Cigar Bars

[lottiegreen56]

When did CCL do away with the cigar bars? Am I possibly misremembering its existence and confusing it with a feature on another line? No one in my house seems to remember them.

[hard_eight]

No I know the fantasy class had them at the back of the boat. I miss them, they used to let you play poker and smoke cigars. Now you just try to light one in the smokey ass casino and they'll run you out.

[coevan]

Can you smoke cigars in the smoking area? I seem to remember when I was on the jogging track, I passed through the smoking area and smelled cigars.

[hard_eight]

Yes only in outdoor smoking locations

[coevan]

I held my breath for 10 seconds, it really stinks

[Schoifmom]

They did away with them sometime between our first and second cruises.  DH loved being able to enjoy the cigar bar with his pipe and was subsequently disappointed to be sent outside to enjoy it on our next cruise.  So, sometime between 2012 and 2014 they did away with them.

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Schoifmom

[elcuchio24]

I think it was around 2012. We always enjoyed them. They became just a dead space for a long time which is a shame. Really not sure why they could not have sealed the room off a little more and kept it. We always had alot of good times in the cigar bars. 

[ChosenOne]

I remember when the Splendor came out in 2008.  It had Churchill's cigar bar on the deck below the dance club.   Those where put in when cigars smoking became a big thing.  Sailed Splendor about 2 years ago and Churchills is rarely used .  The computer hub was down there.  They held trivial pursuit down there a few times.  I think they still sold cigars but you had to go on deck to smoke them.

[disfan13]

I miss them as well. The Pride used to have one - can't remember where it was. This was back in 2011 / 2012.. After that the only other ship I remember having a real Cigar bar was the NCL Gem.  I'm fine with them outside - as long as I can have my scotch with me. 

[Joebucks]

Unfortunately, indoor cigar smoking is going the way of the dodo. 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Joebucks

[midwestman]

I'd say they started phasing them out about 6-7 years ago.  As I recall, cigar bars were growing in popularity in the early 2000's and Carnival jumped on that trend.  And then the popularity began to pull back.  Since I started cruising about 10 years ago, I never recall the cigar bars being busy at all.

 

The cruise lines want to make money, and from that point, those cigar bar areas can be transformed into more profitable areas.  I liked those cigar bars myself, as they had great ventilation to suck up all the smoke.  And they were a great place to smoke them (since there are so few other areas to smoke cigars.  But if it means Carnival makes more money and the price of the cruise stays lower, I'm ok with them going away.

[dmdiver]

I remember the cigar bars as well.  They never were busy, so I guess Carnival viewed it as wasted space.  One ship we were on was using the karaoke lounge as a cigar bar.  No one was in there, either.  Not only do you have to smoke cigars outside, but I don't think it's allowed in all outside smoking areas.  Seems like you have to go up to deck 11 or so to smoke them.  I think there was an area on deck 5 outside by the Red Frog Pub on Magic & Breeze.