This review is about smoking on cruise ships - Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess, Celebrity, Cunard and all the rest of the major cruise lines smoking policies and rules.
The new cruise ship smoking rules make cruising vacations harder for smokers to fully enjoy. This is bad news for the "smoking cruisers" whose only heavenly retreat ("joy allowed" place) on the ship soon will be the cigar lounge & bar zone.
Smoking on Cruise Ships
The major cruise lines have already tightened their rules for cigar and cigarette smoking policies and this includes the mainstream lines Carnival, NCL Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and MSC, to the mid-market leaders Celebrity, Disney, Princess, Holland America.
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violators are disembarked at the next call port (until Dec 2018 were fined USD 500 cleaning fee) |
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Louis Cruise Lines |
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Star Clippers |
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Smoking on cruise ships has been an important issue since the 2006 fire which broke out aboard Star Princess. The fire was started after a passenger flicked a lit cigarette over the balcony railing. It landed on the balcony below, setting on fire the balcony partition and the furniture. Eventually, the fire spread and destroyed 238 staterooms. A man lost his life, the ship suffered huge loses.
Fire is the second-rated among the most disastrous cruise ship accidents - right after ship sinking, which is in true connection with the "Smoking on cruise ships" theme. Still, many passengers want to smoke in their cabins, on their balcony, in dining rooms, all around the pool deck areas.
In an effort not to repulse smokers and to please non-smokers, the major cruise lines had to rewrite their rules for smoking on ships. As part of the effort, most of them are now banning cigar and cigarette smoking on cruise ship balconies.
- Almost all cruise lines smoking policies state, that if a guest has been caught smoking in any non-smoking area, the cleaning fee (penalty) is $250, posted to his/her onboard account.
- Depending on the cruise line and the severity of the violation, there is even a chance for disembarkation at the next call port.
- On many lines, the cruise smoking rules are subject to change depending on the country the ship is residing in for the evening or sailing from. That's because the different countries have different smoking laws.
- Cruise lines smoking policies are very strict about prohibiting passengers from throwing overboard cigarette butts, due to the wind which blows them back onto the ship - a real fire gamble!
- On most cruising vessels guests can find designated smoking areas, usually located on ships' starboard side.
- And before our review on cruise lines smoking policies, at this Wiki link, you can read what the Wikipedia has to say on the subject of smoking.
Smoking on ships, cruise lines smoking policies and rules
- In August 2013, Disney announced banning smoking on Disney ships (including electronic cigarettes) from all of the line's stateroom balconies.
- Royal Caribbean followed with their balcony smoking ban, which went into effect in 2014. The ban is now enforced on all RCI vessels except the ones traveling through Asia. Guests who prefer to light up still do so inside of ships' casinos and select RCI Connoisseur Clubs.
- Starting spring 2014, passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2, are prohibited from smoking in staterooms, on balconies, and in public areas apart from the designated areas on the open decks, Churchill Cigar Lounge, and the upper level of G32 nightclub on board Queen Mary 2.
- Smokers who look for more permissive environment already don't have the chance to find them. Starting 2014, October 9, Carnival prohibits smoking on cabin balconies. Guests can partake inside the jazz bars and dance clubs, as well as on designated outside areas. As of December 1, 2018, Carnival Cruise Line updated their smoking policy and made their position clear: those passengers who smoke in the stateroom or on their balcony, as well as everyone else in the stateroom, may be disembarked at the next port of call. Previously, just like other cruise companies, Carnival has said that those who smoke in the staterooms or on the verandas might be charged a substantial cleaning fee (US$500). Now, they are taking things further with a stricter policy which could have consequences not only for the offending, but those they're traveling with.
- Norwegian Cruise Lines joined the lines that prohibit guests to light up on balconies when cruising. NCL instituted changes to its smoking policy starting November 1, 2014, and banned balcony smoking. On Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, smoking on The Waterfront is permitted on the starboard side, except by outdoor dining areas. Indoor smoking is allowed only in the casino, but only in case the travelers are actively playing ;-)
- MSC is 90 % smoke-free, as smoking is prohibited in the dining rooms, cabins (including their balconies) and theaters. Designated areas include a designated lounge, one side of the sun deck, the cigar room and casinos.
- Seabourn has similarly prohibited smoking from stateroom balconies in all B category suites on Seabourn Spirit, Legend and Pride. But passengers staying in Seabourn Sojourn, Quest and Odyssey suites were permitted smoking from the cabin. However, as of November 28, 2016, the line brought its smoking policy in line with other luxury cruise companies and banned smoking in all indoor venues and on balconies.
- Celebrity also prohibits veranda smoking (including electronic cigarettes). The line restricts lighting up to ships' designated areas.
- Note: for the smoking policies on river cruise lines ships see in the table above the following companies: AMA, A-Rosa, Avalon, Uniworld, and Viking.
