Comments on: Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen- You’re Not in Kansas Anymore http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/ The official blog of Carnival Cruise Line's Sr. cruise director, John Heald Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:46:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Alex http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-41152 Alex Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:39:40 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-41152 I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road! I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!

]]> By: Nashville girls http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-40119 Nashville girls Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:39:41 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-40119 John, We'll be on the Aug 6th cruise with you. Are booked on a private tour in St. Petersburg. Do you know if the problem with the visas has been straightened out yet. Thanks and we look forward to meeting soon in 11 days. John,
We’ll be on the Aug 6th cruise with you.

Are booked on a private tour in St. Petersburg. Do you know if the problem with the visas has been straightened out yet.

Thanks and we look forward to meeting soon in 11 days.

]]> By: June Diane http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39884 June Diane Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:09:04 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39884 Glad you are working out all the kinks. Could you please tell us what company was in charge of these private tours that couldn't take place. A word to the wise would be great. Thanks. Glad you are working out all the kinks. Could you please tell us what company was in charge of these private tours that couldn’t take place. A word to the wise would be great. Thanks.

]]> By: Paul from CruiseMates http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39804 Paul from CruiseMates Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:10:59 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39804 Too bad about the people with private tours. Private tours have been a standard way to see Russia from cruise ships for many years now. Companies like Red October (certified Russian Tour Companies) generally do not send visas, they only send tour confirmations and the Russian Border Guards consider that confirmation as good as a visa. I have does it myself - never even saw a visa. We were there three days and by the third day the guards just waved us through. I hope that gets sorted out. I have never heard of people on tours being refused entrance before. What a shame - St Petersburg in the most important reason to take a Baltic cruise. Maybe you needed anoer dozen dozen pastries? Too bad about the people with private tours. Private tours have been a standard way to see Russia from cruise ships for many years now. Companies like Red October (certified Russian Tour Companies) generally do not send visas, they only send tour confirmations and the Russian Border Guards consider that confirmation as good as a visa. I have does it myself – never even saw a visa. We were there three days and by the third day the guards just waved us through.

I hope that gets sorted out. I have never heard of people on tours being refused entrance before. What a shame – St Petersburg in the most important reason to take a Baltic cruise.

Maybe you needed anoer dozen dozen pastries?

]]> By: dwa76 http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39792 dwa76 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:59:44 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39792 Hi John/Heidi: My thoughts go out to Lui for I can only imagine the nightmare he has to go through over the next few months as you re-visit Russian Immigration. Hopefully you'll be able to meet up with the Eurodam next time around and you'll be able to get on. That's pretty interesting of your interaction with the football player. I just ask that you don't become a Giants fan. Great blog today and thanks for posting. Good luck and hope all is well. Take care, David Hi John/Heidi:
My thoughts go out to Lui for I can only imagine the nightmare he has to go through over the next few months as you re-visit Russian Immigration. Hopefully you’ll be able to meet up with the Eurodam next time around and you’ll be able to get on.
That’s pretty interesting of your interaction with the football player. I just ask that you don’t become a Giants fan.
Great blog today and thanks for posting.
Good luck and hope all is well.
Take care,
David

]]> By: SUZANNE & LISA http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39774 SUZANNE & LISA Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:25:48 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39774 Hi John & Heidi, Sorry to hear about the people who had arranged the private tours, but we are sure there were warnings about having double copies of everything for Russia? Guess we will benefit from your first couple of cruises as we will know all the pitfalls before joining the tour on 30th August. Sometimes part of the fun is the eccentricities of different countries and learning not to get upset about what isn't the "norm" for us. After all we are on holidays and should be laughing not pushing our blood pressure up because of a few little hold ups. I can remember in Tuscany last year we got the guide from hell, she had been on a binge the night before and was only interested in sleeping it off and knew very little about the countryside. The driver with limited English tried to compensate for her and did his best, but some/most of our fellow travellers couldn't wait to get back on board and complain with the aim of getting a refund for the tour. We said what the heck we saw what we wanted to we had a great day, we just didn't tip the guide. So on to the cigar bar, we don't smoke and we use the internet cafe when we are on board, but we also choose some nights to have a drink before dinner in the cigar bar, we don't enjoy it if there are too many people smoking but it is our choice, we like the atmosphere and if we have met people who like to smoke it gives them the opportunity. There are plenty of other places to enjoy if you don't want smoke wafting around and we don't think it impedes on the short time you are on the internet. Basically our philosophy for cruising is go with the flow, enjoy the new experiences, treat everybody with respect don't worry about the little annoyances they are few and far between, just be happy. We are looking forward to our 3rd Cruise with Carnival very much. Regards Suzanne & Lisa (Downunder) Hi John & Heidi,
Sorry to hear about the people who had arranged the private tours, but we are sure there were warnings about having double copies of everything for Russia? Guess we will benefit from your first couple of cruises as we will know all the pitfalls before joining the tour on 30th August. Sometimes part of the fun is the eccentricities of different countries and learning not to get upset about what isn’t the “norm” for us. After all we are on holidays and should be laughing not pushing our blood pressure up because of a few little hold ups. I can remember in Tuscany last year we got the guide from hell, she had been on a binge the night before and was only interested in sleeping it off and knew very little about the countryside. The driver with limited English tried to compensate for her and did his best, but some/most of our fellow travellers couldn’t wait to get back on board and complain with the aim of getting a refund for the tour. We said what the heck we saw what we wanted to we had a great day, we just didn’t tip the guide. So on to the cigar bar, we don’t smoke and we use the internet cafe when we are on board, but we also choose some nights to have a drink before dinner in the cigar bar, we don’t enjoy it if there are too many people smoking but it is our choice, we like the atmosphere and if we have met people who like to smoke it gives them the opportunity. There are plenty of other places to enjoy if you don’t want smoke wafting around and we don’t think it impedes on the short time you are on the internet.
Basically our philosophy for cruising is go with the flow, enjoy the new experiences, treat everybody with respect don’t worry about the little annoyances they are few and far between, just be happy. We are looking forward to our 3rd Cruise with Carnival very much.
Regards
Suzanne & Lisa
(Downunder)

]]> By: Brian Pihan http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39761 Brian Pihan Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:50:25 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39761 Hi John Football as the name says is played with the foot not the hands. (well it is in Europe) She who must be obeyed smokes, so I must say that, there should be a place for those, without the willpower to give up can drag us to. The recent blogs and photo's have encouraged me to book my tours for my cruise starting 08/30/08, BUT the website will not allow me is there any other way to book in advance.( I don't want to end up being added to the list of 80) Also how can any non U. S. citizens complete a funpass without putting in a State or Zip code. I have tried always to overcome this!!! You being a Brit must have got round this somehow. Brian p.s. please reply Hi John
Football as the name says is played with the foot not the hands. (well it is in Europe)
She who must be obeyed smokes, so I must say that, there should be a place for those, without the willpower to give up can drag us to.
The recent blogs and photo’s have encouraged me to book my tours for my cruise starting 08/30/08, BUT the website will not allow me is there any other way to book in advance.( I don’t want to end up being added to the list of 80) Also how can any non U. S. citizens complete a funpass without putting in a State or Zip code. I have tried always to overcome this!!!
You being a Brit must have got round this somehow.

Brian

p.s. please reply

]]> By: Lee Rayburn http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39755 Lee Rayburn Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:27:59 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39755 Well John, If the French are the rudest people in the world then I have found the 2nd rudest group. It's the French Canadians. With the US $ being down and the Canadian $ being up we are seeing more and more of them in the US. We spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC this past week and they were everywhere. You know I can get past the being rude part by just not being around them unless you have to interact with them. But the majority of them didn't speak English or should I say understand English. So everytime you were behind them in line that was fun waiting while the workers tried to get them to understand. As for Russia maybe if Carnival would host a buffet breakfast for the Russian Customs people prior to debarking it would go faster and be less of a pain. Well John,
If the French are the rudest people in the world then I have found the 2nd rudest group. It’s the French Canadians. With the US $ being down and the Canadian $ being up we are seeing more and more of them in the US. We spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC this past week and they were everywhere. You know I can get past the being rude part by just not being around them unless you have to interact with them. But the majority of them didn’t speak English or should I say understand English. So everytime you were behind them in line that was fun waiting while the workers tried to get them to understand.
As for Russia maybe if Carnival would host a buffet breakfast for the Russian Customs people prior to debarking it would go faster and be less of a pain.

]]> By: Princess http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39753 Princess Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:39:45 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39753 ...and by the way, I'm very proud of you for spelling Dwyane's name correctly!! Go Heat!! …and by the way, I’m very proud of you for spelling Dwyane’s name correctly!! Go Heat!!

]]> By: Jeff http://johnhealdsblog.com/2008/07/19/good-morning-ladies-and-gentlemen-youre-not-in-kansas-anymore/#comment-39752 Jeff Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:31:26 +0000 http://johnheald.wordpress.com/?p=4259#comment-39752 Hey Lori, there is one problem with the Pistons winning. It's called the Celtics! HAHAHAHA! Hey Lori, there is one problem with the Pistons winning. It’s called the Celtics! HAHAHAHA!

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