Cruise Smoking Rules: What Smokers Should Know Before Sailing

Smoking on cruise ships is always a hot topic – and not just literally. It’s one of those things that gets people talking (and arguing) in cruise Facebook groups and forums. The good news? Smokers are still welcome on board every major cruise line, but there are more rules than ever about where you can light up.

Whether you smoke cigarettes, cigars or prefer to vape, every cruise line has its own policies – and they’re not always easy to keep track of. From ships that still allow smoking in certain casinos to those with completely smoke-free balconies, it’s worth knowing the rules before you sail to avoid fines or awkward run-ins with other passengers.

In this guide, you’ll find out exactly where you can and can’t smoke on each cruise line, what’s changed recently, and how to enjoy your holiday without breaking any rules (or annoying your neighbours).

1. You Can Smoke on Every Cruise Ship

All cruise ships allow smoking on board. While many people would relish the idea of a non-smoking cruise ship, in reality, every cruise ship has at least one smoking area.

With 11.5% of US adults regularly smoking cigarettes and 6.5% vaping electronic cigarettes, banning smoking from cruise ships altogether wouldn’t be practical or profitable for cruise lines in the modern day.

2. You Can Only Smoke In Certain Places Onboard

Smoking on cruise ships is only permitted in designated areas. Cruise ship smoking areas are usually tucked out of the way and are pretty easy for non-smokers to avoid.

When you board your cruise ship, you’ll receive a copy of the deck plan, which highlights useful areas such as smoking areas, toilets and lifts.

Most smoking areas are outdoors, but there’s usually a covered area to shelter from the rain. Some cruise lines also allow smoking indoors in smoking rooms, cigar bars or in the casino.

3. Some Cruise Lines Let You Smoke on Your Balcony (But Most Don’t)

Some smokers dislike the idea of having to walk to the smoking area first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Whereas non-smokers worry about the possibility of second-hand smoke drifting onto their balcony from the one next door or below.

Of course, there’s also the issue of safety, as on balconies, there are no staff members around to ensure that cigarettes are properly extinguished. There are also fears that some inconsiderate smokers may throw cigarette ends overboard and pollute the ocean.

For these reasons, smoking is banned on most cruise ship balconies. One of the only cruise lines allowing smoking for the foreseeable future on private balconies is Costa Cruises. You could smoke on a balcony on a Fred. Olsen cruise ship until 1st April 2025, when the policy changed.

4. Several Cruise Lines Let You Smoke In the Casino

Smoking in cruise ship casinos varies by cruise line, by ship and even by the day of the week. Some ships have smoking areas or smoking rooms within the casino, some allow smoking throughout the casino, and some ban it altogether.

Scroll down to see a table showing which cruise lines allow smoking in casinos. Please note, though, that if mask mandates are in place, there may be a temporary ban on indoor smoking.

When I cruised on MSC Preziosa, I noticed that most people in the casino seemed to be smoking, and it put me off staying in there too long. At the roulette table, the etiquette seemed to be that players would offer a cigarette to each person at the table before lighting up themselves.

Suggested read: The One Cruise Etiquette Tip EVERYONE Should Know!

Here’s Where You’re Allowed to Smoke on Each Cruise Line

This table shows where smoking is allowed with each cruise line. Most information is given about each cruise line smoking policy below the table.

Cruise line	Outdoor smoking areas?	Indoor smoking lounges?	Smoking in casino?	Smoking on balconies?	Smoking in your cabin?
Carnival	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO
Celebrity Cruises	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO
Costa Cruises	YES	YES	NO	YES	vaping only
Cunard	YES	Cigars and pipes only	NO	NO	NO
Disney Cruise Line	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO
Holland America Line	YES	NO	Selected ships on designated nights	NO	NO
Marella Cruises	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO
MSC Cruises	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO
Norwegian Cruise Line	YES	Cigars only	Yes (except for cigars and pipes)	Only for guests staying in Garden Villas	NO
P&O Cruises	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO
Princess Cruises	YES	YES	At designated slot machines only. Not at table games	NO	NO
Royal Caribbean	YES	Cigars and pipes only on selected ships	Depends on departure country	NO	NO

Vaping Rules

The general rule regarding electronic cigarettes on cruise ships is that they are treated in the same way as cigarettes, and so vaping is only permitted in designated smoking areas. There is only one cruise line – Costa Cruises, which allows e-cigs to be vaped in cabins.

Read more: Vaping On A Cruise Ship? What You Must Know!

It’s important to note that electronic cigarettes are illegal in many countries, including the United Arab Emirates, India and much of South America and Southeast Asia. You should check before you travel, as you may have to leave your e-cigarette on the ship. Punishment for possession ranges from confiscation to a fine or even up to ten years in prison.

Bring the Right Lighter!

Cigarette lighters are allowed on cruise ships. However, torch lighters that emit a powerful, concentrated flame are not allowed on most ships. Similarly, novelty lighters that look like guns are also not allowed.

Punishment If You Get Caught Smoking In the Wrong Place…

If you get caught smoking on a cruise outside of the designated areas, then you will first receive a warning. If you repeat the offence, then you may be kicked off the ship. If you’re caught smoking in your stateroom, you may have to pay a cleaning fee.

Fire is one of the biggest threats to a cruise ship, so you should only ever smoke in the designated smoking areas.

Suggested read: How To Get Away With Smoking On A Cruise Ship

If You See Someone Smoking Where They Shouldn’t…

If you see someone smoking on a cruise ship outside of the smoking area, then you can either ask them not to do it or tell a crew member.

It may be that the person is unaware that they should not be smoking, so they may be grateful for your tip-off. However, they may have chosen to break the rules and may not relish being reprimanded.

If you’d prefer to avoid confrontation, then you can tell a nearby crew member or telephone guest services. That way, the smoker needn’t ever know that it was you who reported them.

Non-Smoking Cruise Ships

At the moment, there is no such thing as a no-smoking cruise ship. However, if you are determined to avoid smoke, you most certainly can. All you have to do is look up where the smoking areas are and avoid them.

You do have to wonder if some cruise ships might become fully non-smoking in future.

Cruise Line Smoking Polices (2025)

Here are links to the latest smoking and vaping policies for each cruise line…

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises only allows smoking in designated outdoor smoking areas. This policy includes smoking-like products such as electronic cigarettes, pipes and cigars.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line limits smoking to specific exterior deck areas and designated casino and nightclub spaces that can be monitored. Cigars and pipes may only be smoked in outdoor smoking areas.

Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises allows smoking only in designated indoor areas which are marked as ‘cigar lounges’ and designated outdoor smoking points. Smoking cigarettes and tobacco are not permitted in cabins but electronic cigarettes are allowed in cabins. Smoking is allowed on private balconies.

Cunard

The smoking of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes is permitted only in designated outdoor smoking areas. Pipes and cigars are also allowed at any time of day in Churchill’s lounge, but cigarettes are prohibited here.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line allows smoking and vaping only in designated outdoor smoking areas.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line allows smoking only in designated outdoor smoking areas. Some ships (Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Amsterdam, Maasdam, Volendam, Zaandam, Rotterdam and Veendam) also allow smoking in the casino, but only on certain nights and only whilst playing. Electronic cigarettes may be vaped in staterooms.

Marella Cruises

Marella cruise ships only allow smoking in designated areas of the open deck. The same rule applies to e-cigarettes.

MSC Cruises

Smoking is permitted only in designated indoor and outdoor smoking areas and in the casino.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor smoking areas. Most ships (all except Norwegian Sky, Sun, Star and Pride of America), have a cigar lounge where cigars are welcome. Nothing but cigars and pipes may be smoked in these areas.

Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Encore have a designated smoking room within the casino where people can smoke whilst playing.

On other ships, smoking is allowed throughout the casino. Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed in the casino.

Whilst smoking is not generally allowed in cabins or on balconies, guests staying in Garden Villas are allowed to smoke in their private garden and on their private sun decks.

P&O Cruises

Smoking is only permitted in designated outdoor smoking areas. These locations are not published as they change depending on the weather or cleaning processes.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises allow smoking in designated areas which include outdoor smoking areas, cigar lounges and a section of the nightclub. In the casino, smoking is allowed only whilst playing designated machines and not at table games. The casino will have one or more non-smoking nights on each cruise. Electronic cigarettes are also not permitted in cabins but they are allowed within the smoking areas.

Royal Caribbean

On Royal Caribbean cruises, smoking is permitted in designated outdoor smoking areas. The rules about smoking in the casino varies for different regions of the world. On cruises departing from China and Hong Kong, smoking is allowed throughout the casino. On cruises departing from the UK and Australia, smoking is not allowed in the casino. On all other cruises, the casino will have a designated smoking area. 

Cigars are not allowed in the casino, only in designated outdoor smoking areas. Freedom-class and Voyager-class ships feature cigar bars where cigars and pipes are allowed, but no other types of smoking.

Final Word

So, can you smoke on a cruise ship? Yes – but only in a few carefully designated spots. Most lines ban smoking on balconies and in cabins, and indoor options are becoming increasingly rare. You’ll still find outdoor areas where it’s allowed, but they’re often tucked away from the main decks.

It’s really important to follow the rules. Cruise lines take smoking restrictions seriously, and breaking them could lead to hefty cleaning fees or even being asked to leave the ship. Stick to the designated areas and you’ll avoid any issues – leaving you free to relax and enjoy your holiday without unwanted drama.

Related posts:

• Bringing or Buying Cigarettes on a Cruise Ship? Here’s What You Must Know
• Bringing Weed on a Cruise: Everything You Need to Know
• Real Stories Of Cruise Guests Who Were Banned From Cruising For Life
• 5 Wild Rumours I Heard From The Smoking Area On A Cruise