Thursday, January 15th, 2009...5:00 pm
Prince of Blogs…..And Photos
So last night, I’m lying in the bath. The temperature is perfect. The bubbles are stacked high and Michael Buble’s music is more than satisfactory. My favorite plastic battleship is floating around entertainingly and life, for a minute, is just about bloody perfect.
I sink below the water, humming along to Michael’s version of “Fever,” only to emerge moments later and find Heidi sitting on the toilet. She wants a conversation. I don’t. We end up having a conversation about how we never have conversations any more. By the time it’s over, the bath is cold. The battleship has done an impression of the Titanic and either the batteries are finished on my CD player or Michael Buble has morphed into Barry White.
It was a long day yesterday and Heidi was so brave so of course I realized that she was a little tired and, even though my bubbles had burst, we had a conversation about who is having rumpy pumpy with who on her favorite program, The Bold and the Beautiful. I must meet this Brook someday, sounds like she will have rumpy pumpy with anyone.
Anyway, one of the things we spoke about was how when the Thingy is born I may have to drastically cut the time I spend on my Raspberry — or Blackberry as some call it. This simple gadget is the biggest leap forward for mankind since the invention of fire, and when you’ve had one for a week or so and then you can’t use it will be like losing your mouth and your ears.
For those who think a Blackberry is a fruit let me explain. It’s a mobile phone that can also receive and send e-mails. This means that no matter where you are on the planet someone can always get hold of you to ask if you’d like a bigger penis.
But this is not its biggest fault. Have you ever been out for a drink with someone who has one? Sure, they’re in constant contact with the office, which is great for them, but they’re not in constant contact with you. Every time you get to the interesting part of a story the Blackberry chirps and you can see they’re not listening any more.
They’re willing you to hurry up and finish talking so they can whip it out and see if, this time, it’s not somebody wanting to offload a bucketful of Viagra……..and I realize that I have become that person.
Go out with someone who has a Blackberry and you’ll not get a single word out of them. Because it will be chirping or whining or playing the theme music from James Bond when PA 007 sends an e-mail. And they’ll be texting with one hand and sending an e-mail with the other and it’ll be like talking to someone who has an unreachable itch and a daughter who’s just been kidnapped. Their mind won’t be on what you’re saying. If you have a Blackberry you may be physically out with friends but mentally you are at work. This means you can never have fun. You can never relax. Soon, then, your friends will stop wanting to see you and then you’ll die, quite early, from stress. I know all of the above applies to me ….yet….I just can’t shake the addiction of my Raspberry …… bugger.
I want to thank you for all your comments regarding our spas. You provided us with some priceless feedback which again will help us make this fantastic area of our ships even better. I noted that you have concerns about the sales pitch to purchase products, how some of the prices need to be addressed and how much you all enjoyed the specialist treatments like the hot stones massages etc. So, thanks again and now let’s move onto another area……………..photos.
Carnival has led the industry in this area for many years however, we know we must adapt if we wish that to continue. I have been asked many times why we do not place people’s photos in cabin order, etc. when we display them. The answer is quite honestly that we want people to hunt for their photos. Many people find this fun and actually like searching through the photos and looking at them all. This may be because many people are seeking the photo they had taken when they arrived at the ship after a long day of traveling……….you know the one……..that embarkation photo that has you and the family standing under the welcome aboard sign with your sweat patches clearly visible and the wife still with a disgusted look on her face because you couldn’t find the passports.
Of course over the years we have added so much to this department with our amazing “green screen” shots and portraits and our move into the digital world of today’s cameras. So, please send us your opinions of ship’s photos. What do you like, what don’t you like and what do you look for in the future to assure you will want to continue spending money in our photo galleries. I look forward to reading your thoughts.
I am not sure if the latest Royal news has crossed the Atlantic Ocean but just incase it hasn’t let me explain what has been happening.
Prince Harry has been called before his Army superiors for a bollocking after referring to a Pakistani platoon comrade as a “Paki.” It also shows Prince Harry describing another platoon member as a “raghead” after his roving camera spotted an officer cadet with a camouflage scarf around his head. “F*** me, you look like a raghead,” the Prince said………“Raghead” is an offensive term for an Arab. He also pretended to be on the phone to the Queen, ending a conversation: “Granny, I’ve got to go, send my love to the corgis and Grandpa…bye, God save you… yeah, that’s great.” This event was captured on a video and played on all the major news channels here in the UK. Two days later it emerged that their big-eared Father Prince Charles called an Asian polo-playing mate of his “Sooty.”
Prince Harry has apologized but has been condemned by many here except those who remembered that he made this film while serving his country in Afghanistan and that when 20 something lads get together…..royal or not…..boys will be boys …….especially under battlefield conditions.
Anyway, Prince Harry certainly has his Mother’s sense of humor and I am sure this will not be the last time he puts his royal foot in it.
Remember the time he was photographed in a nightclub squeezing the ample right breast of a pretty young blonde. I wish he’d gone further, caught a spot of syphilis, and then driven home in a bright red Aston Martin at 150 mph. Prince William on the other hand has been quiet on the subject although he has now grown a beard and looks like he has a small, dead ginger cat stapled to his face.
These have not been good days for the Royals and yesterday their problems continued. Children from a school in the British county of Norfolk went into the playground at recess. At the same time Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband, was on a bird shoot at their nearby Sandringham estate had just begun and as a result it was raining dead and wounded pheasants.
This was a perfect opportunity for the teachers. The children could have been marshaled and shown how the birds should be plucked. “Right, now gather ’round everyone. You, Little Ed — put the pheasant on its back and stand on its outstretched wings. Now pull the legs firmly . . .”
It would have been a marvelous illustration of how animals get from their natural habitat into a lovely stew.
Sadly this didn’t happen. Instead the teachers ran around trying to cover the kid’s eyes. The children all cried. And letters were sent to the estate managers at Sandringham asking that birds are not shot while the children are outside. This way, the little munchkins will continue to believe that McBurgers grow on trees and that Coca-Cola comes from natural springs in Montana.
After the incident a woman with a beard on the BBC news and said that she objected to organized shoots because the birds are bred specifically for slaughter. So how do you think bacon happens? Few people keep pigs to play Scrabble with, you know.
I am becoming increasingly depressed at the way we’re trying to insulate ourselves from the reality of the food chain and the wonders of the natural world.
Last week a 55-foot sperm whale that had beached itself in Bali was being transported on a lorry when it exploded in the middle of the city. Passersby, buildings and cars were drenched by 50 tons of blood, goo and blubber. It can’t have been a pretty sight. And doubtless there will now be some kind of legislation banning biologists from taking dead whales through a built-up area.
Why? When an animal dies, or a human for that matter, the stomach fills with methane gas. Sometimes the pressure becomes so great that the carcass goes off like a bomb.
I’d like to think this explosive power could in some way be harnessed. I don’t want to get all toiletry but the cows in Texas produce 900,000 tons of methane every year. It’s one of those little facts that I keep in my head for emergencies such as this.
Anyway, it would be nice to think that we could get milk from their udders, meat from their legs and electricity from their bottoms. But I know that in this day and age people would be reluctant to switch on the lights at home if they thought that the power was coming from Daisy’s farts.
The same thing happened recently on a British version of the American show Survivor. The starving contestants were given some chickens but couldn’t bring themselves to kill and pluck them. They’re chickens for God’s sake. We’re talking here about a bird which is so daft that it can operate normally with no head. Anyway, while they were deliberating about what should be done the birds were eaten by a couple of monitor lizards.
I remember watching a report about Jamaica on the Travel Channel. We’d seen Dunns River Falls, heard about the local customs and were moving on to the indigenous food. “They eat rabbits!” cried the presenter with the sort of tone I might have used if I’d found out that they eat each other.
For a moment I was baffled. They eat them whole and raw? They eat them alive? No. They kill them, skin them and put them in a pot with some onions just like we do. And yet this woman, bright enough to be given a job in television, was astonished.
I honestly don’t understand this. Out there in the real world away from the 21st-century supermarket/freezer/microwave chain of catering, there are insects which eat their partners after sex, there are turkey vultures that will vomit on you when threatened, there are cats that kill for fun. And there are leopard seals that play aquatic tennis, using penguins as the ball.
So in the big scheme of things, shooting a pheasant in the face or powering up the plasma TV using electricity from a Texas longhorn’s farts………… really isn’t that bad
Heidi is resting today after the test thingy of yesterday. This leaves me to start getting myself together for Monday’s flight. I need to make sure I have copies of my medical, all my blog paper work, my Flip video camera, my laptop, my DVD player, my digital camera and the chargers for all of those. I need all my diabetic medication, that’s pills lancets and strips and my sugar machine thingy………it’s a lot of stuff to remember that’s for sure.
Tomorrow, Heidi and I will start packing the suitcases. Well, when I say “we” …. that’s actually Heidi who does the packing while I sit at the end of the bed deciding what to take. Where would I be without her and how will I manage these next two months without her? I want to thank you for your thoughts and beautiful words which helped so very much yesterday and continue to do so each and every day.
Anyway, I have a slight change to my schedule………….what a shocker.
I was due to sail on the Carnival Imagination on Jan. 26 but that has changed. I have decided to sail on the Carnival Fantasy on 29 February to 2 February. This is for two reasons. Firstly, during the bloggers cruise I will not have time to write about the ship itself and the Evolutions of Fun upgrades. Sailing before the bloggers cruise will allow me to do this. Secondly, I want to make sure that all is set for the cruise and this will give me time to meet with the ship’s staff to confirm everything is in place and prepare the Capers etc. So, if by chance you have chosen Jan. 29 Carnival Fantasy sailing …. then I will see you there.
Yesterday, I reminisced about the much-missed bridge tours and that set my mind wandering about other events that I remember from the old days……..and today’s post is all about food. Now, if there is one area where Carnival has come 360 degrees, it’s our cuisine. Our food is…..in my humble opinion…….as good as you will find anywhere at sea…….and in many cases……..better tasting with more variety, generous proportions and……free steak every night if you want it.
However, back in the old days the choice was not as varied and the quality was …. well …..different. But, we did have……the dining room midnight buffets to fill us all up. For those of you who never sailed with us way back when let me explain. Each night from midnight – 1:30 am the dining room would open for a stampede of passengers (as you were called back then) to devour huge plates of food…….some grazing again just 1 hour and 30 minutes after leaving the dining room on second sitting dinner. Then, once the passengers had thinned out, at 1 am the staff was allowed in. That meant the cruise staff; gift shop, spa and casino were allowed to enjoy these delights. Each night was given a theme……..lets see if I can remember the seven-day midnight buffet menu from the Holiday when I was Cruise Director in 1992.
SATURDAY – BEANS AND BONES – ahh yes……..my favorite with ribs, chicken wings and baked beans.
SUNDAY – ASIAN – mostly rice with something we called chicken al a Cuckoo ………. I have no idea why
MONDAY – PASTA………..ummm…………loads of pasta
TUESDAY – QUICHE AND SOUP……loads of different quiches and the best French onion soup
WEDNESDAY -
THURSDAY – GRAND GALA BUFFET
FRIDAY – PIZZA
As you can see I can’t remember what Wednesday’s treat was……….Roger, Chris …………. anyone remember?
However, the food wasn’t finished yet because if you missed the midnight – 12:30 am buffet you could then go up to the Bus Stop Lounge on promenade deck where they would serve eggs and bacon until 2:30 am. Many times I filled my paper (yes paper) plate up with eggs and bacon and sat with passengers and crew to the wee small hours of the morning. This was also served on the Tropicale, Jubilee, Holiday and Celebration. We may have done this on the Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale but I am not sure.
Now, you have to remember that back then we didn’t have the 24-hour pizza, the huge variety of Lido deck offerings, alternative dining or the extensive room service menus either. And, we had to stop them because honestly, the amount of wasted food both from not being able to know how many would attend these servings and by people taking huge plates of food and leaving most of it was astonishing……still…..I have to admit ……I really miss those bacon and eggs.
I have more from the old days tomorrow.
But let us now talk of the present with a look at the recent batch of awards won by The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line as chosen by the Editor in Chief of the industry’s most popular monthly glossy magazines, Porthole.
The blog of Carnival Senior Cruise Director John Heald – which has attracted 3.6 million visits since being launched two years ago – has been named “Best Cruise Line Blog” in Porthole Magazine’s 2009 Editor-In-Chief Awards. In his popular blog, Heald provides readers with a unique behind-the-scenes look at “Fun Ship” cruising while sharing his humorous and insightful observations on a wide range of topics.
The blog has even spawned the “John Heald Bloggers Cruise,” which provides readers an opportunity to sail with Heald and fellow blog enthusiasts and participate in a variety of exclusive events and activities. The next Bloggers Cruise takes place aboard a five-day voyage of Carnival Fantasy departing Feb. 7 from New Orleans. Two Bloggers Cruises are also scheduled for the new Carnival Dream – an eight-day voyage departing New York Nov. 15 and a nine-day cruise departing Port Canaveral, Fla., Dec. 3.
Two Carnival Corporation & plc port projects also received awards. The Puerta Maya Cruise Center, which reopened in October after being destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, was named “Best Comeback Port” and the Grand Turk Cruise Center, whose features include the Caribbean’s largest Margaritaville restaurant, the FlowRider wave-riding experience, and an 800-foot-long beach, earned “Best Cruise Center” honors.
How brilliant is that and once again this is a clear and present message to all those people who think Carnival is not the cruise line for them for whatever reason …….. well ……. it is…….and as we continue our Fun For All. All For Fun campaign these awards will continue to pile in.
Obviously, to win the Best Blog Award is just brilliant and I would like to thank each and every one of you……the readers……who have hit on this site over 3.6 million times ………. without you there would be no blog. I should also thank Stephanie, Vance, Tom, Jordan, Tony and all the others in the office in Miami who help me day in and day out. A special thank you to PA 007 who more than anyone keeps me up to date with all things Carnival from his or her office cubicle …….sorry……..I am filling up here and tears are streaming down my cheek…..I must thank my beautiful wife Heidi and my Mum and Dad and all my friends who put up with me asking them if they have read it.
Mostly though, I want to thank Sally Poole……….who when I was 14 years old took me behind the bike sheds and let me feel her breasts…..thank you Sally……this award is dedicated to you.
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and the Thingy
61 Comments
January 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
How about letting us purchase a disk of all pur photos taken while we are on the ship? Naturally it makes more money if we purchase them separately…but you could charge enough to be worth your while. Maybe the same as 2-3 pictures?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Well John, now that you won’t be on the Imagination I am sure you will still be in Miami all of next week for meetings and more! So, we are still on, right? Remember: Carnival Valor, 1/25/09-Miami, just keep us informed, Time, Place, etc. Paul, Bee & I all want to see you very much, as well as our spouses! NINE more days, can’t wait! Heidi take it easy while John is gone, and Heidi when you have time, PLEASE let me know the color scheme of the baby’s nursery since I have asked John and NOT gotten a reply – need to know soon, as I am working on something Special for BABY! Thanks! Congrats John on the award, you so deserve it! A#1 in my book! So you will be on the Fantasy 1/29 right? It says early in the blog 29 Feb.-Mar. 2nd, but you did mean 1/29-2/2 right? So, I gather you will fly out of Miami on the 28th? So, 1/25 you will see us then right?
So, for winning this award in Porthole, do you get an Aston Martin? HA! HA! Congrats again! Linda
January 15th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
John: (Please Reply if you see fit)
Since you brought up “the old days”, I remember our first cruise on Carnival. It was on the Ecstacy in June 1992. You were the CD at the time. What I remember vividly was a breakfast buffet (or at least a place to get breakfast) that was open from about midnight to maybe 1:30 AM. It was perfect and similar to normal life when you would go out in the evening and stop off at the local breakfast eatery after a night of debauchery (or not) with your snoot full of adult beverages for a greasy hot breakfast (of course to minimize the possibility of a hangover). Sure wish they would bring those back!!! Any chance of that?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Congratulations John!!!
Melissa
January 15th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Hi John,
The food on Carnival is one of the selling points. I still drool over the choices on my B2B2B Inaugural Splendor cruises.
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor/food_porn_8day.htm
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor/food_porn_3day.htm
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor/food_porn_12day.htm
Looking forward to the 5 Day Blogger’s Fantasy cruise followed by the 14 day Splendor Around the Horn Voyage.
I will have to endure a brief 7 day Alaskan voyage on Spirit before a B2B Dream voyage – 12 day Grand Med and the 16 day Transatlantic. Hope I don’t explode like that whale!
mr bill
January 15th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
you are right about carnival’s food. it’s totally tits! i mean if you can’t find a good meal on a carnival ship you are just too picky to live. to me it’s all good!!
i wonder if i could get away with acting like the queen was on the other end of the phone? seriously, i doubt it. somehow my grandmother was not that famous. drat.
heidi i am so glad the test is over now, relax and enjoy!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
January 15th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
You’re preachin to the choir as usual, John. The liberals here hate people seeing reality too. If someone here was hunting whatever and kids saw it, it would immediately be assumed the kids were traumatized for life, and someone would get sued to death. It’s out of control here too. And Prince Harry served in Afghanistan, which I understand to be a horrible, terrifying place. At least that’s what my friends in the military tell me. So with that, Prince Harry should be free to say whatever he wants. He has more than earned it. And God Bless the troops and the military, which will be dismantled after January 20th, by the way.
Jeff
January 15th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
HAHA John! Congratulations on the awards. I am thinking of possibly changing my res from *&*((*&#(Q of the Seas to a CCL cruise
anyway thank you for your blogs and all the enteritaitnemt we all get from them.. And your right about the Viagra/bigger penis Blackberry messages… that cracked me up!
January 15th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
John – thank goodness for Sally. I think she moved to California.
Regarding photos, I am irritated at the dinner photos which I can never find and have never bought. There should be more varying backdrops. We have one of each and don’t know where we can find anything new and unique on our next cruise. We also feel that the 8×10 is just too expensive and you don’t have a choice of sizes – you get that or nothing. We always buy the ship disembarkation photo at each port, and one on formal night. Everything else is a bother.
Thanks for the opportunity for input. Glad things went so well for Heidi and that your hand wasn’t injured.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Hi John,
Do not forget to fill in the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) On line Before you go. This is now in place since the 12th Jan 09 and is good for 2 years. I thought it was a joke but it’s not. The webb site is……. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c41DB8624-DE26-8F7A-DEDF-6DEB72EB021A_k2F1077B3-D395-62B7-E9D3-31C6645BC916 This is another security measure, I’m told that if you have not done it, you can’t get on the plane ????? Regards to you and Heidi
January 15th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
John, were you voted best dressed or worse dressed , when they handed you this award? I hope you weren’t wearing a sheer black blouse…………..
I can just imagine how hard it will be for you and Heidi to say goodbye when you go off to work Monday. After 11 years of being together all of the time , it has to be rough to be separated.
Just a few more days until your extended family will join you on the Fantasy. We are all looking forward to seeing you again.
Countess Carolyn and Don
January 15th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Hi John & Heidi:
I know it’s tough for you to leave Heidi, but just think when you return, it will be for the birth of your thingy!
You wanted feedback and suggestions about the photo department. First off, I have to say that Carnival takes some of the best photos I have seen and offer variety of backgrounds to choose from. That being said, they need to streamline the process perhaps offering a photo card that can be scanned and all your pictures can be seen on a photo terminal then you are able to order the ones you want. The biggest complaint I have and have heard on several occasions are NO PACKAGES! If you offer a photo package, people may actually spend more money in the long run when they can get multiple poses in a package for a discounted price. I love looking at the pictures but even though I know the paper is recycled, you can save man hours by allowing the card program and then the orders can be processed as they come in.
I would like to see the Embarkation photo go back to a smaller size which was great to start a photo album with. Having an 8×10 is really too big for Embarkation! I think they really need to concentrate on photo processing from the memory cards everyone has now and offer items that you can have made (Christmas cards) from you photos at a great price. I know this is a big money making area, but in the tight economy, people try and spread their funds thinner and offering some of these options will help everyone including Carnival!
I still hope you are planning on being the CD on the Glory in September. We will keep our fingers crossed! If you are, we would love to buy you a drink!
Please have a safe flight and we will keep Heidi and Thingy in our prayers!
Susan & Scott
January 15th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
John:
Congratulations on winning the best cruise line blog. It sure is brilliant and I have really enjoyed reading each post. As usual, I was laughing through to the last line where you dedicate this award to Sally Poole.
My first Carnival cruise was on the Holiday in 1987. I did love the bus where we got those delicious little sandwhiches. As you have stated many times, the food quality on Carnival now is tops and I can agree with you there. Having sailed on many different lines, Carnival to me is tops.
On to the photographs, I do have one complaint, and that is not only with Carnival, but, with all cruise ships that annoy me and my tablemates during dinner almost every night with photographers. Don’t get me wrong, Bob and I do take a lot of pictures, but, we like to choose where and when. We do buy at least one photo on every cruise and have a hall of frame with photos from almost every cruise. We could also do without the Pirates. That applies to all cruise lines.
Have a lovely day.
Marie
p.s. I still do not know what a spotted dick is????Please reply.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Hi John,
I do like the photos that Carnival takes, but I hate the fact that you have to buy 8 x 10. I would much prefer 5 x 7 and 4 x6. I also think it is a good idea to have a photo card that you hand to the photographer and all your photos go on the card. Then you can look at your photos someplace and maybe mix and match what you want and in the sizes you want. I love to display our photos from our cruises, but don’t like the 8 x10 and don’t like having to buy the 8 x 10 in order to get the smaller sizes. I would probably buy more pictures if I could choose the size and the if packages were available. It would be nice to go home at the end of the cruise with the Carnival pictures on a CD and a 4 x 6 album of the prints you wanted.
One thing that Disney World does well is their pictures. The first time you have you picture made in the parks by one of their photographers you are given a photo card. Each time you have your picture again, you give the card to the photographer, they swipe it and your pictures go in your file. You can either look at the pictures while you are in the park or wait unitl you get home and look on your computer and then order what you want in the size you want. I always order pictures after I get home.
Just do away with having to buy the 8 x 10 in order to get smaller sizes.
Have a good day.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I will reply about photos. I love the cruise photos. However I don’t need nor want all 8 by 10 nor those with scenery around the edges. Would it not be possible to have a preview show of some sort where we could view the photos before they are printed. Then I would love to buy just the sizes I want. I like the 4 by 6 size for my albums. I think I would buy more photos if I was in charge of what I could get.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Photos, cost big money and they are wasting paper being printed over and over then the pictures are not purchased , I think a phot0 terminal would be a wonderful idea , available to people all day long . they could select many posses and the money saved in the print process would certainly contribute to the offering of multi pose packages . The only complaint I ever heard someone make about the photos was the paper use – there goes another tree . I could see printing them if people were getting them , I am sure it could be done , as you seem to be up on all the technology of today.
Also there is that scrap booking that really is popular , why not have the pictures scrap page designs available for the many pictures . i know it would be used by many.
We have hit a deep freeze here in Canada and tonight the minus 38 will certainly be un welcome . In the west they have had temperatures in the minus 58 range .
All those Canadians setting sail on the Carnival will be very pleased to be missing our Winter moment .
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARDS- THEY ARE MUCH DESERVED- CARNIVAL HAS A TOP NOTCH CRUISE STAFF AND SHIPS.
By the way TGIF the weekend is here and we all love our weekends .
Calvin and Lou-anne
Dreamin of cruisin
January 15th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
John:
I must admit I get tired of the “politically correct police”. Prince William was not setting out to maliciously slander the good name of an entire race of people. He made a joke. Society needs to get over it.
I have always used a life lesson that has served me well over my (soon to be) 54 years. I don’t listen to the words people “say”….I listen to the INTENT of what they are saying.
I have had people speak to me with glowing accolades and sugar pouring out of their mouths…but I knew that they did not mean one word of it. The words were beautiful…but their INTENT was ugly to the core.
I have also had people who said entirely the wrong thing….but their INTENT was good. So I did not hear the wrong words…but the good INTENT!!
Name calling only hurts those who are to insecure in themselves to handle it.
Though out his life, DJ has been made fun of and called all kinds of names. Mostly by adults who you would think would know better. But it has never bothered him….because of the level of self assurance he has. He knows his value and that is something that no one else can take away….. unless he lets them…and he won’t ever let them!!!
Speaking of the Holiday….David’s Mom and Dad are headed out February 19th on the Holiday. I am thinking this is their first Carnival cruise. I know they have done Princess and other older lines that are no longer around.
David still has a ship on a stick from the Holiday from back in the day when they had MARBLE bases!!
We also still have photos of he and his brother in their early 20’s participating in the Men’s Nightgown Contests. Talk about blackmail material now that his brother is a Colonel and flys Blackhawk helicopters!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
January 15th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
There is one great thing that I really about you John and it is something that you and I both enjoy and that is about breasts. I’ll stop it there.
PHOTOS: Well I guess I can discuss it now. First the photos are excellent and the fact that there are many different choices to choice from. The only problem I have is the one that is taken as you come down the gangplane, oops the gangway where they tell you to stop where thay want to take a photo with some one or something. That one I don;t like. If people want a photo taken at that time, just have the photographers ready on the pier and if visiters want a photo they’re prepared to do so. The one that I have already mentioned a couple times and that is the Captain be located in a particular location so that a couple stand by him for a photo. It would be great to have one with the Captain as a reminder of the one who controlled everything that made your cruise a great one. I know my wife and I would buy one and I’m pretty sure that others would buy it also. One final thing about photos, There are so many photos and they sort of make you buy each one. Why not create a package deal of many different grouping where you could buy the group of photos that you want. I believe that many people would buy many more phots po their cruise. Well John, I’ve enjoyed my last two cruise and I bought photos and I’ll probably enjoy a next cruise and buy my photos also. I plan on many cruises if my money lasts and I’m sure I’ll buy photos of those cruises. They allow me to look back at the most beautiful part of my life with my wife. Thank you for that Carnival. And thank you John.
Heidi don’t worry about John, we will take good care of the father of your child. Ciao.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
January 15th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Hi John,
This suggestion has been mentioned many times on Cruise Critic, but I will share with you….
That big Theme Park Place in Central Florida does photos right. Thier photographers are stationed throughout the parks. Every guest is given a Pass that you hand to the photographer before the picture is taken. With your pass, you are then able to view all the pictures taken online, and you have thirty days to order whatever you want!
There is no paper waste.. which I am sure is a HUGE complaint. You can buy PACKAGES. You can opt to buy the entire CD of your pics for a price.
I know many picture purchases are impluse – it is hard to resist a beautiful picture! But, having a better way that helps save the environment and provides a better value would be a great improvement.
Thanks!
Catrin
January 15th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Terrific blog, as usual John! Much laughter on this side of the computer screen. I’m sad that you and Heidi (and thingy) will soon be parted, but I know that you would be very bored soon. Being aboard a cruise ship is your correct habitat (since we’re talking alot of animals today!). You will have to try practicing leaving your Raspberry for short periods of time, just to get used to the idea. Your messages will still be there when you next look! Safe travels, GLoria
January 15th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
PHOTOS
John, When we go to look at all the photos they all look so nice. But I have a question, How do I know which photos are mine.
There has to be a better cheaper way to make the pictures available for purchase. If you could get rid of all the waste of paper and ink you could sell the pictures a lot cheaper. Then people would buy more. Thus making Carnival more money.
How about a photo cafe just like the internet cafe. You sit at a terminal look at the thumbnails of the photos, find yours, click on it to enlarge if you like it you order it in the size you want and the next day it’s in your cabin.
But wait why do it on the ship at all. All the digital files could even be sent ashore and when we get home we could find all the photos we want right from our computer at home. Select all we want and get them in the mail even next day priority if we want to pay extra for that service.
BIG ED
January 15th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Hi John, The thing I love most about the photos is the machine on the Splendor that takes my digital camera card and prints several photos on a single page. We were on the Splendor in September and I printed several pages of photos. When we went back on the Splendor in November I put all my photos of the September and November cruises on cards. I put 8 photos on each page. What a great way to make scrapbooks and photo albums. When we go on the Splendor in February to South America I am taking photos from past trips on my laptop so I can do the same thing. Each page was less than $3.00. What a deal. Sure beats pasting photos on a page. I may even do a poster. You could have all your trip on one huge poster. Cool.
Safe travels my friend. Say hi to Heidi.
Jo
January 15th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
John,
My idea on the photo department is a money saver. Get rid of all of the printed pictures and simply have everyone look up their pictures on the screen in their stateroom. This will free up a lot of space where the photos are, so that the ship can have other things going on like the “Inch of gold” and other sale items that could be displayed without blocking an aisleway. Passengers could then order the pictures that they want and the photo department could print only the pictures that people really want. We will have to give up looking at the pictures of the kids with spoons attached to their noses in the dining room but oh well. I can’t imagine how much money is wasted on prints that certain passengers would never buy in the first place, but at $0.19 per page I’ll bet it will add up to several hundred dollars on each cruise. My wife Nancy and I had our 25th Anniversary aboard the Spirit. The photo department assigned a photographer to take pictures of us as we renewed our vows in the Chapel and also around the ship. They did such a great job I would reccomend that anyone doing anything similar, that they inquire about having them do the same. We did spend and extra $200.00 on the photos since they all turned out so great. Wish I could attach one so everyone could see what I mean.
Best Wishes,
James & Nancy the Cruzin2some
January 15th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
I use to keep paper scrapbooks of each cruise but not any more. We haven’t bought a photo in five or six cruises. On our last two cruises we didn’t even walk through the photo area to see our pictures.
One reason for not buying is that the cost has gone up and the other is that we are digital. It would be great to have a CD or electronic file of all the pictures taken of my family and me offered at a good price.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Please respond,
John,
Either you are psychic or I messed up. I wrote you a couple days ago asking you to reflect on how the cruise industry has changed. I then read January 15th’s blog and there it was…. your reflection on how the cruise experience has grown over the years. I am not sure whether you just started this in earlier blogs (I have been on the Conquest and away from the computer) or it is coincidence or it is a result of my posting. In any case, thank you. I sailed on both the Celebration and Jubulee and enjoyed the mid night buffets. I remember toward the end of the cruise the chefs would put together a special buffet that was equally suited for photographs as well as consumption. In its time it was one of the most anticipated and promoted events of the cruise In any case thank you. Have a safe trip and welcome back to your home away from home.
Stephen Smith
January 15th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Hi John,
A question, if I may, about the arrival and departure times published for Carnival ports-of-call. Is the “arrival” time the actual arrival time or the time that passengers will be allowed to head down the gangway for fun ashore? Arrival times are not usually a concern except when we will be tendered to the dock. In these instances the additional time it takes to ferry the humbled masses ashore may adversly impact upon time available for excursions. Those of us who have arranged for private excursions (read non-Carnival here) and who do not have priority tendering status worry that the tender gods may not look favourably upon us .
January 15th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
John your cruising plans change more than mine. My PVP can tell I am online looking at different cruises and calls the house to see if she can help. My husband finally told me to stay off the Carnival website. Well I fixed him, I booked a cruise today and if he doesn’t behave, I will book a few more! This will be our first without our son working on the ship so we will not know anyone nor get to go behind the scenes but that is okay. Still can’t wait to get on the ship and get my DOD handed to me!
As far as the photos, when I have had to pay full price, they are pretty expensive and I certainly didn’t buy many. It would also be nice to have packages. It would be too difficult for the photo department to find all your pictures to offer you a cd that is just yours but it would be nice to view them a different way. It really, really gets crowded and hard to find as the cruise lengthens. I do like the ones getting off the boat because they are great for scrapbooking as the information is already on them from the port. The photographers are always wonderful, but sometimes it seems like they and their setups are everywhere so maybe it is too much of a good thing.
I scrapbook and there needs to be a way to buy Carnival scrapbook materials other than the ship. If it was available online, Carnival would be amazed at the people purchasing it. As a scrapbooker, when I am ready to work on those pages, I review what I have and then buy.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Yes, Harry did make the new here in the US! I tend to agree–we have all said things we regret or that were cruel but we aren’t the royals and no one cares what we do.
So glad that Heidi is recovering from the test but honestly John you need to try to control the Raspberry thingy. It is an addiction–and recently friends divorced over this issue. You need to think of what you told all of us–you are physically there but your mind is on that Raspberry and that is not fair or fun. Imagine being on stage and everyone in your audience using them and ignoring you. Ok enough bullocks for the Raspberry.
Photos…..It is fun looking for them but even though they are recycled the process of cleaning paper takes more chemicals than any other type of recycling. Ok forget the green issue. I agree with another blogger that 5 x 7’s are more appropriate for all of the embarkation and port photos. I saw this system work at Disney–you buy a package and they give you a number and then you get your picture taken wherever you see a photographer (and they are everywhere) and you look at them online. You already have interactive TV, you let people look at them and order them from their cabin or set up computer access in stations around the photo area. It would be neat to have a little studio where you could make an appointment to have them taken–a cruise is usually a family thing and it’s rare to get everyone together at home so this affords the opportunity and studio would also give those that are self conscious about getting their photo taken a private area to do that and would make it easier for parents with little children to plan it at a time when the child is at their best. On the Splendor Thanksgiving cruise the photographers were plentiful and the lines or wait times weren’t too long–other ships they have been and you give up. Being with the grandchildren on that cruise I thought they missed a golden opportunity to take the kid’s pictures when they met Funship Freddy–they spent the whole cruise looking for him and my photo is blurred–wished they had been there so I would have the photo. Going back to the online or on ship thing, it would be nice to have them available online after the cruise since we left someone out when we ordered a beautiful picture of the kids that was taken on the ship–we didn’t order enough but it was too late–bummer. Sorry for the lengthy photo evaluation.
Congrats on the blog award and the port and cruise center honors are well deserved. Ok, that’s it. Grey’s thingy is coming on and I will watch your mate and do so more packing for the Splendor South America cruise–what would you pack?
January 15th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Hi John!
Congrats on the awards. They are truly well deserved.
Good luck with the packing. It sounds like quite a task but you and Heidi have gotten really efficient at planning your trips.
Love the history of the buffets. It brings back a lot of memories.
My biggest complaint about the photos is the cost and amount of pictures. One could spend hundreds of dollars to only walk away with a few pics.
Take care!
David
January 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
John, Congrats on your award for best blog. It is great. On the subject of photos, we long time cruisers (the Jubilee was our first way back when) have more than we could ever use. So I agree with Susan & Scott about having a photo terminal that you could put together a package deal. Sounds good. Right? Have’nt been to Puerta Maya since it was destroyed, but have been to Grand Turk in Nov. & it was in very good shape as compared to the rest of the island. Good going Carnival. We do remember midnight buffets. I really don’t know how we ate so much & stilled functioned the next day. You sound like you pack the same all us guys do. Pick out what you’ll be needing & let the little wife pack it because she well tell you, your not packing enough. Then you can tell her thanks. & lug around the extra 10 lbs. Larry & Connie
January 15th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
John, at last you have asked for comments on something that I can address. I seem to spend more on photos on a cruise than on any other thing except shore excursions. When I took kids and grandkids in January (Carnival Liberty) and March (Carnival Freedom with you- BONUS) in 2008, I spent more than ever. We bought the welcome aboard DVD (with Steve Knisely) on the first cruise and we got many wonderful photos from both cruises including group shots when we boarded, when we left the ship in ports, and when we dressed up for elegant night and posed at several spots on the way to dinner. I even had them take a special shot of my 14 year granddaughter (you talked to her when you and Al called our cabin one morning when I was out to breakfast and she didn’t understand why you told Al I liked your nose [he thought "blog" had something to do with your nose]) and got the big canvas of that shot. To me the photos are the best souvenir of our trip.
I still treasure the photos from my first three cruises when my sister was still alive and traveling with me. As far as I’m concerned, the prices are reasonable and the memories that the photos bring back are priceless.
Make it better? Maybe they could be easier to find, but I do enjoy looking. It’s what we do after dinner and before the theater opens. And it is frustrating when they offer a special deal at the end of a cruise when I already bought most of the pictures earlier. But all in all, I am very happy with the parts of a cruise that I can take home and enjoy forever.
Now put the blackberry thing away and enjoy the time with your wife. She deserves your undivided attention for the little time you have together before you take off again.
Shirley
January 15th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
John – PLEASE REPLY
Methane – a byproduct of life. Have you seen the article where scientists believe that life exists on Mars because of the presence of methane?
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24920154-30417,00.html
Go figure?
Jon
January 15th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Hi John and Heidi
I am so happy to hear that your amniocentesis went well. I know your precious new one will be perfect in every way. How could it miss with Mum and Dad like you two.
I have to comment on the ship’s photos. When I first started cruising, you could buy 2 pictures for a lesser cost than just one.(Not much less)
I do the scrapbooking thing of all the photos I have purchased on the cruises I have taken and am volume 16. At this point, I have 414 photos that I have bought on various cruises. I agree that each photo should be offered in different sizes so that an astronomical cost can be avoided. I seldom buy 8×10 because of the cost. I would have bought a smaller copy. I agree with Ed. Possibly put all photos on line and let everyone choose and print only the ones they want. DCL offers a package deal and the photos are exchangable. Their individual phots prices are fairly comparable to CCL, but the packages make the photo purchase more appealing. Or possibly do the sort of thing as the DisneyWorld Photo pass. The photos are available on line for 30days after your trip. Prints can be ordered from home and it would help preserving the pics for the trip home. I have had a few get bent in my luggage on the trip home. Just my thoughts, but I think more pictures would be bought if there were package deals or an online option.
Give my best to Heidi and thingy. See you next month in NOLA!! Hi to Stephanie and thanks for all you do!
Gloria aka Sue
January 16th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Your friend was great tonight in Grey’s Anatomy. Did you know that he showers with his clothes on?
The photos are great, but they need to let you just the sixe that you want and not have to pay for an 8×10 that you don’t want before you can get a 5×7 or 3×5.
Be very sweet to Heidi, her horomones are going nuts right now. Her body is working really hard and she deserves lots and lots of pampering and understanding.
Ann
January 16th, 2009 at 12:17 am
John, congrats on the award, and well deserved!
On the subject of Photos: You may remember a lot of blogs ago you asked for suggestions, and one that I made (and I see others who feel the same way), is to set up digital viewers for the photos and let us pick the ones we want and the size we want. This way you don’t waste so much photo paper and ink and time printing photos that no one buys. We would love to have the choice of 5X7’s or 4X6’s – and at a more reasonable price, please.
Love to Heidi and dear, little thingy – I know you are glad to be past the amnio test. Enjoy this time, thingy’s are much harder to take care of after they are born. And for such small people, they sure do need a LOT of stuff. LOL
We leave for NOLA 3 weeks from today!! YIPEE
Diane from Texas
January 16th, 2009 at 1:07 am
I love all the Carnival pictures we purchase. Each cruise we return with a nice family picture. My boys love going to each photo station and having their picture taken. By the end of the cruise our stack of pictures can be measured in inches. And I always purchase way too many pictures. But I have a hard time leaving the cute ones behind.
So I would love to see more pictures printed in 5×7 size instead of 8×10.
I love the idea of a card to give the photographer, our sign and sail cards would work for this. Another idea is for Carnival to offer a “digital file package” – maybe after you purchase so many prints you can purchase digital copies of all the pictures you had taken for $x.
See you on the Valor in March! We are going on our spring break cruise with the boys on 3/15. Can’t wait, I purchased sunscreen today at the store and it make the crise feel so close.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:25 am
Hi John,
I haven’t written in a few days, but I have been reading the blog daily, and thoroughly enjoying it as usual. Although I am not able to cruise on the blogger’s cruise with you and all the bloggers, I am looking forward to blogs both before, during (if you or anyone has time with all the fun you will all have), and after. I would like to share some thoughts on photos, as I have some opinions on this, and I have also seen many comments on other boards from people who share many of my thoughts.
PHOTOS: On a positive note, the quality of the actual prints and the photographs are very professional and great. I definitely think there needs to be some improvement in several areas. First, the paper waste is just embarrassing. Second, I am sure the technology exists, and I think that passengers should hand the photographs their seapass card when they take the picture, and then guests should view the picture(s) on computers/kiosks. This will eliminate the issue of not being able to find pictures and the issue of paper waste. ALSO, the PRICES are way to MUCH. Maybe this computerized idea will allow Carnival to reduce prices a little. In addition, I KNOW many more people will buy MORE pictures if prices are lower. People will be able to bring home the pictures of the family having fun to show family and friends and have for themselves… they will remember the fun times and their friends will see the pictures and everyone will want to book a Carnival cruise. Why just throw them away after the cruise? We used to buy pictures when we first cruise, but due to the extremely high prices, we now buy one or none… but at the same time, we would love to buy them if they were cheaper. The few we take have recently just gone to waste. Lastly, I really think that Carnival should have PACKAGES. How about “get the picture on a cd if you buy the picture. Maybe there can be a “get you favorite pictures on a cd special with or without prints.” There should also be “buy a few pictures at the same time together” special.
Hopefully we will be able to buy the professional Carnival cruise photos on future cruises. Thanks for asking for our opinions. Looking forward to tomorrow’s blog.
-Matt
January 16th, 2009 at 1:25 am
Sorry… I forgot to congratulate you on the best blog award John… you absolutely deserve it!
January 16th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Hi John.
Firstly , as someone has already stated dont forget your online ESTA form or they wont let you fly.
As far as the photos are concerned I agree with what a lot of other people have already said. Surely the technology exists to be able to view the photos in your cabin in the same way you can keep check on your spending on your sail and sign. Then pick the ones you want and go and collect them from the photo shop. That way you can make better use of the space taken up now with all the photo racks. I know you said you think people like to hunt for there photos, I actually think there are more people who dont. I am sure you would sell more if you were able to do it electronically. You may also wish to think about the costs as they are becoming quite expensive and considering we are in the digital age they could be made cheaper.
All the best to Heidi and Thingy and best wishes for Monday.
Wes and Liz
January 16th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Hi John,
Photos
1) Stop taking photos on the gangplank. It impedes people trying to get off the ship. It can easily be done off to the side.
2) Cut the price in half and size and you would sell more photos. We have stopped buying photos other then embarkation. Really how many 8×10’s do you need after 22 cruises.
3) Photos in the dining rooms has become more of an annoyance though we are gracious in telling them no thanks. I realize they have a job to do and it is not their fault.
4) Like others have said, electronic is the way to go.
On your trip to New Orleans, bring a coat. We are 2 hours from there and it is 20.2 degrees F this morning.
Dave
January 16th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Ditto what most people are saying about the photos needing to be smaller for photo albums and such. Also agree with the idea of going digital and selecting packages. For those of us who manage to cruise more than once a year, it becomes redundant to have the same type of photos taken each time. I find that I haven’t purchased a photo for over 3 years since they have become so expensive. On another note, you were talking about the food served on Carnival ships. Is there a reason that Carnival only serves a continental type breakfast for room service? When we cruised some of the other brands out there (your nemesis the X#* of the Seas for one), they always offered full breakfasts with room service. Just wondering if there was a reason Carnival doesn’t do this or if there are plans in the future to add this feature.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Good luck w/packing. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to pack for two months..it’s hard enough to pack for a one week cruise.
Thank you so much for requesting comments on shipboard services. Up till now there has been no effective way to be heard. Bravo, John.
I’ve have been on 16 Carnival Cruises, and are looking forward to our 17th on the Pride in early March. We think the photo services are simply the best. We have dozens of photos to prove it! My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that most of the time I wish I could purchase MORE of the photos on a trip. There are only so many 5×7 and 8×10 photos I can have around my house. I’d appreciate it if they would proudce the photos in a 4×6 format that would fit into photo albums along w/ the photos I’ve taken. I’d probably end up spending more on photos than I do now!
Have a safe trip to the states.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
John, I think that the photos should all come in a 5×7 size and should be priced cheaper. If you sell them at a cheaper price, you will sell many more and the end result would be more money in Carnival’s pocket. If people want an 8×10, they can order it too. Personally, we have more 5×7’s displayed in our home – 8×10’s are just too big except for special occasions such as Grandchildren.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Hello John and Heidi:
First of all congratulations on the arrival of your first baby. Better you than me.
I am new to your blog and fairly new to Carnival cruising and after having read your comments and ramblings I can see why you have such a loyal following. Your recount of Blackberry usage is spot on. I even get e-mails about penis extensions. Now what would I do with a penis extensions unless it comes with batteries?
Looking forward to reading more from you.
Carla
Toronto, Canada
P.S. Congratulations on your Porthole MagazineAward.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hi John and Heidi,
I am so happy everything went well with the aminocentesis, and soon you will know Thingy is 100% fine. Beleive me you will remember this at the oddest moments, as your child grows up. How thankful you are to have a perfect baby, heathly and happy. Everything you both go through is nothing compared to actually having that infant placed in your arms! What a joy that will be for you both.
I do have a few comments on photos. While I love having photos of the family and friends to look at I think the process of finding them could be improved upon.
On my last Legend cruise I could not find several of the photos I knew were taken. I looked for several days and just never found them.
Also I would like more stock photos of places in the ship and shore excursions. I know you send photographers out on some. I think it would be really nice to have shots of places like Dunns River Falls or Sting ray City for people to buy.
My suggestion for viewing photos would be this.Have some sort of card reader, or have them do a photo of your card, or have the photographer ask for your folio number and input them into the photo. You then could have all pictures of that person or group of people on a set account. Have viewing stations available in the photo area to pull up your folio number and there are your pictures. You could then choose the good ones and purchase them in specific formats and you could delete the bad ones. This would simplify ordering, offer a fast and easy way to view photos and make the process more customer friendly. You could also have frames for pictures to add to identify the night it was taken, such as Captains Dinner Party or Gala Evening.
Nancy
January 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
For the photos I tend not to buy them because 8 x 10 is just too big for most of the photos. If I could choose the size and different poses then I would be more likely to purchase pictures. I agree with everyone here that going digital and offering packages through the stateroom TV’s and at home after your cruise would be great. I also like the idea of being able to purchase a CD of all our photos.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
John, please respond
Congrats on winning the blog award. You certainly deserve it.
On today’s segment of The View, (do you know this show?) the ladies spoke of a couple in England who were refused the honor of adopting a baby because the man was too overweight. No names were mentioned and the ladies were appalled. I’m sure you are not the only people in England that this has happened to, but I was wondering if it was you and Heidi they were talking about? Just wanted to let you know this was discussed on the show.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I agree with all of the comments about the photographs and even suggested the viewing in the room about 5 years ago on the comment card that is completed at the end of your cruise.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Hi John & Heidi,
John, don’t let the Raspberry start running your life. You’re going to have other priorities soon. Maybe if you start by slowly decreasing the time you spend on it.
I remember the old days of midnight buffets & late-night buffets on the Promenade deck, both on the Jubilee & Holiday. In fact, since my friends & I were always in the Disco till it closed, we never went to the Dining Rooms at midnight, just the Bus Stop (& whatever the area was called on the Jubilee?). Eggs & mini-danishes.
About the Photos: I don’t buy as many of the photos as I used to. I prefer 5×7 or 4×6 for albums & frames, not the 8×10. But, I think I told you before, my favorite photo is from my 1st cruise in 1987 at embarkation. Visitors were allowed on board then, and I had about 10 people (family & friends) in this photo who came to the pier to see me off. That photo is still in my living room.
I am impressed by the digital kiosks on board. Since I was clueless, one of the ladies at the register helped me make my selections & print from my memory stick. They came out great.
My only complaint (?) was that my APS film could not be processed on-board. I thought I had in the past, but it may have been a throw-away camera. That’s what I get for bringing both cameras! And I agree that the photos in the dining room may be just a waste of paper, especially on non-elegant nights. On the Miracle they were taking photos the 1st nite out, when everyone is still casually settling in. I just thought it was a meaningless exercise.
Have a great flight Monday. It’s been cold down South, just be prepared. Hope to catch up on Tuesday.
Hugs,
Carol
January 16th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I just booked for the December 3rd bloggers cruise. WooHoo!
January 16th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Like many others here, I’d prefer having the option smaller photos without being forced to buy an 8×10 first. The kiosks mentioned elsewhere would be perfect. I, ands others, would gladly buy several smaller photos instead of a single 8×10 to give to our parents [or whoever]
January 16th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
So really , John do you actually answer the questions and read your facebook , you named a lot of people in the thank you, for the award.
I guess I see how much time is put into answering questions , how many things you write about and I wonder how you do it with out becoming divorced. Do you actually do the talking , or is it , writers like on the soap shows .
I know that it takes time to do all these things and I was just wondering . If I write to you is it you opeing them up , or is a Carnival crew reading them and researching , then providing the answers .
I was also wondering who will be the Cruise director on the new ship carnival Dream ?
Just a couple of questions and please ask the cruise line to get technical , loose the printing of all those pics, make sure they get on board with ordering them on line , in packages , it would save a lot of trees . Did you know that in many countries the amount of clear cutting is leading to the cause of the production of green house gas. the Cruise line has to be very proactive and make sure it does as many things in the reduction and reducing of waste . I am sure there are a lot of things the cruise ship is condemned for because of environmental impact . We all have to do our part . We for one , just do not get pictures taken unless we know thats the shot we want , no need of getting 25 poses done and not even serious about taking them – some of the responsibility comes back to us the cruiser to .
So I really do enjoy this blodg, and its the first time writing , thought I would ask those questions and I think you are doing a great job , its funny informative and many people in my office read it .
jess
January 16th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Like DMW13 I agree with all the comments regarding the photos. They are great but too large and too expensive.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
First off John you are a mess I love the way you ended this blog. A man about to have a baby dedicating an award to a girl he felt up, wow. Things like that keep us coming back. I do have a few thoughts on the photos. I would like see our pics grouped differently. I am sure you love us searching but that often turns into frustration. Many times through out the cruise they are moved making it even harder to find pics once you found them. I understand why they have to be moved and condenced but it adds to the aggravation. The other problem is I don’t always want to by pics from the first formal. What if the pics from the second formal are better? With the high price and the fact that you have to buy an 8×10 first before getting other sizes I can only get a few pics. Why are we not allowed to group them? We have done that on other trips and got yelled at or the sign pointed out or they are split up again. Why?? They are just thrown out if we dont buy them. Isn’t that a huge waste by the way and not very green? Why not have kiosks with a way to look at all you pics and only print what ones you want. that cuts cost of all the wasted pics. Now I know then I don’t have a copy to actually look at but I can get what I want and leave what i don’t. Why not also let me print off a 5×7 with out having to first give my arm? I know the kiosks would be crowded but it is already crowded anyway. Why not have a way to look at our pics from the room and order them, from our room. Have a place to pic them up think of all the space that will be saved. Even if we can’t order them from the room why not look be able to look at them?? I get surveys from carnival all the time, I know they are looking at improving things with technology this could be one of them. The TV’s are already in the rooms with an interactive menu. I guess the biggest things are having to hunt them down, the wasted pics, the high price and having to buy 8×10, and not being able to easily find old pics. Sorry I went on for a while there but I have spent many a time hinting down pics or lost pics. Cant wait to sail carnival soon Hopefully Dream 2010. Aslo I had emailed about which ships have the theatre and which will be getting them any idea on that? Thanks for all you do for us John.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Hi John,
Glad to hear everything went smoothly for Heidi yesterday.
As for photos…I love the idea that some other folks have brought up about having a photo card of some sort where you can pull up your photos and pick and choose what you want…maybe interactively through your TV. I have stopped buying professional photos because I don’t have room for anymore 8 x 10’s. The ability to pick and choose sizes would make me more likely to going back to buying.
2nd–I HATE when I am in the middle of eating my wonderful dinner, usually mid-bite, and the photographers ask me to pose for a picture. It’s really an intrusion. We always tell them no thanks.
3rd–There has to be a better place to take pictures when folks get off the ship in each port. People could debark much faster if there wasn’t a line on the gangway waiting to have their pic taken. And, even if you don’t want your pic taken, sometimes it’s difficult to move pass.
4th–I can’t complain about the quality. The photographers are really good at what they do. I’ve had some that are more fun than others, but their work is always very good.
5th–The variety of available backgrounds is nice.
Hope this helps,
The Kilmartins
January 16th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Photos…I take them, don’t like to be the subject of them. I don’t buy photos onboard, don’t even look through them. I think if a person says no, twice, let them go, they are not going to buy a photo anyways. I get annoyed at being forced to stop and take a pic, knowing I am never going to even look for it.
I do like having my pics developed onboard, but now with the digital age, some may like to print those. I am taking a digital camera on my next cruise, but think I will take the ol’ nikon as well, old habits are hard to break.
Cheers,
Ron(37 days till Legend Cruise)RN
January 16th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I agree with everyone about the photos. They should be 4 x 7 so they fit nicely in the photo albums. I’m one of those people that the Carnival paparazzi love. I always pose for pics because I find it easier to do that than to argue with them. In the end, because they always do such amazing jobs, I end up buying most or all of the pics they take. I get so used to stopping and smiling that I do the same thing when I go home from a cruise and open my front door.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
John,
Glad to know Heidi is ok and resting.
As for the pictures on board ship. Do away with the requirement of buying the 8×10 before you can get another size. More choices mean more money! Printing all those pictures is such a waste. I can’t tell you how many of those waste boxes are full of pictures that have been thrown away. We never buy the embarktation or dinner photos. When you first board the ship, all you want to do is find your room, dump your stuff, and get on with the fun! It’s so annoying to have a mouthful of food and some photographer wanting you to smile with lettuce stuck between your teeth! Or only half of your party is able to be in one picture so you must buy two to get everyone. Do away with those as most people don’t buy them. We always get one port debarktation, one formal night, and one casual picture. We find that by the time the 8×10’s arrive home, they are usually bent so the idea of a CD sounds good too.
Mike & Lori
January 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
John,
We love the photos and we get one in each port as we disembark. However we do not purchase one if there are strange people standing beside or behind us. If there was some way to avoid this that would be great. It always seems to happen as the photo is taken on the gangplank. The photo opportunities on the piers seem to work better.
Mike
January 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
HI JOHN
CONGRATS ON THE PORT HOLE AWARD
You deserve every award you receive.
Re the photos:
Your actual prints and the photographs are very professional and great. I agree with the others. Not everyone wants 8 x 10 ALL of the time of themselves all over the living room. I would like the option of 3 x 5 or 4 x 7. I like the idea of the kiosk or the viewing of your photos in your room on your tv like your sale & sign card,HOWEVER I forsee a long line for passenger arguments & too much time (clock watchers) at the kiosks, The price of too many 8 X 10 can burn a heavy hole in the old wallet or sale & sign card.
As far as the Carnival food goes? Most excellent
only problem? Servings are too large for people who have had gastric surgery, The waiters look at you as if you didn’t like the food when you only eat half of it.. That is not the case. just cannot eat it all. P.S. never go on a cruise 4 weeks post op, food is too rich for a tender tummy/
Take Care
Love to Heidi & Thingy
See You Soon
The Tuckers
Elizabeth & Arnold
January 21st, 2009 at 8:34 am
Hi John,
It’s me, PennyB from New Orleans.
I wanted to add my $.02 on photos. I love pictures and love all the ones all over the ship but… I also hate 8×10s. I don’t even have that size for my grandkids and they are more important then my cruise pics. I do have a few 5×7s but much prefer the 4×6s. I have albums from all the ships with name on it (4×6 size) and enjoy looking at them but please – give a choice.
Thanks Penny B
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