Celebrity Cruises Revamps Smoking Policy

While Celebrity currently allows guests to smoke in staterooms, on stateroom verandas, and in a number of indoor and outdoor public spaces, that's about to change. The line has determined that cruise enthusiasts may praise the virtues of "sea air," but to many of them, what matters more is clean air. As more hotels and restaurants worldwide implement stricter smoking policies in order to promote healthier air, Celebrity Cruises also is taking action. Beginning October 1, 2008, guests on Celebrity's ships will enjoy fresher air as a result of a new policy that disallows smoking in Celebrity's staterooms or on stateroom verandas. The policy also will reduce the number of public areas in which guests can smoke on board.

"We are proud to be the first premium cruise line to set a new standard toward creating an environment of cleaner air on our ships," said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "We pay careful attention to what our guests have to say, and approximately 90 percent of them have told us they are non-smokers. By increasing the number of smoke-free areas on board while still designating areas for those who smoke, our aim is to make the on board experience as pleasant as possible for all of our guests."

Created after Celebrity polled past guests, the new policy will result in a cleaner, fresher, and healthier environment on Celebrity's ships. Designated indoor areas where guests can smoke cigarettes include the port side of one lounge per ship and a designated slot machine area in each ship's casino. The new policy also designates outdoor areas where guests can smoke. These include the port side of the pool deck and sundecks on each ship, the port side of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Century and on Celebrity's Millennium class of ships, and the port side aft outside of Winter Garden on Celebrity Galaxy and Celebrity Mercury. Celebrity's new Solstice class of ships, launching with Celebrity Solstice late this year, will follow the new policy beginning with the first sailing. Celebrity Solstice's Lawn Club and the Sunset Bar at the Lawn Club will not allow smoking.

The new restricted smoking policy will go into effect on the rest of Celebrity's fleet on the first day of each ship's first sailing following October 1. Check Cruise Diva's Cruise News for the exact dates and read Smoke On The Water for all cruise lines' smoking policies.

Violations to Celebrity's smoking policy may result in a $250 cleaning fee charged to the guest's on board account and may also be addressed through the line's guest conduct policy. It should be noted that Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-person mega-yacht sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands, which operates under a stricter policy than the rest of the fleet, allows smoking only in designated areas of the ship's outer decks.