Cigars on cruises

nsezell

So, I'm getting married in May and I just booked a cruise of the carribean for our honeymoon. The cruise ship has its own cigar bar and I was just wondering if anyone else had ever taken a cruise with this. I've heard that the only thing you pay for on a cruise is soda and liquor, so how would the cigar bar work? Do they have some for sale, bring your own, or do they provide a house blend or something? Also, what is the policy for cigar smoking as far as where and when (we have a balcony room). Thanks for the info.

kaspera79

Don't you wish the cigars were free ! It would be like buying something in the gift shop, rather expensive so you may want to bring your own.

rwheelwright

If I remember you have to pay for the cigars too. We had a cigar bar but no one was in there and I had purchased some on the island so I had my own.

ThinBluLine06

Congrats on the wedding, as for the crusise... I have been on 3 crusies in the last 5 years, a 3, 4, and 7 day, all on CARNIVAL....so I can only speak for my expierences on CARNIVAL... Yes there is a rather large cigar bar on all carnival ships, however the selection of cigars is rather slim. On the ship, they may have only 6-7 variety's of cigar (and range from 6-15 bucks per stick). My advice would be to bring your own sticks, or buy some when you dock at the various ports of call... Dont forget, you may be going to various ports where you can find some pretty sweet stuff....including Cubans.... The cigar bar is never too crowded, and obviously completely dedicated to cigar lovers...As for other parts of the ship...Your balcony is a pefect place to have a early morning, or late night smoke! And remember alot of the space on a cruise ship os outdoors...Grab a stick, go up to the top deck, lay out in the sun, and enjoy a smoke... There is numerous places outdoors on th etop deck that wont be crowded, especially at night....that way you are smoking outside, and the smoke wont upset the uptight non aficianados! I will also give ya my opinion on liquor... Almost everything is free (included in the original price) on the cruise, EXCEPT LIQUOR. You can however bring your own liquor on board if you wish, but you hafta be sneaky! ON most ships, you ARE allowed to bring bottled water/cans of soda on board in your checked luggage. So on all of my cruises I have filled desani water bottles with liquor and packed them in my checked luggage... I know MANY people who do this. That way, you only need to buy a 2 dollar can of soda on board, and it makes you 2-3 Jack and cokes! I also know friends that have emptied out listerine bottles, and replaced with rum/vodka, whatever you wish... Hope this helps. need any other questions asked, ask away...

kingjk729

Congrats lon the wedding bro ....... the wife and I went on our honeymoon in feb 09...... did a carnival sailed on the glory ...... they sell cigars there on boards and have a cigar bar ...... but i dont remember any specific house brands or anything ...... just your everyday run of the mill ...... cohiba, macs, all your typical mainstream NAME stuff ..... i'd for sure pack a traveldor and when your in port hassle and barter to get some cheap cubans ....... you can take em back on the ship and smuggle em back in pretty easily as well to the US ..... i brought a total of three smokes bought 6 cubans 3 montecristo's and 3 cohibas ...... i think both were priced like 22 and 26 each ....... i got the 3 monte's for 20 and the the cohibas for 23 bucks ...... i smoked a few on the ship and brought 3 home with me ......... the prices on the ship were a little exaggerated IMHO ......ps if you do a carnival cruise ...... do the dinner club ..... its so worth the money ..... pm me if you have any questions

JZ

Be sure to bring your own cigars and don't buy any from the street while in port. I would recommend getting a a room with a balcony. It's private, and really nice to sit out there and enjoy some cigars while on the open seas, going/leaving ports. Congrats and enjoy!

Russ55

I've taken many, many cruises that have had a cigar lounge on the ship. They will have some cigars available for purchase, at prices I usually won't pay. Think B&M or higher. They usually have pretty standard fair; Macanudo, R&J, CAO, Cohiba, Maybe some RP. Don't expect anything Cuban. Bigger ships will have bigger humidors, and thus more selection. I always take my travel herf with me, and enough cigars for the days I'm going. Most of the lounges are open all the time, but are only actually staffed at night after dinner. At night you can buy alcohol in there, but you're usually free to smoke in there all you want. I go in after breakfast and half of the time I'm alone. It's great.

One suggestion, make sure you bring matches (if you're flying) or a lighter, and a cutter. You'll be able to get a light/cut if it's staffed, but finding matches (if no one's in there) on some boats can be impossible.

Usually you can smoke on the balconies, but if they find smoke smell in the room they charge you a couple hundred bucks. Just keep the door closed and don't throw anything off the side of the boat. Also, that's one location where you're definitely going to want to make sure your cigar is completely extinguished when you're done. I take a bottle of water out there with me.

kaelaria

Policies change rapidly and they depend on the exact ship. Sometimes the cigar lounge is nothing more than 1-2 dedicated couches where you can smoke. The ship selection as noted is sparse and overpriced - bring your own for sure or buy from the Habanos store (and pay dearly). Some ships do not allow smoking on balconies or anywhere on deck. The last one I was on had one small section of the lido deck, by the pool and bar, available to smoke - no where else. Lookup your exact ship for it's policies.

JZ

I've never had an issue smoking on the private balcony attached to my room. I have never had 1 on the main decks though. For those interested, Carnival Valor has a large cigar bar called Winston's with live jazz.

nsezell

Carnival Valor is the ship we're going on. I'm probly gonna bring my own sticks, but I don't wanna bring a bunch if you can't really smoke many places. Whats the dinner club? We're taking a 7 night cruise, stopping in the Cayman's, Isla Rotan, Belize, and Cuzumel, leaving from Miami. I actually scheduled my flight out for late afternoon so I have a chance to visit the padilla factory. Any other tips for cruising I should know? Also, can I bring liquor back on the boat with me from the ports, like if I get a local bottle of rum or something?

Russ55

You can, but they will store it for you when you come back on the ship, and you will get it back when the cruise is over.

ThinBluLine06

When you stop in Belize, be sure to drink an Ice Cold Belkin Beer! I went on Valor also, at night, you can go anywhere on the top deck and enjoy a smoke, i did almost everynight....at 11p or midnight...everyone else is at the casino/disco....not many people on top deck....grab a lounge chair and enjoy the stars and smoke...(went on Valor 11/08)

kingjk729

For sure ......... ya gotta have a belkin while in belize .....the valor and glory are sister ships (same platform) i'd recomend going snorkeling in Belize ...... its the second biggest barrier reef next to the great barrier reef in Australia but its the largest living reef in the world ....... when the wife and i went her digital camera is submersable to 10 feet so she got some wicked pics ..... a couple with some huge manta rays right under her ....... it was awesome

haywood5150

Everyone has pretty much covered it, but let me tell you of my experience. Going on a cruise with Princess Cruises (been on one before) for my wedding in March (Actually getting married on the boat during a sea day) aboard the Sapphire Princess. They have a dedicated cigar bar (I believe its called Churchills), carrying mostly everday smokes with a few high ends. Expect to pay an average of $15-20 for a $6 stick on the web. I learned the first time to bring your own sticks (over $100 on 5 sticks). On Princess Cruises you can smoke on your balcony, in the cigar bar, and three other places on the top deck. Most ships are moving to a non smoking policy except for the cigar bar and your balcony. For some reason (Smell probably), cigars are looked as a nuisance where as cigarettes and pipes are acceptable. Go figure. Anyways, bring your own lighter or matches and cutters. As far as buying sticks on shore; you can do it for a decent deal, but beware; most places that advertise cubans are selling imitations. There are a couple threads on ccom and puff.com that have some B&M's that sell authentic cubans, although they are still expensive.

Lasabar

If you are planning on buying on the shore then don't buy anything from anyone that has a "Story" behind it. (like "My aunt works at the factory and has smuggled them out to help pay for her family" etc) and unless you are very familiar with Cubans 9 out of 10 times all the cigars will be fake Cubans

DO NOT buy anything with a GLASS TOP BOX, those are 100% fake!

If you want an actual cuban and are willing to PAY for it then see if there is a LCDH (La Casa Del Habanos) anywhere near. These are the actual sanctioned and Cuban run shops set out by the Cuban Government so they will be authentic for they are supplied by Habanos S.A. the ONLY distributor of Cubans from Cuba.

Congrats and Enjoy the CRUISE!!!

And as far as my suggestion on the Cruise, always drink the featured drink of the night... otherwise you will spend your life savings on BOOZE!

letsgowithbob

I agree with everyone here. When in Belize, I would go cave tubing. It was a lot of fun, you get to go down a river through a cave with stalagmites or stalagtites(can't ever remember which one). Make sure you do pick your excursions that you want to go on the first day or so, because they sell out extremely fast, and you don't want to be the only chucklehead with nothing to do. On carnival they sell a drink card(few years ago it was 20 bucks) and that gets you all the cokes, and sprites you can drink. It's a really good deal, because you can get them for dinner and everything. I always get one for each person in my family. I agree with lasabar, I would not buy any cubans from anywhere other than la casa del habanos. Just so you know (don't flame me guys) smoking a cuban cigar anywhere is technically illegal. And you can not ever bring cuban cigars back in the country. Ever. However if you were to bring back some non banded hand rolled cigars that were locally produced in belize, or some such place. No one would be able to say anything to you. You might even bring home some "souvenir bands" in a zip loc baggie home. You know" some bands that some guys gave you that were smoking cubans". None of the inspectors that I have ever run across cared about some souvenir bands, and some hand rolled un banded cigars, as long as the bands were in your wifes luggage, and the cigars were in yours. I hope you have a great time. Congrats on the wedding. Hope your marriage is as happy as mine is.

letsgowithbob

Oh yeah....I'm an idiot, Okay so back to your post, carnival had a decent smoking lounge, usually in the evenings there are 4-5 fellow botl out there to smoke with, and hang out. I have gone on 5 or 6 cruises, and always spent a few evenings in the lounge. I never had a balcony, so I don't know about that, but there are always a few deck areas where you can go smoke as well. I believe one of them was up by the nude deck, always tempted to smoke one in the buff...but never had the courage...lol

Russ55

It's great, you just need to be extra mindful of falling ash.

nsezell

WTF? There's a nude deck???!!!?!??!?!?!?!!! lol...

rwheelwright

There usually is. It's like a the highest deck there is but it's really just a platform where you can run in circles. It's pretty lame. No chics used it when I was on my cruise.

letsgowithbob

rwheelwright:

There usually is. It's like a the highest deck there is but it's really just a platform where you can run in circles. It's pretty lame. No chics used it when I was on my cruise.

well come on rwheelwright, with you lurking around on the nude deck, can you blame em ??? j/k

YankeeMan

I was on a cruise with a topless deck, as high and forward on the ship as possible. I was fortunate that several of the dancers in the shows used it. I was being ever so cool and trying not to stare when I walked smack into a glass wall at the front of the ship! You could hear the "BONG!" all over the ship! I just slunk back to my cabin.

Sandman1am

YankeeMan:

I was on a cruise with a topless deck, as high and forward on the ship as possible. I was fortunate that several of the dancers in the shows used it. I was being ever so cool and trying not to stare when I walked smack into a glass wall at the front of the ship! You could hear the "BONG!" all over the ship! I just slunk back to my cabin.

ROTFLMAO!!! I had a friend do something like that but the chick was fully clothed. Wonder what would have happened to him if she was naked?

TatuajeVI

As Lasabar said - buying Cubans is typically a waste of time. Most shops are selling fakes and charging high prices. Bring your own and smoke them knowing they are delicious and you didn't pay $25 for a terrible cigar.

havanaal

Yes, there are a lot of fake Cubans in the Caribbean. But for some of us it's the best chance to partake we're going to get until the embargo is lifted--and as we all know there are predictions of a counterfiet boom once that happens. I have found authentic Cubans in those cigar stores. Fakes as well, and it's certainly easy to tell the difference. I say go for it. Stay away from the big name tourist brands, the glass top boxes etc. The best authentic deal I ever got was in Honduras, 5 Cuban Bolivars for $30--and they were real as can be, and wonderful.