Date: Apr 18, 2007 4:54 PM
Subject: Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
MALAGA, SPAIN
Yesterday there was another meeting about smoking with Conroy and the other officers of Regent that had come aboard. I was supposed to go but Bobbi says I passed out instead. So today we were given the results by reliable sources.
First off the audience was overloaded with nasty mouthed militant smokers. We do not know if this was prearranged or not but it does sound very fishy. The outcome was, as usual, do nothing. They are terribly afraid to loose the revenue from the smokers. Real smart. Duh, what about loosing the majority that do not smoke and can’t stand it and are sickened by it?
Every single one of the popular priced cruise lines that deal primarily with Americans, has very limited smoking allowed. Many cities around the United States have gone smokeless in restaurants and public buildings. I personally remember Both Miami and Chicago restaurants complaining that this would cost them a lot of business. It never happened. Business increased. They still got the smokers because there was no where else to go and now many who could not stand the smoke, could come to eat. The entire country of France is going smokeless. But Regent 
insists on insulting its loyal customers.As I have said over and over again, this line has by far the finest and best on board staff of any afloat. From the captain on down, none are more friendly, efficient, or try harder. The suites are some of the most comfortable. The food is definitely the best. What a great organization. Just too bad they have to screw it all up with a terrible land office.
There is a lounge on the atrium that always plays popular light rock. Often there are live entertainers. This is where they have karaoke and other events. Most of the non smokers cannot even walk by let alone go in, due to the clouds of smoke. There is a concierge room for smokers of even cigars and pipes. One side of the main restaurant has a smoking section that prevents over a third of the entire restaurant from being used. The same with two of the largest lounges. As these are areas that are off limits to non smokers, they should be refunded accordingly or 
smokers should be charged more for the extra space they are given. Sound like a great idea for a law suit? Their cure is to glass enclose the smoking area in the dining room. I am sure that will do as much good as they are doing for one room where there are smokers on either side. They said they put gaskets on the doors. No relief from the smoke.They think they are able to do what they want because they have lots of reservations for next year. But lets see what happens when final payments are due and not just small deposits. As one
lady said, she has several reservations with other lines also. I have made reservations along with two other couples for next year. We too will see if there is a better offer out there. Let them please only their smokers. Perhaps some tobacco company has an interest in this company. Maybe a group that does lung cancer operations? Why else would they be so intent upon pleasing the smokers while disgusting non smokers? Don’t they realize that soon these smokers will be dead?
It was rainy here today. It was fairly warm. About 67 degrees. We had been here several times. Today we waited for the weather to get better but it never did. About noon we got tired of waiting and went out and got into the shuttle bus to the end of the harbor. After about a three block walk we came to an area where the streets were closed off. It had been made into a nice mall paved with very nice tiles. The stores were not much different then those at home. We could find nothing to buy. The rain started to get a little harder so we went back the ship.
One thing Spain is highly noted for is its pickpockets. There was a lady on the shuttle bus we returned on, that had just been robbed. Two young girls approached her to buy flowers they were selling. When she refused them they asked for a donation. (Begged for money). The lady started to give them a dollar and one girl said that it was too much. Just a few cents is all they wanted. As the lady was fumbling for change the other girl pick pocketed her. She saw them do this and started to give chase. The Police had been nearby and took a description. All in vain. Nothing is left to do. She is only out about $200.
This evening we had a local Flamenco group come aboard and give us a beautiful dancing and singing show. The show was very good but I was quite disappointed. I thought they said it was going to be dancing Flamingos.
1 comment:
In October of this year, the village I live in (Vernon Hills, IL) enacted an ordinance banning smoking inside any building, (with the only exception of a tobacco store) and outside a building within 15 feet of any entrance. It just so happens that one of Carlson’s restaurants resides within my village. I have not seen any change in the number of cars in the parking lot.
With the success of this ordinance, the County of Cook has followed suite by enacting a nearly identical law. The city of Chicago had previously enacted an ordinance against smoking, but it stopped short of banning smoking in a bar. This new Cook County law will has covered that gap, and as my father stated in his entry, you can believe me… People still flock in droves to the restaurants, bars and night clubs, as now the only alternative would be to go someplace in one of the collar counties.
The State of Illinois is also in the works of making this law state wide. The few that DON’T support this (including the governor in part) down state are using the old argument that bars and restaurants will loose business and the decision should be left up to the individual villages or counties. But I argue on the contrary, if the state enacted this law, then the playing field would be level, and there would be no where else to go.
The main driving force behind this is health. If someone want’s to kill themselves by smoking, then fine… They can do it in their own home. But when they start smoking in my or other’s presence, they are impacting my health…. And that is violating MY RIGHTS!!!
So Regent and Carlson, I ask you: do you want to contribute to the ill health of ALL your passengers and employees or just the ones who CHOOSE to endanger their health?
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