I want to talk about the very first time I went on stage on a Carnival Cruise Line vessel. It was 1988 and I was a very attractive and slim assistant bar manager. I used to stand at the back of the theater on the Holiday and Celebration and watch the king of the ship entertain. That king was the cruise director and how I dreamed of one day being them.
Bill Panoff, Gary Hunter, Kenny Day, Malcolm Kennedy, Dave Armor, Eddie Capone, Bob Goss, Bob Hamill, David Fee, J.B. Anthony but not some Elvis impersonator called Gene Cook……..he was an idiot and had no more right to be a cruise director than a food blender.
Anyway, I befriended the cruise directors and, much to the annoyance of the bar managers, I started spending any spare time I had with them and the entertainment staff. Well, one day I was approached by an old friend and brilliant stand-up comedian Lewis Nixon to help him on stage. Now…….this should have set the alarm bells ringing because Lewis and I had already started a vicious campaign of practical jokes against each other.
This had started when I had emptied an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce into his cup of coffee and his next sip had caused him much pain. He responded by getting into my cabin, emptying all my clothes leaving just condoms on the hangers a note that read…………”If you are going to act like a dick you can dress like one.”
I will tell you how I got my own back on him for that in a later blog………..oh by the way, I have invited Lewis on the bloggers cruise so he can tell you from stage some of the outrageous practical jokes we played on each other. Anyway, as I said, Lewis asked me to help him on stage and specifically to say goodbye to his friend and mine and Carnival’s best-ever cruise director………..Gary Hunter.
Gary, as I may have mentioned before, was my mentor and I can still only dream about being half as good as he was and still is. Gary had a ventriloquist act and his lifelike puppets were two old characters called Mr. and Mrs. Tweed. I won’t give to much of his act away as he is still performing, but I will tell you that his show would have the audience crying with laughter and then crying tears of sadness as Mr. and Mrs. Tweed sang “Yes, I remember it well.”
Now, I could do an OK impression of Gary’s boy next door Southern accent and so it was that Lewis approached me. He told me that as this was Gary’s last week onboard before vacation that he needed my help in paying tribute to him during the last night’s show.
I would play the part of Gary and he and the magician Gaetano (whose brilliant show can be seen on the Caribbean Princess) would play the part of Mr. and Mrs. Tweed. Well, I jumped at the chance to be on stage and we started to rehearse. Gaetano and Lewis had costumes just like the puppets and we went through all of Gary’s routine. I would squeeze the backs of their necks and they would open their mouths…..it was going to be brilliant.
Well, it was soon showtime. I had gone through the show one last time backstage with Lewis and Gaetano before the show and now there I stood at the side of the stage ready to perform. The theater was packed……….and there I stood ………..dressed in my white assistant bar manager’s uniform……….it was not a good day to be my underpants.
Then, came the announcement: “Please welcome to the stage your host tonight, Assistant Bar Manager John Heald.”
And up I went to what can only be described as lukewarm applause.
I took the microphone and there I was………….for the first ever time………….on a Carnival stage …………ready to entertain the expectant audience.
I introduced myself and remember saying how we would all miss Gary………..and in tribute to him we would like to present a special performance. I then reverted to my Gary Hunter voice and asked the audience to please give a big round of applause to my puppets…………….Mr. and Mrs. Tweed ………………………. nothing.
Maybe they hadn’t heard me
So once again I said…….please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Tweed …………….. still nothing
Silence from the audience.
I stood rooted to the spot………what had happened?…………I didn’t know what to do……I had the improv skills of a jellyfish……………still, no sign of the puppets …..and silence from the audience………..until…………………from the back of the room I hear
“You suck”
“Get off the stage”
“Boooooo”
All of the above was shouted out by the unmistakable voice of………………….Lewis Nixon
I had been had…………………….bugger
Then the audience started to boo and it got louder and was followed by a slow hand clap
Now, if this had happened a few years later I am sure I could have used my stage skills to get myself out of this situation. However, I was an assistant bar manager ……………..so I just said “Oh, bollocks” over the microphone and buggered off.
And that was the first time I ever appeared on a Carnival stage……………and even though I felt sick with embarrassment…………….I knew I wanted more…………..I wanted to be Gary.
Well, a few months later Gary took me under his wing as his social host and that was the start of this continuing journey.
I wish, therefore, that I had been in Florida last week when many of the great names I mentioned above and many more gathered for a very special reunion. This was organized by my old mate, ex-Carnival CD, Editor of Porthole Magazine and founder of the PPI Group, Bill Panoff.
Here are a few more details about what happened………………..plus a great photo.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE REUNION ATTRACTS MORE THEN 100 FORMER CRUISE DIRECTORS AND ENTERTAINERS
Fort Lauderdale, FL — Nearly 100 former Carnival Cruise Lines cruise directors and entertainers reunited on Saturday, December 13, 2008, for an evening of rekindling memories and friendships from the past. The reunion was held at the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club, and attendees came from Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and even as far as England and Germany. For some, it had been more than 20 or 30 years since they’d seen each other.
“It was a magical evening to rekindle memories and friendships forged over 20 – 30 year ago “, said Bill Panoff, president and CEO of The PPI Group, which produced and sponsored the event along with Bacardi.
The event featured an open-mic format hosted by Gary Hunter, former Carnival cruise director and ventriloquist who invited attendees to tell stories of their time aboard Carnival. Some told jokes, others sang songs, and some just remembered fond times and friendships. “Carnival gave us all the opportunity to perfect our acts because each week we had a new audience,” said Hunter. “There was so much laughter in the room it was infectious.”
“It was a historic moment and a remarkable gathering,” said Bob Goss, former Carnival cruise director and entertainer. Attendees included former Carnival Cruise Directors Gary Hunter, Eddie Capone, Kenny Day, David Fee, and many more as well as retired Senior Vice President of Operations Meshulam Zonis, who were joined by current executives and Carnival Corp. & plc President and CEO Micky Arison.
( IN PICTURE, LEFT TO RIGHT ) BILL PANOFF, CEO PPI GROUP, EDDIE CAPONE, ENTERTAINER – CRUISE DIRECTOR, Carnival Corp. & plc President and CEO Micky Arison,
How wonderful that must have been and thanks to Bill for organizing this event. I was invited and, honestly wanted to go, but my priority had to be here with Heidi. I want to say thank you to all the past cruise directors who did such a wonderful job for so many years. The young CD’s of today have huge Shaquille O’Neal-sized shoes to fill.
Do you have any memories of the old school cruise director’s?………….If you do please take the time to share them with us here on the blog thingy.
One of today’s young cruise directors is Butch Begovitch. Butch worked with me for some time and I immediately knew he was destined for great things. Well, I was right because Butch is now a fully fledged cruise director currently serving onboard the Carnival Glory. I have asked Butch to write me a few Dear John letters describing what it is like to work onboard a ship during the holiday season.
So, lets turn things over to Butch……………..take it away mate.
The Glorious Butch!
Hello, John, Heidi, Thingy and all of you out there in blogger land. Weeks ago, when John asked me if I would be interested in writing a guest spot on his blog, I originally told him flat out…NO……not to be harsh, but I have my reasons….one, I have never done anything like this before……two, I do not think that I could be as witty and captivating as John is daily on the blog and three, where would I find time in my day to do this?
But then I thought to myself I encourage our guests everyday to step our of their comfort zones and I should follow my own cruise mantra and just go for it…..and I also cannot say no to John, he has done so much for me and my career and owe him the world for where I am today. So bloggers, here I am…..Butch Begovich!
In the coming days, I hope to offer some insight on what the holidays are like on board a Carnival Cruise Lines’ ship from my perspective here as cruise director on the Carnival Glory. To be honest, I have had to muster a lot of energy to get in the holiday spirit this year as I am from Minnesota and it is really hard to imagine Christmas without snow and bitter below zero temperatures. But I am determined to not only make the holidays special for our guests sailing on this very special holiday voyage, but also my on board team as we will not only be spending the holiday away from our families, but also working.
So let’s start by getting to know…ME! I come from a small town in Minnesota and am from a rather large family……..I am a first generation college grad and what I would consider….for lack of a more positive phrase, the “Black Sheep” of my brood. My siblings all took similar paths, got married, started families, and stayed in or around my home town………my parents are very supportive of all of their children, but thought it strange when I decided to go away and forge my own path…..That path? Two college degrees, some entertainment jobs on the east coast and then, by chance, to Carnival Cruise Lines.
While working as a Social Host I met the man who would become not only my mentor, but my friend, my cheerleader, and a second father to me….that Man? John, of course, and if you are reading this Heidi, hi Mom (I have called Heidi “Mother” for years and so excited that she will actually have a little one of her own soon)!Through John’s leadership and guidance, I worked my way up to cruise director and am proud now to call the Carnival Glory my home. This ship is special to me because it is where, almost five years ago, I spent my first contract and met John and Heidi. Although I find the Glory to very challenging due to our home port location and the amount of repeat guests we have sail weekly, I couldn’t imagine a better ship in the fleet to be on right now.
I have a wonderful team here and feel so blessed that I have a support system on board that is truly a family away from home. So that is the abbreviated me…….so join me bloggers on a journey in the coming days for a look at the holiday season Fun Ship style…….I hope it will be as entertaining for you to read as it will be fun for me to write share my days here on John’s blog.
Thanks Butch…………….what a wonderful writing skills you have which so reflect your personality. We all look forwards to hearing more soon.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading the Carnival Dream blog I posted yesterday. If you haven’t had time to stop by please do as I really want everyone to know just how brilliant this ship will be. Last week was a busy blogging week and, therefore, some of you may have missed the brilliant interview given by the master of the Eurodam and author of the www.eurodamnews.com blog………Captain Mercer. Again, if you did I invite you to return to read all about a true man of the sea.
Heidi and I would like to thank the hundreds……….yep……….hundreds who have sent cards and gifts to Heidi and I through our P.O. Box number. I should also say thank you to Heidi who will be sending cards to each and every one of you ……….you will get those soon. Thanks again, you have made us feel very special.
I also have 30-plus questions marked “Urgent, Please Reply.” I again apologize for the lateness of my reply and promise to work on these over the weekend and the answers will be posted on Monday for sure. However….there is one I would like to answer and discuss today.
Here it is.
John – please respond.
I have been an avid reader of your blog since cruising with you in August of 2007 on the Freedom. The Mediterranean ports were beautiful and myself and my wife, along with her parents, had the times of our lives.
It was our first Carnival voyage and we were all so impressed that we immediately booked a cruise on the Freedom again going to Panama and Costa Rica. Sadly, though, my wife’s father passed away a few weeks ago.
During his short illness he requested that his ashes be taken on the ship and scattered at sea. I am not sure of the protocol here and did write to Carnival but have not received any answer so I thought I would ask you.
My father in law spent 20 years in the Navy and the sea was in his blood. You made him laugh so much and he always told his friends your joke about the lady on deck holding on to her hat in the wind. He wanted to enjoy the cruise with us and wanted his ashes ceremony to be one of fun not to be somber. I promised him I would try as I know you will make this sad event “fun” as that is what he would have wanted.
Please let me know if there is anyway we can work this out as it would mean so much to all of us.
Sincerely,
Derek and Family
Sandpoint, Idaho
Let’s start with the most important thing and that is on behalf of all the thousands of bloggers send you our deepest sympathies at your loss. I hope you will have many treasured memories of your time together, including those from the Carnival Freedom ………….we are thinking of you.In days gone by, Derek this would have been no problem and we could have just done this without any preparation. However, with all the new laws and regulations that the cruise industry has to abide to this has become slightly more complicated. However, the good news is that we can do this and I will make sure I complete all the paper work for you, etc. ahead of time. I will be in touch personally on Monday so we can talk about exactly when you are sailing and what type of FUN scattering you father-in-law would have wanted…………….and that’s what we shall give him I promise.
I am very glad that you contacted me. I am sure our office would have replied very soon but now I can give it my personal attention.
Once again, sorry for your loss and I will speak to you soon
John
Actually, that’s not an uncommon request and with the help of my friends in operations I will make sure this happens. However…….death and fun…………can the two go together?
Becoming deceased used to be ever so easy. They’d put you in a wooden box, lower you gently into the ground and let you rest in peace. Or, if the ground in your town was full, they’d throw you on a fire and let you spend the rest of time in a vase, on your kid’s mantelpiece.
Now, though, in the same way that you can get married underwater or in a department store by Elvis, you can choose how you wish to be disposed of when you have done dying. Just this week, for instance, a former navy diver was attached to the nose of a torpedo, which was then detonated on the sea bed somewhere in the English Channel.
Meanwhile, in Daytona, officials at the circuit announced on Monday that NASCAR fans can be laid to rest at the track. Quite how this will work I don’t know. It’ll certainly be a big nuisance for Jeff Gordon next year if he skids in the final corner on Rob King from Pennsylvania.
Some may argue that if you are used as a crash barrier or detonated on the sea bed, some of death’s dignity is lost. I’m not sure this is so, because I don’t see much dignity in lying in a box either. Far better, surely, to use your liquefying body as a soft landing for NASCAR drivers. And if you wind up in the Atlantic Gulf Stream, at least you get to see the Caribbean once in a while – something that’s not possible if you are lying under six feet of Chicago.
I’ve always said that when I die I want to be buried, because I want to go to heaven and it will be hard to enjoy its bountiful magnificence if I’ve been cremated. Seriously, you’re never going to have rumpy pumpy with an angel if you look like the contents of a vacuum bag.
So, I will make sure that as per Derek’s father in law’s request I make this event a FUN one. First of all, we have to make sure the weather conditions are OK for the ceremony.
A scattering at sea sounds lovely, but because it can be windy, the bereaved family can go back to their cabin with ashes of their dearly departed coming back on them. This means that, far from ending up on the Caribbean Sea heading to Jamaica, they end up being washed down the plughole of the cabin shower.
Space is tempting because there’s no wind, and it doesn’t change, and I’m delighted to report there is indeed a company that will blast your ashes into orbit for just $550.
A word of warning, though. While the company managed to get bits of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, into orbit, it made a bit of a hash of things when it came to getting the Enterprise’s chief engineer up there.
The first time it tried, the rocket crashed and Scotty ended up not orbiting the planet Vulcan but just outside Santa Fe, in New Mexico. Happily he was found, and earlier this year he was launched again from the Pacific. But that went wrong too when the rocket exploded, sending the Canadian actor into the sea, where, one day, he will probably crash head-on into the navy diver I mentioned earlier. Almost certainly, this is not what either man would have wanted.
I should also explain that if you do manage to get your loved one into low orbit, he will be a hazard to navigation in the years to come. So don’t come crying to me when what used to be your spouse’s left leg punches a bloody great hole in the side of a the International Space Station, killing everyone on board.
Let me therefore give you some ideas I am having about what will be done with my ashes.
My dust could be mixed with paint and used to create a piece of art. This means I could spend the rest of time as Jessica Simpson’s bottom.
I could become part of a soccer pitch or have permanent floor seats for all of the Miami Heat home games. Or I could be turned into a diamond. This is surprisingly easy. I get Heidi to heat me to 1500 C and keep me at this temperature for several weeks until everything that isn’t carbon has oxidized. Then you mix me with a bit of metal and a diamond seed crystal. After a period of several years, Heidi can have me cut and placed in a ring of her choosing. She may even opt to wear me as a stud in her navel or, as one of those nipple thingies. As long as she remembers to remove me if she got remarried.
Anyway, Derek, I am going to make sure your father-in-law’s last cruise is one to remember
I will be back with a blog thingy on Monday………..see you then
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and the Thingy
Filed under: Tales from the Ship | Tagged: Bill Panoff, Butch Begovitch, Captain Mercer, Carnival Dream, Carnival Glory, cruise, cruise director, Eurodam, Gary Hunter, micky arison, vacation
Hi John/Heidi:
I hope you are enjoying the weekend.
Great story about the reunion last week. It sure sounds like there were some true legends in attendance.
I liked Butch’s blog and look forward to reading more.
Thanks for posting and looking forward to more.
Take care!
David
My dust could be mixed with paint and used to create a piece of art. This means I could spend the rest of time as Jessica Simpson’s bottom.
- Classic!!!
Have a wonderful Holiday and I am sure a Spectacular New Year!
Rich Tucker
Ahhh… hello, Butch!!
I have wonderful memories of sailing with you on the Conquest in 2007!! I have to tell you that I’m thrilled to be able to read your blog entries here. Ya! I’m looking forward to more… many more.
John, I’m SO happy that a little bit of unpleasantness on stage didn’t keep you from returning. I liken that to my first experiences with girls. If I had taken their reaction as indicative of the rest of my life I surely would have moved to San Francisco or France…
No matter as I discovered that being awkward in the beginning isn’t an indicator of future success!!!
PLEASE more short interviews with the folks who make our voyages so special… the behind the scene folks… cabin stewards; dining room waiters; beverage waiters and all the other folks who work so hard to make our experience more than it might otherwise be!!!
Ciao, my friend!!!
Host Mach
John,
Again you prove that you are truly as you are, in that you,while being a Senior Cruise Director and Brand Ambassador, you still have a HEART. And that my friend is why i am PROUD to call you my friend.
You,more that most corporate types remember that is is the folks that buy tickets and take cruises that keeps the corporation building new and even more spectacular ships.
While i certainly offer my sincerest condolances to Derek and his Family,I can only imagine the great joy it will bring them to be able to honor their Fathers last request.
And again as so many times in the past there is John Heald cutting through the RED tape to help this family in their time of need.
As you know, Cindy and I are also booked on the Freedom for the same cruise itinery, and i can only hope that their sail date is the same as ours as both Cindy and I would love to join them in their celebration of their Dad’s life.
In any case my FRIEND, you are truly one of a kind……THE BEST KIND for sure
Bill
John,
What a great blog today! I would have loved to be at that CD reunion, and what a brilliant idea it was by Panoff to put it together.
Then on to a blog by Butch. I had such a terrific time with Butch when you gave me the opportunity to write a “day on the job” as Cruise Staff article. He was so much fun! No suprise he’s now got his own ship as CD. Congrats to Butch! I’m including a picture of me with Butch and the lovely Stephanie, the day they put up with me “working” with them
http://www.cruisemates.com/gallery/galleries/2591/49775.jp
And to Derek and his family… my hearfelt condolences on the passing of your father. I lost my father on Nov. 8. I was at sea on a cruise, and got home Nov. 9. I spoke to my father days earlier when we were going to leave the ship from a port of call, but he insisted we stay and have fun for the rest of the cruise; insisting he was OK.
Sadly we never did cruise together, but the week after his funeral, while putting some papers in his safey deposit box at the bank, I came across his cruise documents (which I never knew existed) from his only cruise ever. It was on a Cunard ship in 1948, that brought he and my mother to Canada after they had survived WW II in Eastern Europe. So, I’m forever indebted to Cunard!
Though we never got to cruise together, finding these documents cemented a connection between the two of us and the sea. Last week I wrote a blog about this called 60 Year Old Cruise Documents..
http://www.cruisemates.com/blog/20081209358/60-year-cruise-documents-circle/
There’s little doubt that the sea and cruising create many special relationships, bonds, and special memories. May your special memories, as mine do, make it easier to live with the loss.
Regards,
Kuki
CruiseMates.com
John..
I for one, look forward to meeting and talking with Mr. Nixon… I would love to hear the stories!!! You were / are a scamp!!! How does Heidi handle you??
And, when you talk about ashes at sea… There is a perfect deck on the Fantasy class ships… I know… I’ve never said anything ’cause I didn’t know the policy… But death and FUN definitely go together… there’s a time for everything under heaven… I keep my sunrises as a time of remembrance. Very surreal and peaceful!! And a great way to start the day. Not somber or fretful… but happy and smiles and remembering all the good times and sweet times!!!
You’re beginning is coming my dear sweet wonderful funny man!!! A new life will appear and your life will never be the same!! You and Heidi will be GREAT parents and the adoption agencies be damned… Just smile when you pass them!!! You will be so loving and providing!!!
The DREAM… the Carnival Dream!!! Ahhhh… I’ve reread and played that blog many many times, already!!! And I know I will again and again!!! Bless you!!! You and Carnival are FANTASTIC DREAM makers!!!
Lambie
John and Heidi,
Hahah! That’s funny that your first time on a Carnival stage turned out like that.
Too bad you couldn’t have gone to the reunion.
I think that’s just awesome, about Derek’s father-in-law’s ceremony. When I die, I think I’d like my ashes (IF I get cremated…) to be thrown about in a desert in India with the wind. It’s my favourite country.
That’s so cool of you John, that you’re going to do this for him and his wife and their family.
PS!
Monday I’ll be sending you guys a xmas card, so be
watching your P.O.!!
Much Love,
Tootsie.
Wow, you passed on the reunion to spend more time with your lovely wife Heidi and Thingy. Before the Thingy became center stage in your life you might of jetted off to Miami for a fun weekend with your old mates. My how things change.
Thanks for your personal involvement in the delicate matter of death and ashes at sea. I know that is a frequent request but I am like you I would just as soon be mixed into some body paint and applied to one of the show girls.
TO ADOPTIVE FATHER
I am the mother of 2, step mother to 4, grandmother to 9 and great grandmother to 3. I can’t say I am authoritive on the matter, but I can sure tell you I’ve got a good working, loving knowledge on raising children.
It is your opinion that the adoptive agency was correct in denying John and Heidi the opportunity to become parents because John is away from home for so long of a period of time due to his work.
Okay lets go there……… They are allowing single men and women to adopt children, do you think they are making a grave mistake. There will definitely NOT be a father or mother, which ever the case would be, in those homes.
You are saying that an ideal family is 2 loving parents. The ideal family is definitely 2 parents ……….. and in my opinion that is a father and a MOTHER. A mother that stays at home and meets the children at the door when they get home from school with her apron on and a plate of home made cookies in her hand. A father that works 9-5 and comes home and helps the kids do their homework, plays ball with them, etc. A white picket fence around the yard, etc.
That is strictly a story book tale now days. It takes 2 working to make a living. So now days a day care center or a baby sitter takes care of a baby until it goes to school because both parents work. A mother staying at home is getting to be a thing in the past. But Heidi will stay at home to raise their baby. POINTS in their favor.
My children had that supposedly, storybook family. I stayed at home, and I did without a lot of luxuries, so I would be there with both children. I was also a den mother, and band mother, and a room mother. Yes, they had a father in the home, but 15 minutes of rumpy bumpy does not make a father. They would have been better off if he had not been in the home, My grown son refers to him as a sperm donor. I stayed married to him until the children were grown and they had their education and were married and on their own. Why? Because I could not put a roof over their heads, food in their mouths, nor pay for their college education by myself, and their father would not have done anymore than the courts would have made him do financially, if that much!
So lets go a little farther. Do you think a home where one or sometimes both of the parents are in Iraq, Bagdad, Germany, etc, should not be allowed to have children? A female that makes a mistake and gets pregnant outside of marriage, should have to give her baby up for adoption………..ooops there again no father in the home. A family where one of the parents die, should have to give the child up for adoption, because there aren’t 2 parents in the home.
Well on that subject I am an authoritive. I lost a mother and a step mother within a 4 year time span starting when I was 9. My father raised me from that point on. He worked the 3-11 shift and sometimes the 11-7 shift, therefore I was alone at night. If a meal was cooked, I cooked it, if I had clean clothes I washed them. I turned out just fine. I didn’t do drugs, stay out all night, steal, bring my boyfriends in and have sex etc …….. get the picture?
Now you say 2 homosexual men are an ideal family? Where is the ideal mother with a plate of cookies in her hands waiting at the door?
I disagree with you there also. This child will grow up with the stigma of having a pair of homosexual men for parents. They will definitely not have a MOTHER like the other children. They will be teased by the children at school and children can be very cruel in their teasing and comments.They will have to defend there fathers life style. Definitely NOT an ideal situation.
Now back to John and Heidi. Thank God that everyone’s prayers were answered and they do not have to depend on adoption, but will soon have a sweet little blessing of their own.
Just because John will be away so much, will not make him any less a father. All children should have a father that will give them the love that John will give that baby. MANY POINTS in their favor. A lot of fathers are on the road, in the military, or divorced from the wife of their children and see a lot less of the children than John will. Keep in mind he is at home for as long as a month at a time. Many POINTs in their favor.
Once the child is old enough to travel, I’m sure Heidi and that wee little one will be cruising with John on occasion. Oh what an education it will get at an early age. That child will have been to countries that most children only read about, before it starts to school. It will have met and had friends from many countries, an experience that other children never have. More POINTS in their favor. I think the points add up to them definitely giving this child all of the love and attention it needs and making theirs a loving home.
So do not decide what the ideal family situation is. I sure don’t believe it is 2 males that are putting on an exhibition in public, sucking on each others tongues, smooching, and nibbling on each others neck. If they want to live that life style, so be it, but I DO NOT believe that that is the ideal family situation.
Now you voiced your opinion, I’ve voiced mine.
A MOTHER grandmother and great grandmother……..
John, excuse me for addressing something different than your blog subject today. But I have thought long and hard about ADOPTIVE FATHER’S long and opinionated reply to your blog. I decided that I could no longer keep silent.
John, I gotta tell you, as far as cruise directors go, of all the cruises I have been on, you’re the only one I have any recollection of whatsoever. And you did make a big impression. I’ve been reading this blog since the week you started it, which was shortly after the Freedom’s inaugural cruise.
I hope you and Heidi have the merriest of Christmases!
Jeff
John,
thank you for getting Butch to blog on your blog. i was on the Glory from Dec 6 – 13 and found that he was a great CD and am grateful that you mentored him.
Good luck this week Butch. but i know you will be great, Ya!
Jen Hug
John – please reply
I deleted and can’t find your blog on which you listed the CD’s for early 2009.
We will be sailing on Valor leaving Apr 26. Can you tell me who the CD will be?? We are disappointed that you will not be there, as we sailed with you on Liberty in ‘06.
Too, I talked with your Customer Service and they had not a clue!! Seemed a bit odd to me.
Thanx and Merry Christmas to you and Heidi.
The Woodbutcher – Ike Weatherholtz
Falling Waters, WV
PS: I tried your Caribbean Chicken recipe and it was terific.
John:
We have some wonderful memories of Cruise Directors (both past and present)….
One of the Present Cruise Directors Mark Price gave DJ his first “ship on a stick”. DJ was so proud.
One of the Past Cruise Directors Corey Schmidt talked hubby into getting me the “timepiece” at Kirk’s in Grand Cayman.
All (well…with the exception of one) have been over the top fabulous with DJ. These fine men and women are the reason that DJ feels comfortable enough to cruise (along with some extra extra special members of the Entertainment staff)…..and we salute them!!
This time of year is the hardest to lose someone you love. David’s cousin (47) is being buried tomorrow. He was a remarkable man leaving a precious wife and 2 children behind. Unfortunately, I am having a minor (but necessary) procedure tomorrow so that I can have my gall bladder removed in January…so we won’t be able to attend the funeral.
This young man was blessed to be surrounded by family, church members, friends and co-workers,
at the school where he was the Principal, who all adored him.
So at this time of “Merry Christmas”… may we remember all those families for whom this won’t be a happy holiday. May we learn that while we can not control the length of our lives….we can control the DEPTH. (one of Mike’s favorite sayings)
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
hello dude! just back from the liberty yesterday, it was lovely as always…
hope you and heidi and wee one have a lovely christmas. we had ours on the ship with all the grandchildren and children. what a wonderful thing to do!
steve, the cd, really had a handle on the debarkation! bless his heart. the best one i have ever had. kudos to him!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Loved your video tour of the “Dream”. Great blogging from an upcoming spectacular ship. My best to you, Heidi and the thingy.
I loved Butch’s blog and can hardly wait to meet him in March, well really the 28 Feb 2009 for a seven day cruise to celebrate my husbands 70th.
I am so glad that Heidi and Thingy are doing so great. I’m glad you were able to see Thingy, science is amazing.
CruisingGrandma
CarolAnn
[...] In the Beginning and at the End I want to talk about the very first time I went on stage on a Carnival Cruise Line vessel. It was 1988 and I was a very [...] [...]
Hi John, I will be on the Splendor on Jan. 31st for the South America cruise and was hoping you would be on the ship. I last saw you on the Liberty several years ago, and I loved you you are so funny. Do you remember Willie Banger?!
Let me know if you won’t be on the Splendor what ship and sail dates next?
Thanks so much
John I don’t understand allowing the gay men to adopt a child but than again alot goes on into days world that I don’t understand. I just wanted to take the time to wish you and Heidi a Merry Christmas and may you always be blessed with the love from each other and also the “little thingy”.
John, there’s actually a company that will turn your ashes into a diamond. http://www.lifegem.com/
Here’s hoping you can continue to be a “diamond in the rough” for a long, long time first. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Gary and I send you warm wishes for the merriest of Christmases. Have a small photo made of you and Heidi clearly showing Thingy…and have one made like that each year. Buy Heidi a little ornament into which you slide the picture. It will be so much fun to look at it each year and slide the new family picture in on top of it.
Thank you for the Dream blog – it looks fabulous. Although what could top 7 days in Sept. ‘08 with Butch on the Glory? Enjoyed his blog very much. Keep writing, Yah Butch! Janet
John Please Reply
Hello
My family and I have just returned from the Splendor and WOW what a ship. We had 18 of us on the ship and we really enjoyed every port of call.
I do have a question for you and hope you can help me out. My wife and I had a thingy of our own on September 4th. We went on the cruise last week and we obviously could not bring the baby. Well by the end of our week my wife was suffering from missing the thingy so much. We knew we were booked on the February Bloggers cruise and knew it was close to the minimum age allowed on the cruise which I know now is 6 months. Which we miss by 3 weeks and a couple of days. On the ship we talked to the loyalty rep. and she informed us that she did not think that it would be a problem but check with our travel agent and have them contact Carnival to see if it would be. Well we came home and did just that and we are being told by whoever our travel agent spoke with that Carnival makes no exceptions. If the reasoning is liability I am willing to have my Pediatrician give a physical and sign that the baby is healthy enough to travel and my sister who is booked on the same cruise will be along and she has worked in the special care nursery as an LPN for the last 25 years. Please let me know if there is any string you can pull to get this done. Please email me at the address above your answer. Thanks
PS
I am the one in Philly with the Pinata that had to get his mom from the tent after the commercial shoot. Thanks again in advance if there is anything you can do.
John,
Since the request for scattering cremated remains on board happens more often than folks realize, Carnival should require the use of Scattering urns. These urns were developed to stop the cremated remains from being windswept and blown back into the mourners. These urns are 100% biodegradable (green) and melt as they are tossed or placed in the water. The cremated remains are then dispersed by rolling waves. I am a licensed funeral director and embalmer of 29 years and would be happy to provide you and/or Carnival more information on this product in an effort to accomadate the needs of your passengers.
Mike
Hi, John,
I know Lewis Nixon from way, way, way back when I was a dancer/performer on a ship he visited frequently, and none of this surprises me about him and his antics!
Listen, I am really, really, really trying to get a hold of him and catch up with him again. If you know how to reach him, please have him e-mail me or look me up on Facebook (Carolee Corrigan).
Thanks,
Carolee