Why We Left NCL?

[armwinder]

I choose to cruise NCL because they allow smoking on balconies. If and when they eliminate that, I will choose another line to spend my money. If all lines eliminate balcony smoking, I will stop cruising. EASY!

 

What a statement, wow! :(

[Mississippian]

I just booked my first NCL cruise, and I guess I'm glad I'm in a family suite with large windows and no balcony! I hate second-hand smoke.

 

My brother is a tobacco addict, and he and other smokers I know are completely oblivious to just how incredibly strong and overpowering the smell of tobacco smoke is to non-smokers. On a recent Princess cruise my brother couldn't even make it through dinner without excusing himself to go smoke.

 

The number of smokers continues to decline. My mother told me she started smoking in the late 1940s in college because all the students smoked in class. They smoked pipes and cigars, too.

 

One problem is that as more cruise lines tighten smoking policies (for example, Princess banned balcony smoking this year) smokers will gravitate to smoker-friendlier ships, making them less-pleasant for non-smokers. The end result is that an NCL balcony will eventually be pretty unpleasant for non-smokers unless NCL joins the other cruise lines.

 

Of course, the other option is for NCL to just accept the market niche of being the smoker-friendly line. Smokers do tend to drink and gamble more, and so it could be a profitable choice. Plus NCL would never have to worry about developing a reputation like that of Holland America as an old people's line.

[swedish weave]

...and by booking a balcony cabin on a line that you know allows smoking on said balcony, your chance of having a smoking neighbor are 50/50. Please show me a lotto with those kind of odds.

 

As with anything "facts" can be twisted to suit your viewpoint. This topic can be one of the most twisted that occurs on CC and it is really getting old considering it shows up almost weekly. But, the people bringing it up are getting better at disguising their true intent when posting about their anti-smoking bent.

 

And please don't tell me to just ignore it. This subject needs to be tended to by both sides of the discussion and not just the zealots.

 

John

 

I will have to dispute your "odds" of 50/50. The true figures are 80/20 based on the facts that you have cabins above, below, and on either side of you. Still doesn't match the odds on Lotto, but closer to true figures.

[Ilovesailing]

We agree with you 1000% on the smoking issue is now worse than its ever been with smoking on balconies only.

We were on the Jade in May for b2b cruises in an aft balcony and had smokers around us morning noon and night, above us, below us and beside us for the entire two weeks and one of the weeks there were four people in the penthouse beside us not just two.

 

I will say that I was totally blown away by the amount of European's still smoking when I had always thought that they were always more health conscious than Americans and Canadian's but obviously that it not the case as we witnessed on this Med. cruise that was mostly Europeans.

I spoke on a few occasions to Denis the Hotel Director about the smoking issue and told him how bad the new policy was and that why cant they at least look at making one side of the ship non smoking. His reply was that it will never happen!

 

So after the Med cruise we had already had a Caribbean cruise booked for this coming January and would see how the smoking went in our aft Penthouse before we decided on our next plan of attack which may mean to not cruise at all unless someone comes out with freestyle dining and NO SMOKING.

 

In 2008 we had an forward hull balcony next to the owners suite and we had smokers to the left of us but thought it won't be problem once we start sailing WRONG! it turns out that they were chain smokers had two kids and didn't want to smoke in their cabin,

but because the hull balcony has opening at top and bottom of floor and roof area in order to let water flow through in the case of sinking the smoke lingers at the top and eventually falls into your face as it lingers across from cabin to cabin

[time2cruise1]

I will have to dispute your "odds" of 50/50. The true figures are 80/20 based on the facts that you have cabins above, below, and on either side of you. Still doesn't match the odds on Lotto, but closer to true figures.

 

Not sure what the odds are but with the new rules most smokers who used to book inside or ocean view now booked balconies. So that 20% is concentrated in the balcony cabins.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

[FuninWB]

We cruised on the Dawn in May. The couple next door smoked, and they asked us when we first saw them on the balcony if we were smokers. When we said we weren't, they said they would not smoke if we were using our balcony; we had only to let them know we were out there. If they were out there first, we stayed inside until they left. If we were using our balcony, they refrained from smoking until we were gone. We all cooperated, and everything worked out just fine. Hopefully you will all have polite neighbors who are willing to work with you.

:)

[Ilovesailing]

wasiii your comment about aft balcony is totally wrong! In fact and aft maybe even worse because there is no wind.

[Rounder]

If this is a new policy that NCL will allow (to poop in a bucket on your balcony). Will I know about this before I book? If so I guess then that is a choice I make. :rolleyes:

 

 

Che,

Hint : don't book a balcony on The Poop Deck :p

And we need more popcorn, Maybe people will start complaining about blue jean's in the MDR, or even worse baseball cap's. :rolleyes: Or even better : Why were my Rum Runners confiscated????? we can only wish :(

everyone have a great day. if you don't it's your own fault!!!!!!!!

[mommyto2girls]

First off, please indulge us and try not to flame; we are posting this hoping that someone from Norwegian actually reads these threads.

As you can see from our signature, our trips to our favorite island have varied only in the cruise-line: either X or NCL, over time we've gone back and forth. In retrospect, even with the occasional hmm, we obviously enjoyed NCL and the Dawn:

- Even from PA, we especially loved NCL's Manhattan embarkation - never had a problem driving in, parking, and/or leaving.

- Even with some obligatory dings, the Dawn (and I suspect the cruise line) is maintained very well, and the crew members, if sometimes tired, were generally at least friendly and helpful.

- The many dining options on the Dawn, from so-so to excellent, we could always find something worthwhile.

- The entertainment was very good - there always seemed to be music everywhere you went. In addition to the very talented (if stretched) resident party band, we enjoyed Jose and Patti, Fire and Ice... (This year, unfortunately, at least on the Star the entertainment appears to have been cut back...).

Now. When the Dawn shifted to Boston, we looked at the Star, but decided to give X a try. Without getting into subjective differences, other than entertainment, the clincher for us with Celebrity is the non-smoking policy. NCL's new policy stipulates smokers can only do so on one part of the upper deck - or on their balcony; a minor inconvenience for those who smoke, but for those next door? I'm a former smoker and generally believe in live and let live, BUT:

If we spend $3K of our vacation money to pay for the balcony room we love so much, what happens when our NCL neighbor(s) smoke like chimneys, and we can't even open our sliding doors? And we found it does happen.

Really? Can't one side/section of the ship be balcony-smoking optional?

We would book another NCL cruise in a heartbeat - especially the Breakaway (!!) - if we knew we wouldn't have to worry about our balcony being downwind of an ashtray. Is there really no answer to this?

Our two cents. Thanks.

 

 

It seems rare that someone has a chimney next door to them..we love NCL and have opted to stay with them because we can still smoke on our balcony and we love the line. I understand that you want to take your money elsewhere if you are not happy. Marketing choice for NCL, I do no think they will ever change this policy again in the near future. We only cruise in 2 bedroom Haven suites, so if NCL changes the policy they keep your $3000 and lose my $7000. This is really a tough topic and you have to just assume that some of us are considerate. You can beat this one to death but the answer is probably to cruise a line that has non-smoking on balconies. My 2 cents for what it is worth, and to most of you I am sure that is not much!

[Winters in NZ]

We had a smoking related problem on the Epic, though it was related to drinking! On the first two overnights, we were awoken about 3:30/4:00 am each morning, when there seemed to be a "balcony" party on the deck beneath us. At least 3 couples in two adjoining cabins were the culprits, as they apparently returned from their evening out and around, and went outside to smoke, and unfortunately drink, too. We could smell the smoke, but it was the loud talking that woke us up, and kept us awake. In the morning we reported the incident, and asked that they just be aware of the problem, and hopefully on call if it happened again. Well it did, and we called the desk, and within minutes, security was at our door to observe what was happening down below. Other than thanking the desk in the morning, we never had another problem, though we still observed some partying, and of course could smell the smoke on occasion, but we were pleased that NCL took immediate action and took care of the problem for us.

Good to read your post that the securty personnel reacted with great efficiency.

[SeaShark]

wasiii your comment about aft balcony is totally wrong! In fact and aft maybe even worse because there is no wind.

 

Actually, that is why the comment is totally correct. It is because of the wind that the smoke blows from one balcony to the one next door. No wind = no blowing smoke.

[K L B]

We cruised on the Dawn in May. The couple next door smoked, and they asked us when we first saw them on the balcony if we were smokers. When we said we weren't, they said they would not smoke if we were using our balcony; we had only to let them know we were out there. If they were out there first, we stayed inside until they left. If we were using our balcony, they refrained from smoking until we were gone. We all cooperated, and everything worked out just fine. Hopefully you will all have polite neighbors who are willing to work with you.

:)

 

it would be wonderful if all smokers were this considerate! if someone did that for me, they'd have a nice bottle of wine delivered to their door courtesy of me :)

[che5904]

it would be wonderful if all smokers were this considerate! if someone did that for me, they'd have a nice bottle of wine delivered to their door courtesy of me :)

 

I've asked this on other smoking threads, and I'll ask it again. If you spend time reading the people complaining about neighbors smoking, you will read that this seems to be an issue for some coming from on each side, above and below. Now I just measured the smoke from my cigarette and it goes less than 3' in any direction. So what people are complaining about is the smell which depending on the wind could drift just about in any direction. That being the case how would propose anyone be a "considerate" smoker to those they may "affect". Do we stand at the railing and yell to anyone within earshot? Otherwise apparently we are not being considerate smoking where smoking is permitted on our own balcony.

[K L B]

I've asked this on other smoking threads, and I'll ask it again. If you spend time reading the people complaining about neighbors smoking, you will read that this seems to be an issue for some coming from on each side, above and below. Now I just measured the smoke from my cigarette and it goes less than 3' in any direction. So what people are complaining about is the smell which depending on the wind could drift just about in any direction. That being the case how would propose anyone be a "considerate" smoker to those they may "affect". Do we stand at the railing and yell to anyone within earshot? Otherwise apparently we are not being considerate smoking where smoking is permitted on our own balcony.

 

well, there is no way to be considerate to everyone around you- up, down, side to side. people have to be realistic about expectations. but if someone is right next to you, they would be most affected. i think that is about all you can do.

[ncklhaus]

We were on the Norwegian Jewel in a mini-suite next to a penthouse on deck 11. Both had balconies. The woman in the penthouse to our left was a chain-smoker that rarely left her room/balcony. I must say, as a non-smoker (my husband also doesn't smoke and of course our 4 year old daughter doesn't either;)), I rarely smelled the smoke. I think the only time we got a whiff was when we were docked in Port Canaveral. I only knew when she was smoking because I could hear the lighter. She asked us if the smoke bothered her and we told her it did not. I was more concerned that our daughter would bother her! (She didn't!!:D)

[jaja]

Just an observation: this is a very civil "smoking thread"---it is refreshing that there are no nasty comments...just opinions and info...what a nice change of pace ;)

[wroughtironron]

I want a smokers only ship.

 

Yeah but think of the cost of all the extra medical staff required to treat the emphysema, heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and early deaths.

 

Sounds great to me !

:)

[Ilovesailing]

This is what I don't understand. If such a small percentage of people smoke, how come everyone seems to have a smoker on the balcony either side of them as well as above and below :confused:

 

 

It must be a case of all the so called 20% must ALL be cruising because it's the only place they can smoke these days.

I don't believe this figure for a moment and if was the case then the cruise lines would have no problem making entire ships no smoking.

[Beaver1975]

I will have to dispute your "odds" of 50/50. The true figures are 80/20 based on the facts that you have cabins above, below, and on either side of you. Still doesn't match the odds on Lotto, but closer to true figures.

 

Not to pick nits, especially with you. But, each person has an odds factory of being a smoker of 50%. So, at it's simplest you have 50% chance of a smoker residing next (or above/below) to you. Now, if you want to figure the odds of how many of your neighbors are going to be smokers that is another can of worms.;)

 

John

[K L B]

It must be a case of all the so called 20% must ALL be cruising because it's the only place they can smoke these days.

I don't believe this figure for a moment and if was the case then the cruise lines would have no problem making entire ships no smoking.

 

Back in my smoking days, I chose hotels that had balconies so that I could smoke on it. It just made things easier. I would like to see the stats of how many smokers choose an inside room where they can't smoke. I would think not many.

[TracynHal]

Last year my husband and I splurged and got an aft facing balcony cabin on the Dawn. The ship is in port 2 1/2 days. We were so excited about this trip and our room. But we couldn't sit on our balcony because the guy next door smoked like a chimney.

 

I was very angry about it because we did not infringe on his rights while he was on vacation yet he infringed on ours.

 

Plus every morning we woke up to the smell of smoke coming through the AC system.

 

It is not what I think I should have to put up with and it is a big thing to a non smoker.

 

It is our only complaint ever when we cruise.

Tracy

[njhorseman]

It must be a case of all the so called 20% must ALL be cruising because it's the only place they can smoke these days.

I don't believe this figure for a moment and if was the case then the cruise lines would have no problem making entire ships no smoking.

 

FYI, the percentage of Canadians who smoke is very similar to the US...about 20%...but you probably don't "believe" that either.

 

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2011001/article/11468-eng.htm

[njhorseman]

Not to pick nits, especially with you. But, each person has an odds factory of being a smoker of 50%. So, at it's simplest you have 50% chance of a smoker residing next (or above/below) to you. Now, if you want to figure the odds of how many of your neighbors are going to be smokers that is another can of worms.;)

 

John

 

No...you are either a smoker or a non-smoker, but that doesn't translate in "odds" of 50% because smoking is not a random action equally likely to be present in every individual.

[Beaver1975]

No...you are either a smoker or a non-smoker, but that doesn't translate in "odds" of 50% because smoking is not a random action equally likely to be present in every individual.

 

50% you are a smoker...50% you are a non-smoker. One way or the other does indeed equate to a 50/50 chance. It's like heads or tails!

 

Parse it any way you need to to feel smarter than everyone around you. But, it really is quite simple. ;)

 

John

[4774Papa]

Actually, the percentage of smokers in the USA is now about 20%.