NEWS: Celebrity Cruises Revamps Smoking Policy, Announces No Smoking Allowed in Staterooms or Balcon

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islandJim

Guest
Good move RCCL, another reason to start cruising with Celebrity more than Royal Caribbean. If someone wants to get so drunk that they fall/jump overboard is one thing, but if the smoker on the balcony next to me lights the ship on fire now there are 3000 people at risk. I understand that this is a rare accident, and now it will be even more rare on Celebrity. Not to mention the stink.

Jim
 
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Conniemc

Guest
[size=medium]Um, actually, you can't "light a ship on fire" LOL..:lol..fires on cruise ships generally start in the engine room and all cabins have sprinkler systems. Additionally, Celebrity has little in common with RCCL (although RCCL owns Celebrity). Most of their ships are well under 2000 passengers. Only the newest class has 3000 passengers. Lastly, (see RCCL owns Celebrity) the new rules will be the same for all RCCL ships.

But by all means, try Celebrity!!! They need the passengers!!! I'm sure you'll find the experience far superior to RCCL, which I did not find very upscale or pleasant. I did love Celebrity though...and I'm sure they'll miss my money even more than I'll miss their cuisine. They are already sending me constant pleading e-mails to book. Tsk Tsk....Me thinks the Marketing Director of RCCL will be out of a job in 2009.[/size]
 
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islandJim

Guest
Um, actually, you can't "light a ship on fire",:lol tell that to the people who were on board the Star Princess in 06 when a careless smoker burned almost one whole side of the ship. They were not :lol . Additionally, I understand RCCL owns Celebrity. As the parent company they are the ones who made the decision to ban smoking on ONLY the Celebrity ships and not on the Royal Caribbean ships. So as a company they are doing a very smart thing by giving people a choice with their two products.

Jim
 
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Conniemc

Guest
I checked with Captains Club when they made the public announcement and they said it would flow down to RCCL in by 2009....of course, it wouldn't be the first time I've been given incorrect info from them. Like when I booked my 4th Celebrity in one year for December, and they assured me there would be NO change in the smoking policy. Now I don't believe anything until they make it public news release. Naturally, I cancelled the sailing and won't be rebooking. Again, I'm sure you'll love Celebrity. I always did.

I do know the story you are referring to....it wasn't exactly the entire side of the ship (see below)....however I never understood how a small fire wasn't contained by the sprinklers EVERYWHERE....it wasn't like an accelerant was used or anything....always struck me odd that it wasn't contained before spreading to a fairly big area.

"The ship was not seriously damaged and would sail back to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday, Peterkin said. "

And not to be argumentative, but do you remember the MGM Grand burning down? If fire were such a concern, smoking would be banned in all hotels as well. After all, a cruise ship is nothing more now than a floating hotel. I really think the only reason they did it was to make the new ships for a different demographic

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11975460/
 
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BSeabob

Guest
The fire referred to by Island Jim was certainly not small..One bank of balconies of that ship was pretty well destroyed and from the video that is available on line one can tell there were no sprinklers available there at the time. Whether that was a "Build" in over site by that cruise line or an Industry norm I'm not certain.
I am pretty certain that none of X ships have sprinklers on their balconies so I agree that the policy is a good one. That also makes me think that the No sprinkler/Balcony option is a Industry norm.
They are mostly modules and made out of flammable plastics of some sort or other are they not. ?
 
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Conniemc

Guest
No sprinkler heads on balconies...I don't think they can create that infrastructure. But certainly in the cabins. (trying to picture sitting on my veranda..nice thought by the way....) I believe Bob, the floors are concrete, railings steel and glass and of course, the ship is steel. The dividers, are of course, some type of plastic. I can't see a cigarette starting a fire on a Celebrity balcony ( again, picturing dropping a lit cigarette, or for that matter, starting a small campfire out there...can't see how it would spread with so much damp air and cement.....but I'm not up on other lines materials or sprinkler systems. I know all building codes for new construction (condo bldgs) have sprinklers in every single room, including the balconies.

But ya know what Bob? Fire is obviously not the point. They are banning smoking in all indoor venues, such as the champagne bar, which is why I won't sail them. They were already split up 50/50 on all public rooms and banned smoking in all dining venues and the theater. Why go to such extremes? I know I'm being redundant, but I just think it was really,really bad marketing move. Time will tell.
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Not about fire ?? Perhaps not entirely..... But if you have not seen the Star Princess fire before/during and after you may have a change of heart. Here's the during

I am somewhat involved the the No smoking issue here in BC and the stats over the years in restaurants and bars here are clearly showing that there are fewer and fewer of those that smoke and I would think that the cruise lines are very aware of those stats.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IfiFtheA0BU
 
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Conniemc

Guest
I meant for ME it wasn't about fire. (haven't you figured out yet, its all about ME?) :)D

Amazing that fire got so out of hand without getting put out quicker...I don't get it. In any case, I do know your views on smoking and respect them. As you also know, I've been to BC and am aware they are far less smoker friendly (generally speaking). I'm also sure in 100 years, it will be a mute point. Right now, cigarettes in NJ cost over $70 dollars a carton. The statistics here are a little different. Atlantic City suffered a 35% drop in revenues when they banned smoking from the bars and most of the casino. The casinos will be smoke free by 2009, and they are planning layoffs, and expecting another huge drop in revenues. It's burns their butt, because smoking is legal in all other "casino areas" of the country, including Vegas.

Well, smoking will go away eventually, but trust me on this...there will ALWAYS be something the human race does as habit that annoys other people. That will never go away. I try to be tolerate and have many friends (as do others from the posts I read) who do NOT smoke, but support someone's right to smoke and to try to be fair to all. Prohibition didn't work, and I'm sure alcholism costs the taxpayers plenty and destroys the lives of many children brought up by them. But we look the other way. Jumping all over smokers is now politically popular, so people are more vocal in being intolerant. And usually FAR less polite than you are Bob. =twocents.
 
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Funcruiser56

Guest
Returned from a cruise on the Radiance of the Seas with the new smoking on the balcony policy- well each time we went to enjoy our balcony we were greeted by smoke from next door, below us and the lovely folks above us that thought it is fine to flip their butts (cig and cigars) off the side. It was actually worse this trip because they were not able to smoke in the cabin they seemed to always be out on the balcony.
When we returned I learned of the new policy on Celebrity, we were very happy to hear about it and booked our next cruise with them. We will still sail with RCI and hope we get some of those considerate smokers the previous poster mentioned.
It is not just cruise lines that are cracking down on the smoking issues, Disney World also has strict smoking policys at their resorts, no smoking in the rooms, balconys- only in designated areas.
So lots of big corporations are heading in this direction and still making $$$ hand over fist....No doubt Celebrity will loose some customers over this but they will also gain plenty too.

Funcruiser
 
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Conniemc

Guest
Well, that's kind of the problem with the new policy. Unless the crew can CATCH you flicking your butt off your veranda, there's nothing they can do. So people will do exactly what you said - smoke outside and flick the lit cigarette off the side, where it might blow back into some poor person's head or stateroom. Seems like a much more dangerous method of extinguishing the cigarette. And remember, many of these people will have been drinking and will be less inclinded to care....they're on vacation. Should be interesting to hear of how Celeb handles this hard (if not impossible) to enforce policy on verandas.
 
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shay204

Guest
I am a smoker, and I am booked on the Solstice in Feb.'09. It is my understanding from all that I've read...no smoking in cabins or on verandas, BUT smoking will be allowed in the lounges and on the port side of open deck(s) in designated areas. This was pretty much as I had it on a cruise in'98, and I did just fine. Now if it were COMPLETELY non-smoking...I'ld be on a different cruise for sure.

As for the smoking/non smoking issue...I pretty much agree with Conniemc, you non-smokers have a lot of quirks that I may not agree with but have to live with. What makes you so much better? Surely it isn't the heavy perfumes and colognes you bathe in, is it? Or...maybe you perspire a great deal and don't always smell so good...but I don't complain when you sit next me. Then there are those who don't brush their teeth as often as they should....!!! Are you getting the picture?

Why can't we all just learn to live together on this planet, not try to run someone elses life, and be as happy and content as we can?

Shay204

HAL Veendam Christmas '98
 
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Conniemc

Guest
First of all, welcome Shay!

I'm afraid you are in for a rude awakening, especially on Solstice. They didn't just ban smoking in cabins and vernadas. The port side, as you stated, which USED to be smoking, is no more. There will be SMALL areas of the ship (not necessarily anywhere near the bars and lounges), where you can have a cigarette indoors. Very, very limited. It is my understanding NO BAR will permit smoking. You must go find your "designated smoker's room/area" and have your cigarette and then go back to whatever you were doing. :helpHence my cancellation and comments. Here's the very vague policy they have posted. After October 1st, smoking on any Celeb ship will be very inconvenient for you. I eagerly await those sailing after October to hear just how limited the areas are. GOOD LUCK KIDDO!!
;)
http://www.celebritycruises.com/bef...teroom+Details&faqId=572&pagename=faq_answers
 
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