I am sorry to report that the relationship between myself and the lady who thinks I am a racist reached new depths today and as much as I try to resolve this situation I have come to realize that the battle is lost……………….only Judge Judy can solve this one.
I had written a letter to the guest explaining that the fly on entertainer Marvin Bell had unfortunately been unable to join the vessel because he had missed his flight. She read the letter and immediately demanded through the Information Desk that I speak to her. So, this morning, after my morning show I put on my Kevlar body amour and a cup (size small) and headed off to meet her. This time I had asked she meet me in the conference room because I didn’t want to meet her in a public area and for guests to think we were filming a Jerry Springer episode in the lobby.
Anyway, we met and before I had time to say “Good Morning,” she unleashed a hail of spite at me ………….she said that the comedian was never coming and I was………………actually………..hold on…………you know what…………..I am not going to waste my time or yours typing out what she called me and what she said. Let’s forget about this one and I will have to except that there will be one guest walking off the gangway who literally hates me…………….that is hard for me to except but I have no choice…….there is nothing I can do that will make her happy now………………her last comment I will share with you just because of ……….well………….it’s comic value…………….she said …………”Your name is on the list and you are going to a fiery hell”…………..so, that’s me in the doghouse …………..for all eternity……………….bugger……………..
I wanted to tell her that this was old news and that I was indeed the “sperm of the devil” but I didn’t ……………..I just left her with one last apology. As I walked away I said a silent prayer asking not to go to hell and hoping the lady would get lockjaw for the rest of the cruise.
Thank goodness that the good comments and the fun incidents outweigh the bad ones by a long way. One of my favorite events to host is my Marriage Show. This is just basically some improv fun with the honeymooners and married couples. This afternoon I hosted the event and I want to share with you two great couples from the show.
FIRST OF ALL MEET ELMER AND GLADYS OARR FROM PENSACOLA, FLA.
Elmer (that’s not his real name but his wife named him that as he looks like the guy that used to hunt Bugs Bunny) and Gladys have been married for 58 years. Their story is remarkable. They met when he was 17 and she was 15 and they fell in love. They lived in a small town in outside of Boston and everything was going well in their lives until Elmer joined the Navy in 1944. He joined a U.S. Navy ship Leopold which was hit by a torpedo during an Atlantic crossing during which they were protecting merchant vessels — 171 men lost their lives………28 survived…………including our mate Elmer.
Well, communication was not very good in those days as a few days after the ship sunk the future Mrs. Orr received word from Elmer’s family that the ship had been sunk and he had died. Obviously, she was in shock and told the audience how devastated she was.
Elmer meanwhile is in a small boat in near freezing temperatures with serious injuries. Eventually he and other survivors were picked up and placed on another ship which was sailing to Africa. During the voyage the sailors took care of the men and eventually they arrived in Port Elizabeth Africa …………. they had no means of communicating with families and now had to wait while the U.S. Navy came to get them.
Fast forward three months…………three months………….and Elmer eventually arrives back home in Boston. He had contacted his family to say he was alive but had heard nothing from Gladys. The reason for this he discovered was that she and her family had moved to New York and had left no forwarding address. Eventually, he discovered where they were and he got on a bus and went to find them.
Gladys told this part of the story………….she was standing in a bakery ……… working as a cake decorator………..in he walked……..she fainted. Yep, she fainted and it was like a scene from a movie she said as she came to he was cradling her in his arms………..they were married three months later…………. many a Kleenex were blown into this afternoon as tears were shed.
A story of bravery, tragedy and love that was always meant to be.
NOW, MEET SERGEANT JEFF KASEY AND HIS WIFE MELANIE
Jeff has just returned from Iraq and the day after he and his lady were married his unit was deployed to Baghdad. Eleven months later here they are on their honeymoon and we had a lot of fun with them on stage.
This afternoon within just a few minutes we met two generations who have served and are serving their country and who proudly proclaimed their love for their beautiful ladies…………….it was an honour to be on stage with them.
Here are today’s random photos from the Ticket to Ride finale.
Its time for today’s Q and A……………….here we go.
Oh, just before I do let me follow up with the Cruise Critic group who wanted a place to meet on the first sea day on an upcoming Carnival Pride cruise. I can confirm that you are scheduled to meet at the Ivory Piano Bar at 2 pm. This will also be noted in the Carnival Capers in the “today at a glance section.”
DWA 76………….Hello mate and, yes, you are correct that PA’s breaking news comes after NCL also pulled out a ship from the same route. I also see how much you appreciated the interview with John Harshaw which is great to hear. Thanks mate for all your support of the blog and I always look forward to seeing your name on the comments section. Cheers.
RAYNVIC………………..It will be wonderful to welcome you to the Carnival Splendor in August and of course I will be happy to provide a meeting place for your Cruise Critic group. Please remind me via the blog two weeks before and I will let you know where and when. Mouna, Ken and Ron will be with us but Dino remains here on the Carnival Freedom. I hope you are as excited about Carnival Splendor as I am and see you soon.
CINDY56………….At the time of writing Cindy I can tell you Carnival has no plans to cancel the Carnival Spirit’s Hawaii cruises so you and mum can look forward to a superb vacation. Cheers.
STEPHANIE AND PAUL…………….Your message was passed along and received with thanks. Please send our best to my mate A.J.
CARY……………My Mum and Dad live in Essex which is in the southeast part of the U.K. They did not feel the earthquake however my Aunt and Uncle Maureen and Les Twitcher live in Lincolnshire and felt a very strong vibration. The only time my parents house shakes is the morning after my Dad has eaten Brussels sprouts……………like father like son………….Thanks for your kind thoughts though and it was so nice of you to be concerned. Cheers.
BIG ED…………….if indeed I was to write a Romance Novel I would base the hero on you…………you could be the new Fabio!
SHARON DOVER…………You asked if you take the excursion from Gatwick to Canterbury will you still have time to see Dover. The answer is no. However, you should not forsake Canterbury for Dover. Canterbury is a charming English town with the most famous Cathedral in the UK outside of London. Dover is a busy port and apart from the castle and WWII battlements there really is not that much to see………..you will love Canterbury………my Dad went to school there. You asked about the itineraries for the Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic……well, those have not been released yet but as soon as they are PA will I am sure let me know in advance so we can break that news right here. Let me know if you need anything else Sharon and all the best.
BILL – ZYDECOCRUISER…………….Thanks Bill………….you are much better informed than me. It will be great to be in port with Eurodam and I hope I will get a chance to visit her. I am sure you know the times in port but just in case here they are again.
Wed, Jul, 02- Genoa dep @ 5pm
Thu, Jul, 03- Cannes 7am-5pm
Fri, Jul, 04- Barcelona 8am-5pm
Sat, Jul, 05- at sea
Sun, Jul, 06- Lisbon 12noon-10pm
Mon, Jul, 07- at sea
Tue, Jul, 08- at sea
Wed, Jul, 09- Le Havre 7am-8pmThu, Jul, 10- Dover dep @ 7pm
Fri, Jul, 11- Amsterdam 10am-10pm
Sat, Jul, 12- at seaSun, Jul, 13- London dep @ 5pm
Mon, Jul, 14- at sea
Tue, Jul, 15- Copenhagen 8am-4pm
Wed, Jul, 16-Warnemunde 7am-11pm
Thu, Jul, 17- at sea
Fri, Jul, 18- Helsinki 8am-6pm
Sat, Jul, 19- St Petersburg arr @ 7amSun, Jul, 20- St Petersburg dep @ 7pm
Mon, Jul, 21- Tallin 7am-4pm
Tue, Jul, 22- at sea
Wed, Jul, 23- at sea
Thu, Jul, 24- Amsterdam 12noon-7pmThere will be dry cleaning on the Carnival Splendor as I know you and I will need their services with all the food we will eat together. Thanks for the information and see you soon mate
SHIRLEY CATES………..I have passed your request to Ken our Dining Room manager………I am going to call him that because I cannot spell Maitre’ D……..I never know where the ‘ is supposed to go. Anyway, stop by the dining room during embarkation and Ken or one of his colleagues will let you know your table number. See you soon.
SUSAN V……………I know I promised everyone the cruise director schedule and as soon as Chris Prideaux gives it to me I will slap it straight onto the blog thingy. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and I hope you are enjoying today’s blog thingy. Cheers.
CAROL SCHOENBERGER…………..I am happy to hear you received a reply. Is there anything else you want me to follow up on for you? Now, I was on the Cyndi Lauper MTV cruise and I think the Cruise Director was Gary Hunter………..however he does not sound like the chap you described in your posting. I am researching as to who indeed it was. Thanks again Carol and thank you for your brilliant support of the blog.
BIG MIKE ……………Dover is about 2 hours from where I live so unfortunately I will not be able to “pop” home on embarkation day. However, my Mum and Dad should be able to visit as often as they want and this time hopefully they will be able to sail with us as well. We are indeed examining the cost of Internet usage from the ship as it is something we can hopefully reduce the cost a little. I need a personal security guard in Dover mate as we are close to France and as you may have read……….I have been a bit cheeky about them recently. Cheers mate.
OLD YEOMAN………….There are many faces at Carnival who are as we speak trying to work out who you are……….come on now mate……….how about a clue? If you do find a photo just send it via the blog thingy and we will share it with the world. Thanks for the memories and it seems that even though you call yourself Old Yeoman and refer to the old days that things really have not changed that much at all. Thanks again and please find that elusive Roger Blum shot.
ASHLEY………….I am happy to tell you that yes indeed I will be the cruise director for your cruise………it will be about my last one before going home for the holidays. If you are serious about answering a call to life at sea then check out our websites at www.carnival.com or www.carnivalentertainment.com
As for being wee Jimmy’s assistant for life may I suggest you see a doctor ………you need help. It will be a pleasure to help you with your quest so let me know what I can do for you. I am glad you are laughing out loud at the blogs and I hope that continues for a long time to come. Please send my best to Sarah and of course a big thank hello to you as well. Cheers.
NANI………….It was wonderful having you onboard if only for a few hours, You have a beautiful family and I know you are very proud of them. Please send them all a big hugo from Heidi and I and a special one is reserved for you as always.
GREG B…………..I know you more than most mate are anxious to see the rest of the year’s cruise director schedule and I promise as soon as its ready I will slap it on here for you. You then asked me about The Passenger Services Act and what my take on it is. I have to be honest I only know what everyone else knows and that is that there is an element of people who seem hell bent on making life as difficult for the industry as possible. However, there are just as many who feel that it is totally unjustified and hopefully these good knights will save us from the evil ones…………let’s see what the future holds. Thanks mate and as always Heidi and I send our best to you and your family.
MARILYN KOLAR…………….Welcome Marilyn and thanks for posting your so kind words. I welcome you and am happy to hear that you have been enjoying the blog thingy so very much. I was so sorry to read about how you had to cancel your Carnival Freedom European adventure because of your Mum’s illness. You are right of course, nothing is more important than family and I hope your have a fantastic cruise in April and I only wish I could be there with you. Please keep reading the blog and I will do my best to keep you laughing.
KEVIN & HEIDI & BETH…………….Tough call…………I think you have to do what is best for you and that sounds like a cruise with us out of Tampa. As much as I would love to see you on the Bloggers cruise you want to do what’s easiest and most convenient and a 90-minute drive or a 9-hour drive …………. well that’s a gimmie. Have a think about it and do what’s best for the three of you. Cheers.
CHERI…………..I to am sorry that I will not be with you for the Carnival Freedom’s return cruise to the USA in November. However, I can indeed promise that we will arrange a meeting time and place for all your friends from Cruise Critic. All I need is for you to remind me via the blog one month before and I will take of this for you. I was sorry about the rude man you met in the casino, it sounds like you had a rough time of it. Please could you remind me on the blog before you sail on your back-to-back cruise this summer? You asked about San Juan………..I would highly recommend the Bioluminescence tour which involves some easy pace Kayaking and then you will see the hundreds of thousands of tiny undersea creatures. If this is not your cup of tea I recommend the Flamenco Show or a casual walk into town. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and please let me know if I can help further.
BRANDON……………..Of course mate. Please leave me a note requesting a tour of the Backstage area and the lighting board at the Information Desk and I will be happy to arrange this for you. I hope you continue your career in the industry and who knows, you may be working for us one day soon. See you in a few weeks mate.
MARGIE TRACY…………..I will be happy to arrange a meeting for your Cruise Critic group in March. Do you know when you want to do this and how many people you are expecting? Yes, you can open the dividers between your two cabins creating one long balcony. Please just tell your State Room Steward and he will do this for you. I hope you will write me a note for my morning show and also let me know when you can about when you want your CC meeting. See you all soon..
JON……..COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO WRITE MISSINGTHESMOKEFREEPARADISEBUTLOOKINGFORWARDTOTHENEARLEYSMOKEFREECARNIVALFREEDOMANDNOWBOOKEDONTHECARNIVALLIBERTY………………hello mate. Sorry to hear that you canceled your Genoa 8 day cruise but of course I understand the circumstances in which you did. You asked who will be the Cruise Director in May on the Carnival Liberty. Well, at this point it will be Steve Kinsley however this may change and as soon as I see the schedule I will let you all know of course. Personally, I would surprise your friends in the Supper Club…………..you mean the world to them and I know they will be thrilled and surprised to see you walk through the door. When I know who the cruise director is I will let you have some useful ammunition that will guarantee you lots of free stuff. Miss you both and I did not see any e-mail from you so please send via Stephanie again. Cheers mate.
THE PLAZ…………..I am glad you loved the interview with John Harshaw mate and yes we do indeed work with many colleges to find the right people to work with us. When you are ready let me know mate and I will put you in touch with the right people. Good luck.
JOHN D…………..I am glad you have found the blog mate and thanks for a wonderful first post. Having a large group of sight-impaired people and their guide dogs can be a challenge for everyone and that’s why your points are well raised. We tend to reserve seats for the group in one section allowing the dogs space to lay down and you are correct it does not have to be the front row, however, some of them do have partial sight and the closer they are the better. That was quite a story with the dog’s tail trapped in the elevator and one thing I will make sure we do is to educate the guests as well as the crew as to the right way to provide the best service for our friends. I was sorry to learn about the passing of your Cornwall friend and I am honoured that you find the blog thingies uplifting. Please keep reading them and hopefully one day we will finally get to cruise together. Cheers.
SUE K………..Thanks for the update on the sad passing of your football icon Myron Cope. I saw that it was in the daily news brief we give the guests so they were indeed informed. Thanks for thinking of us out her on the ocean.
GEORGE AND LINDA…………..Of course that’s fine. Leave it to me and I will arrange this for you. Also, if you need hotel recommendations or anything else for Amsterdam please let us know. Cheers.
If it’s OK with you I will stop there as I have to go and watch the Ticket to Ride Show. I still have a huge pile of questions to answer and will continue with more tomorrow. Keep the comments coming please — they are brilliant.
Now, would you join me in congratulating two stalwarts of Carnival Cruise Lines’ success?
First……………Maurice Zarmati…………..here is the official statement from Gerry Cahill
Maurice Zarmati, vice president of sales, has accepted an offer from one of our sister companies and will become president and CEO of Costa Cruise Lines– North America effective March 31. Maurice was part of the original team that formed Carnival Cruise Lines in 1972 and his contributions to the company over the past many years are immeasurable. All of us will greatly miss Maurice, although we wish him extremely well as he shifts to an exciting new career opportunity while remaining within the Carnival family.
I have known Maurice for many years and he will be missed by all. He was a favorite in the world of Travel Agents and I will personally miss him as a brilliant and formidable master of ceremonies. He has emceed the majority of our naming ceremonies and his exciting and dynamic speeches will be missed by all. He will bring a breath of fresh air to the Costa organization and we all wish him much happiness and success.
Back to Gerry for another announcement…………..this time for Terry Thornton.
It is with great pleasure that I announce the promotion of Terry Thornton to senior vice president of marketing planning. Terry has been an invaluable asset to the Carnival organization over the past 19 years in his role as vice president – marketing planning and has more than 30 years of cruise industry experience overall.
Terry is a personal favorite of mine and oozes calmness. He is responsible for many aspects of your cruise including destinations and itineraries. I know he loves reading the blog so we congratulate Carnival’s newest Senior Vice President. I have had the pleasure of interviewing both of them and will surely have to have follow-up interviews very soon. There have been a few changes of top personel over the last few months. Change, for some, is hard to accept and while we must thank people like Maurice for their ground breaking achievements we must be prepared to invite change and all the new and exciting ideas change can bring.
I have been talking with Heidi tonight about a holiday. Do you know it’s been five years since we have actually gone anywhere for a proper vacation? Usually we just go home and spend time with our families. The last time we went on vacation we stayed in ……..well……………paradise…………a villa called Silent Waters in Montego Bay Jamaica. We went with some friends and apart from clearing out my bank account it was the most amazing, relaxing vacation I have ever had. The villa comes complete with a butler and a chef and well………….rather than me waffle on have a look for yourself: www.jamaicavillas.net
I do not think I have ever been so relaxed. I would love to go back………..it’s the sort of place you may see George Hamilton and his posse of Andalusia women………………maybe one day I can get a group of friends to split the cost with me………..it truly was heaven.
Anyway, we have a few days between disembarking the Emerald Princess and going to Europe on our trip to set up the Carnival Splendor tours. I mentioned casually that we should go somewhere for a few days……………….but oh how I regret that………because…………..she wants to go……………….skiing.
I went skiing many years ago and hated every single minute of it.
The clothes are so expensive and why cant you just wear an old pair of trousers and twenty jumpers…………nope………..you have to buy a jacket that costs the same as an astronauts space suit and then there are skis and boots and special thermal underpants and before you know you have spent thousands of dollars before you even see any snow.
Then there is the ski boot. Just putting it on requires a degree in physics and why does the thing have to be as heavy as a small buffalo? It is also made in such a way as that if and when you fall over your leg buckles at that point just above the ankle which brings the most severe pain and the swear words that follow will have Mums covering kids ears on a slope a mile away.
There is the falling over……………which is embarrassing enough …………it’s the getting up which makes you look like you have just drunk a barrel of that hot red wine crap and are now attempting to pee like a spaniel with one leg cocked in the air. While you are doing this and just as your arse hits the ground yet again, some 7-year-old kid bombs past you wearing an Armani ski jacket and laughing at the abominable snowman trying to stand up.
Then, feeling like a complete idiot and not wanting to be the comic relief of the slopes you take ski lessons. The instructor is usually called Thor or Rocco and usually they are chiseled gods……………these lessons are bloody hopeless because unless you are wearing tight ski pants and have two airbags built into your ski suit thingy they will completely ignore you. They are rude and condescending and when you fall over they shout, laugh or completely ignore you while they make sure Britney’s hips are in the right position.
The difficulty of each slope is defined by a colour with black being the most difficult and the one I was using some other colour ……red or blue I can’t remember………….basically though it should have been called “Slope for 4 year olds and for big British Cruise Directors who want to look like complete and utter idiots “
Then there is that thing they call après ski…………I thought it would be a world of nightclubs and trendy bars and it probably was. The trouble was I was so battered and bruised form the skiing that all I wanted to do was go to bed and dream of sticking a ski pole up Thor the Ski instructors brown slope.
Why, then, would I want to do this all over again and pay thousands of dollars for a vacation that I hate? ……………….skiing can bugger off…………I can sit in a refrigerator and just come out every morning and have someone beat me on the legs with a crow bar so I am assured of ending my vacation on crutches and with a face like a bull dog’s bottom…………………skiing………….no thanks ……let me tell you how much I don’t want to go……….I would rather go to Paris.
Goodnight
Your friends
John and Heidi
Filed under: Tales from the Ship, Uma Thurman | Tagged: Splendor Godmother
hi john
did you know that lady who said your were going to hell,,,,
her address is,,,
devils sister
34 lowest pit
HELL
grand cayman
tom & jane
Dear John,
We sailed with you on the Liberty in August 2006 and had the Best Vacation of Our Lives. Cruising is the vacation of choice for me, my husband, and our 4 kids (ages 6-17) because it provides something age-appropriate for everyone and allows us to visit lots of places without undue stress on the younger travellers in our family (We never would have managed to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Messina, Cannes, Barcelona and Dubrovnik on a land tour with a 4 year-old!).
You are our favorite cruise director. I still laugh so hard I cry when one of the kids recounts the “Bedtime Story.” I am only a sporadic blog reader (it’s too easy to lose track of time sitting at the computer), but it brings back fond memories of sitting by the pool and watching you read daily letters from passengers on the big screen every morning on the Liberty. We are very excited to be booked on the 8/6 sailing of the Splendor. Please tell me that you will be the CD for that cruise!
CruiseMom from MA
Dear Sperm of the Devil AKA John,
You can’t win them all mate. Congrats to the newly promoted carnival executives. As for sking I have to tell you about something they are building in New Jersey it’s ok if you never heard of new jersey it’s a place we in new york use to send our garbage now we send our well i can’t tell you…. i could get in trouble. Ok anyway they are building a INDOOR ski park, thats right indoors not cold 250,000 feet of indoor skiing fun. And wait there is more This place will be the first indoor park like it in the country. It will also contain a indoor formula 1 race track. Night clubs, starbucks, bookstores. The list goes on they are calling it Xanadu Meadowlands. You know the place where Hoffa is buried and the home stadium to the New York Giants 2008 Superbowl winners. Anyway it’s not open yet, but take a look at the promo website
http://www.meadowlandsxanadu.com
Best to Heidi and the rest of the crew.
Kevin
Hi John.
Well… you tried… and tried… and tried again with that lady. Some people, however, are just so stuck to their prejudices that they can’t see reason.
How on earth can you go 5 years between vacations? Obviously working for Carnival must be just like being on holiday. After all, I’ve seen CDs working… 30 minutes to film the morning show, which goes out on a loop, then 5 minutes to introduce the evening show. Even allow 20 minutes a day for dealing with impossible guests and another hour for typing the blog, it’s still a really easy working day. (lol)
Skiing… no thanks. I don’t bounce, and I am allergic to pain. The Apres Ski sounds good, and if I bought a ski suit and then removed all the padding, I could pass my plump body off as being fairly slim…
That villa in Jamaica sounds amazing.
Almost as good as a caravan………..
I can think of no one who is more qualified to be President of a cruise company than Maurice Zarmati – congratulations to Maurice and lucky, lucky Costa!
Hey there–you are sooo right about ski boots–hate them. I tried to ski once and that was enough for me.
Could you please check with Ken and make sure we have the Posh dining room ? Early seating please, table for 2 if possible. Thanks !
Also I have a suggestion for a new Platinum perk—why not a little get together with free drinks for about 45 min–the Captain and CD there too or any other officers. The past guest parties are lovely, but are just getting so crowded, we hardly ever go anymore. Also it would be fun to talk to all the other Platinum people and compare cruises !
THat Jamacian villa looks fabbo- thanks for the link !
John,
I loved your take on skiing…I went once when I was about 12 and let me tell you…nothing upset me more then the little 3 and 4 year olds zipping past me, snickering, as I lay on the ground trying to figure out what happened and how I ended up in the position I was in. And those boots..you know the ones that dont bend. My favorite picture is the one my dad took of me after I climbed about 85 steps in those boots carying my ski’s and pole’s…my ankle not bending the entire time (this must have been a site) and at the top dad says “smile”. Well he got a smile alright and at the age of 12 you can see the…lets just say lack of excitment in my face.
Thanks for delivering the message to Ken and if you do go skiing…some pictures would be funny…I mean great.
Steph
Thanks again for the laughs, John. Although I really enjoy skiing I have sympathy for your feelings about it. I recall, many, many years ago learning how to ski and being flummoxed by exactly the things that you’ve mentioned.
You had me laughing so hard that a few of my folks came into my office to find out what was amiss.
So, since skiing seems to be out of the question just where will you and the lovely Heidi vacation?
Thanks so much for the wonderful stories about both the Oarrs and the Kaseys. It seems the more things change the more they stay the same. Remarkable.
Regarding your ‘favorite passenger’ from this sailing, I suspect that if you get a chance to look at the list that she’s placed you on many of the names seen on this blog will probably be there as well. You are in good company, my friend!!!
Send along my best regards to all the hard working folks who help make this blog the massive success that it is!
Ciao!
GregB
So tell me ,How do you really feel about skiing?
John, I hope you enjoy very much your ski vacation. I say that because I know you will do as Heidi wishes our she will take that gripper picker upper thingy we gave her at your birthday party to pick your underware up off the flood and instead go for ones you still got on. That small cup you mentioned might be needed here also.
BIG ED
PLEASE REPLY TO THIS:
I have two questions. First of all, if our family wants to come over early to be at the naming ceremony for the Splendor on July 10, is this a public ceremony that anyone can attend?
Secondly, if we do come over early and wanted to do a day trip to Scotland to see some of the castles, is this a doable day trip from London? Can we get there by train? I am just looking into options in case we decide to come over early.
Thanks,
Ruth
Good afternoon John,
Please don’t lose too much sleep over Mrs. Bigot. There are many people in this world who think like she does and no one even the “Almighty” can change their views. The great thing about the human race is that there are more people who are pretty liberal in their thinking and look at each individual, regardless of race, religion, etc and see them for what they are…..feeling people. Everyone bleeds if you cut them and are hurt and insulted if you belittle them so go with the majority and give little or no thought to people like her. you are a warm and giving person and know that there is a “family” here that loves you and Heidi and care about your feelings. Keep up the good work.
I’ll get off my soap box now
Take care
Joan
John,
Your experience with skiing was similar to mine. I went one time and believe me, that was enough. I was not good at it, so it was a total waste of time.
I do think,however, that the two of you should get away for a restful time prior to going to the Splendor. I don’t know, somehow just sitting in a chair, feeling the warm sunshine, and watching the gentle waves lap against the shore sounds much more inviting!
Ruth
Hi John,
Thank you for the reply about a Cruise Critic meeting. We have about 80 people on the roll call but I highly doubt they will all show up. I’m betting there wouldn’t be more than 20 making an appearance at a meeting. Sad but true. I think a small room is in order. We sail 3/15 on the freedom with you. So I guess the first sea day is good. We just don’t want to miss the hairy chest contest. It’s always a hoot. Thank you for doing this for us. Shirley Cates is part of our group. I hope we get the dinner time we requested too. We asked for 6:15 and my husband would love to be on the bottom level for dinner. We’ll just see what happens with that. We are so thoroughly excited about this trip. We also cannot wait to meet you.
I think you and my husband may have alot in common. He spends alot of time in the dog house too.
Margie Tracy
Don’t be so hard on yourself John, that lady is not worthy of any apologies. She is racist in that she thinks the world is against people of her color. We are all God’s children, and we all need to learn to treat people of all colors with respect, she was disrespectful to you, and owes YOU an apology not the other way around. You did NOTHING wrong! That’s life as they say! Linda & Mike P.S. Hope last night (Thursday) was a LUCKY night for you with the smiley stick!
Sounds like the Lincolnshire Twitchers really lived up to their names.
So, is it true that when your dad and his schoolmates ate brussel sprouts you could hear the Canterbury Tails?
John,
Just think, it could have been worse…Heidi could have said she wanted to go to “Mouse World”
“It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all…” I just know how much you love that song1
elaine
Dear John,
This lady is nuts. She should hang out with the crazy guy from Carnival Freedom’s first cruise. Remember the guy who wanted to know why we were going to Turkey because the Turks were all terrorist. As I told my husband that man couldn’t read it was on the interary.
John you and your wife are wonderful people. I will say it again as I wrote to you during the cruise. The people at Carnival are the nicest most accommodating cruise line. Being one of the few cruisers with a disability the whole crew on the Freedom were so helpful, kind and respectful at all times. I still kept in contact with many crew members and guests a year later. John my birthday trip to Europe (first time overseas) was the most memorable and joyous time.
Love ya John and I hope we will cross paths again when I travel the Splendor in 2009.
Jeanette McGurty
Dear John,
Please don’t listen to anything that Kevin has to say about New Jersey. New Jersey is a very diverse and beautiful state, from our famous beaches “Down the Shore” to the beautiful mountains of Northern New Jersey, and the farmland of Southwestern New Jersey. Please refer the the Jersey side of my scrapbook page.
A few years back I wrote a very long post on CruiseCritic in response to the 3 millionth question “Which side should I be standing on for the best views when sailing out of New York?”. In it I listed all the points of interest to be seen on the Jersey side, including the site of the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, the site of the first professional baseball game and the historic Hoboken waterfront which served as the embarkation point for many soldiers in WWI, giving rise to General Peshings well known battle cry, “Heaven, Hell or Hoboken by Christmas!”
By the way Kevin, Jimmy Hoffa is not buried in the Meadowlands. Anyone who knows “someone” knows that his body was dumped into a smelter at a steel plant in Jersey.
The indoor ski place and the rest of Xanadu have been under construction for years and at the rate they are going, it will probably years before the complete it.
I’ve heard that they have a really cool indoor ski center in Dubai!
I’m right with you about the skiing, I’d rather go to Paris too! I personally don’t ski. My boyfriend thinks its funny that I scuba dive, love the Daredevil Drop at Six Flags (where they hoist you up and drop you from about 150 feet with just a cable attached to your back), can’t wait to jump out of an airplane and want to bungee jump, but I’m scared to go skiing (I have bad knees).
Wherever you end up going on your mini-break, enjoy it and don’t forget to take time to enjoy each other.
By the way, if you do eventually find yourself in Hell, look me up. I’ll be the second door on the left. (or so I’ve been told).
Best to everyone.
Cheerios,
Laura (aka divetrash, aka Princess Laura, the sweet and innocent)
Is it February 2009 yet?!?!?
John:
I too feel your skiing pain. The one and only time I gave it a try ended up in agony.
I can water ski and slalom (water not snow)…so I figured it would be no big deal to snow ski.
There is a reason hell will never freeze over. Even the devil is smart enough to avoid this at all costs.
I proceeded to spend that king’s ransom for the four of us to look the part (DJ looked so cute in his snowsuit). Josh was 7 at the time and we sent him to Snow School. But being the professional water champ…I knew I did not need lessons.
True this was a difficult ski area, because it was man made snow (translation ICE) in North Carolina and not the soft fluffy stuff.
So off the bunny hill I go….no problems…never fell…I just swooshed side to side the way I have watched on TV. I am thinking this is a piece of cake….and then there was “stopping”. Now how hard can stopping be. You just stop..right?? Wrong!!
As I placed the tips of my skis together to slow to a stop (again as seen on TV)… both skis when out from under me and the back of my head landed on the ground (that if you will recall is hard ICE).
When I regained consciousness, I decided I was not going to die on a bunny hill. If I was going to do myself in…it would at least be on a real slope…so I headed for the lift.
As I hopped on the lift for the first time in my life…I lost one ski. As I ascended, they were kind enough to hand me the ski I had lost…like I knew what to do with it.
So with the grace of Goldie Hawn on Laugh In, I exited the lift with one ski on and one ski in my hand and then proceeded to ski 10 feet before I toppled over like the fellow on the tricycle.
The rest of the slope was spent with David skiing backwards in front of me to try to hold me up. (unsuccessfully) Naturally he has been doing this for years.
When we finally reached the bottom of the slope…I calmly turned in my ski equipment…informed my husband he could go play on the black diamond all by himself and found a fireplace with which to park myself until David returned.
My Mom was with us taking care of the boys. We had a Chalet right on the slopes and she watched the whole thing. She said it was the best laugh she had experienced in ages. So at least all that pain wasn’t for nothing!!!
This is why we cruise!!!!
A Good Day to you John!
Love your description of your first attempts at skiing, the clothing and boots. I decided to take up the sport at age 49 and without repeating any of your very good descriptions let me just say that I have definitely earned my nickname….kersplott. Clothing for short fluffy females leaves a lot to be desired also. Always wanted to use a ski pole to trip up those annoying little creatures whizzing by.
135 days and counting until July 13 and the Splendor. The special coctail party for Bloggers sounds terrific.
For those of us who are doing the Med/Greek Isles – Transatlantic B2B on the Freedom this Fall is there a possibility of any tours being offered on the second day in Rome/Civitavecchia? The Vatican tour is my 1st choice but would love to do more touring on the second day.
Kersplott
Oh boy, what a post! Hate and love and lots of love and then hate again. Speaking of which, I used to ski as a kid, but was never really fond of it either. Nobody could get me to go now, I like warm places, beaches and sun. Good luck getting out of it!
John, Pat says please post a picture of you in your ski suit going down the bunny hill.
She wants to know if your having another one of your wild Nyquil dreams. She is laughing her azz off at you saying I could be the new Fabio.
Captain ED
of The Evil Krewe
Dear John,
Thank you again, for the good laugh about Skiing. Here is my story: I am not an athlete and my sister is and made me ski – yes made me – she said don’t worry; I will be with you every moment. Yea Right …In my late twenties, about 20+ years ago, when I had the money to buy all the ski gear and the “in style” outfit, I agreed to try this sport. So trusting my sister, I went skiing. Got the fabulous outfit on and then the gear – how awkward… and began on the bunny hill with the rope tow. After going down the rope tow a few times, my sister informed me I was ready for the lift and a beginner’s slope. On the chair lift she met a guy and left me to fend for myself – I had to ski down the hill all by myself, falling every 2 feet, which caused this fabulous outfit to split right up the backside – how embarrassing… – so I took my skis off and in those awkward boots, carried my skis and walked the rest of the way down the mountain – never to ski again that year. I later learned to ski and gave it up after a skiing accident in 1990, which resulted in knee surgery – I’m meant to cruise not ski!!
As always, my best to you and Heidi,
“Debs”
Kersplott,
So, you will be on the Splendor that first week also…good to know. There seems to be a group beginning to form here on the blog. I am with you.
Can hardly wait to board the ship!
Happy Blogging!
Ruth
John
I think you should take Heidi whereever she wants to go, she definately deserves one. I know skiing is expensive but just think of all that fresh air you’ll breath in.
Can’t wait to see the two of you next week.
Love
Suzann
john i think the getting up after the falling down is the worst part! tell heidi i said not to go! cold is not fun!
the fascination was wonderful, we are home today. the ship, the crew, all of it, just wonderful!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
ps: hi roberto and stephanie!
John:
You did what you do best, tried to make her happy and failed, by no fault of your own. There are some people that look for the badness in things and she is one of them. I hate those buggers!
I agree on skiing, not my cup of tea. Now that villa, sign me up there! And I can see why it cleaned out your bank account
but it was probably heaven and worth every penny.
Deanna
Hi John/Heidi:
Great hearing from you today. Thanks for responding.
I have never had a good experience skiing, so I would be in the same camp as you John.
Congrats to CCL internal promotions. Both have big shoes to fill and have their work cut out for them. Good luck!
I guess you can’t appease everyone John. I think the lady aws going away convinced you were a racist or something similar regardless of what you told her. Sorry.
Hope you have a nice weekend and its great hearing from you!
Thanks!
David
Heidi……. no no no. No skiing. What if the smiley sticks worked and you are….uh well you know in a delicate way. If you fell you might ……shutter I don’t want to think about it…. If you are that’s our favorite future CD or little Miss CD….. Please think again about skiing………..
smile…..Hope that got you out of skiing John, if it did you owe me……
Carolyn
Hi John,
I just wanted to touch base with you once more before I get too busy with preparations for my 3/15 Liberty sailing. As we mentioned before, our ship will be in Cozumel on 3/17 with you guys on the Freedom. I don’t know if you’ll have “free time” on shore that day, but if you might be available later in the day, I’d love to meet up at a bar and have a chat! I also understand completely if you are busy or unavailable…just thought I would check and see if it is possible.
–Jimmie (I apparently confuse everyone on CruiseCritic because of my name, but I am a female.)
Hi John,
Just wanted to send a quick note…I probably should have read the multitude of comments before mine in case this has already been commented on…sadly…I’m to lazy.
The [ ' ] in Maitre D’ goes after the d becasue the whole title is actually Maitre D’hotel, as in master if the hotel, or restaurant, which at one time were synonymous. However, as it is French…please don’t feel any need at all to comply with this convention and put the [ ' ]wherever you like…no one will mind.
Jenn
Dear John;
Your week sounds as pathetic as mine.What a week!!.Im glad it is over. LOL The only good thing that happened to me this week was my night of Freedom and my friend I thank you for that.I think were all hanging on to the memories of that night to survive the week in fact it helped a lot. ha!You could have written a very funny blog of all the material I got from this week. My 35 kids were unique this week, exquisite! ah! In other things Im with you about skiing it is not my idea of fun but…. I think you should take Heidi were she wants or do you homework and search for a place so wonderful that she cant say no.A romantic place were nobody knows the famous Senior CD and were the the blackblueberry thingy doesnt work. That should be enough for her. Right Heidi?
Un besmyer for los dos muah! LOL
Ps :Eugenio wants me to ask you, what was the hamburger thing we heard in the PA before we disembark.Are you telling people to buy you hamburgers in SJ? Which kind? At least this time you didnt speak with your mouth full like that time in Messina.Have to go to school again today I wonder what will happen know? AYY no!
John,
Sorry to hear things didn’t work out with that guest. I know I should refrain from being insulting, but after spending much time in customer service, she’s what I’d call someone who has more issues than National Geographic.
That type of customer is rare — I’ve only encountered a handful of them. Seems to me that the one thing they do best is get other people to be as miserable and angry as they are, and they get even angrier when their target doesn’t take the bait. I just don’t understand it, how can someone be that furious on a cruise?
Oh well, at least you can say you tried to do everything within your power to make her experience enjoyable.
John,
I’m pretty sure Big Ed and all of us “Bigs” on the blog will attest that skiing is not for us. It’s designed for people who have nothing better to do and like falling down a lot. Besides, I think I speak for all of us bloggers when I say we would hate to see the headline “LOCAL CRUISE DIRECTOR BECOMES WORLD’S BIGGEST SNOWBALL”. Better stick to the cross country and the ‘bunny’ hill avoid the double black diamond (if I remember correctly). Or just try and avoid skiing all together and go to that Jamaican resort for a few days, Mon. You can’t win all of your battles with the big lass and you would be foolish to keep trying, some people are just stubborn. The one thing that stood out to me in the UK when I was in London was the guards at Buckingham Palace, I don’t think I could have that many patience.
_BigMike
Blog Security Master
Future Chief Security
Greetings Ski Bum….
Please Reply………. Congrats on keepin your cool & not givin Mrs. “nosestuckupintheair” the royal boot where the sun doesn’t shine… As for the ski thingy……well…… look what it did for “Eddy the Eagle”… He’s married, a family & kids… *note..Kids is the key word here John. Hmmmm….. maybe skiing & a certain magic Stick have a little in common… It could of been worse… Heidi could have said “Hey… lets go to Paris or sum udder french city….BTW my wife is french canadian & our daughter lives in Paris. I better watch what i say bout the french…. or i’ll end up with courning ware or Royal Doulton stamped in my forehead again… Anyhoooo… yest post I asked you about Marcus Anthony, you might of missed it. Secundo… We booked the 8pm supper thingy, but we would like to be in the Posh dining room. How/can we reserve to be sure…? …last Q….is Ken still the Maitre’D (yes…. you did spell it right…) TIA…
Regards to you & heidi
Cheers….Richard
Hey John,
Well, you make a convincing arguement. I agree that we have to do what is best for the FOUR of us. We have given it some careful consideration. It seems that the best thing would be a cruise on the Fantasy in February. Several reasons really. We really like Progreso a lot more than Grand Cayman. I think that it was the best port we had last year on the Glory. My kids are dying to go to New Orleans. My wife is hearing the siren call of muffalattas from Central Grocery. My kids are also really wanting to go on a cruise with you, and it is really hard to say no to them, even though they don’t believe me on this. We get back on a Thursday, so that gives us a couple of days, one at least to see New Orleans. And last, Heidi-Beth has a soft spot for the Fantasy. I found out after we went on our first cruise on it, that she had spent her teenage years in Massachusetts dreaming of going to a Caribbean island listening to the Beach Boys sing Kokomo. I recall standing with her on the Lido deck looking at the name, and asking her if that was what she was feeling. I did not even know that our little trip to Nassau was a fulfillment of her fantasy.
Of course, this is all contingent upon economic situations. My job is dependant upon the housing idustry, and we don’t know where that is going. But as of right now, we are booked on the Fantasy for February 7.
Till next time,
Kevin
I liken skiing to a speeding locomotive sans any breaking system on a collision course with anything in the way…..or that pretty much describes me on the slopes….
Oh and I didn’t have any gagillion dollar fancy schmancy ski ensemble either….just a winter jacket and my jeans….. and when one can’t stop worth a bean ….falling down is pretty much the only way that worked other than coasting to a stop…………falling down frequently makes for quick snow and ice buildup….crusted and caked on snowpack on jeans makes for a such an enjoyable experience. The knees demanded a recuperation period…. I could not walk well for a day afterwards…..such fun….
Please come to Canada for next vacation, John and Heidi. You would love it here. I haven’t been able to figure from all the clues when that vacation time would take place. It’s beautiful here in the summer or the winter but I can guarantee you this, you will be welcomed with open arms. Please consider it and if I or any of your other Canadian bloggers can be of any assistance, please let us know.
Cheers mate,
Cindy
John – – PLEASE REPLY, THANKS – -
We are down to one month away for our cruise and I have the most important question of the year!!! Will our cabin have a blow dryer? I didn’t see the Freedom on the “Frequent Asked Questions” as being one that does. This is very important. I could become seriously distressed if I didn’t bring my blowdryer and there wasn’t one. HA HA HA!!!!
I’m so sorry you’re having such a problem with that lady and her attitude about race. She obviously has some serious hangups with life and needs to lighten up and live. Life is too dang short to stress like that and to treat people as rudely as she does. What an unhappy person!!! You “are not” going to the fiery depths because you are the kind of person that cares about people and feels bad when they are upset with you. You have a heart of gold and don’t deserve that type of treatment. Don’t even think about her anymore, she is not worth it.
Anyway, I’ll await your “important” answer to my question. Hee Hee!
John:
Don’t let that woman get under you skin anymore! Some people can’t be pleased regardless! You did your best and she is going to believe what she wants anyway!
Ticket to Ride looks fantastic! I hope one day to catch it on board!
Here is a suggestion for a “romantic” get away that you and Heidi might consider. We used to live in the Smokey Mountains and my hubby Scott and I would go over to Pigeon Forge Tennessee and rent a chalet. They had fireplaces, a very romantic decor, hot tub, kitchen and all the comforts of home in a log style cabin. There is skiing close by (Gatlinburg, TN) if Heidi has to ski, but it’s the most romantic place with the beauty of the mountains too. Just a thought to keep you from breaking anything! Who knows what you would bring back from there. We now have a 16 year old from one of our many romantic trips there!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Susan
Hi John,
I love reading your blog. You were the cruise director last October when my friend and I were on the Med. Cruise. You kept us laughing the entire time. Do you remember Maurice who had to keep on telling his girlfriend how much he loved her? You were relentless! On August 30 we will be on the Splendor for the N. Europe Cruise. Will you be our cruise director? I surely hope so… Take care and tell Heidi hello – Hope to see you soon and please try to stay out of the doghouse….
Greetings Ski Bum…
Please Reply
Congrats on keeping your cool with mrs nosestuckupintheair…& not giving her the boot where the sun doesn’t shine…nuff said about her… Yest post i inquired about Marcus Anthony… If you missed it no big thingy…Now bout skiing…Rember “Eddy the Eagle”… he’s now married, family & *kids*… *note KIDS is the key word here our future Jean Claude Killy… Could be skiing & a magic stick have sumpin in common…Hey…. it worked for Eddy….
Q… we have booked 8pm dinner thingy on Freedom…How/can we reserve for the Posh dinning room…? btw… is Ken still the Maitre D’ (& yes you did spell it right or close enough…) My wife is french canadian & she laughs at all your pickin on frenchmen thingy’s. It could have been worse John.. Heidi could have insisted to vacation in France….. Funny how the opposite sex (my wife) can have a giggle when reading your pickinonthe frenchthingy…If that was me i would have to duck or i would have Corning Ware or Royal Doulton stamped in my forehead….
Regards to you & Heidi…
Cheers…..Richard
John, My Evil Crew just grew by three. Kevin, Heidi and Beth have joined it. So now you realy better look out.
Captain Ed
of The Evil Crew
Thanks John! I am looking forward to starting my career – enough with high school!
John,
The last bit of your post had me cracking up. You do know, don’t you, that it’s probably safe to go to Paris right now, as all the Parisians are most likely in the Alps…skiing! (This being one of the 12 months…oops, I mean 12 times…per year they take a “holiday.”)
You know, I somehow guessed that thing with Marvin Bell wasn’t going to end well. Have you asked the dining room staff, and her steward, whether they, too, are feeling Ms. Race Relations wrath? Here’s a thought! Maybe someone could slip a box of exlax in her Chocolate Melting Cake. That should keep her busy and out of your hair.
The stories from the Marriage Show were beautiful. Thank you for sharing those wonderful life experiences with us.
And congratulations to Mr. Zarmati and Mr. Thornton on their new positions!
Finally, I volunteer Scott and me to split the cost of a Jamaican Villa with you and Heidi. Just say when!!!
Cheers,
Myra
John, I have to agree with Susan V. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are fabulous. That is where Don and I played around and fell in love. We spent our honeymoon there. It’s only 45 minutes from where we live. If you take a vacation there call us and we’ll show you around some of the sights or at least take you out to eat.
You could also go to Dollywood, who knows you might run into Dolly Parton and get to meet her……..
Carolyn and Don
PS we didn’t get a baby from our vacations there, but who knows you might have a happy stick while you are there and one never knows what might happen……….giggle Yabba dabba do………
Dear John,
My family and I are still very concerned… Has Alan Atkins been found yet ? Jokes aside, we really miss you guys. Hope to see you very soon.
The Denis, family
John -
Accept the idea of the vacation, but, instead of skiing, why not tubing? I presume that tubing has made it to Europe.
Essentially, instead of skis, you sit in an rather larger inner tube (like you would on the water) and go sliding down the hill (which is, of course, covered with water).
Or, why not tobaggoning? Does anyone tobaggon anymore? Boy, the days when we went to the hill at IBM with our tobaggon and spent the day sliding down the hill and having to drag that thing back up to the top.
Playing in the snow is fun – cuddling with your sweetie afterwards is even better
So, buck up, bunkie and get with the program.
Signed
Native Green Mountain Boy who used to ski the Nosedive at Stowe.
John, Pat and I were just watching out local news and they had a story about a woman that was not allowed on the Carnival Fantasy because she was pregnant. She was told she had to be under 27 weeks and she was. At embarkation she was told it was changed to 24 weeks starting January 1. She was refused a refund until the local TV station got involved and she now has a full refund.
The new Carnival brochures show 24 months now but the TV station showed where online in still shows 27 months.
So John you and Heidi better get out a calendar and do the math so Heidi either has it this year or latter next year we don’t want her to miss the 2009 bloggers cruise.
BIG ED
Hi John,
Don’t worry about that lady…. sounds like she is the one with a problem. You are certainly not racist and she is probably the only one that thinks you are. Maybe someday she will end up cruising to Turkey with Mrs. Mah Jong and get to know Fatima! One can only hope. LOL
My sentiments on skiiing are like yours. Go to Jamaica, mon. Just remind Heidi how the chances of no longer needing that Magic Stick thingy would greatly increase, if you were both completely relaxed. It always works better on vacation. You get to bring home a “little souvenir” usually 9 months later!
Congratulations to Mr. Zarmati and Mr. Thornton on thier promotions.
john great to see your nephew Luke aboard a fun ship and cruising with you, I remember how sick Luke was a few years ago and how upset you were during that time., you must have enjoyed the past week with him and his family, good stuff. Sorry I didnt post during the week I was working the overnight shift. See you next Saturday save my spot in row 2 or 3 left side center
John -
Two more comments about the blog.
1. You should have told Miss High and Mighty that you had already been to Hell and had the postmark to prove it.
2. I thought cameras were banned in the Lounge during shows? Sheriff Roscoe – we may need a grand jury here.
Hi again, John,
I forgot to ask whether you and/or Heidi have ever been to a place called Keukenhof, near Lisse. It’s about 36 kilometers from Amsterdam. There are some beautiful pictures on the internet. It’s apparently a kind of botanical park. Wish I’d seen it when I visited Amsterdam back in the day.
Bye,
Myra
John,
I’ve been a regular reader of your blog thingy, but this is my first reply.
Just be thankful your “favorite” passenger didn’t want to play mah jongg on the cruise too. That probably would have more than you could have handled.
John,
Who will be the cruise director on the Destiny, sailing this Sunday? This cruise will be my son’s first cruise.
Gary
Hiya John,
Finally get a break from school for about 48 hours. Those stories about the Elmer and Gladys and Sergaent Kasey and Melanie brightened up the blog (and today too for me; it’s been a wild week).
I’ll continue reading in the background, hope things continue to go well at sea.
TERESA AND PAUL B
There are blow dryers on the Freedom. However, they are not in the bathroom. They are in a drawer in the vanity, but there is a mirror over the vanity. I didn’t bring mine when we were on the Freedom last September and when I went into the bathroom and didn’t see one, I panicked. Then started looking around and found it. It is permanently plugged in somewhere behind the drawer so it needs to be used where it is, but it worked out fine. Hope this helps!!
Sheryl
John,
Nope, it’s obvious that you don’t like skiing! I guess it’s not for everyone, but that’s why there are lodges, and fireplaces, and bars, and hot toddies, and brandy, and jacuzzis, and horse drawn sleds, snow mobiles, and …. BUT, maybe France would be better… for you!
Where you go, what ever you decide, I pray it’s relaxing, refreshing, and restoring. You give a lot to all of us as bloggers and passengers, and you deserve some R & R!
Regards,
Lambie
Can we take a poll and see how many bloggers will be on the July 13th sailing of the Splendor?
ATTENTION ALL THAT ARE BOOK ON ANY CRUISE
You can go to Carnival Connections link on the right under “LINKS” and set up a Roll Call. There are some there already or you can set up your own Roll Call.
BIG ED
If going to paris is better than sking for you then you must really hate the stuff, any way the villas in Jamaica are beautiful but way out of my league. I mean waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of many bloggers league. Maybe the afro american lady could go there….
Sharon,
Count us (George and Linda) in for the list for the July 13 Splendor cruise. There is a nice roll call on Cruise Critic too so come over there and join us.
John, (Please reply)
Should I remind you before the cruise that we are leaving in Amsterdam or is on the cruise OK?
We still haven’t found a place in Amsterdam, or London for that matter. Everything is so expensive. We were thinking of the area around Paddington station in London since that is where the train from Heathrow comes in but I know we’ll be farther away and have to walk a lot, which is OK, or take transportation. Is there an area in Amsterdam that we should avoid or one that is better to be in for sightseeing? We were there once more than 20 years ago and stayed at the Europe hotel but that is way out of our price range now.
I also want to know if we would be able to participate in the naming ceremony before we change our plans. Another person that was on the Freedom inaugural said they weren’t allowed to be there so if that is the case I won’t change plans.
Thank you John and have a great day. New group of passengers today and maybe you won’t have any off the wall ones.
Linda & George
To Sharon Dover
I’ll start you on your poll. We will be there, 3 of us.
Barb
Been following your blog for sometime. We’re sailing on the Freedom in May – will you be the CD? We sailed with you once before, but you left the ship before the cruise was over. After reading all the blog news, we are anxious to know if you’ll be with us in May.
John, I agree with you about the skiing concept. Why would anyone spend all day sitting on their arse in the snow?
BUT… once Heidi gets pregnant, she won’t be able to go skiing, and then the baby will come and money will be tighter and the baby will always come first for her, because that’s what being a mom is all about. I think you should look at this as her last big adventure and make it a really special trip for her.
John
Thanks for the help, & I will remind you again before we sail. I will more than likely still have questions for you as the months pass
As far as San Juan- you mentioned the Bioluminescene tour, my husband also thought of this tour. One question- Will there be a problem for me as I can not swim?
We will be in cabin 9270 for both cruises, 1st time on the Lido deck. Do you hear a lot of noise from the deck at 2-3am? We are not early birds, but not real late night owls
We were in 6270 on the Liberty & it was a perfect cabin
Take care
Cheri
Please reply! Ray & I will be on the Splendor at the end of August. After we arrive in Dover, I’m reading that we cannot miss the sites. We would like to check our luggage and sign in and then sightsee for a while. Approximately how much currency should I have ready to take a cab from the port to Dover Castle? Are there any other “must see” suggestions you would like to make. Also we were hoping to fly to Paris two days before the cruise, see the sights and then arrange transportation to Heathrow to catch the ship. Does Carnival have packages available in Paris? We have stayed in Rome in Carnival recommended hotels and the Carnival desk has always been so wonderful. We have done several tours this way in Rome. We have been fortunate to always have a fabulous travel experience with Carnival. Thank you for any info you can provide, regards Ray’s Jeanne (the one you read about!)
Oh my – cant have folks at CCL scratching over who I am…its just that shy Canadian girls from Vancouver named Donna (that enough?) tend not to reveal too much on the internet
)
Still working on the old photos ….
Dear John,
My husband Rick and I had the pleasure of sailing on Carnival Freedom last August and Rick sang “If I were a rich man” in the concert to great acclaim. We are hosting an Opera in the Garden event in our own garden next Saturday in which Rick will again be singing and I will be conducting the whole programme. It is a “Hampers and Champers” event and is already a sellout for 1200 guests, but the last two weekends have been wet, so we are desperate for a fine day next Saturday, so “sunny” thoughts from all your wonderful blog thingy readers would be a help please.
I love reading your escapades and look forward to meeting up in the future.
Cheers,
Joan
Hello John!!!
We had so much fun on the cruise and Amy cried all the way home (have a picture). Thank you for posting our picture on your blog, name is almost right lol. Thank you for an amazing experience, the crew and yourself have been the best we have ever seen (Amy- 3 cruises, Jeff- 2 cruises). Looking forward to our next cruise godwilling next year. We have a million and one pictures we’d love to share with you, just let us know where to send them!!! Thank You!!!!!
Hi John,
Don’t be hard on yourself. You have apologized enough to that lady. “She’s got issues” and you don’t want to be reeled in. We were on the Freedom in December and we loved so much we are signed up for the 8 day in Feb 09 out of Ft Lauderdale. You were on vacation at the time (but we hope to meet you next time). The “Freedom” is a United Nations on the Seas and at the same time not for everyone (and I mean every race out there). So keep your chin up ‘Ole Chap’ and keep doing the great things you do daily. You and Heidi take care, life’s to short to worry about the trivia things.
Luis
Hello John,
Following up the Carnival Pride meeting, can you please clarify the date and time? I see that it was scheduled for the first sea day at 2 p.m. (at the Ivory Piano Bar). However, we were requesting to meet on Tuesday, which is the second sea day at 3 p.m.
Can we please get clarification? The first sea day is formal night, so Tuesday (March 11th) works better. Also, 2 p.m. is not possible for families with young children, so we would prefer to keep the 3 p.m. time if possible.
Thanks again!
BL
John,
I will be cruising on the Splendor this coming July 25. I must say I’m very excited about this cruise. I would like to ask you opinion on travel from Gatwick to Dover. I have everything booked except for my transport from Gatwick to Dover. I’ve looked up options on-line but the options can get very confusing. What would be your best suggestions travelling from Gatwick to Dover?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
John: Traveled with you many many times. My husband was in hospital last year 3-1/2 months in a coma. Now, he’s back to his old self. He was “Dick Wooden” on one cruise and in your on-board videos on others. His a really big guy (big al) originally from South Carolina, with a big heart and would love to hear from you. We want to travel on your bloggers cruise out of New Orleans in February 09.