Another option is to knock on your neighbor's doors on the cruise, introduce yourself, explain your son's situation, ask if they smoke, and see if you can work out some kind of agreement about when they will or won't smoke on the verandah. Many smokers know that it can be a problem but if they know it's a real medical situation, they might be even more willing to hold off on the verandah.
I don't know....it's another option if you want to keep the verandah. But as a mother of three, I would be worrying about it non-stop until the time of the cruise like you are. So sorry you have to deal with this.
As a smoker, who while I smoke very rarely on the cruise but when I DO smoke it's usually on my own private verandah vs the open deck smoking areas, I would not mind this at all. If I was told by a neighbor on the cruise that their child was severely allergic, I wouldn't mind working something out. In my case, which may different than many others and I realize this, I would simply tell them that I usually have one cig in the morning with my morning coffee and generally any other time I smoke is late at night. I would just tell them this so they'd know the times to avoid going outside.
(If I were the type to smoke at other times during the day out there- I'd try to work out a schedule with them. My point being I WOULD try to work something out. I'd be upset if I found out my smoking on the verandah made a child severely ill! I'd prefer to know ahead of time and try to avoid that! It just so happens that my smoking habits on the ship are probably the easiest to work around with a child... just avoid going out there late am and very late at night when presumably said child would be asleep because I'm talking VERY late... like midnight on. LOL I think it would be easy to keep a child off their verandah that late at night. I would assume that at least the vast majority, if not 100%, of smokers would prefer to know ahead of time if they have a neighboring guest that will become very ill if they are smoking at the same time they are on the neighboring verandah. At the very least, even if a schedule persay couldn't be worked out- at least that person would be forewarned and could AT LEAST avoid smoking out there if they go out on their verandah and the neighboring guests were out on their verandah first... as long as they weren't like out there for hours and honestly- none of our kids ever want to be out there for HOURS at a time. Verandah is not their idea of fun really.. maybe for a few minutes tops LOL)
First, I do not like the smell of smoke. It really annoys me and I'd love to see a non-smoking ship but realize that it's not economicall feasible for DCL or most other cruise lines.
That said, I have not had any issues on DCL with smokers on the verandahs. And we spend a lot of time on our verandah! Honestly, a child does not even spend that much time on the verandah. In my experience, the kids around us would come out for a less than a minute or two and then head back inside.
Yes, there is a chance you might encounter a neighbor who smokes. If that concerns you, then I would agree with the PP's who suggested that you not book a verandah. There are plenty of public areas outdoors where smoking is not allowed. Try to book a room that makes it relatively easy to enjoy one of the public open deck where smoking is prohibited.
Now Deck 4 is another story. Smokers aren't suppossed to smoke during certain hours for the courtesy of walkers/runners who are exercising. It seemed like that rule was overlooked by many smokers on our last cruise.
ah, just noticed you already made some points I made above.
I agree- in my experience with our kids ranging ages of 6-16.. none of them are interested in being out there for more than a few minutes at a time. I realize some kids might be the exception to the rule though. Verandahs are usually for relaxing outside, watching the water/what we're passing, for some it's for smoking, others like to read or sleep out there- none of those things are high on the list of priorities of things to do for most children while on the ship LOL
That said, the time I spend out on the verandah (doing all the above), and I do make good use of the verandah when we pay for it! I much prefer sitting there instead of out on open decks.... I've never noticed smoke wafting into our verandah even the few times I've stood up at the railing and then noticed neighbors standing at the railing smoking! I'd have never known if I hadn't stood up there and looked over.
I agree you have two options with a child that will become seriously ill with smoke around them: 1) book the verandah if you're okay with attempting to work out a schedule with neighboring guests if they smoke AND okay with the child just not being out on the verandah if the neighboring guests aren't cooperative in that respect (IMO not a huge deal, as kids don't generally as a rule enjoy spending a ton of time on a verandah anyway or 2) don't book a verandah and not have to worry about it.
but I'm concerned for your son in some other smoking areas as well. They aren't all exactly "open" air areas.... I personally don't like to smoke in them because it's still around a lot of other people and including children and it's sorta halfway "enclosed" so the smoke can linger in those areas. If you walk by those areas with your son... it could be bad.
