Smoking on a Cruise
It is getting more and more difficult for smokers to find sanctuary to satisfy their smoking habit – especially on cruise ships.
photo courtesy Cunard
Tips and Advice About Smoking on a Cruise Ship
Following the lead of the airlines, and bars and restaurants in many cities around the world, practically all public areas, corridors, elevators and stairways as well as most dining areas, bars, casinos and theatres aboard the majority of the cruise ships are now totally non smoking.
Many cruise ships now do not allow smoking in the staterooms, some of them not even on the balconies.
This is a trend that can only continue, and while there are no totally smoke free cruise lines to speak of, general opinion in the industry is that this is just a matter of time.
Renaissance Cruises (no longer operating) introduced totally smoke-free cruise ships a decade ago. The drastic measure was ahead of its time, and shortly before the cruise line ceased operations it announced that it intended to allow smoking on its ships in certain areas.
The good news for smokers is that most cruise ships do offer designated smoking areas, on deck and inside, and smoking lounges where the die-hard smokers can smoke.
The bad news is that the smoking areas are giving way to the general trend towards no smoking. Some ships do not allow smoking anywhere in the interior.
If being able to smoke on vacation is important to you, check out the cruise line before you book. Their web sites and promotional material are very clear about their smoking policies. Some of the cruise lines like MSC Cruises with a more European market have more facilities for smoking cruise passengers than other cruise lines. Others are more strict. Oceania Cruises enforces the most restrictive smoking policy in the cruise industry.
Pick your cruise line wisely.
Also be warned that the non-smoking policies are strictly enforced, some even to the point of forcing passengers who violate the policies to disembark at the next port.
On a final note: it is not just the cruise line policies that you have to worry about. If you are a smoker – watch out. Those of your fellow passengers who are avid non smokers or "born again" non smokers can be VERY nasty. Even on a cruise.
One of the contributors here at Prow's Edge had a cruise in Tahiti ruined when the couple in the stateroom next to his decided that it was acceptable to yell death wishes for him from their balcony to his whenever he lit up.
He has since given up smoking - but insists that it is not because of them!
