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

[edgee]

I received strong indications from senior officers on recent Zuiderdam cruise that all new HAL ships and those coming out of next drydock would have non smoking casinos. However other posters on Cruise Critic have indicated otherwise from their communucation with corporate office...thus my pessimism that number of NS casino ships will be expanded.

[Mosaic]

On 8/24/2018 at 8:22 PM, WDeany said:

STOP! People need to smoke and anything you complain about will not detract from that. Give them their nights in the casino (don't go there those nights if you have a problem since they are probably making more money from the smokers) and give them the FEW areas of the ship they can smoke! They are also paying a premium for the SA balcony cabins for which they cannot use to smoke.! STOP STOP COMPLAINING! These are the rules and if you don't like them, sail another cruise line!

 

People need to smoke:   NO THEY DONT

[Sail or sale]

On 4/2/2018 at 9:34 AM, tpwolfe said:

We were in the Koningsdam for 21 days in March and I was wondering why they still allow smoking inside the ship. The casino was basically forward/mid ship on deck 3. To get from one end of the ship to the other end inside the ship on deck 3 you needed to pass through the casino and the stink of cigarette smoke. Even on non smoking nights it still had cigarette odor. The worst part of allowing smoking in the casino on the Koningsdam it was right above the Lincoln Center and Billboard and the smell of cigarette smoke filtered down into these two areas on deck 2. The smell was very noticeable on deck 2 so if they going to allow smoking on deck 3 and it stinks up deck 2 why not go ahead and allow smoking on deck 2. It wouldn't make much difference. Before you go off on that comment I don't want that to happen I'm just think it wouldn't make much difference because of the smell is already there on deck 2. I know people are addicted to smoking and on sea days it would be tough on them. Why not just limit smoking to the sea view pool area where it is already allowed and get it completely out of the inside of the ship. People say the smoke stink problem will be fixed in dry dock. Easy fix is ban smoking inside the ship altogether.

I am a smoker but I use the outside smoking area only! I don't spend a lot of time in the casino but do a little roulette a couple  of nights. It never occurred to me to smoke while I gamble! I would be in favor of a non smoking casinos. My guess is HAL dosn't want serious gamblers leaving the casino to go grab a smoke.  

[Hlitner]

21 hours ago, Sail or sale said:

I am a smoker but I use the outside smoking area only! I don't spend a lot of time in the casino but do a little roulette a couple  of nights. It never occurred to me to smoke while I gamble! I would be in favor of a non smoking casinos. My guess is HAL dosn't want serious gamblers leaving the casino to go grab a smoke.  

That might be true.  But then there is the other problem (for HAL) that some serious gamblers (such as me) will not ever gamble in a casino that smells like an ash tray.  So we have avoided HAL casinos for our last 400+ HAL days and likely saved thousands of dollars.....and cost HAL the same.

 

Hank

[richstowe]

On 10/30/2018 at 5:08 PM, Sail or sale said:

I am a smoker but I use the outside smoking area only! I don't spend a lot of time in the casino but do a little roulette a couple  of nights. It never occurred to me to smoke while I gamble! I would be in favor of a non smoking casinos. My guess is HAL dosn't want serious gamblers leaving the casino to go grab a smoke.  

You may be the only smoker I've ever heard of who never thought of smoking in a casino . 

I quit 25 years ago and I still think of smoking when I'm in a casino . 

[deliver42]

Count me as another. I have never smoked in the casino on n ship.

[Sail or sale]

12 hours ago, richstowe said:

You may be the only smoker I've ever heard of who never thought of smoking in a casino . 

I quit 25 years ago and I still think of smoking when I'm in a casino . 

LOL! I can top that one. I don't drink either. Never touch the stuff. I don't care if anyone else drinks but I dosnt interest me! I am not the typical smoker but addicted just the same.

[ladyfrost]

On 10/7/2018 at 3:51 AM, bUU said:

We didn't notice any issue in that regard on Nieuw Amsterdam.

So enjoyed the non smoking walking through and in the Casino area on our 21 day Panama trip on the Nieuw Amsterdam.   Had been away from HAL cruising for about 4 years and was so pleased to see no smoking in the Casino area...now I'm reading that the Nieuw Statendam is considering smoking in Casino, yikes!!  We are heading there for a couple of weeks in the late winter, sure hoping it is non smoking! 

During our Panama cruise there was one balcony close to us that still smoked, fortunately it was only occasionally. 

[GBCanadacruiser]

Sorry to hear smoking is still allowed in the casino.  Have loved HAL but won’t book again until they revise their smoking policies.

[stickey_mouse]

5 minutes ago, GBCanadacruiser said:

Sorry to hear smoking is still allowed in the casino.  Have loved HAL but won’t book again until they revise their smoking policies.

 

Yeah, it's a major bummer to hear that even the newest build, the Nieuw Statendam, is allowing smoking in its casino. 

[cruiserchuck]

We just got off the Eurodam, and there was no smoking in the casino.  The only place we saw/smelled smoking was at the sea view pool aft.  On some days, what smelled like cigar smoke would blow into the buffet area.  However, it was much better than out last HAL cruise about 8 years ago.  I hope they do not expand the smoking areas.

[faerievert]

Now that my hair is colored (blue 💙) I have to avoid washing it so much. I didn’t used to care about the smoke in the casino before since I could easily wash off the smell, but now I would have to avoid it most days. So glad my next cruise is on the Eurodam where I won’t have to worry about it! 

 

[VTcruisenut]

I'm seeing some folks post reviews that state that there is now smoking allowed on some ships in Casino's?  Why would they take this step backwards and is there a list of which ships allow/don't allow smoking?  I personally don't like the smoking in casino's and hoping our upcoming cruise on the Oosterdam doesn't have it!  Thanks!

[kazu]

Not sure why you say this is a step back?  Previously there was a smoking area in every casion on HAL.  Now, certain ships don't have it.  And, for those that do, there are 'non smoking' nights. Smoking has decreased on HAL, not increased.

 

Oosterdam's casino is smoke free.  

[twodjs]

There are many threads covering this topic. More have gone smoke-free since the now outdated list on the official HAL website. Too bad their two newest ships allow smoking. And the smoke-free nights are a joke on the smoking ships. The area still stinks.

[OlsSalt]

Recent Fall 2018  Maasdam allowed casino smoking on occasional night for "active players" - however most looked like they were just sitting there in front of the slots ...smoking. Smoke-free casino hours on that cruise were virtually empty - day and night. Only smoking brought out a few crowds, but may not have generated active play.

 

First time we saw this almost totally empty casino operation - also the very first Maasdam "InDepth" enrichement cruise.  Don't know if this same pattern continues on later "InDepth" Massdam cruises. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by OlsSalt

[KirkNC]

Smoking has been allowed in HAL casinos for years.  Recently they have introduced smoke free nights.

[POA1]

The Zuiderdam's casino was fully non-smoking a few weeks ago. I tried to take "a step backwards" but I banged into a table. Embarrassing. 

[MARLEY225]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 12:07 PM, VTcruisenut said:

I'm seeing some folks post reviews that state that there is now smoking allowed on some ships in Casino's?  Why would they take this step backwards and is there a list of which ships allow/don't allow smoking?  I personally don't like the smoking in casino's and hoping our upcoming cruise on the Oosterdam doesn't have it!  Thanks!

I was on the "Oosterdam" for Thanksgiving week and the casino was non-smoking for the entire cruise.

[StanleyWho]

Look at it this way, what you save on not smoking you can place down on the tables!!! lol

[VTcruisenut]

Oh I don't smoke, I just like to hang in the Casino, and my husband hates it when I smell like smoke!

[cruiserchuck]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:07 AM, VTcruisenut said:

I'm seeing some folks post reviews that state that there is now smoking allowed on some ships in Casino's?  Why would they take this step backwards and is there a list of which ships allow/don't allow smoking?  I personally don't like the smoking in casino's and hoping our upcoming cruise on the Oosterdam doesn't have it!  Thanks!

 

I assume HAL is doing this for the same reason they do most things - higher profits.  I assume they hope to attract more smokers/heavy gamblers, and hope that will bring in more income than the losses they incur from folks who decide to not cruise with them due to allowing the smoking.

 

We were on Eurodam last month, and liked the fact that there was no smoking allowed at any time in the casino.  The last time we sailed with HAL about eight years ago, they still allowed smoking in cabins, the casino, and many other locations.  

[OlsSalt]

Sounds like HAL has at least three different policies, depending on the ship:

-- no smoking, except in designated outdoor areas

--no smoking, except for designated nights in the casino

--smoking in the casino, except for designated non-smoking nights

 

We had a cigar smoker next to us on the balcony on the last Eurodam cruise this past Christmas - reported this to the front desk who came to our cabin to confirm the complaint.

 

Then later he was screaming obscenities into his cell phone on the balcony well within our hearing distance,  while threatening his companion in the same very loud voice. Then we heard no more. Did he get "removed" for the ship of just learn how to behave better. 

Edited January 9, 2019 by OlsSalt

[POA1]

16 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Then later he was screaming obscenities into his cell phone on the balcony well within our hearing distance,  while threatening his companion in the same very loud voice. Then we heard no more. Did he get "removed" for the ship of just learn how to behave better.

 

It could be that the companion had a can of hairspray or maybe a spray bottle of cologne. Was there a fire alarm at any time? 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I assume HAL is doing this for the same reason they do most things - higher profits.  I assume they hope to attract more smokers/heavy gamblers, and hope that will bring in more income than the losses they incur from folks who decide to not cruise with them due to allowing the smoking.

 

 

 

But HAL hasn't done anything! They haven't started allowing smoking in the casino, as the OP alleges. If anything, they allow less smoking on their ships in the 20+ years we have been cruising with HAL

 

Are you expecting HAL to do something that deliberately loses money? That wouldn't be a good business model.