[Disclaimer] I wasn’t sure where to put this. A factual answer would be great, but I’m also interested in anything one can contribute from personal experience[/disclaimer].
My wife is very sensitive to tobacco smoke, and this significantly marred her enjoyment of our last cruise. Possibly it’s what made her physically ill for most of the trip. Most cruise lines I’ve researched seem make some accommodation to smokers–for example there are smoking sections in some of the bars and restaurants. In addition, smoking is usually permitted in all outdoor areas, such as the pool. I’m not personally opposed to smoking and I myself indulge in tobacco once in awhile, but if a totally smoke-free ship could ensure a happier time for my spouse, then I’m all for it.
Alternatively, it would be satisfactory if smoking was permitted in certain places, but better planned. For instance, on the last cruise I found myself wondering why couldn’t they have a smoker’s cafe/lounge/bar somewhere at the stern of the vessel? That way smokers could have a place to light up and virtually all of the smoke would pass behind the ship. On the ship we travelled on, though, you never knew when you would run into smoke. My wife thinks it’s from when we spent an hour in the casino on the first night out. Even just the aroma of stale ashtrays is disturbing to her.
So what cruise line has the most restrictive smoking policy?
A little googling revealed that Carnival used to have a smoke free ship but it stopped service because of lack of demand. Perhaps my Google-fu is weak, but I couldn’t find any other references to smoke free cruises.
I just went on a Carnival cruise, and although they don’t completely ban smoking everywhere on the ship, there are a very limited number of places where smoking is allowed… like one of the bars, and a couple of other places. Most of the ship is non-smoking. You should call them or check their website to find out the details.
Most cruises are old(er) people oriented and are manned by Europeans and Asians. Many older Americans smoke like chimneys and so do many (even younger) Europeans and Asians. It’s going to be tough to find a smoke free cruise.
With reference to California, I’d think that smoke free cruises would do well out L.A. and Long Beach.
As an occasional smoker, I’d like to see something like a “smokers’ terrace” at the back of the ship. It’d have a tobacco shop selling a wide range of pipe tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, a small bar for drinks, and an outdoor area in the back. That’d make everyone happy.
When I sailed on the Carnival Inspiration, the only places you couldn’t smoke was the informal dining area, the formal dining room and the auditorium. Other than that, we walked all over the ship smoking the whole time. And it seemed that everybody else was smoking too.
I enjoyed being able to light up wherever I wanted, but it was almost too much.