Bloody Rain (excuse my French)
Sorry, forgot to say “hello” first.
Hello.
OK, bloody weather. We have been to Venice twice since we sailed in March and both times the rain has spoiled the evening. We had great weather for the entrance but by 5 pm the heavens opened as Mother Nature relieved herself right on top of Venice, like it needs more water.
Today (Tuesday) was better. Cloudy and only 66 degrees but at least Mother Nature decided to cross her legs for a few hours.
The mask sail away party was great but I think because of the weather some worried about buying masks. But the few hundred who did had a fantastic time, as ever. Our new “Romeo and Juliet” contest is hilarious!
What else? Oh, yeah, I know what I wanted to tell you. I have officially asked for a Belly Dancer for the ship due to popular demand from this blog. I saw a copy of the Costa “Today” program this morning and see that they have one so we should as well and have made an official request. I will let you know what the answer is but hopefully Blog Power will prevail.
Then, there is the “blog book.” I have a PA already and now my publisher Roger Blum is working on this project. I am seriously shocked as to so many people asking for this and I hope it is something we can do. Roger is also responsible for publishing great books like:
HOW TO MAKE MONEY BY ROBIN BANKS
4 MILES TO THE NEAREST TOILET BY WILLY MAKEIT
THE SCOTTISH ATHLETIC SUPPORTER BY JOCK STRAP
So, I think our book should be in good hands.
We have a group on board this cruise who are all from New York and are all serving firefighters and police officers. They are traveling as part of the Italian-American Association group and are having a wonderful time. A lady in the group told me yesterday during my Morning Show that she and her husband were looking forward to going to Messina. I asked why and she replied she was going to check on her roots. I told her that we had excellent hair stylists on board…………..she didn’t laugh 
After I had explained the joke I wished her well. She is also a blog reader (Karen and Paul Scilatchi) and I promised I would say hello on today’s blog and pay tribute to her husband – a New York Police Officer – and their entire group. I am sure few people need vacations more than these so I hope they are having a wonderful time.
Still not raining, it’s 7:55 pm and the clouds are getting dark.
Time for a few Q&A’s.
SHARON – Sharon, you have every right to be excited. This will be your first trip ever abroad and your first cruise so be as excited as you like. If you want to (as you say) come up and give me a big hug then go right ahead. I do not charge for hugs so have as many as you like. Have a safe flight over here and get ready for the best time of your life. Leave me a note at the pursers’ information desk when you get onboard. See you soon.
HYACINTH 1 – Welcome home to Hornchurch Mrs. Bucket. It was great meeting you and the rest of the Mellow Yellows and, of course, Dad. Every time I saw Dad he seemed to have an even bigger smile on his face than the last time and I am so happy to hear that despite having bad knees and being in his wheelchair most of the time he was always happy and laughing. I have passed your thanks to Toni and Benito from the dining room. You are correct, it does take all sorts but that’s the fun of this job, meeting and dealing with all walks of life. I hope you will come and cruise again sometime soon and until then I hope you keep reading the blog thingy. Heidi and I send our best to you all.
PAUL F. PIETRANGELO – Thank you for your kind words for Maddy, the little four-year-old whom, at the time of this writing, has yet to be found. Her parents are refusing to leave Portugal where they were on vacation until she is returned to them. I understand that many blog readers have been following the link think I put on the last blog. The more people who have her photo in their minds the better. Thank you again mate and hope to hear from you again soon.
ROBOCOP – Good to hear from you Jim and thank you for your link to your new Web site. I will be checking it out after I have finished this blog. Tracey Stuart is onboard and it is great to see her. I also hope you can join us on the Bloggers Cruise, I think it will be a very memorable seven days. Hope to see you in January.
BELLA – Good news and bad news. The bad………..Oceans 13 is not available yet for ships and hotels and will not be until the end of June. Good news, I have the maid’s uniform ready! Leave me a note with your cabin number and I will deliver something with a French — ooh, la la. See you in a few days.
DEBBIE MANG – So, the packing is finished. Did you remember to pack my Aston Martin DB9? You are staying at a beautiful hotel, The Visconti Palace. There will be Carnival representatives there and they will help you book tours. I would also suggest you have a walk around the Spanish Steps and Trivi Fountain area yourself as both are reasonably close to your hotel. So far, carnival has no plans to be in the Far East but things change every day so I am sure one day the Carnival brand will span the world. Our sister company Princess already cruises to Asia (I think), maybe my PA can help answer this one. So, see you in a few days, then on the Carnival Splendor and then………………who knows? I do know that I am so amazed that you and so many others have decided to book your vacations based on which ship I am on…………I have no words.
MR. PETE – thank you for your kind words about Maddy. I am sure her parents must be feeling guilty as you mentioned and I am sure also that everyone of us like you wish and pray for her safe return.
TERRI 910 – What an amazing posting and it could not have been read by me at a better time. I just got sent a posting from an on-line cruise site by a couple on the same cruise who said so many negative things. They rated the shows as “awful” but then stated they saw no shows at all? Also, they mentioned that the entire staff was rude and unhelpful. Along with this attachment came an e-mail from a lovely lady called Teri whom having read this was “nervous” about her forthcoming cruise. This made me so upset and, if I can be honest, a little angry. I respect these on-line cruise sites very much and the right to an opinion but it is amazing that you and others on this blog can say that it was a fantastic experience but one couple feels that they had the worst time and now try to stamp their opinion on others by saying “do not cruise” with a particular line. Terri, (another Terri) if you are reading this, please come with an open mind and find out for yourself why 99% of people who cruised and filled out the comment and review card the same week said that they had enjoyed their cruise.
We make mistakes, there are many things we could do better and, of course, that includes me especially. But please make up your own minds and come onboard ready to have the best time and you what……………….you will.
Sorry to vent, please send my best to Larry and I am sorry I missed what I am sure was a show stealing performance as Frank Sinatra.
LINDA THE MOUSE – I have not seen the Disney ship yet in the Med but I know she is out here somewhere. Please also send my best to your fellow cast member and I look forward to meeting her on the Carnival Splendor.
SHARON – I too am sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye but glad you got to say “cheerio” to Heidi. I am very blessed to have such a special, beautiful lady who takes care of me. I could never be the person I am today without her and I could never replace her………………………..maybe just for 10 minutes with Angelina.. It was a particular pleasure to meet the Mellow Yellows and I am glad I got to spend time with your group. I am so happy to hear that the cruise was so enjoyable for you and I hope we all get mellow and yellow again very soon. Are any of you coming on the bloggers cruise?
CARL AND BARB THE BEAR – The chances of baby photos are very slim but maybe, just maybe I can find one of me WITH clothes on. I had a nice break and sorry there was such a big gap in postings. Please keep reading and my best to your teddy Bear Carl.
MRS. HOT STUFF – Congratulations on being pregnant again. That is wonderful news and I am sure the new baby will get to experience his or her first cruise before long. Heidi and I are trying for a baby (every Thursday) and she send her best to you and Mr. Hot Stuff. Please keep reading and let us know when the happy day arrives.
NATE’S MOM – How do you spell Sperm Of the Devil in Chinese? I have no idea but I think that is what my friend was trying to say to me. I hope you are well and Nate is doing a great job, and is a big hit with the girls.
MICHELLE MAN – There is nothing sad about writing to me on this blog thingy so tell my near neighbor to apologize or I will come over to his house and have my mate Alan’s very large dog Helmut poo in his front garden! I am excited to meet everyone in your group and please try and get them all to read this blog before they sail. My regards to Thorpe Bay and stop by the Cliff Pub and have Alan buy you a drink on me.
SUE GROHOL – I loved the story about the man thinking Carnival was only for young people. The tour that you mentioned is not offered the cruise of the trans-Atlantic as it will be a national holiday while we are there. I am very sorry. As I have said I think before, in addition to carrying the most families, Carnival carries more people over 55 than any other cruise line. Oh well, hopefully we can all educate people that cruising is for everyone regardless of age. Thank you for your ideas on the activities for the crossing and I will incorporate them into the schedules, not sure about the “Are You Smarter than the Cruise Director?” as I think that’s a gimme! See you in October and I am looking forward to getting to know you all.
KATHY KROLL – I have found your address Kathy and will e-mail you later today for your postal address. I sent you a coffee table book and some photos and I am so sorry they did not get to you so I will make sure you get them via the mail. Glad you had a good flight and sounds like you had more legroom on your flight than I did. I hope to have Carnival upgrade me to business class next time so I can see how the other half lives. Glad you had such a great time on the cruise and I will see you next year.
JTODDINMAN – You asked about why when you are on our Caribbean ships that the network televisions stations came out of Colorado. I have no idea, so I have asked Roger Blum to see if he can tell me and I will post the answer forthwith. I would ask my PA but he/she has no time to watch television as he/she is busy filing and working on this blog thingy.
As for the Platinum gifts I can tell you that this is in the works and a new list of benefits will be issued shortly and as soon as it is, I will make sure you all know. Thanks for writing and hope to see you soon. Here is the answer from Roger and it’s pretty straightforward.
Unfortunately, this is the only signal that we’re authorized to receive. We realize that this isn’t ideal for most of the country, but it’s Colorado or nothing.
My thanks to Roger who is currently busy hiring me a belly dancer
MRS KL – Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that Jess. I had a letter from Jess and her husband last week, sorry the name didn’t click and they are still buzzing after their cruise. He really was romantic in the end. I try and find one such couple every cruise as apart from me every man needs help being more romantic. OK…..me as well but never on Thursdays! See you soon AND MY BEST TO New Jersey.
SCOTT AND KIM – Thanks for allowing me a chance to get your questions answered. This blog thingy has been live for 80 days and some of the questions have fallen through the cracks, it’s mostly Heidi’s fault…….you just can’t get the staff these days!
Anyway, I will book a table for you on June 10 at the Supper Club at 6:30 pm. As for the bike tour in Dubrovnik, it’s a fun tour which gets amazing feedback. Croatian countryside is stunning and I highly recommend this tour if you like both bikes and beauty. See you in a week and have a safe flight.
BIG ED – There you are, I had seen anything slapped on the blog by you for a bit. Like Broadway shows, if it works, let it run. Although maybe the premise is the same each show is very different and the whole point is to make the guest the star. I have a feeling that Big Ed will be a star in his own right when you and I perform our Chippendales routine. How is Mrs. Big Ed’s flight phobia? Your photo site is looking fantastic and I will be sending more photos very soon. You were right about the chef; he did need to remove the door when Alan and I left after eating that huge breakfast. Alan of course never pays for anything so it was once again down to me. The only time he paid for anything was when we went to Amsterdam. Alan is coming on the bloggers cruise and I think you and he will become friends as of course will you and I. The porterhouse steak was just for you and I am just like Mrs. Big Ed and you are like Heidi. I have to have my steak well done. Heidi on the other hand has her steak rare and when she cuts it open it looks like the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan. As for the bloggers cruise, I did offer to do your laundry and that along with a chance to perform with me on stage should make Mrs. Big Ed pick up the phone and book now.
STEVE.GARROD – Glad you liked the book mate and I am really happy your cruise was one you enjoyed so much. I send my best to you as does Heidi and also to all our friends at Holland America. Please stay in touch.
NANNETTEALI – Buenos Deaz Senyora. Haveo a safeo flighto. I haveo a bigo hugo waiting for you when you arrivo hereo.El suno riso at sincko o clocko. Grassyarse for the DVDo and mucho funo is waiting for youo hereo.
MISSINGTHESMOKEFREEPARADISEBUTLEARNINGTO LOVETHENEARLYSMOKEFREECARNIVALFREEDOM - LFTTNSCF – Your points are eloquently written and I have to say I can totally understand where you are coming from. The world is definitely changing away from smoking and Carnival as always is adapting ahead of the game. I am not in a position to comment as to why the Paradise did not work from a company prospective except I do know that it was hard to attract family and group bookings. If one person in a family or a group smoked then that would mean the Paradise was not the ship for them and they would book elsewhere. I had a look back at the number of smoking lounges on the Carnival Destiny in 1996 and there were nine, plus you could smoke all along the Promenade Deck. Today on the Carnival Freedom we have just four smoking areas and the promenade is smoke free. I am sure more changes will happen in the future and as always Carnival will research what our guests want and try their best to appease everyone. Most importantly, your comments about Carnival and how many happy cruisers we carry every week was a joy to read and I am sure that all the office personal who will also be reading it will have the same warm feeling as I do, so thank you so much for that. Please keep sticking comments on to the page thing and I hope we meet very soon. By the way, you asked if I could give up cigars for a world cruise with Angelina, for that, I would give up food, cigars, even Thursdays!
DAVID FROM BARBADOS – That’s even more unfair. You got to hold the hand of the girl from Abba. I can only dream of holding the hand of the beautiful Angelina, but one day she will be mine. So, you are going to book your next Carnival cruise, are you? If you need any advice I am your man, or, as you are from Barbados I should say I am your mon. Thank you for mentioning Aston Martin. It has been a few days since I mentioned the best car in the world and I needed to remind them (and Carnival’s president) that they should give me one for all the free advertising I am giving them. We send our best to Barbados and wish we were there with you.
BARB FROM MINNESOTA – hello Barb. I have a friend who is an assistant cruise director called Butch who is from Minnesota and he was telling me about the state fair and how food is served on sticks. I tried a corn dog last week thanks to a wonderfully kind blogger who brought me one. Can I have food on a stick, please? Now, you asked about tipping the crew which is very kind of you. Tipping is automatically placed on your Sail & Sign Card and paid to the dining room staff and your stateroom steward toward the end of the cruise. If you feel they deserve more by the cruise end then, of course, that would be most gracious of you but the amounts that are left on your card is based on the industry standard. Of course, you also have the right to have these amounts taken off if you feel you would rather give cash.
If you need the amounts, these can be found on the Carnival website. I am very much looking forward to seeing you very soon.
SOUTHERNDREAMS – Please send a big get well soon wish to Prince Charlie after his fall and also congratulations on booking your Carnival Miracle Christmas cruise. What a wonderful way to enjoy the holidays with your family.
JAMES EMM – hello mate, I did get the address and the DVD will be mailed from Mimi at the end of this week. Hope you enjoy it.
PAUL F.PIETRANGELO – I’m happy to hear you are on the road of continued recovery mate and I am happy to report that there is indeed a selection of beers that are non-alcoholic which include Buckler and O’Douls. There is also a red, white and Zinfandel selection of non- alcoholic wines so hopefully you will be able to enjoy these. Thank you again for your great comments about the blog and I continue to be surprised at is popularity. I AM HERE SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Here endeth today’s q and A.
The rain has again followed the ship from Venice to Dubrovnik where we are today. It’s a bit like the cartoon where the man is walking around with the black rain cloud over his head. I sent Gary and Lloyd out to St. Marks Square yesterday to make sure our guests were all OK and here are some photos of them. In one of them, Gary is holding a drawing of his lost pigeon called Flipper. Gary was asking guests if they had seen him.
It’s not raining now but its only 66 degrees and I have advised people to wear a light jacket today. I just had to cancel all the water-based tours including the Kayak and yacht trips because of the weather. It’s just been a bad weather few days but again I feel personally responsible for the guests’ disappointment.
Today, in Dubrovnik I arranged for 50 children to come on board next cruise to tour the vessel. These children are from a local orphanage and all have physical challenges. We will perform a part of the show for them and then some will be able to go down the slide on Lido and we will have a party lunch on Lido Deck. I met with the people from the orphanage today to arrange this and thanks to the Igor the tour operator here for his help in getting this done. I am sure it will be wonderful for them and I will take some photos of course.
Now, I am going to reveal something to you all. Something so shocking that some of you may never speak to me again. I feel that this forum is the right place to admit a major mistake I made in my life which I have felt guilty about for the last 15 years. I am embarrassed, I am ashamed and I need to come and out and admit to you all my grave misjudgment. After this, I expect the number of people who read this blog thingy to drastically diminish. OK, here it is…….I suggest you sit down…….because it will shock you all and change the way you feel about me……………stop beating about the bush John and just say it………..OK……………..it’s time……………………….I have to report, that I, John Heald……………………
MADE A MOVIE WITH MARY KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN.
Here it is.
It was shot aboard the Sensation and I played the part of the handsome and sexy cruise director. OK, I played the part of the cruise director. I had a speaking part and got paid $50 and every now and then someone brings this up. The latest was yesterday, when it was played on my morning show without me knowing and thanks to a blogger called Catherine Booth who brought this video who gave it to Heidi and of course the clip was then played for the whole ship to see.
I therefore felt I should come clean and confess now.
Ok, it is now 4 pm and so far the rain has stayed away since 11 am so I hope people have enjoyed their time ashore. Meanwhile, I have to go to a show rehearsal and thought I would leave you with one more photo, its of me at 6 months old…as requested by various bloggers…….why, I have no idea.
I still have the hat
Your friends
John and Heidi
Filed under: Tales from the Ship | Tagged: Tales from the Ship
You’re forgiven for your cameo role in the Mary Kate & Ashley movie
(it might get you an “in” with others in the movie field…like Angelina whats-her-face!)
– you never can tell!
There have been stranger beginnings to Hollywood careers, I’m sure.
With good looks like yours,
and That Baby Picture of epic cuteness, you’re destined for the stars,kiddo!
Hi John & Heidi! I’ve been addicted to your blog since I found it through Cruise Critic’s article. I thoroughly enjoy reading your stories…thanks for taking us all along with you. I do have a question….I’m planning a European cruise for 2009 (I know, far away, but this is because of work, etc.—we are planners!!). We’ve been looking at Holland America because I absolutely loved my cruise with them. My friend that is going has never cruised before. I’ve not heard great things about Carnival…well, I’ve heard they were pretty much party ships for adults and there are lots of kids usually. Your blogs though are making me think differently and that maybe I should look at Carnival too. We are looking for a 14 + day cruise to celebrate our 30th birthdays, something with lots of great and different ports, not a huge party ship, maybe not something with tons and tons of kids (kids are ok…we just don’t want to be overrun with them if that makes sense…please don’t think we’re anti-children!!)…and I’m really scared about such a huge ship. Thoughts? Also…what ports are not to miss? Any itineraries we should look at in particular? Any places to avoid? Thanks in advance!!!!
Hi John,
Thanks for the comments about the cruise review.
I think some people can never be happy. I know this is going to be the greatest 12 days wet or dry.
I was wondering if you were able to get to my dinning room question. We are starting to pack and YES we have candy for Heidi and your new Aston Martin is on its way, and we will personally deliver it to you. See you Wednesday
Terri
John -
What is there to be ashamed about?
YOU ARE A MOVIE STAR.
Such status should make it much easier for you to hook up with Angelina Jolie. After all, you are both in the same line of work.
Jon
John
I have that movie with Mary Kate and Ashley I have forgotten about that JA!! !! Dont worry the next time in Venice the sun will be shinning and Im going to be there to enjoy it !!!!!!!!
John – John:
Anyone with that look shall be called John – John and of course you still have the cute that is what makes you way to cute!
Thanks for the update on Nate, I thought he was there to do his job…and not to meet women! When are you going to do a little blurp about golf on the blog and put his photo up so I can see my boy?
Hi John, This is really dating myself but do you remember the pet rocks years ago? Stores sold these rocks in boxes and they did wonderful things. They even predicted weather. If the rock was wet it was raining. If the rock was in the light it was daytime. If the rock was in the dark it was night. You get the idea. Anyway the last few days Dave and I have been chuckling about the webcam. If there is water on the lens it is raining. Sorry there has been so much water on the lens. We hope the sun shines the rest of the cruise. It will make you feel better. You can’t please everybody. Heck you are lucky if you please somebody. Hang in there. The lens will be bright tomorrow.
Jo and Dave Myerly
John, I think I’m some kind of distant relative of Roger Blum…At least his books and my name have something in common! As you can see my last name is “Till.” If I had a son, I always wanted to call him “Justin” (JustinTill). In fact my older brother does have a son, and he named him Christopher. All his friends call him Chris (ChrisTill). I know you’re loving these. Finally, I do have a step-daughter, and her name is Jennifer. Thank God she never took my last name. You see, all her friends call her Jenny (and if you say it real fast you’ll understand why we thank God).
Have a great day, and good luck trying to find my picture at 6 months, Mat of Mat and Vikki.
Now that I know you are a movie “star” I understand why Angelina is interested in you.
Boy I can only imagine how awe struck those kids must have been seeing a majestic cruise ship. I bet this is something they will remember for a long time.
I’ve noticed in your posts and from the time I was on a ship with you that you have a way of finding fun in people in a very good natured way. With that in mind, I thought I’d tell you about a stop we made off the Conquest in Grand Cayman. We met this wonderful couple from Germany who spoke just some English and were on the same excursion as we were. They really needed some help finding the right tour and all, and they latched on to us, which suited us just fine. We visited the turtle farm and “hell” and on the way to the next stop the woman asked us “there is shopping at stingray city?” I chuckle every time I think about that innocent misunderstanding. We have kept in touch since the cruise and we always exhange cruise plans with them (just in case we can make it work to cruise together again).
John. Did Roger also publish “Water under the bridge” by I P Freely? I think he had something to do with it.
Jo
John,
Nanette is absolutely right — next time you are in Venice the sun will shine right up until it sets! We leave tomorrow at 4:30 am so that we will have recovered from jet lag and seen much of Rome by the time Freedom returns to Civitavechia. We look forward to meeting you, Nanette, and the rest of Cruise Critic’s Blue Band Group Rockstars.
John, I love the baby picture! What a handsome young ladd you were… and still are! And a movie star, as well!!!
) No wonder Mum is so proud of you! I was reading your blog thingy today and see there is a blogger concerned about children and the age of most cruisers. The big bear and I think the various ages of cruisers, from very young to (trying to put this delicately) not so very young, on the ships we have been on is great. We enjoy visitng with ALL the different people we have met. And have remarked many times how you rarely see kids on the ship. They are so busy with Camp Carnival you have to look to find them.
Carl and I took my daughter and son and thier spouses and 3 grandchildren on a cruise last December (The Fascination) and the grandchildren had such a great time in Camp Carnival they are begging us to take them again soon. Also, the Christmas show was fabulous and the kids from Camp Carnival did such a great job!
Take care John, and Hello to Heidi!!!
Hi John, Did you drink some “Funny Juice” today, you are so comical! I love reading your blogs. You make my day! I HAVE to have that Mary Kate and Ashley video with you in it, what is the title of it? I know they made more than one. I would love to see what you looked like 15 years ago! Did you get my email about the “Funnel” hat? As I said, MIKE designed that hat in Feb. 2006 and sent his idea to Carnival, and we got a letter back that they would consider it, then we heard nothing more about it, imagine his surprise when they were selling them on the Glory. Check out our pix on Big Ed’s bloggers pix, you will see it! Post more pix of you as a child and growing up, would love to see them! How about a wedding pix of yours and Heidi’s wedding, I know all us bloggers would LOVE to see that too! Yes, you are one lucky guy to have Heidi, she is an ANGEL, and you better appreciate her! By the way didn’t your dad ever tell you about the birds and the bee’s, One night a week (Thursdays) is not going to produce a John Heald Jr.! HA! HA! Linda & Mike (bulb changer)
Hello again Mr. Heald. Thank you for informing me about the non – alcoholic beverages onboard. Maybe we can sit together and have a bottle of O’Douls and talk about your blog while I’m onboard in February. As soon as I saw the picture of Gary I recognized him. He was the funny character on stage on the Legend while we were on our cruise. He’s quite a character. Let him know that I thought he made people at ease and was very funny. I thought you helping the 50 orphans enjoying their day on the Freedom was fantastic. Way to go Mr. Heald. As far as you acting with MaryKate & Ashley it won’t stop me from reading your blog nor continuing my respect for you. I’m glad you got paid it. Your baby picture was great. As soon as I saw it, it gave me an idea for you. You could have pictures of the people on the Freedom, like you, Heidi, the Captain, Gary, etc., and have the bloggers try to match them with with their real pictures today. The winner could get the bottle of champagne that they give to people on stage. What do you think? Well rest for now. Ciao.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
I FOUND IT! I went on ebay and found the famous John Heald movie, filmed in April 1995, it is titled “Mary Kate & Ashley- The Case of the Mystery Cruise, filmed on the Carnival Sensation, I just purchased a copy of it on Ebay, the best place to shop for old movies. I can’t wait to see it!
Linda (Mike the builders wife)
wow! a movie star and a cute baby photo all in the same day!
did you put the seat down and pick up your undies though? wouldn’t want your head to get too big, would we? ha ha
see you in four and a half months!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Hi, John.
Thanks for following up on the Granada of the Moors tour. I’m sorry it isn’t being offered but I’m sure we’ll find another option just as good.
I’m so sorry it rained for your passengers in Dubrovnik. But I’m sure you made the sun shine for the children who visited the ship. It must have made them feel as if they had stepped into another world.
A comment to the blogger who thought a Carnival ship might not be to his liking (too many children; too big; party ship, etc). On a big ship, you are much less likely to be overwhelmed by children because the children’s programs are so efficiently run that the children don’t want to be hanging around the grownups! Having done a three-generation family cruise on the Carnival Pride, I can tell you there’s something for everyone on a Carnival ship. The Mediterranean itinerary is super. The new Carnival Splendor itinerary looks outstanding as well. All I can say is – Don’t knock it if ‘ya ain’t tried it!
Sue
Hi John,
Gosh, the cruise to Greece and Turkey went by too fast… so much fun. Now its back to work. As usual, you were great. It would be difficult for me to pick a favorite place. Rome is great. We took the Angels and Demons tour and spent most of the day in slack-jawed awe. I got a charge out of the Greek and Turkish tour guides… what characters! The Greeks were just like in the movie, “My big fat Greek wedding”. Like, “Hamburger… that is a Greek word. It comes from Hamos (for beef) and Burgeros (for sesame seed bun). So Hamos Burgeros became Hamburger… Beef on a sesame seed bun.”
And the Turks: “So were are you going next? Athens? There is nothing in Athens. We used to own Athens. We sold half of the statues to the English and the rest to the Bavarians. All there is left in Athens is ruins… we have better ruins. Stay here in Turkey, we have great carpets. My brother-in-law will sell you a nice carpet. OK, he is not my brother-in-law, but he is a nice man. Nicer than the Greeks.”
John, thanks again for all of the fun,
Andy
John,
I recently sent you and email right before you went on vacation, but have not seen a response. I know things are busy, so I thought I would try again. What is the difference between the Posh and Chic resturants….We are scheduled for the 2nd seating for dinner, does each seating use a different resturant?
Thanks….
Hi John,
We are officially booked on the bloggers cruise. Yeah Baby!! We are in cabin 6319.
Wow, there is a movie star amoung us. That’s so cool. I’ll have to get a copy so I can see you in it.
What a wonderful thing you’ve done for the children. I’m sure it will be a memory they will cherish forever.
Sorry to hear about the weather not cooperating. My daughter is in Europe now on a 17 day trip with her school and she didn’t mention rain when she called. Maybe she got lucky & missed it. She was in Venice today and will be in Rome tomorrow. They will have covered 6 countries before she comes back home in June. We miss her but know she is having a great time.
Say hello to Heidi and keep blogging. Nobody is leaving you now. Movie or not, we’re hooked on you.
Mary & Randy
Hey from Dallas,
My husband and I are joining ya’ll on the Freedom on June 6th in Rome. We began our planning for this cruise over 12 months ago. To say the least – we are excited!!!!
Not only are we celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on the 18th of June but our 50th birthdays later this year as well. We are spending a day before the cruise and a day after the cruise in Rome.
We were hoping that you could help us with a restaurant suggestion for our last night in Rome – our 25 year anniversary date. Any suggestions????
Looking forward to the cruise and meeting you.
John -
I read, and appreciate, your comments on the minimized smoking on the Freedom – I truly hope that our 14 days on board are spend not having to dodge the dreaded second-hand smoke.
Not to argue, but one issue we did have on the Legend was the fact that, while the Promenade itself was smokefree, areas immediately adjacent to it, such as the casino bar, were not, resulting in second hand smoke being present on the promenade at times.
Please pass on to Carnival the concept of negative pressure ventilation systems – we use them in hospitals to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens. If Carnival could design a ventilation system that drew air from the non-smoking areas into the smoking areas, then into the ventilation system for ventilation to the outside, the amount of smoke on the promenade (and in the elevator core in the case of the cigar bar) would be greatly reduced.
Keep up the good work – and please be sure to schedule a viewing of “The Adventures of Mary-Kate, Ashley and John Heald” for the big screen while we are on board
John, with the price of gas in the USA there are no lines at gas stations today. But I found out where everybody is. There are lines at BLOCKBUSTER and HOLLYWOOD video stores all over country. People are standing in lines camping overnight waiting for the copies of a video to be returned so they can check it out. A video that until yesterday was just collecting dust is now on the top 10 list. A movie starring the BODACIOUS John Heald and co-starring the Olsen twins. So when the royalty checks start coming in just remember to send me my 10%. With all your new money you can buy that ASTON MARTIN and I will be able to get a massage at the BODY BODACIOUS SPA on the CARNIVAL SPLENDOR.
Your BODACIOUS agent
“BIG” ED
Hi John,
I think we should have a speical viewing of that movie on the Blogger’s Cruise!! If your Thursday night’s don’t work out for you by the Blogger’s Cruise I think we should have a game on board just for you and have men against women on how to be romantic more than just Thursday nights. I feel for Hedi! Or maybe ask who has the most children and have a game with them on how not to have anymore children. Oh I have lots of ideas. I want a Blogger’s Book! To bad you couldn’t have it in print in time to give it away as prizes on the Blogger’s cruise. See, lots of ideas. Keep the blogging up. I enjoy reading them all, and still keeping Madeline in my prayers..any news on her I hope you put on the blog because it’s not even on the news here in the U.S.
I think you should start a countdown for the blogger’s cruise for those of us that are booked on it.
What a cute little boy you were, tell Hedi you would make cute babies and you have proof…LOL
Gost Lady (aka..Susan)
John,
I don’t wish to reveal my winning Splendor Spa name just yet, but I think one of the near winners will be: “Safe Harbor (from most cruise directors).”
For those headed to Venice on Carnival Freedom or Carnival Splendor, there are maps of the waterbus routes available.
I scanned and posted one here:
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/free07/venice/venice_waterbus_map.jpg
In addition to single tickets, passes for 8 or 48 hours are available. The 48 hour one costs 25 euros. If someone managed to miss the ship, there are also 7 day passes available.
Hello John and Heidi,
I haven’t read your blog for a couple of days and have a lot of catching up to do. We flew into Rome yesterday and are now trying to recover from jet lag. We have an apartment close to the Vatican and we will start walking today to see all the sites.
Thank for the information about Madeleine. I don’t know why there are such sick people that do these things but I guess they are everywhere. Hope she is found soon.
Glad you had a good time at home with your parents. It’s nice to go back home for a while.
Regarding comments about Carnival. I know a lot of people think Carnival is just for younger people that get drunk the whole cruise. We’ve been on 10 Carnival cruises and haven’t seen that at all.
People are amazed when I tell them there are large groups from all ages. If everyone tried a Carnival cruise they would find their perceptions are wrong.
Our Cruise Critic group for June 6 is over 130 people and some of us are planning to meet at the Spanish Steps on Monday, June 5. We are looking forward to this cruise and know we will have a great time – as usual on Carnival. Of course, we are also looking forward to meeting you and Heidi.
I think your book idea is a great one and I’m sure it will be a best seller. We’ll buy one.
Can’t wait until Wednesday – but I know we’ll enjoy Rome until then.
See you soon,
Linda (kicia) and George
Happy Thursday to you! (in more ways than one according to your blog notes) Anyway, I was curious about shopping in Europe. Is it duty-free as in the Caribbean? What about buying jewelry, as good a value ? Any good suggestions will be welcome. We leave for Rome in 4 weeks and get more excited every day! Thanks.
HIJOHN!
I think the problem with reviews is that people who have bad experiences tend to be quicker to vent than people who come back from a trip in a Stepford-wife Coma happy state of mind. (I see the same thing in the office with staff complaints). So I think that we all need to vow to write reviews (honest ones) when we come back from our trips, so that there is balance out there!
Niece Cheryl and I are now 30 days from our cruise (28 days from departure), and we cannot wait. (We are connecting in Dublin and I have a feeling we’re on the same budget airline that just tortured you). But in the meantime, please give a big hello to all the NYC responders on the trip right now…they do a great job and are terribly underpaid.
Speaking of roots, you reminded me that I need to make a hair appointment before I go. Thanks!
Good Morning John,
We are so excited we leave in 5 days! Cant wait to set on board the new and beautiful Freedom. Just checked the web cam and the weather looks pretty good today. I know you feel bad when it rains which is very sweet but no one can control the weather. My family and I will be touring beautiful Venice rain or shine. This is a city that I have longed to see well, forever. We just finished up a very busy weekend… graduation party at home with around 180 people. What a blast! And now tonight is my daughters graduation ceremony. It is a bittersweet day. These years have flown by. Anyway we will all be ready to relax and have lots of fun after the whirlwind month we all have had. Cant wait to meet you and Heidi.
Hi, John, Have been a big fan of your blog from the beginning. We have traveled with Carnival many times and now my husband and I are planning a cruise with the Freedom sailing Sept. 10 and through your blog we are getting the most helpful information as well as getting us hyped up for the trip. Could you ask your fellow bloggers which hotel they would recommend in Rome for just one night. We will be flying in on Sept. 9 and want to get the most out of Rome before continuing onto the port on the 10th. Also, should we make arrangements through Carnival for transportation from the Airport to the port? Thanks so much and keep up the blog. Looking forward to meeting you and all the staff. Yours truly, The traveling Seeds from Alabama.
John:
The other day you said you would write in the blog about the welcome aboard show; you have not yet. You must, I was there and it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
Also, are you going to have a bloggers get together?
Doug
Cabin 2338
Congratulations, John. Who knew our handsome Cruise Director was also an aspiring actor? I will be searching e-bay for your movie as soon as I finish catching up on this blog thingy. Was also wondering if you had any news on the girl from Canada that is serving over-seas. I wrote to her right after you posted the info and I have not heard back from her – just looking for an update. Say hello to Heidi for us.
Hi John and Heidi,
Now it’s final, we’re coming the 18th of June!
We won’t be flying (I have arranged it all!), but taking a train from Karlsruhe to Basel, then a night train to Roma Termini : )
Tot gauw!
Beijinhos (kisses in Portuguese) en knuffeltjes (hugs in Dutch),
Thais&Fabian
John, thanks so much for asking my questions about bringing young kids on the Freedom. We sail with you this Wednesday, and to say I’m excited is the understatement of they year.
Before I leave, I have a couple extra questions regarding what to bring on the cruise:
First, a suit or a tux? On our prior Carnival cruises, all of which were in the Carribean, only a handful of people wore tuxes on formal night. I have a feeling that the tuxedo ratio is higher in the Mediterranean. If it is, please let me know and I’ll bring the penguin suit.
Second, to stroll or not to stroll? Our 5 year old is autistic and can often tire easily. We’ve debated for weeks about whether to bring a stroller for him. My question is, in how many of the ports is a stroller even practicable? Obviously Pompeii its not. I’ve heard Venice is also not a good place. Our inclination at this point is not to bring one and just take lots of breaks. What do you think? By the way, are there any strollers available for rental on the ship? If there were, that would cinch it for us not to bring one.
Colleen and I are looking forward to meeting you on June 6. Thanks again for your help, and for giving us your outstanding blog.
Dear Mr. LookingForwardToTheNearlySmokeFreeCarnivalFreedom:
When were you on the Legend?
I never was.
You’ve got some ’splaining to do.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. MissingTheSmokeFreeParadise
Good Afternoon John & Heidi (sorry, Good Evening in Europe):
Your blog is great and you are hillarious! I cannot wait to get the blog-book, it is going to be fun reading. Best of Luck with publishing!
My fiance and I have booked Valor in April next year. We are getting married on St. Thomas beach. I am very excited, especially since this is a first cruise for both of us! Is there anything you would want to mention that is not in any Carnival catalogue or on-line? Any “insiders” for honeymooners in Easter Caribbean?
I hope the sun will come up for you in the morning!
Thank you.
I just finished reading the most recent comments, and was struck by the one regarding rude staff. I have been on more than enough cruises (and land vacations) to be very clear on how hard the staff works. They are working for most of the 24 hours in each day! One of the most important things I can do as a guest is to greet as many staff as possible with a smile and a good morning or good evening. They are there to make my vacation a wonderful thing…the very LEAST I can do is be pleasant and kind. On my Freedom cruise there was a knock on the door during my first hours on board, it was one of the baggage handlers with my bag….his name tag indicated he was from Nicaragua, so I thanked him in Spanish, and he gave me a big smile…I shook his hand and thanked him again. We people on this planet need to do more thanking, hand shaking and smiling! Have a great day Heidi and John.
John that is funny stuff about you and sensation is that the movie with the two twins, great stuff. Someone should post the picture of you from the inagural Imagination book that is a great one. Great stuff with bring the kids aboard. Hope you have better weather, hot in New Jersey 90s thunderstorms this afternoon thursday. You always have friends in New Jersey the garden state
Uh, John -
Is the doghouse available? Apparently the missus found out about my secret cruise on the Leg End.
OOPS
Give me Liberty, or at least give me an upgrade on the Freedom.
Bowser
John –
Thanks for all the blogging – it has been fun to check it regularly, anticipating the June 6 beginning to a fab vacation with Lillian, who is now Graduated Girl! We’ve had a week of stress, waiting for the passport to arrive, which had gotten hung up in New Hampshire for some reason, but just received it yesterday! HALLELUJAH! So now we are un-stressed, and looking forward to the most fun ever – regardless of the weather! (It’s already too hot in Georgia, so I’m looking forward to the temps I’ve been noticing on the webcam site.)
Also, thanks for the info about getting around in Venice. I use a cane, and it’s nice to be prepared as to what might be the best strategy – I definitely can’t do an hour’s walk to get where I want to be!
Leaving in 4 days, and extremely excited to meet you & Heidi -
Ingrid & Lillian
Hi John and Heidi,
Well, we are back from our cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the beautiful Carnival Miracle out of the port of New York. It was indeed spectacular passing the beautiful lady liberty on our way out. She looked so SMALL from our vantage point! If there are cruisers out there who have not been aboard the Miracle, I must say it is a stunning ship. Easily my favorite of the SPIRIT class vessels from Carnival. We had a wonderful time and I have to give special mention to Nick and Nora’s Supper Club. Based on the famous Thin Man novels by Dashiell Hammett. The towering black and white photo of the circa 1930’s skyline with the Empire State Building towering above the back of the restaurant was simply stunning. My wife and I had a ring-side seat, starboard side, to one of the most dramatic sunsets we’ve ever witnessed! I have to give Joe Farcus accolades on this ship’s design, throughout. Beautiful lounges, restaurants, clubs and public areas. I also have to give proper credit to a talented singer by the name of Freddie Martin. We missed the big show on Friday, May 25th due to a storm off the Carolina’s. (REALLY ROUGH!!). When we were all in the lounge, we were told of the post-ponement of the show by our cruise director, Brent Mitchell (Excellent!). Well, Freddie comes out in a white shirt, tie and pork-pie hat (ala Frank Sinatra) and sang a perfect selection of songs. Backed by the outstanding Carnival orchestra, he had transformed a completely disappointed theatre full of people into one happy group of cruisers! He was brilliant. A very impressive solo performance. Having said that, the “Big Show” was “Ticket to Ride” a tribute to the Beatles, and was performed the day after in a Saturday afternoon matinee show. I have to say that Carnival rules when it comes to shows, but THIS show was the most impressive we’ve ever seen. I won’t give away all of the secrets and surprises of the production, but let’s just say that if you have an opportunity to see this show, you will be amazed!
Well John, another fine Carnival cruise vacation has come and gone. My wife and I are now going to start planning our next one. I wish people would get over the whole Carnival is for crazy party people stigma. It is our opinion that Carnival is one of the classiest vacations on the seven seas. Excellent value, some of the best food around (George Blanc), the BEST shows….PERIOD. The best ships, crew, stewards, waitstaff, Maitre D’s, etc. We have strayed and tried some other cruise lines and we came back to Carnival. Oh yes, one other very important thing, Carnival has the L A R G E S T cabins in the industry. A BIG plus! Who over the age of 12 actually USES a rock-climbing wall anyway?
Lance and Ilda.
I’m playing catch up with reading the blog. Loved the pictures of the wet crew searching for Flipper in Venice. I am really lookin forward to your book. Wow, you’ve done “cinema” too. All you need is that cruise program on the travel channel.
Counting down until we sail in September.
Welcome back.
mehyder
John, I am booked aboard the ship on the August5 sailing and am a Platinum member. My sister and Brother in law are sailing also (Luckily in a different cabin). Can they do the Platinum boarding with me?
This blog is a great idea, I read it frequently. Can not wait to meet you and be aboard the Freedom!!!! Thanks in advance
I can not understand one thing, the whole matter written here is a philosophy or story or what…
I have been a faithful reader of your blog. My cruise isn’t until 8/26/08. So many days, so many cruises before mine. Hope you are still there when I come aboard.
Linda
Hi John & Heidi,
Twenty-nine days and counting. I suppose you will be shamelessly exploiting the Olson Twins for the next Godmothers if AJ isn’t available. It could mean another movie role for you, perhaps even a new career. I am just sorry that Cortney wasn’t a fan of the Twins. I might have had a glimpse of you in earlier days. But seriously, it must have been interesting adventure in a life full of fun. I am surprised that cute baby wasn’t a child star!!
I have a question regarding the post vacation tours. What is the time frame & actual cost for the Holy Rome tour? We are booked through Carnival at the Visconti Palace and are trying to find a St. Peter/Vatican tour that would fit in our schedule to see the Necropolis at our appointed time of 3:15. Rome at a glance looked nice, but we really want to see St. Peters and perhaps do Angel & Demons on Friday, as we love Dan Braun’s books. Thanks so much for your help. I don’t know how you do it. Not only taking care of your blog thing fans, the passengers, and getting the word out about Maddie. That was special. I get the feeling both of you have good hearts. I am looking forward to meeting you. Sheree
I might know some Canadian Belly Dancers that would be interested in that job!!! There are many in and around Vancouver BC, where i take classes.
Hi John, This is my first post but I have been reading for some time now. I love your blog thingy, it never fails to make me smile.
My Mom and I travelled with you last summer in August and had a blast, then this spring I dragged my husband and kids along (yes I did have to drag them at first) to the caribbean again on the Liberty, and they are hooked now too.
I am posting for two reasons, I was wondering if you had heard anything from the couple on our cruise (August 11-23, 2006) who were the “need to be more romantic” couple, from Jacksonville Beach…I know several people have posted about how great it makes the cruise to have those little games and really truely it does, we didn’t have that in spring and I missed it…but the reason I ask is that I remember that they were a great family there with their two boys and the husband (whose name I have completely forgotten) was in the forces and that cruise was his leave time. After your post on Memorial day and then about the guest games I have just been wondering if you had seen or heard from them. I always try and keep track of any of the people I have met in the forces during these difficult times.
My other question is about spring itineraries…we had such a wonderful time this spring in the caribbean that we want to do it again, but I would love to be on the freedom with you and Heidi…so I was wondering if you were still with the Freedom this spring or if you were moving on already.
Thank you so much for writing, I can almost hear your voice as I read some days…I completely identify with the poster who commented about the “someone is sleeping in our bed” feeling you have once you are off the ship, we had a different room the second time around (possibly even a bit nicer) but I still missed my “old” room and “our dining room servers”
You (you and the whole crew of the Liberty) made a very strong first impression.
Thank you
Jenn
Cleese is great but nothing beats Hyacinth from Keeping Up Appearances or the cast of Are You Being Served! We couldn’t wait until May of ‘08 to cruise so we just booked another. The Carnival Miracle from Ft. Lauderdale on November 23! It is an 8 day visiting St. Marteen, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. This will be our first cruise as platinum cruisers. By the way I would like to mention our Carnival Personal Vacation Planner Lorena Hidalgo. She is absolutely great and makes planning our vacations so easy. We feel like we are personal friends with her. Thanks for the Blog! We are both jealous of Heidi getting to stay home even though motherhood is can hardly be considered retirement! We still have 6 yrs to retirement!
John & Susan