Good Morning Bloggers …….the score so far is 95,812 blog hits, which considering at no point have I been naked is not bad for a fledgling blog thingy.
I would like to pass on my thoughts and I am sure yours to the passengers and crew of the stricen liner Sea Diamond. We were docked next to her in Athens on Saturday.
When something like this happens we all feel affected and tonight we pause for thought for the two missing passengers who are in our prayers.
Just before the Q and A session, I learnt something today that I wanted to pass on to you all – or yaaaaaa’lllllllll for those from the south. My P.A. (yes I have a personal assistant) who works in the Carnival H.Q. in Miami, Florida wrote me an e mail telling me that DAME JUDI DENCH has been the only Godmother who has indeed kept in touch with her godchild the Carnival Legend. She even sent the Carnival Legend a Christmas Card last year. As my Personal Assistant said, ” she really is a special Lady.”
Ok, Q & A.
BIG ED – Even though I will not be on your January cruise I will make sure you get a huge chair with no arms and a booth. Your wifes’s hair appointment is indeed important and if you remind me via this site closer to the end of the year I will make sure she gets the appointment she wants. IT WOULD BE NICE IF GUESTS COULD BOOK IN ADVANCE ONLINE AS YOU CAN SHORE EXCURSIONS…….MAYBE SOMEONE FROM CCL COULD PASS THIS ONTO OUR FRIENDS AT THE STEINER ORGANIZATION.
Anyway, send me your booking number, etc. in November and I will make sure you get a chair the size of texas 9 or my chair ) as we both are obviously size extra medium.
KATHY KROLL – as you can see from above Dame Judy is one of a kind even though her program on PBS is called Two Of A Kind. Now, difficult question about your cruise. May 13th, I think you should go ahead and bring a light jacket and maybe one sweater but also shorts or the longer ones (Heidi says they are called capris ) as I am sure by then the weather will be much warmer. Remember, ladies will need to cover their knees when entering the Mosques of Istanbul and the Cathedrals of Italy.Thanks for the nice words about my voice overs. Looking forward to seeing you.
KERRY – Can you give me a bit more of a hint as to what new programs you are interested in so I can point you in the right direction for support. Thank and please write soon.
CARLOS – When someone takes their first cruise it is always an amazing occasion. Hearing that yours will be with your family on the Carnival Freedom is great news. If you have any questions about your new born baby (not breast feeding or diaper changing) please let me know. I can promise that the long trip from Uruguay will be worth it. See you soon mate.
RICH – well guess what, I returned to the cabin today and there above the toilet was a sign, as dictated by you that says “put me down “. However, the “fly” situation is something I always check before going on stage. Thanks for the advice mate.
JINMMY- Thanks for the wonderful comments and I congratulate you on your choice of wanting to be a Cruise Director which next to being Angelina Jolie’s bodyguard is the best job in the world. I have had a few people shadow me and many of Carnival’s brilliant C.D’s have worked alongside me. May I suggest that you book a cruise, let me know which one you take and I will arrange for you to sit down with the Entertainment Staff so they can spend time really telling you what is involved. Alternativley, you can apply online for a Entertainment Staff position. The link FUNJOBS is at the bottom of the www.carnival.com home page. Good luck mate and please keep reading.
BIG ED – AGAIN – Wouldn’t a bloggers cruise be great!
MELLISA – Of course I remember Bert, how can I forget such a character. If he is sailing with you in June I really must get him on stage with me again.We should have toured Vegas!
ROBOCOP – hello old pal, how are you. You are right, the Carnival legend was a great trip as we sailed the Atlantic. Did you know Ralph (A.K.A. WEE JIMMY ) is now a Cruise Director on the Carnival Glory. It was a fun trip and I wish you much success with your web site and many thanks for the kind words …….
P.S. – another carnival legend story coming up in a few minutes.
CINDY – hello Cindy from Canada. Hope you had a great time on The Triumph and Valor. I think the Cruise Director you are refering to is Chris Jeffersen. He is from the U.K. like me and is great guy and a terrific Cruise Director. He was recently voted the second most handsome cruise Director in the fleet. Chris, if you are reading this maybe you will beat me next year. Cindy, thanks for saying Carnival is the best……………….come and sail with me sometime and I will let you know my schedule as soon as I do.
PAM – I wish you were here as well Pam. It is amazing that there are still so many misconceptions about cruising. Tell you brother that after his first Carnival Cruise if he does not think it was the best vacation he ever had that I will ride up and down in the glass elevators of the atrium wearing a bikini. Seriously, thank you for trying to become a Platinum Member and your loyalty is to be applauded ( I am doing it right now ).
BERNIECE – Morning Dr. I promise their will be no OB/GYN jokes ( well not yet ) and first of all thank you for your wonderful comments about your recent Carnival Freedom cruise.My job does have an element of Fantasy about it and to continue with ship names it allows me to make a daily Celebration of Life and has indeed taking me to Paradise. Like any job you can have a bad day at work but the thing about being a Cruise Director is that you can never let it show once you step out of the cabin.I hope you enjoyed your wonderful Shore Excursions and most of all if you are serious about beig a Doc aboard one of our ships let me know and I will point you in the right direction, we always have WOMB for another Doctor……………..sorry:)
SHEILA – Och Aye The Noo……..( Scottish for Good Morning ). I am now as excited as you to welcome you baoard for your first Carnival Cruise. I promise you a fun time and the ports are sensational.Thanks for admitting publicly that you have an addiction and I am happy that its to this blog thingy.C U Soon.
So, the last day of the cruise and as you may have seen from the Web Cam that it has been another glorious day of unbroken sunshine. Mixed emotion was on the menu.
Today as many guests are sad to leave tomorrow and the dreaded packing begins. Can I take time to say goodbye to a man called PRESTON BIRCHER. Preston is a major part of the Entertainment Team in Miami. He is responsible for all the lighting design and installation of the massive sets that mak our spectacular shows even more so. Preston has been with carnival for 18 years and has been on the Carnival Freedom from January 3rd while it was still in the shipyard until today. I know Preston’s Mum reads this blog thingy and I know like me she is very proud of his dedication to helping Carnival stay WAY AHEAD OF THE OTHER LINES WITH THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT AFLOAT. Thanks Preston.
Many guests onboard have told me they have been reading the blog so expect a lot of them to write their comments on the blog thingy and join our ever expanding circle of friends.
I want to return to the Carnival Legend and it’s inaugural season. I was reminded of this story today by Heidi and by an e mail from my personal assistant in Miami.
The ship was still in the yard in Helsinki, Finland. Picture the scene, I was sitting in the cabin at the computer with Heidi preparing for the hand over ceremony and show. This is where Carnival takes delivery of the vessel from the shipbuilders and there is a lot of pomp and circumstance. The door to my cabin was as always on the latch and I heard yet another knock on the door. I shouted for the knocker to come in without even turning around to see who it was.There, as large as life, was Micky Arison, Carnival Coperation’s Chairman and Vice Chairman Howard Frank. Now, I was expecting these two esteemed gents to walk in my cabin as much as I was expecting Angelina Jolie to walk in saying ” I dumped Brad and I want you ” ( Heidi is not amused ).
Anyway, to cut to the chase I was asked by Mr. Arison to help him at the hand over ceremony. Just a few months earlier the same ceremony had been completed on the then brand new vessel Carnival Pride and Mr. Arison wanted to have a bit of fun with this one.
He had devised a plan where during his speech thanking the shipyard for the wonderful vessel they had built I would start to heccle him from the back of the theatre and eventually walk on stage and say that his speech was boring and that it was the same speech he had done just a few months ago.
Now when the Chairman of the Board asks you to do this you say ” Yes Sir ” and he left comfortable in the knowledge that this would happen.
So, what was I going to do. There would be 1000 people in the room, all from Finland and 99% of them spoke as much English as I spoke Finnish.
The idea had been that I would do the heccling in English and then 5 minutes of jokes etc. in English knowing that the boss and a few others would be the only ones to understand.
However, I decided ( and quite bravely I might add ) to turn the tables around and do the whole thing in Finnish. The problem was, I only new two words in Finnish and they were words that were not going to put me on anyones Christmas card list.
I therefore got the help of one of our Finnish Pursers the wonderful Maarit who translated all my jokes into Finnish and wrote them out pheniticaly. I practiced for two hours even trying them out on another Finnish crew member until they understood me and laughed.
Now, I want to cut to the time when I actually get on stage and come back to the best bit. Once on stage I stood next to Mr. Arison, Mr. Frank and the Captain and they waited for me to do my speach in English but I then started to do it in Finnish and the audience laughed they looked very bemused. It had worked and the ceremony was succesful and a whole lot of fun!
Now, the best bit. Let me set the scene. There are 1,000 shipyard workers, all the Carnival executives and shipboard department heads. The thing was, I had not told anyone apart from Heidi that I was going to do this. Mr. Arison started his speech and I immediatley started whispering quietly from the back that I was so bored with this and I couldn’t take it anymore.
Then, without warning I shouted from the back of the room “Get off the stage, you said the same thing last time, boooooooooooooooo.”
One thousand heads turned to look at me in horror, but none more so than the Hotel Director Shanaz Kashanipour. Now Shanaz is one of the best & most respected Hotel Director’s in the company and a great friend of mine, but at that moment she must have thought I had lost my mind.
I continued to shout “boring ” and “get of the stage ” to the most influential man in the Cruise Industry and as I shouted I started to walk towards the stage.
Like a linebacker Shanaz threw herself at my legs trying to rugby tackle me to the floor and I walked the last few meteres towards the stage with Shanaz hanging on my leg like a child grabbing onto their parents leg. It was a wonderful memory.
Oh, and by the way, during the ceremony the Mayor of Helsinki gave a very passionate speech where she mentioned the word Carnival Legend a dozen times. Unfortunatley she called it the Carnival Leg End and to this day the crew of this fine ship still refer to it as the Leg End.
Ok, I have to be up at 5:30am for debarkation as another cruise full of memories is over and another one begins.
Please come and sail with me soon and lets give you all some meories to cheerish forever.
Goodnight bloogers
Your friends
John and Heidi
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
Glad to see weather is trying to warm up, robocop noted a name of the past, how is al ernst doing, is he with you at times on the freedom. I know how hard it must be getting people to perform on the ship in europe. I know last year Alan Graves was flying in playing one night on the liberty and then flying back to miami. That must be so hard on them.
good morning john and heidi! another great story! hubby charlie and i will be boardint the leg end on monday! something about a world poker tour seat up for grabs hooked him! but don’t forget, we’ll be seeing you two in october for 26 days!
smiles, s’dreams (bonnie)
Dear John
Another very funny stroy and thought as I set here today looking forward to your words of wit. It reminds me of my frist crouse it was on the Conquest Dec of 2005 My wife Diana and I we are from the midwesrt about as midwest as you can get . We were to sail out of New Orleans untill fate said no and it was hit by mother nature in one of her tantrem and the crouse was move to Gaveston nothing seam to be going right the whole way Rita showed her ugly face. and we thought it was a omen stay away . Well being a redneck city boy from Nebraska I told my wife we going anyway weather or not. We drive down to Gaveston in one of the wrost snow stroms to hit the midwest in years . (hint dose this sound like someone saying something to us) we weather the snow and rain and the bad luck you can think of to in up in Gaveston in a down pouring of rain at this point I was about to give up and return home thinking it going to be the wrost trip we ever make.we had book our trip a few extra days so we would be able to see the sites but the rain gods desided that that was not to be so untill sat nitght the day befor we were to sail . it had been raining for four days and look like it was going to be a very wet trip . it was the time that the city had plan for it tree litghting for X-mas and it look like it would be put off as well. then as i sat on my room patio watching the rain i saw out in the Gulf somthing that i will never forget the cloud seam to being pushed away by a wall of lite as o watched it was something to see as the clouds being moved aside by this wall of sunshine this was about 4 30 in the evening and it was so lovely to see. to make this tail short as i been going on here with in i say 30 min it had stop raining and the sky clear into one of the best sunset i had ever seen the tree light went on and then there was a fireworks displayed that just make the whole trip woth while. the next day we sailed on the Conquest to a week of nothing but sun and warmth and as it was our frist crouse we ended with some memorys that we will never forget. So John i guess the good Lord was telling me he can make it bad and then he can make it good as well. for some one hand was in there that week in Gaveston.
Fangclaw aka Dave and Diana
P.S. John i know you a very busy man but when i sail on the Freedom on Dec 1 I want to buy you a drink and smoke a good cigar with you .
John,
I know you don’t like to talk about this kind a stuff – you being a corporate representative an’all. But I can’t help help myself anymore. These people just need to know the truth.
I just do not know how to reconcile the events that took place with you that night on board as I was returning to the main lounge from Lido deck. I dropped my American spicy and nearly tripped over my teeth.
Let me start at the beginning. I was losing my backside on the bingo ‘big time’ and even though we were second sitting I was still a bit peckish as we awaited the show to start. So I went to get a pizza.My good lady wife Darcy suggested we let my 87 year old mother sit on the sofa rather than the uncomfortable wheelchair that she has had to reside with for ni’ on 35 years now. ‘It would make her feel more normal again’ was what she said.
It was only when you started looking for volunteers for your stage game that Eadny looked a bit worried some. She nearly fainted when you tapped her on the shoulder. But she said with that tap came the most almighty shock down her spine and when you asked her to walk up to the stage she simply had to oblige because for the first time in over 30 years she could feel her toes.
Before she knew it, she was up in front of 2000 people with some 20 year old from Texas trying to get his hand up her skirt to recover a spoon and a piece of string.
We have spoken to the Doctors since and they are still experimenting on her now. No-one can explain the miracle that you performed.
Next August, 30 of Eadny’s retirement home buddies are coming on the Freedom and they all want your ‘special’ treatment. Some are blind, others are deaf & some cannot walk, one has got no legs. On one of the sail days can we have our own bingo seesion with you afloat? You are there only hope – I know you can deliver.
I am not worthy.
Emmet.
John, THANK YOU from Pat and I very much will give you the information in November. I like your idea for the STEINER ORGANIZATION setting up a site where you can prebook all your SPA appointments ahead of time just like SHORE EXCURSIONS would be a great thing for STEINER and CARNIVAL.
36 comments already to “OOPS…”. John you can’t stop this thingy. Just read DEB KREBS’s comment in “OOPS” every time you have those ideas of stopping this thingy. A travel agent calling you the best in the industry has got to be uplifting to anybodies ego. Print that comment out and put it right over your computer.
“BIG” Ed
John, Will you be on the Freedom the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 17-24th) -Eastern Caribbean cruise. My husband and I have traveled Carnival 14 times already and 2 cruises you were the cruise director, last one with you a few years back during Valentines week when you had to leave the ship for a family emergency, hope everything turned out alright. We are going on the Glory for the 3rd time in May, so two cruises booked this year. We were on the inaugural of Glory and again last year. Can’t wait to meet you again, and Heidi too. Does she travel with you now? Linda Hernacki
Larry & I travel often to Baja California and one of the hotels we stay at regularly has a gate where the attendant takes your name and writes down the make/model of your car (I guess for security purposes)…and when we drove a particular car they always said out loud “Ak-UHR-ah Leg End”…!
So, “Leg Ends” are already part of our personal vocabulary — perhaps we are destined to one day sail on Carnival’s Leg End! Until then, though, we are over the moon about our May 13th cruise on the Freedom….we have been in countdown mode since we booked it seven months ago …I’m so glad we’re just 5 weeks away now!
John, I think Larry has come up with the perfect answer to the sadness we always feel at the end of a cruise — he’s already booked our next two cruises! So, even when we have to say goodbye to the Freedom, we’ll have our next Carnival cruise to look forward to!
Thanks for keeping up the “blog thingy”!!
Terri
Do you really write this or does your PA do it for you? I apologize if that hurt your feelings but one is curious to know where you would find the time to keep your blog up to date?
We are going on the Freedom next fall…yippie. Our next Carnival cruise is in Sept. Going South baby…woo hoo Do you have any pull to get us upgraded to a suite? HAHAHA, just kidding, well, maybe not but it’s worth a shot, eh?
Hope you have a fantastic holiday weekend.
HAPPY EASTER
Hello John and Heidi! “Leg End” you say? Ahh…you are now talking about my first love…the Carnival Legend. “Why” you ask? Because after many years of yearning to cruise…I took my first on the Legend out of NY. It was a dream of mine for many years…to go on a cruise and, JUST as importantly, to experience sailing out of, and then back to, NY harbor. My family came over to this country many years ago…and it by no means was anywhere near the grandness of the Legend. It was a short cruise to nowhere, but as far as I was concerned it went to “somewhere” very important indeed…it completed a need inside of me that had been there a long long time.
Anyway…hope all is well…and keep up the good work!
Ciao,
W A W W
Burrrrrr…..
Ok Heidi, capri’s it is! I will take a sweater or two as well. Is there still a little rain? That’s ok, we like a little weather being from LA…..it’s a change!
I’m sure Dame Judi did many TV series, however this one is called “As Time Goes By” and they use that song in the title. It is still playing here and it must be over 10yrs old or more. Maybe the title was changed for the US, who knows? We also enjoy “Keeping Up Appearances” with “Hyacinth
Bucket” Bouquet that is, and Patricia Rutledge, I believe, is the wonderful actress.
Our thoughts are with the passengers of the Sea Diamond and the 2 missing people. How can this happen with all of the sophisticated hi-tech equipment available today?
Kathy and Paul
John: Me again (Linda Hernacki), just had to tell you how much I LOVE the Blog, and have been printing it out and started a scrapbook. Please include MORE pictures, of you and Heidi, and the beautiful islands you have been visiting. I LOVED the morning show when I was on one of the cruises you were CD on a few years ago, it was on Valentine’s Day and you had us writing you letters which you read on the show and then called our rooms, I got to speak with you and got a ROSE from you that day! The highlight of our cruise, but then an unfortunate incident took you away, a family emergency, never learned what happened, but hope everything is ok with your family member who was ill. I am glad Heidi is travelling with you now, is she a Carnival employee now? As I said in my previous email my husband and I will be on board Nov. 17-24th (Thanksgiving week) hope you will be CD that week on the Eastern Caribbean cruise of the new FREEDOM. We are counting down the days- 224 from now. Will be on the Glory May 19th for a week, leaving from Port Canaveral, just a 30 minute drive from our home. (only 42 days from now). Hope to see you in November and meet your lovely wife Heidi! Tell her I said she is a lucky gal to have such a warm, dedicated, caring and fun husband! Best Regards, Linda & Mike Hernacki
Hello John,
I am enjoying your blog very much. I will be with my family on the Freedom June 6th cruise (our 4th Carnival cruise). In your blog would it be possible to mention what nights of the 12 day cruise the formal dinners are usually held? Also what is served on the formal dinner nights?
Can not wait until June 6th
Thank you,
Jerry Friedman
Hi John, You have to keep writing the blog. I read it first thing every morning and several times during the day. It would be great if the bloggers could have a meet and great during the cruises. Nothing fancy just a little get together. We sailed to Europe on the Liberty last year. One of the things we really liked about that ship was that it was totally wireless. We always take our laptop on cruises. On the Liberty we used it in our cabin with no problems. Wonderful.
How does a person become platinum in Carnivals’ program?
Jo and Dave Myerly (NJ)
John, great blog. My wife and two sons will be cruising with you on June 6. First time cruising and first time in Europe. I have been lining up shore excursions and have a question on some recent additions (the driver with guide for small group tours). For instance, in Naples, limo, up to 5 guests, with guide, $1950. Called Carnival and asked is that price per person or per group. They stated per person. Total costs for four of us, for 8 hours, $7800. Is this correct? Thanks for information.
Greg
TO Kathy Kroll, with those long great legs it’s short shorts in any temp. Don’t tell LEE I’m looking. I don’t want HIM mad a me. (Bloggers if you don’t know what I’m talking about just click on KATHY KROLL in her comments and you will see. Any underlined name will take you to their site)
My thoughts go with those passengers of the cruiseship, Sea Diamond. I know what it feels like to have something go wrong on ones vacation. Last year, I dealt with a delay in my flight schedule to Italy to meet the MSC Armonia cruiseline to the Greek Islands. It can be really upsetting to have such a problems when you have planned for an entire year for such a vacation. I am just fortunate that my insurance covered the costs of this delay. I was fortunate that I arrived the day of the cruise on time, and that my luggage was in Italy before I arrived. I gave the woman at the airport in Venice a big hug when I found my luggage. Just beware, if you are flying via U.S. Airways, they cannot scan your luggage to trace it. Due to financial restrictions, they do not have the technology to do such a thing as trace luggage. My flight was re-routed to Atlanta via Continental airlines, which will not re-route luggage. From Atlanta, I few Delta airlines to Venice, Italy. I was fortunate that my luggage went on a latter US airlines flight to Venice. Beware, if you are flying US Airlines through Philadelphia, make sure you have lots of time between flights, at least 3 hours between flights when connecting, due to time restraints with luggage, security, customs, and transportation between gates. It was a real hussle to make my connecting flight to Cleveland and my luggage was late arriving in Cleveland. Have a good vacation this coming summer, and be smart when planning..
Mark
A Past Life!!!
Thanks for the compliment Big Ed, but that was a LONG time ago! Those dancing legs are shot! Now you’ll see ace bandages and smell Ben Gay !!! My chiropractor is working on me so I can make it through the 8 or 9 excursions!!! It’s just like being a basketball or football player …..without the moo-la!!!
Working sick and injured is just part of the job ! Think of that when you see the beautiful performers on the ship!!
Thanks again for the nice words! I won’t tell Lee (Paul ) hee !
Kathy and Paul
Well we got off of the Carnival Freedom yesterday and needless to say my whole family including me miss it. I am only 16 years old and that was my 2nd cruise, I have to be honest it was byfar the most fun. I wrote you a letter while onboard the Freedom I think it was on the last sea day (Not sure if you read or not =/) it talked about how I was interested in what you do (Cruise Director). I never got a reply, not blaming you as i’m sure you are a busy man I was just wondering if you had a personal email or anything that I could contact you by as I am still interested in seeing how you got to where you are and what it is like. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Patrick Tye (Kuwait)
P.S. I talk to one of the band members (won’t say who as I don’t know if they want me to) and I asked if they had a cd or anything recorded on tape anywhere as I am in my school Jazz band and I love Jazz music in general. Well he/she said that you are the go to guy and you might be able to make it happen so if you could, see if you can get them to make a cd and then let me know how it is going. I will surely buy one.
Hi John and Heidi,
Its Pam again. Thank you for your reply. I was wondering what is your favorite port of all times and why? I have been thinking about getting a job with carnival but I just do not have the guts to try. I like traveling and meeting new people. My father was in the airforce for over 20 years and I am so used to packing up my things every 2 to 3 years to move. I have been stuck in Orlando for the past 13 years. Also do you still keep in contact with Ralph aka WEE JIMMY? I would like to know which ship he is going on next because he made my March 3-10th Glory cruise the best. My boyfriend Tim and I talked with him when we were at St. Marten at the belgian chocolate shop and we had a blast. Do you know how long you will be on the Freedom? I might try to book the Europe cruise again next year if everything goes right. Have you been on the Miracle and if you have do you have any pointers? Well I got to go. I hope you and Heidi have a GREAT EASTER!! And thank you again for this blog it has made me fell like I am there with you both and with the crew which in my minds makes the cruise an excellent vacation. Thanks again.
Pam
Orlando, FL
Hello John and Heidi…
We have met before, but it’s been awhile. We first met when the Carnival Destiny first set sailed way back. We made quite a stir that trip because we were the ones that had a child come down with the chicken pox. Before we knew it, we had so many Carnival staff in our stateroom from the hotel manager, ship’s doctor and more. It was some intense negotiations for about an hour. In the end, Carnival came through for us and we since have been on 13 more cruises with Carnival because of the relationship we built. We quickly returned to the Carnival Destiny several weeks later which is when we met Heidi. Our kids fell in love with her at camp carnival. We had met you on that same trip through the hotel manager at that time. Several cruises later, we learned that you and Heidi had gotten together.
So I’m writing you to let you know we will be sailing with you June 18 as we bring our kids to the Mediterranean. We are very excited and glad we know at least one person on board. We will start reading through your blogs and hopefully gain some inside information on ship tours.
Again… The experience we had with Carnival early on has made us long time passengers with Carnival because of their efforts to help us with our Chicken Pox crises. Thanks again.
Greg & Susan…
G’day mate,
The missus and I will be cruising with you on the 6th of June. It’s our twenty fifth year of being married.
(Strewth, I coulda robbed a bank instead and been out in half the time!)
John, we are coming to you from Perth, which is the most isolated capital city in the world so make sure you have a beer ready for me…boy are we going to have a ball!
It’s a big decision to fly to Europe (from here) and join the Freedom. Both of us can hardly wait.
Hope you have a peaceful Easter and God bless.
Hello John and Heidi,
Enjoyed your blogs tremendously, while sitting on dry land in Florida my best friend Kristine Nickel is cruising along with her husband Hans, on your wonderful ship,the Freedom.
She loved the tour to Capri so much, that I think
this cruise will be a repeat.
Say Hello to her if you spot her.
Best wishes
Astrid
Hi John, We were on the Liberty Sept. 05 & Sept. 06 and now July 12 we’ll be on the Freedom. It’ll be great seeing you again. My mom died Aug 30, 06 while we were boarding Liberty and you sent me a kind note with a picture of Liberty and it was so kind of you. You were the 1st to give us a word of comfort. I never forgot. Looking forward to talking to you again. Love your picture too. See you soon. Lee
HELLO GODPARENTS HEIDI AND JOHN,JUST RECEIVED THE MORNING SHOW VIDEO OF THE BIRTH OF STEPHEN DALTON ASCHERMAN LIVE ON CARNIVAL FREEDOM. THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME. MOTHER/FATHER AND BABY ARE ALL DOING JUST FINE.CANT WAIT TO TAKE STEPHEN ON HIS FIRST CRUISE HOPE YOU ARE THERE. THANK YOU, GRANDPARENTS KEVIN/LAURA
Dear John and Heidi
Thank you very much for posting the benefits of being a Platinum Guest as on my next cruise will be my 10th Carnival cruise. I will be joining you twice this summer on the Carnival Freedom, 6/18/07 and 9/22/07. I was on the 5/31/06 Carnival Liberty cruise but we missed you last year..
My question is what are the procedures on how does a travel group (6) be selected to be invited to sit at the Captains Table for an evening meal. I have done just about everything on a cruise except to be invited to sit at the Captains Table.
I do not think the question has been asked before and I know you have to be very careful with your answer as it could open a flood gate with everybody trying to do the same thing and I know only a very select few can be selected each cruise.
I look forward to meeting you in June and September.
James (JJAMESS)
I laughed out loud at the picture of your friend tackeling you to try to keep you from making a “fool” of yourself. Now there’s a good friend.
I found your blog yesterday (can’t remember where) and started reading it from the beginning. I just wanted to tell you the impact it’s had on me:
For the past 5 years, my hubby and I have been planning on celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii, as that is where we went on our honeymoon. The Anniversary is coming up in February, 2008. After reading your blog, I thought, “We’ve already done Hawaii, I want to do a Mediterranean Cruise.” It didn’t take much to talk hubby into it when he saw the great ports and new places we have not yet seen. So, a big THANK YOU!
Cathy