Royal Caribbean Is Testing a Controversial Change — and It Might Be Bad for Revenue The cruise line has experimented with variations of the policy in the past.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Cigarette use among U.S. adults has declined in recent decades, but roughly 12% of Americans say they're smokers, per the CDC.
Although fewer public spaces accommodate the habit today, the casinos aboard some major cruise ships have been a safe bet — until recently. Royal Caribbean is testing a ban on smoking at table games on certain Freedom of the Seas sailings, TheStreet reported.
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Freedom of the Seas, which sailed its first voyage in 2006 and has a capacity for nearly 5,000 guests, boasts more than a dozen restaurants, bars and lounges on board, in addition to its "Casino Royale," per Royal Caribbean.
Except for the casino, smoking was already prohibited in all interior public spaces — including dining venues and bars — aboard Royal Caribbean cruise lines, according to the company's site.
Royal Caribbean has already added smoke-free casinos to all of its Oasis-class ships and experimented with a smoking ban on its Celebrity cruise line, which hurt revenue, per TheStreet.
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Related: Carnival Cruise Ship Becomes 'Cruise to Nowhere' | Entrepreneur
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is up more than 125% year over year.
