Hi Mister, I guess it's just that some posters who have read this and other boards for years have grown sooooooooo tired of the arguing....smoking and tipping are ridiculous hot buttons no matter where they get posted, and always end up being "closed" or taken down when the zealots get out of hand.
You say "while neglecting to tell the whole story because it conflicts with their beliefs/feelings" - well that's just it. Most people can't get through the day without a good rationalization, including me. LOL
Which again, leads me back to this original topic. Unless you want to spin rationalizations, like crew being "forced" to work on board, etc. Celebrity clearly speaks with many tongues. The smoking hypocracy IMHO is just one of many reasons I feel Dan is running the brand into the ground. I get this vibe he's the root of the problem. Celebrity has tried so many changes, scattered themselves into so many directions the last few years, only to see those star ratings continue to slide...sometimes you should just leave a good thing ALONE.
I'm all about laughing at everything, am a very considerate moderate smoker, and just wanted the topic to be food for thought for those who can maintain an OPEN MIND and look at both sides from a corporate/profit and passenger viewpoint. If the vehement non-smokers balk so much, where will they go when Celebrity repeals its' policies? (I believe they will). Holland America? Princess? Nope. So unless some are prepared to pay for private yatchs, you're outta luck!! Even luxury lines have "lounges" indoors for their guests. So all that anger is going to get you nowhere. Why not try to "lighten up" (pun intended)?
So what did Celebrity have to gain by this smoke and mirrors policy? (tee hee). Fool the people into thinking the ship was 99.9% smoke free indoors, in hopes of capturing a larger audience. So far, that hasn't worked. What did they have to lose? Lots and lots of cruising share going elsewhere, like myself.
Finding out that THOUSANDS of cabins on each ship are smoking, is proof of hypocrisy. I believe my arguments show that. Thousands of transcient crew are happily smoking, and thousands of crew are happily partying at the crew bars with a cigarrette, while pax are foooled into thinking Celebrity cares about their health. It was just a premature marketing move. In 50 years, sure, most will go smoke free. Humans will find another vice to argue about and indulge in. Now? I think Dan cut off another toe.
Oh, and one day I must start a thread about The Fairytale that the poor, poor, beleaguered crew are rowing the boat, working 18 hour days, and underpaid. Another great hoax the crew very much wants to continue...it's works well in their favor. Unless you personally know many crew members, you ain't got a clue what's really going on.
