Carnival Cruise Line now offers a total of 10 non-smoking casinos across its fleet of 27 ships, but guests do need to be aware of smoking considerations onboard even if the casino is a designated smoking area.
There are times when smoking is not permitted, but understanding why can help all guests be sure they are in compliance with onboard smoking policies.
The cruise line’s newest and largest vessels – Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee – all feature non-smoking casinos. Furthermore, the three Dream-class ships – Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Breeze – as well as Carnival Vista and the two Italian-style ships, Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze – also have non-smoking casinos.
One additional ship – Carnival Splendor – also has a fully smoke-free casino. This is because Carnival Splendor sails year-round from Sydney, Australia, and must comply with local smoking laws. In Australia, it’s illegal to smoke in any enclosed public spaces.
The non-smoking portions of the casinos are nearby annexes to the main casino, though smoke smells can travel between the spaces and could still be bothersome for travelers who are very sensitive to the odor or particulates. Nevertheless, the non-smoking area does have cleaner air and filters are also used nearby in a concerted effort to cleanse smoke from the air.
Guests interested in smoking onboard do need to note that while any Carnival ship is docked on embarkation day, the entire casino is non-smoking. This is because the casinos are designated as muster stations, and therefore must remain smoke-free and accessible to all guests so the mandatory muster drill can be completed.
“The casinos are used on most ships as a Muster Station and that is one of the reasons why on embarkation day that smoking is not allowed there,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand ambassador.
“We do have decent outdoor smoking areas on every ship. Yes, some are better than others but considering the mostly non-smoking world we live in I do think we do a decent job catering for those who choose to smoke.”
Furthermore, if a ship is bunkering – being refueled – on embarkation day or while in a port of call, there is no smoking permitted onboard until those refueling operations are complete.
Should There Be More Non-Smoking Casinos?
With smoking areas becoming less popular in land-based establishments, it is surprising that only 10 ships in the Carnival fleet offer non-smoking spaces for gambling. As ships go through upcoming dry docks, however, it is possible that some non-smoking casino areas may be added.
Space onboard, however, is already at a premium. Cruise lines must carefully balance public spaces for features that appeal to a wide range of travelers, and converting bars, lounges, or other public spaces into non-smoking casinos may not always be practical or feasible.
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Some guests have suggested that the ships’ larger, main casinos be converted to non-smoking spaces, with the smaller annexes provided as smoking casinos. One of the main complaints of the current non-smoking casinos is how small they are, with a closet-like feel and less diverse selection of games and slots due to the lack of space.
It should be noted that when she debuted in 1998, Carnival Paradise was the first completely smoke-free cruise ship in the world. Poor revenue from the ship caused that policy to be discontinued in late 2003. Carnival Paradise now offers the typical smoking areas found on the rest of the fleet – in the casino and on designated outdoor decks.
While the prospect of a non-smoking ship did not prove profitable or practical enough decades ago, should this be an idea that Carnival Cruise Line reconsiders? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
