No Smoking on balconies on P & O from April 2014.

[emjay45]

Anyone who thinks giving up an addiction overnight after 35 years must be mad, more so when you are forced into it. Those of you who have never smoked, there by the grace blah blah. The comments about B0, cocain etc was light hearted mind you if I keep getting big brother telling me what to do I may turn to heroin. (joke). BUT, drinking in cabins? would not surprise me. The government are now calling for alcohol content in wine being restricted by almost half, believe me, drinking will be the next thing hit, after all, when we stop smoking where are they going to get the revenue from, drinkers, the overweight, car drivers. The general opinion seems to be so English, "so long as it dont affect me I dont care" Wait until they stop you doing what you want

I actually agree with all you say. I don't smoke, but I do feel sorry for those who do and now will not be able to on balconies. I also agree it's for each individual to decide what they want to do and I don't want or need any government or anyone else telling me how I should live my life.

[tractor boy]

I Like you emjay, As a slightly overweight, over 50, smoking, drinking, tatood, biker I need all the friends I can get.

[emjay45]

I Like you emjay, As a slightly overweight, over 50, smoking, drinking, tatood, biker I need all the friends I can get.

You do don't you but you do have a very good point. smokers have been marginalised. So who will be next.

[tractor boy]

I can see it now, Healthy eating at sea, portion control, no deck games (health and safety), no gambling,(including bingo) no Sunday service (for fear of upsetting other passengers) no art sales (extorsion). AND Marco Pier White, Who ever would want to eat in the resteraunt of a smoking, drinking, long haired, foulmouth.

[Silver_Shiney]

Going back to the OP, As a smoker who has booked a balcony cabin for 2015 to the caribbean I think its out of order that when we booked 2 weeks ago there was no mention of this. Surely this is breach of contract. I know I wll get put down by the non smokers on here as usual but I wonder how long it will be before they stop us drinking in our cabins, or banning stinky feet,BO, etc due to cleaning. God whatever next, they will soon say I cant jack up in my cabin or use the bathroom for taking cocain

While I am in full support of this ban, I think a fairer solution would have been to implement it for all NEW cruises, ie ones that had yet to be advertised.

It reminds me of when we booked a flight for my son to come over from the US - at the time of booking, the airline flew into Bristol. After booking, they stopped flying to Bristol and I had to go to LHR to pick him up. Would the airline do anything about it??

[tractor boy]

While I agree Alan, It would have mad sense to have a few smoking balconies in a block together and if you want to smoke book up early to ensure you get the cabin you want, as in my case a year and a half early. Mind you I dont think P&O can say if Oceana will still be around when we are supposed to go.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Ann and Emjay have interpreted my view correctly.

I have always likened P&O's delivery to around about 4* chain with the food in MDRs being of good quality banquet fare (albeit with choice) but certainly below a fine shoreside establishment in terms of quality of ingredients and service level, as well as applied culinary skills.

I have never applied the appellation 'Luxury' to any cruise I have been on (P&O, Cunard, HAL or FO) and I am sceptical about claims from most other mass-market lines that herald themselves as 5 star or higher.

[tractor boy]

It would be impossible for a ship to serve food as good as shoreside resteraunts due to the fact that most of the supplies are frozen where any decent restaurant will have at least fresh F&V everyday.

[Gill W]

Ann and Emjay have interpreted my view correctly.

I have always likened P&O's delivery to around about 4* chain with the food in MDRs being of good quality banquet fare (albeit with choice) but certainly below a fine shoreside establishment in terms of quality of ingredients and service level, as well as applied culinary skills.

I have never applied the appellation 'Luxury' to any cruise I have been on (P&O, Cunard, HAL or FO) and I am sceptical about claims from most other mass-market lines that herald themselves as 5 star or higher.

I understood what you meant Derek, and agree with what you are saying (Slap me somebody)

The MDR is mass catering but to a very good standard and a high standard of presentation.

[Dark Knight]

back on topic

as it is not a long walk from anywhere to anywhere on a boat, smokers can simply wander up on deck for a craft drag,,,no problem

[tractor boy]

Fair comment mate, but when you have paid for a cabin with a balcony that was at the time of booking, a smoking area, it is wrong that they then change the rules. As someone else said, the fairest way would be to implement it on cruises not yet booked. As a note, no one ever asked me for my oppinion on the smoking issue so maybe they only asked non smokers. In effect, they have sold me something that they can not provide, ie a balcony to smoke on, which is exactly what I was led to believe I was getting. Miss selling issue?

[Dark Knight]

TB
totally agree, as a smoker I would be massively upset, if I had paid for a balcony to be told, it does not meet my requirements
I would be asking for a refund and going elsewhere, however, it will soon be across all ships and all lines apart from some of the real high end ones that have cigar lounges etc
but it was inevitable

[Romig1]

I too have great sympathy with you tractorboy. Unfortunately, P&O have plenty of "previous" when it comes to making such changes AFTER bookings have been taken. Why they couldn't delay the inception date to cruises not already on sale, I just can't understand.

[Ray Scully]

On reflection smokers need not be too concerned. We are all aware of P&O's track record of policing the sun bed policy, so really I can't see much changing.

Ray

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Recidivist smokers who feel aggrieved at the progressive policy of banning smoking from private balconies should remember a couple of things:

a). It is not essential to sustain life to have to light up at any time just to satisfy your uncontrollable urges. However, for all humans, including children (who deserve special protection) as well as those who have bronchial and other breathing difficulties, being able to breathe is essential. They (non-smokers) have also paid a fare to enjoy a private balcony and in every other respect, except smoking, a smoker can enjoy his balcony too in terms of enjoying the view, a cup of tea, sunbathing, etc.

b). They will still be able to enjoy their deeply unpleasant and anti-social habit in certain designated public deck areas and shoreside where it is permitted.

[Kendhni]

What are the odds that Carnival will take the non-hypocritical approach and stop selling tobacco on board its ships ... or are they only interested in peoples health as long as it does not affect profits?

[Mo2013]

Recidivist smokers who feel aggrieved at the progressive policy of banning smoking from private balconies should remember a couple of things:

a). It is not essential to sustain life to have to light up at any time just to satisfy your uncontrollable urges. However, for all humans, including children (who deserve special protection) as well as those who have bronchial and other breathing difficulties, being able to breathe is essential. They (non-smokers) have also paid a fare to enjoy a private balcony and in every other respect, except smoking, a smoker can enjoy his balcony too in terms of enjoying the view, a cup of tea, sunbathing, etc.

b). They will still be able to enjoy their deeply unpleasant and anti-social habit in certain designated public deck areas and shoreside where it is permitted.

Well put Derek. It seems to me that some smokers are taking these rules personally rather than looking at the bigger picture which you describe very well in your comments.

[Mo2013]

What are the odds that Carnival will take the non-hypocritical approach and stop selling tobacco on board its ships ... or are they only interested in peoples health as long as it does not affect profits?

What a silly thing to say. That's like saying shops, pubs and chemists ought to stop selling condoms because they don't want young girls to get pregnant. People can smoke, not just wherever they like. And people do have somewhere to smoke on a ship.

[Kendhni]

What are the odds that Carnival will take the non-hypocritical approach and stop selling tobacco on board its ships ... or are they only interested in peoples health as long as it does not affect profits?

What a silly thing to say. That's like saying shops, pubs and chemists ought to stop selling condoms because they don't want young girls to get pregnant. People can smoke, not just wherever they like. And people do have somewhere to smoke on a ship.

You obviously missed the smilies ... stop taking everything so seriously

[Romig1]

Recidivist smokers who feel aggrieved at the progressive policy of banning smoking from private balconies should remember a couple of things:

a). It is not essential to sustain life to have to light up at any time just to satisfy your uncontrollable urges. However, for all humans, including children (who deserve special protection) as well as those who have bronchial and other breathing difficulties, being able to breathe is essential. They (non-smokers) have also paid a fare to enjoy a private balcony and in every other respect, except smoking, a smoker can enjoy his balcony too in terms of enjoying the view, a cup of tea, sunbathing, etc.

b). They will still be able to enjoy their deeply unpleasant and anti-social habit in certain designated public deck areas and shoreside where it is permitted.

Whilst I appreciate that you also did include a note about those with bronchial problems, let's get real for a minute, can we?

The vast majority of "all humans" can still breathe perfectly well in an outdoor space where smokers are present. It seems to me, a tad disingenuous to imply otherwise.

[Kendhni]

In a totally unscientific experiment many smokers find that very loud heavy metal music can have the same calming effect as tobacco and aid in their relaxation ... so remember to pack those boom boxes as nicotine replacements, so that you can enjoy your balcony

[tractor boy]

Non smokers got us kicked outside now all they do is moan that we smoke outside. Do you drive a car? and you moan about smokers killing you. The point to this is not about smoking or not, for me its about P&O miss selling. Ken, I will pack my Motorhead CDs for my next cruise, You cant beat a bit of overkill at 6:30am to replace the quiet cigareete

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm in favour of banning smoking on balconies and think the term "misselling" is over the top. However I do agree that this change should have been implemented before cruises were sold rather than retrospectively and wonder what the legal position would be if a smoker who had booked a balcony when smoking was permitted went so far as to test it in court?

[tractor boy]

As miss selling law is one of the legal areas I work in we may well find out but I dont think that P&O would let it go that far. I have the brochure from which we booked the cruise and it clearly says in the you need to know section "smoking is not permitted in cabins or public rooms, but will be permittedon balconies and designated areas of the open deck" Open and shut case I think

[david63]

As miss selling law is one of the legal areas I work in we may well find out but I dont think that P&O would let it go that far. I have the brochure from which we booked the cruise and it clearly says in the you need to know section "smoking is not permitted in cabins or public rooms, but will be permittedon balconies and designated areas of the open deck" Open and shut case I think

And I bet that somewhere there will be some "small print" whereby they can change things and/or they will argue that of fire risk from cigarettes being thrown over the balcony or accidentally falling over - and that argument, when substantiated, will win every time.