Cigars On Cruise - Page 7

CigarNut · 04-06-2010, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volt

"Maiden voyage" - I hope you keep a sense of humor on that trip. To expect that all mechanically and the staff will be 100% smooth might be a dream. They can test and simulate all they want, but untail a 100 people hit the crappers at one time, they have only a best guess at how some of the mechanics will perform. While they were US Navy ships, I have brought many a ship out of the yards and even the stuff we thought we had perfect still would goof up.

BTW, not headed up North towards the iceberg area are ya?

We know the drill, this will be our third maiden voyage with Disney

Also, (lucky for us) -- they get a lot of the kinks worked out when they bring the ship across the pond to Port Canveral

The itinerary for the maiden voyage is the Bahama's! I can't wait! Well, actually I can, since I am leaving on the Disney Magic on Saturday for a trans-atlantic from Port Canveral to the Bahamas, Gibralter, Madeira, Cadiz, and Barcelona

Caymus · 04-14-2010, 06:41 PM

Posted this moments ago on another post....might go better on this post:

I'd like to share my experience with MSC Cruises, an Italian cruiseline fairly new to the American market. I took the MSC Orchestra out of Ft Lauderdale last spring. They have a dedicated cigar lounge, the Havana Club, amid ship adjacent to the atrium. Big leather chairs, good music (Sinatra, Latin Jazz, etc), cigar art, real cigar ashtrays, a well kept humidor stocked with cc's, and a bar stocked with Havana Club rum. There is an attendant there who takes great pride in "his" cigar lounge. I spent a lot of time there when at sea, and during the day I sometimes was the only passenger in there for 30 minutes or so. At night, however, it was quite busy. I came to "know" about 10 other regular cigar smokers, and we had a blast. The Italian passengers were a friendly, boisterous bunch and they enjoy their cigars too. Officers would come in to enjoy their stash of cc's, and I even met the author of a very well known series of travel books who was on the cruise doing a review. She said it was one of the top 3 cigar lounges on the seas (the Orchestra has several sister ships that also have the same lounge). Best of all was the price...kids sail free, so my wife and 2 kids went for a very low price.

maverickdrinker · 04-14-2010, 09:58 PM

great thread guys. Does anyone have any experience on Princess? Wife just booked a caribbean cruise in June on Princess. Any help would be appreciated

04-14-2010, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickdrinker

great thread guys. Does anyone have any experience on Princess? Wife just booked a caribbean cruise in June on Princess. Any help would be appreciated

The wife and I cruise Princess quite a bit and they are still one of the better cruise lines out there. The food is good and one of the best things about cruising with one cruiseline all the time is the membership advantages. When we book a balcony room we get upgraded to a suite...we get free Internet and free laundry as well as free wine or a bottle of champagne when we board. We are Platinum members which also means more discounts on deals on the ship. The bigger and newer ships are really good and depending on what boat you are on we've probably been on it...let me know which one and I can tell you pros and cons about it.

Blueface · 04-15-2010, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cigary

The wife and I cruise Princess quite a bit and they are still one of the better cruise lines out there. The food is good and one of the best things about cruising with one cruiseline all the time is the membership advantages. When we book a balcony room we get upgraded to a suite...we get free Internet and free laundry as well as free wine or a bottle of champagne when we board. We are Platinum members which also means more discounts on deals on the ship. The bigger and newer ships are really good and depending on what boat you are on we've probably been on it...let me know which one and I can tell you pros and cons about it.

In less than three weeks the wife and I take our first cruise as a Diamond member on RC. Took us a while to get that and can't wait.

04-15-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueface

In less than three weeks the wife and I take our first cruise as a Diamond member on RC. Took us a while to get that and can't wait.

RCL has been having issue with their Diamond Level service as they have downgraded in some of those areas. The Concierge Level is a nice thing to be able to use but for somebody who has given RCL a lot of business only to have it downgraded is not right. Call or go online to see what your Diamond status still gives you. This is why we stayed with Princess because of all of the freebies we get. Laundry for free is a great service because we don't have to pack so many clothes now and when it's dirty we send it out and it's back the next day. Free Internet is a great thing as well. We have been upgraded from an Ocean View to Mini Suite several times while everytime we have a balcony we're upgraded to Mini Suite. The great thing with being in a mini suite is that you can order in room service and get the exact same menu as the dining room. If you are in a room like an Ocean View or Balcony you don't get the same menu.

maverickdrinker · 04-14-2010, 10:22 PM

thanks for this. I will ask the wife which boat we are on and post.

maverickdrinker · 04-15-2010, 05:09 AM

The boat that we will be on is the Princess Empress. HAs anyone been on that boat? CAn you share your thoughts/experiences with me?

04-15-2010, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickdrinker

The boat that we will be on is the Princess Empress. HAs anyone been on that boat? CAn you share your thoughts/experiences with me?

Here is the "skinny" on this ship. ( I think you are trying to say Emerald Princess...Empress is another ship on RCL. )

Casino with private cocktail lounge for cigars and spirits and it came into service in 07.

This is the sister ship to the Crown and Carribean and these are big ships that have the outdoor movie theaters which are fun but you gotta get there early.

It will take you a day or 2 to get your bearings as far as where things are on this boat. Remember to use the main floor to get back and forth from one of the ship to the other...not all floors go thru. I would advise doing the late dinner or the "Anytime Dining" so you can plan your day around your activities instead of the other way around. Also, eat at the Crown Grill as this is a restaurant you will pay $20 per person but WOW,,,is it good and it's more personal and you won't regret it.

Again let me stress to you that if you want to use the pool get a chair early as they fill up esp. on those days at sea.

Speak Easy Cigar Lounge on Emerald

CigarNut · 04-17-2010, 06:18 AM

I'm on the Disney Magic (transatlantic to Barcelona) right now. Having a great time! They had a cigar seminar the other day and I won three cigars (Fuente's) during the Q&A (for having the right answers -- thanks to CA

)

Caymus · 11-23-2010, 03:53 PM

I'll be on the Carnival Freedom departing Jan 1. The ports are San Juan PR, St Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, and Nassau. Has anyone been on this ship ? I'm looking forward to being allowed to smoke on the balcony and it also has a cigar lounge.

smll2 · 11-23-2010, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caymus

I'll be on the Carnival Freedom departing Jan 1. The ports are San Juan PR, St Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, and Nassau. Has anyone been on this ship ? I'm looking forward to being allowed to smoke on the balcony and it also has a cigar lounge.

Thanks for bumping this thread with your inquiry. I just spent 30 minutes reading it and enjoyed it immensely. I have been on several carnival cruises...none in the last three years or so...and it sound's like they are difficult with smokers. I never had a problem smoking on a balcony in the past but it appears things may have changed.

I hope someone can chime in and give you some feedback.

Good luck.

RHNewfie · 11-24-2010, 06:11 AM

We just got back from a cruise on the Carnival Miracle and I smoked in the cigar bar and on the Lido deck if that helps! No cigar smoking on the balcony though.

Ashcan Bill · 11-24-2010, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHNewfie

We just got back from a cruise on the Carnival Miracle and I smoked in the cigar bar and on the Lido deck if that helps! No cigar smoking on the balcony though.

Interesting. We were on the Carnival Spirit a couple of weeks ago. We had an aft balcony and I smoked a cigar out there every single day.

RHNewfie · 11-24-2010, 08:34 AM

Well we were told that you weren't 'supposed' to smoke on the balconies. ;-)

Dave128 · 11-24-2010, 09:52 AM

We took a cruise in September on Norwegian Jade. It had a bar on one of the top decks that sold cigars and you could smoke them right there. The boat also had a cigar lounge, but that was empty the whole trip. The best part: we had a balcony room on the fantail! I smoked just about every night with no problems at all. None of the smoke ever came in the room. Just about all the rooms on the fantail near me had a smoker of some sort. The guy right next to me smoked a couple cigars a day. It was a great trip. Also, my b-i-l had a balcony room on the side of the ship and smoked a couple cigars out there. He didn't seem to have any problems either. To me, the 'no smoking on the balcony' is just a suggestion.

Caymus · 11-24-2010, 11:15 AM

Interesting...this is contrary to what we were told and understand. One of the reasons we booked it was because it was one of the few ships where smoking on the balcony was permitted. On our previous cruises, Holland America and MSC, it was clearly not permitted (though the MSC Orchestra had a great cigar lounge), and we decided next time we'd go on a ship where I could smoke on the balcony because I thought that would be so enjoyable. We had orginally booked a cabin on the Spa deck, but later found out that was the only deck where smoking was not permitted on the balcony. We called Carnival to confirm, and they did. So now we are on the Panorama deck, where we were told by Carnival and our travel agent that yes, I can indeed smoke cigars on my balcony.

Caymus · 11-24-2010, 11:29 AM

More info:

"Cabins
All Carnival Cruise Line cabins permit smoking except for designated Spa Cabins. The Spa Cabins are part of Carnival's fleet-wide healthy living initiative, which also includes designated healthier dining options and improved fitness and spa facilities. The penalty for smoking in a Spa Cabin is $250 as of 2010, and ejection from the Spa Cabin. At the Captain's discretion, you may be relocated to another available cabin or removed from the ship at your own expense. Smoking is allowed on balconies"

11-24-2010, 11:51 AM

Celebrity pissed me off when they got rid of 'michaels', their cigar bar and only allowed smoking on the aft of the ship on the outdoor bar.. But they allowed cigarettes in the casino..

Ogre · 11-24-2010, 11:59 AM

I just got back last week from a 5 day trip on the Carnival Inspiration. The ONLY place on the ship to smoke cigars was one half of a bar at the aft of the ship. Cigarettes were allowed in the casino, all open decks and 2 other bars. No smoking in ANY of the rooms. I was not happy about this. It will be my last cruise with Carnival.

04-14-2010, 06:41 PM	#2
Caymus Still Watching My Back Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Ken Location: Columbus GA Posts: 114 Trading: (0)	Re: Cigars On Cruise Posted this moments ago on another post....might go better on this post: I'd like to share my experience with MSC Cruises, an Italian cruiseline fairly new to the American market. I took the MSC Orchestra out of Ft Lauderdale last spring. They have a dedicated cigar lounge, the Havana Club, amid ship adjacent to the atrium. Big leather chairs, good music (Sinatra, Latin Jazz, etc), cigar art, real cigar ashtrays, a well kept humidor stocked with cc's, and a bar stocked with Havana Club rum. There is an attendant there who takes great pride in "his" cigar lounge. I spent a lot of time there when at sea, and during the day I sometimes was the only passenger in there for 30 minutes or so. At night, however, it was quite busy. I came to "know" about 10 other regular cigar smokers, and we had a blast. The Italian passengers were a friendly, boisterous bunch and they enjoy their cigars too. Officers would come in to enjoy their stash of cc's, and I even met the author of a very well known series of travel books who was on the cruise doing a review. She said it was one of the top 3 cigar lounges on the seas (the Orchestra has several sister ships that also have the same lounge). Best of all was the price...kids sail free, so my wife and 2 kids went for a very low price.

04-14-2010, 09:58 PM	#3
maverickdrinker I'm nuts for the place Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: art Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,590 Trading: (15)	Re: Cigars On Cruise great thread guys. Does anyone have any experience on Princess? Wife just booked a caribbean cruise in June on Princess. Any help would be appreciated

04-14-2010, 10:22 PM	#7
maverickdrinker I'm nuts for the place Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: art Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,590 Trading: (15)	Re: Cigars On Cruise thanks for this. I will ask the wife which boat we are on and post.

04-15-2010, 05:09 AM	#8
maverickdrinker I'm nuts for the place Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: art Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,590 Trading: (15)	Re: Cigars On Cruise The boat that we will be on is the Princess Empress. HAs anyone been on that boat? CAn you share your thoughts/experiences with me?

04-17-2010, 06:18 AM	#10
CigarNut Fck Cancer! Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Michael Location: Clermont, Florida Posts: 18,042 Trading: (111*)	Re: Cigars On Cruise I'm on the Disney Magic (transatlantic to Barcelona) right now. Having a great time! They had a cigar seminar the other day and I won three cigars (Fuente's) during the Q&A (for having the right answers -- thanks to CA ) __________________ Need Beads? Need Five Finger Bags? 2 of 3 Requirements for use of the CA Rolodex: 100 posts/ 60 day membership/ participation in trade (trader rating). New members can be added at any time.

11-23-2010, 03:53 PM	#11
Caymus Still Watching My Back Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Ken Location: Columbus GA Posts: 114 Trading: (0)	Re: Cigars On Cruise I'll be on the Carnival Freedom departing Jan 1. The ports are San Juan PR, St Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, and Nassau. Has anyone been on this ship ? I'm looking forward to being allowed to smoke on the balcony and it also has a cigar lounge.

11-24-2010, 06:11 AM	#13
RHNewfie Have My Own Room Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jeff Location: Oooooh Canadaaaaa Posts: 2,007 Trading: (15)	Re: Cigars On Cruise We just got back from a cruise on the Carnival Miracle and I smoked in the cigar bar and on the Lido deck if that helps! No cigar smoking on the balcony though. __________________ σπένδομαι

11-24-2010, 08:34 AM	#15
RHNewfie Have My Own Room Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jeff Location: Oooooh Canadaaaaa Posts: 2,007 Trading: (15)	Re: Cigars On Cruise Well we were told that you weren't 'supposed' to smoke on the balconies. ;-) __________________ σπένδομαι

11-24-2010, 09:52 AM	#16
Dave128 Sexy Dave Join Date: Feb 2009 First Name: Dave Location: Voorheesville, NY Posts: 3,923 Trading: (4)	Re: Cigars On Cruise We took a cruise in September on Norwegian Jade. It had a bar on one of the top decks that sold cigars and you could smoke them right there. The boat also had a cigar lounge, but that was empty the whole trip. The best part: we had a balcony room on the fantail! I smoked just about every night with no problems at all. None of the smoke ever came in the room. Just about all the rooms on the fantail near me had a smoker of some sort. The guy right next to me smoked a couple cigars a day. It was a great trip. Also, my b-i-l had a balcony room on the side of the ship and smoked a couple cigars out there. He didn't seem to have any problems either. To me, the 'no smoking on the balcony' is just a suggestion. __________________ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin I "heart" Boobies and Beer!

11-24-2010, 11:15 AM	#17
Caymus Still Watching My Back Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Ken Location: Columbus GA Posts: 114 Trading: (0)	Re: Cigars On Cruise Interesting...this is contrary to what we were told and understand. One of the reasons we booked it was because it was one of the few ships where smoking on the balcony was permitted. On our previous cruises, Holland America and MSC, it was clearly not permitted (though the MSC Orchestra had a great cigar lounge), and we decided next time we'd go on a ship where I could smoke on the balcony because I thought that would be so enjoyable. We had orginally booked a cabin on the Spa deck, but later found out that was the only deck where smoking was not permitted on the balcony. We called Carnival to confirm, and they did. So now we are on the Panorama deck, where we were told by Carnival and our travel agent that yes, I can indeed smoke cigars on my balcony.

11-24-2010, 11:29 AM	#18
Caymus Still Watching My Back Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Ken Location: Columbus GA Posts: 114 Trading: (0)	Re: Cigars On Cruise More info: "Cabins All Carnival Cruise Line cabins permit smoking except for designated Spa Cabins. The Spa Cabins are part of Carnival's fleet-wide healthy living initiative, which also includes designated healthier dining options and improved fitness and spa facilities. The penalty for smoking in a Spa Cabin is $250 as of 2010, and ejection from the Spa Cabin. At the Captain's discretion, you may be relocated to another available cabin or removed from the ship at your own expense. Smoking is allowed on balconies"

11-24-2010, 11:51 AM	#19
TNT009 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Cigars On Cruise Celebrity pissed me off when they got rid of 'michaels', their cigar bar and only allowed smoking on the aft of the ship on the outdoor bar.. But they allowed cigarettes in the casino..

11-24-2010, 11:59 AM	#20
Ogre **CENSORED** Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Larry Location: Central Florida Posts: 12,068 Trading: (46)	Re: Cigars On Cruise I just got back last week from a 5 day trip on the Carnival Inspiration. The ONLY place on the ship to smoke cigars was one half of a bar at the aft of the ship. Cigarettes were allowed in the casino, all open decks and 2 other bars. No smoking in ANY of the rooms. I was not happy about this. It will be my last cruise with Carnival.