Uncategorisedroyal-caribbean-is-testing-a-controversial-change-—-and-it-might-be-bad-for-revenue

Cigarette use among U.S. adults has declined in recent decades, but roughly 12% of Americans say they’re smokers, per the CDC.

Although fewer public spaces accommodate the habit today, the casinos aboard some major cruise ships have been a safe bet — until recently. Royal Caribbean is testing a ban on smoking at table games on certain Freedom of the Seas sailings, TheStreet reported.

Related: Carnival Cruises Will Now Charge You a $500 Fee if You Do This

Freedom of the Seas, which sailed its first voyage in 2006 and has a capacity for nearly 5,000 guests, boasts more than a dozen restaurants, bars and lounges on board, in addition to its “Casino Royale,” per Royal Caribbean.

Except for the casino, smoking was already prohibited in all interior public spaces — including dining venues and bars — aboard Royal Caribbean cruise lines, according to the company’s site.

Royal Caribbean has already added smoke-free casinos to all of its Oasis-class ships and experimented with a smoking ban on its Celebrity cruise line, which hurt revenue, per TheStreet.

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Related: Carnival Cruise Ship Becomes ‘Cruise to Nowhere’ | Entrepreneur

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is up more than 125% year over year.