What Cruise Lines Offer Cigar Lounges?
For cigar enthusiasts, the mere ritual of lighting up a fine cigar at dinner or sundown is not a pastime—it’s an experience. On land, that translates to a visit to a member-only club or upscale cigar lounge. But what if you’re traveling the high seas?
Most tourists inquire, “What cruise lines feature cigar lounges?” Despite the cruising world’s requirement to create a more discerning demarcation between smoking and non-smoking, numerous cruise lines continue to provide elegant, tastefully furnished rooms wherein travelers enjoy quality cigars, accompany them with quality spirits, and recline in debonair comfort.
This in-depth guide points out which cruise liners currently have cigar lounges, what to expect, and tips on how to fill your cruise with old-world luxury.
Why Cigar Lounges are a Key Component to an Upscale Cruise Experience
Cigar lounges are an oasis amid the high seas. For those who enjoy craftsmanship in cigars, whiskey, or even ships, a cigar lounge adds to the cruise experience. Here’s why:
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Atmosphere: Cigar lounges are typically richly decorated with leather sofas, dim light, and classical or jazz music, creating an atmosphere of comfort and refinement.
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Social experience: Cigar lounges are social places for like-minded consumers. Whether you’re a die-hard aficionado or an occasional smoker, that’s where you go to make contacts.
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Exclusivity: Some cigar lounges are for suite guests only or for guests of higher access, and this creates a feeling of isolation and individualization.
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Pairing experience: Luxury cruise ships will offer expertly paired menus—Cuban cigar and 25-year-old Scotch or Nicaraguan blends and dark rum.
Best Cruise Lines with Exclusive Cigar Lounges
Here is the list of top cigar-friendly cruise lines, ship-by-ship information, lounge amenities, and expectations.
Cunard Line – The Acme of British Sophistication
The cigar lounge policy of Cunard bears all the hallmarks of a relic from the golden age of ocean liners. Each of their Queen-class ships has a cigar lounge that is a nod to gentlemen’s clubs.
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Queen Mary 2 – Churchill Cigar Lounge: The most popular onboard, the lounge is leather and mahogany panelled beautifully and has original pictures of Churchill on the walls. It has a fantastic range of Cuban cigars and fine drinks such as Glenfiddich 21 Year and Rémy Martin XO.
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Queen Elizabeth & Queen Victoria: Both feature similarly appointed lounges with walk-in humidors and an exquisite hand-curated cigar collection from worldwide locales to appease British as well as American travelers.
Cunard is still one of the last of the cruise lines where cigar smoking is still a traditional art form and not just an accepted vice.
MSC Cruises – Relaxed Luxury Meets European Flair
MSC Cruises is the sole mass-line line to adopt cigar culture, especially on newer ships.
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Cigar lounge ships: Seaside, Seaview, Meraviglia, Bellissima, and Virtuosa.
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La Habana Cigar Lounge: Lounges are similar to stylish hotel bars with modern European interior design. Cuban cigars are smoked by passengers and accompanied by espresso, cognac, and Italian amari.
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Vibe: Look for lounges of leather, marble bars, and a dark atmosphere. MSC’s cigar lounges are large and have an unhomogeneous group of passengers from all over the globe.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) – The Humidor Collection
Norwegian does a great job in appealing to cigar enthusiasts, especially on its larger ships.
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Humidor Cigar Lounge: Aboard ships such as Norwegian Bliss, Encore, and Escape, this lounge is casual but upscale. Hand-rolled cigars are available from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
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Amenities: Bar service, cigar lockers (on select ships), and sports and live event programming on TV screens.
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Atmosphere: These lounges are less formal and more contemporary than luxury cruises, which will appeal to a younger luxury cruiser.
Celebrity Cruises – Subdued Luxury
Although not all Celebrity ships feature a cigar lounge, the earlier Millennium-class ships have more cigar-friendly zones compared to the newer ones.
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Ships to consider: Celebrity Millennium, Summit, and Constellation.
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Smoking policy: Celebrity doesn’t offer indoor lounges in newer vessels but offers partially covered outdoor areas where cigars are permitted.
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Tip: Travelers who prefer in-house lounges must remain with pre-Edge class ships.
Oceania Cruises – Elegant and Unwinding
Oceania melds haute cuisine with boutique cruising, and its cigar lounges carry that concept of thoughtfully selected luxury.
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Marina and Riviera’s Havana Lounge: The lounge itself is designed like a 1940s Cuban saloon—dark wood, tile-mosaic floor, and ceiling fans. A gem of mid-size luxury cruising.
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Cigar selection: Cohiba, Montecristo, Arturo Fuente, and even limited-edition blends.
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Bar matches: For well-selected spirits such as Oban, Hennessy Paradis, and Havana Club Selección de Maestros.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Ultra-Luxury with Heritage
The most lavish and intimate lounges in the cruise world are Regent lounges.
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Located on: Seven Seas Explorer, Splendor, and Grandeur.
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Lounge style: Luxurious armchairs, library corners, and peaceful atmosphere—perfect for reading or quiet conversation.
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Inclusive access: High-end cigars and specialty whiskeys frequently included, as opposed to other lines where they are à la carte ordered.
Silversea Cruises – For the Elite Voyager
Silversea caters to those who desire the finest. Their cigar lounges are intimate, never crowded, and always opulent.
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Ships with lounges: Silver Spirit, Silver Muse, and Silver Moon.
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Highlights:
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Humidor stocked with Cuban and Nicaraguan cigars
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Personalized service and sommelier-level beverage pairing
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Relaxed policies on BYO (bring your own) cigars, provided you’re discrete
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Other Cruise Lines and Their Cigar Policies
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Viking Ocean Cruises: No cigar lounges inside; cigars are only permitted outside in designated smoking areas. Viking only has a no-smoking-indoors policy.
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Holland America Line: Had lounges but eliminated them. Cigar smoking only in outdoors deck area.
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Carnival & Royal Caribbean: Both permit cigars in outside smoking facilities that are cigar-friendly and some casino spaces but provide no indoor cigar lounges.
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Disney Cruise Line: No cigar lounges on board or smoking rooms indoors. Outdoor smoking but limited.
What Cigar Lounges Have at Sea
While diverse by ship and cruise line, most graciously appointed cigar lounges have:
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Walk-in humidors: Surrounded by well-stored cigars with regulated temperature and humidity.
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Cigar menus: $10 Dominican cigars to Cuban collector’s edition over $50.
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Beverage pairings: Scotch reserve, craft rum, small-batch bourbon, and vintage cognac.
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Lockers for cigars: Some high-end brands provide separate lockers for suite or frequent passengers.
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Ventilation not in sight: Advanced filtering systems prevent non-smokers within the room from being disturbed.
Can You Bring Your Own Cigars Onboard?
Yes, you can bring your own cigars onboard most cruise lines. But there are restrictions:
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Cuban cigars: Permitted for UK passengers, but prohibited for US citizens on international cruises, pending status of embargo.
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Duty-free restrictions: US Customs 100 cigars for individual consumption but check local restrictions at departure/arrival locations.
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Lounge policy: Usually smoking your own cigars but enjoying the ship’s lounge might entail a drink purchase or bar charge.
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Book a suite: Smoking permission on private balconies in some suites.
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Pack a travel humidor: Preserves cigar integrity on extended cruises.
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Ask about pair events: Exclusive cigar and liquor samplings on most ships—book ahead.
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Pack a cutter and lighter: Use by customers of lighters is restricted by some ships due to fire regulations. But if allowed, it’s nice to bring your own.
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Respect non-smokers: Always use sanctioned areas and follow posted .
Voice Search-Optimized Queries Visitors Use
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“Do cruise ships allow Cuban cigars?”
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“Where are cigar lounges on cruise ships?”
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“What cruise lines have cigar lounges?”
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“Are there cigar lounges on cruises in the COVID era?”
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“Are cigars permitted on my cruise holiday?”
These are just some sample voice search queries that fit in line with high-intent travel searches—guaranteeing you’re receiving answers from current and complete-detail sources such as this guide.
Why Cigar Lounges Are Rare but Enduring
Cruise ships are rapidly going smoke-free for health, safety, and air quality reasons. Cigar lounges are still found on luxury lines, however, because:
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Guest demand: Luxury travelers demand cigar amenities.
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Brand identity: Cunard and Regent, for instance, employ cigar culture as a luxury brand strategy.
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Cultural relevance: To British tourists and international travelers alike, cigar lounges continue to be social and ceremonial places.
FAQs About Cruise Ship Cigar Lounges
Are there cruise ships which have cigar lounges?
Yes, some of the higher luxury and more upscale cruise lines still have indoor cigar lounges. Cunard, MSC, NCL, Regent, and Silversea are just a few of the top ones.
Are cigar lounges free?
They’re generally free to access but cigars and beverages are extra unless you’re on an all-inclusive luxury cruise.
Can I smoke cigars in my cruise cabin?
No. Smoking, including cigar smoking, is forbidden in cabins and the majority of balconies because of fire safety regulations.
Are Cuban cigars legal on a cruise?
UK travelers can smoke and have Cuban cigars onboard. US citizens are not allowed, particularly when they go back to US ports.
Are cruises that include cigar and whiskey pairing?
Yes. A few ships offer pairing sessions conducted at their cigar lounge or specialty bars. Look into the daily cruise calendar for its visit.