Can I smoke on my balcony??

Once again this week a customer was shocked to hear you couldn’t smoke on a balcony even though it was banned a good few years ago by most cruise lines.

Whether you’re for it, or against it, the growing debate about smoking at sea is an important topic for a lot of people and now it is more complex because of the impact of eCigarettes.  

Smoking on board cruise ships is a highly debated and contentious issue within the cruise industry. Many cruisers have very strong opinions on this topic.

Most cruise lines have now banned smoking on balconies and only permit you to do so in dedicated smoking areas. There are still cruise lines that do let you smoke on your balcony however, such as Costa, Fred Olsen, Holland America and Seabourn – but they do also have dedicated smoking rooms.

However, while a large number of cruisers support this ban, it is important to acknowledge that many feel they should be offered a choice  The right to an on-balcony cigarette has become an increasingly divisive subject, while some passengers see this as an acceptable practice conducted in the privacy of their cabins, others complain that smoke drifting into neighbouring rooms is unfair.

In my opinion I think there should be cabins with a balcony that allow smoking, maybe on the very back of a ship looking over the wake because surely that wouldn’t affect any cabins along the sides of the ship!

Make the cabins on back smoking??

Recently a customer of mine commented that he had a balcony on the deck below the smoking area and he was able to smell smoke most days during his cruise, which he said didnt bother him.  He is a non-smoker for the record!

Like I mentioned earlier the latest fad seems to be ecigarettes with many Vape shops appearing on the high street. Many say these are no safer than smoking tobacco…..surely not??      I’ve noticed there are plenty of flavours available for these ecigarettes so would that affect you as much if you were in a cabin next door and had that blowing across your balcony?  Must be better than tobacco!

I’m a non-smoker but do see both points of view, opinion from my customers is divided.  I’ve got customers who used to book a Queens Grill Suite on a Cunard world cruise every year but are adamant they will never sail again with Cunard until they allow smoking on their balcony.

Maybe allow smoking on the balconies at the aft of the ship in the hope it doesn’t affect so many people.  At least if you book one of those you will know its in a smoking area so should expect to smell smoke……I don’t know it really is an awkward subject. 

We’ve got a great guide for you to look at with this information and much more, just click here

Let me know your opinions and thoughts , and if you have any further queries or questions please contact me on [email protected] or call me on 0800 408 6107.