Good Morning.
Just thought I would write a few words before I go off to the bridge for our crew-only lifeboat drill which starts in a few minutes. Lifeboat drills are on going and the ship’s Safety Office has constant training classes as, of course, safety is any ship’s primary concern.
I have to admit though, I am not really in the mood. I had one of those nights where sleep avoided me until the wee small hours. I guess it was because I had been banished to the sofa thanks to Mr. Russell Stover and his magic jellybeans. Anyway, I do feel a bit lethargic this morning. After the drill Heidi is insisting that we take a walk and go out in Naples for some fresh air. How fresh that will be will depend on the jellybeans and the fact that there has been a garbage collectors strike for sometime now in the city center.
I have already had cards and gifts from Nancinurse who is onboard along with The Johnson 4, Kurt and Dave and I am sure many more. I know I said this yesterday but I cannot thank you all enough for sending cards to Heidi and I. It means so much and, well, just wanted to say thanks. I got another Aston Martin yesterday as well, something called Hot Wheels, it’s brilliant….although…….my office chair has wheels on it and well…….with those jelly beans I think I could give an Aston Martin a run for its money…………..OK, I won’t mention them again as Heidi says ” that’s enough.”
Right, off to the bridge for boat drill………actually………….I just gave the signal…………….seven blasts of my whistle followed by one long blast…….dam those jelly beans are good.
OK, here I am back from boat drill which lasted an hour or so. This ship’s crew is so dedicated to safety and the ship’s command seemed very happy with the results. We have special squads whose duty it is to carry out various tasks, here are some of them.
1. We have a Sierra Team whose job it is to provide stretcher assistance should anyone need medical assistance.
2. We have the BRIGHTSTAR team whose if paged, no that there is someone who needs immediate and urgent medical attention. This of course involves the two ship’s doctors and five nurses.
3. Then there is the Special Needs Team. In case of an emergency these crewmembers will go to the various cabins we have documented as people with walking, sight, hearing or other challenges and assist them to the Muster Stations.
Then, of course, there are the most important crewmembers who are the fire squads. If there ever going to be an emergency (touchwood) it will probably be fire which as I mentioned in a previous blog is the most dangerous aspect of an emergency onboard. These squads are the first to be on the scene of a fire and their training is and practice sessions are so very important. In a future blog, I will have a guest interview with one of the vice presidents in the office who is involved in planning the safety operations fleetwide.
Let’s have a look at some photos which I have not slapped on before. Heidi took these two weeks ago when she went to Capri. I hope you enjoy them.
Here are two letters for the “In their own words” section:
Lets start some Q and A…………yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
DORTHE CALIMBAS – Heidi and I have a lovely house in Essex, U.K. which is 60 miles to the south east of London. In fact, when the Carnival Splendor sails out of Dover, UK, I will only be an hour or so away from home which will mean hopefully I can see Mum and Dad every 12 days and Heidi can do my washing for me. I see that you have British friends so you know the word fanny has a completely different meaning on both sides of the pond. Hope all is well with you and please keep reading the blog which now has had 475,000 punches.
BOB HICKLY – Thanks mate, I must admit that after the guest telling me he did not understand me and I should speak better English I have purposely been trying to sound the ends of my words more precisely and over stating each word. However, you are correct, my Spanish and Dutch need serious help. Let’s have a test, I will now write two sentences in both Spanish and Dutch and let’s see if anyone can translate them correctly.
1. SPANISH………………..Mi culo esta mucho caliente
2. DUTCH………………….Mij cuncha is so heet von der jelly beans
Perfect Dutch and Spanish right there. Cheers Bob and please write soon.
A CRUISE BY ANY OTHER NAME – A great idea indeed, an interview with a port agent will be forth coming as you are correct when you say they must have some excellent inside knowledge.
LINDA HERNACKI – I know a lot of you miss the weekends with no blogs but as you can see I am trying to make up for it with as many as I can within the weekday period. Sorry you have so much rain, just like back home in the U.K. where floods continue to prove to be a problem. Heidi is well and in fact will be posting her comments later today. Still no news on A.J. but I have not given up hope but I may change gears and make a move for Miss CZJ, I am giving it to the end of August though. Hope you and Mike are well, Heidi and I as always send you our best.
MARK TWAIN AND A HALF – Thanks mate, I hope Southern Dreams weren’t upset at me for slapping on the John Cleese speech which I did to prove that there are subtle and fun differences between our two countries even though we speak the same language…………well, sort of. Thanks for the excellent link Mark and I hope you and the other half are both well and thank you for your kind support.
LFTTNSFCF – All I know mate is that I really have been self-conscious about my accent since my friend from North Carolina told me I was incomprehensible. Anyway, I have many great friends from the South and yes I do have problems sometimes with what they say but at least they speak slowly so you have more time to understand. I am working on my English though and walk around saying ‘HOW NOW BROWN COW ‘……………..hopefully this will help.
OH, EVERYONE TRY THIS TONGUE TWISTER WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HELP WITH YOUR DICTION
YOU MUST SAY IT FAST AND REPEAT IT 8 TIMES WITHOUT READING IT OFF THE SCREEN
ONE SMART FELLOW HE FELT SMART.
Did it work?
Off for a walk in Naples now as ordered by she who must be obeyed………………back soon.
Here I am, back again.
We went for a walk and had lunch in a little Pizzeria type place by the ship. You know, when you are on a no carb diet, the last place you want to have lunch in is Italy. Opening the menu I was attacked by 40 different pizzas, calzones and the fresh bread shouted “eat me” from the table……..I put temptation behind me though and had some Mozzarella and meats while Heidi ate a HUGE plate of pasta…………..life is not fair………….the story will continue later.
Let’s get back to the Q & A
DAWN – I was brought up by my Mum and Dad to be kind and polite and I do get annoyed when I say hello to guests and one or two just ignore me, I mean, its one word “hello” it’s hardly the Gettysburg Address. I am looking forward to saying “welcome onboard” to you and your family very soon Dawn…….STAY AWAY FROM Alan Adkins, he’s trouble.
BRYAN – I am glad you enjoyed the Cleese speech; he is such an inspiration to me. Talking of soccer I guess David Beckham is going to change the face of soccer single handed in the States. I hope he does but I can never see it being as popular as Baseball, Football and the N.B.A………….LET’S GO HEAT! Hope all is well in Canada and have a Tim Horton’s doughnut for me.
LUV2CRUISE – I know I have made the big time when because you are laughing so hard the dog comes in to have a look at what you are doing. Thank you for the invite to drink some “Blubber,” I am afraid to ask but have to, what is it? I send my best regards to you and your dog…….what kind of dog is it?
KIM – Well spotted. Yes, Gary was not in the photo as he was on vacation but has returned now. He and the entertainment staff provide so much fun at all the activities, I am very proud of them. Ken and Jogi will indeed be on the Carnival Splendor which will enhance everyone’s dining experience so very much. As the time of your cruise gets nearer, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. And enjoy the two solid gold trophies you won, but don’t put them to near the sun or heating as real gold melts you know
TOM AND JANE RADFORD – I have sent the elevator to you, should take you straight to the Supper Club. You asked if I can remember all the ships I have worked on………..yes, here we go.
CARNIVALE
MARDI GRAS
FANTASY -FROM NEW AS A SOCIAL HOST
ECSTASY
SENSATION – PART OF THE INAUGURAL TEAM THAT LAUNCHED THE SHIP
IMAGINATION – PART OF THE TEAM
FASCINATION
CARNIVAL DESTINY – PART OF INAUGURAL TEAM
CARNIVAL TRIUMPH – PART OF INAUGURAL TEAM
CARNIVAL LEGEND – PART OF INAUGURAL TEAM
CARNIVAL GLORY – PART OF THE INAUGURAL TEAM
CARNIVAL LIBERTY – PART OF INAUGURAL TEAM
CARNIVAL FREEDOM – PART OF INAUGURAL TEAM
I never got to even set foot on the Festivale or Tropicale but I can tell you they were wonderful ships. I am so glad you are enjoying the blog and your kind words mean a lot to me so thank you.
BILL – ZYDECOCRUISER – I just laughed very hard when I realized I had mistakenly put that I loved PEP Boy sandwiches instead of PO Boy………what an idiot, although Jack seems nice. Great photo and here we are, together again, talking about food………….what a shocker.
PATRICK A RANALLI – Your supper club reservation has been confirmed…………..try the Rib Eye Chop. See you very soon.
THE CHADS – It is good to hear from you again after a long time away.
You asked a really important question about the Bloggers Cruise. You mentioned that your invoice does not have any mention of you being part of the Bloggers Group and you are correct but please do not worry. Weeks before you board, everyone who has booked because of this blog thingy will be asked to complete a simple link thing from the blog plus receive an e-mail from Carnival where you will register and then be eligible to receive the big bag of free stuff.
Roberto is working on this at the moment and more details will follow so I promise you will not miss out on anything. You also asked about shore excursions which yes, you can book on line before you sail and that might not be a bad idea. What are you interested in doing……………let me know please and I will also be letting you know which tours Heidi and I will be doing so you can book those if you wish. Have fun catching up on the blog thingies and welcome back.
ROBERT BOLES – What a great note of tribute to one of my colleagues Mr Jeff Bronson which I have passed to his boss Chris Prideaux who I know is already a big fan of Jeff’s am sure as a Navy man the experiences you enjoyed on a ship are vastly different to the ones you seem to have enjoyed so much on your Cruises. I will indeed be on the Carnival Splendor for your cruise and it will be a proud moment when I shake your hand. All the best mate to you and your family.
GRACE – Thank you for your kind words and I am glad the Cleese speech was one you enjoyed so much. Now, as for the tour, I am a little confused. Please can you send me the tour name you are doing, your last name and the date you are sailing and I will confirm all the details to you. Please do not worry as I am here to help you. I look forward to seeing your next posting so I can assist with your plans.
PAUL F. PIETRANGELO – I want to start with the sentence you wrote that suggested you may write too much on your postings. Please never think that, I love reading everyone’s thoughts, stories and comments as it is what makes this blog unique. Thank you for the story which shows yet again that tourists are great sources of humor. You asked how many people amongst the crew are Italian. On here, we have 51 which includes all the Deck and Engine Officers and support staff as well as other various crewmembers. Of course, the Captain is Italian as well. You also asked how many languages Heidi and I speak so let me list them for you.
HEIDI – ENGLISH, DUTCH, GERMAN, FRENCH.
JOHN – ENGLISH AND AMERICAN…………I CAN ALSO SWEAR VERY WELL IN DUTCH, ITALIAN, GERMAN, FRENCH (AT THE FRENCH), SWEDISH, SPANISH AND RUSSIAN….My Mum is so proud.
As always Paul our best wishes to you and your family.
DEB ROWE – Here is some English accent for you………………..awight darlin, how are ya, lookin forward to seein ya soon love.
LISA AND ELAINE – How are your internet connections? Am I coming in loud and clear?
CAROL SCHOENBERGER – I am glad you liked the photo of Fish and Chips and please tell your partner if he takes you to the Supper Club on your next cruise I will pay for the wine! Happy to hear your screen is free of liquid that is usually covering it after you laugh at the blog, wish I had a screen guard after having that lady spittle all over me the other day. As always, all the best from us both Carol.
TAMMIE – You just made me laugh. I wish I could have said to the man who said I didn’t speak English “you are a nutter” as you suggested but I doubt that would have been part of the acceptable face of Carnival hospitality. I will try it next time though so if you see me flipping burgers next week you will know why. Cheers Tammie and thanks for the laughs.
SHELLY P – I would love to have a Monty Python film marathon on the big screen but it would probably be just me and you watching it. We are the knights who say …………….nigh! Your cousins are washing dishes as we speak
GIRLDOC – Then again, my statement that it would just be Shelly and I watching the Python movie may have been made to quickly as I see you are also a Python fan. You asked if I was going to be on the Carnival Splendor for its cruise to South America because you want to book. I am not sure is the answer but maybe. I am waiting to see what my schedule will be but there is a good chance. Either way, it will be a wonderful cruise so book now. One day, everything you see before you will be yours………………what ……..the curtains!
VIKKI – Nowiunderstandwhyyourneverwrite-yourfullnameitwouldbeimpossibletoreadanddont-worryaboutthemanwhosaidicouldntspeakenglishitswaterofaducks-backalthoughatthetimehereallypissedmeoff
Best to Matt.
LUV2CRUISE – Its great to hear from you and your words of kindness toward Heidi and I are really appreciated. When you are in the hospitality business like us you have to except that as you said, you cannot please all the people all the time. We certainly do our best and the tiny percentage of people we don’t………well it will not be from us not doing our best. We will be doing random blogs while on vacation as I know so many people are enjoying it but there may not be as many though, especially when the soccer is on or Heidi has cooked my favorite meal. Thank you again for your kind words that really mean so very much and please keep reading the blog thingy.
MARY – The good news is that the Rome at Night tour will be available on October 28 so it will be a wonderful experience for you and you will be able to book this tour once onboard. I am sure your late husband loved strong tea like me, my dad makes a weak cup but my Mum likes it strong like me. The Dutch tradition of dunking the tea bag in twice is very strange as you might as well be drinking water. I will be seeing you in October and if you have any further questions, I will be here for you. By the way the corkage charge in the dining room is $10. All the best and thank you for reading the blog.
SUSAN AND RALPH – You are welcome. I am so sorry the Scrap Books were not available during your cruise; I guess I did not realize their popularity as quick as I should have. I think hearing lots of different accents is part of the fun of cruising, anyway, that’s my opinion. Thank you Susan for your wonderful and fun posting and what exit are you from in Jersey?
DUANE AND LINDA – I remember you well and I am very happy that I will see that big new smile on the Carnival Splendor next year. You will have a lot to smile about I promise.
DENISE AND GARO – Our pools are salt water and do have the correct chlorine levels required by United States Public Health. Hope this helps and I am here should you or hubby require anything else.
HEIDI – BETH AND KEVIN – Thanks to all THREE of you for the posting. I see Mr Cleese has an international following and one day I truly hope I can meet him. If we put him in a dress and had him as the Godmother of the Carnival Splendor do you think anyone would notice?
You also mentioned another weakness of mine, Scottish Shortbread, another Off Limits item at the moment………….Walkers are the best and if you ever see them in the Supermarkets you must give them a try. Thank you for acknowledging the hard work of the chief pursers who do indeed deserve the recognition. Hope things are well with the three of you and hope to hear from you all soon.
PEABODY – I just booked your Supper Club reservation for the Carnival Conquest as you asked. Enjoy and try the Crab Cakes. Please can you give the CD Mark Price my best and tell him he owes me 5 pounds. Have a great cruise.
LONGING2CRUISE – Laughter is needed as you said more than ever in today’s world and I hope now and then this blog thingy provides it for you. All the best and many thanks for the kind words of support.
MILLIE S – Some of the tours on the second day we are in Rome (the day after embarkation) are different because we have to make sure you are back onboard in time before we sail. That is why some of the tours we usually run will not be available on the transatlantic crossing. However, let me get back to you as I will now investigate exactly what tours we are running. You can book the Rome at Night tour once you are onboard. Stand by; I will be right back to you on the next blog.
And here I am with the tours we offer in Rome on the crossing:
Highlights & Regular Vatican
Rome at Its Best
Easy Rome
An Exclusive View of the Vatican
Italian Countryside
Rome and Catacombs
Rome on Your Own
Explore Rome
Vatican and St Peters
DWA 76 – da da da da dda dd da da…………..I am coming to see you as I would love to see where JR lived and Lucy Ewing………….or , like Bobby, was that just a dream:)
LUV CRUSIN – Only 200 and something days to go before you are here. You asked when Todd will be her and the answer is, I am not sure. I have to see how long I can keep going but he will definitely be here from early December until April. He is a great a CD and you will love him even though he is ugly. If you want to see the web cam, here is the link. http://www.carnival.com/cms/static_templates/promos/freedom/default.aspx – just click on the word web cam.
I hope you are enjoying the blog and I will give you a wave from the big screen.
MARK TWAIN AND A HALF – Thank you so much for the kilt joke. I miss Malcolm very much as do many of us. ROGER BLUM……….PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US YOUR FAVORITE MALCOLM MEMORY PLEASE.
SOUTHERN DREAMS – yep, the Grand Ole Opry. From what I hear they are wonderful cruises and a load of fun. If you do go you may bump into Big Ed? Hope you two are well, are there any leaves left?
1ABRLN – I did confirm your Supper Club and will see what your dining reservation is and let you know ASAP. Rude children are not just to be found in America. In the U.K. we have a new phenomena of teens hanging out together all wearing what we call “HODDIES,” which some people find very intimidating. Anyway, I am sure your daughter will have a wonderful time and with your Cruise Critic friends by your side you will have a fun, car free cruise I promise. I will check on the dining room reservation soon. All the best Amy and see you soon.
NORA – Of course. The dining room waiters will not only read the menus to you but also describe in detail each and every dish. This is part of our training in assisting sight-impaired guests so we will be happy to help and we will also give you the menus for the entire cruise so you can decide ahead of time if you wish. I am happy that you all have the technology that allows you to enjoy this blog and I am truly privileged that you take the time to enjoy it. Please send my best to all the girls and I remain at your service and I remain your friend.
OK, I am going to stop there. I will start with OK TEACH from the Where were you in 82 blog and of course I have not started yet on the 40 postings from the Seabourn and Scrapbook blog but I PROMISE to do so tomorrow.
Let’s get on with today’s interview and a very special guest. I have been friends with this gentleman for some time. He worked for Carnival and was a major part of our success. He then went on to work for the Steiner Corporation who, provide the amazing and pampering treatments on ships across the industry. So, here he is, Mr. Glenn Fusfield.
1. Glenn, can you tell us about your career in the cruise industry to where you are now. I have been fortunate to be working in (or with) the cruise industry for 20 years. After a successful beginning of my career in the land based sector of the hospitality industry, I moved to Carnival Cruise Lines in 1987 as an Operations Supervisor. When I left Carnival after 13 years for my new role as Chief Operating Officer of Steiner Leisure Ltd, I was Vice President, Hotel Operations. A very difficult choice was made to leave Carnival having such a great job within such a fantastic organization. However, the level of responsibility being offered to me to join another fabulous company with great leadership was just too compelling and still allowed me to remain a part of the cruise industry, as we are the world’s largest provider of spa services in the maritime industry.
2. Steiner is without doubt the industry leader for onboard Spa treatments, how did the company start and how many ships worldwide are your services offered on. The lineage of Steiner dates back to the 1930′s as a leading hair salon operator in England. The company entered the maritime industry approx 30 years ago doing the salon operations on transatlantic cruises….today we operate spas on over 130 vessels. This year we are on pace to do over 2.5 million services at sea.
3. Your staff are highly trained professionals and so wonderful in what they do. How many employees do you have at sea and where are they recruited from and trained. We recruit from over 30 countries and as of today have over 2,100 staff members working in our spas at sea.
4. We are all very excited about the Cloud 9 Spa on the new Carnival Splendor. What can you tell us about why this will be one of the grandest and best equipped Spa’s anywhere? The Carnival Splendor and the Cloud 9 Spa will be the first spa/facility of its kind dedicated to the North American cruise market. With dedicated spa suites and over 21,000 square feet of luxury spa facilities including a thalassotherapy pool, an elaborate thermal suite, 2 VIP suites and 17 fully outfitted spa treatment rooms, the spa experience on board may be unsurpassed.
5. I have taken a lot of bookings from guests on this blog for reserved treatments across the fleet. Are there any plans to offer online booking services? The plan is to have pre-booking on line by 2008. Resources are being dedicated by both Carnival and Steiner to make this a reality and an enhanced guest service feature.
6. What are your personal favorite treatments and why. I am all for a great couples massage (what could be wrong with that experience?) a strong deep tissue massage (I prefer therapeutic massage over a caress) and to kick back a receive a Royal Shave with the hot towels and all….
7. The ships now offer this amazing Teeth Whitening service. For those bloggers who are not aware of this can you tell us how it works. Within the spa environment, it’s also about beauty….people who want to look better now have instant teeth whitening available to them in the spas on board Carnival ships. We use GoSmile teeth whitening products and their patented teeth whitening service on board… in 30 minutes we can have your teeth 4-6 shades whiter at a very reasonable cost.
8. I found the gym (by accident) the other day and it is magnificent. What fitness services do you offer to guests? I too stumble upon the gym every now and then… in addition to your top of the line cardio and strength machines we offer a multitude of classes including yoga, Pilates, all levels of aerobics, spinning classes and a variety of personal training approaches. On the Carnival Splendor you will see gravity reformers to improve range of motion as well as Tai Chi. Additionally, we are developing many other programs that reach our core fitness philosophy of Movement, Strength and Flexibility.
9. Have you ever considered serving food in the Gym – Ribs, Burgers Etc.? We tried, but the staff keeps eating it all….especially the potato chips….
10. Glenn, if you could choose three famous ladies to be the first to use the new Cloud 9 Spa and advertise the amazing facilities who would they be? Vicki Freed, no better sales person to pitch the facility….My wife who is awaiting her inaugural invitation and Cameron Diaz who would just love our Elemis Body Sculpting and Colon Cleanse treatment.
Thanks Glenn, I would like to volunteer my friend PA 007 who would love a Colon Cleansing treatment.
Cruising is all about relaxing and I truly hope that each and everyone of you consider a massage or specialty treatment………………go on, pampered yourself, you deserve it.
I never wanted this Blog to be a direct sales tool but every now and then things like this come a long.
Tomorrow, I will be posting the first views of our Bloggers T-Shirts and more information on the Bloggers Cruise so maybe now, you should use the sale and book…………..I would love to see you.
Good news. This cruise, even though we have 3,498 guests onboard we have only 51 pieces of missing luggage. Now, I know that will not help those people who have missing luggage but it is a huge improvement on last week’s 150. I hope this is a sign of better days ahead.
We left a lady behind in Capri. She had taken our “Pompeii, Sorrento & Capri” tour and somehow she got separated from her family, her son, who is in his thirties and his wife. The jet boat waited for 20 minutes and she did not board so it left for the ship leaving poor Mrs. Rose Benedetti behind. The ship had to sail and after speaking to her son he said, “She does this all the time, let’s just go.” Now, I have to be careful here and do not wish to comment too much but I cannot understand how unconcerned her son was. Anyway, we are making arrangements for Rose to meet us in Venice and her son seems to be ok with that. By the way, she was shopping….her son said “It’s not unusual.” Thanks Tom (Jones).
It’s time to say Good night but I want to put this English / American thing to rest with this true story.
An American soldier was in London recovering after an injury and wanted to take a tour on an English double decker bus. He boarded the bus and could not find a seat when he saw a very proper English lady who had her poodle dog on the seat next to her. The American soldier said: “My leg is hurting, please can you move your dog so I can sit down?” The English lady said:” NO, I will not move my dog because my dog is better than you Americans.” The American soldier did not get mad, he just picked up the dog, opened the bus window, threw the dog out of the window and sat down.
An Englishman seated behind him tapped him on the shoulder and said:” You Americans do everything the wrong way round. You drive on the wrong side of the road, you eat with the fork in the wrong hand and just now, you threw the wrong bitch out of the window.”
Good night.
Your friends,
John & 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.
SHERIFF ROSCO P. COLTRANE AS THE NEW SHIP’S GODFATHER!!!! TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.
John, you have to post a warning before you type the jokes. “TIME TO SWALLOW OR GO PEE”. So we don’t splatter our screens and wet our briefs. I think there will be a need for the ships shops to stock a supply of DEPENDS for the BLOGGERS CRUISE. It may be a good idea not to allow drinks at your shows and talks so we don’t spray the people setting in front of us. No, I wont put a DEPENDS on their head to protect them, but that was a good thought.
“BIG” ED
Hello John! I was wondering about something that I read in the Carnival Currents magazine several issues ago. It was mentioned that Carnival was getting ready to implement the ability to access your onboard photos on the tv in your stateroom. You would view them on the tv and then pick the ones you wanted to purchase rather than go through the hundreds of photos in the photo gallery on the ship. Has this happened yet? I love getting the photos that they take on board but I hate looking through all the photos to find mine. After a while they all begin to look they same!! Any news on this ? Also, I am a scrapbooker and loved the fact hat you can get kits onboard the ships now. I hope they have them on the Splendor next year. I would also be interested in taking a class onboard the ship while at sea. have a great day and I enjoy reading your blogs. Maureen
John,
Been a few days since I had a chance to come back… I’ve missed a few bloggy things so I’ll have to catch up. Great pictures as always!
The one “in own words” makes me wonder about personal responsibility, that is, is there any anymore. If a certain off-ship activity is the ONLY reason someone takes a cruise (which is somewhat doubtful in my mind in this case) wouldn’t it behoove the person who it is so important to to check it out THEMSELVES… just a thought. I think about National Lampoons Vacation… who should have checked if Walley World was going to be open… the guy who sold him the funky car?… the blond in the sports car… or perhaps Mr. Grizwald himself?
All that said, I will say that seeing Alaska is very important to me on my upcoming trip… do you think it will be open?
Not much news on the dad front… he’s still hanging in there at a rehab center.
Querido amigo;
Espero no te enojes conmigo, se que tienes suficiente trabajo como para perder el tiempo en esto pero no me pude contener y menos despues de leer la barbaridad que pusiste(me rei un monton) hace un tiempo te queria hacer esta maldad asi que busca ayuda para traducir mi comentario. Juanito como que Mi culo esta mucho caliente ? Culo es una palabra que se usa libremente en España para nosotros los puertorriqueños es un poquito fea y para que se oiga mejor cuando nos referimos a esa parte de nuestro cuerpo decimos fondillo.Asi que mas correctamente hubieras dicho; Mi fondillo esta muy caliente. Aunque todavia no se que quieres decir exactamente con eso.Eres tremendo!! JA!
Y dejando el culo atras (donde debe estar) LOL
Te dire que me hubiera encantado ir en el crucero de los bloggers, usar la camiseta e irme de excursion con ustedes pero a mi jefe no le hubiera gustado y lo mas seguro que me hubiera quedado sin trabajo ademas despues del crucero a Europa me quede si dinero.Ya termine espero no te enojes Saludos a Heidi
Cariños;
Nanette
Ps: Te reto a que me contestes en perfecto español
De acuerdo? No me voy a enojar si no lo haces
Howdy John,
Wow! Two replies in one blog! I feel so sorry for your bloody stumps, but I really appreciate it!
I am trying not to comment to every blog so you can have more time for the others, but there always seems to be something special that I have to put my two cents in on.
Loved the “bitchy” joke!
I’ll be there for ANY Monty Python movie:
-”I’m not dead yet.”
-”It’s only a flesh wound.”
-”Biggus Dickus”
-”Yeah, she’s a virgin, alright.”
-”it’s only wafer thin.”
And for Mr. Sperm-of-the-Devil: “Every sperm is sacred, every sperm is great!”
This reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to ask you: Do you think you could show the Marx Bros. “A Night at the Opera” on the bloggers cruise? A big chunk of it is set on an ocean liner, so I thought it would be appropriate. Of course it is 70 years old which means it’s in black and white, and it does have a tendency to break into big song and dance numbers a tad more often than modern audiences might like, so if you don’t think the other guests would enjoy it, I promise to not scream and spew spit on you. But, many people do consider it the best Marx Bros. movie. If you don’t have it in you movie library, I can bring my DVD. So, what do you think?
I forgot to tell you:
Te prometo que no vuelvo a escribirte todo en español pero me hubiera encantado ver tu cara cuando viste mi carta.Lol
My husband wants to me ask you what kind of jelly beans are those that he needs some JA!
Dont you dare tell him!!
….and so every free moment I can is spendtcatching up on the blog thingy. who needs clean clothes? What a client needs me? Your blog does help ease the yearning to be on the Freedom or any other Carnival ship for that matter. Your pictures are wonderful. There doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by that I don’t get on the web site and search fro a ship and a cruise date that I can justify. Does my son really need to go to college? I would be absolutely proud if he were to become a cruise director that is as caring as you and marry a beautiful sweet Holland girl…Off point. You are really right on the mark here with all the information you provide. But the warmth and humor. Really. God’s work. Do you know if the Sea Miles have to be book thru the Credit card company or can I use a PVP?
hi john, hi heidi,
all is well in podunk.
john cleese does not know how to spell. just so you know. and i could never be mad at you john, don’t worry.
i was in london once and y’all were driving on the wrong side of the road as usual and i stepped off the curb and in front of one of your big red busses. i almost got smushed. y’all really need to switch sides of the road. (just kidding)
later gator…
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Good evening Mr. Heald. Just a couple things tonight. One is you mentioned about the Bloggers T-Shirts. Are they for the people that go on the blogger cruise or can anyone buy one themselves? Example, me. Also, I just wanted to let you know that the last story you told at the end of your blog, I couldn’t stop laughing. I was laughting so loud in my computer room, my daughter AmyLynn thought I was ill or something. Thanks for making the end of my day laughable. Keep it up Mr. Heald. Oh by the way, the last photo about the sun going down, you tell Heidi, that was a fantastic picture. I love those type of photos. Ciao until another day.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
nanetteali,
Boy you really got an accent. I could not understand a word you said. LOL
“BIG” ED
Hi John,
Not sure what I am doing wrong but this is the third time I have tried to send this.
You told me no problem to get to the airport early on the 17th of August, we need to be there for 6 am, what time could we debark, this is better then us getting off on the 16th and going to a hotel
Could you reccomend a restaurant in Rome for our night before we board?
Sorry to hear about your Tim Hortons cup, will bring you a new one and a bottle of Quebec maple syrup.
Cheers
Ken
John,
Yes, Beckham will change the face of soccer in the States, hopefully make it a lot bigger than it is right now. Like you, I’m not expecting soccer to top baseball, football, and basketball, but I’m hoping he can get soccer to at least compete with those three sports.
I’ve been wondering… on the packaging of the jelly beans, did it say how many individual pieces were in it? Exactly how many of those have you had already that have allowed you to alter the air quality around the Mediterranean?
Cheers.
Hey John,
Thanks for the dinner reservation. Your not alone with the crazy guest thing. I operate a parasail concession in Fort Myers, Fl, and we never cease to be amazed at the behavior, attitude, and demeanor of 10% of our guests. It’s there $, so I guess if they want to have a bad time it is their perogative. Anyway, the other 90% more than makes up for it!!! I’m sure your the sensitive type, don’t let em get to ya!!! They’re everywhere!!! I’ll be keeping my eye on this Grand Med, as ours is only two away. Let us know what you need from the States other than jelly beans.
Patrick
oppps ! the name of the jelly beans is on the blog but I wont tell him that!
First I must make a correction “Heidi-Beth and Kevin” are only 2. “Heidi-Beth” that is me, and my husband “Kevin”. I am pointing this out in part because my first name does seem to confuse a lot of people this is not a problem but you should know how many people you are talking to J, when asked my name I say “Heidi-Beth”. They automatically think Beth is my last name, when it is part of my first name and to make it worse I have no middle name at all. I go by my full first name. Only family calls me just “Heidi”. I do live in the south now, so they are all use to the double first names. If you look at the link to my blog thingy there is a picture of Kevin and I, and the count is only 2
on a litter note,
and you started it with the diet talk, Italy is the best place to diet….
ITALIAN PASTA DIET — IT REALLY WORKS!!
1.. You walka pasta da bakery.
2.. You walka pasta da candy store.
3.. You walka pasta da Ice Cream shop.
4… You walka pasta da table and fridge. You will lose weight!
Hi John & Heidi,
OMG! I LOL with your response back to me, you are sooooooo funny and your sense of humor is priceless. A quick comment as to living in the south, I live in North Carolina but originally was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey, (talk about accents) boy was I in trouble!! Long story short, my husband is from NC and we met while I was working in NJ for the same company he was working for. So I’m one of those “Yankee Transplants” as they call us down south and yes it did take awhile to get use to Ya”all-over yonder and my husbands favorite, “fer sure”. But now after living here for 17 years the only accent I hear is when I go to New Jersey-Wow-it freaks me out when I hear them talk. I miss family but I also love living in North Carolina and one thing “fer sure” over the years I have met the friendliest, nicest people ever.
By the way I love RED!! HA, HA
Thank You John & Heidi for all you do!
Inez & Dean
P.S. Maybe not a “Transplant” anymore!
Hi John,
Thanks so much for your response. It has put my mind at ease.
As far as shore excursions, we definitely would love to see Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. Some other things we might like to do at any port are: something with the dolphins (swim or encounter), kayak, snorkel (never done it before), horseback riding on a beach (Randy isn’t as excited about this as me-must be a girl thing), or sightseeing tours of the ports of call.
I know this is vague, but as this is our first cruise ever I’m don’t know the best way to go. Do you or Heidi suggest anything that would be a must see or do at any of our ports of call?
We will be on the Freedom again in December of 2008 so if a similar excursion would be better taken there we could do it then and book a John & Heidi must see for the blogger’s cruise.
Thanks again John for your help. Our best to Heidi.
Mary
Hi John, Thought you might enjoy this little joke.
Southern, Blonde, Casino
Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the craps table. A very attractive blonde woman from Alabama arrived …..and bet twenty-thousand dollars ($20,000) on a single roll of the dice.
She said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I feel much luckier when I play topless.” With that, she stripped to the waist; rolled the dice; and yelled, “Come on, baby…. Southern Girl needs new clothes!” As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up-and-down… and squealed…”YES! YES! I WON! I WON!”
She hugged each of the dealers… and then picked up her winnings and her clothes, and quickly departed. The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded.
Finally, one of them asked, “What did she roll?” The other answered, “I don’t know… I thought you were watching.”
Any chance this would work????????
Jo
Big ED:
Im being naughty (english accent)
Its a challenge for John, lets see what he answers , it is supposed to be in perfect spanish (not his spanish)LOL
In answer to Linda Hernacki’s query to where Jason was when he got the call saying he’d made the top 20 in America’s Got Talent – he was on the Spirit. He actually had to delay the call as he was due on stage. When he heard the dancers all screamed (including my daughter – she was probably the loudest!) but that got edited out from the TV except for a milli-second if you listened carefully (or so she tells me). He’s still performing on the Spirit in between shows – the cast are so proud of him.
Hi John,
I definitely don’t have what it takes to be in your position! You should tell Marsha Mason that the Freedom goes to European ports and when the itinerary included Florence, it more than likely meant Florence, Italy not Florence, Oregon. Hence, they probably take Euros instead of USD.
Tammie
Good morning John,
Qapla’ (or for those of you not fluent in original Klingon – “Success”),
It was sad learning about that plane crash in Alaska with Sun Princess cruisers. My thoughts go out to their families and others in the Princess family.
Thanks for listing your ships – but didn’t you also say you were on the Jubilee? That’s how I thought you knew about the Cyndi Lauper film.
And about your little love note from Marsha Mason (isn’t she an actress????), besides echoing what has already been written, why not suggest that she book a land-only, site specific trip to go to the Vatican? I hear Perillo Tours has some good ones !!!!!! Or if that fails – here’s another Klingon saying for her “nugneH” (which means “what do you want” – this may be a handy little quote to anyone that really annoys you since they will have no clue). And since I’m quoting Star Trek today, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.
Have you recovered from the attack of the jelly beans yet? I’m not sure if the ascorbic acid is to blame. I always thought it was the sweetner – maltitol, sorbitol, or whatever they use. I do know that every sugar-free chewy candy I’ve tried had a warning on the package that “excessive” use could cause a laxative effect. But what is excessive?
I loved Heidi’s photos of Capri and I agree with Paul, especially the sunset – gorgeous.
More blog thingy soon please – oh, I forgot – it’s Thursday. Well, as I said in the beginning “Qapla’”, and live long and prosper,
Regards,
Carol
Thank you so much for getting to me quickly regarding my question on the TranAtlantic cruise excursion. My next question is a continuation of your answer… I am scheduled to be in Rome by 7:35am on the 28th and have faxed in my order to Carnival to be included in on the “Vatican Excursion” from the airport to the ship.. Will I be in time coming from the excursion to get on the ship (sign in and the good stuff) and still be able to sign on for the “Rome by Night” excursion.
Thanks again for your promptness…
John,
I wanted to make a major plug for the Rome by Night tour. Our family booked that through our hotel on Father’s Day night. I had been looking at it prior to leaving for the cruise but I was not sure how the grandkids would do. When we reached the hotel and I saw that they were offering it, I approached hubby about it and he agreed.
That was one of the most memorable evenings we have ever spent. They took us to a restaurant where there were folkloric performers. We enjoyed a FIVE COURSE DINNER and the wine was included! We were driven past the Colisseum and over the Trivi Fountain. We stopped at the fountain and threw our coins in!
When we boarded the ship, we booked it again because we loved it so much. Unfortunately, there were not enough people interested so we got our money refunded.
I do feel, however, that this is a wonderful excursion that people would enjoy. I know we are hoping to have the opportunity to do it again at some point in the future.
What a funny blog.
I loved the “bitchy” joke, and i loved Glenn’s comments about wanting Cameron Diaz to come in for a colon cleanse. I think many young men like myself would like to see Cameron on a ship
I’m very surprised that the son whose mother was left in Capri didn’t care that much that she missed the boat. What kind of attitude is that? What a shame. Just my 2 cents.
Keep up the great work. You make my day go a little bit faster.
David
Greetings John & Heidi, Oh my, we never expected to see the card I sent you scanned and posted on your blog thingy, kind of you, but a surprise to us. I can’t recall which ship we first met on but stepping aboard the Liberty (September 2005) I said to Deb I don’t remember which past cruise, but I remember John and we are in for a fun ride. We sailed on the Fascination February 1997 (So Caribbean) and the Destiny in June 2000 (Canada), which ship were you aboard as our CD? I believe it might have been the Destiny, what stands out in my mind on this cruise was not long after leaving Manhattan we turned left beside Long Island the first evening when there was some obvious commotion up on Lido. A passenger had taken ill and needed to be taken off the ship, a Coast Guard boat was dispatched but could not safely make the transfer between the two. Shortly a Coast Guard chopper arrived and eventually air lifted the passenger in a basket for transport to a NY hospital. The real-life drama of the basket transfer certainly demonstrated why these great individuals (Coast Guard and ship staff) train so diligently, because that evening it was no simple task. The weather added to the difficulty and danger in making a safe transfer, ultimately leaving his wife onboard ship for two days until we reached our port in Canada. The CD (thought if was you) kept all passengers apprised of the gentleman’s condition and progress in the hospital. I‘ve told this story many times since, watching the professionals at work that evening isn’t at all what you see on TV or in the movies. Very happy to see your level of patience is as big as your sense of humor, the recent passenger escapades regarding the closed casino and Vatican are truly amazing, makes you wonder what’s taking up that space between their ears. Thanks for the smiles.
Cheers, Ray & Deb McTeague
nanetteali, You know I was just joking. I’m looking forward to our date in PR and making that MAZDA rock.LOL
“BIG” ED
Hi again John,
I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine and I thought I’d share it with everyone. Coincidentally, it’s about the English language. Here it is:
“YOU Think English is Easy??? Here’s something to ponder!
Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let’s face it – English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. – Why doesn’t “Buick” rhyme with “quick” “.
Regards,
Carol
Feng Shui BB Turtle is my Cruise Critic screen name.
So… They expect me when to work when I am here, I will try to make his short.
I need to know that you have more scrapbook stuff as we are sailing with you on the 5th (A little over a week away).
If there is not screpbooking supplies, let Heidi know we are bring TWO HUGE BAGS of Russell Stover Sugar Free Jelly Beans.
The photographs are always FABULOUS! and the updates are wonderful .We actually have less than a week before we leave for Rome. I can’t stand it and my co-workers can’t stand me anymore!
Lost Luggage, I will stop worrying about it.
On behalf of my friend Julie and I WE CAN”T WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN (and meet your lovely wife, Heidi). Our friend Denise has not had the fortune of Cruising before, so I am sure your and Carnival will absolutley delight her
Thanks, John!
…Aww geez, I almost forgot to tell about my name. *sigh* long story (and even longer when I tell it). Here goes…
I was working in the office one day(not this office) and had to cover the receptionist for her lunch. So…I was reading a book on Feng Shui (not a very busy office) and I got bored. Decided to log into AIM. I had signed into AIM with my user name at my desk and did not want to shut it down by signing in at her desk. So…Feng Shui wasn’t enough…but FENG SHUI TURTLE sounded like a superhero for interior designers (I worked in corporate real estate…don’t ask).
okay…not done
I im’d my friend. Let her know it was me and why the weird name and she asked if I was standing on my desk with my hands on my hips. I replied that me cape was billowing in the wind as well.
Almost there…
the BB part… I was trying to use the name for eBay, but (can you beleive it) it was taken. But they suggest BB and my name, but now how lame would that have sounded. *sigh*
So, here i am…a tiny superhero in diapers
Konnichiwa John & Heidi, I just started reading your blogs and they are awesome!
My husband and I are both in the Air Force stationed in Japan and we are very excited about our next Carnival cruise – Freedom Dec 15th 2007. We were married on the Elation in Dec 2003 so we try and take an anniversary cruise every year. I read that you will not be on our cruise though, so I guess we’ll have to meet you next time.
Thanks for the entertaining reading!
Domo arigato, Laura
Hi John,
Thanks for your reply. Sorry I managed to confuse you somewhat. My family and I are arriving in Rome Fuminco airport on Aug 17th for the cruise that leaves later that day. A couple of months ago I faxed a Pre-cruise short excursion form to Carnival for myself My husband Chris and two kids to go on the “Rome at a Glance” Excursion Under the name Grace Melo (which is 3 hours or so). After I faxed the forms I phoned Carnival directly to confirm reciept, and the guy I spoke to told me that he couldn’t confirm, but just to show up at some desk in the airport when we land. This makes me a little nervous since I am aware that it’s not that easy to get transportation to the port if we’re not on the excursion. Also we are travelling with other extended family members and they have chosen to get direct transportation booked already.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
G
John,
In case people are looking for good restaurants in Rome, the restaurant used in Rome by Night was Da Mea Patacca. Don’t know where it was -somewhere near the City Center. We tried to find it the night before we returned home and ended up instead at Il Portico which was also quite good!
Thanks so much John for the information about the fantasy class ships!
John-I’m starting to panic here-have I been banned from the blog?
I submitted a long post last week which never appeared so I resubmitted my questions 2-3 days ago (assuming there was an internet glitch) and they still have not appeared. I made very sure my last one said “your comments are awaiting moderation” this last time before I logged off but they are nowhere to be found. Luckily I made a copy last time so will resubmit again in the hopes I will be allowed to post. I’m sorry if I was bad-will you forgive me if I bring you a Top Gear when I come in 21 days?
Will try to keep it short. (Sorry if I ask something already answered but I am working my tail off right now so I can join you in 3 weeks so I have no time to read everything I want to!)
1. Can you make us Sun King reservations? We’d like to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday a week early while we are on board together.
Date: Sat. Aug 25
Table for: 5
Time: 7pm
Cabin #: 7275 (2 people) and 7341(3 people)
Name: Rosenberg
2. We are struggling a bit with excursion plans; my MIL is limited in her ability to walk very far or stand for long periods. Do you have any advice for Livorno for her?
3. When we buy the excursions online do we have to buy them for the specific cabin the person is in or can we just buy them all thru our cabin #? Also-once we buy them can we switch who is going where? Some days we are all staying together but some days the kids really want to do something that is too strenuous for grandma so one parent will go with the kids and one will go with grandma. We may need to switch who is going where depending on who is too tired, etc.
4. Any advice on what to do with grandma in Rome before we go? We get into Rome Wed night and cruise with you Fri the 17th. Is there a Carnival sponsored tour in Rome we can do?
5. Lastly-I know it’s not cruise related really but any suggestions for what to do in London the Tues before we cruise? We arrive early Monday and leave London Wed noon to go to Rome. We’re seeing Le Miserables in the West End Tues pm-can’t wait!!
By the way-I saw somewhere where you and Heidi like Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant. One of my family’s favorite shows is Hell’s Kitchen with him. Have you seen it? He is outrageous! We watch just to see what he’ll say. He wouldn’t last a day as a cruise director!
Thanks for all you do!!!!!
I saw this today and was thinking of you. It was published in our local business journal. I have forwarded a copy of this up to corporate for you so that they hav something to work with. I say that when you hit the 500K-600K slaps on the blog, that they go ahead and pull the trigger. I just request that i get first ride with you for making it happen
Advantage: Vantage
Aston Martin’s gorgeous new V8 Vantage Roadster introduces the venerable English marque to a whole new audience
Dallas Business Journal – July 27, 2007by Glenn Hunter
Eva Longoria drives an Aston Martin on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.” So do “E” and the guys in HBO’s hyper-cool “Entourage” series. And 007, of course, made an Aston famous in the James Bond flick “Casino Royale.”
Now more and more “regular” folks — regular folk, that is, who can afford to trade in a couple of $60,000 rides for one Aston Martin — are discovering this venerable English luxury sports car.
One big reason: the marque’s brand-new V8 Vantage Roadster. So, why’s that?
Smaller and lighter than other cars in the Aston lineup, the hand-built Vantage has got to be one of the world’s most beautiful automobiles, for starters. With its power cloth-top lowered — an exercise that takes 18 seconds — the two-seat Roadster I drove looked like a sleek silver bullet, with a distinctive sloping front end and muscle-bound rear haunches.
Inside, you sit low and snug in the most gorgeous automotive surroundings imaginable. The black steering wheel looks and feels perfect, and the stitched leather seats support you in the height of buttery luxury. The radio and other switches and gadgets are simple, smartly placed and super-intuitive.
The Aston Martin’s main attraction, though, comes when you turn on the engine. The 380-horsepower V8, paired with a six-speed Graziano transmission, roars to life with a perfect exhaust note. The Graziano in the car we drove was the new Sportshift automatic manual transmission, which meant shifting was accomplished via two paddles mounted on the steering wheel. The 2007 Vantage, which jetted from 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds, can reach a top speed of 175 mph.
Would-be 007s in North Texas can put in their orders for the new Vantage with Aston Martin of Dallas, where GM Kurt Fegraeus expects to sell 110 new Astons in all this year, up from 86 in 2006. Only 5,000 to 7,000 Astons are built a year, though, which means you might have to wait as long as eight months to take delivery.
Meantime, you can always settle for watching “Entourage” or “Housewives” on Sunday nights.
SPEC SHEET
TESTED: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
PRICE AS TESTED: $136,975
ENGINE: 4.3-liter V8
MPG: 14, 20
John, since you seem so enamored w/the French, I thought I’d drop you this joke that was passed around the States at the start of the second Gulf War:
Other than the obvious, what do French’s Mustard and France have in common?
They’re both yellow.
Havr a good day, Mat.
john
i (we) enjoyed reading your blog commentary, but only saw stuff for july … is nothing forthcoming for other periods/cruises? we look forward to cruising with you on the transatlantic next spring.
bob benedict
I like your blog details! Undoubtedly an prime supply of information that is extraordinarily helpful. Cheers.