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