Update on the new Seabourn smoking policy: Live from Quest

[markham]

Sweetpea,

 

My view is that Seabourn should be apologizing for taking your money while selling you a balcony cabin whose balcony you cannot enjoy due to a smoker nearby.

 

This is not about Seabourn's current rules or policy. It is about the non-smoker's expectation that the balcony will afford sea air and no manufactured carcinogenic smoke. And so an apology is a reasonable response to a complaint. Ditto for making another cabin with balcony available. Of course, Seabourn can and should amend their policy. Or maybe they should discount prices for balconies of non-smokers when they sell cabins at full price to smokers. That would lead to an interesting outcome on the margin management front, wouldn't it?!

 

Now smokers can also show consideration to non-smokers and go to the outdoors smokers's area on the starboard side of deck 7 beyond Seabourn Square. Yes they can.

 

Happy sailing!

[kiawahdon]

I wonder why Seabourn can't remove the "luck of the draw" and designate a substantial number of staterooms as non-smoking. Hotels do this and everyone wins under this approach. For example, make the front 2/3's of decks 2-5 non-smoking. That way, I can confidently book a specific stateroom and know that I can enjoy my veranda without smoke.

If Seabourn would wise up, this reoccurring thread would disappear forever.

[Sweetpea711423]

Sweetpea,

 

My view is that Seabourn should be apologizing for taking your money while selling you a balcony cabin whose balcony you cannot enjoy due to a smoker nearby.

 

This is not about Seabourn's current rules or policy. It is about the non-smoker's expectation that the balcony will afford sea air and no manufactured carcinogenic smoke. And so an apology is a reasonable response to a complaint. Ditto for making another cabin with balcony available. Of course, Seabourn can and should amend their policy. Or maybe they should discount prices for balconies of non-smokers when they sell cabins at full price to smokers. That would lead to an interesting outcome on the margin management front, wouldn't it?!

 

Now smokers can also show consideration to non-smokers and go to the outdoors smokers's area on the starboard side of deck 7 beyond Seabourn Square. Yes they can.

 

Happy sailing!

 

 

 

Not to be argumentative, but the possibility of a smoker on a balcony next to yours is a risk about which Seabourn makes you aware prior to booking. It is then up to you whether or not you want to book. Again, I'm not clear why Seabourn would be apologizing under these circumstances. On one cruise my husband and I were unable to use our balcony when our neighbors were on theirs because of how loudly they talked, and they seemed to keep up an on-going stream of conversation. Actually, we even heard them through the walls of the cabin. It happens.

[markham]

Sweetpea,

 

I choose not to be argumentative as well. But this is discourse about a matter of health and enjoyment (mine) and I take it seriously- as should everyone who pays for a cruise. That includes smokers who can readily take their smoking to the rear of this ship and loud talkers who can tone it down. Unless they are hard of hearing, well, they can show some discipline and consideration too.

 

This point you make about what Seabourn warns us about- breathing air that is tainted by smoke from a neighboring cabin- is a valid one. But it presupposes that passengers like myself are willing to accept that risk and somehow get over it. Well, I choose not to do so. It's a policy that's a throwback to the 1950s when people did not know about the dangers of second hand smoke. It's also shallow and cynical policy that won't stand the test of time. Who welcomes and/or accommodates a needless health risk? Not me. And so I am campaigning for Seabourn to get with the remainder of the ship industry and ban smoking on balconies and the Observation Bar. So their (current) rules notwithstanding, I am doing this for the common and greater the greater good.

 

Now, and as kiawahdon as offered, if Seabourn wants to keep their balcony smoking rules, they can set up a smokers balcony section on some deck so those passengers don't have to trek elsewhere to the Sky Bar starboard or rear starboard of deck 7. Seabourn can add sprinklers and maritime-friendly designer logo bins for the butts too for all I care. Just not near my balcony.

 

Happy sailing!

[wripro]

Markham,

 

I think you know I agree with you completely about the smoking issue. But there's only one thing that will ever convince SB to eliminate it on most parts of the ship and that's an evident loss of revenue due specifically to this issue. You continue to sail with SB frequently as do I, so in a way we are shooting ourselves in the foot here. jmo. I hope we will all be sailing smoke free soon.

[markham]

Wripro,

 

You are right in that you and I continue to patronize the Seabourn offering. And you may also agree with me that Seabourn is often as near perfect a product as I can and do expect, beating its competition for our money and time.

 

That said, whether I go or not is not especially significant to their bottom line. Yes, they do manage to fill their ships and may not miss a single couple spending a few weeks each year on them. But the public relations campaign in support of smoking restrictions is significant. No company needs bad PR relating to their motives- whatever they may be- in allowing smoking in places such as balconies next to health conscious non-smokers' balconies or anywhere indoors.

 

So I will continue to take my vacations on Seabourn in stride. And I will also continue to express my dissatisfaction with this small aspect of their offering appropriately until such time as they comply with these 2 simple requests: no smoking on balconies and within the Observation Bar, please.

 

Happy sailing!

[Mr Luxury]

I think that we might have to wait until a certain guest goes to the great smoking observation bar in the sky. :rolleyes:

[tv24]

I think that we might have to wait until a certain guest goes to the great smoking observation bar in the sky. :rolleyes:

 

That may indeed be true. But I do want to voice my support for what Markham so articulately expresses. I am not a super-loyal Seabourn customer, and their smoking policy is of concern to me. However I don't know if the number crunchers in Seattle seriously weigh the revenue generated by the smokers versus revenue from non-smokers, and then factor in those who would never leave Seabourn regardless of the policy. My fear is that they simply continue to allow smoking because of a handful of long-term customers. in other words the policy does not reflect any serious revenue analysis, and certainly does not reflect any concern for the health of passengers. Anyway, I think Markham is the most articulate messenger on this issue and I defer to him. We sail on Cunard Queen Mary II in 2 days, and I will monitor to see how they handle the smoking issue. Not in the same league as Seabourn, but...

[CraftyEC]

The QMII has a dedicated, sealed, smoking room. The only whiff of smoke is when someone opens the door to enter and leave while you are passing. I've even been into the room (when empty) to look at the display of cigars etc and it wasn't that offensive due to the heavy duty air-conditioning / cleansing equipment.

 

Surely this is the way to go. There would have been an opportunity when the spa suites were installed, but I don't suppose adding a smoking room would fit well with the 'healthy' image of the spa section!

[markham]

As CraftyEC states, smoking is severely restricted on QM2, unlike Seabourn.

 

The QM2 is entirely non-smoking apart from the open decks and the Churchill smoking lounge forward on deck 9 next to the Commodore Club.

 

Not on balconies or in any cocktail bar anytime.

 

Cunard thereby has a clear, clean and smart policy.

 

Happy sailing!

[Mr Luxury]

I don't know if I have just been lucky but after many cruises with Seabourn I have never had a problem with smoke or smokers.

I have never smoked and hate the smell of it.Of course we would like to see smoking stopped but I think the ships are a little small to have humidor smoking rooms aboard.

It surely cannot be too long now before Seabourn make a firmer stand with the smoking rules.

[alexandra cruiser]

Well, I ve been WAITING for 2 yrs.now.In that time I ve been on 6 cruises.Now to me that s money I COULD have spent on SB,but choose NOT TO due to this policy.

So sad, LOVED everything about the one I took EX>FOR SMOKE in halls,etc...

Guess I ll have to just keep WAITING.

Odd, no feedback from SB.Do they follow social media at all?Many other s on here do.:confused::confused:

[wripro]

Markham,

 

As usual, I agree with you. I'll continue to sail and be optimistic.

[markham]

Thanks, Wripro. Hope to see you on board one of these days!

 

Happy sailing!

[johnnycruise]

I don't know if I have just been lucky but after many cruises with Seabourn I have never had a problem with smoke or smokers.

I have never smoked and hate the smell of it.Of course we would like to see smoking stopped but I think the ships are a little small to have humidor smoking rooms aboard.

It surely cannot be too long now before Seabourn make a firmer stand with the smoking rules.

 

I have been lucky as well. Silversea ships are more/less the same size as the three larger Seabourn ships and they have a "smoking" room, don't they? Wouldn't a "Connoisseur's Corner" concept solve the problem for Seabourn? Something for corporate management to consider during the next dry dock.

[Mr Luxury]

I have been lucky as well. Silversea ships are more/less the same size as the three larger Seabourn ships and they have a "smoking" room, don't they? Wouldn't a "Connoisseur's Corner" concept solve the problem for Seabourn? Something for corporate management to consider during the next dry dock.

 

The problem with the smoking rooms on SS is that you can smell the smoke and even when you are in Le Champagne

[Ravenscroft]

I don't know if I have just been lucky but after many cruises with Seabourn I have never had a problem with smoke or smokers.

 

This is a perfect example of how bad luck with suite assignment can affect one's experience.

Mr L and I were on the same cruise, Quest Christmas before last.

We were on deck 7. I believe Mr L favours deck 6.

We had to be moved from our original suite, which had pleasant neighbours either side and underneath, to one on the port side of the ship. That second suite, we found using the balcony to be most unpleasant due to someone chain smoking, while having a horrible hacking cough, below us on deck 6. The smoke drifted up. They lit up approximately every 8 minutes. In between times the coughing was most unpleasant to hear.

We gave up on using our balcony.

[Ravenscroft]

The problem with the smoking rooms on SS is that you can smell the smoke and even when you are in Le Champagne

 

Yes, it's badly located on the older ships.

On Silver Spirit it's on the deck with the casino and the shops, well away from the restaurants. We've found it works well up there, and you do get a whiff if you happen to pass when someone is holding the door open, but otherwise the smoke isn't that noticeable. I'd be happy for the new SB ship to have similar, as long as it was planned in a similar location.

[lincslady]

Now is the time for all of us who hate the smell etc. of smoking to keep on at management to get the designer and manufacturer of the new ship to have a dedicated smoking lounge - surely not beyond their capabilities. While at present I feel less than keen to go on a ship with over 600 passengers, this could make a big difference, to probably many people.

 

It should even be possible that it would not be necessary to walk past it to get to where you want to be.

[johnnycruise]

Putting a "dedicated" smoking lounge adjacent to the casino would make sense.

[wripro]

As do I, Markham.

[Tothesunset]

The problem with the smoking rooms on SS is that you can smell the smoke and even when you are in Le Champagne

 

The problem with Le Champagne is that you can smell the food while sitting in the smoking room. Unpleasant.

[Mr Luxury]

The problem with Le Champagne is that you can smell the food while sitting in the smoking room. Unpleasant.

 

Yes I agree,at the moment the food is probably more unpleasant than the smoke on Silversea.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Mr Luxury

[Emperor Norton]

Yes I agree,at the moment the food is probably more unpleasant than the smoke on Silversea.

 

That was my experience. :D

[markham]

You know, right now I am very irritated with Seabourn Reservations which handled my recent questions re smoking policies-as sent to Seabourn and back to me via their website.

 

I asked simply when Seabourn would further restrict smoking in the Observation Bar and on balconies. And after 2 tries the answer was that the current policy was in line with the wishes of the majority of their customers AND industry standards.

 

Can you believe this? Does anyone think that the majority of passengers are happier with a smokey vs a smoke-free Observation Bar and/or a neighboring cabin's balcony. Does anyone believe that Seabourn's competitors allow indoor smoking and/or smoking on balconies?

 

I find this episode embarrassing. So... If you have access to Seabourn's website, please ask about their smoking policies (as I did) for the future. I certainly hope you get a better and more considered response than I did.

 

We have everything to gain from making the case: smoking indoors (unless a sealed smoking room is installed somewhere) and on balconies has to stop. Just like it has on Seabourn's competitor lines and the industry generally.

 

Happy sailing!

Edited May 20, 2014 by markham