Eleanor Barker answers your travel questions.
My wife and I are non-smokers and are thinking about a cruise around New Zealand and then maybe a cruise around the Pacific Islands. What are the rules around
smoking on board? We both feel very strongly about this, so can we enjoy life on board without having to put up with that smell?
Warren
The days of smokers having free rein to huff and puff wherever they like are long behind us. A Cruise Lines International Association spokesperson says smoking has been carefully managed on board cruise ships for some time.
Individual cruise lines set their own policies on smoking so it's best to check arrangements on any ship you are considering. With that said, the majority of international lines have smoke-free policies across most public areas and throughout all cabins and balconies.
Smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is generally permitted only in specific outdoors areas or in some cases within designated smoking spaces inside. Interior areas are generally smoke-free, although during my research I read recent, first-hand complaints about smoking being permitted inside some vessels' casinos — something to ask about if you want to have a flutter while cruising.
Some cruises offer "non-smoking nights" at their casinos. I was curious to note whether any major cruise companies have ever gone fully smoke-free and as far as I can tell, several have tried but none were able to stick with it (quitting is hard!). More luxurious cruise lines are more restrictive on smoking as a rule. Azamara, Oceania, Carnival Australia, P&O, Princess and Regent "typically adopt the hard Australian no-smoking approach" — smoking is permitted in only one or two small outdoor areas.
Readers respond:
Fiona had a suggestion for the April 2 query about a rail adventure in Switzerland:
"In 2016, I took my teenage son on a ski safari to Switzerland. Our aim was to travel by train, to go to the prettiest places. We flew into Zurich; it was blimmin' expensive so we hightailed it up to Wengen. From there you can go to the top of the Jungfrau, over to Murren and to Grindelwald. It was chocolate-box beautiful. We then got another series of trains to Zermatt (car free). We then caught the wonderful Glacier Express (train) through to the St Moritz area, which is actually a series of very pretty towns like Sils Maria. Many hotels include a great travel pass which makes it not so expensive. Train is absolutely the way to go."
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