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Smoking Onboard – a Burning Issue

One topic that causes great debate is smoking. Like marmite you either love it or hate it. As you are aware, the UK government introduced a new policy earlier this year regarding smoking in public places, i.e. you can’t. So what effect has this had on the cruise industry? Like most things in life, it varies. On some cruise lines smoking is permitted in staterooms/cabins, in others it isn’t. To help you out, here’s our comprehensive guide to current smoking policies on the major cruise lines.

Azamara

Simply put, you can get your fix onboard Azamara’s ships in the aft section of the Looking Glass Lounge on the port side and on the starboard forward section of the Pool Deck. Otherwise, no smoking anywhere else.

Carnival

Smokers can delight in the fact that smoking is permitted on one side of the ship in bars, lounges and open decks, as well as in cabins (including balconies). Remember though, restaurants, theatres and the indoor aft pool (on ships that serve food there) are non-smoking.

Celebrity Cruises

Whilst you won’t be able to light up in your staterooms from January 2008, you will be allowed to smoke on the veranda/balcony if your stateroom has one. As for public areas, smoking is not allowed in hallways, corridors, restaurants, or entertainment venues and one bar or lounge per ship will be non-smoking only. You won’t be banished outside altogether though as there are designated smoking areas in many of the ships’ lounges. If the weather’s good, head out to the starboard outer decks for the views and a quick fix. A word of caution, if you do smoke where you shouldn’t, cleaning charges will be added to your account.

Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises may once have had a reputation for being very smoky, but now the main restaurants and show lounges are smoke free. There are assigned areas for smoking in the lounges and bars, and a plus for smokers is that some cabins are designated for you. If you like feeling the wind in your hair, you can also light up on the open decks.

Crystal

Cigarette smokers will be pleased to know that at present you can smoke in staterooms and corridors as well as in the designated areas in most bars and lounges. Make a note though that The Bistro, inside the Lido Café, the Crystal Dining Room, Prego, Jade Garden, Silk Road, The Sushi Bar restaurants and the Galaxy Lounge are entirely smoke-free.

If you smoke a pipe or cigars, however, you are limited to the Connoisseur Club, and on the "open decks," except all areas of Lido Deck (deck 11 on Crystal Symphony, and deck 12 on Crystal Serenity).

Cunard

Now pay attention and read carefully as the smoking policy varies from ship to ship! First the easy bit – smoking is allowed in staterooms onboard all three ships (Queen Mary 2, QE2 and Queen Victoria). You can begin taking notes now! All restaurants on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are non-smoking, whilst there are smoking sections in all restaurants, apart from the Princess Grill, on the QE2. Elsewhere, the starboard side areas of the public bars and lounges (where possible) on the QE2 and Queen Mary 2 are designated smoking areas. The Queen Victoria does have designated smoking areas in Churchill’s Cigar Lounge and the Empire Casino, whilst outside smoking is only allowed on the starboard side of deck 3 as well as the forward and aft areas of deck 10.

As for pipes and cigars, these can be smoked each evening in the Churchill's Cigar Lounge onboard Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, and the Chart Room, Golden Lion and designated areas of the Crystal bar aboard QE2.

I hope you got all that – I might test you later!

Disney

You may not be able to smoke inside the cabin itself, but you can pop onto the verandah of your stateroom to indulge. Inside, feel free to light up within Sessions (Disney Magic®), The Cadillac Lounge (Disney Wonder®), and at the bar area in Diversions on both ships. If you like a bit of sea air, you can smoke on the open decks, except near Mickey's Pool.

Fred.Olsen

You need to make notes again as the smoking policy onboard Fred.Olsen cruises varies slightly from ship to ship. You can smoke cigarettes in cabins (although the company does ask passengers to refrain from doing so when possible) onboard all ships apart from the Boudicca, which has non-smoking cabins throughout, and Black Watch where you can smoke in the cabins apart from the forward suites on Deck 9.

Like most other ships, all restaurants are strictly non-smoking, so make sure you get your fix before dinner in the bars/lounges listed below:

Braemar - Skylark Lounge

Black Watch - Observatory (portside) Lido Lounge (portside) and the Pipers Bar

Boudicca - Observatory (starboard) Lido Lounge (starboard) and the Iceni Room

Black Prince - Lido Lounge (portside)

Fortune favours cigarettes I’m afraid, so you’ll have to leave cigars and pipes at home as they are not allowed onboard.

Holland America Line

You’ll need to have a smoke in one of the designated smoking areas (available in most lounges) before having dinner or seeing a show as all restaurants and showrooms are non-smoking. There aren’t any "nonsmoking" staterooms, but non-smokers are assured that cabins are thoroughly cleaned after each cruise for your comfort.

Hurtigruten

An easy one to remember – you can only smoke outside on deck, so pray for good weather!

MSC

No smoking in cabins or on balconies, please, but join fellow smokers in the Cigar Rooms, the Casinos and one dedicated lounge inside. If you like watching the world go by you can smoke outside on one side of the sun deck.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Cigarette smokers have a choice of smoking in staterooms, balconies, casino or Cigar Bar (where available). Or, if you prefer pipes or cigars, you can head off to the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. You can also smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks as long as it’s not around the food venues, on sports decks or jogging areas, kids' pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas. Better check how big the open decks are!

Ocean Village

Being a UK company, this one surprised me a bit - smoking is allowed in cabins (including cabin balconies). Elsewhere you can light up on some areas of the open decks, in the casino on certain evenings and in designated smoking areas of one or two public rooms.

Oceania

Cigarette smokers can choose from the forward starboard corner of the Pool Deck or the aft, port corner of Horizons, whilst cigar and pipe smoking is only permitted on the forward starboard corner of the Pool Deck. Anywhere else is out of bounds and be warned - anyone who smokes where they shouldn’t will be disembarked at the next port of call and may also be subject to additional fees to cover the costs associated with any damage to and the required cleaning of furnishings, verandas and surrounding deck and accommodation areas.

P&O

Another surprise – you can light up in cabins (including cabin balconies). Certain areas of the open decks and designated areas of one or two public rooms are also available for smokers. All other areas are smoke free.

Peter Deilmann

Another easy one to remember - as from January 2008, smoking is only allowed on the open decks on all Peter Deilmann vessels. Start praying for good weather again.

Princess

Princess is another cruise line where you can currently smoke in the staterooms to your delight or annoyance. As for public areas, smoking is not allowed in the dining rooms, other food service areas, show lounges or theatres. All other public areas have smoking and non-smoking areas.

Generally, cigar or pipe smoking is limited to designated outdoor areas at the stern of the ship, but there are designated cigar smoking areas inside too. For example, Coral and Island Princess feature Churchill's Cigar and Spirits Lounge, while Diamond and Sapphire Princess feature Churchill's Cigar and Sports Bar.

Regent Seven Seas

Notebooks at the ready please! From 21st December 2007 on Voyager, Mariner and Navigator and from 29th December 2007 on Paul Gauguin, smoking is not allowed in all suites, staterooms and balconies. All enclosed dining areas are non-smoking, but you can have a cigarette in designated areas of the outdoor Pool Grills. Other than open deck areas, the following are the only public rooms or areas where cigarette smoking is now permitted:

Seven Seas Voyager: Connoisseur Club, Casino, Voyager Lounge (designated area), Horizon Lounge (outside area only), Pool Bar

Seven Seas Mariner: Connoisseur Club, Casino, Horizon Lounge (outside area only), Stars Nightclub (designated area), Pool Bar

Seven Seas Navigator: Connoisseur Club, Casino, Stars Lounge (designated area), Galileo's (outside area only), Pool Bar

Paul Gauguin: La Palette (outside area only), Le Grill (designated area), Pool Bar

Explorer II: Smoking Lounge on Bridge Deck

Pipes and cigars are only allowed in the Connoisseur Club aboard Voyager, Mariner and Navigator, with cigar smokers having the added advantage of being able to indulge in designated area of the Pool Bar area aboard all four vessels.

Like some of the other cruise lines, Regent Seven Seas is taking a tough stance against passengers who don’t follow the rules – they will be asked to leave the ship at their expense, without refund or credit for the unused portion of their cruise. You have been warned!

Royal Caribbean

From January 2008 you can’t smoke in staterooms, although if you have a balcony or veranda you can light up there. Ignore this at your peril as a $250 cleaning fee will be added to the accounts of any guests who smoke or allow smoking in their non-smoking staterooms. On the plus side, depending on your point of view, there are designated smoking areas in many of the lounges and on designated open air decks.

This policy is across all Royal Caribbean ships from January 2008 with the exception of Legend, Rhapsody and Splendour Of The Seas, who will adopt this policy around April 2008.

Seabourn

Not many place for cigarette smokers to choose from as the Restaurant, Veranda Café, Restaurant “2†(inside and outside), main show Lounge (during performances and lectures), starboard side in the Observation Lounge and The Club, and the ship’s elevators are out of bounds to you. Saying that, there’s no mention of not being able to smoke cigarettes in staterooms.

As for pipe and cigar smokers, sorry to tell you that you’re limited to an area of the Sky Bar after dinner only.

Silversea

Silversea is one of the slightly less restrictive cruise lines as smoking is allowed in cabins and you can smoke cigarettes in designated areas of The Bar, outside at the Terrace Café, Pool area, Panorama Lounge, Casino Bar and The Humidor (Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper). Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted in designated areas outside at the Terrace Café, The Champagne Room (Silver Cloud and Silver Wind) and in The Humidor (Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper). All other public areas, such as Le Champagne, Show Lounge and library are non-smoking.

Swan Hellenic

Short and sweet (depending on your view) – you can only smoke in the designated "smoking room" or designated areas on the open decks. Better check what the weather’s going to be like at your chosen time of year before booking.

Thomson

You can smoke in your cabins, but Thomson (and non-smokers) would rather you didn’t. The main restaurants and show lounges are non-smoking throughout whilst the bars are divided into smoking and non-smoking sections.

Transocean

As with many other cruise lines, smoking is not allowed in cabins or the restaurants, but, there are designated smoking areas around the ships, so all is not lost.

Travelscope

Smoking is not permitted in the cabins or anywhere else inside apart the Disco and at designated tables in the Sky Bar where you can have a cigarette. Meanwhile, outside on the open decks, cigarette, pipe and cigar smokers can join up although during deck buffet times smoking is not permitted on deck 7 aft around the pool or buffet area.

So there you have it – a comprehensive guide to where you can and cannot smoke on ex UK cruises. However, the above policies are subject to revision in order to comply with UK health legislation, the intention of which (when fully implemented) is that the smoke free provisions of The Health Act 2006 will apply to all cruise ships when they are arriving or departing from a UK port and while within UK territorial waters. We’ll keep you posted.

About the Author

Susan Bigmore is the web editor for http://www.insidecruise.co.uk, a cruise community packed full of articles and discussions as well as http://www.idealcruising.co.uk a specialist cruise travel agent.