Smoking on Azamara

[JkyLovesRuss]

It didn't take long for the comment of how a drink next to me would affect me, I knew the comment was coming!!! You missed the point!!! I was saying if your enjoyment is a drink, and you are accustomed to drinking in your room, dining room etc., and that priveledge was taken away with no prior notice, how would you feel? Would you want to stay on the ship or perhaps not even book the cruise? That's what the smokers are getting at!!

 

Ha ha, you baited the hook and i went for it! I knew that's what you were doing!

 

I understand you 100%. I don't drink in my cabin either. I have a glass of wine with my dinner. I try a different wine each night... If they didn't offer wine with dinner, it wouldn't change my mind about my vacation... I wouldn't have withdrawl.. I agree with you in the sense that if they knew they were changing their smoking policy, they should have informed you sooner... If they change the smoking rules and add more designated smoking areas it will NOT ruin my vacation at all!

 

Happy cruising to all!

[yosh12]

I don't think this is a big conspiracy by the cruise line. We booked our Disney vacation and paid in full months ago. Just found out last week all Disney resorts are now non-smoking except in designated areas outside., effective June 1. We check in June 2. Noone offered me a refund or compensation. Don't think the kids will be too happy if we cancel now b/c someone can't smoke in the room.

 

Stuff happens. You make the best of it. Especially with smoking...this seems to be the way most places are headed. It's really not a big surprise.

 

The ship's not that big anyway, so how far could the walk be to the "designated" area??

[Gadgetguru]

The fire on the Princess was a tragedy. It was caused by a cigarette. How many cruisers are at sea at this very minute. Many many thousands I would think. 24/7/365. One incident with all those folks smoking on their balconies and rooms seems statistacilly insignificant. There are far more folks falling overboard - probably from alcohol. I didn't want this tread to get into a battle between smokers and non-smokers. Drinkers and non-drinkers. I don't do either and don't care who does or doesn't. I just wanted to go on vacation. If you want to smoke - fine -if you want to drink - fine. It was just an attempt to discuss the way Celebrity has handeled the rules for their new ships. One day before their failed first sailing, a new web site with new information. When I called Celebrity to inquire about the Quest, I was told they would let me know Monday. I just found this entire way of doing business kinda sad. I will sign off this thread now.:confused:

 

Something to think about I do not think that the family and friends of the "statistacilly insignificant" would agree with you.

[suz1607]

I can sympathize with those booked on a virtually non-smoking ship without the knowledge that this was the case when they booked. From reading this thread it would seem to me a future solution might be to have either Journey or Quest non-smoking and the other smoking "as usual". The itineraries could be switched each year in order to allow for cruising diversity for each group. Is that too simple?

[oceanbear]

Celebrity/Azmara – My wife and I thank you for instituting the new non-smoking policy! I like Celebrity, but have been contemplating switching to Oceania in part because of their non-smoking policy. Now I don’t have to. I was once a smoker and even after I quit I worked and socialized with smokers for many years and did not find smoking particularly offensive, but my wife always did. Once my workplaces became non-smoking and I was in a non-smoking environment, I began to find smoking offensive as well. I don’t think most smokers will ever understand how smoke bothers non-smokers. I can “smell” a smoker light up a cigarette across the room. Smoke curling up from the blackjack player next to me in the casino burns my nose. Smoke wafting over from the balcony next to me ruins the “smell of the sea”. Occupying the cabin of a previous heavy smoker can ruin our cruise, as it did last year on the Summit. The cabin underwent 4 days of cleaning to get the smell out of the cabin. Smokers don’t get it! They don’t smell their own smoke or that of others. It’s like wearing perfume or cologne. A few minutes after applying it, you don’t smell it on yourself anymore, but everyone else does. I can understand that Celebrity would be adversely affected by instituting these non-smoking regulations on it’s large ships, but I have no doubt they will be able to fill up 2 - 750 passenger ships with non-smokers. As for it being unfair that Celebrity did not inform us of these regulations prior to clients booking, well most if not all of us took a chance by booking a cruise before we even knew what the ships were really going to offer, and even how they were going to be outfitted during their dry-dock periods. I don’t blame smokers for canceling; smoking is part of your daily routine. Please realize it’s not you we dislike it’s the smoke we can’t tolerate, and please don’t use the liquor analogy. I have never had drinker spray liquor on me as he drinks. I look forward to my next smoke free cruise and I wish you well on your cruise as well!

[RuthlessBoss]

The liquor analogy was only meant to give drinkers of liquor "food for thought", what if your passtime or casual use of it was denied at the last minute? No comments about "How will your drink affect me?" As for the fire on that ship, it was found the ship had flammable materials in use. Without that, how else could the fire start? Would it start on metal while the ship was in motion?

[DGP1111]

I checked all the posts on this thread before asking this question, just to make sure it wasn't already addressed -- and did not find it.

Will these ships choose to remove cigarettes from the onboard shops in an effort to limit the chances of the newly announced policies from being violated?? A number of Theme Parks banned gum sales many years ago to assist in keeping that litter problem at a minimum. Yes, you can still bring gum in, as will someone be able to take cigarettes onboard. . . but was curious to know what will be done regarding a big 'money maker' in the onboard shops. Any thoughts??

[LHT28]

Celebrity/Azmara – My wife and I thank you for instituting the new non-smoking policy! I like Celebrity, but have been contemplating switching to Oceania in part because of their non-smoking policy.

 

Just to point out that the ships are NOT non-smoking ......they have very limited areas for smoking.

People can still enjoy their smokes just not anywhere they please.

[Charles4515]

I live in a large Condo building. About three years ago while I was on a cruise a resident, not an owner, started a fire smoking in bed. Lucky no one was injured. Besides destroying that unit, three adjoining units and the hallway were heavily damaged because the smoker reopened the door and went back in to get clothes. Doing that caused the fire to spread. He had ran out naked. That same year one of my co-workers lost his father in a fire. His father was smoking in bed.

[garykool81]

The liquor analogy was only meant to give drinkers of liquor "food for thought", what if your passtime or casual use of it was denied at the last minute? No comments about "How will your drink affect me?" As for the fire on that ship, it was found the ship had flammable materials in use. Without that, how else could the fire start? Would it start on metal while the ship was in motion?

 

That passtime already has had major restrictions put on it. You are not permitted to drink while operating a motor vehicle, as this poses a major risk to those OTHER than yourself.

 

Likewise, you should not be permitted to smoke in public rooms, spreading deadly, cancer-causing toxins throughout the air for OTHERS to breathe, as this causes a major risk to people other than yourself.

 

No one is telling anyone that they cannot smoke. Rather, they're being told that they cannot do it in a way that endangers others with their personal, deadly habit.

[Randyk47]

For us, and the reason we've canceled our cruise, is not the restrictions on public areas. Fully understand that. What is causing us to cancel is that we would not be permited to smoke in the privacy of our cabin. Sure, we should quit smoking, no question. But until we do quit we won't be going on a 14-day cruise where we can only smoke in two relatively small designated areas. That's just not a vacation for us. :(

[GAV BOY]

For us, and the reason we've canceled our cruise, is not the restrictions on public areas. Fully understand that. What is causing us to cancel is that we would not be permited to smoke in the privacy of our cabin. Sure, we should quit smoking, no question. But until we do quit we won't be going on a 14-day cruise where we can only smoke in two relatively small designated areas. That's just not a vacation for us. :(

 

As a Smoker you do not realise how disgusting it is for a non-smoker to have to occupy that room after you, remember we have to sleep in there and it is impossible to get rid of the smell ! :(

[Randyk47]

Then I'd suggest cruise lines designate specific cabins as smoking or non-smoking. That said I was speaking to our vacation and what we expect or want but do understand your concerns. If this is the trend for cruise ships then so be it, we'll simply pick a different vacation mode. I'm not picking on non-smokers and insisting I have my way, simply want to be able to smoke in my own room.

[GAV BOY]

Then I'd suggest cruise lines designate specific cabins as smoking or non-smoking. That said I was speaking to our vacation and what we expect or want but do understand your concerns. If this is the trend for cruise ships then so be it, we'll simply pick a different vacation mode. I'm not picking on non-smokers and insisting I have my way, simply want to be able to smoke in my own room.

 

But are Hotels, etc, not also moving the same way ?

[zacca]

A few years ago we took a couple of cruises on the Carnival Paradise which was at that time the only completely non smoking ship. Even the crew were not allowed to smoke. Crew and Passengers were not even allowed to have any smoking materials on them when they embarked the ship. If you did you were denied sailing!Sadly they moved the ship to the West Coast for shorter itineraries and it lost its status. It was wonderful to only breathe fresh sea air. On the Millennium, South America, everyone seemed to be smoking wherever they wanted to, it was a nightmare, you had to keep moving all day to find somewhere smoke free to sit, none of the crew did anything about it even though it was brought to their attention. So we are delighted with the new policies on Azamara!

[Randyk47]

Gav Boy - Some chains, like Marriott, are moving that way and we make our choices accordingly.

[KenC]

This is the beginning of a move that will one day spread to all other cruise lines. The banning of smoking in enclosed spaces is spreading across Europe after starting out in the US and Canada. It is only a matter of time before cruiseships fall into line with the rest of society and severely restrict something that is increasingly accepted as a danger to non smokers' as well as smokers' health as well as anti social.

 

Carnival attempted and failed to run a no smoking ship a few years ago but one Carnival ship following the same itinerary year in year out is hardly an inducement for even the most ardent non smokers!! When the time is right I suspect all lines will get together and make a joint decision - this will prevent a scenario where a line unilaterally restricting smoking won't suffer a smokers' backlash nor a non participating line attract a disproportionate number of smokers................watch this space.

 

I am so much more likely to book Azamara now than before. Thank you Celebrity. I do sympathise with smokers (I used to smoke) - it's a hard addiction to beat but so worth it - but the writing is on the wall.

[GAV BOY]

Gav Boy - Some chains, like Marriott, are moving that way and we make our choices accordingly.

 

Sadly for you though i believe one day soon all Ships and Hotels etc , will be non-smoking !

 

England has a ban due July 1st, then the whole of the UK will have it in enclosed public places.

[Susan-M]

Gav Boy - Some chains, like Marriott, are moving that way and we make our choices accordingly.

 

Yes, and Westin as well. The trend to provide smoke-free vacation environments is growing :) http://hotels.about.com/od/uniqueandunusualhotels/a/hotelsbansmoke.htm

[Susan-M]

 

I am so much more likely to book Azamara now than before. Thank you Celebrity.

 

I agree - and sent my thanks to them via their email address on their website.

[Randyk47]

No denying that there is a trend. OK. Whatever. Right now we're booked into a resort to replace the Quest cruise....and we carefully questioned them about their smoking policy....for next year. Will they someday change? Guess that's a possibility, though this particular resort has designated rooms, but we'll be just fine for the time being. ;)

[soonerman]

I checked all the posts on this thread before asking this question, just to make sure it wasn't already addressed -- and did not find it.

Will these ships choose to remove cigarettes from the onboard shops in an effort to limit the chances of the newly announced policies from being violated?? A number of Theme Parks banned gum sales many years ago to assist in keeping that litter problem at a minimum. Yes, you can still bring gum in, as will someone be able to take cigarettes onboard. . . but was curious to know what will be done regarding a big 'money maker' in the onboard shops. Any thoughts??

 

A good point and which the cruise line should adopt. Our [uS] government should stop subsidizing tobacco farmers also, imo.

[RuthlessBoss]

I find it difficult for it to be said the Millenium had smoking everywhere! NO ship has this!! Did they smoke in the dining room, buffet, theatre to mention a few areas? Sorry, don't believe it!! In case you non smokers want to hear this--ALL HOTELS IN DISNEY WENT NON SMOKING INSIDE< BALCONIES AND OUTSIDE AREAS!!! Will that bother me? No. I have other options.

[rswallis]

It's kind of funny, so I'll mention it--almost every Celebrity cruise I have been on, the officers smoke like chimneys. On Century last year, for example, on a bridge tour, there were ashtrays and packs of cigarettes everywhere. And the officers in the lounges smoked up a storm in the evenings. I bet smoking won't be effected in crew areas for some time to come no matter what happens in our areas.

[Blondie007]

Celebrity told me today a decision is yet to be made on the smoking policies on Quest. Now looking at the itineraries, Journey is covering the shorter cruises in Bermda, but Quest is doing the Europe and Asian cruises. Now smoking policies in the west is one thing..Europe and Asia.. could be difficult to fill their ships in those destinations. I wonder if they are considering that into the equation.. will we see a different policy on Quest?

A smoking ban on land is one thing.. one can always go outdoors, and in countries in Europe such as France and Spain the impact was minimal as their climate allows for outdoor smoking whereas in countries such as scotland and ireland, disaster has struck with bars and clubs going totally out of business as the climate does not allow much for outdoor smoking. Now, to restrict smoking on cruise ships in Europe.. IMHO they are taking a HUGE risk. Europeans will not take lightly to the smoking restrictions...question is, will Azamara risk it?

We have had thousands of European visitors cancel trips to UK this last year due to the smoking ban. Its a huge risk to take.

Azamara need to make their mind up and clarify the position with Quest, is she or isnt she?