| One topic that causes great debate is | | | | smoking areas of one or two public rooms. |
| smoking. Like marmite you either love it or | | | | |
| hate it. As you are aware, the UK government | | | | Oceania |
| introduced a new policy earlier this year | | | | |
| regarding smoking in public places, i.e. you | | | | Cigarette smokers can choose from the forward |
| can't. So what effect has this had on the | | | | starboard corner of the Pool Deck or the aft, |
| cruise industry? Like most things in life, it | | | | port corner of Horizons, whilst cigar and |
| varies. On some cruise lines smoking is | | | | pipe smoking is only permitted on the forward |
| permitted in staterooms/cabins, in others it | | | | starboard corner of the Pool Deck. Anywhere |
| isn't. To help you out, here's our | | | | else is out of bounds and be warned - anyone |
| comprehensive guide to current smoking | | | | who smokes where they shouldn't will be |
| policies on the major cruise lines. | | | | disembarked at the next port of call and may |
| | | | also be subject to additional fees to cover |
| Azamara | | | | the costs associated with any damage to and |
| | | | the required cleaning of furnishings, |
| Simply put, you can get your fix onboard | | | | verandas and surrounding deck and |
| Azamara's ships in the aft section of the | | | | accommodation areas. |
| Looking Glass Lounge on the port side and on | | | | |
| the starboard forward section of the Pool | | | | P&O |
| Deck. Otherwise, no smoking anywhere else. | | | | |
| | | | Another surprise - you can light up in cabins |
| Carnival | | | | (including cabin balconies). Certain areas of |
| | | | the open decks and designated areas of one or |
| Smokers can delight in the fact that smoking | | | | two public rooms are also available for |
| is permitted on one side of the ship in bars, | | | | smokers. All other areas are smoke free. |
| lounges and open decks, as well as in cabins | | | | |
| (including balconies). Remember though, | | | | Peter Deilmann |
| restaurants, theatres and the indoor aft pool | | | | |
| (on ships that serve food there) are | | | | Another easy one to remember - as from |
| non-smoking. | | | | January 2008, smoking is only allowed on the |
| | | | open decks on all Peter Deilmann vessels. |
| Celebrity Cruises | | | | Start praying for good weather again. |
| | | | |
| Whilst you won't be able to light up in your | | | | Princess |
| staterooms from January 2008, you will be | | | | |
| allowed to smoke on the veranda/balcony if | | | | Princess is another cruise line where you can |
| your stateroom has one. As for public areas, | | | | currently smoke in the staterooms to your |
| smoking is not allowed in hallways, | | | | delight or annoyance. As for public areas, |
| corridors, restaurants, or entertainment | | | | smoking is not allowed in the dining rooms, |
| venues and one bar or lounge per ship will be | | | | other food service areas, show lounges or |
| non-smoking only. You won't be banished | | | | theatres. All other public areas have smoking |
| outside altogether though as there are | | | | and non-smoking areas. |
| designated smoking areas in many of the | | | | |
| ships' lounges. If the weather's good, head | | | | Generally, cigar or pipe smoking is limited |
| out to the starboard outer decks for the | | | | to designated outdoor areas at the stern of |
| views and a quick fix. A word of caution, if | | | | the ship, but there are designated cigar |
| you do smoke where you shouldn't, cleaning | | | | smoking areas inside too. For example, Coral |
| charges will be added to your account. | | | | and Island Princess feature Churchill's Cigar |
| | | | and Spirits Lounge, while Diamond and |
| Costa Cruises | | | | Sapphire Princess feature Churchill's Cigar |
| | | | and Sports Bar. |
| Costa Cruises may once have had a reputation | | | | |
| for being very smoky, but now the main | | | | Regent Seven Seas |
| restaurants and show lounges are smoke free. | | | | |
| There are assigned areas for smoking in the | | | | Notebooks at the ready please! From 21st |
| lounges and bars, and a plus for smokers is | | | | December 2007 on Voyager, Mariner and |
| that some cabins are designated for you. If | | | | Navigator and from 29th December 2007 on Paul |
| you like feeling the wind in your hair, you | | | | Gauguin, smoking is not allowed in all |
| can also light up on the open decks. | | | | suites, staterooms and balconies. All |
| | | | enclosed dining areas are non-smoking, but |
| Crystal | | | | you can have a cigarette in designated areas |
| | | | of the outdoor Pool Grills. Other than open |
| Cigarette smokers will be pleased to know | | | | deck areas, the following are the only public |
| that at present you can smoke in staterooms | | | | rooms or areas where cigarette smoking is now |
| and corridors as well as in the designated | | | | permitted: |
| areas in most bars and lounges. Make a note | | | | |
| though that The Bistro, inside the Lido | | | | Seven Seas Voyager: Connoisseur Club, |
| Café, the Crystal Dining Room, Prego, | | | | Casino, Voyager Lounge (designated area), |
| Jade Garden, Silk Road, The Sushi Bar | | | | Horizon Lounge (outside area only), Pool Bar |
| restaurants and the Galaxy Lounge are | | | | |
| entirely smoke-free. | | | | Seven Seas Mariner: Connoisseur Club, |
| | | | Casino, Horizon Lounge (outside area only), |
| If you smoke a pipe or cigars, however, you | | | | Stars Nightclub (designated area), Pool Bar |
| are limited to the Connoisseur Club, and on | | | | |
| the "open decks," except all areas of Lido | | | | Seven Seas Navigator: Connoisseur Club, |
| Deck (deck 11 on Crystal Symphony, and deck | | | | Casino, Stars Lounge (designated area), |
| 12 on Crystal Serenity). | | | | Galileo's (outside area only), Pool Bar |
| | | | |
| Cunard | | | | Paul Gauguin: La Palette (outside area |
| | | | only), Le Grill (designated area), Pool Bar |
| Now pay attention and read carefully as the | | | | |
| smoking policy varies from ship to ship! | | | | Explorer II: Smoking Lounge on Bridge Deck |
| First the easy bit - smoking is allowed in | | | | |
| staterooms onboard all three ships (Queen | | | | Pipes and cigars are only allowed in the |
| Mary 2, QE2 and Queen Victoria). You can | | | | Connoisseur Club aboard Voyager, Mariner and |
| begin taking notes now! All restaurants on | | | | Navigator, with cigar smokers having the |
| Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are | | | | added advantage of being able to indulge in |
| non-smoking, whilst there are smoking | | | | designated area of the Pool Bar area aboard |
| sections in all restaurants, apart from the | | | | all four vessels. |
| Princess Grill, on the QE2. Elsewhere, the | | | | |
| starboard side areas of the public bars and | | | | Like some of the other cruise lines, Regent |
| lounges (where possible) on the QE2 and Queen | | | | Seven Seas is taking a tough stance against |
| Mary 2 are designated smoking areas. The | | | | passengers who don't follow the rules - they |
| Queen Victoria does have designated smoking | | | | will be asked to leave the ship at their |
| areas in Churchill's Cigar Lounge and the | | | | expense, without refund or credit for the |
| Empire Casino, whilst outside smoking is only | | | | unused portion of their cruise. You have been |
| allowed on the starboard side of deck 3 as | | | | warned! |
| well as the forward and aft areas of deck 10. | | | | |
| | | | Royal Caribbean |
| As for pipes and cigars, these can be smoked | | | | |
| each evening in the Churchill's Cigar Lounge | | | | From January 2008 you can't smoke in |
| onboard Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, and | | | | staterooms, although if you have a balcony or |
| the Chart Room, Golden Lion and designated | | | | veranda you can light up there. Ignore this |
| areas of the Crystal bar aboard QE2. | | | | at your peril as a $250 cleaning fee will be |
| | | | added to the accounts of any guests who smoke |
| I hope you got all that - I might test you | | | | or allow smoking in their non-smoking |
| later! | | | | staterooms. On the plus side, depending on |
| | | | your point of view, there are designated |
| Disney | | | | smoking areas in many of the lounges and on |
| | | | designated open air decks. |
| You may not be able to smoke inside the cabin | | | | |
| itself, but you can pop onto the verandah of | | | | This policy is across all Royal Caribbean |
| your stateroom to indulge. Inside, feel free | | | | ships from January 2008 with the exception of |
| to light up within Sessions (Disney | | | | Legend, Rhapsody and Splendour Of The Seas, |
| MagicÂ(R)), The Cadillac Lounge (Disney | | | | who will adopt this policy around April 2008. |
| WonderÂ(R)), and at the bar area in | | | | |
| Diversions on both ships. If you like a bit | | | | Seabourn |
| of sea air, you can smoke on the open decks, | | | | |
| except near Mickey's Pool. | | | | Not many place for cigarette smokers to |
| | | | choose from as the Restaurant, Veranda |
| Fred.Olsen | | | | Café, Restaurant "2" (inside and |
| | | | outside), main show Lounge (during |
| You need to make notes again as the smoking | | | | performances and lectures), starboard side in |
| policy onboard Fred.Olsen cruises varies | | | | the Observation Lounge and The Club, and the |
| slightly from ship to ship. You can smoke | | | | ship's elevators are out of bounds to you. |
| cigarettes in cabins (although the company | | | | Saying that, there's no mention of not being |
| does ask passengers to refrain from doing so | | | | able to smoke cigarettes in staterooms. |
| when possible) onboard all ships apart from | | | | |
| the Boudicca, which has non-smoking cabins | | | | As for pipe and cigar smokers, sorry to tell |
| throughout, and Black Watch where you can | | | | you that you're limited to an area of the Sky |
| smoke in the cabins apart from the forward | | | | Bar after dinner only. |
| suites on Deck 9. | | | | |
| | | | Silversea |
| Like most other ships, all restaurants are | | | | |
| strictly non-smoking, so make sure you get | | | | Silversea is one of the slightly less |
| your fix before dinner in the bars/lounges | | | | restrictive cruise lines as smoking is |
| listed below: | | | | allowed in cabins and you can smoke |
| | | | cigarettes in designated areas of The Bar, |
| Braemar - Skylark Lounge | | | | outside at the Terrace Café, Pool |
| | | | area, Panorama Lounge, Casino Bar and The |
| Black Watch - Observatory (portside) Lido | | | | Humidor (Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper). |
| Lounge (portside) and the Pipers Bar | | | | Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted in |
| | | | designated areas outside at the Terrace |
| Boudicca - Observatory (starboard) Lido | | | | Café, The Champagne Room (Silver Cloud |
| Lounge (starboard) and the Iceni Room | | | | and Silver Wind) and in The Humidor (Silver |
| | | | Shadow and Silver Whisper). All other public |
| Black Prince - Lido Lounge (portside) | | | | areas, such as Le Champagne, Show Lounge and |
| | | | library are non-smoking. |
| Fortune favours cigarettes I'm afraid, so | | | | |
| you'll have to leave cigars and pipes at home | | | | Swan Hellenic |
| as they are not allowed onboard. | | | | |
| | | | Short and sweet (depending on your view) - |
| Holland America Line | | | | you can only smoke in the designated "smoking |
| | | | room" or designated areas on the open decks. |
| You'll need to have a smoke in one of the | | | | Better check what the weather's going to be |
| designated smoking areas (available in most | | | | like at your chosen time of year before |
| lounges) before having dinner or seeing a | | | | booking. |
| show as all restaurants and showrooms are | | | | |
| non-smoking. There aren't any "nonsmoking" | | | | Thomson |
| staterooms, but non-smokers are assured that | | | | |
| cabins are thoroughly cleaned after each | | | | You can smoke in your cabins, but Thomson |
| cruise for your comfort. | | | | (and non-smokers) would rather you didn't. |
| | | | The main restaurants and show lounges are |
| Hurtigruten | | | | non-smoking throughout whilst the bars are |
| | | | divided into smoking and non-smoking |
| An easy one to remember - you can only smoke | | | | sections. |
| outside on deck, so pray for good weather! | | | | |
| | | | Transocean |
| MSC | | | | |
| | | | As with many other cruise lines, smoking is |
| No smoking in cabins or on balconies, please, | | | | not allowed in cabins or the restaurants, |
| but join fellow smokers in the Cigar Rooms, | | | | but, there are designated smoking areas |
| the Casinos and one dedicated lounge inside. | | | | around the ships, so all is not lost. |
| If you like watching the world go by you can | | | | |
| smoke outside on one side of the sun deck. | | | | Travelscope |
| | | | |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | | | | Smoking is not permitted in the cabins or |
| | | | anywhere else inside apart the Disco and at |
| Cigarette smokers have a choice of smoking in | | | | designated tables in the Sky Bar where you |
| staterooms, balconies, casino or Cigar Bar | | | | can have a cigarette. Meanwhile, outside on |
| (where available). Or, if you prefer pipes or | | | | the open decks, cigarette, pipe and cigar |
| cigars, you can head off to the Cigar Bar or | | | | smokers can join up although during deck |
| designated smoking lounge. You can also smoke | | | | buffet times smoking is not permitted on deck |
| cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open | | | | 7 aft around the pool or buffet area. |
| decks as long as it's not around the food | | | | |
| venues, on sports decks or jogging areas, | | | | So there you have it - a comprehensive guide |
| kids' pool areas and other designated | | | | to where you can and cannot smoke on ex UK |
| non-smoking areas. Better check how big the | | | | cruises. However, the above policies are |
| open decks are! | | | | subject to revision in order to comply with |
| | | | UK health legislation, the intention of which |
| Ocean Village | | | | (when fully implemented) is that the smoke |
| | | | free provisions of The Health Act 2006 will |
| Being a UK company, this one surprised me a | | | | apply to all cruise ships when they are |
| bit - smoking is allowed in cabins (including | | | | arriving or departing from a UK port and |
| cabin balconies). Elsewhere you can light up | | | | while within UK territorial waters. We'll |
| on some areas of the open decks, in the | | | | keep you posted. |
| casino on certain evenings and in designated | | | | |