Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
There’s no question that cruise ship passengers have an opinion about whether cruise lines should permit or ban smoking onboard. On my Popular Cruising YouTube channel, a viewer recently left the following comment on my Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova review:
“Get smokers off of regular cruise ships! Smoke kills luxury!”
And, I have to agree. I have always been a proponent of eliminating all smoking from cruise ships, even a ship’s dedicated cigar lounges, as harmful smoke can still drift beyond the space and pollute surrounding areas.
A Little Background
Historically, Carnival Cruise Line was the first to attempt the first entirely non-smoking cruise ship when it launched Carnival Paradise in 1998, going so far as to prohibit shipyard workers from smoking during its construction. When it launched, the ship proudly sported giant no-smoking signs on each of its exterior sides, and on the stern.
However, as the story goes, the smoke-free policy was discontinued in 2003 due to lagging revenue, with Carnival claiming that non-smokers tend to drink and gamble (both significant profit generators) less than smokers.
Was Paradise Simply Ahead of Its Time?
Princess Cruises, a corporate cousin to the Carnival brand, just announced that its new Star Princess will showcase expanded non-smoking casino areas. The upcoming vessel across designated sections will have 68 more smoke-free slot machines than its preceding sister ship, Sun Princess.
So, there must be a market for cleaner air.
A Travel Advisor Perspective
Cheerie Dorris, travel advisor with Avoya Travel and owner of Cheerie Travel, says that while she has some customers who smoke, the majority do not. Her smoking clients believe cruise lines have already eliminated most smoking areas, making it more challenging for them to find a place to light up. (She notes how Princess is also phasing out its Churchill’s cigar lounges in favor of non-smoking arcades.)
"They are forced to smoke in the casino, while actively gambling, or outside,” she said. “The clients I have who smoke have been very vocal about that issue.” But, she added, “Many clients who don't smoke would prefer the casinos on all cruise lines to [become] non-smoking [spaces], exclusively.”
Her non-smoking customers say they would spend more time in the casinos if they were truly smoke-free, but she also realizes that cruise lines have tested this to various degrees and have concluded, as did Carnival, that non-smokers do not make up the revenue difference.
The smokers complain there are not enough spaces [for them], and the non-smokers complain they can smell smoke in or near the smoking area.
"Most of my clients who are non-smokers tolerate the smoking, but do complain that the ships should have better ventilation and smoke-eater systems so that it doesn't drift from those designated areas,” Dorris said, noting that even her smoking clients wish the ships had better ventilation systems.
Of course, one way for cruisers to largely avoid indoor fumes would be to select a line that does not have a gambling hall at all, such as Disney Cruise Line and Viking, both of which only allow smoking in small outdoor areas.
Carleen Lett of Lett's Travel, an independent agency in Avoya’s Network, says it’s a lose-lose situation.
"The smokers complain there are not enough spaces [for them], and the non-smokers complain they can smell smoke in or near the smoking areas,” she said. “Personally speaking, more clearly marked venues would be better to deter the non-smokers."
Passenger Health Considerations
But I believe the debate comes down to more than just petty annoyances. There are genuine health considerations regarding the well-known adverse effects of direct and secondhand smoke.
Cheerie Travel’s Dorris agrees.
“Both [smoking and non-smoking clients] worry for their own safety, as well as crew safety concerning secondhand smoke,” she said. “[Smokers] know they are a smaller percentage of the cruising public in this decade, but they still want to be able to enjoy their cigarette or cigar as part of their cruising experience, as they always have in the past. They feel their concerns are falling on deaf ears by cruise executives now, who cave to the pressure in the face of public health concerns.”
Todd Embree of Gypsea Travels has a different take; he calculates that more than half of his non-smoking clients would prefer completely smoke-free gambling venues — such as those found on Virgin Voyages. Or, they would prefer fully enclosed smoking sections, such as those found on Virgin and several of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships.
"The vast majority of my clients who are non-smokers are OK with [smoking areas], as long as [they have] a way to walk that is smoke-free,” he said, mentioning that most shipboard smoking sections are isolated on one side of an upper deck, and can be bypassed. “Otherwise, I would say that a small portion [of clients] have expressed the want for an entirely smoke-free ship.”
