Balcony and smokers

[keith75]

We have a balcony reserved for our cruise. We are not smokers. If by chance we end up surrounded by smokers with it coming over/up to us and bothering us do we have any recourse? I hate to "control" someone else, but I don't want to be "controlled" by their habit either. I would like to be able to enjoy my balcony too.

 

Really hoping not to have a problem but wondering about other peoples experiences with this.

 

If you stay in your cabin while the smoker is on their balcony and go to your balcony while the smoker in their cabin, you will be fine!

[CrusinCyndi]

For the last few years, DH and I have booked our balcony cabins as far back as possible including aft balconies. That way I figure that when I am out there smoking whatever time of day or night it is, the smoke will not bother others. I would suggest to those who might be bothered by smokers to book a balcony as far forward as possible or book spa balconies.

[BeachChik]

...or a constant door-slammer...now that's annoying!

 

Or the ones that drag their balcony furniture all over the place at 1am. That is really annoying and makes so much noise.

[oncruisecontrol]

How hard is it to use a polite tone of voice to tell your neighbor that you are really sensitive to cigarette smoke and ask if he/she would give you warning when they are out there to smoke?

Sure, there are jerks in this world, but not as many as this board would lead you to believe. ;)

I always say I'm not going to post in these kinds of thread, but here goes. As a non-smoker, I see where you are coming from. But, I have to wonder why someone would have to ask their smoking neighbor for a warning that they are about to light up. Surely, the whiff of cigarette smoke would, itself, present the warning and the non-smoker could simply go inside upon smelling the smoke if it bothered them, right? That's what I'd do if my neighbor was smoking and I didn't want to smell it.

 

And let's be clear on my view: In many ways, a drifting cigarette smoke smell blowing on an otherwise clean breeze, to me, can standout more than being in a room full of smoke. It is very unpleasant. One of my worst experiences (pertaining to cigarette smoke) is being stopped at a red light in my car and having the cigarette smoke from a nearby motorist drift into my car through the air conditioner intake. Yuck. Perhaps being in a smoke filled bar we do not notice the smell as much (until we get back into our room and detect the stench on our clothes). Whatever the case, I do not feel the need or the right to even ask nicely for a warning from my balcony neighbor that they are about to light a cigarette. Afterall, we are in the open air and they are allowed by Carnival to smoke on the balconies. I do not have a leg to stand on. Having said that, I do think that it is incumbent on smokers to properly extinguish their cigarettes. That may entail determining before they light up whether or not there is an ashtray and, if not, securing one from the steward or thinking ahead and bringing their own ashtray. Throwing a cigarette overboard because you lit up before checking to see if there was an ashtray is irresponsible whether or not the cruise line should have provided one.

[Drico]

We have a balcony reserved for our cruise. We are not smokers. If by chance we end up surrounded by smokers with it coming over/up to us and bothering us do we have any recourse? I hate to "control" someone else, but I don't want to be "controlled" by their habit either. I would like to be able to enjoy my balcony too.

 

Really hoping not to have a problem but wondering about other peoples experiences with this.

 

 

As you can see from the replies, smoking is allowed on Carnival ship balconies. When is your cruise? If it isn't too late to cancel w/out penalty, and if your worried about smoke perhaps you should cancel and book with a line that doesn't allow it on balconies.

[FSUDAVE]

There are totally smoke free cruise lines as well as cruise lines that do not allow smoking on balconies. Suggest you try one of them if your so worried about smokers on your cruise.

 

Smokers are abiding by the rules and last time I looked smoking is not illegal. YET!

[Rena921]

Hardly ever smell smoke while sitting on my balcony....now I have heard several babies crying...lets ban babies from cruising! :p seriously though, if you are that concerned, spend a little more and book a spa balcony. There is no smoking there.

[che5904]

I am always concerned too about people throwing their cigarettes overboard and them blowing back in to the balconies and starting a fire. I think Carnival has increased the chance of that happening by relegating smokers to the balconies.

 

Amazing, how this always comes up on a smoking thread.

 

#1 There has only been one ship fire that has been linked to POSSIBLY a cigarette.

 

#2 The largest cause of fire even on land is from electrical appliances. I think Carnival has increased the chance of this happening by allowing people to bring on anything that has an electrical wire incased in an insulated covering that you can not see damaged wires that may short and cause a fire (power cords, extension cords, curling irons, hair dryers, hair straighteners, laptops, cells chargers that plug in, camera chargers and the list continues.

 

#3 Most ship fires start in the engine room and unless everyone intends to carry an oar or a paddle with them, the ship is not going to go far without an engine.

[che5904]

We have a balcony reserved for our cruise. We are not smokers. If by chance we end up surrounded by smokers with it coming over/up to us and bothering us do we have any recourse? I hate to "control" someone else, but I don't want to be "controlled" by their habit either. I would like to be able to enjoy my balcony too.

 

Really hoping not to have a problem but wondering about other peoples experiences with this.

 

Your recourse should have been taken before booking. Don't support a line that has smoking on balconies or don't book a balcony or book a spa balcony.

 

There is no other "recourse" because you booked on a line with a policy that allows it.

 

You can always speak to your neighbor, but keep in mind with the limited areas to smoke on the ship, they will probably be spending more time on their balcony.

 

actually I didn't know that one side was preferred in regards to smoking over the other, I may call and try and change sides due to that. I also would point out that you aren't asked about your smoking preference when you make a reservation. And no place in the reservation process does it say that one side or the other is designated smoking.

 

However why does their "right" to enjoy their balcony as they wish superceed my "right" to enjoy my balcony. I am not doing anything on my balcony that has the possibility of leaking over to another balcony.

 

I understand that people choose to smoke, and I know they can choose to that that to their hearts content in designated areas. I avoid those areas. I know that if I go to the cigar bar, or the casino I will have to accept that there is smoking allowed there. I can choose to avoid those areas or not, my choice. But if people are smoking "onto" my balcony it doesn't give me any choice now does it.

 

I am not trying to start a war, I am just looking for ideas of how to handle a potential problem, for me, better armed in advance than unprepared. Based upon the research I am doing I am probably going to bring ear plugs in case noise bothers me.

 

The only right that the smoker has, is to smoke within a companies guidelines. In this case Carnival pays the bills therefore sets the rules.

 

As for ideas to possibly handle the situation if it arises. Bring a battery operated fan. If you have a smoker beside you that is affecting you. Place the fan facing your neighbors balcony and blow the smoke away from the area you are sitting in.

[CdrescherRBL152]

Its not often a problem. The OP was questioning what if anything can be done on the rare times it is. And as a co worker found not much unless the smokers are stupid. There was a group of around 20 in 8 cabins, had opened dividers between the balconies. Friend wife asked security if anything could be done. Security went down to see what was going and was told. To _____ off we can do what we want. Shortly after docking at next port there were 8 empty cabins.

[coyotebrian]

Carnival could avoid that problem by providing safe ash/butt disposal cans to their smoking passengers who book balconies. Instead of leaving them to figure out for themselves how best to safely get rid of them.

they do provide them

[berwyn]

Carnival could avoid that problem by providing safe ash/butt disposal cans to their smoking passengers who book balconies. Instead of leaving them to figure out for themselves how best to safely get rid of them.

 

they do provide them

 

What do they provide? On my last 2 Carnival cruises all I got was a glass ashtray.

[soccersharon]

What do they provide? On my last 2 Carnival cruises all I got was a glass ashtray.

 

My room steward gave me an ashtray on every cruise (plastic). To avoid ash, simply put a bit of water in the bottom of the ashtray, so when the ciggy is being extinguished, nothing flies in the air.

[DaveRRT]

add water to ashtray and its safe, thats what I did with my awful cigar I smoked on my balcony

[Dead-metal]

 

As for ideas to possibly handle the situation if it arises. Bring a battery operated fan. If you have a smoker beside you that is affecting you. Place the fan facing your neighbors balcony and blow the smoke away from the area you are sitting in.

 

Trust me, a battery powered fan is not going to make any difference to the smoke when the ship is moving at 22 knots.

[coyotebrian]

What do they provide? On my last 2 Carnival cruises all I got was a glass ashtray.

i asked my steward and he got me one. it is a plastic ash safe ashtray

[stargate fan]

It's pretty unlikely that a smoker will be out on their balcony 24/7.

 

Like others have said, if you have a smoker next to you and it's bothersome, have a polite conversation. You might be surprised.

 

It won't do any good to change sides of the ship. Both sides are smoking when it comes to balconies.

 

Unfortunately, we had just that on our last cruise. We dubbed our neighbors "The Smoking Family" as all three, including the teenage son, smoked non-stop. Sometimes they were on the balcony at the same time, but usually at least one of them was ALWAYS smoking. To make matters worse, they stood by the divider between our two balconies and hung their hands over, flicking ashes and wafting smoke directly towards us. Our only reprieve was during the early dining times, when they were gone.

 

We did not try and talk with them. I am usually open to friendly conversation, but I was just too mad and didn't want to engage. Yes, my bad.

[StillPooh]

they do provide them

 

What do they provide? On my last 2 Carnival cruises all I got was a glass ashtray.

 

On our 2009 Pride cruise, I think the only way we got an ashtray was to get a shallow glass one intended for cigarettes. DH did add water to put out his cigars, but since smoking one is an hour long experience, ash could fly around before that.

 

It would be nice if deeper receptacles were available.

[che5904]

Trust me, a battery powered fan is not going to make any difference to the smoke when the ship is moving at 22 knots.

 

That suggestion was given by a non-smoker on another line, who stated if there was not wind to blow the smoke away this would do it. I personally think that anyone that even thinks smoke is going to bother them on a moving ship, is imagining things. Not one day on my 2 cruises did I ever come in from my balcony while moving at sea that my hair did not look like I just walked through in a wind tunnel. There is no way any smoke is going to stick around.

[irishnyc]

Unfortunately, we had just that on our last cruise. We dubbed our neighbors "The Smoking Family" as all three, including the teenage son, smoked non-stop. Sometimes they were on the balcony at the same time, but usually at least one of them was ALWAYS smoking. To make matters worse, they stood by the divider between our two balconies and hung their hands over, flicking ashes and wafting smoke directly towards us. Our only reprieve was during the early dining times, when they were gone.

 

We did not try and talk with them. I am usually open to friendly conversation, but I was just too mad and didn't want to engage. Yes, my bad.

 

You truly have nothing to be mad about if you didn't speak up. "Your bad" indeed.

[cathyoo]

When I quit smoking (11 years ago) I would seek out the smell of cigarettes. If we were stopped at a traffic light and the person in the car next to me was smoking I would roll down my window to catch that smell. I don't know why I didn't get car exhaust. I know I got cigarette aroma.

 

Eleven years later and I still miss my good old friend. Of course I never smoked on a cruise cause I couldn't afford to cruise until I quit.

[nascarcruiser]

 

I understand that people choose to smoke, and I know they can choose to that that to their hearts content in designated areas.

 

.

 

Balcony is a designated area so not much you can do about it.

[Missileer]

My wife smokes (I don't) and we always cruise with a balcony. She is most attentive to those around us and always tries to see if her smoking will bother our neighbors. If it does she makes sure that the neighbors are not out when she smokes. It works very well when people talk to each other rather than going to their respective corners and hurling insults!

Enjoy your cruise.

[CocoaMom]

 

You can always speak to your neighbor, but keep in mind with the limited areas to smoke on the ship, they will probably be spending more time on their balcony.

 

Nobody had better speak to us about our smoking on our balcony unless they need a light.

[buddylover]

why does your right supersede mine ?

 

Same old comment coming from a smoker.....non smokers rights do NOT supercede a smokers....however, your so called "right" to smoke does impose serious health consequences on ALL non -smokers.....what serious health side effect or consequence does a non-smoker impose on YOU??? NO COMPARISON!!!!!!