Smoke Signals on the High Seas
(cont.)As important as installing humidors onboard, ship owners and consultants are highlighting the snazzy smoking rooms with new kinds of cigars, cognacs, cakes, and cigar-oriented speakers, even creating cruises devoted entirely to cigar connoisseurs and their interests.
Last year, Carnival Cruises in Miami featured a three-day "Cigar Lover's Cruise," where the ship's library was transformed into a smoking palace complete with ceremonies celebrating the art of preparing the tobacco and lighting a cigar for the perfect smoke. As a result, Carnival has seen an increase in onboard cigar smoking on its regular cruises. Cigars are now sold in selected bars and lounges and allowed in designated cigar-smoking open areas aboard the "fun ships."
"People absolutely love cigar cruises," says Sally Starr, of American Business Consultants in Woodland Hills, California, who creates specialty cruises for clients like Crystal and Celebrity Cruises. "Our recent 10-day "Smoke on the Water" cruise from Acapulco to Ft. Lauderdale, aboard the Crystal Harmony, was totally devoted to enjoying cigars and what goes with them."
Every night of the cruise guests found a different cigar on their pillows, instead of the traditional Godiva Belgian chocolates. They were also presented with fancy gift bags featuring cutters, cigars, matches and malt liquors donated from major manufacturers. During the cruise, cigar fanatics spent many hours puffing in the ship's Vista Lounge, located on the top deck. Dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views of the sea. Cigar smokers and their guests were seated in comfortable leather chairs to enjoy the full bar and light entertainment by pianists, classical music groups and progressive jazz musicians during the pre-dinner and post-dinner hours. The Harmony hosted a black-tie dinner at the Neptune Pool where various brands of cigars on sterling silver trays were offered to well-dressed passengers. Desserts of delicious marzipan in shapes of matches and ashtrays, and cigar-shaped brownies took the theme even further. Richard Carleton Hacker, author of The Ultimate Cigar Book, gave a speech and hosted special onboard cigar events. There was even a tour of the extensive wine cellar.
"This specialty cruise was a huge success," enthuses Starr. "On my
next cigar cruise, we will tour a Honduran cigar factory People from all
over the world are interested in learning all they can about the history of the cigars they smoke."
Dan Lotten, reservation manager at Key West's Simonton Court - an inn which was once a cigar factory where craftsmen handrolled some of the world's most famous cigars - recently cruised on Holland American's grand old Rotterdam. Like other cruisers, he loved the idea of relaxing at sea, inhaling the fresh air and puffing on his favorite cigar. "The most memorable part of my cruise was spending nights in the Old World-Styled smoking room, where we relaxed, talked and enjoyed cigars in a luxurious 1950s decor of rich colors, dark woods, and beautiful antiques," he muses.
Indeed, Holland American has a long history of cigar-friendly ships. Some of the company's older ships featured great Deco rooms complete with mystical smoking rituals held in such romantic settings. An expert rolled and dunked the cigars in different liqueurs for passengers to indulge in after dinner. "This traditional cigar ceremony was a highlight of our cruises for years," explains Larry Dessler, public relations representative for Holland American Line-Westours, based in Seattle. "The concept went away for awhile but now cigar smoking has been reinvigorated, and we offer it on our special cruises."
To satisfy the growing trend, Holland American's popular "Cigars Under the Stars" nights are stylish and exotic social encounters for the young at heart. On all eight of the company's ocean liners, this special outdoor ritual has people talking and wanting more. With soft music, dim lighting and candlelit tables set up on a section of the open air deck, after-dinner cigar smokers of all ages mix and match and mingle while being attended to by stewards dressed in formal attire. Smokers are served cordials, cognacs and cigars in an elaborate ceremony that embodies cigar smoking tradition.
"We send our staff members to the classic Hotel Manila in the Philippines, which is to Manila what Raffles is to Singapore," says Dessler, who offers cruisers high-quality Dominican, Jamaican and Honduran cigars. "They learn how to properly prepare the cigar for smoking then perform the ceremony for our cruisers. They clip the ends and make them smooth so the cigar bums easily and releases flavor. Many of our guests like their cigars to be moistened with a fine brandy. The whole event is a great show - something most people haven't seen. I love to go and watch it. What is more delightfully decadent than cognac and cigars? Both men and women are indulging - with a recent emphasis on women. I believe the whole scenario is the way the world should be."
It seems that women of all ages are taking their first cruises and trying out everything the ship has to offer - and that includes jumping on the cigar smoking bandwagon. A cigar consultant believes this trend will grow because women look fine while puffing which, in turn, gives them more confidence. "The sexiest thing a woman can do is light up her cigar," observes Scott Dinin, based in Miami. "A woman holding a cigar exudes power, inclusion, and intelligence. The cigar is a conversation piece that started with Type A personality women and is spreading to all women. It is a good way for a women to meet people on a cruise."
The whole idea of men and women in snazzy dress engaging social interaction at sea is spawning some upscale cottage industries that amplify the cigar trend and promote the feeling of relaxation and well being. Cigar brands like Dunhill, and Cohiba are teaming with cruise lines like Seaborn, Club Med, and Celebrity to cohost more formal cigar events. Women's cigars by Don Tomas and Lady Stogies by Dominican Cigar Company are being marketed straight to women at sea. There is even a gown that bespeaks the glamour of drifting smoke at sea. Copies of Princess Diana's bottle-green velvet, low-backed dinner dress, reminiscent of a man's smoking jacket with its front lapels and two rows of five velvet buttons cut in a double-breasted style, could find its way into boutiques by next year.
Seminars on the history and usage of humidors, compendiums, cases, colognes, ash trays, sterling silver tubes, cutters, and lighters, will grow more important as the trend in Old World style cigar cruises broadens with new ships and exciting itineraries.
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