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So, this is just moving the smoking venue from the balconies to the Casino. Haven't been on a RCCL ship since the smoking changes, but I don't think this is for the better. Now, instead of someone smoking on a balcony, OUTSIDE, where the smoke dissipates quickly, it's now INSIDE, where it won't dissipate. AND, those who go to the casino, or anywhere around it, now have many more smokers there than they have had in the past.

 

I'm a non-smoker. But, I'm all for allowing it back on the balconies to mitigate the smoking increase in the casino.

 

I see this as the pendulum swinging too far one way, to too far the other way. RCCL surely will see how this isn't a good answer and have to come up with something in the middle that may not appease both sides, but is a workable compromise.

 

I'm not sure what percentage of cruisers are active gamblers and use the casinos regularly but I think that they represent the minority.

 

Based on casino trends and the fact that that more and more non-smoking casinos are opening every year, my guess is that RCCL will eventually ban smoking in the casino, especially if smokers are using it solely as a smoking lounge and not gambling. Smokers may be able to delay this change by choosing to take an elevator up a few decks and smoking on the port side of the pool deck.

Edited by comxkid
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I'm not sure what percentage of cruisers are active gamblers and use the casinos regularly but I think that they represent the minority.

 

Based on casino trends and the fact that that more and more non-smoking casinos are opening every year, my guess is that RCCL will eventually ban smoking in the casino, especially if smokers are using it solely as a smoking lounge and not gambling. Smokers may be able to delay this change by choosing to take an elevator up a few decks and smoking on the port side of the pool deck.

 

Celebrity already banned smoking in the casino so I think you're right. We already avoid walking through the casino on a ship because my wife can't stand it. Of course, she can't stand being around me when I'm having a cigar either. Sometimes that works too. :D

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The proof will be in the balcony bookings. If the balcony cabins get booked up at the same rate they did before the change in policy, then RCI will continue with the new policy. If there is a significant drop-off in bookings of balconies, such that balcony cabins have to be discounted or given away as upgrades....

 

I'm a smoker, and I just booked my first inside cabin. Not worth paying the extra for a balcony if I have to hike all along the hallway, up the elevator, and halfway along the ship just to have a smoke. So I'll be booking cheaper cabins from now on. And possibly reviewing whether land resorts are an option I would enjoy more.

 

Non-smokers, obviously, should support RCI by booking those more expensive balcony cabins.

 

There's a huge difference between a balcony and an inside cabin. Being able to smoke is only one of them. If you've never had an inside cabin before and you're coming from balconies, you're in for a big surprise.

 

I book a balcony to enjoy private access to the outdoors, to the sea, for the quiet and privacy. I imagine many other folks book for the same reason, including some smokers.

Edited by yj2cute
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So, this is just moving the smoking venue from the balconies to the Casino. Haven't been on a RCCL ship since the smoking changes, but I don't think this is for the better. Now, instead of someone smoking on a balcony, OUTSIDE, where the smoke dissipates quickly, it's now INSIDE, where it won't dissipate. AND, those who go to the casino, or anywhere around it, now have many more smokers there than they have had in the past.

 

I'm a non-smoker. But, I'm all for allowing it back on the balconies to mitigate the smoking increase in the casino.

 

I see this as the pendulum swinging too far one way, to too far the other way. RCCL surely will see how this isn't a good answer and have to come up with something in the middle that may not appease both sides, but is a workable compromise.

 

I'm not sure what percentage of cruisers are active gamblers and use the casinos regularly but I think that they represent the minority.

 

Based on casino trends and the fact that that more and more non-smoking casinos are opening every year, my guess is that RCCL will eventually ban smoking in the casino, especially if smokers are using it solely as a smoking lounge and not gambling. Smokers may be able to delay this change by choosing to take an elevator up a few decks and smoking on the port side of the pool deck.

 

graphicguy, I understand what you are saying but I don't think it's just because RCI no longer allows smoking on the balconies - it's also because there is no INSIDE smoking at all other than the casino. No smoking in any of the bars either.

 

comxkid, I agree with you. From what I saw on Oasis last month it's just a matter of time before smokers lose the casino -there were far too many using it as a smoking lounge and not gambling.

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I'm a smoker, and I just booked my first inside cabin. Not worth paying the extra for a balcony if I have to hike all along the hallway, up the elevator, and halfway along the ship just to have a smoke. So I'll be booking cheaper cabins from now on. And possibly reviewing whether land resorts are an option I would enjoy more.
But this seems a bit strange that you would only book a balcony for a place to smoke, have you never thought it is also a good place to get fresh air and look at the view? Looking at the cost, those cigs on the balcony were very expensive if you were booking a balcony just to smoke.
There's a huge difference between a balcony and an inside cabin. Being able to smoke is only one of them. If you've never had an inside cabin before and you're coming from balconies, you're in for a big surprise.

 

I book a balcony to enjoy private access to the outdoors, to the sea, for the quiet and privacy. I imagine many other folks book for the same reason, including some smokers.

Agreed. wassup seems to be adopting an "RCI, I'll show you!!" attitude, which I believe will be totally futile. But I really think the percentage of smokers who booked balconies ONLY to be able to smoke on them, and who will now quit booking balconies - is vanishingly small - and will be easily offset by non-smokers who will now be MORE likely to book a balcony due to the additional benefit of smoke-free enjoyment.

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Is it your opinion that your local restaurants had a nice uptick or is there actual figures somewhere?

 

I understand there are many studies but it seems the only ones that find no negative impact are the ones conducted by the health industry. The ones conducted by the hospitality industry nearly always show a decline in sales.

 

Think about it, why would the hospitality industry keep having studies done and say they're loosing money if they weren't. Wouldn't they be happy about the restrictions if they were making more money?

 

I'm not posting this because I don't agree with the restrictions as I mostly do. I used to hate smelling smoke when I'm trying to enjoy a meal. I just don't like reading peoples opinions on the subject that are stated as if they were fact just because they're happy about it.

 

Sorry, I don't have "published numbers" but I do have friends in the restaurant business in the towns close by to my home who LOVE the fact that smoking has been banned inside. Their bottom line has improved due to this.

 

As others have tried to point out to you, there are many other studies out there that dispute the ONE article you found.

 

 

As for the casino, my bet is soon it will smoke free. Once Royal sees the numbers dropping from the gambling revenue, smoking there will be gone. As always its all about the profits.

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As a smoker who is trying to become an ex smoker I think the writing is on the wall. I have no doubt that RCCL will eventually ban smoking in the casino, as they should. I do hope that there would be some sort of contingency plan to accommodate smokers on rough sea days when the outside decks would be closed. The reality is that whatever else they may say, most smokers (myself included) smoke because they are addicted, and it is a really, really, really hard addiction to break. Blanket bans simply won't work.

 

No doubt there was a segment of smokers that booked balcony cabins primarily so they could smoke, but I doubt that was the primary reason for most. Speaking for myself, the balcony ban was no problem since I really didn't smoke that many cigarettes on the balcony to begin with. I can wait the 5 minutes it takes to go topside...

 

I am very disappointed in the current policy towards e-cigs. At this point the vast majority of e-cigs have visible features that set them apart from real cigarettes (different shapes and colors, different colored leds, etc) so I can't really buy into the idea that they'd be easily confused with the real thing. It's also quite unfair that people who have completely transitioned over to e-cigs and technically do not smoke are being forced into smoking areas.

 

But... this also seems to be a trend. The part that irks me is that while the dangers of cigarette smoke are well established, the current legislative mindset towards lumping e-cigs in with regular cigarettes is over what health risks they *might* pose, not over risks they actually do pose. To my mind that's a counter productive path to take if the ultimate goal is a smoke-free society.

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Its amazing it took 7 pages and 134 posts to answer one question. Seems clarea got it right (as usual) in the first reply and then the thread got seriously derailed.

 

Only on cruise critic could a person ask what time it is but instead get told how to build a watch! :D:o:p

Edited by ryano
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I am very disappointed in the current policy towards e-cigs. At this point the vast majority of e-cigs have visible features that set them apart from real cigarettes (different shapes and colors, different colored leds, etc) so I can't really buy into the idea that they'd be easily confused with the real thing. It's also quite unfair that people who have completely transitioned over to e-cigs and technically do not smoke are being forced into smoking areas.

 

But... this also seems to be a trend. The part that irks me is that while the dangers of cigarette smoke are well established, the current legislative mindset towards lumping e-cigs in with regular cigarettes is over what health risks they *might* pose, not over risks they actually do pose. To my mind that's a counter productive path to take if the ultimate goal is a smoke-free society.

You make some very good points with respect to e-cigs, and I agree with you.

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Its amazing it took 7 pages and 134 posts to answer one question. Seems clarea got it right (as usual) in the first reply and then the thread got seriously derailed.

 

Only on cruise critic could a person ask what time it is but instead get told how to build a watch! :D:o:p

You're correct that the OP question was answered in the first reply by clarea. But, I guess "derailed" is in the eye of the beholder, and this is most definitely not something that happens "only on cruise critic" or even only in online forums. As a matter of fact, if you watch or participate in a face-to-face conversation among a few people, its exactly what happens there too - conversations will move from one topic to another over time, often getting much further afield (derailed?) than happens in a typical online thread. I sometimes find it fascinating to stop and backtrack on how we got onto a particular topic during a conversation.

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I don't really have too much problems with the current smoking policy.

Of course it means that instead of going out on the balcony to smoke I have to go outside. It also means that my wife will not join me anymore. It often takes too long to wait for an elevator that have space enough for a wheelchair. But we will work around that by moving some of our cruises to smaller ships.

 

However, what I can not understand is that I can not use my personal vaporizer on my balcony. There are little or no smell from it and all available research indicates that there are no danger related to passive inhaling

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As a smoker who is trying to become an ex smoker I think the writing is on the wall. I have no doubt that RCCL will eventually ban smoking in the casino, as they should. I do hope that there would be some sort of contingency plan to accommodate smokers on rough sea days when the outside decks would be closed. The reality is that whatever else they may say, most smokers (myself included) smoke because they are addicted, and it is a really, really, really hard addiction to break. Blanket bans simply won't work.

 

It is a hard addiction to break and I feel for you because I am an Ex smoker. I quit 12 years ago at the request of my husband, then fiance. He said it was like kissing an ash tray even though I was OCD about washing my hands and brushing my teeth after each cigarette. :eek:. I'm also Asthmatic which wasn't diagnosed until I quit.I quit by using the patch and wellbutrin and I still had rough days.

 

I can't judge because I've been there. I am however glad that RCI has banned smoking from most public areas. When you quit smoking you will understand how offensive cigarette smoke really is.

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Let me start by apologizing. I was offered a "free" cruise by Carnival and I accepted it. Afterall, who can't pass on a "free" 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise - regardless of cruise line?? That noted, I just posted the below on the Carnival forum:

Just returned from Carnival Freedom yesterday morning. Did an 8-night Southern Caribbean and it was wonderful except…………..yep, the smoking was abundant throughout. I really don’t know if it was even regulated - as it was rampant throughout the inside and outside of the ship. The Promenade smelled of cigar smoke (one of the lounges) and cigarette smoke from the casino. It was rather common to see folks smoking walking down the Promenade. Long story short, it was rather overwhelming to us but obviously not to all. To top it off, the folks next to us and below us were also smokers on their balconies.

Now, before all the smokers jump up and thump their chests and tell me what an awful person I am for voicing my opinion (not complaining), let me explain a couple of things. My parents were chain smokers my entire childhood – to the point that I was often asked by my teachers, “where are your cigarettes?” because I smelled so much of the smoke. I lost my Father to lung and brain cancer, both caused by his excessive smoking. Today, my Mother is nearly bedridden and on 24-hour oxygen due to severe COPD, a pacemaker, and extreme emphysema (again, all caused by her earlier days of smoking). I throw it out there not looking for sympathy or argument, but simply as a fact. My Father died and my Mother is dying all from the excessive smoking they did in their lives.

Now, I’m also not trying to take away your “right” to smoke. I retired as a United States Army officer. I certainly know about “rights” as I have fought for your freedom to “light one up” whenever and virtually wherever you want. I just simply ask that you respect my "rights" too.

Finishing my rather lengthy post, I will also add one more little tidbit. I was one of the fortunate ones to receive a “free” cabin for this cruise. It truly is difficult to pass up on a “free” cruise. However, I haven’t sailed with Carnival for nearly 6 years. I didn’t gamble a great deal in the past, and I certainly didn’t stand out in the crowd to get the “free” cabin. I was just fortunate I guess. Regardless of the “free” aspect of this cruise, I will choose to cruise with other cruise lines in the future – preferably those who are either smokeless or that actually regulate when and where you can smoke. Carnival just didn’t impress me this trip and I truly contribute that to the amount of smoke throughout the ship. And yes, that is my “right” to choose other cruise lines. I can only hope that those of you who do smoke will also do so respectfully of those of us who choose not to smoke – regardless of whether you are on a “free” cruise or one that you paid $5k to cruise.

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The "fact" remains that the majority of studies have found no economic harm to businesses from the smoking bans. You obviously choose to ignore that "fact" and all the studies that don't fit your preconceived conclusion. Several have pointed that out to you - the actual website that you quoted says

 

By the way, you quoted paragraphs from that site without providing the link, which is a copyright violation and a violation of CC rules also. The site you quoted - and I quoted above - is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban#cite_note-75][/url]

You're funny:D

 

You again state a "fact" that the "majority" of studies have found no economic harm due to the bans but the quote you used says "many".

 

I'm guessing its fact if you agree with it and not worth reading if it's not?

 

I've always maintained there have been many studies with different conclusions based on who commissions them.

 

I still don't understand why the hospitality isn't happy about all the extra money you say they're making and keeps getting study results showing they're losing money.

 

We get it, you don't smoke so no amount of fact or truth is going to get in the way of your opinion.

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You're funny:D

 

You again state a "fact" that the "majority" of studies have found no economic harm due to the bans but the quote you used says "many".

 

I'm guessing its fact if you agree with it and not worth reading if it's not?

 

I've always maintained there have been many studies with different conclusions based on who commissions them.

 

I still don't understand why the hospitality isn't happy about all the extra money you say they're making and keeps getting study results showing they're losing money.

 

We get it, you don't smoke so no amount of fact or truth is going to get in the way of your opinion.

The quote I referenced analyzed the result of NINETY SEVEN different studies and came to the conclusion there was no economic harm. Run along now, and come back when you have anything close to 97 claiming otherwise. :rolleyes:

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

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If there is any inside smoking ( casino) allowed, I wish RCCL would consider some sort of smoking lounge. That way, all public areas ( casino) can be smoke free and smokers will have a dedicated indoor space.

 

 

On our RCCL cruise in February, the Casino seemed to become the dedicated smoking lounge. The smoke was awful, many smoked in the small nonsmoking slot area and many were simply sitting by machines. Many were not playing, but simply sitting around in groups, smoking. ( yes I know there is no rule that one has to gamble in the casino but the small walk ways got so crowded folks could not pass by and the smoke, well……..) It was especially frustrating that the nonsmoking area was rarely clear of smokers. If I found a casino worker, I asked him/her to approach the smoker they did, but why can’t the staff be proactive about smoking in the nonsmoking section?

 

 

m

Edited by cruisegirl1
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If there is any inside smoking ( casino) allowed, I wish RCCL would consider some sort of smoking lounge. That way, all public areas ( casino) can be smoke free and smokers will have a dedicated indoor space.

 

 

m

 

I agree. A nice lounge, out of the way, well ventilated. Between that and the area out on deck, I would be very satisfied!!!

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I'm not going to get involved in the "smoking on balconies" controversy. I would love to sit out there and have a cigar, but I can't. Such is life. I was told that RCI monitors these posts, so maybe they'll see this. Solve the problem: Put a cigar lounge on every ship. It doesn't have to be big, just comfortable. I don't want to bother other passengers, just want to enjoy my cognac and cigar in peace. Too much to ask?

 

Elvis

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I'm not going to get involved in the "smoking on balconies" controversy. I would love to sit out there and have a cigar, but I can't. Such is life. I was told that RCI monitors these posts, so maybe they'll see this. Solve the problem: Put a cigar lounge on every ship. It doesn't have to be big, just comfortable. I don't want to bother other passengers, just want to enjoy my cognac and cigar in peace. Too much to ask?

 

Elvis

Not at all! I'm a non-smoker, except on occasions when I can enjoy a fine cigar with a nice cognac or single-malt!

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If there is any inside smoking ( casino) allowed, I wish RCCL would consider some sort of smoking lounge. That way, all public areas ( casino) can be smoke free and smokers will have a dedicated indoor space.

 

m

 

I absolutely agree with this. We sailed a few years back on Carnival and their casino had a fairly active smoking section (no smoking outside on the promenade deck). Sadly, the casino was smack dab in the middle of the ship and one of the few main thoroughfares. It was almost impossible to go from the front of the ship to the back without passing through the casino...which smelled just awful. We're smokers (trying unsuccessfully to quit, I might add)...and we even found it repellent so you know it had to have been bad. I suspect something similar with happen with the RCI ships if they limit the one indoor smoking space to the casino. Makes more sense to make a dedicated smoking lounge and have the casino smoke-free.

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I absolutely agree with this. We sailed a few years back on Carnival and their casino had a fairly active smoking section (no smoking outside on the promenade deck). Sadly, the casino was smack dab in the middle of the ship and one of the few main thoroughfares. It was almost impossible to go from the front of the ship to the back without passing through the casino...which smelled just awful. We're smokers (trying unsuccessfully to quit, I might add)...and we even found it repellent so you know it had to have been bad. I suspect something similar with happen with the RCI ships if they limit the one indoor smoking space to the casino. Makes more sense to make a dedicated smoking lounge and have the casino smoke-free.

As a non-smoker, I agree too. I don't think its fair to take away ALL the indoor smoking areas, but I think the current experiment of making the casino the only indoor smoking spot is doomed to failure. It would seem that a smoking lounge could cater to both cigar smokers and other smokers too - especially if it were well-designed ventilated. Heck, I'd even spend a little time there with a cigar and a cognac on occasion!

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I'm not going to get involved in the "smoking on balconies" controversy. I would love to sit out there and have a cigar, but I can't. Such is life. I was told that RCI monitors these posts, so maybe they'll see this. Solve the problem: Put a cigar lounge on every ship. It doesn't have to be big, just comfortable. I don't want to bother other passengers, just want to enjoy my cognac and cigar in peace. Too much to ask?

 

Elvis

 

I'm with you Elvis. Very disappointed that they stopped building cigar lounges after the Freedom Class.

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While we are at it, does anyone have any idea where you can smoke on the Freedom/Independence? And for all you people who love to smoke cigars/pipes I can tell you from our Oasis trip last month from early morning to late at night a lot of persons were doing just that on the 15-16th level-one side only, so I don't think anyone is going to miss a beat.

 

Go and have a wonderful vacation don't concern yourself with all the crap you read here.

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