Needed..A Little Help From Cigar Fans

[tankerjo2]

We are looking to put together a week long cruise for a dozen or more friends who all share a passion for travel and cigars. Hoping someone can clue us in as to the nature of RC's Connoisseur Clubs on their ships. Question would be are they a dedicated cigar lounge or do they end up being used as a "catch all" for folks to catch a quick smoke, i.e. cigarettes?

 

Any comments or past experiences would be much appreciated!!

[Poohb]

My DH is a cigarette smoker. He goes into the Con Lounge often. There are a lot of cigarette smokers in there. He says that this is where many of the 'officers' sneak into also to get a smoke while on duty. It is a lovely room, all leather & smokey (at least on the Explorer, we've been on her 5X)

[DHADEN]

We are looking to put together a week long cruise for a dozen or more friends who all share a passion for travel and cigars. Hoping someone can clue us in as to the nature of RC's Connoisseur Clubs on their ships. Question would be are they a dedicated cigar lounge or do they end up being used as a "catch all" for folks to catch a quick smoke, i.e. cigarettes?

Any comments or past experiences would be much appreciated!!

 

 

It really depends on the ship. Some ships (I think the larger ones) have dedicated Cigar/Smoking Lounges,and everyone smokes there.

 

But some others (like the Radiance Class) have an area in the Viking Crown Lounge that become the Cigar Lounge at night for certain hours. These are the ones that are mostly always Cigar Smokers.

 

Hope This Helps.

[ArbysSauce]

My father in law and I are big cigar smokers. We were on the Voyager in March and spent our late nights in the cigar lounge. It was a great place to hang out and the guy that worked in there was just fantastic. He even let us bring our travel humidors full of cigars in there and store them in a locker in their big humidor.

There were a few cigarette smokers in there at times but the ventilation in there is great so it never bothered us.

We made some friends while relaxing and having a cigar and a nice drink.

[poppetts]

Looking forward to it more and more now

[LBumb]

mainly cigar smokers. others come in but leave quickly. nice selection of drinks. mariner had a big screen tv. liberty did not. i suggest bringing your own cigars. not always the best selection. also have matches or a lighter. if you smoke during the day, the lounge is open but no one working. sometimes even a challenge to find an ashtray.

[Elvis1209]

If you're traveling on a Voyager class or a Freedom class ship you're in for a rare treat! The cigar lounge is a great place to gather in the evening and have a nice stogie and a drink of your choice. I usually have a nice cognac with my cigar. The attendant in the lounge is always very attentive. He will probably get to know you by name. If you go in during the day he won't be on duty so you'll need to bring in your own drink (there's a bar next door) and probably your own cutter and lighter. Also there may not be any ashtrays out. I'm sure you can iimprovise though. I'll be cruising on a Radiance class ship this summer. I'm curious as to what provisions they're going to make for cigar smokers.

 

Elvis

[MedicKen]

Hello Elvis.

Seeings as this fine gentleman and I shared every evening of our cruise together on Freedom of the Seas cigar bar. I must echo his comments.

 

One codicil to this is the Oasis class that has no dedicated indoor cigar bar, rather they direct you to a "suites only " bar on deck 17. It tends to be quite windy and less than comfortable.

[dlong1969]

Was on the Freedom last September and one of my favorite areas of the ship with the cigar lounge. We found it the second night and we were back every evening after that. It was a wonderful way to end the evening. Dark wood paneling, overstuffed leather, great ventilation system... the attendant was wonderful. He remembered drink preferences and always had a smile.

 

Booked her again for this September and that is one of things I am looking forward to most.

 

I would agree with a previous poster in that you should bring your own cigars, as selection is wanting on the ship.

[Cigar King]

I would suggest that if cigars are an important part of the trip to make certain you book on a ship that has a dedicated cigar lounge. Those ships that allow cigars in a portion of the Viking Crown after 10 PM are a poor substitute. Which ship were you considering?

 

You might also want to try smoking on the pool deck. Officially it's against the rules, but it happens a lot and I haven't seen anyone asked to move.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[waterbabe40]

You can buy Cuban cigars at non-US affiliated ports and smoke them on the ship. According to DH, the cigar bar areas on Oasis and Allure are terrible. Why they would not include an indoor dedicated area on a ship that size is a big question. That always goes on our survey.

[T_Bone2012]

I was on The Mariner OTS back in January, and the cigar lounge was great. There are enough smoking lounges on the ship, so the lounge was not overcrowded and mainly had cigar smokers in it. What a great way to end the night. I did not hear whether it was on the list to be converted to another venue during dry dock this week. Anyone else heard anything?

[poopbag28]

You can buy Cuban cigars at non-US affiliated ports and smoke them on the ship. According to DH, the cigar bar areas on Oasis and Allure are terrible. Why they would not include an indoor dedicated area on a ship that size is a big question. That always goes on our survey.

 

This is true , however smoking a Cuban with less than 5 years of age on it (let alone a fresh one with less than a few months of aging on it) is like smoking a wet paper towel. Plus, about 80% of all Cuban cigars sold in cruise ports are fake. This is a huge revenue maker and is quite often discussed on cigar boards. The only legitimate place to buy Cubans in the Carribean would be at a "La Casa Del habano" store. Anywhere else is an 80% chance of buying a poorly rolled "insert name of local island" cigar labeled as Cuban and marked up $20 per cigar.

 

As a rule, Cuban tobacco is rushed to market and completely aged. If you a cigar smoker I'd suggest bringing some from your private stock at home to smoke onboard.

[relaxlynn]

We are booked on Brilliance in May for the first time as an anniversary cruise. Is there a dedicated cigar lounge on this ship. I encouraged my husband to buy some of his favorite cigars for the trip. It didn't occur to me there may not be a nice lounge for him to use.

[Elvis1209]

We are booked on Brilliance in May for the first time as an anniversary cruise. Is there a dedicated cigar lounge on this ship. I encouraged my husband to buy some of his favorite cigars for the trip. It didn't occur to me there may not be a nice lounge for him to use.

 

There is no dedicated cigar lounge on Brilliance, but that shouldn't stop you. I'll be sailing on Brilliance in August and I intend to enjoy my stoggies never the less! I believe they designate one lounge as a smoking lounge.

[Elvis1209]

Hello Elvis.

Seeings as this fine gentleman and I shared every evening of our cruise together on Freedom of the Seas cigar bar. I must echo his comments.

 

One codicil to this is the Oasis class that has no dedicated indoor cigar bar, rather they direct you to a "suites only " bar on deck 17. It tends to be quite windy and less than comfortable.

 

I just want to add: This man knows how to enjoy a cigar! He is the Grand Poo-Bah of the F.O.T.S.L.S.A.C.S.S.*

 

Elvis

* Freedom Of The Seas Liquor Sipping A Cigar Smoking Society

[ArbysSauce]

This is true , however smoking a Cuban with less than 5 years of age on it (let alone a fresh one with less than a few months of aging on it) is like smoking a wet paper towel. Plus, about 80% of all Cuban cigars sold in cruise ports are fake. This is a huge revenue maker and is quite often discussed on cigar boards. The only legitimate place to buy Cubans in the Carribean would be at a "La Casa Del habano" store. Anywhere else is an 80% chance of buying a poorly rolled "insert name of local island" cigar labeled as Cuban and marked up $20 per cigar.

 

As a rule, Cuban tobacco is rushed to market and completely aged. If you a cigar smoker I'd suggest bringing some from your private stock at home to smoke onboard.

 

Good info, especially about the La Casa Del Habano. I disagree with the part about having to wait 5 years for a Cuban to be good though. This used to be the case 4+ years ago. There are many good cigars coming out of Cuba that are excellent with as little as a few months of age on them. I have been smoking for years and years and have seen the quality of Cuban tobacco improve greatly over the past few years. Pretty much since 2008 the cigars have been much better than years prior without having to put them away for a few years.

[tankerjo2]

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and suggestions.

 

We have been cruising for the past 20 years and I have to admit when planning a cruise, well a cigar lounge is at the top of the list. Sadly some of our past favorites, i.e. ships have been changed so much. The Island Princess had one of my beloved cigar lounges. The small Churchills Lounge that sat adjacent to the promenade deck was fantastic but the past two cruises found it filled morning, day and night by cigarette smokers. Early on in our cruise days it was almost 100% cigar and pipe smokers inhabiting it.

 

I find it disapponiting that the cruise industry cannot seem to find a small space for those who enjoy cigars and pipes. I guess that is why a "dedicated" area to enjoy my cigars is so important to me. In my book it's harkons back to the fine days of cruising. We all have things we enjoy on a cruise. Dinner, a show, the wife put to bed and then a trip to the cigar lounge late in the evening tops off a great day of cruising. I know these days it's all about generating revenue but a few sq feet among all the bars, shops and casinos can surely be found. Without these amenities I fear my/our cruise days may be numbered.