As I (a non-smoker, but former smoker) see it, Regent made a business decision. Was it a good one or a bad one? I really don't know. It is not the decision I would have made, however.

I would have phased the ban in gently so as not to cause the uproar that clearly has occured. This sort of publicity cannot be good for business, no matter which side of the smoking fence one is on. It may become a PR nightmare for them.

I cannot wait to see when it turns up in the travel press and what the spin will be.

To those who refer to that other board's shutting down the thread, remember that they are advertiser supported & are actively selling cruise vacations. I wouldn't expect that they would do anything to upset any of the cruise lines.

It is all just business. The advertiser decides what to run. The provider (the cruise line) decides what to offer or NOT to offer. The customer decides where to spend his money. That is the ultimate choice we have as customers - the ultimate power.

Frankly, if I still smoked (which thanks to SWMBO I do not), I would think twice before I booked Regent as much as I love the line.

Just my 2 cents...Doug