Single Smoking Thread (Use for all smoking discussions on HAL) )

[regnig]

Thank you Ruth for being the voice of reason!

[HELENPSL]

On 12/25/2021 at 10:21 AM, RuthC said:

I disagree. There should be an outdoor, and an enclosed indoor, smoking area on every ship. The indoor area should be well ventilated with smoke eater machines and exhaust to the outdoors. 
Smokers should always be required to smoke only there, and non-smokers can simply stay away from those two areas. 

There can be a peaceful co-existence. 

I can live with this solution.  Put this enclosed area near the casino so I can just run in, have a cigarette and get back to the 3 card poker table.  Works for me!

[Tom47]

To date, only NCL has enclosed smoking areas in their casinos.

[richstowe]

On 12/26/2021 at 6:25 PM, Tom47 said:

To date, only NCL has enclosed smoking areas in their casinos.

The worst casino design I've experienced was on the Norwegian Epic. The smoke flowed everywhere. Getaway wasn't great either.

It may have changed. Don't know.

Edited January 3, 2022 by richstowe

[edgee]

1 minute ago, richstowe said:

The worst casino design I've experienced was on the Norwegian Epic. The smoke flowed everywhere. Getaway wasn't great either.

It may have changed. Don't know.

Have not seen them but newest NCL ships have separate glass enclosed smoking areas in casinos.

[richstowe]

1 minute ago, edgee said:

Have not seen them but newest NCL ships have separate glass enclosed smoking areas in casinos.

Built like the old Vegas hotels where are roads lead though the casino.

[cruise kitty]

On 12/19/2021 at 4:41 PM, AV8rix said:

Same on Koningsdam last month.  Reeked!  And the awful thing was I only play blackjack so I was only at the tables where...unless we were actually drinking...we were politely told to mask up.  But the smokers at the slots....well, they just kept a cig lit and I NEVER saw any of them with a mask on.   And yes, I also hope that they keep this rule in place.

Experienced the same on K-Dam over Thanksgiving week...  casino filled with chain smokers, none of whom  wore a mask... on the bright side, it saved us $$.  

🙂 pity the new rules weren't enforced.   

[MisterBill99]

Someone on a social media group that cannot be mentioned posted an emailed response from HAL regarding a complaint he sent about smoke on the Rotterdam being smelled elsewhere on the ship. The letter makes it seem like it's permanent, while the website FAQ makes it seem temporary. I wonder which it is. And it still says "most other indoor areas" and not "all indoor areas".

 

Dear Mr xxxx,

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line regarding smoking onboard our ships.

SHIP NEW SMOKING POLICY FOR ALL SHIPS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:

For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. No smoking of any kind will be permitted on any stateroom verandah or in the casino.

This revised smoking policy is in response to concerns raised by many of our guests both onboard the ships and in our guest satisfaction surveys. The smoking policy is implemented in the interest of comfort to all guests and is in keeping with the majority preference of our guests today. It also aligns with smoking policies prevalent around the globe and with other cruise operators.

Please feel free to contact us if we may be of additional assistance or visit us online. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future!

Kind Regards,

Lisa

Holland America Line

U.S. and Canada: 877-724-5425

International: 206-286-3900

Edited January 18, 2022 by MisterBill99

[jeh10641]

MisterBill99,

I wrote a note to HAL after our cruise on Rotterdam regarding the smoke. Glad they responded to somebody as I never received a note back. I did hear about the smoking ban on You Tube.

 

Hope you and your wife are well. Talk soon.

 

Jim

[edgee]

36 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

MisterBill99,

I wrote a note to HAL after our cruise on Rotterdam regarding the smoke. Glad they responded to somebody as I never received a note back. I did hear about the smoking ban on You Tube.

 

Hope you and your wife are well. Talk soon.

 

Jim

Hi. I have been confining my HAL cruises to the older ships that have banned casino smoking for some time. Good to hear further confirmation that the ban on casino smoking on all ships will become permanent, as I have been unable to find it anywhere except in the earlier post in this thread.

[deliver42]

When HAL eliminated smoking indoors, which by the way I agree with even though I smoke, they should have done what Princess has almost always done, and put in a smoking lounge on all their ships with an adequate exhaust system. The smoke doesn't leave at all, except maybe a very little when someone opens the door. They could now keep the casino smoke free, yet still acomodate the smokers with a comfortable inside lounge. One of the reasons I  love Princess is because of that lounge.

[LadyBerard]

I know this is pretty much an anti-smoking thread, but my husband smokes, and we will be on the Rotterdam in March.  Do the stores still sell cigarettes on board?

[KroozNut]

Yes, they do... by the carton, not individual packs.

[0106]

I bought a carton for $28.  $70 less than I pay in the states.

[HELENPSL]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:56 AM, LadyBerard said:

I know this is pretty much an anti-smoking thread, but my husband smokes, and we will be on the Rotterdam in March.  Do the stores still sell cigarettes on board?

They usually do a buy 3 get one free.  Normally runs about $132 for the 4 cartons.

Helen

[QM2 fan]

Without wading through 22 pages, is there a smoking section on Koningsdam? I'd rather he gave up altogether but husband likes a small cigar on holiday evenings..

 

[edgee]

10 minutes ago, QM2 fan said:

Without wading through 22 pages, is there a smoking section on Koningsdam? I'd rather he gave up altogether but husband likes a small cigar on holiday evenings..

 

Following is full updated smoking policy/smoking locations for the HAL fleet copied from the HAL website:

Until further notice, smoking will not be permitted in the casino. For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. No smoking of any kind will be permitted on any stateroom verandah.

Smoking is permitted in designated smoking areas only on all ships.

 

Designated Smoking Areas

Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam

• Sea View Bar area
• Oak Room (Noordam only, including cigar and pipe smoking)

Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam

• Sea View Bar area

Volendam, Zaandam

• Sea View Bar area
• Sports Deck, outside Crow's Nest
• Casino (designated nights, active players only)

 

Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed.

 

Electronic cigarettes are not permitted in staterooms or in other public areas of the ship other than designated smoking areas.

[0106]

Someone who is currently aboard the Nieuw Statendam said, smoking is now allowed again in the casino.  Apologizing, she said it was a corporate decision that began on March 6^th. “

[edgee]

14 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Someone who is currently aboard the Nieuw Statendam said, smoking is now allowed again in the casino.  Apologizing, she said it was a corporate decision that began on March 6^th. “

Ok, HAL's promises to change their smoking policies permanently and stop casino smoking on newer ships just went up in smoke😂 I will be cancelling my October cruise on NS  tomorrow. Can't trust them to kick their own addiction to (casino) smoking.

[AV8rix]

1 hour ago, 0106 said:

Someone who is currently aboard the Nieuw Statendam said, smoking is now allowed again in the casino.  Apologizing, she said it was a corporate decision that began on March 6^th. “

OMG!!  Seriously???  I so enjoyed the holidays on Rotterdam VII, able to play blackjack whenever I felt like it and for as long as I wished.  Will be on Kdam in a week and was so looking forward to that.  Now I'm dreading it 😬.

[jisduit]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:56 AM, LadyBerard said:

I know this is pretty much an anti-smoking thread, but my husband smokes, and we will be on the Rotterdam in March.  Do the stores still sell cigarettes on board?

last time i was on - you could purchase cartons at the shops and packs at the seaview bar - rather cheap too 

[twodjs]

HAL has reinstated smoking in the casinos of Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zaandam. This short-sighted corporate decision benefiting a small minority of cruise guests is sad on so many levels.

[AV8rix]

On 4/10/2022 at 9:25 AM, twodjs said:

HAL has reinstated smoking in the casinos of Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zaandam. This short-sighted corporate decision benefiting a small minority of cruise guests is sad on so many levels.

Just off Kdam and I agree.  Not too many smokers but doesn't take many to make the casino unpleasant.  Even though I'm a blackjack player and they are restricted to some slots.  Rotterdam on Christmas and New Years was a DELIGHT!!!  Still can't comprehend why corporate decided to permit smoking at all on the three new ships.

Edited April 11, 2022 by AV8rix

[twodjs]

Celebrity has been 100% smoke-free for decades and their casinos are packed, so HAL can't claim they'll lose money. They simply didn't keep the non-smoking rule in effect long enough to allow enough non-smokers to book and cruise before killing it. I feel bad for those crew member who have to endure it week after week. That part of the ship and the people in it just plain stink!

[Tom47]

We are considering HAL for itinerary, but will choose Celebrity over HAL if same itinerary is available.  We have 8 cruises on Celebrity, 0 on HAL.