Good Morning.
There are certain measures of time that feel like yesterday and one of those has a 10 year anniversary today. I remember walking on stage to conduct my travel talk for Grand Cayman and Jamaica on the Carnival Destiny and told the guests that Princess Diana had been tragically killed in a car crash. I was very upset myself being a staunch royalist but it was only after I saw hundreds of American and Canadian guests openly weeping that I realized how universal the love and respect for her truly was. That was ten years ago today……………….it really does feel like yesterday that the People’s Princess left us.So, it’s the busy one, the first sea day with talks, shows, activities, parties and hopefully chance to finish this blog thingy.
I have received some fantastic gifts from Bloggers in the past few months but none more unusual than this. Here is a photo of me holding a letter opener made from………….ummmmmmmmmm………….a Kangaroo’s ……ummmmmmm Scrotum
Who needs and Aston Martin when you have a letter opener with a Kangaroos private parts on the top. My sincere thanks to Brad and Debbie Rowe, Bloggers from Australia for the fantastic gift. I am not sure if I should be happy or not……….still………it could be worse…………I could have been the Kangaroo.
I have just returned from my travel talk and the audience breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that indeed we would be going as planned to the Greek ports. I am wondering though how the mood of the locals will be having seen the nightmare some of them have just lived through, Hopefully the sight of 3,000 tourists injecting cash into the system will cheer them up a bit however I am sure for many these last few days will have left a dark cloud over them for a long time to come.
The sun is shining and the guests are having fun and relaxing. As I mentioned yesterday it is remarkable how the demographics can change from one cruise to another and this week we have a much older crowd onboard and therefore I need to adjust some of the activities accordingly.
I will also need to have the DJ’s play rather more 70’s, 80’s music, etc rather than the hop and hip music they will have been featuring the last few cruises.
Oh yes, and I got my first complaint this cruise and unfortunately it is an old favorite and its that we do not have a Rabbi onboard and today is of course the Sabbath for our friends of the Jewish faith.
I met with Mrs. Persky after my travel talk as she had mentioned how upset she was at the Q and A and explained that we would be happy to provide a lounge and materials for a service but unfortunately we did not have a Rabbi onboard. I suggested that I make an announcement to see if other members of the Jewish faith would like to meet but I am sorry to say that this in no way appeased Mrs. Persky. The reason I am writing this is that she said that she had cruised five times on Princess and celebrity and that they had a live on Rabbi…………is that true? ………….Don’t get me wrong, I am not doubting her but I wonder how that is organized……..I am going to check this out and of course I know without a doubt come Sunday I will receive the same comments from guests of the Christian faith…………….maybe we have to do better with this…………any thoughts?
I met a lovely gentleman this evening at the Captain’s Cocktail Party who had some concerns about his son who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. We chatted about what tours he could and could not do. During our conversation he told me his son who is 19 years of age was studying at a place called MIT which I guess is a big university. The reason I am telling you this is because despite having M.S. he is at this university on a full scholarship from NASA………….I have never met a prouder father.
Right, here are some photos of food showing off the Pizzeria.
I also thought I would wet your appetite for the Carnival Splendor now and then so here are some photos from Heidi’s collection of the Church Of The Spilled Blood in St.Petersburg.
Here are the letters from today’s In Their Own Words Section
Time for some Q and A today featuring the blog about Commodore Warner of the Queen Mary 2.
Here we go.
KATHY KROLL AND PAUL – Yes, what a way to go. Tommy Cooper died on stage and although I certainly don’t want to wish my time away it wouldn’t be a bad thing to go to the big theatre in the sky that way ……..not ready yet though. You mentioned the Royal Yacht Britannia which was used for many years to sail the Royal Family around during their foreign visits. It was also used for Prince Charles and Lady Diana for their honeymoon but as time went on it was decommissioned and is now available for private rental as a banqueting center etc. She is currently moored in Scotland. That’s all from the History Channel and my best to you both.
CAROL SCHOENBERGER – You are correct, Commodore Warner is obviously a true gentlemen of the ocean and you can see the pride he has in the title he holds and the rich traditions that come with it.I am not sure if hearing me sing is such a good idea although maybe one day soon I will indeed place an audio file thingy on the blog thingy………you may regret your wish. I did receive your e mail about your neighbor and I will be replying soon and hope you will pass on my thoughts as to why she should try Carnival Cruise Lines. Thanks Carol and all the best to you, have a great weekend.
LAUREN – I heard that AJ was at the Venetian Film Festival but unfortunately we are on our Greece/Turkey cruise this week. Anyway, she has broken my heart and once I have superglue it together I am going to see if Catherine Zeta Jones will consider the chance to be a cruise ship Godmother. All the best Lauren…….and secretly, I still dream for AJ.
BIG ED – Hello mate. I agree, a cruise on Cunard would be a one of a kind experience and I am glad you enjoyed the interview. Preparations are moving along for the Bloggers Cruise and I hope soon to have more information about your specific roll as Assistant to the Cruise Director. Nearer the time I will need your cabin number as I want to make sure you and Alan Adkins have connecting doors. Hope you and Mrs. Big Ed are doing well and see you in a few months mate.
DWA76 – Yes David, how right you are. Commodore Warner did indeed follow his dreams and here he is now commanding one of the most famous cruise ships in the world. Now, as for cricket gaining popularity, I think you have problems with soccer without trying to enjoy the complexities of cricket. On the other hand American sports are now massively popular in the UK, especially the NBA and the NFL. I love the Cowboys……their cheerleaders are HOT !………….don’t know anything about the game but cricket would be much more fun with those beauties jumping up and down every time a run is scored ………………….maybe not. Thank mate as always for your constant support of the blog thingy and have a wonderful weekend.
KERSPLOT – Thank you for saying Bravo……..you are too kind.
BILL – ZYDECOCRUISER – I am keeping my ear to the ground as is PA 007 as to any news on the rebuilding of Costa Maya. I will let you know of course if I hear anything at all. We continue to think about them. It will soon be time for your Fantasy cruise; do you have a cabin number yet? Hope you enjoyed the photos of the Pizza ……cheers.
GREG BALSASARRI – Thank you sir for your smashing comments about the interview with Commodore Warner and like you I found him simply fascinating. She is indeed a ship of immense power and I think once the Queen Elizabeth 2 retires, Queen Mary 2 may become the most famous ship in the world……………..although Victoria may have something to say about that. Thank you again and Heidi and I and me (covering all the bases now) send you our best regards.
MICHELLE MANN – Hello Thorpe Bay (my hometown) and welcome home after your Carnival Freedom cruise. I am glad your folks are OK and I truly wish there was something else I could have done after they lost their travel wallet and money. I did indeed get the information you sent and I will be in touch. Hope things are well at home and if you finish with the property pages of the yellow Advertiser can you send them out to me? All the best and have a cup of tea for me.
GREG AND CINDY COURINGTON – I am not sure as to why the champagne gondola tour has been canceled. Let me check and I will see what is up and if it is indeed canceled then yes, I really think an evening Gondola ride would be something that you really should consider. Leave this with me and I will get back to you. All the best until then and see you soon.
JOKO JOAN – Thank you for writing in especially as you are packing for your Carnival Legend cruise. The ship has Wi Fi so you should have no problem using your laptop and staying in touch with the world of blog. As I mentioned in yesterdays blog thingy the group that allegedly caused some concerns on the Carnival Liberty is being investigated by Carnival Cruise Lines as we speak. There is indeed a strict rules of conduct that we enforce and I know this was the case on this cruise. If and when I here anything at all I will let you all know. For now though I want to wish you and the Cruise Critic friends a wonderful cruise and please let us all know how it is going. Have Fun.
JOYCE – Thanks for the web link and yes I knew of this big celebration in Rome on September 8. Please be careful of the dreaded pickpocket if you attend. Please can you remind me on the day you board about the meet and greet and I will place an ad in the daily Capers. Have a safe flight and looking forward to meeting you soon.
BIG ED – Black mate, the Aston needs to be black and then its me and you driving down sunset strip or Southend Seafront. Thank again and maybe, just maybe one day she will be mine.Yep, I did see that I was on the front page of Carnival Corporation web thingy and all I can say is …..wow……..what an honour to be on the page of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines……..next stop GQ magazine.
LANCE AND ILDA – Thank you both for such kind words. I was so honoured to interview Commodore Warner and one day I hope to visit the magnificent Queen Mary 2. Tommy Cooper was indeed one funny man and if his shows are available on DVD I agree, it would be great to play one on the Bloggers cruise. My all time favorite though is John Cleese …….oh what I would give to interview him. Thank you both again and if the blog gets to number 1 again that will be wonderful but as long as I have people reading it then that’s the most important thing. My best regards.
BRYAN – You asked Bryan about the cricket score you saw. Well, the first score is the number of runs between the wickets, in this case 294 and then the number of wickets or people out will be anywhere from 0 – 9. There are 11 minute who are at bat and once the 10th man is out the innings is over and the other side then goes into bat. Sometimes you can get caught in the slips …..which is quite painful or get out to a bouncer, a Yorker and the dreaded full toss………..have I lost you yet? The best thing to do is that we all play cricket on the beach in Jamaica on the bloggers cruise and we can all bowl over at Big Ed and see if we can catch him out with a crafty googlie. Hope that helps mate. Cheers.
SCOTT – Hello Scott and thank you for letting me know you are home safe and sound. How wonderful that your honeymoon cruise was so enjoyable and I truly hope you will come and see us again to celebrate further anniversaries. Heidi and I (or Heidi and me) wish you many happy and healthy years together and it was great to celebrate with you the beginning of your married life together. Please keep reading the blog thingy and my best to Colleen.
SUZANNE217 – Ahhhhhh, yes the famous TA cruise last year on the Carnival Liberty. I have terrible memories of that cruise and felt so very bad for those who caught the 24-hour sickness bug. I especially feel sorry for me……I tried in vain to continue to work but it was hard to be happy and cheerful when you are praying 20 times a day to the porcelain God. I am sorry that you had to live through that but the sad thing was the cruise started of so well and the group of guests was bonding so fantastically. Hopefully, this problem won’t raise its ugly head again. I hope you win the lottery and you can cruise as much as you want….hopefully with me.
JILL C – I also remember the night Tommy Cooper died. I watched it in my parent’s living room and like millions of others I to thought his collapse was part of one of his zany show endings………..it wasn’t ………..it was a sad night. Here is another one of my favorite Tommy quotes. Thanks for sharing the memories.
Two aerials meet on a roof – fall in love – get married. The ceremony was rubbish but the reception was brilliant.
LISA AND ELAINE – I promise!
GEORGE AND LINDA – I am so glad you liked the interview with Commodore Warner, he is a true gentleman. You asked a very interesting question about President Putin and the Russian people not liking the USA. Well, I know the relationship is a bit strained at the moment but I can tell you that Russia knows which side its bread is buttered and I am sure that the huffing and puffing that is going on at the moment is just a storm in a tea cup. Russia is a safe and pleasant land to explore and cruise ships make regular calls to St.Petersburg and I for one cannot wait to go there again. I hope you enjoyed the photos above of the Church of the Spilled Blood and occasionally I will delve into Heidi’s photo album for some more. Thank you for thinking about me and the Aston Martin. I actually am thinking about renting one for a few days when I am home…www.prestigecarhire.co.uk……………..we shall see……………it certainly would be a treat. So far this cruise is going really well and the fires in Greece are out. Hope George is well and we shall see you on the Carnival Splendor for our brilliant cruise to the Baltic.
CANUCK CRUISER – Hello and I am sorry I omitted to answer your last posting that you slapped on. As I mentioned above the reports of this group who allegedly caused some concerns with loud and rude behavior are being investigated. The rules of guest behavior are very strict and the Ship’s Command will enforce them at all times. I have been sailing for 20 years and I can tell you that I have never seen anything like the behavior that was described in the Cruise Critic posting. Now, I am not saying that what the passenger wrote was wrong but I can tell you that sometimes, these situations can be exaggerated somewhat and most importantly if any of the behavior that was described in the posting actually happened; I assure you that the Ship’s Command would have acted accordingly. Anyway, I am sure you understand that as I was not onboard it is hard to comment but as and when anything further occurs on this subject I will let you know. Finally, as you seem concerned may I stress that at no time would the company or the Ships Command and crew jeopardize the safety of the guests………never. Hope this answers your question and if you need anything else please let me know.
LFTTNSFCF – It is strange that you mentioned the Northwest Passage in your blog as I just finished reading an article in the Times Newspaper about how global warming has made passage through this once tedious area much easier. I can understand your fascination with people like Hornblower and Frobisher, they would indeed make great dinner companions…………as will you on the TA cruise where hopefully we will find time to talk about our various passions, everything nautical, cigars and Angelina Jolie. Cheers mate.
KEVIN – I am not sure that I would ever be the right choice as a CD for Cunard. They already have the best Cruise Director in the world in Ray Rouse and hopefully I will get to interview Ray in a forthcoming blog. He is currently serving on the Queen Mary 2 and is right at the top of the profession. Kevin, expect a phone call from someone soon and hopefully by now you will have seen the latest Heidi blog. Cheers mate and as always thank you for the kind words.
BEYONDSHIPS – What a wonderful interview you had with Commodore Warner and thank you so much for allowing us all to share in it. You are obviously a very talented writer and I am humbled that you have taken the time to read my blog thingy and I hope that now and then you may stop by for a chat.
LINDSEY B – Just do what you just did Lindsey, slap on a posting and if you don’t want it posted mark it as PRIVATE and Roberto will act as Postman Pat and send it to me. Hope to hear from you soon.
DON AND LAURA – Welcome back from Japan, I hope you had a great time. You asked about the Supper Clubs and if it is worth missing one night in the dining room………….simple answer yes……..At least once, you have to take Laura to this most elegant dining area and enjoy the romance of a dinner for two. Enjoy a menu that would cost triple or more ashore and here it will be just 430 per person. The service is incomparable and the ambiance will enhance your cruise ten fold ………..it really is “unmissable”………..I promise. Let me know if you need more persuading and sayonara until then.
MAURO MOSCARDINO – I will keep blogging mate, I hope you will keep reading.
MICHAEL – Welcome to the blog thingy mate. Now, you mentioned James Cook and then put an (e) as so……….did I put an E on the end of his name? If I did, that’s wrong as it is James Cook………….sorry if I messed up. I hope you are enjoying catching up on all the blogs and there will be lots of fun and information on the way so I hope you will stay with us mate. All the best.
THE BEARS, CARL AND BARB – Congratulations on the arrival of your new cub Corbin. We all wish him health, happiness and I am sure with Grandparents like you he will be the happiest cub in the forest. Hopefully, he will enjoy his first cruise very soon. Congratulations again from Heidi and I and me and Heidi.
SEWINGNUT – I wanted to finish the Q and A with you as I didn’t get chance to say goodbye last week. The decorations you sewed were just wonderful and I will treasure them always. My only regret is that time never allowed us to spend quality time together for which I am truly sorry. I did post your son’s picture on the blog and I will send you the link ASAP…his drawing was precious by the way and I hope next time you can bring him with you……..I hope he enjoyed his trophy and photo. We miss you her and we both send our best to you and the family. That is all the time I have (it is 1:08am)……………the clocks go forward to night as well…………….bugger.
OK< then lets push on with today’s guest interview. I had the pleasure of interviewing Commodore Warner and now it is the turn of our Captain here on the Carnival Freedom who has been involved with Carnival Freedom during her construction. Here then is Captain Orazio D’Aita
1. Captain, please can you tell us about your life at sea from your schooldays to your current position and how you rose through the ranks at Carnival.
Since I was a kid I always dreamed to be a sailor. As matter of fact I was always drawing boats and ships. I was born and I live (when not on board) in a fisherman and sailor town named Riposto in Sicily where there is the 2nd oldest Nautical Academy in Italy named I.T.N. Luigi Rizzo; as soon as I completed the middle school I subscribed to be admitted to the Nautical Academy where I graduated in 1982.After I joined the Italian Navy, attending firstly 6 months training course in Naval Academy in Livorno where I aquatinted the rank of Lieutenant navigator the I served my country as a Navy Officer until 1984. After I retired from Navy I joined Merchant Marine vessels (tankers) with the Rank of 3rd Officer until Nov, 5 1985 when I Joined CCL with the rank of Deck Cadet the T.S.S. Carnivale, since then I have been escalating all my ranks on Carnival Ships and I was appointed to the position of Captain on January 2000. Since that date I have been commanding all Carnival’s class of vessels.
2 Today’s Cruise Ship Captains are very different not just because of the modern equipment but the huge amount of rules and safety regulations that are all your responsibility. Can you describe a typical day in the life of the Carnival’ Freedom’s Captain
When you say “responsibility” you basically describe Captain’s Job in its entirety. However day to day activity is always demanding and challenging since from the morning to the evening (including nights) the Captain is involved directly or indirectly to the ship’s management. The typical day could start at 2:30 a.m. (Civitavecchia’s arrival) and it continues up to the moment when I go to rest, during an uneventful day I follow up Safety, Health, Environmental, Navigation, Technical, and Budgeting, Organizational, Crew and Guests issues. I also have like all Management on board a daily direct communication with Main Office through the e-mail system.
3. You have been associated with this ship during the construction. What role does a Captain play during this time?
During the construction of a new ship the Captain follows up all standards of New Building according to the signed and agreed “Specifications” between the Owner and the Builder. In addition the Captain is responsible to ensure that all the assigned Crew is well familiarized with the new vessel, all Owners’ supplies once received must be stored and taken in custody in warehouses and then taken on board prior ship’s delivery. The Captain is also the link between the Owner and the yard Management and a lot of meeting are attended prior any decision or any modification is made. The Captain and its Officers provide to the Yard suggestions for improvements or modification to meet the established quality/standards (named outstanding reports).
4. What happens during the ship’s first Sea Trials? Can you explain some of the testes the ship is put through
During the first Seatrials all ship’s equipments and machineries are tested and must meet what is stated in the “Technical Specifications.” It is a vital stage of the ship since from this trials is determined if Owner/Operators expectations are met. Some of the tests are: Speed trial (verification of the maximum speed that the vessel will be able to reach), Engines endurance (running at certain rpm and engine load for an extended time) or crash stop test (verifying in what distance and time the ship would stop reversing the engines while at full speed), etc.
5. Does sailing in Europe have any challenges for you as Captain that may not be the case in the Caribbean
Some European ports have indeed more traffic and are more challenging than Caribbean (Athens as an example). However a Captain must be capable to face any condition or challenge that this profession imposes. I love this job because it is never boring.
6. It must be a very proud moment every time we sail into Messina and the island of Sicily. How proud are you to dock this huge ship on the island where you were born.
As said previously this has been always my dream, to become a Captain and sail my ship into my homeland ports and I am thank Carnival Cruise Lines for making my dream come true!
7. What is your favorite port apart from Messina of course on the Grand Med itinerary and the Greece/Turkey cruise as well and why are they so.
One of the ports that I like the most in this itinerary are: Istanbul, Rhodes and Barcelona. The first because it is considered the cradle of the culture and because it represents the last passage to the Orient. The second one because historically has a lot to offer, with many attractions to be visited. And the third one because it represents the proud of Spanish country and it is also a city of culture so similar but at the mean time so different to all other Spanish cities with its own native language (The Catalan) totally different from the mother language (Castillano).
8. What has been your favorite moment so far in your career?
When I was promoted Captain and of course when I was appointed to be the Captain of this magnificent ship.
NOTE: Here is Captain with (left to right) Carnival’s retiring president and CEO Bob Dickinson, the ship’s Godmother Kathy Ireland and Carnival Corporation Chairman Mr. Micky Arison
9. When you are on vacation, what do you do to relax
In summer time I go often fishing, in winter time I love to go to ski and I also like to take care of my home gardens.
10. Finally, if there was one port in the world you could sail this ship into that carnival has never been to………where would you take us and why
I would sail this ship to Buenos Aires (Argentina) because it is a marvelous city in a very beautiful and natural country (lot to see and to do) where many different cultures (European and South American) merges and creates a very friendly and happy peoples such as the Argentineans.
Thank you Captain for the wonderful interview. I have known Captain D’Aita for many years and watched him grow through the ranks and I am very proud to work alongside him here on the Carnival Freedom.
I was mentioning to a blogger just now about safety onboard and that this has and always will be the priority of this corporation. It does not matter if it is the Queen Mary or the Carnival Freedom, there is nothing more important.
Sometimes, it is easy to forget that you are on a ship and not in a hotel and although service, fine food, great entertainment and indeed fun are so important to the guests experience the most important person onboard is the Captain for it is they who will ultimately be responsible for all of us and all of you.
In Captain D’Aita and Commodore Warner we have met two shining examples of the people who as we are having fun and enjoying everything that a cruise offers, are on the bridge making sure we are all safe and sound and for that I am sure you will all join me in saying …………..thank you.
Goodnight
Your friends
John and Heidi
Filed under: Catherine Zeta Jones, Tales from the Ship | Tagged: Splendor Godmother, Tales from the Ship
John you made me laugh out loud just looking at your face on that picture. Que cara! Like the haircut.
John I have the Princess Patter on my hand from my Med cruise 2 years ago and it says ;
Jewish Sabbath Eve Service – We kindly request a volunteer to conduct the service. All amenities provided and the time and place. Thats all.
And on sunday there was a interdenominational church service conducted by a passenger.
John,
I loved the interview with Captain D’Aita. As much as I enjoyed the informative aspect I enjoyed the way he writes. I could ‘hear’ his Italian accent as I read his words. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing. I’m of Italian extraction, myself, and the good Captain reminds me of the many wonderful people I met during my time in Italy.
I’m not quite sure what to make of your letter opener. I suspect that there is one rather irate kangaroo somewhere out there in desperate search of his (now it’s) missing parts. Best of luck with that.
My thoughts turn to Chrissy and Brad having just laid her father to rest only yesterday. We can only pray that God will comfort them as they move forward with their lives. Through your blog, these fine folks have come to hold a special place in my heart and in my prayers. God bless them both.
Regards,
Greg
Hi John
We are sailing on the Carnival Legend in November and one of the ports of call was Costa Maya. Can you give me any info on what port will replace Costa Maya?
I also wanted to say that while i don’t post many comments i am always reading the blog thingy and enjoy it very much. Kudos, and all the best to you and Heidi.
John: Thanks for your heartfelt words at the end of the Q and A. I don’t know if our paths will ever cross again. It would be wonderful if they did.
Here are my regrets:
1 – that I never got to shake your hand – there were times I saw you (meeting in the Havana Bar with crew, I presume). Of course, now I wish I would have just interrupted even if for only 2 minutes.
2 – that I never left the line on the gangway in Livorno to shake the Captain’s hand when reboarding the ship. I did wave to him, give him a thumbs up and told him we had a great vacation!
3 – that I never bought the scrapbook pages with the names of the ports of call so that when I am working on my photo album I could decorate it
4- that I didn’t order Bitter and Blanc for dessert the evening we were in Naples
5 – that I never got to meet more bloggers
6 – that I didn’t handcuff myself to the railing of the ship the morning we docked in Civi.
My 5 must do’s (which I did) on Carnival Freedom
1 – go down the waterslide (something I have never ever done.)
2 – have Warm Chocolate Melting Cake at least once
3 – watch a movie under the stars on the seaside theater
4 – evening walk before bedtime in the moonlight and hold hands with Mr. SewingNut
5 – be on the ship when it sailed away (although Mr. SewingNut really would have liked a ride in the pilot like the couple and child from Naples.)
My 5 best moments:
1- knowing there are 100 letter tiles in a scrabble game at Battle of the Sexes (James told me that I needed to get out more often! Apparently, the normal person doesn’t know such interesting tidbits of information.) I was ready for ship trivia but I never heard that it was happening.
2 – sail away party from Venice
3 – seeing my son’s drawing of the ship on the seaside theater
4 – being waited on like I was a queen at dinner (Thanks to Ramona from Romania and Jose from Honduras – Posh).
5 – celebrating 15 years of marriage and finally being able to take a vacation.
As an aside: Did you like my idea about having a ‘Biggest Splash Down the Waterslide’ contest?Let me know if it ever happens.
SewingNut
John:
It is true I was disappointed I couldn’t shake your hand. But, let’s not forget I had the absolute pleasure to shake the hand of and meet Heidi. For that I am grateful. I also got chat with James for a few minutes a day into our cruise. He is very funny.
Let’s not forget, there were other things on the ship you were managing (on top of your regular known duties). I never knew how much was going on that we never knew about until after I got home and read the blog. I did not blog while I was on the ship although I read that many others did.
You had several disgruntled passengers to mediate, arrange a burial at sea for Wendall, and of course, provide assistance to Brad and Chrissy when it became known they needed to leave the ship on Barcelona. These things were all important. With the lack of sleep, it is incredible you manage to get matching socks on your feet.
You can’t be all things to all people, but you certainly are a People’s Cruise Director.
SewingNut
Hey John,
Well, I am now performing on my sixth Princess ship, and I can say that we have not had a “live in” rabbi on any of them. Now, for certain times of the year, yes, we have one brought on, and they conduct services, but so far, no full timers that I know of. Of course, every Sabbath, as you mentioned, the CD onboard provides a room and all the amenities for services.
Needless to say, I have kept my membership of the faith under wraps, for fear that I will be asked to lead said Sabbath services. Not because I am ashamed of my heritage, quite to the contrary…but because I wouldn’t remember one word of one prayer and I feel my old rabbi would hunt me down for my trespass. Oh, and it would also preclude me from enjoying my bacon sandwiches…a passion I developed late nights at the Bus Stop with you on the Holiday. Not quite kosher, eh?
Aloha,
Dave Soreff
aka “Bacon Sandwich”
Hi John,
Thanks for the reply to the question about the LIBERTY incidence. Enough said.
You are a class act my friend.
I realize that some passengers have unrealistic expectations about cruising and some will NEVER be happy no matter what.
Donna and I try to enjoy all aspects of cruising and we don’t let any one thing or person ruin what is our vacation time.
Like I always say ” there are no bad cruises………..just far too few of them!”
We never doubted that we would have our usual great time on the LIBERTY ( 13 days and counting) and we welcome meeting new friends and celebrating our 25 years together.
Thank you for all of your help in arranging our dinner at the supper club and contacting Todd ( wink wink) about the Newlywed game thing.
Keep up the good work and enjoy the new group this week………………can’t wait to hear some more Johnism’s about their complaints and comments.
Well I better go start packing………..just kidding. Donna’s already got the suitcases out in the spare room and assembling the gear!
All the best from across the pond.
Your friends from Canada
PS……….nice blog Heidi……….keep the Jellybeans locked up!
A fine Japanese Howdie Do Don and Laura:
The Sperm of the Roo didn’t tell you how pretty everything is delivered in the Supper Club.
This isn’t (or wasn’t on the Liberty) the feed trough where all dainty tidbits are artistically arranged on another one of the same old plates from a stack that serves everything.
Every single dish is a work of art. Each menu item has its own selected serveware. I did spend many pleasurable minutes contemplating the retail value of the gorgeous place settings and serving pieces. I find myself in the fine china section in Macy’s and coming to a halt with fond remembrance and deciding that I will have better luck with another cruise than by bringing home that platter and those plates to do it myself. (The sale circulars have the same effect.) The service itself comes closer to being an ancient orgy banquet than a fine state dinner with a server behind each chair, and is most certainly not just another restaurant.
Mr. had to prod me to remember to eat my own food and quit admiring the delivery to the other tables.
My recommendation: get there early and stay late just to watch the service.
A few months ago The Sperm of the DevilRoo gave us pictures of some of the very dedicated staff in the Supper Club. They are all attired in clean and crisp and white work coats. When the course is to be served to the table, the waitstaff congregate to bring out the dishes for the entire party at once, then proceed in single file, looking neither to the left nor to the right, to your table, where each item is presented with great precision and fanfare.
I had the steak tartare, which has the fancy name but is raw meat nonetheless, and it took me months to figure out how they put it on the plate so pretty. I could eat a whole cow that way.
The desserts are the things that win awards and competitions. Spectacular.
You need to also budget for wine, if you are not an absolute moral or medical teetotaler. The sommelier in the Supper Club will take the time to find out your preference for wine tastes and your menu selection and suggest the perfect accompaniment for total enjoyment. The good news about the Supper Club Wine List: having accepted the Sommelier’s recommendation, you are offered the sample to taste, and when you approve it, then your wine will be poured for you. On the one hand, the whole bottle is more than the not 430 but $30 per person charge don’t give us heart attacks, John, on the other hand, the bottle has more than two glasses in it. The bartender has this nifty thing to recork it.
Now, we went to Harry’s the night they served the buffalo mozzarella in the dining room, and Mr. pouted a bit. Our maitre’d welcomed us back to our dining room the next night and it wasn’t long before he had a happy little starter of his favorite buffalo mozz.
I agree with you about Formal Night. Fatima’s Toy Boy had better not try to strong arm me into the Supper Club on Formal Night. On the other hand, if I were so fortunate to go on cruises more than every couple years, which is in itself exceedingly fortunate and enjoyable, or I ate out and got Filet Mignon more frequently than that, I might not notice. On the other hand, and I better quit because I really only have two hands, the filet mignon I had in Harry’s was one of the best I ever had in my life. Ok, six months later it is making me drool again. Formal night filet: always excellent; Supper Club Filet: fabulous. memorable.
The Supper Club is also the place where you choose to dine alone, with your favorite person in the world, or with a small select group of the best people in the world. It is also my best interpretation of a Supper Club: fine dining and dancing. Harry’s had a very cozy dance floor with music provided by the best folks on the Seven Seas. Lovely and Romantic music for your dining and dancing pleasure, and John says the musicians in the Sun King are excellent.
It is a most pleasant surprise to get the elegant reservation notice in your private mail box on board. The significant other who makes the arrangements reaps rewards again and again.
On my scale of one to 10: 58. worth a lot on many levels. go ahead and Enjoy.
John -
First of all, we all still miss the People’s Princess. There is much retrospective on TV here in the US on this tenth anniversary, but I still remember watching TV the night that it was announced that she had passed – utterly devastating news, particularly given the age of her suns.
Ah, the Royal Yacht Britannia – I remember it well. I was stationed in Newport, Rhode Island during the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. During my tour, the HMS Britannia docked in Newport during the Royals tour.
What I remember so well was the size of the ship – there were WWII destroyers (I particularly remember the USS Vogelgesang DD-862 because of the name) serving in DesRon28, a naval reserve training squadron. When the Britannia arrived, I realized that the ship was actually larger than a US Navy WWII destroyer – just an amazing site.
The other thing that I remember about the Britannia is the security that the Navy put in place. At the time, they operated YP (Yard Patrol) boats for training purposes. These boats, while not small, were not exactly large either – they mounted .50 caliber machine guns on the aft deck and used them for security. I always thought that if one was to fire that .50 cal, it would shake the ship apart.
Why is it that you tend to bring these memories out of me?
See you in 57 days.
TTFN
MTSFPBLFTTNSFCF
Hello, I don’t even know if I have finaly found the way to get a post on the blogthingy?
My husband and I are booked on the April 26, 2008 Transatlantic cruise. Then we are booked to continue on the Freedom on the European cruise including Greese. We are hoping this is not too long to be on the ship?
Any advice?
Marilyn
John,
Yes I did see Heidi’s Blog and I commented on it because I was so happy to see she wasn’t umm incapacitated due to the ummm jet fuel. Thank you for the update and all your kind words too John. Looking forward to sharing in the jet fuel and great cigars with you someday. Looking forward to my October cruise to umm nowhere (where exactly is nowhere, oh well I’ll find out soon). Great interview with the captain, where exactly is his town in Sicily located my grandparents are from Sicily for a town called ragamuto(probably spelled wrong but who knows) in the province of Abagento (Also spelled wrong probably). Oh and on the two Princess cruises I have been on they never had a live on clergyman or rabbi, but in their patters (version of the capers) the first day usually hidden somewhere is a request for anyone who is a official clergyman / rabbi and wants to conduct services to contact the purser’s desk within 24 hrs of boarding, I also know that during the high jewish and catholic holidays they bring on a rabbi or priest to celebrate a service with guests and crew. best wishes and best to Saint Heidi of the Freedom. Speak with you soon.
Kevin
PS the Aston can take a exit ramp on the parkway at 75 mph no problem.
Hi John,
May I be the first to say the look on your face holding your letter opener is um…..should be one of your most embarassing moments! Don’t let Hedi see that face if you want to stay married to her! But I must say, that wedding band is beautiful! Who has the good taste…nevermind…Hedi picked it out…LOL..That is the picture you should submit to GQ…LOL…
Just so you know…MIT is ranked one of the best University’s here in the states, one of the hardest to get in, and one of the most expensive! You just about have to have a perfect ACT score to get in…and I’m lucky just to spell ACT….LOL
Please tell Hedi how great her blog was!
And thanks for the pictures of the pizza…it brings back memories…my hubby and I would always go to the early dinner, early show, and around 10:00pm we would be up there getting pizza. Then we would take a slow walk on one of the open decks…nobody else around…out in the middle with water as far as you can see…no noise, no problems, just the wind and your spouse…it’s just perfect. Makes me want to be crusing with you now!
Now as for Rabbi’s….I know that a different cruise line with the initals are RC….does not have a Rabbi. (ok, we tried them once, and we will NEVER go back) It’s only Carnival from now on! I could go on how great Carnival is…but you already know because you are part of the reason!
Take care, don’t work so hard,
Susan
ps…Southerndreams…you are still in my prayers. Keep the faith, it will move mountains!!
Dear Mr. Heald,
I finally got my mom off your blog so I have a chance at it. My name is Jennifer. I am the daughter of Susan. I am 16 years old. Mom showed me the picture of you with your letter opener…still trying to stop laughing.
Mom said you are having trouble thinking up things for teens to do. Well, I am just the teen you need to talk with. The first thing is every teen and even pre-teen girl wants to be a cheerleader. Can’t you have Carnival Cheerleaders? The dancers on the ship should be able to teach them a short cheer and/or dance and then they could start or end the guest talent show. I was thinking Canival could make a lot of money on this. They could sell “Carnvial Cheerleader” uniforms, you already have the color choices picked out. Every girl wants pom poms, cheer necklaces, hair items…ect. There is no end to how much money Carnival could make. You even have a mascot on board already…Freddy. Heck, I make up alot of our cheers for our team, I bet I could make up one or two for Carnival. And don’ forget the photo opportunties…each mom wants at least one picture of her daughter as a cheerleader. And, of course, it could tie in with scrapbooking on board.
Slap any questions you have for me, and I’ll answer right away (if I’m not to busy). Tomorrow I’ll slap on an idea for the guys.
Jennifer
HI John
Husband now awake and said to tell you that you can check online at http://www.rightmove.co.uk that has all the properties in the area that are advertised. I will still send out papers but this web site is excellent ( you probably know about it anyway)
bye for now
mich
Howdy John & Heidi,
I had a strange cruise dream last night that I wanted to share with you. Do others have strange cruise dreams? In you case I am sure some of yours are cruise nightmares with the Mahjong lady or Fatsma chasing you around the ship. Anyway, I was taken back to our first cruise on the Marti Gras. There I was in the middle of the beer drinking contest having a great time watching the pool games of “stuff the fruit in the bikini”. It had me longing for the good ole days. I know in this day and age of political correctness you can not do some of the stuff we used to do. But I think it would be great to bring back some of the events of days gone by.
To save time and ships on a stick you could combine the hairy chest contest with the beer drinking contest. You can host it on Sunday afternoons with NFL football on the big screen TV. I am sure this would be a big seller in the southern US ports. Not to leave the ladies out you could have a hairy legs / wine drinking contest (finally something to make the French happy, of course they would have a leg up on the competition). It could be hosted during Desperate Housewives.
Another game to bring back would be skeet shooting. Of course you would not want to do it the same day as the hairy chest/beer drinking contest. To keep the environmental folks happy you could toss leftover dinner roles. This should cheer up the crew as it would cut down on the leftovers they have to finish off. To replace the lead shot we could use meat balls. This would make for a very challenging game.
Just a couple of ideas I thought I would float your way. Oops, sorry if are already starting to sink or stink.
We will not be able to make the bloggers cruise in 2008 as we have done the Western Caribbean many times and Galveston is right here if we chose to do it again. Looking forward to a different location for 2009. I am pulling for a European cruise as that is the year I pick up another weeks vacation.
Hi John: I posted 2 right at the very beginning of the comments for this blog. They are still waiting moderation – 24 hours later. Do you think they are lost in cyberspace?
I vote Alaska bloggers cruise. Do you have dates in mind?
SewingNut
I want to warn you about a book that just came out this week that will probably be on the best seller lists in the US (these writer’s last several books have all been). It’s called “The Wheel of Darkness” and it takes place on an ocean liner making a trans-Atlantic cruise. The cruise ain’t pretty — serial murderer, mysterious smoke, a captain that decides to destroy the ship, lots of mayhem.
Doesn’t sound a thing like Carnival;-)))
Anyway, if passengers start asking you more about security/safety protocols/”can we drop a lifeboat if the ship is moving?” you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
You might want to read it just to be prepared. It just came out 8/28 here. Don’t know if you can get it there.
Enjoyed your lovely wife’s blog. Didn’t realize she was Dutch. My father came from the Netherlands. Last name was deRooy (I think it was changed from deRooij when they came over). Never have heard of anyone else with that name. Could you ask her if it is rare/common in her home country?
See you on the fall TA. We’ll skip the mayhem and murder, eh?
John, since I’m in OZ, Greenwood Acres Campground in Jackson Michigan, and doing my internet time in a WENDY’S I don’t have time to go back and look for it but I had the answer to the religious issue the first time it came up. I will try to remember some of it.
Have a channel on the TVs with faith based programs. I’m sure all faiths would be willing to make a service just for cruise ships. Some to even say at the start that this would cover their religious requirements.
For those that would want to be in more of a group setting you could have different meeting areas set up to view the services.
For those the feel they need a live service the pursers desk could have a list of churches in each port and the times of services. I’m sure that the ports could compile this list. Most hotels have lists of nearby churches for their guest now.
Nice letter opener but you hair looks just like it in the picture. LOL
“BIG” ED
139 days till the rocking of the CARNIVAL FREEDOM causes a Tsunami
John,
I just thought of a better use for the kangaroo b#$@! Possibly you could give them to Fatima and then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t feel that it is necessary to violate you or any other person. Either that, or possibly she has balls of her own–maybe that is why she was strong enough to flip you over like you were a sack of potatoes! Your backside is probably cringing knowing how close you come to her on this present cruise. Thank goodness for security–you don’t have to worry about her boarding the ship looking for you! Have a great evening!! Sheryl
Evening John,
I understand Cricket a little better now, but I guess I need to watch a fixture/match/game to understand it completely.
I’ll stick with my English football until then.
On another note, the father with the son who has M.S. at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)… I gotta give his son props for overcoming the odds and making it there. The university’s like in the top five in the USA. Awesome story there.
[...] Captain’s Blog……Stardate September 1st, 2007 Good Morning. There are certain measures of time that feel like yesterday and one of those has a 10 year anniversary […] [...]
HELLO JOHN,
WE MADE IT HOME SAVE, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LAUGH. WE WILL BE CRUISING WITH CARNIVAL AGAIN HOPING TO HAVE YOU AS THE CRUISE DIRECTOR. ALL THE STAFF WERE VERY HELPFUL AND ALSO IMPACT ON OUR EXPERIENCE. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR MAKING THIS THE BEST CRUISE EXPERIENCE.
ELVIS AND KARES
CARNIVAL FREEDOM 8/17
Hi John: On our third sea day (Sat. Aug. 25) Jami took some pictues at the towel art seminar conducted by herself and 2 of the cabin stewards. You were kind enough to post a couple of pictures from that event. I wonder if you have all the ones she took that day. She took one of the dog I created wearing my sunglasses. Since we didn’t take our camera to the event, I wonder if you might be able to post the picture for me so I can have it.
SewingNut
John, since I’m in OZ, Greenwood Acres Campground in Jackson Michigan, and doing my internet time in a WENDY’S I don’t have time to go back and look for it but I had the answer to the religious issue the first time it came up. I will try to remember some of it.
Have a channel on the TVs with faith based programs. I’m sure all faiths would be willing to make a service just for cruise ships. Some to even say at the start that this would cover their religious requirements.
For those that would want to be in more of a group setting you could have different meeting areas set up to view the services.
For those the feel they need a live service the pursers desk could have a list of churches in each port and the times of services. I’m sure that the ports could compile this list. Most hotels have lists of nearby churches for their guest now.
Nice letter opener but you hair looks just like it in the picture. LOL
“BIG” ED
138 days till the rocking of the CARNIVAL FREEDOM causes a Tsunami
Hi John,
So I was on the Glory with you when we got stuck becaus of hurricane Francis (2005). Do you remember the man who did not speak English and you tried to get him to say “shoot” and he said “Stop I sh^%”? I bought the tape of it, it truly was a once in a life time event, and the funniest thing that I have ever seen on a cruise. Then your pants fell down while you were on stage! You truly are the funniest and best cruise director there is. Are you going to be back in the US anytime soon, I want to be on your ship again! I have Cruised 5 times with Carnival, you were my third and still my favorite! I just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas on the Legend, our itenerary was changed becuse of Hurricane Dean, we were supposed to go the Western Caribbean (Costa Maya etc.) I did not enjoy this cruise as much as past ones, I believe because our cruise director was on Vacation and the Assistant was filling in for him. She was not too good! I read your blog almose everyday and you always make me laugh!
Talk to you soon!
Lindsey
Pesky Mrs Persky!
John… I have cruised 25+ times on Princess and they have NEVER had a Rabbi on board.
All there is for the Jewish Sabbath is an announcement in the “Princess Patter” asking for a guest to officiate and stating that the necessary items will be provided.
It’s amazing how people “bend” the truth to support their complaints!
Andrew
Blog: http://www.caravanparkmanager.co.uk
Hello John
My husband and I have been guest speakers on cruise ships on a number of occasions and we enjoy this very much. Up until now we have used an agent – how else can we apply?
thank you
[...] fleet…………..here they are. http://johnhealdsblog.com/2009/01/29/a-dream-job/ http://johnhealdsblog.com/2007/09/01/captain%E2%80%99s-blog%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6stardate-september-1st-... [...]