A Smokers Debate

When I was on my most recent cruise on the P&O Ventura, one of the main discussions we often had with other guests was about smoking on board the ship and areas that you could or couldn’t smoke. Usually these conversations took place in the smoking areas!

This is my one and only bad habit that I have, smoking.  I would love to give up for various reasons, my health being the first and the financial benefits that I will reap once I do manage to kick the habit. My willpower is not great, I have tried to go cold turkey and also most recently tried to use a vapouriser but I have to admit I do still enjoy a cigarette.

Anyway, on board I did notice many guests using the vapouriser and in all areas of the ship also. I have no problem with this as it is not harmful and has no smell to affect other guests, although some people still did not like it.

On most ships you will find that there are several designated smoking areas and they are usually on the starboard side of the ship. For example, on the Ventura you had the starboard side of promenade deck 7 and then you had the starboard side of the Lido deck and above on the sundeck. I actually found that this was ample space for us minority of non smokers on the ship. But I was in a balcony cabin and it was a pain having to keep traipsing up or down to go and have a cigarette when I would have preferred to of sat on my balcony.

If I am honest, the only complaint that I had was that on the Ventura, the smokers area on the lido deck was messy, ashtrays was not emptied as regularly as I would have expected and empty cups and glasses was just left after use and again not cleared straight away as they was in the non smokers section.

I had a client advise me that as a non smoker on a recent cruise he had just returned from it was different,  he felt that the smokers area was attended to much more than the non smokers side, the smoking area tables and chairs was provided with cushions and was always clean and yet the non smoking side was not. He even commented that they would go over an take the cushions from the smoking chairs to place on their chairs for more comfort!

One afternoon we was on the prom deck and there was a lady sitting there complaining about the smoking and how it was disgusting, when I looked over to the said lady she was actually sitting next to the ashtray and 2 other people smoking. Someone did kindly advise her that she was in the smokers area and that she could always move around to the port side and not be affected by the smoke on the starboard side. Only then did she decide to get up and move away but made it clear it should be banned all over the ship.

I do understand why cruise liners have banned smoking in the cabins, obviously this is not fair for guests who do not smoke to enter a cabin after someone has been puffing away in there prior to them using the cabin and stinking of smoke. But is it fair to ban smoking on the balcony of your cabin? Currently, if you are caught smoking in your cabin or balcony you do run the risk of a fine from the ship.

Most cruise liners enforced this non smoking on balcony cabins for several reasons, ignorant cruisers whom did not use ashtrays and instead threw their butts in the sea not only causing environmental damage but also running the risk of the wind blowing them back onto the ship, which is a fire hazard. Neighbouring cabins that would have smoke billowing onto their balcony which, if the neighbours were non-smokers they found unpleasant.

As we live in Britain and you will also find that throughout europe now too, we are used to having to smoke outside except in our own homes. This has been the law now for several years and smoking in public places is completely prohibited. Even outside areas of airports and public buildings you can only smoke in the designated areas or risk a fine.

After speaking with the smoking population on the ship and some non smokers too, most thought the same regarding the smoking on balcony cabins.  So let me put this question to the smokers and nonsmokers of you who like to cruise and see what your opinion is….

Should there be a selection of balcony cabins on the starboard side for smokers? This way the smoke is contained in one area and smokers can still have the benefit of using their balcony without having to keep travelling to other decks.

If they did allow smoking, should the balcony cabin for smokers have a fixed ashtray, maybe a sand filled type so that the cigarette is disposed of correctly and not thrown in the sea?

Do you think that cruise ships provide ample areas for smokers or not enough?

Some cruise ships still have a traditional smoking room on board, do you think all cruise ships should have a smoking room?

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the ongoing debate for smokers and cruises…

Dawn

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