I too appreciate having this thread left open. Though my BIL and sister are trying to quit (a heart attack opened his eyes somewhat...)it truly is a most difficult thing to do. Dad, who has been smoking for over 60 years, has no motivation to quit at this point, and though his doctor tells him of course that it would be better to quit, she also has told him the stress of quitting could cause new problems. I'm lucky to never have smoked - with so many smokers in my family there was no need :p but have a great deal of empathy for those who are addicted. In my last post I stated that I was not equating smokers to people with disabilities but after reading some very thoughtful posts including Richard's I think he has a valid point. Can the new rules work for some? I'm sure they can. I'm just disappointed that they can't work for us and so many others.

I believe other ships will follow suit, we will simply have to hope that we can get a few cruises in in the meantime - on other lines.