I will continue to sail on HAL if balcony smoking is permitted.

[OVgirl]

Yes, we will continue to sail on HAL ships with the current smoking policy.

[soccerpapi]

I have no problem with the current policy, so I am happy to sail with Holland America now and in the future.

 

I remember that smoking was permitted in a small area in the Northern Lights disco ( may have been considered the Crow's Nest) on the July 2011 New York to Rotterdam cruise on the ms ROTTERDAM and I didn't see a problem with that either. I'm a non-smoker, but enjoy socializing, so I remember sitting there a few times to be with others that smoked. It sure seemed like a non issue on that cruise. So adding an indoor area or two for smokers really wouldn't bother me either.

 

Thank you for starting this thread so that we can see others opinions on the subject.

 

soccer

[Lis2065]

Please reply ONLY if you will continue to sail on HAL if smoking is permitted on balconies. No other replies asked. Please respect the statement.

 

 

We will continue to sail on HAL!

[WpgCruise]

Smoking on balconies isn't a factor one way or the other for us, so put us in the camp of "will continue to sail on HAL if smoking is permitted on balconies"

 

FWIW and slightly off topic. Some time back I was following a thread on the Azamara board. It had to do with the elimination of the string quartets and both sides were quite firm in their opinions. To some it was important, to some not so much. The thread ran into many pages, with the same people restating their arguments.....much like the smoking threads on the HAL board.

 

In any event Azamara has a person who address concerns raised on their Cruise Critic board and he was asked if Azamara followed the threads on Cruise Critic, and recorded peoples opinions on issues like the scaling back on the string quartets.

 

His reply was that yes indeed they did. He then explained that when they tracked an issue on Cruise Critic each members opinion was counted once and only once. It didn't matter if they posted their opinion 15 times on 8 threads, their opinion only was counted once.

 

I wonder if HAL follows the same protocol on this board. Each members opinion is counted once, regardless of how many posts they might have on the subject. So one person, one vote.

 

Isn't it great we can all have an opinion, and hopefully repeating oneself 40 (my exaggeration because no one here would be that boring) :) times has no more value than the person who stated their opinion once.

Edited July 26, 2014 by WpgCruise

[Davidson Duo]

Yes, we will continue to sail HAL regardless of their smoking policy. It is really a non-issue for us. And to clarify, we are both non-smokers.

[idiebabe]

Yes, my DH and I will continue to sail HAL. We have no problem with the Smoking Policy as it is now.

 

Two friends, four Family members who are not on CC (and only one is a Smoker )said the same. They will continue to sail HAL and have no problem with the current Smoking Policy.

 

All eight (8) of us book Balconies!

[Richie2pies]

I enjoy a cocktail and cigarette at night on the balcony. I will continue to book HAL until they cut out smoking on balconies.

[cruiseman_tx]

 

I am a firm believer, based on my cruising on HAL ships, that smoking on HAL ships is just an issue for a small number of CC posters only and not an issue for HAL and the vast majority of its passengers. Smoking is a Cruise Critic issue, not a HAL issue. There is a considerable difference between the two.

 

Bingo!!! Many folks on CC think that whatever opinion is published here is the final word in all of cruising. The average size of all the meet n greets I've attended is probably around 40. Some larger and some smaller of course, but considering the passenger capacity on some of those ships, CC represents a small percentage.

To answer the question posed by the OP...yes, we will continue to cruise on HAL if balcony smoking remains.

[dontworry]

Our group of four will continue to sail with HAL with their current smoking policy thankyou OP for your post we are non-smokers.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Yes! We are non smokers who have balconys and being in San Diego is a convenience!

[nb125]

I cannot give a definite answer to this as our upcoming cruise in four weeks will be our first with HAL. If we like it we will continue to cruise with them with the current smoking policy. If the policy changes we will not.

[ansjefitnes]

Yes we will sail on HAL if the smoking policy stays as it is because we are not bothered by it ( 1 smoker and 1 non smoker)

 

I also never heard anyone complain about the current policy, only here on CC.

[ellieanne]

I really don't understand the purpose of this thread. It's not like you can't glean people's opinion on smoking on balconies from other threads. And like other posters have said, the smoking on balconies seems to be a bigger issue on this message board than in reality.

[CaveDiving]

I really don't understand the purpose of this thread. It's not like you can't glean people's opinion on smoking on balconies from other threads. And like other posters have said, the smoking on balconies seems to be a bigger issue on this message board than in reality.

 

To me the purpose of this thread is quite clear and I believe it is accomplishing it very well.

 

The thread is showing clearly that many (if not most) pax are not really bothered by other pax smoking on balconies. Only a very vocal minority of individuals on Cruise Critic are objecting to it and trying to make it seem as if almost all pax are bothered by it.

 

I personally am not bothered by it in the least and it seems as though I am in the majority.

 

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but not to force that opinion on anyone else.

 

Scott & Karen

[Fontana]

Yes we will sail on HAL if the smoking policy stays as it is because we are not bothered by it ( 1 smoker and 1 non smoker)

 

I also never heard anyone complain about the current policy, only here on CC.

 

AGREE ^

 

Smoking on the balconies is fine with us.

[cbr663]

To me the purpose of this thread is quite clear and I believe it is accomplishing it very well.

 

The thread is showing clearly that many (if not most) pax are not really bothered by other pax smoking on balconies. Only a very vocal minority of individuals on Cruise Critic are objecting to it and trying to make it seem as if almost all pax are bothered by it.

 

I personally am not bothered by it in the least and it seems as though I am in the majority.

 

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but not to force that opinion on anyone else.

 

Scott & Karen

 

 

Couldn't have stated it any better myself.

[sp2]

We will continue to sail HAL with the existing smoking policy.

Thanks OP!

[KirkNC]

To me the purpose of this thread is quite clear and I believe it is accomplishing it very well.

 

The thread is showing clearly that many (if not most) pax are not really bothered by other pax smoking on balconies. Only a very vocal minority of individuals on Cruise Critic are objecting to it and trying to make it seem as if almost all pax are bothered by it.

 

I personally am not bothered by it in the least and it seems as though I am in the majority.

 

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but not to force that opinion on anyone else.

 

Scott & Karen

 

To me it is showing that a handful of people that are members of Cruise Critic feel as you describe. CC members are a small percentage of total cruisers so I don't think it really means anything.

[cruisemom42]

To me it is showing that a handful of people that are members of Cruise Critic feel as you describe. CC members are a small percentage of total cruisers so I don't think it really means anything.

 

Well, it does mean that -- at least on CC -- the very vocal frequent posters who constantly attack the policy aren't necessarily the majority.

 

Interesting to see that a lot of posters on this thread aren't the same suspects that always post in the "Smoking" threads. I have long believed there is a silent majority who really aren't bothered by it.

[kjw869]

To me it is showing that a handful of people that are members of Cruise Critic feel as you describe. CC members are a small percentage of total cruisers so I don't think it really means anything.

 

It means the same thing as political polls that are taken constantly in the US. Even though they are small samples, many are very accurate. The difference here though, is that the members of Cruise Critic are passionate about cruising, probably much more than the average cruiser.

 

It doesn't surprise me at all that so many posters stated the same thing I did in previous posts--they had never heard complaints from others while on our 15 cruises. I only hear about smoking on Cruise Critic.

 

There will be a day when smoking will be banned on the balconies, and the anti-smoking crowd can hold hands and rejoice. Until that time, HAL will still sail with full ships.

 

As I've stated previously, I have no horse in this race, and if smoking neighbors bothered me on each cruise, I'd find a different cruise line. Not exactly rocket science.

[BKFlowerMound]

I can't believe that I'm posting to a smoking thread!

 

HAL's smoking policy is a deterrent for us to book HAL. We would never book a veranda on HAL with the current policy. We are giving HAL another try this summer despite the smoking policy - in two OVs. I'm hoping that with the changes that limited inside smoking since our last cruise that the clouds of smoke that swore us off HAL the last time are gone. Because we aren't in veranda cabins, I think we will be fine and might book again. I'm concerned long term, however, that as other lines eliminate smoking, HAL will increasingly become the line of the nicotine addicts and oxygen tanks.

 

This thread requesting one-sided responses is meaningless. HAL will keep or change its policy based on end of cruise survey results, insurance issues, and cost of compliance with SOLAS requirements. A one-sided request for comments carries no weight at all.

 

Smoking is personal to me. My mother was addicted. She tried to quit for 30 years and sometimes did so successfully for a few years at a time. In times of stress, however, she would return to the vice. Emphysema took her at 63 - a wonderful woman taken way too soon. Lung cancer took my father in law too. It would crush me if either of my sons started to smoke. ALL OF YOU SHOULD QUIT, but I know that's difficult.

 

And to those who think that smoking is only an issue on cruise critic, IMHO you couldn't be more wrong.

[Lizzie68]

To me the purpose of this thread is quite clear and I believe it is accomplishing it very well.

 

The thread is showing clearly that many (if not most) pax are not really bothered by other pax smoking on balconies. Only a very vocal minority of individuals on Cruise Critic are objecting to it and trying to make it seem as if almost all pax are bothered by it.

 

I personally am not bothered by it in the least and it seems as though I am in the majority.

 

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but not to force that opinion on anyone else.

 

Scott & Karen

 

 

Many, if not most, passengers are not members of CC, so this is hardly a true reflection of passengers' opinions. It has begun to sound like a bit of desperation, to be honest, by those hoping the Pres of HA will read the thread and be swayed to not stop smoking on balconies. In fact, someone sort of mentioned that in an earlier post.

[tooleman56]

sorry, I am a little confused...

 

you seem to want only responders who will agree with your statement so you can then report that X number of HAL cruisers are not affected by smoking on balconies???sort of a status quo head count????

 

Are you then planning or asking for a head count of HAL cruisers who would be on the opposite side of this fence????

 

Not clear what your reason/motive for this type of survey???? IMHO this seems to be very biased at best,

 

The OP's original intent is clear. The intent is to gauge whether you or anyone else who chooses to respond will continue to sail HAL should the current smoking allowed on balconies policy remain in place. As a former journalist who was paid for many years to "get to the bottom" of something as quickly as possible, the question seems straightforward.

I think you answered no, you wouldn't continue to sail HAL if the policy remains in place. As for us, we booked our upcoming Med cruise for the wonderful itinerary, available at a time of year when we could carve out two weeks from our schedule to take a vacation of a lifetime. We also had a wonderful time on our HAL cruise 12 years ago, when the smoking policy was much less restrictive, if I remember.

So yes, we will cruise HAL again regardless of the line's smoking policy when we book.

[CoronaCRZR]

To me the purpose of this thread is quite clear and I believe it is accomplishing it very well.

 

The thread is showing clearly that many (if not most) pax are not really bothered by other pax smoking on balconies. Only a very vocal minority of individuals on Cruise Critic are objecting to it and trying to make it seem as if almost all pax are bothered by it.

 

I personally am not bothered by it in the least and it seems as though I am in the majority.

 

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but not to force that opinion on anyone else.

 

Scott & Karen

 

 

Well said.

 

I used to enjoy a smoke along with a nice cocktail out on my balcony. But 3 years ago I managed to quit cigarettes completely with the help of e-cigarettes.

 

In the many years of cruising, I have never had any complaints regarding smoking on my veranda, nor have heard anyone discuss it during our many trips.

To all smokers, I would recommend trying to switch to e-cigs.

To all the smoking haters, give the guy/gal with an e-cig a break, they really do not hurt anybody....

 

Ted

Edited July 26, 2014 by CoronaCRZR

[Fouremco]

I can't believe that I'm posting to a smoking thread!

 

HAL's smoking policy is a deterrent for us to book HAL. We would never book a veranda on HAL with the current policy. We are giving HAL another try this summer despite the smoking policy - in two OVs. I'm hoping that with the changes that limited inside smoking since our last cruise that the clouds of smoke that swore us off HAL the last time are gone. Because we aren't in veranda cabins, I think we will be fine and might book again. I'm concerned long term, however, that as other lines eliminate smoking, HAL will increasingly become the line of the nicotine addicts and oxygen tanks.

 

This thread requesting one-sided responses is meaningless. HAL will keep or change its policy based on end of cruise survey results, insurance issues, and cost of compliance with SOLAS requirements. A one-sided request for comments carries no weight at all.

 

Smoking is personal to me. My mother was addicted. She tried to quit for 30 years and sometimes did so successfully for a few years at a time. In times of stress, however, she would return to the vice. Emphysema took her at 63 - a wonderful woman taken way too soon. Lung cancer took my father in law too. It would crush me if either of my sons started to smoke. ALL OF YOU SHOULD QUIT, but I know that's difficult.

 

And to those who think that smoking is only an issue on cruise critic, IMHO you couldn't be more wrong.

Excellent post.