Are there any non-smoking ships in Carnival's fleet? My only dismay with cruising is running the smoking gauntlets on the ship.

Not anymore. The Paradise was marketed as no-smoking when this ship was first was introduced, but that changed when the ship was moved to the west coast. As I recall, the reason given my Carnival was that since it was their only ship on the west coast, it had to allow smokers too. Personally I think it was a convenient way to retire the concept without admitting defeat.

All of their ships are now "smoking".

quote:

Originally posted by papa55:
Are there any non-smoking ships in Carnival's fleet? My only dismay with cruising is running the smoking gauntlets on the ship.

Keep to the port side, coming and going and you'll be in the no smoking area always, well except in the casino and some lounges.

Cheers, Neil

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Beers:
Not anymore. The Paradise was marketed as no-smoking when this ship was first was introduced, but that changed when the ship was moved to the west coast. As I recall, the reason given my Carnival was that since it was their only ship on the west coast, it had to allow smokers too. Personally I think it was a convenient way to retire the concept without admitting defeat.

All of their ships are now "smoking".

It was known that revenue was down on the ship. Nonsmokers tend to not be as big of drinkers and gamblers. So therefore they weren't staying up all night long spending money in the casino and bars. Which reflected in revenue and also lost gratuities which made for unhappy crew.

I was told that the bigger problem was that Carnival, like every cruise line, thrives on groups, and in most groups, there's at least one smoker. This seems to have turned groups to other cruise ships and the Paradise's group business was way lower than Carnival's other ships, keeping occupancy lower than the other ships.

Sandy

So let's see...

Fewer bar sales meaning bartenders and waiters were making less money.

Less casino action meaning the casino vendor (and Carnival) was seeing less profits there.

Group sales were taking a beating.

This all sounds like "hmm, bad idea". I remember the big media splash Carnival made with the Paradise. They made a big deal of it whenever passengers who violated the policy were kicked off the ship. I guess the biggest example was when they booted a newlywed couple on their honeymoon before the ship left Miami.

But in the end, money talks. It can't sing or dance and it can't walk.

Personally, I really liked the non-smoking Paradise.

quote:

I remember the big media splash Carnival made with the Paradise.

Carnival even touted the fact that no workers building the ship were allowed to smoke during the process. They were serious about it.

The Paradise used to fly a flag of a cigarette in a circle with a line through it.

Too bad it didn't work out better.

Sandy

Wasn't Renaissance smoke-free on all their ships?

I believe they were.

They meant business about enforcing the policy on the Paradise too. I have read several stories of people being "debarked" as well. I also heard the profit margins were suffering.

The smoking areas are very limited now, compared to the past. Heck, I remember when smoking was allowed anywhere on the ship, including the dining room. It has gradually been phased out. When the dining rooms first went smoke-free the outside entrance at the elevators was a cloud of smoke after dinner.

They then started seperating the smokers in the show lounges to the starboard side. They eventually stopped that as well. The next phase was the biggest change of all. No smoking in the interior public walkways of the ship, including the Promenade deck and Lobby.

The next phase designated certain inside bars and entertainment venues as non-smoking areas. They then designated the Starboard side of the open/outside decks for smoking.

Just a little history of smoking on Carnival ships. There shouldn't be any gauntlets to run for anyone, unless you are trying to find a place to smoke.

Dwayne

Unfortunately there are people who do not know the port side from the starboard. I have been on two cruises and have had to run the smoking gauntlets on both sides of the ship. Let me add this: SMOKING STINKS!

They may not know Port from Starboard but they certainly should know how to read. I have seen small No Smoking signs hanging on the railing, and the tables on deck have No Smoking symbols on them.

everytime I found a post about smoking I can only say this
" I pay good money for my cruise, I like to smoke and I am at sea, where I can smoke??"

You know what
Sometimes nonsmoking people ask
where are their rights?
Well we have delimited smoking areas, I can't smoke on most parts of the ship and yet they still want to ban smoking from cruising.
Is easier for them to find a place without smokers than a smoker is to find a place where he can smoke and yet still they are not happy,
What about we do this I respect their rigths to no smoke and they respect mine to smoke...

I have obviously struck a nerve with the smokers. I know it is a terrible addiction. All I ask is to not smoke in the non-smoking areas.

quote:

All I ask is to not smoke in the non-smoking areas.

Exactly. The problem is those who ignore the signs and wander all over the place with a cigarette or cigar in their mouth. It isn't many, but it doesn't need to be many. I've got no problem with people who choose to smoke as long as it isn't done in no-smoking areas. Heck, I still enjoy a cigar now and then but I do it within the rules.

Can you smoke on your private balcony?

On Carnival, yes.

First of all, coming from an entire family of smokers....smoking is not a right. It is a responsibility. Not only does someone not have the right to harm another human being, they have the responsibility not to.

I know the horrible addiction first hand. I watched my sister die a slow death of two years that was nothing short of pure torture in her 50's.

That being said...if Carnival wants the money of smokers and nonsmokers, then they should build smarter ships instead of just bigger ones...that will accommodate both!

But as long as cruise lines have smokers and non smokers bickering among themselves...they don't have to worry about us getting together and demanding a working solution.

LHP, I am sorry to hear about what happened with your sister. It is horrible.

I am still a smoker and can attest to Carnival's strict enforcement of the current policies. I was told to get rid of one by security on the aft lido deck on Glory. I was waiting on a pizza late at night and walked to the starboard side to smoke. I had made friends with the pizza makers and they knew me by name. So they yelled my name out when my pizza was ready. Needless to say, I inadvertently walked over with my cigarette and was promptly busted.

Dwayne