No smoking: Carnival Cruise Line cracks down on lighting up
Carnival Cruise Line recently took steps to further crackdown on smoking across its fleet by banning the practice during embarkation and in new casino spaces created exclusively for nonsmokers.
For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.
New smoke-free casinos
Mainstream cruise lines have largely eliminated smoking in staterooms (including on private balconies) and public areas, but several lines' casinos remain places where passengers are permitted to puff away while gambling.
To address that issue without completely banning smokers, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald said Friday on his Facebook page that, on three of its ships, Carnival Cruise Line has converted onboard conference centers to additional smoke-free casino space.
"On Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic, while half of the [main] casino is going to remain smoking on all of our ships, on those three ships, for now ... we have designed a nonsmoking casino," Heald said, noting that the forfeited conference spaces were large and rarely used.
"You have tables and slot machines ... in these areas. If these [areas] work, which we think they will, we may possibly add them to other ships.
"We know that smokers gamble. If we thought ... the revenue was going to remain the same if we took smoking away -- it won't, which is why we haven't -- [we would have done it]. But we have, on those three ships, given you a chance to have a nonsmoking casino."
No smoking before sail-away
Prior to the new casino announcement, Heald also said Carnival would be prohibiting smoking anywhere on or near all ships in the fleet during embarkation, as that's when the vessels refuel.
"During embarkation and while we are refueling ... there is a no-smoking rule inside and out of the ship until just before we cruise," Heald explained.
The process, known as bunkering, can take hours, and because the fuel is highly flammable, rogue ashes pose a threat. Previously, smoking had only been banned in outdoor areas during that time, but now it's not allowed in indoor, otherwise smoke-friendly places, either.
"I've had a few rather frustrated comments about that, and I totally understand," Heald sympathized.
He said part of the reason for the change is that temporarily banning smoking until the ship leaves port allows for a smoke-free environment for all passengers as they check in at their muster stations -- some of which are in areas, like the casino, that normally allow smoking -- after completing the line's digital safety drill.
"On most of the ships, we will be using the casino as an e-muster, where you go up and you hand them your app ... or your boarding pass ... and they check you off, and you watch a life jacket demonstration from the crew," Heald said.
Previous efforts to limit smoking
This isn't the first time Carnival has enacted controversial smoking policies. In 1999, the line implemented the cruise industry's first completely smoke-free vessel, Carnival Paradise. The complete ban on smoking was quickly lifted when it became clear that smokers tend to spend more money at bars and casinos than nonsmokers.
In 2014, Carnival banned smoking from balconies in its ships' cabins and also made headlines in 2018, when it announced violators of its smoking policies would be slapped with $500 fines.
Ultimately, the places onboard where smoking is permitted are few and far between, with most ships only allowing it in casinos and on designated outdoor decks, usually on one side of the ship and usually near the aft so the smell wafts out to sea.
Featured photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023