What’s next? Booze-free bars? Restaurants with an eating ban? As USA Today reports, cruising fans are abuzz this week over a recent experiment by Carnival to ban smoking in more areas of its ships -- including in cigar bars.
Comments to the USA Today story reflect on the irony of banning smoking in the one place on a ship designed expressly for smokers. But evidently the design is not too efficient, as on some of Carnival's 22 ships cigar bars are located in a position that requires passengers to walk through them in order to reach the Internet café.
News of the test came out last week on the popular personal blog of Carnival cruise director John Heald, In responding to a question from a Carnival fan who likes to smoke cigars while at sea, Heald reported the line has tried out the smoking bans on three ships.
Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher told AOL Travel News that the recent smoking ban in the cigar bars and other lounges of the three ships was an experiment. He says the cruise line is seeking passenger input, and that officials will analyze the results. "Now it goes into the evaluation period and it will take some time before any decisions are reached," he said.
Carnival is considered one of the industry's least restrictive lines when it comes to smoking.
"I personally understand why we are looking at this," the cigar-smoking Heald wrote on his blog. "I know it is not much fun for non-smokers to pass through the cigar lounges to get to the Internet café."
