Half of Carnival's Fleet Now Has Non-Smoking Casino Space, Heald Says
If you want a smoke-free casino, check Heald's list of homeports before booking, since only 15 ships have one. Sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane on Carnival Adventure, Encounter or Luminosa means you get one. If you are eyeing Luminosa's San Francisco summer 2027 sailings, confirm the casino setup first, because the article says it is unclear. Manage expectations on space: one guest said the rooms are too small to get a machine.
My read is that this is a quiet market-driven shift: half the fleet, 15 ships, now has some non-smoking casino space, up from 10 in May 2024, and the article ties it to more guests avoiding smoky spaces. The Australian ships are the telling detail, because those casinos exist where smoking is illegal in enclosed public spaces, not because Carnival volunteered. The ironic twist is Carnival Luminosa, which has one in Brisbane and may not keep it when she sails from San Francisco in summer 2027. Winners are guests on the newer Excel-class ships, and the fourth and fifth, Festivale and Tropicale, may follow. Losers are guests who find the annexes too small, as the one quoted guest did. If casino smoke matters to you, I would not assume a non-smoking section means a smoke-free experience. I would also watch for Heald's follow-up on dry-dock additions.