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Cruise line Royal Caribbean on July 23rd unveiled a new cruise ship smoking policy, set to go into effect next January 1, which seems likely to leave many smokers and many non-smokers unhappy.

The policy, which will initially take effect aboard 18 of Royal Caribbean's 21 ships including all of its newest and largest, will turn all staterooms and one lounge on the cruise line's ships into non-smoking areas. The remaining ships will fall into line next summer.

Currently, smoking is prohibited in guest hallways and corridors,
restaurants, some entertainment venues and most of the ship's interior public spaces except for designated areas in bars and lounges.

While the addition of new non-smoking areas seemed, on its face, to be good news for non-smokers, the bad news came in disclosure that smokers would still be able to light-up on stateroom and suite balconies.

One of the current complaints of non-smokers is they often are driven from balconies -- for which they pay extra -- by smokers on adjacent balconies. The new no-smoking-in-staterooms policy seems certain to drive even more smokers onto cabin balconies.

"Now I will never be able to sit out on the balcony," one non-smoking cruiser emailed Cruise Ship Report after hearing today's Royal Caribbean announcement.

Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean's further move toward curtailing smoking on its cruise ships has to be viewed as little short of courageous, given the lack of success Carnival had only a few years ago with its non-smoking cruise ship, the Paradise.

Only Disney and Oceania currently ban smoking in staterooms, and Disney allows smoking on stateroom balconies while Oceania bans smoking on verandahs.

Royal Caribbean said violations of the smoking policy will result in a $250 charge being added to the guest's onboard account and repeated problems may be incur escalating penalties that include the possibility of smokers being put off the ship at the next port.

"Results from online polls as well as input from all of our international offices worldwide, show very strong support of the new smoking policy," said Alice Norsworthy, senior vice president, Marketing, Royal Caribbean International.

"These changes reflect a more contemporary approach to healthier lifestyles and will significantly improve the cruise vacation experience for our guests."