Carnival Corp. New Smoking Policy

Star Princess - Cigars Under the Stars

Carnival, Princess, and Holland America

Introduce New Smoking Policy

Carnival Cruise Line Policy - Effective June 15th:

• Cigarette Smoking in public venues restricted to Carnival's dance clubs and designated areas within the casino and casino bar
• Smoking (including cigars) permitted in designated exterior open decks (starboard side)
• Smoking allowed in jazz clubs:     

Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Splendor.

Carnival Cruise Line Policy - Effective December 1st:

• Smoking will be prohibited in all guest staterooms. 
• Smoking (including cigars) permitted outside - balcony cabins
• Spa staterooms remain smoke-free, including on the balconies:

Carnival Splendor, Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic

Holland America Line Policy - Effective January 15th:

• Smoking will be prohibited in all guest staterooms. 
• Smoking (including cigars) permitted outside - balcony cabins
• Smoking permitted in designated areas inside and on outside decks

Princess Cruises Policy - Effective January 15th:

• Smoking prohibited in all guest staterooms
• Smoking prohibited on balconies
• Smoking will continue to be allowed in the Churchill's cigar lounge, a section of the disco and casino and a portion of the open decks.

 In announcing the changes to smoking policies, Carnival Corporation, parent company of all three cruise lines, indicated that recent surveys indicated that only a small percentage of guests smoke.  Failure to comply with these rules could result in a $250 cleaning fee being added to your ship account.

 We just came back from our cruise on Star Princess to the Mediterranean.   It was interesting to see that on a couple nights, the casino was designated as smoke-free.   Also, in the picture above, special seating was available for cigar smokers the night of the deck party.


With the risk of fire on a ship, it makes sense to periodically review the current policies and make modifications.   For those that smoke, you'll still be able to do so in designated areas, while keeping the comfort and safety of others in mind.  

Keeping Cruise Ship Passengers Safe

Cruise Ship Safety

We've talked about severe weather and how cruise ships avoid the storms, making itinerary changes if needed to keep passengers, crew, and the ship safe.   Weather is only one condition that the ship's captain, officers, and cruise line offices monitor and make decisions about on a daily basis.

Safety in Ports of Call

Besides storms, there are other reasons why a cruise ship might alter its itinerary.   Recently, Princess Cruises cancelled  a cruise call to Ashdod, Israel. Pacific Princess was scheduled to be there on June 2, but when the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv issued a travel warning to Americans to be alert for possible road blockages, demonstrations and protests as a result of the Israeli naval interdiction of a group (or flotilla) of ships attempting to arrive in Gaza, the ship's plans were altered in the interest of passenger safety.   For more information about why Princess Cruises cancelled the call in Israel, see A Letter to Those Concerned About Our Cruises to Israel.

For tips about traveling abroad, travel warnings, country specific information and travel alerts, visit the links on the International Travel tab. 

Safety Onboard

The picture above shows some of the monitoring gauges on a typical cruise ship bridge.   Probably the most devastating event that could occur on a ship would be a fire.   Each cabin and location on the ship is monitored by smoke detectors and other sensors.   When you take a hot shower, you could set off the alarm if you were to leave the bathroom door ajar during your shower.   If that happens during your cruise, don't be upset, but be grateful that someone is watching out for your safety.

Besides state of the art monitoring, a big part of keeping guests and crew safe rests with each and every passenger.   At the beginning of the cruise, a mandatory lifeboat drill is held.   Knowing what to do in an emergency is critical to your safety.   The captain will also provide additional safety information, such as locations of designated smoking areas, instructions about keeping balconies free from combustible materials, and not using certain electrical devices in your cabin.   Please listen to these instructions carefully and follow instructions of crew at all times.

During the embarkation process, passenger identities are verified and a screening of luggage and passengers is performed, just like at an airport.   Your photo will be taken and associated with your cabin key.   Every time you reboard the ship, you will encounter the same security screenings. 

All these measures are done for the safety of all.  Safety officers onboard the ship and in the cruise line offices may not get the recognition, but they are crucial to safe voyages.