Hi
Sent a e-mail to Thomsons last week to get clarification on Smoking Policy published in July 08 brochure
(July 08-Oct 09) as posted above.
Got e-mail back today,Quote:
"Thank you for your e-mail,our cruises operate a No Smoking Policy".
No explaination for misleading statement in brochure.
Please this reply is NOT about Smoking v Non-Smoking
It IS about the transparency of this company's published policy.
Smokers beware when booking a cruise after reading brochure + when they get to ship its still no smoking indoors.
Its no better when you ring Customer Services,iv'e had 3 differing answers,yes/no + one said i think you have to ask reception when onboard if you can smoke in cabin !!!.
Johnny c

Hi
Me again,getting more mixed messages.
Ater getting reply from Thomsons yesterday as above,ie "Our cruises operate a No Smoking Policy"
I sent one back saying simply "Why then does it say in your July 08 (Jult 08- Oct 09) brochure it is allowed in cabins + area of one bar ?).
Recieved a reply 8mins later (a record ?) saying:
"I apologise,brochure states;Smoking is only permitted in strictly designated areas.Normally a smoking area can be found in one bar and part of the open deck.We do strongly request for the safety of guests that you do not smoke in our cabins however this is permitted".
Not word perfect as per brochure but clear enough.
I have been on 13 Thomson cruises + enjoyed all except one.
This is not a vendetta against Thomsons + if i believed above policy was in place next year i would book a cruise today.
P.S I wonder if non smokers who booked a cruise because of the change in policy to "no smoking any where" will get a refund if they now want to cancel or if Thomsons refuse will they ironicly join us smokers in our outrage when we didn't.
johnny c

Just to confuse matters even further.....
I've been on two thomson Cruises this year (March and August) and smoking is definitely NOT permitted in the cabins!

no smoking in cabins on thomson ships but the cabin staff will give you an ashtray if you ask

no bars inside that you can smoke in just outside on deck

Latest list of who does/doesn't allow smoking HERE

luci

This becomes more and more confusing, I called Ocean Village last week and was told nowhere inside the ship and only certain parts outside, although the girl I spoke to seemed as if she was guessing. But the article Luci has posted says in some areas of the bars?

This is all putting me off looking at cruises, I know I shouldn't smoke but I do try to be a considerate smoker.

which cruise line are you looking at?
with Thomsons you can definitely smoke on certain parts on the Lido deck and possibly a certain area of the bar above the Lido deck...(cant be certain as the policy may have changed since August when we were last onboard)

Carnival....American line, allows smoking much more freely, a whole bar on board, certain parts of the casino and the whole of the portside of the deck.......

Was looking at OV2 Greek islands cruise, really like the look of the ports as done the Med a few times.

Latest list of who does/doesn't allow smoking HERE

Does anyone know how up to date this is please

Don't know if this was answered but the Ocean Village site gives the information you asked for in FAQ's
Sioux

just returned from a Costa cruise, and they have designated smoking areas in all bars, but banned in restaurants. I am personally sensitive to smoky areas, and hate them, but found it possible to avoid most of the fog once we worked out the areas to avoid!

Just returned from Thomson Destiny - it is excellent for non- smokers. No smoking at all inside, even in the casino! (Maybe not so good - we lost lots of money. We never went in there before because of the fog!) Smoking is allowed on the port outside deck only. Not sure about balconies as we didn't have one.

Thomsons have done me again !!!.
Booked on the Island Escape, going next Tuesday (9th), because Thomsons told me this ship would stick to smoking policy of Island Cruises.
Today the Thomson Cruises web site says,
Island Escape.
"Kindly refrain from smokingin the cabins,However,you can smoke in the designated areas of the Mirage Bar,Sailaway Bar,Pub,Bounty Lounge,Cafe Brasil and Sundowner Lounge."
Talking to friends,one who came back last week said No Smoking in any inside bars + casino.
Other friend came back in April said they introduced ban then,said people who was on 2 week cruise threatened mutiny when introduced on 2nd week with no warning + carried on smoking in bar waving web + brochure descriptions at managers.
I should have learnt my lesson last year,(see earlier threads).
More fool me ive booked for November as well !!!!but thats with 4 friends one of whom is celebrating 60th birthday,so i would probably have gone anyway.
Why dont Thomsons just change thier web site,i dont believe they just woke up one Tuesday morning
in April + said phone ship + introduce smoking ban.
Johnny C

I feel for you JohnnyC, we love to cruise but don't think we will be doing it much more, don't expect to be able to smoke all over the ship, but perhaps one bar with a smoking area would be nice.

The whole booking a cruise is a nightmare now, not just checking prices, but finding out if there is anywhere apart from out on deck to smoke is too much hassle.

Then like you say it can change after you book !

Costa cruises are very smoker friendly. You can smoke in your cabin, most bars have smoking areas, I didn't feel like a leper for the whole cruise. We will definately use them again

Hi,

to add to the above post==Carnival-Princess-RCCL and Cunards QM2 all have at least 1 indoor smoking area to date.Also on P&O's Aurora & Oriana you can smoke in one half of the crows nest.

Hope this helps.

Marysma

NCL allow smoking in the casino, on the Jade the bar area is large with loads of bar stools.

On the outdoor decks one side of the ship is designated smoking allthough just outside the doors to the inside areas near the lounges both sides have smoking facilities so the non-smoking side can be used when the wind is on he smoking side.

The cabin we had on Costa was so bad with the smell of smoke our steward had to get us
extra tins of air freshener the odour was that bad,would not consider Costa again for a cruise.
for this reason
annx

Just back from Thomson Celebration. No smoking at all anywhere inside ship. Unfortunately (if you are a non-smoker) smoking is allowed outside the lido restaurant - supposedly only at one side but guests moved the ash trays. The tea machine is on the smoking side too. Smoking is allowed near the adult pool which is fine for smokers. Because this is a (relatively) small ship with a lack of deck space near a bar, if you really don't like the smell of smoke, then of the Thomson ships I think Destiny is more comfortable for non-smokers.