The cruise line has made a controversial change that some passengers will love whereas others will probably be offended.
In the course of the early days of the cruise business’s comeback from the covid pandemic, Royal Caribbean outlawed smoking within the on line casino. On the time, the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) required passengers to put on masks in public areas of the ship besides when consuming or consuming whereas stationary.
Smoking was, at first, a type of loophole. Individuals would smoke within the on line casino and take away their masks (or no less than transfer them to the facet) whereas taking part in slot machines. That principally meant that not like consuming, the place your masks could possibly be moved after which changed for a sip, people who smoke had been primarily not carrying a masks.
You are reading: Royal Caribbean Officially Makes Major Smoking Change
DON’T MISS: Carnival Cruise Line Feedback on a Doable (Very) Grownup Change
Royal Caribbean (RCL) – Get Free Report closed that loop by totally outlawing smoking in its casinos whereas masks had been nonetheless required. That was one thing that people who smoke weren’t completely satisfied about, however most likely understood given how giant a job the CDC was taking part in in setting cruise ship guidelines.
As soon as the CDC stopped requiring masks (and regulating cruise ships in any respect), Royal Caribbean reverted to its pre-pandemic smoking insurance policies. That meant that each on line casino on its ships had a smoking part. Technically, smoking is just allowed when really taking part in a slot machine, however that is arduous to implement and the casinos shortly crammed again up with smoke.
Now, the cruise line has formally made a long-rumored transfer that ought to make non-smokers actually completely satisfied whereas angering an entire totally different group of the cruise line’s passengers.
Readmore : RBA warns of at least 2 more interest rate rises in coming months, as the economic outlook worsens Picture supply: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Oasis-Class Ships Getting Non-Smoking Space
Surprise of the Seas, the most recent member of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class was initially constructed to sail out of China. It was moved to Florida as a result of covid pandemic which created a type of completely satisfied accident for non-smokers.
The ship was constructed with a secondary on line casino that was initially supposed as a excessive rollers room. As soon as the ship was repurposed to sail from the US, that smaller on line casino was shifted from an space designed to cater to big-money gamers right into a non-smoking on line casino.
For months, it has been rumored that the cruise line would flip the “Jazz on 4” house — the identical location because the non-smoking “Golden Roon” on Surprise of the Seas — into comparable non-smoking casinos. Royal Caribbean by no means commented on these rumors, however it did warn passengers on some sailings that service within the Diamond Lounge, an space subsequent to Jazz on 4 reserved for Diamond and better members of the corporate’s loyalty program, can be disrupted resulting from building.
The outcomes of that building have been revealed on one other Oasis-class ship, Concord of the Seas. Johnny Travalor shared footage of the brand new on line casino in a Fb group for followers of Royal Caribbean’s casinos.
“The model new non-smoking on line casino on Concord formally opened right this moment and I’ve been right here for the reason that opening taking part in, donating!” he shared.
Readmore : Why SVB’s Failure is Unlikely to Spur Banking Meltdown
That is not official affirmation that each one Oasis-class ships could have Jazz on 4 become a non-smoking on line casino, however all indicators level in that route.
Royal Caribbean Makes Some Passengers Mad
No change on a cruise ship will make all passengers completely satisfied. Some Royal Caribbean gamblers have prompt that the non-smoking space, which is far smaller than the unique on line casino, needs to be the smoking space.
“Possibly as soon as they see the non-smokers are bursting on the seam in that house and the smoking on line casino isn’t as crowded they’ll reverse it,” Barb Boyer Inexperienced shared.
“That needs to be the smoking room…looks as if the non-smokers are being put in a closet,” Maureen Ethier added.
Not all passengers, nonetheless, are upset due to the dimensions of the non-smoking space. Some are lamenting the lack of Jazz on 4, which hosted reside jazz music.
“I feel that is an total loss, with now an leisure space being taken over on this ship. I all the time loved the jazz membership and this may do nothing for the odor of the ship, web loss for all passengers” Justin Rogers wrote.
“It was our fav such a tragic day. It was our escape, nice expertise, romantic, not one other venue prefer it. Such a disgrace,” added Julia Doumad.
