NO SMOKING SOMETIME IN 2020?

[RetirementFun]

I heard (from a semi-reliable source) that Royal Caribbean is considering making the entire fleet non-smoking sometime during 2020. I am a Diamond and a casino VIP, and if this is true, I will totally give it all up and change cruise lines. I hate to do this because I absolutely love Royal Caribbean and do 6-8 cruises a year, but the must have some smoking areas for the casino players. The type personality that gambles and drinks, is the same personality that smokes - so - if RCI does implement this, I'm sure a large number of gambles will also change cruise lines. I've spoken to well over 50 smokers on my last cruise and without exception (oops - 1 person did say they were thinking of stopping smoking), everyone said they would never cruise RCI again if they did this.

Has anyone else heard this rumor?

[WAAAYTOOO]

I have not heard such a rumor

[Ray]

Is it April 1st already? 

If RC ban smoking on ships then this would apply to crew as well, so i very much doubt it would be a complete ban.

They may ban it from the casino which is in doors, which in my opinion as a smoker they should do. 

[mworkman]

You're lucky i'm not in charge, i would ban smoking indoors (to include the casino) and make the only place for smoking, in the aft (designated section) upper decks.  If you get caught smoking in a non-authorized location, you would be dropped off at the next port.  I'm surprised that Royal Caribbean hasn't been sued yet, by an employee that has been diagnosed with cancer from second hand smoke due to improper ventilation in the casinos.

[Momof4crazytocruise]

Honestly, I don't see this happening. They would lose a huge customer base, and a majority chunk of their Casino business. No way they implement this. More restrictions on smoking areas? Maybe. Perhaps installation of better ventilation systems in the Casino - that would be a better investment, in my opinion. And this is coming from someone with a severe allergy to smoke. If I can walk through a Casino in Vegas, I know there are filtration systems that are pretty advanced. Why not implement that?

[BB1]

It is very interesting.  As of 2015, only 15% of US adults smoked. That's a very small minority.  People think that eliminating smoking would greatly reduce the gambling. That doesn't seem very plausible. 

[BB1]

I would also like to add, when smoking was banned from all the bars and restaurants in my town, the businesses all went ballistic. There was all of this gloom and doom about losing the coveted smoker's business and loss of revenue that would result. What actually happened was basically nothing. 

[TXcruzer]

Indoor smoking is already banned on Royal ships embarking from Europe and Australia, with seemingly zero effect on the bottom line".  It is only a matter of time before this is seen from North American embarkation ports.

[Matt]

Moving this to the News and Rumors forum...

[YOLO]

On 11/5/2019 at 1:09 PM, BB1 said:

People think that eliminating smoking would greatly reduce the gambling.

I for one would actually start gambling on cruise ships if the casinos were entirely smoke free.  So I wonder how many current gamblers would quit and how many new ones would start...

[FManke]

9 minutes ago, YOLO said:

I for one would actually start gambling on cruise ships if the casinos were entirely smoke free.  So I wonder how many gamblers would quit and how many new ones would start...

My thoughts exactly. I wonder if the loss of the smokers would be offset by the gains of non-smokers that would now cruise with an all smoke free cruise line??

 

[Ray]

7 minutes ago, YOLO said:

I for one would actually start gambling on cruise ships if the casinos were entirely smoke free.  So I wonder how many gamblers would quit and how many new ones would start...

Im a smoker and on FOTS last year there were times i had to leave the casino for fresh air! 

My clothes and what hair i have left smelt of smoke. 

You cannot smoke in bars or restaurants, even in casinos on land so why not stop it on cruiseships? 

In my opinion it would make it more enjoyable 

[KathyC]

We personally don't spend a cent in the Royal casinos because of the smokers.  We also, on some ships, don't patronize certain bars due to their proximity to the smoke smell.  We stopped participating in slot pulls as well.

We recently sailed on Celebrity and their casinos are all smoke free, the only smoking is out doors.  So don't switch to them when you leave Royal, even though they match status.  You'll be unhappy there too.

Thanks to the non-smoking casino, I made a contribution daily to the Summit casino.  Money that Royal will never see.  There were plenty of people making sizeable daily contributions, all happy to do so in a clean environment.  Also...Celebrity offers free drinks while you are actively playing.   

[Okgladgal]

If they took smoking out of the casino, I'd spent WAY MORE time and money there!

[BB1]

I do sympathize with smokers. It is an addiction, but maybe they could put a smoking area in close proximity to the casino. It is difficult to please everyone. The problem with smoking in particular is that it has such a big impact on everyone else around.

[twangster]

The current smoking rules save me a fortune.  I avoid the casino on all ships but Empress which is smoke free.  I lose money on Empress so it's kind of an inverted blessing they allow smokers in the casino.  

[Srp431]

I refuse to set foot in their casinos, I'd be happy to go gamble if they become smokefree

[PatsFanBrian]

5 hours ago, BB1 said:

I would also like to add, when smoking was banned from all the bars and restaurants in my town, the businesses all went ballistic. There was all of this gloom and doom about losing the coveted smoker's business and loss of revenue that would result. What actually happened was basically nothing. 

That was always a myth perpetuated by the tobacco lobby.  As you said, nothing changed except for a more pleasant experience for all the non-smokers.  Even most sports stadiums don't allow smoking anymore.

[PatsFanBrian]

Count me in with those who avoid the casino because of the smoke.  I would spend time there if it was smoke free.

[Phillo]

i'm a smoker too and was very surprised to find that smoking is allowed in the casino's on most itineraries.

I am more than happy to go outside and smoke to be honest. it stinks when its inside.  As for banning it all together, i doubt that this will happen in the short term.

[Nathan_O]

 

20 hours ago, BB1 said:

I would also like to add, when smoking was banned from all the bars and restaurants in my town, the businesses all went ballistic. There was all of this gloom and doom about losing the coveted smoker's business and loss of revenue that would result. What actually happened was basically nothing. 

when  land based Bars and restaurant that go non-smoking , weather by choice or law , the patrons still have the option to step outside to have a smoke. On a cruise no such option exists. If you ban it ship wide, until your at port guest would have to go "cold turkey", making sea day unbearable for some guests used to having multiple cigarettes a day .

I don't see this happening  (banning smoking ship wide ) 15% is a small percentage of the whole but those are the ones you admit they smoke, I know some who identify as a non-smoker but will have quite a few when drinking is involved 

[Atlantix2000]

I think most agree that banning smoking ship-wide is unlikely which is why most of these types of discussions end up focusing on the casino.  I have no problem with ships having smoking areas (even an indoor one) but I do have a problem with a major public venue allowing smoking.  Especially when most of Royal's casinos also function as a major passageway through the ship.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Even Celebrity is not a 100% smoke-free line.  They do not allow smoking inside anywhere but you can still smoke on certain outer deck areas.  I feel quite certain that Royal would never try and go 100% smoke-free.

[Rob&Ana]

I also herd they were going smoke free inside the ships (no more smoking in the casino and the cigar lounges are all being converted to something else) There will still be smoking outside. I think Celebrity was the test and soon we will see this on more Royal ships....

I hope it's soon.

[Al Horner]

I like playing slots but not in these smoke filled casinos. Our next cruise is on the Celebrity Silhouette. It is my understanding that their casino is smoke free. I hope so!

[marti314]

Everyone thought bars / restaurants would all go under when states started to implement smoking bans indoors.  That never happened.  I would argue that since a great majority of people do not smoke and can not stand smoke RCL could make more money in the casinos based on increased volume of people throwing money into machines / tables.

[monctonguy]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 2:04 PM, mworkman said:

You're lucky i'm not in charge, i would ban smoking indoors (to include the casino) and make the only place for smoking, in the aft (designated section) upper decks.  If you get caught smoking in a non-authorized location, you would be dropped off at the next port.  I'm surprised that Royal Caribbean hasn't been sued yet, by an employee that has been diagnosed with cancer from second hand smoke due to improper ventilation in the casinos.

Imagine the damage to their lungs from living and working on a cruise ship......and no, I don't mean smoking..I mean from the toxic garbage it spews into the air......the readings for pollutants are off the charts in studies they have done from cruise ships.....

 

Cant see them going smoke free in 2020....when I started cruising just a few years ago, you could still smoke in the bars and lounges.....

 

For all the people that don't smoke who say they would gamble in the casino if it went smoke free, I am guessing there are as many smokers(or more) who would spend a lot less.

 

At the end of the day its about money to Royal...you don't think they have done the math of having a smoking or non-smoking casino??!

 

 

[Pima1988]

On 11/5/2019 at 1:09 PM, BB1 said:

It is very interesting.  As of 2015, only 15% of US adults smoked. That's a very small minority.  People think that eliminating smoking would greatly reduce the gambling. That doesn't seem very plausible. 

This stat is for the US, but remember they have a lot of European passengers too.  For example when we sailed on Enchantment 3 yrs ago out of Miami, it turned out that 35% of the passengers were from overseas. Enchantment is small passenger wise, so when you are saying 2K passengers and 700 of them are not US citizens, but from countries where smoking is more common than that is a lot of passengers.  Took Anthem out of NJ 2 yrs ago. Same deal, I believe they said the total was just under 30%.  The ship I think had 4700 passengers.  Still a lot of people that smoke.  Did Adventure this past yr.  4188 passengers.  Again 30% were not US citizens.

I have lived in Europe.  Last yr I was in Sydney Australia and smoking was much more prevalent there than here.  Close to American standards, but not to our level yet.   IE no smoking in a hotel or restaurants, but step outside and you are fine.  Where I live, they have now gotten to the point that you must be 50 ft away from the entrance of the building.  Was in Italy a few yrs back and the same is true there. 

Point being RCL also has to think internationally when it comes to their customers especially when you look at their bigger ports, such as Miami and Bayonne.  Many international clients find these ports ideal bc they can extend the trip on both ends of the cruise to make it a once in a lifetime vacation, like US residents feel when they take a European or AK cruise.  Go on Symphony than rent a car, drive to Disney and spend a week there.  Go on Anthem for 5 nights to Canada/NE and than spend 3 nights in the Big Apple seeing Broadway shows and eating in Chinatown.  Go on Lady G out of Baltimore south for 8 nights and come back and take the train to DC and spend a few days there.    IOWS they need to cater to those clients as much to the US and if statistically, let's say 30% of adults smoke, and you add on 15% of US.  it basically would turn out to be @20% + overall.  Let's say 1000 passengers. 300 are international.  That means 90 of them smoke.  700 are US,  that = 105.  or in total almost 200 people, now expand that to ships carrying 4000+.  You are at 800 passengers.  

I couldn't care either way bc I am not a gambler.  The casino would not get any money from me be it smoking or non-smoking.  The only smoking areas that I might have to deal with is very limited, such as the pool and in that case I just go on the other side.  I am sure that gamblers, will still gamble either way.  My BIL is the biggest anti-smoker I have ever met, but he loves to play craps and was in the casino every night for a couple of hrs. while the entire time all you heard him say was they need to make the casino non-smoking.  Didn't stop him from gambling though.  Me otoh like I said I still would not spend any time in there.  The only time you find me in the casino is bc the design of the ships it always seems to be the faster route to get from 1 area to another so I literally am walking through it for 30 seconds.

[BB1]

All of that may be correct but when I go to Europe,  I don't see them changing the rules to accommodate others. This is totally a personal position,  but one of the reasons I don't  go to Europe is because of all the smoking. It definitely can be difficult to accommodate everyone. Trying to accommodate everyone and often make everyone unhappy. 

[Pima1988]

@BB1  Off topic, but on topic.  Smoking aspects would never stop me from traveling unless I was told that every place I visited and stayed at would equate to being locked with a chain smoker 24/7 the entire trip.  We go overseas @ every other yr as a vacation.  Hubby goes at least 3-4 times a yr. due to work. The thing is I am more than happy to deal with some cigarette smell to see something that very few have ever seen.

•   Been to the Winter Olympics in Italy.
•  Cruised in Europe to Dubrovnik, Greece, Elba and Sicily.  Saw ancient ruins that no picture could do justice
•  Traveled to Edinburgh Scotland, where every pub was filled with smokers.  They all had signs your dog is allowed, but not your child.
• Been to the Vatican and had to wait in line to enter where they smoke.  Couldn't imagine saying NOPE, gonna pass on that bc of smokers.
•  Been to wailing wall in Jerusalem...want to talk about smokers they give Asia a run for their money.
•  Venice is my favorite city in the world and there are smokers everywhere in  San Marco Square and on the Rialto, but OMG to hear the gondeliers sing Oh Solo Mia from your hotel balcony is priceless.

JMPO, but that is what RCL is doing regarding smoking.  They are offering people the chance for customers to get those type of memories.  IE a European client can cruise on RCL out of Bayonne or go NCL out of NY.  Both ships you get to see the Statue of Liberty.  If RCL makes it totally non-smoking, but NCL does not, they are risking the loss of customers to NCL.

That is the thing.  You state you no longer travel overseas due to smoking, but still go on RCL cruises. @WAAAYTOOO stated you could sail Celebrity, part of RCL corporation, but you still go RCL.  It could be bc of itinerary or cost, yet either way since you go RCL the smoking regs on their ships has not been so much of an issue that you said I won't travel on them like you stated about no longer traveling overseas.  Thus, their policy is not costing them any loss in sales.

[Atlantix2000]

11 minutes ago, Pima1988 said:

Thus, their policy is not costing them any loss in sales.

I don't think you can make that conclusion.  All this shows is that people are still willing to sail Royal because the vast majority of the ship is non-smoking.  If they allowed smoking anywhere on board, I guarantee they'd lose sales.

[BB1]

As I said, I personally don't go to Europe because the smoke is that offensive to me. I went many times when I was younger and the smoking truly took away much of the charm for me. On RC ships  I am able to avoid the smoke for the most part as I stay away from those venues. I'm  not a gambler but walking through the promenade on many ships, the smoke comes up from the Casino. I'm not saying they should or shouldn't make their ships smoke free.  I do think that if they do, the hard core smokers will possibly move to other lines. This could drive more non-smokers to RC creating predominantly smoking and non-smoking lines. Maybe then everyone would be happier. 

[Skatepunk]

I 100% agree, we avoid the casino now because of the smoke, they would not see a impact if they stopped allowing smoking as the folks who would no longer gamble because they could not smoke would be replaced by people more then happy to gamble in a smoke free environment.

[MotleyCruiser]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 12:09 PM, BB1 said:

It is very interesting.  As of 2015, only 15% of US adults smoked. That's a very small minority.  People think that eliminating smoking would greatly reduce the gambling. That doesn't seem very plausible. 

I think there are more than 15% of people who avoid the casino because of the smoke. My wife can't get within 200+ ft from  the casino.

[12thman]

On 11/5/2019 at 11:52 AM, Matt said:

Moving this to the News and Rumors forum...

It's not a Rumor because I read it on the internet!!

[KathyC]

On 11/6/2019 at 5:20 PM, kontraxed said:

I like playing slots but not in these smoke filled casinos. Our next cruise is on the Celebrity Silhouette. It is my understanding that their casino is smoke free. I hope so!

All across the fleet, Celebrity is non-smoking in the casino.   

[HeWhoWaits]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 11:49 AM, Pima1988 said:

 

•  Been to wailing wall in Jerusalem...want to talk about smokers they give Asia a run for their money.

Jerusalem is in Asia.

[Sparkymedic]

Seem a bunch of people treat the casino as a smoking lounge. To prove my point walk through there when the casino is closed and there’s people down there smoking. You’ll even see people just sitting around during open hours not playing just taking up seats smoking. Royal really should make all indoor areas non smoking or do some serious upgrades on the ventilation system. 

[Louvanh]

As stated before, we all heard the impending doom of bars, restaurants and businesses who would be impacted by smoking ban. Still waiting. I do not smoke, the majority of people on a cruise do not smoke, so why must the minority rule this topic. Do you actually believe someone who is a so called big spender gambling will stop because of a cigarette. No.  Cruisers who say they will stop sailing if they can not smoke. Right. Time for royal to follow suit as they have lately to be in sync with celebrity. 

[TXcruzer]

On 11/7/2019 at 9:12 AM, Pima1988 said:

This stat is for the US, but remember they have a lot of European passengers too.  For example when we sailed on Enchantment 3 yrs ago out of Miami, it turned out that 35% of the passengers were from overseas. Enchantment is small passenger wise, so when you are saying 2K passengers and 700 of them are not US citizens, but from countries where smoking is more common than that is a lot of passengers.  Took Anthem out of NJ 2 yrs ago. Same deal, I believe they said the total was just under 30%.  The ship I think had 4700 passengers.  Still a lot of people that smoke.  Did Adventure this past yr.  4188 passengers.  Again 30% were not US citizens.

I have lived in Europe.  Last yr I was in Sydney Australia and smoking was much more prevalent there than here.  Close to American standards, but not to our level yet.   IE no smoking in a hotel or restaurants, but step outside and you are fine.  Where I live, they have now gotten to the point that you must be 50 ft away from the entrance of the building.  Was in Italy a few yrs back and the same is true there. 

Point being RCL also has to think internationally when it comes to their customers especially when you look at their bigger ports, such as Miami and Bayonne.  Many international clients find these ports ideal bc they can extend the trip on both ends of the cruise to make it a once in a lifetime vacation, like US residents feel when they take a European or AK cruise.  Go on Symphony than rent a car, drive to Disney and spend a week there.  Go on Anthem for 5 nights to Canada/NE and than spend 3 nights in the Big Apple seeing Broadway shows and eating in Chinatown.  Go on Lady G out of Baltimore south for 8 nights and come back and take the train to DC and spend a few days there.    IOWS they need to cater to those clients as much to the US and if statistically, let's say 30% of adults smoke, and you add on 15% of US.  it basically would turn out to be @20% + overall.  Let's say 1000 passengers. 300 are international.  That means 90 of them smoke.  700 are US,  that = 105.  or in total almost 200 people, now expand that to ships carrying 4000+.  You are at 800 passengers.  

I couldn't care either way bc I am not a gambler.  The casino would not get any money from me be it smoking or non-smoking.  The only smoking areas that I might have to deal with is very limited, such as the pool and in that case I just go on the other side.  I am sure that gamblers, will still gamble either way.  My BIL is the biggest anti-smoker I have ever met, but he loves to play craps and was in the casino every night for a couple of hrs. while the entire time all you heard him say was they need to make the casino non-smoking.  Didn't stop him from gambling though.  Me otoh like I said I still would not spend any time in there.  The only time you find me in the casino is bc the design of the ships it always seems to be the faster route to get from 1 area to another so I literally am walking through it for 30 seconds.

This is all a moot point as Royal has already banned all indoor smoking on ships embarking from European ports, so obviously accommodating that demographic is not important