The burgundy red-roofed buildings here in Vigo cascade down the side of the mountain. The sun sends her beams of welcome warmth onto the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea and onto the passengers from the spectacular cruise ship that sits proudly and majestically in the harbor below.
Hang on a minute. I wanted to write this morning about the mad Russians and the fact that the bloody gangway didn’t fit this morning… But, sadly, each time I look out of the window, I’m consumed by the view.
Anyway. Last night a group of Russian. . . oh, look at that amazing yacht, it’s called Lady M …..Does it belong to Madonna or maybe it was something Paul McCartney bought for Heather Mills before she hopped off with all his money?
I must go on the Internet to find out.
And that’s going to take hours because here on the ship the Internet is as fast as a Sloth who has just smoked something.
Two hours later. It won’t say who owns it but if anyone is interested you can charter her for the measly sum of $180,000……..per week.
This is the problem with trying to work from a desk that has a window from which something it seems is always happening… It’s also hard to write a blog when your wife keeps pestering you to go ashore and when the phone rings every minute of the day.
But where was I? Oh yes. The fishing boats, weather beaten up from years at sea, sit waiting for their masters to head them out to sea hoping that their catch will be one to remember. No, sorry. What I mean is: so we arrived this morning into Vigo and even though I had told 3,000 guests that, as per the port authority, the gangway would be . . . look at that, now there is some sort of power boat race going on.
I can hear the thunder of their mighty engines and now I see the dozen or so cigarette boats laden with advertising for Red Bull and Marlboro ready to race each other to glory.
Chris Prideaux from the office just called and wanted to talk to me about my schedule next year……. I told him there had been local entertainment on the pier all day and now their was a man playing a saw……yep, a saw………he didn’t seem interested and hung up.
What interests me most of all right now, much more than whether the guests are mad that we had to change the gangway location, is whether to take Heidi for dinner ashore tonight or just sit out on deck and soak up more of the remarkable view that being on the tallest building in Vigo gives you.
But, I need to write a blog and it’s impossible to do so from my current position and I am going to switch to my laptop and sit and write in a darkened room.. So, I will leave you to look at two photos of Jesus playing the saw……yep, that is the man’s name Jesus Vargas ……………… I wonder if he is a carpenter?
OK, I’m back. I am now working on my laptop in one of the ship’s lounges………no distractions…no views……..so, let’s go.
Murphy it seems has booked a 12-day cruise. Any doubt about that came this morning as we arrived into Vigo. I had told guests that the gangway would be on deck 3 because great minds had apparently checked this before we arrived. We were not only the first Carnival ship to come here but the largest cruise ship to come here. So, that was me yesterday telling everyone where to disembark the ship from………deck 3, I said.
So, we arrived………and ummmm……..the gangway would not fit onto deck 3 ………….so, that was me looking like an idiot…………..telling guests that “Oops the gangway does not fit, sorry to keep you, etc. etc.”
I tried to make the apology sound genuine and not disguise the fact that I was as frustrated as they were – as it looks like nobody had checked that the bloody gangway would fit. Anyway, I used my best lip-curling sympathetic voice which hopefully generated a photo of me, on the bridge, walkie talkie in hand, dressed in a suit marshaling the troops to organize a new exit strategy for the guests. …………………..the reality was a bit different. I was actually in my cabin, having just gotten out of bed…..dressed only in my underpants having luckily timed the machine gun like fart I had just emitted to the bing bong of the PA system.
Eventually — and I mean the deck department — did an outstanding job in placing gangways on deck 2 midship and deck 1 forward in just under 30 minutes, we were able to start getting guests ashore…………….and what a weird sight it was.
The last few fabulous months in the brilliant Baltic have had guests leaving the ship dressed to battle the elements that Finland, St. Petersburg and Estonia can bring. So, it was astonishing to see guests leaving the ship in shorts and T-shirts armed to the teeth with bottles of sun tan oil.
And what a different feel there is on the Lido Deck as well. The roof is wide open and the sun worshipers are out in force……………and none more so than my Russian friends ………. more about that later.
Vigo really is beautiful and, even though I wish I could go ashore, time does not allow. We arrived on schedule and even with the gangway problems we still managed to get the guests off quickly. Most were very understanding and I can’t be bothered to tell you about the one or two who huffed and puffed to the staff.
At noon, the captain and I hosted a plaque exchange ceremony and cocktail party. We will have one of these in most of the upcoming ports to celebrate our first call. Today, 20 or so distinguished guests from the Port Authority, the immigration service and others who I think had heard there would be free food came and spent an hour or so with us. I make a short speech which as nobody spoke English was received with blank looks with a smattering of polite smiles.
Maybe they did speak English and the reason they were being a little cold was that the last time I was in this area of Spain was in 1989 with my mate Alan who was arrested for peeing off our hotel balcony into the pool seven floors below.
Anyway, we did the ceremony and the wonderful Captain Pagano made a speech in fluent Spanish which was greeted with rapturous applause.
In all seriousness it was obvious how excited the town of Vigo is to welcome our ship. I am sure they realize that having the industry leaders flagship here is something to be proud of and certainly as I sit here at 7:45 pm the comments from the guests have been nothing but joyous. Many have been on tour while many have just enjoyed a stroll around the beautiful harbor.
Usually, the harbor is one of peace and tranquility but not today. There is a Formula One boat race today which is like the Formula One/Indy Car race on the sea. The boats can fly at 60 mph across the water and today the locals came out in their hundreds to watch the race. However, there seemed to be as many people taking photos of the Carnival Splendor as they were the fast boats.
So, let’s have a look at some photos of the harbor, the Formula One Boats, some modern art and ………….the Carnival Splendor’s gangway……………….. I hope you enjoy them.
My goodness, poor old Texas and the news I am seeing here of Galveston’s situation does not look good. I pause for thought now to remember all those who have lost their property and at the same time give thanks and hope that there are no reports of casualties.
So, what about the Carnival Conquest. Well, I had a chance to speak to the cruise director Jen Baxter this evening. Jen is a wonderful cruise director and, even though her title says “acting Cruise Director,” she certainly will not be acting this cruise. The Carnival Conquest was supposed to be going to her home port of Galveston which as we just mentioned is recovering from the storm. Now, I am going to share with you an e-mail between Jen and I. Often, in strange situations some of the cruise directors will ask me for advice and I am always happy to give it.
Have a read of this.
_____________________________________________
From: CONQUEST CRUISE DIRECTOR
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:20 PM
To: SPLENDOR CRUISE DIRECTOR
Subject: RE: JenHey John,
Got a question for ya.
We have moved the debark talk to 5pm (We will be making a announcement shortly on the emergency system to tell everyone that we’ll be docking n New Orleans) Once I have told them that we will be going to New Orleans should I carry on with the talk as usual? How do I go about this?
J
Jen Baxter
Cruise Director
Carnival Conquest
______________________________________________
From: SPLENDOR CRUISE DIRECTOR
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:38 PM
To: CONQUEST CRUISE DIRECTOR
Subject: RE: JenYes, do the announcement and then say that you will follow up in the talk.
I would make sure you have all the facts ready and maybe to break the ice come out wearing a life jacket. I have tried this before and it always puts people at ease.
Take your time and the worst thing you can do is to change anything. Be yourself, keep to the usual order of your talk and …….just be yourself.When you talk about comment card remember to say, “If you are upset with the situation please blame me….not the crew. They have worked so hard under difficult circumstances to continue with their friendly service and they deserve nothing but praise. I am very proud of them and I hope you are to.”
Stay in touch
John
So, as you can see, the ship has been diverted to New Orleans which I am sure will welcome the guests with understanding compassion. Nobody knows better than the folks of the Big Easy what it is like to go through a hurricane and as many of the guests on the Carnival Conquest are from Texas ………I am sure they will do everything they can for them.
As have the captain and crew of the Carnival Conquest…………whom I wish a safe voyage home.
Here is the latest news from Carnival headquarters
TROPICAL WEATHER UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 – 2:00 PM
We are closely monitoring the situation in Galveston and the impact from Hurricane Ike. We do not currently have a lot of information about the status of the shipping channel, cruise terminal or the port access infrastructure. Local communication has been very challenging and there are restrictions against incoming traffic into the Galveston area.
We do not expect the Port of Galveston to be open on Monday and there is tremendous uncertainty about when the port will be available to us next week. Due to this situation, we will now cancel the following cruises:
• Carnival Conquest September 14, 2008 departure that was re-scheduled to a 6 day cruise departing on Monday, September 15.
• Carnival Ecstasy September 15, 2008 departure
Guests will receive a full refund of cruise fare and we will process these refunds within three weeks.
We sincerely apologize to our guests that are impacted by these cancelled cruises. Unfortunately, we did not have any viable options available to provide an alternative cruise option.
We hope that all of those that reside in the areas impacted by Hurricane Ike were able to remain safe. We also wish a speedy recovery to those that may have sustained damage homes or businesses.
Also in the news is the story of a big British vacation company going bust. It seems that XL.com could not afford to run its airline anymore due to the cost of fuel. This left thousands of European holiday makers stranded all over the world. Now, the next piece of news is even more disturbing, and that is Italy’s national carrier Alitalia is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Hopefully, the government will provide them with yet another bail out package but with hundreds of passengers due to fly back from Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor and out to Rome for the start of their holidays it is something we are keeping a very close eye on. I will keep you updated from the blog thingy as much as possible.
OK, on a lighter note………and I mean as light as a feather note………we go back to Mrs. Duck who if you remember arrived on the ship stating her allergy to all things fowl and polyester.
Our agent priced some silk sheets at…………300 euros………..and as Mrs. Duck expected us to pay we decided that this was not something we could do. We offered her 100% cotton which she accepted but not before telling the Chief Purser Lui that……..and I quote………”I am disappointed in the lack of service you are offering.”……..Surely, if she needed the silk sheets so desperately she would have bought them herself. Anyway, she has cotton sheets and blankets and hopefully she will sleep well tonight.
Now, I wanted to share this comment with you.
I just got off the phone with my mum, and wanted to pass on to you something she said
We (my parents and I) were on the Splendor a couple of weeks ago (the 18 Aug sailing) and I had discovered your blog a month or so prior to that, while checking out the ship online. My parents are pretty new to the ‘net so I would call Mum every day and read her extracts from the blog, so we could get all the news about the ship, the itineraries (and, of course, the gossip he he)
She laughed even more than I did, and she intended to tell you on board how much she enjoyed reading (well, ‘hearing’) your blog. As it turned out, we never got to meet you, which is a shame, but it’s a big ship and you’re a busy guy!
Anyway, we got back, and my mum decided that she couldn’t rely on me constantly phoning her to read her the entries, so she got off her techno-phobic backside and now manages to access your site herself, but we still talk daily on phone (I’m in London, parents are in Newcastle) and the first thing she says is “God, did you hear about that bloke who wanted his packing done?” or “Did you see the Vladimir video?!”
When we spoke just now, we were saying how lucky it was that we had such a smooth disembarkation compared to the one you talked about yesterday, and she said that my dad was jokingly “fed up” of hearing us discuss the blog so she explained to him that reading it was like getting up in the morning and having a coffee and a chat with a friend. I thought that was kind of a cool summation of reading a blog regularly, and figured you’d probably like to know
Take care, and hope the Med run is as good as the Baltic one!
Jane
Jane is shy, she told me so in the header to her comment but I wanted you all to read her posting.
The fact that her and Mum (Hello, Mum) call each other and chat about the blog is yet another reason for me to wake up each and every morning and sit down and write to you all. Thank you Jane and thank you Mum for the wonderful comments and I am so glad that the Baltic adventure we shared was one holiday that you will never forget. I hope to see you both soon. I hope also that our friendly morning chats continue for many and a day.
I also have to apologize to some Canadian friends who posted a concern that they and others have. It seems that for some reason whenever I write that someone is from Vancouver or Toronto or another Canadian city I apparently always say …………… Vancouver, Canada………..or Toronto, Canada.
Now, apparently this upsets my Canadian friends who point out that I do not say, Miami, USA or Detroit, USA……………..why………………..why do I write Canada after mentioning a city. Am I the only one who does this or is this normal? Anyway, let me know and meanwhile I apologize to everyone I may have upset from places like Vancouver, Canada…………..bugger………I did it again. I promise that’s the last time.
As I mentioned the sun is shining and with temperatures in the low 80’s everyone is in the sun……….and none more so than my Russian friends and their Lido fashion is just brilliant.
For the men it’s the traditional tight Speedo, one man bizarrely has a pair with a print of the American flag on it while the women seem to get their fashion pointers from Internet porn sites. I haven’t yet seen anyone walking around Lido deck in stockings and suspenders but it’s only a matter of time. The Russian ladies wear the strangest bikinis as well some so small they are just nipple tassels held together with ludicrous gold clasps. Their Channelov and Pradaov sunglasses have absurd hinges which look as if they’ve come from one of the grand doors to the Hermitage.
The Russian men love the pool and what they like to do, and you’ve got to remember they’re all fairly big-boned, is dive off the side of the pool onto your head. And as you helplessly flop about with a broken spine, he orders another bottle of Smirnoff.
Today, I walked across Lido and was greeted by a Russian lady who had a chest that put the entire starboard side of the ship in the shade. I wanted to stay a while and chat to her but she was lying next to a man who had a body shaped like one of those Laughing Cow triangular cheeses and his look told me that he was ex-KGB and I should buggerov as quickly as possible. So…………I did. But as I walked away I took a last fleeting glance at one of the biggest chests I had ever seen and as I did so I embarrassingly tripped over something and tripped and fell on my arse.
The Russian beauty looked horrified ………..her wedge of a husband looked pleased ………….I looked and smiled at the pair…………..hers………..and then looked to see what I had tripped over……………..bugger……………it was my tongue.
Goodnight
Your friends
John and Heidi
Filed under: Destinations, Europe, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Splendor, Spain, Vigo
John:
You write Vancouver, Canada, because there is also a Vancouver, Washington !!
I have a Cruise Critic friend from Vancouver, Washington! (and she always adds Washington, not Canada)
Yes, it seems that Ike did make a huge mess of things. The good news is that the Port of Houston has a brand new Baytown Cruise Terminal what is still a cruise ship virgin. Apparently they thought…build it and they will come. Well, they built it but no one has come…yet.
Now it will still take time to get electricity restored to the Houston area, but as long as the Channel is clear of debris….perhaps this cruise terminal will be a cruise ship virgin no longer. (at least until Galveston can get up and running again)
The Conquest folks are in good hands. We just sailed with Jen on the Legend in May and she did a remarkable job. Please convey to her that we all have the greatest faith in her abilities.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John:
Please don’t step on your tongue as it is too powerful. The comments that spill off it are the greatest. I just love the Russian humor especially the fashion report.
Bravo for Cotton! Wise choice for Ms. Delicate.
John, we too in the US say Toronto and Vancouver, but, we do say Brooklyn, New York.
You with the golden tongue can say whatever you wish.
Adios!
Marie
John, your a pervert.LOL So is Ed. If he was with you he would have tripped and fell right on top of you.
Pat
Hi John, since Ms. Allergic of feathers,polyester, and wool, only got cotton sheets and blanket, does that mean that I won’t get my red satin sheets when we sail on the Splendor in Nov?………
I’m proud of you no,………. silk for the picky……snicker
Hi Heidi, Stephanie, and Suze…. wherever you are…..
Countess Carolyn………..8 days until we cruise again
John,
I too enjoy reading your blog daily.I hope you decide to write a book someday for you certainly have a great talent for making words paint a picture.
In case your interested you can go to http://www.galveston.com/webcams/harborhouse/frameset.html which shows the dock that Carnival uses. If you look through the two mast of the older sailing ship you can see a white frame structure which is (or used to be) the gangway used for loading and unloading passengers. It also looks as if a portion of the dock is missing. The time stamp is Friday morning slightly after ten a.m.
Of course our prayers are for the people on the Gulf coast and we hope that there was no loss of life.
Gary
Dear John I am glad to see things have lightened up for you and the crew.It does seem you have more than your share of distractions on the ship.But it sounds like all of them are not bad.I myself find my self addicted to your bizarre antics you and staff endure.I check several times a day to get my daily fix of humor or even chuckles at the agony you endure at the hands of obstinate guest.The pictures are grand as always.Best wishes to you all.Gary and Bug
You are a riot John, I sit here laughing hysterically and Mike keeps asking me what’s so funny! I am glad Carnival did not buy that lady satin sheets! Cotton is good enough for her! Actually it is too good for her! You should have offered her a tent or hammock to sleep in! I see nothing wrong with saying Vancouver, Canada – I do it all the time and I’m from the states. So you spoke with Chris Prideaux. What is your schedule for next year? We have our Thanksgiving cruise and our cruise on the Dream planned for Dec. 2009 but we will likely take a cruise in March/April or May 2009, so what ships will you be on then? MAYBE we can still see you next year! Your Friends, Mike & Linda
John my fiancee and I put Canada after the city to. We live in ohio and don’t put USA after any US cities but do with other. Paris France, Berlin Germany, London England. You are not alone brother.
I have to agree with my fellow Canadians who wrote you John. I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; which is in Canada. There is no Saskatoon, Canada.
The major problem you’ll have as a result of this is deciding how the heck you’re going to pronounce Saskatchewan!!
Keep up the great writing John!!
LOL Does anyone has video?? Does it really matters that much to the guest on what deck is the gangway?
Hi John, love your blog!!! I am a canadian and I do wince when I hear Toronto Canada. Toronto is in Ontario, a province in Canada, like Miami is in Florida. Just a quirk in languages I guess, but it does bother me when I read it that way.
Keep up the great work, I love your passenger stories!
Cheers
Blair
Living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area we escaped unscathed from Hurricane Ike. Unfortunately our neighbors to the south have had it pretty rough.
It’s interesting that Galveston snatched up CONQUEST from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, we certainly hope that we don’t end up losing her back to the Big Easy because of substantial damage to the Port of Galveston.
Thank you for keeping us up to date with the daily goings on in your life and with Carnival.
John- who is the CD on Destiny this weekend? Amanda and Catie and I are doing a back to back as a Nola warmup..out of Miami…..Please reply!
We have fond memories of you on the Destiny before and seem to remember a magic show with a big airplane….that somehow disapeared?How did they do that?Hmmmmm
Keep up the good deck patrolling !!!
Mark Amanda and Catie from Bama Roll Tide !!!
Good evening John. There is no problem calling it Toronto, Canada. I always write it down as Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada so please continue to do the way you’ve been doing it. That Russian woman with that gigantic chest, any photos? LOL
Ciao my friend.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Hi John,
We Canadians like to spread our inferiority complex in many different ways. Today it would seem that your blog is one of them. Hard to say why, telling people that I am from Toronto has never caused any confusion in the Americas or Western Europe. Although I haven’t had the pleasure of testing recognition in Asia (or with your Russian guests).
It is just that Canadians always feel that the US gets the attention. Most English speakers have heard of Toledo – grand total population 300,000 (Thank-you Max Klinger). But many could not place Bradford, Kingston Upon Hull or Leeds to name 3 similar sized cities which you could place upon a map.
Although recognition and the US cultural juggernaut can cut both ways. Years ago my wife and I saw (a revival – please!) of “Me and My Girl” in the West End. At the retaurant after the play we mentioned this to the waitress. Her response? “Well, I guess it didn’t mean much with you being American?” With typical Canadian effrontery, we replied, “Actually, we’re from Canada.” To which the waitress replied, “Well you would have understood it then.”!
So please, should it suit you, continue to use Toronto, Canada – we like to get the brand name out.
Regards
John Lewis
John,
THANK YOU!!! You again have made my day!!! You are Clint Eastwood in my mind!!! I have been so concerned about the Conquest and its sailing and next week’s 9/21 departure… I worried myself into a stew… no, no, no… get your mind out of the kitchen… NO LAMB STEW HERE!!!
SO, it looks like I will be needing those silk sheets after all!! But now I read I must bring them myself… Where is that GREAT CARNIVAL CUSTOMER SERVICE????
I’m happy you’re back in warmer weather!! I’m glad your plaque exchange went well… at least one of you spoke Spanish, and charmed them… Your Captain Pagano must be a flirter!! (Aren’t all the Captains??? We love it!!)
BUT the angle of that gangway… let me complain… I know you need more complaints… Oh Purser!! How am I expected to push my mother up that incline… or hang on to her on the way down… Where the ADA over there??? The SDA??? If she gets hurt… let it be on your head!
So, as you head off into the sunrise, I’m heading to my silky smooth slumber…
Thank you John!!! AND Thank You Stephanie!!!
Lambie
John-
I am a fairly new reader to your blog thingy and I am loving every minute of it! I must admit, the stories about the Russian guests are my favorite. You see, I live in a town with a large Russian population and your stories are spot on.
I look forward to reading more about your escapades. I am going on my first Carnival cruise on the 22nd (the Miracle) and I am so looking forward to the silk sheets that I will force Carnival to buy.
Keep up the great work!
Meg
Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA
TORONTO, ONTARIO CANADA
Vancouver Wa is just across the river here from us in Portland Or .. not Maine .. it is sometimes necessary to be explicit in identifying places .. there are so many with the same name.
Love your blog and I too wake up to John’s adventures with my first cup of coffee .. Often check back at night to see what else I missed ..
I am sure that the Conquest is in good hands and I am equally sure that they are happy just to know where they are being sent .. but from the sound of one Live from .. cruiser on the boards .. a good time is still being had by all .. reality will be another thing ..
I hope Galveston gets back to some semblance of normalcy soon .. they have had a rough go of it
And Imagine a cruise with half Russians and half .. um well you know the pushy people
LMAOROTFL
A classic blog.
Jon
You know what John…I am Canadian. A very proud Canadian. I served my country proudly for 16 years and did a fair bit of travelling in that time – all the while with a Canadian Flag pin on my jacket and a maple leaf patch on my backpack. Now I am a travel agent and whenever I send a client out into the big world on their vacations, I always include with their documents something Canadian – be it a pin or a lanyard (ID holder for around the neck – especially great for cruises!). In my opinion, we are the best country on earth with the kindest, most gracious people around. So I don’t mind at all when non-canadians throw the country after the city name. Not all of our city names are as recognizable as Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver so throwing in the Canada helps, but even for our larger cities…if you want to throw in the big Canada at the end, heck mate…say it loud…we’re proud!
Here’s to hoping the Murphy buggers off shortly!
Cheers!
Good morning John & Heidi,
Finally got thru the weekend’s blogs. Funny you should mention computer problems. When I got to work this morning I couldn’t get the computer to turn on. Seems it needed a new power pack (DELL, of course – happens all the time). So it’s finally fixed and I’m catching up.
I’m so sorry Mr. Murphy has shown up again. Maybe it’s just for this trip, since he really seems to be showing up all over the ship.
That’s a great idea – Crutchiting lessons. I haven’t heard that word pronounced correctly since I was on the Ecstasy with you, and I think Greg Kneale stole your act on the Destiny.
Why not get a screen and put it around Boris & Doris if they’re in the way again?
Great photos, thanks Jaime. I hope everyone in the Galveston area stays safe. Looks like NOLA has her Conquest back, for a while anyway.
And, by the way, I prefer 500 thread count cotton sateen sheets.
Hugs,
Carol
John,
PLEASE REPLY.
I absolutly love your blog. I look forward to reading it every day.
I am going on the Victory Southern carribean cruise on November 23rd. Can you tell me how many kids are booked on the cruise so far? Is a cruise normally very crowded during a holiday? Since we will be on the cruise during Thanksgiving, will there be a special dinner for the holiday? Is Funship Freddie on all cruises? (My kids love him!)
Thank you for your time on answering my questions and for a wonderful blog that always puts a smile on my face!
Annette
LMAO! Thanks for the chuckles, John! Having spent a lot of time in Europe and being at the beach resorts when the Ruskies started travelling freely, I can agree on the ladies attire… and “shading.”
Don’t forget Ontario, California!
P.S. – Vigo is on the Atlantic, not in the Med. You haven’t even gone through the Strait yet, mate. But it’s still a gorgeous town!
Hi John,
as usual I read your blog every day and enjoy every minute of it. It was especially nice reading re Vigo since my family and I were there last year on board the RCI Navigator of the Seas ……..Ooooops sorry but I had to say it……..I have to correct what you said that the Splendor was the largest cruise ship to sail into Vigo since the Navigator is 143,000 tons !!!!! sorry about that but a slight correction…..and as always I simply love sailing with Carnival just as well (between us I prefer Carnival to RCI).
regards from
Norman form Sunny Malta
Hi John,
Thanks for the fun and especially thank you for the saw pictures. My husband’s grandfather entered many a cruise talent show playing the saw with a bow. Fond memories were brought back with your picture.
I would have thought that people who read your blog regularly wouldn’t be so sensitive. If people are really going to get that petty about how you address the cities in Canada I wouldn’t blame you if you felt like never writing the blog again. If everything you say is going to bother or offend someone what’s the point?
John,
I used to just refer to the city as Vancouver, then my cousin sends me an email stating that my sister had moved to Vancouver (my sis and I don’t keep in touch real well!). I was not overly pleased thinking that here she had moved clean out of the country and never said a word! I mean we’re not that close, but geez, at least do the the courtesy of letting me know you are bagging our home country for another! Well my sister finally called me some months later and received a cool reception on the phone, until that is she gave me her address…Vancouver, WA! After feeling entirely embarassed I put her new address in the Christmas card list and was thankful I didn’t let on too early in the conversation that I KNEW she had moved out of country (what she doesn’t know won’t cause more trouble!)! So now that I know there is a Vancouver, Washington, I refer to the Northernmost city as Vancouver, Canada, and the place my sister moved to as Vancouver, Washington! So if the Canadian contingent wants to be mad, well, that’s okay. When you add Canada to the end of it, I never give it a second thought! At least it avoids possible confusion! And just for the record, we have an Ontario in California too! So yes, I do refer to Ontario, Canada or Ontario, California!
Mike
Hi John,
We were supposed to be on the Conquest this week, but we are in the process of re-booking as we speak……..and will probably be on her the end of October. Our prayers go out to those in Galveston and those on the Conquest who left cars in Galveston. We’ll see you in February on the Blogger’s Cruise
John,
You’re being a tease telling us about the “boobacious” Russian ladies and you’re not sending pictures.
Come on John where are the pics?????
Hi John, Just wanted to share with you and your fans from someone on board this particular sailing: Murphy must be hanging around with you, and you are hiding him well, because we have not had a clue anything was amiss. Our embarkation in Dover was perfect around 1:30pm, computers were working, and our luggage arrived at our stateroom door (all 8 couples) promptly. We had no idea I-95 had given the crew a shallow pool on their deck and as I shared your blog news with my friends (and new friends) on board we all agreed this is the best compliment of the crew’s professionalism. If you’ve had complaints from guests it hasn’t been from anyone I have met. And it makes no difference from which deck I leave the ship….you told us well in advance….and it seemed flawless to me.
Our dinner table talk last night was about what every one’s ship experience has been so far: as expected, worse or better. We all agreed it has been as expected (for those with high expectations of what a perfect cruise would be) or better!!
I watched you at the Captain’s cocktail party and you are amazing in your ability to share yourself with everyone……I am very fortunate to have this experience of visiting the ports from London to Rome, and for this I am most thankful.
It is touching how you are mindful of our fellow Galveston guests on board.
Karen
So John, were you giving the “Q ” sign? Was that why you tripped over your tongue? You also probably slipped in all the drool on your way down. Being endowed myself with more than I need, I can feel sympathy for the woman. I would have a reduction, but don’t want my belly to stick out farther than my chest. Anyway, thanks for the visual image and all the laughs that went with it!
Sheryl
we thought of you yesterday eating beet borcht
Good Afternoon John,
Your comment about Vancouver and Toronto was funny. We live just across the St. Clair river from Sarnia, Canada :0 and we do the same thing. The Canadians come over here to shop and we go over there but no one calls us United Staters. When in fact the Canadians and us in the States are really North Americans!! I don’t know why your Canadian friends would be upset because you write Toronto, Canada, etc. I think they would be more upset if they knew us here in the states can spot one Canadian in a crowd. They don’t really stand out but….. Some days I think I’ve taken a trip to Canada because I see so many Canadian license plates here ;D. They’re great people and it’s been a great relationship.
Take care,
Joan
HI John/Heidi:
Hopefully your beautiful wife did not see your last paragraph there
Great pictures of those speedboats. How lucky you were to come into port and see these multi-million dollar speed boats.
The Spain journey seems like an amazing day and I hope i’m able to do this one day.
Thanks for another great blog today and looking forward to hearing more.
Take care!
David
PLEASE REPLY – I was just wondering if you interviewed every cruise director. I read them all but know of a few more CDs that were not on the blog. Perhaps they have retired? Or maybe they did not want to participate in the interviews? Do you know what Bret Alans and Lenny Halliday are doing these days? Thanks.
John, I am from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is pretty difficult for you to know all the cities in any country. It seems that there are more Americans on board the ships than Canadians (at least it seemed that way for us), so that may make it easier for you to mention U.S. cities without the country. We Cdns tend not to get too distressed about these things. Maybe this person is not really a Canadian??
John,
I am Canadian and am a bit embarrassed by the Canadians complaining to you about adding Canada after a city name. What is the big deal?
As usual though, you made me laugh out loud at work and have to cover it up by pretending I’m coughing! The Boobilicious lady on the Lido and your description of yourself standing in your cabin making an announcement in your underwear was priceless.
Cant wait to cruise on the Miracle in November!
Hello John!
My family was with you in 2004 on the Glory. We are hoping to join you again soon. In the meantime we enjoy reading your blog. My 16 year old son absolutely loves it when you mention……passing gas! I was reading the blog to him tonight and he asked if Fred & Ginger were still on there……I had to laugh….Fred & Ginger were CRAZY! I told him they left long ago and since then we have had Capt. Rude, Murphy and now Mrs. Duck. My family, like the lady and her “mum” enjoy hearing about daily life on the ship. Please keep the blog thingy coming…..
Sorry to hear that you had so many problems with the Russian cruisers. My wife is Russian and I have met a lot of them over the years. I have heard of the type that you described but, haven’t met any like that. All of the ones that I’ve met have been very classy, polite and wonderful to be around. We will be on board next week and would love to meet you. Hopefully you’ll have a better opinion of some Russians after that.
Hugh and Olga
Silk sheets – whell I never!
Oh, by the way, when I sail with you next August, could you have some solid gold cutlery for me, the cheaper metals make my hands ache.
9 carat gold will do – it’s not that I’m fussy.
Thanks, John.