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"Cigars under the Stars"


DC_Cruiser

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Hey everyone - 

Been lurking on these boards for a while, but finally decided to actually create an account. Have a cruise on the Allure in March next year. There has been talk on this board previously about the availability of Cigars, and the presence of cigar bars. I know the Allure does not have any designated cigar bars, but I did see on a 2017 compass an event every night labeled "Cigars under the stars". The location was listed as the pool bar. As someone who loves to indulge in some stogies when on vacation, I wasn't sure if anyone knows if these events are frequent on Allure cruises? If so, do you know if they actually sell cigars on board (regardless of the ridiculous upcharge that would be included)? 

Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks for all of the amazing content that I find on the boards!

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2 hours ago, DC_Cruiser said:

do you know if they actually sell cigars on board (regardless of the ridiculous upcharge that would be included)? 

I am not a smoker. But I do have friends that are. Yes, they do sell cigars on board, but as my friends told me, "you don't always know what you're getting". Meaning, that costly stogie may have been on board for sometime and not properly stored in a temperature/humidity controlled room/humidor. I would recommend two things to you (1) bring your own cigars and (2) check the Cruise Compass heading above and look for recent Allure cruise compasses which it appears you have done. 

Also welcome aboard! Feel free to ask away with any questions. There is a wealth of knowledge here from many seasoned, sun tanned, sun burned and ultimate drink package baked Royal Caribbean cruisers.:27_sunglasses:  

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I've cruised all of the Oasis class.  "Cigars under the stars" is not a hosted 'event', it is just a place where you can go to enjoy a cigar.  I've ironically gotten a nasty look from cigarette smokers who don't like the cigar smoke so I think calling is "Cigars under the stars" just sets it straight that it is allowed.

There is a smoking area on the pool deck port side.  My most recent experience was on Harmony in October.  There are chairs and ash containers you can sit in while enjoying your cigar.  I bring my own in a small waterproof travel cigar hard case.  It's called a travel humidor but it isn't really a humidor.  I use the small moisture packs to keep the humidity level proper although in the humid Caribbean that probably isn't as big a deal as it is in Colorado where I live (a very dry state).  

I bought cigars on a Celebrity ship earlier this year and I was disappointed in selection, price and humidity.  Lesson learned, bring them if you want to smoke them or buy them at a port where you will have some selection at least.

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I too enjoy a cigar or two while cruising. As others have said the “cigars under the stars” is nothing more then an announcement that cigars will be smoked in a designated area on the ship. I really miss the days of smoking a cigar on my stateroom balcony! At this point, the designated cigar smoking location is more like a crack den then a relaxing venue to be enjoyed. There’s nothing less relaxing then puffing a cigar next to someone who is chainsmoking their Marlboro lights and pounding Budweiser’s out of a can. 

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I just got off the Allure in October and I'm a cigar smoker, and i agree with everything @tonyfsu21 says above as well as what everyone says above.

I didn't like sitting down on deck 15 where all of the cigarette smokers were sitting (Sounds strange, I know) you are not under the stars and you are sitting with 50-75 other loud, drunk smokers, so go directly up one deck to 16 by the mast bar and there are ash trays available and tables with stools to sit at, the bar was usually closed when I went to smoke my cigar, usually around 9-9:30pm, but you are under the stars a with a nice breeze, my wife would usually even stay with me, with the breeze the smoke didn't bother her. By the end of the week there were 5-6 of us cigar smokers all congregated to the same spot.

There was one night that we got asked to leave by security, but that was due high winds and safety concerns, not anything to do with the cigars.

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14 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

I just got off the Allure in October and I'm a cigar smoker, and i agree with everything @tonyfsu21 says above as well as what everyone says above.

I didn't like sitting down on deck 15 where all of the cigarette smokers were sitting (Sounds strange, I know) you are not under the stars and you are sitting with 50-75 other loud, drunk smokers, so go directly up one deck to 16 by the mast bar and there are ash trays available and tables with stools to sit at, the bar was usually closed when I went to smoke my cigar, usually around 9-9:30pm, but you are under the stars a with a nice breeze, my wife would usually even stay with me, with the breeze the smoke didn't bother her. By the end of the week there were 5-6 of us cigar smokers all congregated to the same spot.

There was one night that we got asked to leave by security, but that was due high winds and safety concerns, not anything to do with the cigars.

In addition to this - I was on board Allure at the same time as @tiny260 as well as the week prior, and I did notice this announcement in the cruise compass each night. 

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I really miss the old Concierge Clubs on the Voyager Class ships (I think that's the class that had them).  They were a nice, quiet, somewhat sophisticated place to go and smoke.  I was never a cigar smoker but I used to smoke cigarettes and that was a nice space - comfortable chairs, dark wood.  I'm sorry to see it gone, even though I no longer smoke.

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9 hours ago, DC_Cruiser said:

Thanks everyone for the insight. Very useful to know before heading on the ships. 

So I was always under the assumption that I would not be able to carry on my own cigars? Sounds like the best bet would to just bring a few of mine own if Iim planning on indulging? 

 

 

100%. My dad & I ALWAYS bring our own on board. 

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11 hours ago, DC_Cruiser said:

Thanks everyone for the insight. Very useful to know before heading on the ships. 

So I was always under the assumption that I would not be able to carry on my own cigars? Sounds like the best bet would to just bring a few of mine own if Iim planning on indulging? 

 

 

Agreed, I always bring my own, enough to get me by until I get to an island where I can buy some non-counterfeit Cubans. I always have my travel case, my cutter and lighter in my checked bag and have never been asked to go to the naughty room to explain.

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There was a dedicated cigar lounge on Freedom when I was on board a year ago.  It was very nice, and I went in there for a cigar twice during the cruise.  Both times though there were never more than 2 or 3 people in there.  With a dedicated employee working in there for only a few people, some of which probably brought their own cigars, I could see them re-purposing that space with something else in the future, if they haven't already.

It was nice to sit in there and have a drink with a cigar.  It had an old time feel to it, and I enjoyed it.  I think it is something that should be on every cruise ship, but it seems to be heading to the history books.        

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47 minutes ago, JBC said:

There was a dedicated cigar lounge on Freedom when I was on board a year ago.  It was very nice, and I went in there for a cigar twice during the cruise.  Both times though there were never more than 2 or 3 people in there.  With a dedicated employee working in there for only a few people, some of which probably brought their own cigars, I could see them re-purposing that space with something else in the future, if they haven't already.

It was nice to sit in there and have a drink with a cigar.  It had an old time feel to it, and I enjoyed it.  I think it is something that should be on every cruise ship, but it seems to be heading to the history books.        

Yes, that's the old Concierge Lounge.  Going by the wayside on most ships.  Very few remaining.  I guess it was on the Voyager and Freedom classes.

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On 12/14/2017 at 3:03 AM, tiny260 said:

 

I didn't like sitting down on deck 15 where all of the cigarette smokers were sitting (Sounds strange, I know) you are not under the stars and you are sitting with 50-75 other loud, drunk smokers...

 

I'm not a smoker but it will surely very awkward to be in the middle of this smoking crowd.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When recently on the 2016 Voyager sailing out of Sydney Australia I noticed on the website that there was a Cigar Bar mentioned, When we boarded I went looking for it for future refrence and found it was just outside of the Casino but had been turned into a Child crèche !!, 

When I asked a crew member about it I was told they convert it back to a smoking venue when on the Asian sailing season.

I was then told there was nowhere apart from the Port side of the pool deck for smoking.

 

I did find that at the Sky Bar each evening I could indulge in a Cigar and fine whisky but then again the cigarette smokers found out about it and took over the place, additionally the weather was not always favorable for the enjoyment of a good cigar at the end of a good meal.

RC should reinstate the Cigar/Pipe smoking Bar for the connoisseur of the finer things in life, 

 

PS. Don't but Cigars on Board as previously mentioned they a re often poor quality , incorrectly stored and overpriced.  Bring your Own.

 

Note for RC; The introduction or reinstatement of a dedicated Cigar/Pipe Smoking area with correctly sourced and stored Cigars, I believe would not only make many a customer happy but would enforce the Royal in Royal Caribbean  and provide another level of Luxury that your loyal customers would appreciate.:49_triumph:

 

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