Captain D’Aita looked at me and I at him…………………we both had no idea how to respond………….what strange planet was this person from…………what language was he speaking………….should we be afraid?
It was Elegant Night last night and we stood at the entrance to the International Lounge greeting everyone as always and the usual comments of “Good Evening Captain”……….”Hello Captain, you have a beautiful ship”…….were constant. Then……..we were both transported into another dimension as a group of young men walked up to us and the fun began.
The greeting that has us both totally bemused ………well………….I will tell you that in a moment but first let me tell you about one or two of them. One young man had a tuxedo on……………….shirt……..bow tie, jacket and trousers ………….. very nice………if only it had been black as tradition dictates instead of……………green……………yep… green…………..he looked like a booger doing an impression of George Hamilton.
The second of the chaps …….well you had to feel sorry for him. He had obviously had a terrible accident with a staple gun as three had accidentally been fired into his lip and two in his skull. However the winner from this group of creatures from Planet Fashion was a young man who for some reason thought it would be cool to wear an all white suit, white shirt, white tie, white shoes and considering he was as bald as well he looked like a roll-on deodorant.
So it was that they approached the Captain and I and indeed it was Mr. Right Guard who said hello in the most unusual way. Walking up to the Captain ………..he extended his arm straight…………his fist was closed……………and he said to the Master of the Flagship of Carnival Cruise Lines……….one of our most respected Captains………..a gentlemen of the sea and a true professional …………….he said…………..”What’s up, my dog.”
The captain looked at me……….I looked at him and then at the floor thinking Mr. Right Guard had just seen a Cocker Spaniel……..it was then that I realized that in some strange way the word “dog” was a term of endearment……….a term of respect.
Now I know some Captains from years past who would have given this kid an Italian salute……found a plank of wood and have it extended out the back for Mr. Right Guard and friends to walk off. As it was Captain D’Aita handled them in a professional and fun manner, never loosing his dignity yet having fun with them as well………..bravo Captain.
As I write it is 8:22 am. Mr. Bell and I remain great friends and he seems determined to do a back-to-back cruise. The weather although sunny is also very windy and the good ship Carnival Freedom is bouncing along and every now and then hitting an Atlantic Pothole causing the ship to have a little shimmy and a shake.
Last night the Senior Officers and I read through last week’s review cards. You know, I don’t think we have ever had a chat about this much on the blog thingy so please allow me to do so now. We do stress the importance of completing these on all of our ships……..in fact……..from what I understand this is an industry standard and not just here at Carnival. As you may know each card lists the various departments you have met and then each guest is asked to give them a rating. Under our current system those ratings are:
NON APPLICABLE
OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT
MET MY EXPECTATIONS
EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS
Now, in my humble opinion, the above wording is too complicated. ………….What do I mean?…………well……….let’s say you cruise on the Carnival Conquest………..it is your first ever cruise experience…………you had no idea what to expect…………everything was amazing………….so you naturally complete the Exceeded My expectations Column all the way down……………Six months later you cruise on the Carnival Imagination………….everything is amazing…………again……….you may complete the exceeded mark all the way down…………however, you may already be saying……….I had a great time on the Carnival Conquest………I knew I would on the Carnival Imagination ………thus my expectations were met.
This is why it is important that we as Cruise Directors remind the guests that if they have had a cruise where the words “great”……. “fun”……..”wonderful,” etc. that they transfer these thoughts into the “exceeded column.”…………..anyway, I think soon we may be changing or simplifying our wording.
Now, once the cards are dropped into the boxes onboard our accounting department put them through a scanner which was I think designed by NASA.
Anyway, the cards are all scanned and then final numbers or “ratings” as we call them are produced. These figures give us an idea of what areas we are doing well in and more importantly a good idea in what areas we can improve on.
Now, I obviously cannot show you the entire rating system but I thought I would share my own personal rating with you from last cruise. This means I will show you how people marked the column “Cruise Director.”
Have a look at this
Number of cards collected = 1,599
Exceeded Expectations – 1,391
Met Expectations – 191
Opportunity For Improvement – 12
Based on the formula designed by professor Stephen Hawkins my overall rating was 92.34.
So, this shows me what people thought of the job I did last cruise and we examine all these figures carefully for every department on the ship.
Then, the individual comments are read as well of which 99% are words of praise mixed with decent suggestions.
So, the next time you are completing a comment card, please remember that they are indeed read very carefully and what you say is acted upon.
Oh, by the way………….I received 6 negative comments in the end about Mr. Bells………three said I should not have performed at all as they could not understand me……………one said that I had told a joke about divorce that they felt was offensive……….and one said that they had heard the same jokes from me last year on the Carnival Liberty…………thus I was marked opportunity for improvement……………………
Just a footnote on this…………I have never told a joke about divorce………….I really haven’t……..very strange………….maybe they got me mixed up with last week’s comedian as we look like, me and Marvin, 6-foot-3-inch African American.
Hope you found that interesting.
Let’s slap on some random photos.
Bean Bag Toss in the Lobby- VERY POPULAR
Bean bag toss
Bean bag toss
Bean bag toss
Guests receive their prizes
Brandon, the social host, hosting the bean bag toss
Guitar Hero in Club O2
15-17′s “hang”
Guitar Hero in Club O2
15-17′s play video games in Club O2
Here are today’s letters in their own words.
Just before I answer the comments let me tell you some good news. I received an e-mail from Susan who you know was so badly injured in a car crash a few weeks ago.
Susan wrote to me and told me that she has many broken bones, she still cannot walk and is in a hospital bed with all the trimmings but in her own home which she prefers. She has round-the-clock care and most importantly wanted me to tell you all how much she appreciated all your words of kindness, love and support.
Susan, we continue to send you all these things and so much more and we all know that soon you will be back on your feet again ……………we miss you.
On we go with answers to comments and questions.
SUSAN IN PGH…………………………….Indeed, my sugar levels are higher than normal but the doctor, like you, told me that it is normal. I am really excited about my Emerald Princess cruise with Heidi and hearing how much you enjoyed sailing on her, makes me even more so. Thank you Susan for your great posting and hopefully the snow has melted.
SUSAN V…………………………………….I am glad to read that you are enjoying the random photos and I am very happy to hear you praise our super crew. I am at the moment considering a second bloggers cruise and certainly the Carnival Fascination would be a great place to hold it. I hope your daughter is enjoying her spring break time and I hope we see you all soon. Cheers.
GREG B……………………………………..We are working on the “Climb This” T-shirt with Lance. It is difficult because of copyright concerns but I am sure we can make something happen. I am glad you are enjoying the blog and when I read that friends like you find them so funny that really keeps me going. Thanks mate, see you soon.
SHAWN P……………………………………I am looking forward to seeing you also in July. Until then, I hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
BRUCE SWEZEY………………………….Hello Captain. Thank you first of all for taking care of our guests. Unfortunately, they did indeed miss the ship and are joining us today. I will be taking great care of them as I know you do when you are in the sky. I was very proud to read that you were enjoying my blog and I hope that you continue to do so. I am sure you can write a blog of your own and if there is anything I can ever do for you, please let me know. Thank you Captain and safe landings to you.
PAT ………………………………………….Ryan Fitzgerald, your Cruise Director has been on many of our ships. Most recently the Carnival Triumph. I know you will have fun with him. Thanks for your great posting and I remain at your service.
CINDY 56…………………………………..You are very kind and thank you for those beautiful words. Cheers.
CRUISING SAL……………………………I have still not heard anything from Maria. I am hoping this will change in the days ahead as she recovers from her breast cancer surgery. Let us all continue to think of her. I know you have a fantastic cruise to Canada on the Carnival Victory and we will see each other on the bloggers cruise next year. My best to you and the family.
JAKE SILVERBERG……………………..Hello mate. Not quite sure about 2010 and which ship to take the bloggers on. Let’s see what the future holds. The Carnival Splendor will have lots of new innovations and I shall be your personal guide once on board.
JANE………………………………………..Just wanted to wish you and your husband a fantastic cruise on the Carnival Glory and enjoy those coconuts.
BIG ED…………………………………….The photo is even better now as I am only wearing the eye patch.
MUSICAL CRUISER……………………..Yes indeed, as you saw for yourself, every pallet is checked by the trained dogs that are there to find anything from contraband, explosives and small bush tribes from Papa New Guinea that may be hidden amongst the toilet paper. Your wish to thank them publicly just came true as obviously they have a very serious job and is one we need to applaud. Thank you mate.
NICO R…………………………………… Don’t tell grandmother, we will do something as a surprise. Shhhhh
JOHN H……………………………………I agree mate. We should have these shirts made. Hopefully sooner than later. I will keep you informed.
PRINCESS ELAINE……………………..I should ask Heidi to do a blog but honestly she is working very hard picking up my slack and looking after the department and me. Still, thinking about it, that’s no excuse and I will put her to work immediately. Thanks Elaine for all your kind words and we will see you soon.
CAROLINE AND DON………………….I read your review of your trip to the circus with your granddaughter. It seems that circuses have changed a lot since I wanted to be a ringmaster and I thought it was hilarious when you said there were no Afro-Americans in the show but there were performing animals……it would seem the guests I have met here the last couple of weeks would definitely have found fault with that. Thank you for your continuing support of the blog and Heidi and I send you our kind regards.
SHARON DOVER………………………..Sharon, I am not quite sure I understand your request. Are you asking for the Carnival Splendor to change the itinerary and if so, which part of the cruise are you talking about? It seems to me this one may be a bit ahead of my pay scale but let me see if I can at least understand your concerns. I look forward to hearing from you Sharon.
RICHARD COWAN………………………It is super to welcome a first time poster and thank you for reading the blog as long as you have. I just wanted to say Thank You for those lovely words of support and it is words like these that hopefully will have Mr. Bell buggering off sooner rather than later. My best to you and the family.
FLIP FLOP CRUISE QUEEN……………Thank you Sheryl, you are so kind.
LEE RAYBURN…………………………….Hello Lee. First of all, it’s stories like the one you told that bring my current relationship with Mr. Bell into perspective. I particularly love the way you asked “if anything else was drooping.” You mentioned all your future plans for cruising and without wanting to take you away from your current travel professional who is no doubt helping you, what I might suggest is to call a cruise-oriented travel specialist or a Carnival Vacation Planner. They will tell you about all the latest deals and there are some fantastic ones out there, especially needed with the four kids in tow as well. Let me know if you have any special questions and I will see if I can find you the best way to go. Thank you so much for your kind words, I am truly lucky to do the job I do. I send my best to you and your family.
SHERYL…………………………………….I have not had the change yet to work on any specific plans for the bloggers cruise, however, Stephanie and Roberto and their colleagues are currently working on plans for the pre-cruise get together and charity event. I will let you know.
OHIO BOB AND DIANE…………………I can’t believe that, there you were, shuffling snow off your drive when someone drove past and shouted “OHIO.” That must have been so strange for you. Did you shout “Yaba Daba Doo???” I want you to know that you gave so much joy to so many people and for that I congratulate and thank you. Please stay warm over there and please stay in touch with me through the blog thingy. Heidi and I send you warm regards.
KARNA MICHELLE…………..What an excellent suggestion………..a page devoted for messages to other crew members who have made a difference to people’s cruise experience. I am sure this can be done……..lets see what Stephanie and Roberto come of with after reading this. Meanwhile, I am here to help you do this and I se you mentioned Maros your waiter from the Carnival Conquest cruise you and your family enjoyed so much. I just checked our records and he is on the Carnival Valor and I have therefore sent a copy of this message to the vessel for him to read………..I am sure it will make his day. Thanks for the great idea and let’s see how quickly we can get things going. Heidi and I send our best regards to you.
KEVIN………….I just photo copied your posting and delivered it under the door of every spring breakers cabin. I have no words………it was brilliant …………. nuff respect mon.
DRIVERNC………….How embarrassing………..I have no idea how you get a copy of Carnival Currents…………Stephanie …..Help!
KATHLEEN (BUCKET LADY)………….I am so humbled that my “Bucket Ladies” have decided to book the Bloggers 2009 cruise. After all the amazing things you have wanted to do before you “go” to add another cruise with me is so very amazing. I will do everything I can to make this event the best ever bucket event. See you next year and let me know how you whenever you have the time.
SHELLY………….Yep………..it is indeed just a coconut …………yep………..it gives joy to young and old………….yep I tried to explain that to you know who…………nope…………he would not listen………………….oh well, never mind.
Thanks to you for the words of kindness and I also look forward to the time when we can be together again. Cheers.MISSING THE YOU NOT WHAT FROM THE YOU KNOW WHERE BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ELSE……………Your suggestion of the first annual John Heald Complainers Cruise left me in a cold sweat so I shall just say that I nominate you to be CD on that one. You asked about Jack and Diane’s schedule on the Carnival Liberty…………I checked and they play every night in the Supper Club from 7 pm – 11 pm except the first night of the cruise………..I know they will be so excited to see you there with them as like me they consider you great friends. Please tell you lovely lady that we miss her ramblings and maybe if she has time she can put finger to keyboard again. Thanks mate and thanks for the friendship.
CHERI BOLCHOZ………….Sorry, yes of course you meant Christmas ornaments ………..I have not forgotten and my Gift Shop friends are working on this as we speak. I will let you know more ASAP. Thanks Cheri and all the best.
CINDY IN PA……………..Thanks for the very personal posting Cindy and I agree with you that I should have been able to spend more time with my Blogging friends on the recent cruise…………I will make up for this next time I promise. Let me answer your questions.
You asked about Baltimore and why Carnival does not operate a ship there anymore. Well, I don’t know exactly why we are no longer sailing from there but I can tell you that the cruises we offered were hugely successful and I wouldn’t be surprised that in the future you will see the Carnival smokestack there again.
You then asked about a 2010 Bloggers Cruise which I know you are trying to plan because of your husband’s work commitment. I had not begun to think about this yet and honestly I doubt we will do before the Summer. However, as many others are also asking then maybe we need to play hurry up a bit as I know people want to plan and I know it would help you a lot. I will have a good think about this during the next few days and see what happens.
If you have any specific questions you don’t want published just write “private” at the top of the posting and I will relay your answer through Stephanie or Roberto in the Miami office. I can see you have a full-time job looking after your wonderful son Cody and I applaud you for the love and devotion you show him and all your family each and every day. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. Cheers.
MARGE AND GEORGE RIBAS……………I will be there in July with you for what will be a great adventure. See you soon.
GEORGINA FAIR…………Just a couple of old broads you wrote …………. yeah………. just a couple of very special ladies who have beaten breast cancer and are going to celebrate by taking a Carnival Freedom cruise ………………. nobody deserves it more. Please let me know if I can be of any help with anything and I remain at your service always.
PAUL F. PIETRANGELO…………..Please send Stephanie a mailing address …….. your wish is my command mate.
BIG MIKE……………The plane, boss…………the plane!
BETH C………..Now that’s a difficult question…………are European cruises good for kids? Well, any cruise with us is one kids will enjoy, however will they enjoy a day touring the museums of St. Petersburg as much as swimming with the Dolphins in Cozumel……..well that’s a hard one to answer. Tell you what……….tell me their ages and interests and let’s see if we can find the right itinerary for you. Standing by to help and my best to you and all the family.
DIVETRASH…………..I posted the Piano bar schedule for you and the many lovers of these ladies and gents……..hope you enjoyed seeing this. I am getting some rest honest…………………..in December. Thanks Laura as always for your kindness.
JERI GREEN…….I am so sorry if I confused you but unfortunately I will not be the Cruise Director for your October Carnival Freedom cruise. I shall instead be on the Carnival Splendor……………I am so sorry. Hopefully one day we will be all together but that looks like it will not be this year. Until then I hope the blog keeps you going. Please send our best to all the family, Cheers.
GIRLDOC………..I cannot imagine you shooting anything………….do you wear camouflage?
LOIS FUSSINGOVERJOHNSKI…………….If you were next to me now I would give you a big hugski.
THAD AND JEN…………….. I was so happy that you wrote and that you gave your Monkey Head group a promotion. I am sure many of the bloggers will have popped over to read all about it…………..it was strange that the day before I read your letter that as you may have seen I received a complaint about the Monkey Glasses……………it was a strange week. You were both so much fun to have onboard and as for the Crazy Canadian between my legs…………well there are some things I have completely shut out of my memory…………..and that is one of them. I hope you will both stay in touch via the blog thingy and good luck with the Carnival Dream Monkey head group of which I am now a member.
BOB KELLY……………………When anyone says that they are “hooked” on my blog then I get a very strange feeling that makes me realize how lucky I am. I wanted to answer your question that yes indeed dinner is served on the first night as open sitting from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm so you can choose when you go. The rest of the evenings are at your set dining time. If you have any other questions please let me know and again…………..thanks for saying how much you enjoy the blog thingy.
LUIS AND MARIA TORRES…………Can we have our mattress back? Thanks for the great words of support and admiration for the crew and my best to you both. Cheers.
That’s all for today…………more tomorrow and thanks to all of you for the brilliant comments.
This has been a very busy weekend in Miami with cruise3sixty taking place. This event takes place right before the big Seatrade Cruise Shipping Conference and many of the cruise lines have been strutting their stuff. This included a unique Carnival Entertainment Department performance featuring a new and exciting acrobatic and break-dancing routine soon to feature on our ships…………..I am told it stole the show. Congratulations to the ever-forward- looking Director of Production Entertainment Kerry Stables and her staff for making this such a success.
Also featured will be a “mock up” of Carnival’s adult guest area “Serenity” as you can see from the release and photos below.
I will let you know if PA 007 hears any gossip from the forthcoming events.
I met a wonderful couple today and I have to mention them. They are Moses and Esther Cohen and they came to speak to me at the past guest party today. They have been married many years………..it’s either 54 or 55 ……….neither seemed to be able to remember which was priceless itself. Moses is 88 and Esther well……….she said she was 80 but felt 50 and her cheeky grin showed me this was true. Anyway, they told me how wonderful it was to be amongst so many “young people” and how refreshing it was to be on a cruise like this ……………Moses then told Heidi and I that on their last cruise they were the youngest aboard the ship……………..very funny.
Now, I admit that we have had one or two…………..just one or two comments about my Spring Break friends but that’s it and when a couple like Moses and Monica tell me that they feel “young” themselves being around the kids from college ………..well, that’s a good thing, don’t you think?
I hope they feel that way tonight when they return from San Juan’s Senor Frogs Bar……………I wonder in fact if anyone will miss the ship……………who am I kidding…………………..of course they will!
So, here we are in San Juan………..we just arrived and the guests are going ashore. In a few minutes I am going to host a gathering for the 187 people who are expected to arrive here today having missed the ship on Saturday because of the bad weather. I am sure it will be difficult for them embarking today ………..we have food and drink and music and, most of all sympathy, ready for each and every guest and I will let you know how it goes.
Before that I have a list here of people who have suffered from Mr. Bell like me…………famous people as defined from that all knowing all seeing thingy called Wikipedia. Here they are and oh yes………..one or two comments as well:
Rick Savage, British musician and bassist for Def Leopard ……….He didn’t have Bells Palsy ………that’s how all 1980′s rockers looked plus he had probably just smoked an entire rain forest ( allegedly )
Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor and producer…………………….The name is Spond……….. Dwames Spond
George Clooney, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter …………Oh yea, like him having Bells Palsy matters……….women would climb over broken glass just to lick the residue of his eye patch.
Jean Reno, French Actor……………well …………..he’s French…………Bell’s will only make him more handsome.
Goodnight
Your Dogs
John and Heidi
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
Hi John,
I’m glad you’re in good spirits, I should go an buy you a wig like Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean so if people ask about the patch, you can make them walk the plank.
I’m going to actually take the tshirt design to a tshirt shop I know about and see if I get one printed up. If I do, you will be seeing a picture of me in it pretty soon, and like I said in the comment before I will put on the back, “Carnival, We Really Get Out There.” With the carnival logo on it, hehe. Then I’ll go down to RCI headquarters walk in the door, stand in the front entrance, take a picture and run out before I get kicked out, lol.
Anyways, I hope for your continued recovery, and now that you mentioned it, you’re gonna dream that you’re George Clooney tonight with the woman jumping through glass to get to you. And then you’ll probably wake up and realize it was just a dream, and put on some Boston Legal to watch.
Have a good day!
-Marc G
John, have you ever seen the Jim Carey movie ‘Dumb and Dumber’?? It seems that the spring breakers in the ‘unique’ attire are devotees of that movie. Well, at least they dressed and nary an exposed pair of boxers amongst them… Now, as for the poor lad who had a run in with the stapler… I have no explaination… Maybe Captain D’Aita would have felt a tad more comfortable had he been greeted with ‘Che cosa è in su, il mio cane?’ I suspect we’ll never know…
Again, great photos! Bean bag toss… now THERE’S a game where I could win a solid gold plastic ship on a stick!
I’m thrilled to know that something will be worked out on the T-shirt front. That thing will be AMAZINGLY popular!!!
Wonderful news about Susan! Have we heard any news about Maria, please?
Take care of yourself and let’s hope that becoming a pin cushion drives away Mr. Bells once and for all…
Many, many thanks for all you do and special thanks to the folks who work so hard behind the scenes!!! You know who you are!!!
All the best, my friend!!
GregB
JOHN -
I have to tell you, I was on last week’s cruise and loved it! I hope you will remember me, I was the one who wrote you the letter on the last sea day about our family’s new business venture. I was also the one asking you to send me two single, hot, young men to my stateroom. I am sad to say they never arrived. Did they get lost? Maybe I should have offered better directions. Next year, I expect them there when I arrive on embarkation day, okay? =] I hope you are feeling better and also wanted to note that I thought the negative criticism was ridiculous. You did a fantastic job with all of your shows. One last question – is there any way possible we could get ahold of your Friday episode of the Afternoon Show in which you read our letter? Are those saved at all? Thanks so much, I enjoy your blog and it is really great to be able to read it and relive the fun we had on the trip. THANKS SO MUCH!
Ok John,
Now I have my secretary addicted to your blog! I was laughing so hard today trying to read to her your words about the spring break boys and their atire. When I came to the part about one having had a terrible accident with a staple gun, I couldn’t catch my breath to read it to her. Besides the laughter, my tears were blurring the words in front of me! And as if that wasn’t enough, the roll on deodorant!! You never seem to run out of material to write to us about–Thank God for the classic group of people who chose Carnival to spend their breaks with. They supply you with plenty of fodder to share with all of us! Keep it coming–I can tell this is going to be a better week than last!
Sheryl
61 days until Mama Sheriff and I hit the Glory!!!!! John, could you have a nice bottle of Jack Daniel’s chilling in my cabin upon arrival? Room temperature is fine.
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
Oh, how about Carnival sponsoring a NASCAR race car????
John it was so good to hear the update on Susan. Will keep her in our prayers until she is back full health.
Ed and Pat Konefe
Hi John,
I am cruising on the Carnival Miracle in September. I am old enough for the 15-17 age group and I did not see any Club 02 on the deck plan. Will there still be planned activities and a place to hang out? I am actually kinda worried, because I really want to meet some other kids.
Thanks
PLEASE RESPOND
Hey there John. Funny what the young ones wear these days. Just think..green, white, black, blue..at least they were dressed up. It coulda been worse.
We all must learn the new language also. You are right, Dog is a term of endearment/respect.
I’m sure those three are going to be the ones missing the ship tonight. I hear Senor Frogs is the place to go.
Until next time,
Have a great night
John -
Thanks for the update on John & Diane – I guess we will have to figure out how to surprise them the first day. Maybe we can get the CD to assign them to our station for muster
The days are counting down to the Carnival Liberty cruise – so looking forward to seeing Old San Juan and Saint Thomas again. It has been since 2002 since we have been to Old San Juan (they substituted the Dominican Republic for San Juan
and 2003 since we have been to St. Thomas, so we are excited to see the changes. Also, looking forward to seeing Cheryl at Diamonds International (I hope she is still there – she was so sweet and helpful to us).
The wife sends her love and kisses (well, half a kiss, anyway) – it is a shame that you are getting away from Miami before we sail at the end of May. We are driving down in my Screaming Yellow Ford Focus and I would be proud to have you drive it around.
All my prayers that you (and Alan) will soon both be better and back to your normal selves (that is a scary thought). In fact, I am going to predict that Alan and his lovely wife will be on the Bloggers 2 cruise.
We WILL meet on the Carnival Fantasy during the Bloggers2NewOrleans cruise and we WILL enjoy a Cuban cigar one of the nights at sea.
Keep the faith.
JustJon
Hi John;
I agree with you about comment cards being an important source of input. I have only been on one cruise before and at its conclusion, I filled out the comment card pretty much with exceeds expectations across the board. I also wrote some specific comments about good service received and mentioned some specific crewmember names. It was a “cheerleader” review and I fully acknowledge that, but I really didn’t have any negative feedback to give at the time. Since then, I have thought of a few things that could have been better, but this was after months of critical analysis and comparison with other peoples’ experiences. In short, I still think all of you folks do a great job 99% of the time so you are 7% better in my opinion. Thanks again for all the time you spend responding to your fans’ comments. I have been reading your blog since early December of 07 and have grown addicted. It will be my honor to meet you in October. Hope your faring better with “the Great Formerly Unmentionalble”.
Cheers
Craig
John! You took my comment! I was going to post from Wikipedia, and tell you all of the famous people who also have Bells! Well, I guess great minds think alike.
Esther Cohen, what a great name
(Cohen is actually my real name, but the family name was changed to Vallins in WW2).
Sounds like this cruise is going well – it already seems like years ago since our sailing, even though it’s just been about 10 days since we got off the ship.
Continued prayers for Susan, and for safe sailings (and that the crazy drunken teenagers don’t draw on your face while you’re sleeping! Just kidding =p)
Hi John,
Thanks for thinking about your Bucket Ladies. I didn’t know you had Guitar Hero on board the ship!! I will look for it next time.
Jeanette and I are both back home to our hubbies and dogs and life is back to normal, whatever that is.
I am really sorry about your Bells Palsy and I know the feeling of not being able to do what you want because this affliction is holding you hostage.
I have a hellous heel spur and I have always been an avid walker, but now I am grounded until I work this out or have my foot operated on.
So now I have to sit to play Guitar Hero!!! I have adjusted. *LOL* As my old aunt used to say: If you can’t make nails, you make tacks.
Jeanette is doing well and is back to work. We talk almost every day and still laugh about our cruise and all the wonderful memories we have had.
One night we were going up and down the glass elevators doing all kinds of 70′s dances like the swim, jerk and mashed potatoes. *L*
Just remember: You have to grow old, but you never have to grow up!!! That’s my motto.
Take care good friend and I hope you will be better soon.
Kathleen
Hello John,
I know why Ryan sounded so familiar to me… I was also most recently on the Triumph – November 17th 2007.
I wish I could have seen Captain D’Aita’s face when Mr. Right Guard made his “What’s up my Dog” statement! That had to be priceless! Where was Heidi? I’m sure she could have translated.
I talked to a client today who like the Cohens prefers Carnival to all the other ships because she feels young on board! God Bless them and I wish them many more Carnival Cruises in the future. The Green Man, Mr. Right Guard, and Staple Man all add to the fun and/or laughter of a fun ship cruise. My family loves to watch the 9pm entertainment from the Lido deck in Cozumel watching the folks coming back from Carlos & Charlies or Senor Frogs.
Thank you for your vivid stories, we can really picture these people and feel like we are there.
Sorry Mr. Bells decided to visit the Eastern Caribbean too! Hope you feel better each day!
John, you are SO right about the comment cards needing better categories. I think this has been a pet peeve of all the CDs for quite a while, because every cruise I’ve been on has included the CD begging the guests to use the “exceeded” category if at all possible. How ’bout something like this instead:
-Not Applicable.
-Carnival really blew it this time.
-What I’d expect from a normal vacation.
-Everything I expect from a Carnival vacation.
-WOW! I didn’t think even Carnival could be so good!
I think there should be a superlative category so “above and beyond” service can be recognized.
*****
For the 2010 Bloggers’ Cruise, I think you said you and Heidi have never been to the Mexican Riviera, so why not then? Actually, this is a selfish suggestion on my part because it would cut my flying time way down, but I think it could be fun.
*****
John, you just go right ahead and moan and complain about that darn Bell’s if it makes you feel better. I cannot believe how you keep doing your job under conditions like that! Personally, I’d be curled in a ball under the covers all day if it had happened to me.
Here’s some more jokes to make you feel better:
(My apologies to Heidi)
Why do so many blonds move to L.A.?
Because it’s easier to spell.
A blond is walking along a river bank. She sees another blond on the opposite bank and waves to her. The other blond yells, “How can I get to the other side?”
The first blond thinks for a moment, then says, “Silly, you’re already on the other side!”
A man hears about a pun contest and decides to enter it. He really wants to win, so he enters ten puns figuring that at least one of them would win.
Unfortunately, no pun in ten did. (Say it fast.)
hi john
I was in the supermarket today,,,and guess what
I ran into??????a big yellow can of ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SPOTTED DICK,,,,,so I will buy you a can and
bring it to you in NOLA,,,for blog boat ride two,,,
hope you get better soon,,,,
your freinds
tom & jane
John
In regards to the Splendor South American Cruise, it starts in Ft Lauderdale in January of 2009 and continues on to end in San Francisco in March; my question is does Carnival have any plans of reversing the trip from San Fran back to Ft Lauderdale? I am very interested in doing the portion around the Cape. I know this may be impossible due to the short season around the Cape; take care of yourself and thanks for any information you might be able to get.
John,
Please be sure to send me a copy of that photocopy. Sorry to hear your still having a visit with Mr. Bells. He will leave soon I hope. Yes we are all very happy to hear Susan is home and with her family again. Please tell Heidi to take a break also we don’t need Mrs. bells to come visiting now do we. And to Mr. Puff-wearing-this-isn’t-a-white-party-dog. Please invest in a black suit or tux. This isn’t a Sean John Party your at in the Hamptons. For those who are confused the big thing for the last few years have been what are called white party’s everyone who attends must be wearing all white everything must be white from shoes to hats. So no chips and salsa that day. My friend Feel Better talk with you soon
Kevin
John, Grandma here.
I love your description of the spring breakers. I am surprised that the one in green didn’t have spiked purple hair.
I have been a little behind in reading your blog only because of this damn thing that I have. I have just finished the treatments. According to the doctors it will take me about 2 months to start getting my strength back. My next cruise is on the 19th of May on the Inspiration out of Tampa.
Please reply!!
Who will be our CD on that cruise? Can you give me a little background on them?
I know you are frustrated about Mr. Bells, frustration I understand because I am living with it every day too. But then I read about Susan and I can only imagine the frustration that she is having to deal with. Please send her my prayers and well wishes for a speedy recovery. You too.
Send Heidi my best wishes with dealing with you.
Write soon.
CarolAnn
Hi John,
That must have been quite an experience on elegant night with Mr. Green and Mr. Roll-On deodorant, then topped off with Sir Staples! Wow! Maybe it had something to do with the Bermuda Triangle or maybe Scottie beamed them down for the elegant night, entertainment! Anyway, Carl and I really enjoyed reading the blog again today.
So, glad to read that Susan is progressing well. I was planning on sending her a message myself tonight.
Hope Mr. Bell gets off at the next port and you are feeling better soon!
Hello to Heidi!
Great read as always!
You might want to pass along to Moses and Esther that I have heard my upcoming 3 day Paradise will be quite the little shindig…..in case they have any interest. *wink, wink*
John, I thought we had the comment card all fixed during the summer. We discussed it at length here in the blog for days. Everybody agreed with you back then that it needed changing. When you expect to get the best which you always get on Carnival how can it be Exceeded.
BIG ED
Hi John,
I’m so sorry to hear Mr. Bell has not left you, but I’m glad your spirits are good. I’m sure you probably did research on Mr. Bell…but just incase you I found these websites that have some good information – hope these help!
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/bells/detail_bells.htm#Organizations. And here is some info from Web MD: http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/bells-palsy-treatment-overview. Based on everything I read, it takes Mr. Bell about 2-3 weeks to begin to leave you alone. I hope Mr. Bell does decide to take a vacation from you and depart very quickly!!
I noticed there are a few bloggers from PA and Pittsburgh – YEA!!
Take Care and get well soon!!
“Debs”
You know John,
I sat here reading your report about the “grade” you got from last weeks cruise. There are some people like the “you don’t have a racially diverse entertainment staff” lady and the “crab bit my toe” guy that no matter what you do, they will not be satisfied. Instead of sea sick pills there needs to be some “get happy pills.” My wife is a floral designer and she has people complain just to get it free or a discount. Nothing wrong with the product and many times it’s what they picked out, said was ok and left with. But she has to make them happy and they know that.
But, I have to tell you, the reviews for the Freedom are not that flattering on the web. They were really bad from the Europeans (no offense). I figured, well you know how those Europeans are so no biggy. I mean if all you have to complain about is the “statue of liberty decor and the colors of the interior” obviously they had to much time on their hands and weren’t enjoying what they paid to enjoy. Well it came over to the US and the reviews were the same. I was worried after the great expierence we had on the Glory in July 07 and the fact that this was my father in laws first cruise. Not to mention I was the reason he was on the Freedom, so I had a lot of pressure on me, just as you did only you didn’t know it. He was so pleased, actually beyond pleased, with his experience on the Freedom, that he has tasked me with another cruise in Oct 08 on the Glory with 23 people from the family many are 1st time cruisers. So to me that is a real test. Do they come back. The other thingy (yes a cheap pun) I realized is that the complainers will always complain and take the time to put it in writing. The people who were satisfied don’t always take the time to write it. They’re to busy moving on with their happy life that they don’t have to dwell on the bad. They will tell everyone but just don’t take the time to put it in writing.
I will tell you on the Freedom 2 weeks ago, it was Fri afternoon, I watched this French Canadian couple (they were hippy tree huggers) with a 6 month old baby at the Purser’s desk absolutley hammer the staff there because Carnival didn’t have something in place to sterilize their baby’s bottles… I was amazed at the way they talked to the Purser’s staff. You would have thought Carnival charged them full price for the baby. If it was that big of a deal you’d think they would have made sure the process was in place before they booked or left on the cruise. I guess the HOT water in their stateroom wasn’t as hot as mine. But my guess was that the sterilization process for the ship would have probably melted their plastic bottles anyway. I wanted to tell them to use whiskey to sterilize the bottles and then for them to drink the rest and take a chill pill.
I can assure you that both cruises we have been on one of the first things after we got home was to go to all the cruise websites and put my excellent reviews on the web. My father in law was very pleased and my 2 1/2 year old daughter cried to go to Camp Carnival and to see you on stage at the shows. So I don’t know how it could have been any better.
Take care, Have a good cruise, just remember you only have to listen to the whiners and complainers for 1 week, some poor poor soul has to put up with them for life. Maybe they came to your ship to whine because no one else will listen to them back home. My entire family wants the “climb this” T shirts.
Lee Rayburn
John,
This is not for publication. I have scooped PA 007. Did you know that the ship has been booked by a private company? True! And it’s a French company. The ship will be filled with 3,500 French people. They only had a few requirements for their cruise. First, only French food and wine may be served. Second, only French may be spoken in all public events, including the morning show. And third, only John Heald can be the cruise director. I thought you’d like to know. Bon voyage. Bon apetit. Bon chance.
Dear John & Heidi,
I was wondering if we should invite Mr.”Right Guard” at dinner with us tonight in the most famous Chinese restaurant of San Juan.Shhhhh !
They told me they serve the best Yorkshire steak in the caribbean!!!Ah!Ah!Ah!
Good night my friends.
Your Capt. Orlando Bloom!!
Hello John,
I just happened to find your blog a few days ago and I must say it is FANTASTIC. It is really neat to get an “insiders” view of the day to day activities on a cruise. My family has taken just one Carnival cruise, a 5 day out of Boston to Canada about 7 years ago (we have also been on several other lines like Disney and NCL). I am happy to say that we are going on another Carnival cruise at the end of May. We are going on the Miracle out of NYC on the 25th of May to the eastern caribbean. We are celebrating three different occassions for this trip: my wife’s 50th birthday…our 24th wedding anniversiry and my eldest son’s graduation from college. With two boys in college and a daughter in 6th grade we have had to hold back on “big” vacations the past few years, but with so many things to celebrate we just had to take cruise to celebrate and we knew it had to be on Carnival to ensure everyone will have a great time since our ages range from 12 to 54.
Having read your blog I am evenmore sure that we will be having acreat vacation.
Hope Mr. Bell hits the road (or walks the plank) and leaves you alone. I am sure if the CD on the Miracle is half as lively and entertaining as you seem to be it will be a lot of fun.
Take care and keep up with your wonderful blog.
Alan D.
PS…Your wife must be a true saint
PS: Thanks to Lance for his great work!! Hopefully everyone can rock his design.
Hi John
Loved the description of the spring breakers. At least they didn’t have pants down over their undies and chains everywhere.
I hope Mr. Bells leaves you soon. Give my best to Heidi and take care.
Curse Mr. Bell!
Just to inform you
re: pics of guitar hero
I didn’t know what is was until visiting my 25 yr. old son last week. As soon as I saw the post, I called him…they play regularly. Perhaps this will be the draw for joining us on the Splendor. (Assuming there will be time for such inane activities)
Don’t give up the ship!
John,
arrrrrgh… big mate. I think you should have yourself checked to make sure your eye did not disintegrate under that patch. You should check to see if the ship’s doctor has any eye patches with the Carnival logo on them (or maybe the ‘climb this’ logo). 92.24% approval, that’s an A amigo. You can bet that one of those 12 people that put room for improvement was Peta guy and one was crab bite man.
Peace,
_Big Mike
Director of Security,
John Heald’s Blog
Hi John, Your descriptions are wonderful!! Those 3 –green, roll-on and staples, had me laughing SOOOO hard. No wonder you are the Senior Cruise Director, my dog! Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor to the Bell’s!
Susan, glad to hear that you are home and resting. We’re all still thinking of you! Gloria
Morning John & Heidi,
Such good news about Susan. And I hope we hear good news from Maria too.
Wow, it’s just like New York’s Fashion Week on the Freedom! At least they took the time to get “elegantly dressed”. Did they have significant others with them?
My comment from yesterday is still “awaiting moderation”, but I will tell you again that the last blog was one of the funniest yet.
I hope Mr. Bell leaves the premises shortly – maybe he’ll miss the ship when it sails.
So take care, and mucho hugs from me to you,
Carol
Hi John, I really knew that you would not be the CD on the Freedom next October but sort of hoped things had changed. “Hope springs eternal.” Anyway, thanks for the confirmation.
Like one of the other boggers, (I forget the name) we cruise on Carnival in part becausde there are young people on board. They liven up the place! When we did the European cruise we noticed the difference, but of course we enjoyed it too.
Did you get acupuncture in San Juan? If so, any improvement of Mr. Bell? Hang in there and enjoy the Spring Breakers. Jeri
Hello John
My family and I sailed with you last week
(March 1-8) and had the time of our lives. A big part of us having a great cruise was you. You made us laugh every day – thank you, thank you. We actually enjoyed ourselves so much we are booking another cruise for next year already. I do hope you are feeling better, our thoughts are with you. What cruse ship will you be sailing on over the next year.
Once again, thank you
Lisa Almon
Well, since you have offered I’ll lay everything out for you! My son is 5, has been on a number of cruises and loves kids club. In fact on some cruises he has opted to stay in the kids club instead of going ashore… We want to cruise this summer, the longer the better. We love sea days! We could leave any day after August 6 and have to be back in DC for me to start back to teaching on August 25. For us the ports don’t really matter that much, we enjoy wherever we go! Thanks for giving it a think for us, we’re counting the days till the 23rd when we sail on the Victory!
Dear John & Heidi,
” A crummy day cruising is still better than the most fantastic day at work” Some work on the comment card would be appreciated! Change the categories to something like “Fun”, “Funner”, and “Funnest”! It sometimes amazes me when reading some of the sites that have reviews how many probably good folks become snobs! Oh well, to each his own! Susan and I have tried the others and have always come back to Carnival!
John & Susan
John,
Did you receive my Easter basket yet? I mailed it Priority Mail from Orlando on Tuesday (3/4) and sent it with a delivery confirmation which is not showing as have been received yet…it should have only taken 2-3 days to get to Miami….you may have a melted Easter basket by the time you receive it. I also sent a get well card with a sad looking dog on the front of it a couple of days earlier…have you received that? I sent both items to the PO Box that you advised…
Here’s hoping that Mr. Bells leaves you as soon as possible so that you can get back to your old self.
Please ask Heidi when she is going to write another blog???
Have a great week with the Spring Break crowd….
Linda
I have been laughing so hard at your description of the spring breaker’s salutation to the Captain. If you ever have the time and energy to write a book about your experiences/adventures over the years please put me down for a first-edition copy!
Your description of the review card process is very interesting. Do the majority of your guests complete these? I have no idea how it would work with the computer, but I believe that there are only 2 relevant questions and they are “Would you cruise this ship again? Why or why not?” This probably would be a nightmare to try to interpret but any system has its challenges.
Please continue with the random photos. The people at the deck party were having so much fun it made me wish I were there too.
John:
You did it again. You created one of those “moments”.
I am sitting here faithfully at my computer and I suddenly bust into spontaneous laughter. And from the other room I hear DJ ask
” Mom, are you reading another blog from Mr. John?”
He does not even have to come into the room to know that once again you have brightened our day and added the wonderful sound of laughter to our household!!!
Btw, DJ loved the pictures of Club O2. It was a preview of his 8 day cruise in November (where he will become a Milestone Rewards Member at the ripe old age of 17!)
Hope this day finds Mr. Bell’s ringer broken….for good!!
John,
I just realized that as I asked (okay, begged) you to post a photo of Krysta (Carnival dancer from Canada) I said her last name begins with a “B” … but it may actually begin with a “Y”.
Either way, I’m sure you know who she is.
Thank you, sir. Have a great day!
Hi John,
Loved all the pictures, and the part about the Captain’s party had me in stitches! Keep up the wonderful work and take care.
Did you ever find out how many spring breakers wil be on the 3/22 sailing ?
Thanks again.
Good Morning, John & Heidi!
I could only imagine how ridiculous those people looked. I’m sure Mr. Green did his dancing booger impression in the club later that night. On my last cruise, I saw someone probably in his 20′s or 30′s and he had on a baby pink tuxedo on for elegant night. I didn’t hear anyone call the MaitreD or the Captain their dog though…. (or dawg as they spell it….)
As far as the comment cards go, my experience with Carnival has, as always, been outstanding. I had Paul Stanley as our cruise director, for the second time, and he was fantastic! He has indeed exceeded our expectations.
Hope it’s not as windy, today, and you have smooth sailing ahead of you. Sorry to hear that Mr. Bell is still bugging you, and I hope that he disembarks as soon as possible! Thanks for the update about Susan B. I continue to wish her a speedy recovery.
Hope Alan is doing good as well.
Have a great day, John & Heidi!
Regards,
Alex G.
John
It was great to read your comments about the Comment cards. I would like to know though, does carnival still let the crew members who are written about see the comment cards??? I know they used to a few years ago. I have many friends who where crew and used to tell me that when they got comments on the cards it realy made there day. and does Carnival still use those comments to promote staff??
another question, when the Splendor comes to the States will she stop in Boston??? like most of the other ships have done n the past?? Most new cruise ships stop here in Boston to get there first Coast Guard inspection… It would be nice to see the brand new ship up close and personal form the water in my home port.
enjoy the sun and fun
Capt Bill
John,
“George Clooney, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter …………Oh yea, like him having Bells Palsy matters……….women would climb over broken glass just to lick the residue of his eye patch.” These are your own words. So I have an idea. George Clooney is by far a higher standard than George “SanTan” Hamiliton. Why not be George Clooney from this day forward. Women response will be that much greater, I guarantee.
Hello John & Heidi,
Wow! It sounds like those guys thought they were going to a Mardi Gras ball. Or something. That whole “dog” thing might have been popularized by Randy Jackson, who is one of the judges on American Idol. For the last few years he called everyone dog – male or female. I love your description of their costumes. In the 60′s I was a big Batman fan. Didn’t the Riddler wear a green suit? When reading the description I kept getting a mental picture of Frank Gorshin, the comedian who played the role on TV.
I was very happy to hear that Susan is home and recovering, and we all are waiting for news of Maria.
You know John, you should consider writing a book someday. After all, that’s how “The Love Boat” got started. A former Princess cruise director wrote a book called “The Love Boats” and some producers took the idea and made it into a TV show. That program got a lot of people interested in cruising. Hmm. If you collected a series of stories that represented “The Best of the Blog” the book would be done in no time. Then if they made that into a TV show – I could see it now, Wallace Shawn as the PETA man, George Hamilton as you…
See you in Feb. ’09
John,
I guess I am going to try and post for the third time today…cannot get my comments to take…
I was wondering if you receive the Easter Basket that I sent to you on Tuesday, March 4th. I sent it Priority Mail so it should have been to Miami in 2-3 days although USPS website is not showing delivery confirmation as of yet. I also sent a get well card with a sad looking dog on the front of that…have you received that yet? I mailed both items to the PO Box that you supplied.
I certainly hope that Mr. Bells leave you soon so that you can get back to your good old self again. I paid a visit to the ENT Dr. this morning and had fluid suctioned from both ears…I have been battling a cold for 3 weeks now.
Regards to Heidi and please tell her that we are anxiously awaiting another blog from her.
Linda
Hi John,
I Can’t believe I’m finally caught up on my blog reading. My 12 hour shifts at work have left me little time for anything except sleeping and eating outside of work. The good news is that after 7 days of 12 hours shifts (9 pm to 9 am) I get to take a week off. I enjoy the every other week thing, and since I’m a night owl, the third shift is the right one for me. I work for an answering service which has proved to be quite interesting, especially at night. Last night I answered for a funeral home around 3 am and a gentleman asked if we had any escorts left for the night. I laughed so hard he hung up on me. A little while later he called back and asked if this was an escort service and when I said no, it was a funeral home, he cussed me out and hung up. Such is the night shift.
I have been keeping you, Susan and Maria in my thoughts and prayers. I will also add Crusing Grandma to my prayer list and hope she has a complete recovery and regains her strength soon.
Mr. Bell will just be a bad memory when we meet again on the 2009 Bloggers cruise. (I cruised with you when the Liberty was around 9 months old.) I hope your upcoming cruise on the Emerald will provide you the opportunity for the rest you so desperately need but refuse to take and that Mr. Bell jumps overboard, never to be seen again.
Maybe tomorrow’s random photos will include some of the green, white and stappled dogs.
Take care, I’m sending you a big hug, and with as fat as I am, I assure you, it’s a hug and a half!
Julie Gantt
Amy B, worry no more. On my recent cruise on Liberty, Club 02 was held in a lounge called Without Batteries. My fifteen year old granddaughter had the time of her life and is still emailing the friends she met then. They did games like a scavenger hunt and other activities. And you should have even more fun if you are going during spring break when there are more kids onboard. We were there in January when there were just a few. Be sure to write after your cruise and tell us if you enjoyed it.
a saint you are Mr. Heald dealing with some of my “fellow” guests last week. GOD only knows if I were in your shoes I wouldn’t have been so dignified! You are an asset to Carnival and truly a great host. Jay W. (I met you in the infirmary on “THE” Sunday you met Mr. Bell).
Hi, John,
Great blog! I “penned” a long comment, then went looking for something on another entry, came back here and it was all gone. Drat!!!
Just want to say I completely (but respectfully) disagree with Teresa C about George Clooney vs. George Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton has a wonderful comedic talent (much like you, Sir John) and so much of his humor is, wisely, directed at himself. For example, the commericials he does. Mr. Clooney, on the other hand, does okay with fun in the movies, but I don’t think his ego would allow him to take the brunt of any humor directed toward him. (Plus I don’t care for his politics.)Could be wrong, but I still like you better as Mr. H…or as his sidekick.
I did want to ask if the social hosts on all the ships get involved in the beanbag toss the way one named Andre (I think) on the Celebration once did. Andre had a “champion’s belt” he wore during the competition as he was apparently unbeaten for some length of time. However, on our cruise, about a year ago, a guest bested Andre, took his “champion’s belt” and the battle was on! There were, I believe, two rematches and the guest still prevailed. Andre seemed truly upset (not angry, just maybe aghast) that he couldn’t regain his “belt.” Whether it was all an act I couldn’t say, but if so it was a very good one. The final contest, on Lido deck, drew hundreds of us to watch. The guest very kindly returned Andre’s “belt” during one of the final shows of the cruise. I think the guest may have received a “compensation” of some sort in return from a grateful Andre. The whole thing made for a lot of comaraderie among us passengers. Also, the red vs. blue team thingy was wild on that cruise. It got brutal at times…very competative, but we really enjoyed it. Even though our team lost, but only barely!
Thanks for the update on Susan. Pray that she, Maria, CarolAnn and, of course, you are improving daily.
BIG ED: I, too, wondered about the wisdom of Jessica putting that shirt on cafepress.com. I hope she hasn’t opened a can of worms.
Heidi and John, take care,
Myra Bushnell
Hi John/Heidi:
Hope all is going well. Here’s hoping that your friend Mr. Bell goes away soon.
Nice pictures today. Its great to see the kids enjoying O2 area.
Cheer up mate. Friends are thinking of you.
Take care!
David
Hi Sir John and Lady Heidi,
Just a quick note before I leave for the day.
Did you know that both Heathrow and Gatwick airports will be charging higher fees on April 1st. Apparently not an April Fool’s Joke.
See ya later dawg,
Hugs,Carol
Hi John,
I have tried posting 3 times today and for some reason I do not receive the note “awaiting moderation” after I click on submit comment.
I was wondering if you have received the Easter basket that I mailed on March 4th…I sent it Priority Mail, but the PO website is not showing the delivery information….I also mailed a get well card with a sad looking dog on it a couple of days before the pkg…I mailed both items to the PO Box that you advised.
I hope that Mr. Bells leaves you very soon as I know how distressing it must be for you. Regards to Heidi and please tell her that we are waiting for another blog from her.
Linda
John-
I know you’re going excursion hunting soon. I thought I’d recommend a restaurant in Helsinki. Not for an excursion, just to go to on your own. It’s called Zetor, and it’s right downtown. They serve traditional Finnish cuisine, but in the bar area, instead of the traditional bar stools etc. they use tractors. It’s wonderful, worth trying out at least 1x.
Still trying to convince the parents to cruise. Myself, I’d give my right leg to go on the Splendor this summer as I’d love to go back to Estonia and visit Russia but I’ll be on the Legend instead in April (I found your blog long after I’d committed to sailing the Legend, or I would have saved my pennies for Europe!)
Hi John & Heidi,
Loved the description of elegant night and how you handled “the boys”. However could you please let us know what the secret is to actually meeting you guys on elegant night. On our two trips (on which you have been C.D) we always do second sitting therefore second cocktail party and have only once sighted the Captain in the distance. Is there a trick to where we should arrive or line up to say hi? Please respond. We are pretty sure you will be C.D on our 30th August trip on Splendor and would love to finally meet you in person. We have only managed to speak to you via the microphone on guests information session in the past.
Regards
Suzanne & Lisa from downunder.
John…
You are always on the mark!! Great blog and photos!! Bean Bag toss… Depth perception… Did you try??? Sorry… that was quite rude of me…
Wonderful update on Susan! She continues in my prayers… and Maria, too!
Sorry about no QM2 Bloggers in 2010 — but I look forward to whatever you decide. Truly anything, with you, will be WONDERFUL!!!
Clothes… fashion… language… I think I’m too old to understand a lot of it! But, I remember my parents saying the same thing when I would use slang of the times… and wear skirts too short, too long, too see-thru… or ‘far-out, psychedelic’ colors and tie-die… Isn’t is great!! YOUTH and expression!
Regards to you and Heidi and Roberto and Stephanie and all the bloggers!!
Lambie
After walking over the broken glass(es), preferably the ones I have personally emptied, I would be honored to lick your eye patch. Especially after you manicured all the crabs in the sea for me. Look for me on the Lido deck…I’ll be the one with the bloody feet craving a tic-tac.
Cheers!
John,
My family and I will be joining you March 15. Is it true that this will be your last cruise aboard Carnival Freedom (sorry if this has been covered before)? We are so excited-our 10 yr old son thinks we’re just cleaning out the closets and the piles of clothes in the guest room are just that! We have had awesome Spring Break trips with Carnival (this will be #3 since 2005).
PS_Loved the comment about “how do I explain the bar bill to mom & dad?” No doubt there have been many ADULTS who’ve had the same response (not mom or dad but wife, husband, etc).
Hi John and Heidi,
I found two hotels in Amsterdam that sound interesting and I would like your input as to location and if you have ever heard of them. They are Avenue Hotel in Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 33 and Savoy Hotel in Ferdinand Bolstraat 194. This one is in the De Pijp district and is the one we are leaning towards but how far is it from the tourist sites in the center? Please respond to this one.
Hope you’re feeling better and the Bells is gone soon.
Hope Susan and Maria are both doing well.
Also hope the spring break cruise is going well without too much turmoil.
Regarding the comment cards – we know the expected answer is “exceeded expectations” but since we have cruised Carnival so much we know what to expect so the answer should be “met expectations”. Unless a better choice is given we will keep entering “exceeded expectations” so the crew will keep getting good recommendations.
Only one more cruise after this one and you can take a cruise just to relax. Finally!
George and Linda
Dear John,
I want to thank you for making me laugh every day. I have had a pretty horrible couple of months and each day it doesn’t seem to be getting any better but I know I can always count on reading your blog to put a smile on my face. I am aspiring to be a cruise director and the journey getting there is thougher than I thought it would be. Reading about your everyday life inspires me and compells me to keep after my goal.
Thank you for being awesome,
Alexandra O.
Hi John,
I happened to notice a couple of questions about the July 13th sailing of SPlendor that perhaps you can shed some light on:
“I’m also very curious as to how many kids will be on the ship since a lot of European schools are still in session then.
Info for those with 12-14 year old’s:
My DD wrote to Carnival asking about the dedicated space for Circle C, for 12-14 yo’s, and she received a response. The letter said there will be a Circle C lounge but the rep didn’t know where it would be located on the ship. He advised her to check back closer to sailing to get the location of the lounge.”
Thanks,
bill
I’m sorry for any unpleasantness I’ve caused. It was never intentional. I’ve already apologized in private to those personally wronged, though unintentional.
I was only trying to offer a way for people to gain access to a shirt they wanted without having to go to local private printers (where it would be difficult to have one-off shirts printed). Excuse my naivete.
I’m sorry to disrupt the community. Fear not, I don’t intend on posting again.
- Jess
Hi John,
We are sailing with you on the Splendor July 2nd! Hope you have some great plans for us including a bloggers cocktail party?
The CC boards are full of Brits that are coming to keep you company including some of our close friends that will be on Carnival for the 1st time. We keep telling them they wont be disappointed!
The teens will also be on board so we can watch out for the interesting formal wear they manage to wear…..
Take Care until we see you in 111 days!
Steve & Paula and the rest of the bunch, all 15 of us
Dear John and Heidi, I have been reading your blog ever since you started it. I love your sense of humor. I sailed on the Carnival Liberty the first year she sailed the Med, and you were the CD. My daughter and I laughed so hard and we had the greatest time ever. We will be sailing on the Splendor on Aug 30th and we are thrilled that you will be there also. This will be my 10th Carnival cruise and I’m very excited about reaching the platium level.
I have to tell you that reading your blog each night has been so good for me because it makes me laugh a lot. My husband had a massive stroke six years ago and it has been very stressful so laughing at something is just what I need at the end of the day.
I hope we get a chance to meet you on the cruise.
Would Heidi like a hoodie from Alaska? She seems to get them from all over so maybe she does not have one yet from Alaska.
Sincerely,
Sharon T
#6402
Hi John, thank you,for your help with the T-shirts, glad to hear that something can be worked out on the T-shirts. Also that for the information on the weg cams. I think that there are 3 ship with web cam at this time? Carnival Valor, Carnival Ledgion, and Carnvil Freedom, I would like to apply for the job for keeping the lens clean on the six camers. Spend a week on each ship, to make sure that the lens are good a clean, on the fouth week would be a week off and then start all over again. Until more ship get web cams, then we could work out the details. Thank you, Papabear
Hi John
Greetings from a campsite in Bristol TN awaiting the NASCAR race. I am sitting in front of a fire sipping a mimosa pretending I am on a funship. (minus the bathing suit and umbrella in my drink). Yes I do shoot flying animals and eat them and just like formal night the required attire is camoflage! Enjoy! Mr Bells will leave soon hang in there!
red shingle symptoms on my belly. I read, they can be very painful and I feel fear. Can someone give me some advice how to treat them?