You are Now all part of the 80,000 club as that is the amount of visitors to the web site, I have no words!
Lets start today by answering a few questions as requested in the comment section of the blog thingy.
NUMBER 12 – yes, I will be on the Freedom in July so looking forward to seeing you.
JRMENDE63 – I know Martina very well. She is fantastic and I have passed your best wishes to her, have a wonderful time on the Victory.
FANGCLAW – We remember the troops in harms way every cruise here on Freedom and as a veteran yourself we salute you as well. Hope to see you soon.
KATHY AND PAUL – The weather has been good and bad this cruise but by may I expect it will settle down a lot. I will keep you updated. Please make sure you come and say hello once onboard.
HYACINTH1 – Hello, The Bucket residence, the lady of the house speaking. Sorry, it was the Hyacinth name that got me going. I am from beautiful Southend On Sea, and you ?
GEORGE AND LINDA – As honored Platinum guests it will be fantastic to say welcome home. I promise you 24 wonderful days.
LANCE AND ILDA – I would be very scared to give my wife the blog, I can only imagine the deep dark secrets she would give away.Thanks for the kind words and I will keep blogging as long as I can.
MIKE AND MAUREEN – September is a fantastic month to cruise Europe so I am sure it will be an anniversary you will never forget.
ROBERT AND SUZANN – As you have cruised with me so many times I should start a fan club for you. See you soon.
Sun…………That was the highlight of the day. From 9:00am this morning, as we sailed the Dardanelles, the ship was bathed in sunlight and by noon it was warm enough for a few brave souls to get their bikinis on. This cruise I have started matinee movies on the big screen and they have proven so popular. Today, we had 300 – 400 guests watching Helen Mirren in THE QUEEN. Some wrapped in blankets and some as I just said in a bikini, although they had obvious heating assistance provided by Mr. Jack Daniels and his friends! Once May comes around and the temperature increases I will schedule our brilliant party band music unlimited to play on deck. Also, later in the season we will hold midnight Karaoke parties outside where the performer and the words are broadcast onto the big screen.
Choosing movies for the big screen is very difficult. I want to choose movies that look and sound impressive on this giant Seaside Theatre but I also have to be careful of the content as with so many families onboard, I do not want to show anything that may be upsetting or unsuitable for children and some adults. Saying that, certain people wearing bikinis and thongs on Lido Deck also should carry a warning! Anyway, I hope that when you come and cruise you will see at least one movie under the Mediterranean stars, it is truly spectacular.
Who would of thought that we would have a giant screen on Lido Deck. We have come along way although I must say I miss some of the old favorites that we used to do. Pillow Fighting and The Male Nightgown Contest (do any of you remember those?) These are long since gone for reasons of health and safety and political correctness but I have fond memories of the male Nightgown Contest and being chased around the stage by 40 Firefighters dressed in ladies lingerie !
Another favorite was trapshooting. This as you know was clay pigeon shooting of the back of Lido Deck involving guests being given 12 gauge shotguns; wonder why they have stopped it?
Anyway, I was discussing this with one of my oldest friends last week. Her name is Kerry Stables. She is the Director and Choreographer of the fleets award winning shows, and as I mentioned in an earlier blog, her shows are simply the best in the business and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
So, back in 1989 on the Celebration when Kerry was a Dancer and I was a young, handsome stud of a Cruise Director……………Ok, I was young and Kerry was the Dance Captain onboard. We had a fantastic magician who worked in one of the shows called Gaetano and he had beautiful doves in his show. Gaetano had left the ship for one cruise and had asked Kerry and I to look after his doves. He left the ship on a Saturday and I guess by now you are ahead of me and know already what happened on the Sunday…… yep, one of the birds dropped dead. Anyway, Kerry and I were distraught and as Gaetano would not return for 7 days, we did not know what to do. We decided to give the dove (whose name was Bianco) a special burial at sea.
So, picture the scene. The entire cast of dancers and musicians were gathered on aft open deck along with many curious passengers. I read a passage from the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch and then we all bowed our heads in a moment of silence. Then the trumpeter from the band played Taps during which (and here’s the trapshooting reference) three of the dancers fired a volley with the trapshooting rifles. Bianco was then placed in his specially made coffin (one of Kerry’s old shoe boxes), placed onto the trapshooting machine and fired out to sea. This was all captured on film and we presented it to Gaetano upon his return.
Those days were so much fun but of course now we have to be more serious which of course I understand (well, most of the time!)
Anyway, good news to finish, we are bringing back trapshooting exclusively to the Carnival Freedom. We are again going to give guests hunting rifles and if you have never done it before do not worry as we will have a special instructor onboard…………………………………………………………………Dick Cheney.
Here are some photos from this week’s cruise, hope you enjoy them.
Goodnight from Heidi and I
Your friend,
John
Filed under: Tales from the Ship | Tagged: Tales from the Ship
John, this was one of your best blogs, we enjoyed the “good old days” too. Miss some of the old not “PC” correct things.
I think you should put a link on your blog home page to “zydecocruiser”. I went to the site in their comment to “You’ve got Mail”, and it’s great. Enjoyed all the pictures of their cruise, the ship, menus and even reading the CAPERS from that cruise.
John, I see a new job position coming to all CARNIVAL ships, BLOG DIRECTOR.
“BIG” Ed
John, I am new to this “blogging thing” but must say I really enjoy your updates. My husband and I were on the cruise with you on the March 14th sailing and had a wonderful time. Really enjoyed your shows! My travel agent from Cruise Ship Centers in Canada is onboard now with her family (the Salters) and I can hardly wait to get together with them when they get home to compare notes and pictures. Anyway thanks again for a million laughs and thanks to Heidi for how well she manages to get everyone out on their tours. She is a gem!!!!
John,
I have been reading your blog from day one. I truly enjoy and look forward to reading it everyday. I have cruised with Carnival 12 times. The first being in 1985. I do remember the pillow fighting, trapshooting (Won my first gold plastic ship there) and the Male nightgown contest. I first started cruising with my parents and sisters and now my wife and children. The Male nightgown contest actually bring back fun memories. My father was actually “disqualified” before the contest ever started due to the fact that his gown was a little to revealing. Carnival has provided many great memories for me and my family, with many more to come.
Thanks again,
Greg G
Hi, John
Great pictures!!! I can’t wait to take this tour. I’m driving my co-workers crazy and some are dying of envy, since the first thing I do every morning is check your blog and brag about being on the Freedom in July (only 113 day away) enjoying the Fun Life. Keep it coming, I love seeing their faces turn red.
Jose
When Doves Cry !!!
Ha! Ha! I love it! John Cleese would have been proud! Ask Kerry if it was a Capezio shoe box??
Yes John, of course we will come and say Hi!
I love the pics of the Leaning Tower. We did that excursion last Sept 3 rd from the Liberty. We had a big fight!! I told my husband he was going to drop
dead climbing the tower. I waited down at the bottom….bad knees etc!! Everybody from our group came out but him! Merde (sp?) I said to myself, is there another exit? Well, finally he emerged, beat red but still breathing…til I got hold of him!!! Ah, fond memories !!!!!
Kathy and Paul
oh boy! guns on board! i’m IN!!! now john, where are the photos of your mum’s dinner? huh?
smiles, s’dreams
Hi John,
I have enjoyed your blog so much. Got to share a funny story that happened to me on my 1st ever cruise in 2002 on the Paradise. (agree with the previous posted about the smoke free) Anyway, I had just finished up chemo and radiation for breast cancer and my mother-in-law(25 time cruiser) gave my husband and me our 1st 7 day cruise on the Paradise. I was out on deck as we were pulling in to San Juan and a gust of wind whipped around the ship as it made the turn around the fort there. Well off came the my wig and it went flying across the deck. I ran and stop it with my foot right on the edge before it went over into the water. When I bent back up, a eldery couple was looking at me with that deer in highlights look! As a turn I told them that that was the best entertainment that they would see today in San Juan and it didn’t cost them a dime. As a look at my reflection in the huge dining windows to put the wig back on, everyone sitting by the window was giving me that same deer in the headlights look! As I entered the dining room to go to the elevators, a dear sweet lady came up to me and told me that she was on that cruise celebrating 1 year cancer free! She took my arm and walked with me to the elevators. I know that the good Lord above put her there to help me get through that dining room. (where ever she is today may God bless you lady!) Needless to say I held on the rest of the trip or had a bandana tied on for safety. We cruised with you on the Triumph or the Victory the next year and enjoyed it so much. Just got back from the Liberty (love the big screen on Lido-went on Super Bowl week and watched it under the stars at sea) and love the web cams, we look everyday to see where the Freedom, Liberty, and the Valor are. Keep up the great work and hope to see you again one day on another cruise.
John,
My wife, eight year old son and 10 year old daughter will be on the Freedom on 7 APR. We are living in Germany and will be driving to the port. For a family most recently from the interior of Alaska, should be an interesting experience. This is our second cruise on Carnival and we’re really looking forward to it. Hope to see you on board.
Arlin
Hello John
Its Bouquet you know….. Got that have you!!!!!!Well Jim & I hail from Hornchurch and My Dad & brother from Pitsea, Basildon. Not far from you. We have marvellous memories of Never Never Land, Peter Pans Playground. Fish & chips, candy floss etc etc etc…..recent memories, last summer in fact. No not really, Never never lands’ closed now. ha Ha. Look forward to seeing you we are part of the mellow yellow gang, i think!! well we all talk on cc so I guess that makes us part of it. should be fun, dont ya know…
Dear John
Thank you for your kind words and I do Look forward to meeting you and have a drink. The news of trapshooting again is a dream i enjoy it and look forward to trying my luck. This dec is going to be so much fun for you have added so much sence Diana and I have sail with you on the Conquest two years ago . We cant wait and wishing it was Dec 240 somw odd days to go.
Anyway i look foward to reading more from you and keep up the great work
Fangclaw aka Dave
Hi John
I remember you from my first cruise on the maiden voyage of the carnival glory. I will be on the glory again in october this will be my 5 cruise on carnival and you are by far the best cruise director! Do you by chance know who will be the cruise director during the oct.13th cruise? Anyway love reading your blogs keep them coming.
Jimmy
we did not need a fan club, we just love cruising with the best. Great pictures john, you and heidi looks great, also great picture of dad eating moms cooking, good stuff. You better order some warmer weather starting in about 2 weeks. Are you doing the carnival legend search under the stars at night on lido or is it too cold….
John,
My mother and I sailed on the Triumph with you in 1999 and had a great time. We have done several Princess cruises since but are back with you on the Freedom May 25th!
Do you have any suggestions for something I can do for her that is special? She has been through a rough time and I want this mother/daughter trip to be a great one.
We were set to go to Italy in 2004 for my 30th and her 55th birthday and while on our first flight she had a gallbladder attack and we never got out of the U.S. I had never seen her sick in my life and that scared me to death. Then my brother was in an auto accident (truly an accident) and sadly 2 people lost their lives so he is in jail for several years. Then she just lost her father a few weeks ago after a long battle with cancer. Needless to say she needs a break and for something good to happen to her. Any suggestions you have would be welcomed. I just want to see a big smile on her face. She is my best friend in the world and my travel buddy!
Thanks!
Alison from Virginia
Awww man, shooting skeet would be great even with Cheney.
John: There are quite a few of us from the Cruise Critic threads reading you daily as well as staring at the Webcam. Some of our group from the thread (over 50 of us) have already begun their treks to Italy. I look forward to meeting you as we will all be boarding this Saturday. After the muster drill, we will be the silly looking people in the Piano bar wearing Lei’s to actually identify and meet each other and share what we see as a great journey together. You can’t quell our excitement at this point.
Good morning John,
Yes I remember it well. Sitting by the pool with the faint din of gunfire in the background. Those were the days! Actually my sister and I took our first cruise in 1986 when the Jubilee was the newest ship! The male nightgown contest was always fun. I bet alcohol sales on the ship were up on that day! These were also the days of the wine steward in the dining room! Not that the waiters don’t do an excellent job, but it was nice to have a wine steward.
My sister and I are looking forward to seeing you on Friday as we will be sailing on the Carnival Freedom.
Be well and please keep the sun shining!
Mayla Martin and Jill Fox
hi john we sailed on your cruise march 14 we had a blast ,you are a blast i have one question.do you have a email address for dick little and anita little i would sure appreciate if you did.they were so much fun i talked to them on the ship they were a household word.the show you had them on was great i bought 5 copies of the show and that show was great.you got a beautiful ship there.great crew.thanks dave
DEAR JOHN,
WE ARE ABOUT TO SAIL ABOARD THE CARNIVAL LIBERTY FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 1 AND A HALF YEARS. I WAS SORRY TO SEE YOU ARE GONE AND ON THE FREEDOM. DID YOU TAKE BUTCH WITH YOU??? HE WAS GREAT AS AN ASSISTANT. YOU WERE AN AWESOME CRUISE DIRECTOR AND WE WILL MISS YOU. DOES THIS MEAN YOU TOOK THE CREAM OF THE CROP WITH YOU TO EUROPE?? WE WILL BE SAILING THE FREEDOM AUGUST 14TH, 2008. WHO IS MASTER OF YOUR SHIP? IS IT CAPTAIN MARCO?? LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU SOON.