the reason for the change. You do have a voice, and forums are an essential method for large numbers of people expressing their desire for change in how a cruise line operates. And they do listen to us.

[james90210]

On something like advertising, most companies would probably panic if the target audience made lot of noise.

 

I am not saying that companies don't read the forums.

Just something like smoking, it seems like people have been unhappy with it for a while. Hal still allows it.

They are in a lot more danger of losing big money from bad advertising..

 

I am new to cruising so I don't know much. I was surprised that Hal allowed smoking in all cabins. Not something I would allow if it was my boat 'even as a smoker'.

 

Forums in general do usually provide up to date information as people go say on cruises all the time.

A lot of companies are slower to update websites sometimes.

[brucory]

I was surprised that Hal allowed smoking in all cabins. Not something I would allow if it was my boat 'even as a smoker'.

.

 

With good reason too!!!

 

A recent article in our local news down under speculated 600,000 people around the world are killed by passive smoking each year!!!

 

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/passive-smoking-kills-600000-a-yearstudy-20101126-18a6p.html

 

Scary!!! :(:(:(

 

Not sure on the solution, but people deserve to have the right to not be exposed to second hand smoke/ash on their much loved cruises....

 

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[CtheW0rld]

With good reason too!!!

 

A recent article in our local news down under speculated 600,000 people around the world are killed by passive smoking each year!!!

 

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

[dmwnc1959]

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

 

Unless one of those 600,000 is a loved one like your mother, or grandmother, or sister, or brother, or husband, or wife.

 

What a horrible statement you have made.

[taxmantoo]

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

 

What an absolutely ridiculous statement :eek: Can you imagine if 600,000 people had died in the recent Japan crisis? And yet, you come on here and say "600,000 died, oh well..." :eek: Seems to me the nicotine is affecting more than your lungs!

[HamOp]

What an absolutely ridiculous statement :eek: Can you imagine if 600,000 people had died in the recent Japan crisis? And yet, you come on here and say "600,000 died, oh well..." :eek: Seems to me the nicotine is affecting more than your lungs!

 

So let's get rid of cars and booze.

 

From the site http://www.lawcore.com/car-accident/statistics.html

 

 

 

There are in excess of 40,000 deaths due to car accidents every year. Although this is a very high number by itself, some heart can be taken in the fact that statistics show that car accident fatalities have been witnessing a downward trend in recent years.

The majority of car accidents could be avoided if only the drivers would drive more responsibly. About 40% of car accident fatalities occur because of a drunken driver. About 30% of the car accident fatalities can be attributed to driving above the speed limits and 33% and above because of reckless driving that causes the car to go off the road and result in an accident.

[IRL_Joanie]

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

I try my best to be nice in all my replies, posts etc... BUT...Even I am revolted by your comment!! This is a despicable post and I hope the Hosts pull it quickly!!

 

Joanie

[Plnrboy]

Smokers love the red herring argument and/or the slippery slope... If smoking is bad what about X or Y... typical:(

[james90210]

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

 

 

That was actually a shocking thing to say!!

Yes I smoke, but i ALWAYS try to be respectful of non smokers. That comment didn't help.

[james90210]

considering that there are 100s of millions of smokers around the planet, 600,000 isn't that bad.

 

 

That was actually a shocking thing to say!!

Yes I smoke, but i ALWAYS try to be respectful of non smokers. That comment didn't help.

 

Can I also say I only wanted a bit of advise about smoking on board. I am sorry if this thread has upset anyone..

[mina]

That was actually a shocking thing to say!!

Yes I smoke, but i ALWAYS try to be respectful of non smokers. That comment didn't help.

 

Can I also say I only wanted a bit of advise about smoking on board. I am sorry if this thread has upset anyone..

 

James -- your question was appropriate and really only needed a factual response. Do not apologize because others choose to use your question for their own agendas. We are condemed if we do or condemed if we don't. Ask a question so you can AVOID smoking in your cabin and it gets jumped on. Ask where the designated smoking areas are, so you can comply and it gets jumped on! Just remember, if you commented that you want to smoke in your cabin, you would get jumped on even more. In addtion, assumptions will always be made that every smoker violates all posted guidelines, does nothing but sit on their balconies smoking 24/7 and if they do venture out, they do so in order to purposefully light up in all posted non-smoking areas so they can blow smoke into innocent victims' faces. Heck we even carry tools with us so we can move stationary ashtrays as it suits us. I guess that makes sense as moving the bolted ashtrays helps control that extreme fire danger! Just ignore it and continue to be considerate even if it is not returned to you.

[IRL_Joanie]

James -- your question was appropriate and really only needed a factual response. Do not apologize because others choose to use your question for their own agendas. We are condemed if we do or condemed if we don't. Ask a question so you can AVOID smoking in your cabin and it gets jumped on. Ask where the designated smoking areas are, so you can comply and it gets jumped on! Just remember, if you commented that you want to smoke in your cabin, you would get jumped on even more. In addtion, assumptions will always be made that every smoker violates all posted guidelines, does nothing but sit on their balconies smoking 24/7 and if they do venture out, they do so in order to purposefully light up in all posted non-smoking areas so they can blow smoke into innocent victims' faces. Heck we even carry tools with us so we can move stationary ashtrays as it suits us. I guess that makes sense as moving the bolted ashtrays helps control that extreme fire danger! Just ignore it and continue to be considerate even if it is not returned to you.

 

Amen Mina!!! And thank you so much for your words to James, and the rest of us:)

 

Joanie

[james90210]

thank you for that post Mina :)

[james90210]

Hey Joanie. Thank you also for the help you offered me in this thread. you have been a great help :D

[IRL_Joanie]

Hey Joanie. Thank you also for the help you offered me in this thread. you have been a great help :D

 

You are quite welcome sir and keep up the great attitude!!:)

 

Joanie

[james90210]

Thank you Joanie :)

[lollytw]

And you're always there to stir the pot and make sure of it:rolleyes:

 

Startwin, I think I'll have to agree with you on this. I should have kept that thought to myself. But you seem to do the same thing. Why don't we make a pact to be more constructive in our criticism? I will if you will! Actually, I'll try to anyway. I'm a little embarrassed that I get caught up in the tension on some of the threads. :o

[CtheW0rld]

Startwin, I think I'll have to agree with you on this. I should have kept that thought to myself. But you seem to do the same thing. Why don't we make a pact to be more constructive in our criticism? I will if you will! Actually, I'll try to anyway. I'm a little embarrassed that I get caught up in the tension on some of the threads. :o

 

where's the fun in that :confused: