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 •
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.
