One of the most common things that people have said to me these past few weeks is “I hope you aren’t leaving Heidi and the Thingy at home and going back to work on a ship.” Every man should be home at 7pm to see his wife and thingy.
For the first few days this really got to me and I had begun to second guess myself on some choices we had already made. But then, I started to resent what these people were saying. I guess I am old fashioned and that’s why I don’t understand………I am not saying a wife should be at home taking care of the house, cooking, cleaning and feeding the Thingy, etc. while the man goes off to work to support them …………. well ………. actually…………hold on a moment ……………that’s exactly what I am saying.
If you were an Iron Age man and you came home from a hunting expedition empty-handed because you wanted to play with your children, you’d starve. If you were a penguin and you came back from a fishing trip with nothing but snow in your flippers, your baby would die and the following year Mrs. Penguin would be having rumpy pumpy with the penguin next door …………….or become a nun.
This is the problem. I am a man, designed to hunt and reproduce and look after those that bare your name. But in an evolutionary nanosecond, it’s all changed. After several million years of programming we’ve been told that what women really want is a husband who leaves his colleagues in the lurch at 7pm and comes home to make a delicious meatloaf.
That’s like telling someone from Paris that after a lifetime of not washing and being rude you want them to have a shower every day and walk around the streets of London and New York wishing us all a nice day. And it’s not just a bunch of feminists making the point either. It’s every single girl from the age of puberty to the menopause.
Last week I wrote that I had hurt my back. I did this I think whilst performing an on board with Carnival event on the Carnival Splendor. I wasn’t happy with the chair assignment on stage so rather that ask a stage technician to help I moved them myself thus causing my back pain. Being male I shrugged this off and kept going which caused all the women present to treat me like I had Ebola.
If I had wanted to impress them I should have abandoned the show, gone to my cabin, sold my story to Currents magazine, and spent the next six weeks watching Notting Hill while holding a puppy.
I pride myself on the fact I don’t cry over films or TV — apart from Mrs. Landingham’s and Leo’s funerals in West Wing, obviously. But apparently this is all wrong. I should sob hopelessly every time I watch American Idol.
Take my great mate and fellow CD Wee Jimmy, who is about as manly as Elton John’s underwear. But girls say he has bunny-rabbit eyes and that he looks like he needs to be mothered……… bollocks……. He looks like a Weeble …….yet the girls can’t get enough of him.
All of which gets me back to the case in point; that after a million years of not coming home until you actually have an impala to eat, men are now being told that no matter what, we should up sticks at seven and go home with a box of tissues and some flowers from the Citgo station.
And so is the attitude of the many men and women of the armed forces and the thousands of people who work away from home. So, Heidi and I have thought long and hard about this. I will (if Carnival allows it) continue in my roll as brand ambassador and senior cruise director. Hopefully next year I will get to be a CD again and providing I am not at sea for more than 8 weeks then Heidi will be happy for me to continue doing what I love and providing for them in what is ……….the only way I know how.
Some may say my attitude is macho and I guess you would be right…….. because it is.
Anyway, that was a very long winded way of answering the question I am getting a lot at the moment…………what is my 2010 schedule. Well, I don’t know as yet but I hope to soon and I will let you all know what is happening.
Talking of questions……………..lets answer some right now that have been marked “John, please reply.”……………here we go.
spencercoop Asked:
John Please Reply.
John,
I am the one that asked for some pictures of the Penthouse Suites with the extended balconies. Sorry I didn’t specify what ship I was talking about. I thought I did, but I guess I didn’t. I am looking for pictures of the balconies of the new extended balcony suites on the Carnival Sensation. I just wanted to see a few pictures, so I could see how big the balcony is.
Thank You,
SpencerJohn Says:
Hello Spencer
Thanks for letting me know. I will ask someone onboard to do this ASAP and will post them here on the blog.
Cheers
JohnAshley Asked:
John (please Reply)
Thank you SOOO much for including a letter from Claire! She is seriously one of my favorite Carnival employees and I hope that everyone out there has a chance to meet this wonderful person. Not only is she an amazing dancer and dance captain but she is one of the sweetest people I have ever encountered. I have had the pleasure of sailing with her 2 times (Glory and Splendor) and had an opportunity get to know on her on Sarah’s and my amazing Splendor Cruise in December.
Please send her my love (and I will email her how excited I am about her blog debut)!
Take Care
Ashley
Not sure if the link will work but here is a pic of Claire and I when I was Gloria during the Legends show!http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=1176979&id=602243444
John Says:
Hello Ashley.
Your love has been sent and indeed, even though is from the North of England, she is a wonderful person and a great attribute to the company. Thanks for sharing the photos and I hope you enjoyed your starring roll in Carnival Legends.
Cheers
JohnCaryn Asked:
John – please reply
I am booked on the Carnival Liberty leaving in 3 weeks and there are still no shore excursions listed for HMC. Are there any being offered there? I called the shore excursions dept to no avail. Part of the “fun” of the cruise is planning your “fun.”
John Says:
Hello Caryn
You are correct, the excursions are not showing and it appears we have a computer glitch once again. Please accept my apologies and I have let our shore excursion department know. Once they have them online you can choose from a host of excursions available at Half Moon Cay………….here are a few of our favorites.
Aqua Trax (similar to a jet ski ).Take a short tram ride and arrive at the safety briefing area and have time to get acquainted with your personal sit-on watercraft. Have your guide lead you, single file, along the picturesque shoreline of the island. Navigate around the natural reef formations, inlets, islands and sand pits before stopping for a cool drink. Learn about the history of the island and the Arawak Indians, the first settlers to the area.
Half Moon Cay Snorkel Tour – Travel by boat to a site off the coast of Half Moon Cay Get an up-close view into the crystal clear waters of the sparkling Caribbean. Snorkel from the boat in waters teeming with gloriously colored fish, anemones and coral. Have professional snorkeling guides assist you as needed. Spend time to observing the creatures of the deep and their characteristics. Spot a friendly stingray if you’re lucky.
Half Moon Cay Horseback Adventure – Make a short tram ride to your orientation where you will then mount up and set out with your guides along winding trails and up to the highest point on the island. Enjoy a great photo opportunity and panoramic view of Half Moon Cay and the surrounding Bahamian islands. Continue along the bay en route back to the corral where you will enjoy a refreshment while your horse is “dressed” for swimming in specially designed pad and rope halter (no saddle). Then ride your horse into the ocean for a memorable swim! Afterwards, re-board your tram for the ride back to the Fort San Salvador Welcome Center.
We also have a bike tour and sailing boats for hire as well as a chance to go deep sea fishing……. and of course you might just want to relax and soak up paradise from your own private cabana. After being the first to tender ashore, you will find your cabana outfitted with a refrigerator, ceiling fan, air conditioner, table and chairs inside, as well as deck chairs and misting shower on the private terrace. You will be provided snacks and an assortment of soft drinks and bottled water to quench your thirst. You can pre-arrange rentals through our staff onboard at the shore excursion desk and I would suggest you do this as soon as you board as they are limited and always sell out. I will do my best to get these excursions up online or is it down on upline? ………..whatever it is I will do my best to get this done as soon as is possible and please except my apologies for the problems this may have caused you and others.
I hope I have been of some service and if you need anything else please let me know.
Best Wishes
JohnIrene Garner Asked:
Dear John,
Please reply…I just wanted to make it clear that it no fault of any of the crew aboard the Carnival Destiny that the times were changed for the Swim with the Dolphins excursion at Atlantis resort. The times were changed by the people running the tour, and they did not inform the Carnival Excursion team about this time change, so they were not aware that some of the passengers were not going to have transportation back to the ship.
The excursion director reassured me that this issue had already been addressed with the tour company. The other family had reported it, but I didn’t think about saying anything until we were about to disembark. I was just so relieved that my grandson was back on the ship that I didn’t think to say anything at the time. It was after watching the tour video on the TV in our cabin while waiting to hear our number to be called for disembarkation that I thought I should say something…just in case it happened to anyone else. The excursions director was glad I had said something because it strengthened his argument with the tour company that this should not have happened. As I said before he had not been aware of any problems with passengers not having transportation back to the ship until the other family told him.
I also wanted to mention that I had no problem with our room steward, who did a great job of keeping our room in tip-top shape. I think I just noticed that he never once called us by our names, or enquired how our day had been, which the steward did on the Carnival Freedom last summer. Maybe I was just missing my chocolates lol.
Thanks for your very entertaining Interactive Aquarium video. We were in fits of laughter watching that. Carnival really is All for Fun and Fun for all.
All the best…IreneJohn Says:
Hello Irene
Thanks for the follow up and I appreciate your words of support for the stateroom steward and the tour manager. There is always room for improvement and we as a company must never rest on our laurels and one of the ways if we know if we are doing well is by reading feedback like yours. The stateroom stewards should all be like the one you met on the Carnival Freedom. He exceeded your expectations and now it’s the turn of others to meet those high standards every time you walk up a Fun Ship gangway.
My best to you and the family
JohnTom and Fay T. Asked:
John: Congrats on the forthcoming new arrival.
I haven’t read your blog since we sailed on the Freedom out of Rome in March 2007. You were great. My wife assumed the role of Dick Little’s wife and we still watch the DVD with her new mate who lives in the same community with us today. I still think of the loss of “Baltimore”, what a guy. For my 60th birthday we are going on the Splendor out of Long Beach on 26 April 09. The actual day of my birthday with 4 other friends. So, what can you do for me to celebrate my 60th. Cabin number will be #. Any chance to put the six of us having dinner at the Captain’s table on night. Where do you live in the UK, spent 3 years at RAF Lakenheath in 1981-84. Still is my Yorkshire bitter.
Wish you were the cruise director. For our sailing, regards,
Tom & FayJohn Says:
Hello Tom and Fay
Goodness me the Carnival Freedom’s season in Europe seems so long ago now but it’s a season I will always remember. Yes…………….it was a sad , sad cruise and having had someone such as “Baltimore” jumping up and down and expressing his love for his beautiful wife and having all the ship know and love him and then him passing away suddenly during debarkation was…………….devastating. I am glad you are off to the Carnival Splendor, she is a greet ship and you will love her. I wish I had the power to grant access to the captain’s table but that is something that definitely is at the master’s discretion. However, look out for a birthday gift from me. I live in the south but love Yorkshire. My Dad was born there and maybe one day you will get to come back and enjoy a pint of warm Yorkshire bitter once again.
Have a wonderful birthday cruise
Cheers
JohnUncle Doug Asked:
John please reply,
One of our party guests at our Carnival Fun Day party is in a wheel chair. I commented to him that Carnival has made great improvements to be able to accommodate mobility challenged guests.
My question is that they are a family of 5 who would want to travel together in a single cabin without the expense of booking a second cabin for the children. He is not 100% confined to the wheel chair and can stand and walk a few steps. I know certain cabins on certain ships can accommodate 5 guests but is there any of the handicap rooms that will house 5 guests?
They live in the Houston area and would prefer to sail out of one of the Gulf ports.John Says:
Hello Uncle Doug
That’s a great question and as I sit here in the UK its one I cannot answer for certain. I am pretty certain the answer is no…………..however…………..if you will allow me I will check later today and get back to you soon. I hope you had fun at your house party during the Carnival Fun day Sunday and let’s do it again sometime.
Back to you soon
Cheers
JohnErin W. Asked:
Hey John – Please Reply!
Erin W again! – Thanks for the reply about the fun kit – Its arrival cut it close for my party – I had to take off work on Friday to wait for a courier to deliver it! It was missing the medals and the T shirt they sent me was an L (I can only wear an L if it has a couple X’s in front, LOL)! But in true Carnival fashion the party sailed on and was a BLAST- For a medals I gave away my 24 karat gold plastic ship on a sticks that I won on the Glory in Sept and Dec. and one of my guests wore the “I drive the Funbus” t shirt – We had a carnival colors party and everyone loved it! My PVP – the wonderful Danny B. even sent me business cards for my guests if they should have any questions or want to book! How do I send you pictures of the party?
Anyway in 16 days I will be back on the Glory celebrating my 30th and catching up with Butch and Amy. Thank you for the idea for Butch’s gift – I got him a hat that I think he will love and I got Amy a nice Birthday gift too! You told me to check back with you on 2 things: 1- You told me to pass on my booking number shortly before I left – it is —- – Room — and 2. You told me check back with you that Butch would or would not be transferred to the Liberty before I sail! Last question – When will the CD list be updated again – I would like to book my Dec cruise when I return from the Glory.John Says:
Hello Erin
Bugger………….I am so sorry we messed up your fun box and I am sure we can change the size of your T Shirt. I will make this up to you when you sail on the Carnival Glory. Butch will be your CD and I know he will be as excited to see you as you will be him. The new CD schedule will be up by the end of this month and we are still making some last minute changes although Butch will be on the Carnival Liberty I believe. Please post your photos on the House Party website which Stephanie will add here……….I can’t wait to see them.
Thanks for sending me the information and have a wonderful cruise
Cheers
JohnJohn G Asked:
Hi John,
Have been enjoying our blog for a while now. It seems to be one place where you can get real answers to your questions.
(Please reply if you are able to)
I am wondering why CD’s change so frequently. On our 2 previous cruises the CD’s were like night and day. One we never saw. The other we kept seeing over and over again. We’d see him on the way to the show, to dinner, and also just around the ship interacting with guests. (Karl with a K)
I’m also wondering (I guess I wonder a lot) about entertainers. We had the same magician on our October cruise and on our Victory cruise in February.
How often do the shows change?
Thanks!John Says:
Hello John G
I am glad you have been enjoying the blog and I truly hope you continue to do so for a long time. I was glad to see that you saw Karl with a K so much around the ship. He is a young man who is going to be one of our best cruise directors. I wonder who the CD you never saw was………….perhaps you would let me know. I will say that being out with the guests is by far the most important aspect of our job. Whether it be on stage, on TV or just wandering the decks saying hello this is what our guests expect. Yes, the role has changed and the amount of paper work and behind-the-job managerial tasks has increased dramatically but never the less……………your cruise director should be one who is providing the fun. Now, regarding the schedule. We do make a schedule but often as you say it is one that changes. This may be due to a number of reasons such as a CD being required to be at home for a family concern…………….a CD being needed on another ship if the CD there is taken ill or has to leave………….or if a CD resigns or retires a new cruise director is promoted and sometimes we need to place them on a specific ship if it is their first time. However, saying all of this we are pretty good and the schedule remains about 70% intact.
You also asked about the shows. I take it that you mean the main shows featuring the dancers and singers and these are changed maybe every five years. Changing a production show is a huge deal and can only really be done when the ship is in dry dock. Not only do we have to teach the cast and musician’s new shows but new lighting has to be programmed and the biggest job of all of course is removing the huge amount of scenery and massive props and replacing them with new ones. We have recently put new shows on many of our ships so this is a continually ongoing process.
As for the magicians………well, as with the main shows they also have a lot of props and moving them around is not easy either which is why we tend to keep them on the same ship. However, all our other acts (we call them fly on entertainers) do rotate between the ships so if you were to sail on the same ship twice in the space of a few months you would see different comedians and jugglers etc.
I thank you for taking the time to write and I remain at your service………….whoever you are
Cheers
JohnGary Asked:
Please Reply
Dear John,
I have a couple questions and observations for you. I read your blog every day and find it very interesting to say the least. I have booked our third Carnival Cruise on the Dream next January and we have one of the new Cove Balcony Rooms. Can you tell me the square footage of these cabins? They look really interesting.
Also, when I retired I took my kids on the Conquest in 2003. They enjoyed it greatly but, two of them have since went on cruise with that OTHER Line. Just so you know, they are both going back to Carnival. They were just not impressed with all the nickel and dime BS that they had to put up with that Carnival provides for free. Now that we have been on NCL, Princess and Carnival we are home to stay with Carnival. The travel agent we used to use also heavily promoted RCl so we are no longer using them.
Good luck with your new trip to fatherhood.John Says:
Hello Gary
I am glad you find the blog interesting and I can tell you right now having stood on one of the cove balconies ……….you will absolutely love them. They really are fantastic and I will ask someone at the shipyard for the actual dimensions and get back to you as soon as possible. They feel like you can just lean over and touch the water………..obviously don’t try that but you will have a remarkable view. I am so happy to hear that you are coming home to Carnival and are doing so because of the fun. I hope you all have a fantastic time on the Carnival Dream and I promise you…….it will be a ship you will always remember.
I remain at your service and send my best to all the family
JohnKarl Asked:
Hi John, PLEASE REPLY,
Is there somewhere a page where the new dining options are explained?
What happens to the gratuities when you chose anytime dining? It’s still at you’re own discretion or are you force to pre-pay them without the option to change the amount?
If we would do fixed dining and don’t make it to the dining room on-time because of for instance a late return from port can we then go to the anytime dining room and try to get in ?
Do you know which dining room Ken will have on the Dream… i would choose just the dining room he’s in…? Can you arrange for us to be in his dining room on the inaugural of the Dream?
Thanks for you’re help.
John – Ooooh ja, veel succes met de aankomende geboorte van “het dingetje”John Says:
Hello Karl
These are all great questions mate and having thought that I might get lots of these I am putting a Q and A together answering these and many other questions regarding our anytime dining option. As for Ken………..well, he will I am sure be in the aft dining room which is called the Crimson Too. I will be visiting the ship in June and will have new photos and videos for the blog and the Carnival Dream page on carnival.com.
Anyway, on Thursday look out for the Q and A with Shanaz the Hotel Director who put this project into place on the Carnival Legend and is now helping place it fleetwide.
Until then, best wishes to you and the family and hartelijk bedankt voor je lieve woorden
JohnLynda Ulrich Asked:
Dear John, please reply. We love Carnival. We’ve done 15 Carnival cruises since 05. We are looking into a Princess Cruise in Nov. Since Carnival doesn’t do Europe this year. I just thought it would be nice to transfer our Platinum level to your sister company. Just a thought. Good luck with the thingy. Love your blog, LyndaJohn Says:
Hello Lynda
I think this must be one of the most frequent requests I get here on the blog thingy and if I had a corporate magic wand I would make it so. Unfortunately the different lines all have different levels etc within their reward schemes which makes it very hard to transfer them from one cruise sister to another. However, never say never and maybe during the current economic climate it is something we should try really hard to accomplish. I do know for sure that you will have a brilliant cruise on Princess and love the European ports of call. If you have any questions about the ship you are sailing on or the ports let me know as I am quite familiar with the outstanding Princess product and very familiar with the majority of the European ports of call
Have a great cruise
Cheers
JohnIrene Garner Asked:
Dear John, Please reply……
It seems the ship we will be on next weekend has the ‘anytime seating’ option. Don’t you think this will cause problems with people who will rush to get the window seats? I haven’t been lucky enough to get that seating allocation yet on my previous cruises, but if I am given a window seat (I prefer the assigned seating option) will I find somebody has already beaten me to it by being first in the line-up for when the dining room opens their doors?
Your thoughts please
Best wishes ….Irene (Hooked on cruising)John Says:
Hello Irene
No Irene, it doesn’t work like that I promise you. On Thursday you will see all your questions answered and one thing is for sure……………for those who prefer the assigned dining ……….you will not see any difference to your brilliant dining experience. Tune in Thursday and let me know please if there is anything else I can do for you.
You will have a brilliant cruise and I wish I could be there with you
JohnLaurie Bendick Asked:
John (please reply)
We are currently booked on the Carnival Pride on April 18th; I just recently noticed that this is the last sailing of the Pride from Miami she then moves to Baltimore. Why are they not doing a 2-day cruise from Miami to Baltimore? Or are they and I doing know about it? I would of much rather cruised to Baltimore and drove back to Binghamton than flown from Miami any day.John Says:
Hello Laurie
It would have been great to do this wouldn’t it but there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done onboard which is difficult to do with 2,000-plus guests there. Also, there is the Jones Act to consider that states that a ship cannot sail from one US port to another without first going to a non-US destination. I hope you are excited to have the Carnival Pride in Baltimore and soon you will be able to drive to the ship and drive away from the ship after the cruise. Have a wonderful time and my best to you and all the family
JohnStephen Asked:
Hi John, Please Reply
A reply would be greatly appreciated as this is just a message from your new-found friend Stephen who wrote the “brilliantly poetic” post about my experience on the Valor with you February 22nd- 1st March a couple of weeks ago. Well I have a confession to make, I’m off on another cruise but unfortunately it is with Princess. My sister is one of the Future Sales Managers for Princess which means all I have to pay for is my flight. I’m off to somewhere a bit more scenic this time though venturing to Alaska. I know it’s not really a 19 year olds holiday but in the midst of this recession, I’ve just felt the need to do something more memorable for my money. I’ve made a promise to myself and I’ll make one to you as well though in that I am returning to Carnival for a cruise sometime soon even though the chances are very slim that you will be the CD.
Despite my turn-coat nature, thanks for trying to get me noticed on your Blog by replying to my comment, of which I imagine you receive hundreds. Don’t get me wrong John, you were first on the list of people who I would love to share memories from my cruise with, but I appreciate you’re a very busy man with the affectionately named Thingy on the way, valuable comments to respond to, being ridden by large American women at the Bedtime Story section of the cruise and admiring the French!! It’s only early days I’m hoping, but there’s no sign of anybody from the Valor which is unbelievable considering the amount of people you get on your Blog. I’ve had a look at those two sites you sent me and Facebook but to no avail. I’m off to the Grand National tomorrow and thought I’d drop you a message before I go. Hope all is well, and you are now obligated to come for a drink whenever you are around Liverpool!!
Peeeeeace and love,
StephenJohn Says:
Hello Stephen
Another wonderfully written comment from my British friend. There is no need to apologize about going on Princess Cruises. It’s like being married to one of the Miller Lite twins and having rumpy pumpy with her sister……….it’s almost the same …………… and nobody really minds.
Princess is a great company and their service, food and entertainment is outstanding. As for Alaska………….well I promise you that this is not just a cruise for the older passenger but is a cruise that will leave you breathless. Please send my best to your sister and if you get the chance send my regards to the cruise director there.
Have a great time and I hope I get to sail with you one day soon
Cheers mate
JohnMelissa (please reply) Asked:
John (please reply)
I am so disappointed that you will not be going to the ship yards in April for more pics of the Dream, guess we will just have to wait till June. We were supposed to Host a Carnival Funday Sunday party but we have had to postpone ours until sometime in May due to the fact that Rapid City, South Dakota is under about 3′ of snow now and we are just getting started with the 3 blizzard in 2 weeks. I am VERY tired of snow and ready to be on a cruise ship, but that will have to wait until Feb 2010.My question for you that needs an answer is whether you know anything about why the Swim with the Dolphin at Blue Lagoon excursion was taken off of the Nassau shore excursions? The Atlantis one looks great too, but my daughter will only be 7 when we go on our cruise in Feb and she is not old enough to swim with the dolphins at Atlantis (I think they have to be 10 there) but the Blue Lagoon excursion she was old enough to do the swim not just the encounter. Can you find out if the Blue Lagoon excursions will be coming back or if Carnival is only going to use the Atlantis excursions for the Dolphin swim and encounters? Thanks for all you help John.
John Says:
Hello Melissa
I hope all is well at home. Your state made the news here in the UK and I am sure we would all appreciate you telling us that you and your family and property are OK. There really isn’t anything for me to take photos of yet as the Carnival Dream is still pretty much undressed. However, in June and after the Thingy is born I will go and share more wonderful photos of this incomparable vessel with you and the bloggers.
You asked about the dolphin encounter at Blue Lagoon. Yes, we did indeed take this off the program for various reasons and replaced it with the encounter at Atlantis. As far as I know, there are no plans as I write to put the Blue Lagoon experience back. I am sure this must be very disappointing for you and your daughter but this decision was made I assure you with the guests in mind………..we only want to offer the best. I am so sorry; it looks like she may have to wait a few years before she gets to do this. I am sure she won’t mind………..maybe it will give her a porpoise in life………..get it?………….. porpoise ………. purpose……….never mind.
Please say hello to your daughter and most importantly please let us know you are all ok
Thinking of you
Johnmissingthesmokefreeparadise Asked:
JOHN – PLEASE REPLY
I have been on eight cruises, all on Carnival. These eight cruises included five on the (formerly) smoke free Paradise, two cruises on the Carnival Liberty and one transatlantic cruise on the Carnival Freedom.
I have never sailed Princess, Royal Pain in the Gluteus of the Seas or Cunard. I probably never will sail Princess, Disney or Whatever of the Seas, but I will, at some point in time I will sail Cunard.
Until I cruise, I will refrain from making comments about Cunard, but I will speak to the Carnival ships I have been on.
Amazingly, all five times I was on the (formerly) smoke free Paradise, I found the decor to be the same, most of the entertainment to be the same and the menu in the dining room to be the same. Regardless, I managed to have fun – Lord only knows how.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that I approached every cruise with an open mind. We had our experiences with certain crew members, but found that every situation was handled with tact and compassion by the staff of the ship.
As for Cunard, I have high expectations – they are the pinnacle of the cruise industry and I am certain that my high expectations will be met. If not, I will be certain to raise these issues with the cruise personnel.
Anyway, I just felt the need to respond to Kevin I have never sailed Carnival.
Best to Heidi and Thingy. Hopefully, we will see you in Baltimore at the end of the month.
Just JonJohn Says:
Hello Jon
Just wanted to say that your comment was brilliant and I urge you to go sail with Cunard……………..I promise you will not forget it
My best to you and Mrs MTSFPBLFTACOTQM2
JohnCatrin Asked:
Hi John,
I was not going to write again concerning my upcoming Pride Cruise, and the pricing issue I have had….but I wanted to share something with you.
I never did receive a call from Carnival. It is frustrating, yes. The answers I originally received from customer service seem to be the answer that I will need to accept after all.
I wanted to thank you, however, for your dedication to us loyal readers and everything you do.
But the reason I am writing…. is all of a sudden, it doesn’t matter anymore.
I am writing to you while waiting for a phone call. Steve is in the hospital…. and awaiting a CAT scan… they think it is his appendix. If they do get confirmation that the severe stomach pains he is having IS his appendix, he will have surgery either tonight or tomorrow morning.
If it IS his appendix, we will be so grateful, as he is a cancer survivor, and when he ends up in the hospital my mind races and I fear the worst.
So…. that being said…. suddenly, making a big deal over a couple hundred bucks doesn’t seem to matter.
Will be in touch…
CatrinJohn Says:
Hello Catrin
Just wanted to say that we are all thinking of Steve. Please keep us informed and once he is on the road to recovery let me address your concerns again this time with someone higher up. For now…………..be strong
John
That’s all for today……….lots more questions need my reply and the next batch will be ready tomorrow. I remain here should you need anything at all and as always please mark your comments “John, Please Reply.” Thanks to everyone who posts a comment regardless if a reply is needed. I read them all and they continue to play such an important part of the blog thingy.
Congratulations to the Carnival Spirit who returned from her dry dock period looking brand new. I am going to ask Chris “Bubba” Roberts to share some of the exciting times ahead as she sails to Hawaii and Alaska complete with bow to stern wi fi and that new ship smell. This is Chris’s last season with us CD unless we persuade him not to retire. Anyway, Bubba…………how does the ship look?……..let us know mate.
Here are some photos to be going on with
One of the only frustrating things about being home in the UK is the lack of NBA coverage here. If the games are live it means I have to watch them at 2 am UK time and I am forced to have to listen to British commentators who know as much about basketball as I do applied mathematics………..in Japanese. Instead of “there’s a pick and roll,” the commentator will say “There’s a lovely one two,” which is a soccer team similar to a give and go. And whoever heard of the word lovely being used in basketball…….oh how I miss Marv Albert and his hairpiece.
And so I rely on the internet for my Miami Heat news as they go storming into the playoffs. I read NBA.com and it seems this twittering thingy has also become a sport star’s favorite. For commitment to the cause, Charlie Villanueva, who plays basketball for a team called the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, has set new standards by tweeting during half-time of a game against the Boston Celtics. Villanueva’s tweet says— “In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We’re playing the Celtics. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up”……………I wonder if the coach would have proffered if Mr. Villanueva actually paid attention to what he was saying rather than twitting ………….. anyway………………all I can say is “Tally Ho Heat.”
For anyone who may have visited Italy I am sure you were shocked and saddened to hear about the Earthquake that killed 190 people and destroyed the beautiful Renaissance village of L’Aquila. I am sure there will be at least one of our ships officer’s families who are from the area and once again we think of those who have lost loved ones in this beautiful and peaceful part of the world.
One piece of good news for Italy is yet another award for Costa Cruises. Yesterday we spoke about the amazing success of AIDA in the German market. Today we can proudly say that Costa Cruises has won the Gold List Award from National Geographic Society and its Chinese partner, Trends Magazine, which between them have a circulation of 5.3 million a month. Congratulations to Costa and it is obvious that in the highly lucrative Asian market that they are the Gold leaders.
On a lighter note here is today’s entry from my fellow cruise directors who have been sending in their favorite guest comments. Today’s comes from Todd who will be the CD of the Carnival Freedom and is at the top of the CD tree. He sent me this one from last years Carnival Freedom season in Europe.
John – last year while in Europe a guest stopped me by grabbing my shirt sleeve while I was walking down Promenade Deck…………he was very upset and said
“We bought ‘Ray-Ban’ sunglasses for five euros ($8) from a street trader in Barcelona, only to find out they were fake, why didn’t you warn us they were fake.”
Hope to see you all on the Carnival Dream
Todd
Brilliant – thanks mate for sharing this gem.
Well, the discussion goes on regarding the naming of our Thingy. We were given a book by our friend Mrs Bentley called 5,000 baby names and we still can’t decide. It is the one thing that keeps us up at night…………..well………….that and my arse.
I know I wrote a blog a few months ago about some of the names I had heard on the ship. The annual list of most popular names shows that the Bible is still a source of inspiration for most, and that the two names at No 1 are the super-traditional Jack and Emily. But look beneath the top 10 and it’s a maelstrom of lunacy where children are named after pop stars and footballers’ wives. And the middle classes are no better, going for increasingly ludicrous handles.
I mean, what kind of a name is Araminta? We grew up laughing at Frank Zappa for calling his daughter Moon Unit, but today we’re naming our kids after remote Himalayan villages and exotic cheeses and it does seem that sometimes when I get someone on stage the younger generation have had their names chosen by their parents picking letters out of a Scrabble bag.
I am fascinated by the current trends here in the UK. Anyone would think that the British Parliament had passed an act decreeing that all girls had to be named after characters from Pride and Prejudice and all boys from the books by Charles Dickens. There are loads of Rubys, Ellas, Graces and Lilys, and lashings of Jacks, Harrys and Alfies. You can’t move for tripping over Daisys and Archies.
I am fascinated as to how thousands of parents somehow arrive at exactly the same decision. Names have always spread like a virus: girls of my vintage are often called Sarah, Catherine, Victoria and Elizabeth, while boys are frequently David, Michael, Tim and Robert………and John
But today, things are much different. Do Dell and Microsoft sleep well? How has Apple taken to his new brother, Avocado? And guess what? Jaspin took his first steps the other day and I missed it because I was changing Andreakisya’s diaper.
In the past decade, baby naming has gone gaga. Previously it was a sober and highly considered practice, over which new parents would agonize for months as Heidi and I are doing now. The options were, by and large, simple: you named your child after a favorite relative, pop or film star, or after the leading figures of whichever religion you subscribed to. Some general trends emerge. Naming your child after a plant, color or other aspect of nature is the in thingy— Lily, Fleur, Indigo, Berry, Poppy, Daisy, Sky, Tiger and Blossom.
A distinct aquatic theme also emerges with Dolphin, Pearl and Ocean. Furthermore, many new parents may well have been studying the classics and cultivating a profound interest in Arthurian, Greek or Roman legends such as Mungo, Cleopatra, Isis, Julius…………these parents are in my opinion complete and utter Dickus Maximuses. They don’t care that the poor kid will have to spend his entire life with a name like Titus …………they want their child to stand out and they want to know that there won’t be five other similarly named kids in class.
And what must it be like to be born into a celebrity family and be given a name usually chosen for your pet hamster.
SHILOH NOUVEL – It sounds like an expensive hotel in Dubai, but that didn’t deter Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Shiloh supposedly means “peaceful one” in Hebrew, but Shiloh can expect life to be anything but with a name like that.
BARRIANA WHITE – The three-year-old daughter of Barry, the Walrus of Love, was born four weeks before he died in 2003. Naming your child after you has also been taken to extremes by Michael Jackson with Prince Michaels I & II, and George Foreman, the boxer, who named his seven sons George and his daughter (surprise) Georgetta …………… lucky she wasn’t named Grill
KAL-EL CAGE – Superman fans will know this is the real name of the man of steel. Nicolas Cage was supposedly cast by Tim Burton in a never-made version for which he reportedly received several million dollars. Hence baby Kal-El, who was born in 2005 to Cage’s wife Alice Kim……Still, try finding a mug with that on in a gift shop.
Anyway, the debate goes on and one thing we have to be careful is of words that mean something in English but in Dutch mean something else…………..for example the name Beau is one I really like for a boy……….Beau Heald………….sounds good eh?………….only problem is that the word Beau in Dutch spelt Beaujh with a silent H and J but pronounced Beau……………means sewage………..yep sewage………so anytime I took my son to visit his grandmother in Holland she would have to cuddle and hold some sewage ……………… bugger.
The world’s growing population, and the challenge of Google (has your child’s internet domain already been purchased; does he share his name with a porn star?) has further complicated matters. According to The Wall Street Journal, 80 baby-names books have been published in the past three years, while more than 100 baby-naming websites have been created. All of which leaves the option of auctioning your child’s name to a sponsor “The name’s Coke. Diet Coke”
So, at this point it looks like we shall just call him or her Thingy……………..it’s certainly original………………………although it will probably guarantee Thingy of a lot of toilet head-flushing while at school.
Any name suggestions?
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and the Thingy
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
Hi John & Heidi:
Well – I was supposed to have been a John myself, but because I didn’t come with a “thingy” they changed it to Joan (lol) . . .
John, how is our good friend, Chris Prideaux, doing? I’m hoping for good news soon.
Child names… hummm…. I was named for everyone in the family who had not had a child named after them previously… hence I am called Mach as it would take an hour or two to spout out my given name…
Good luck with the naming thing. I have complete confidence that you and Heidi will pick a perfectly wonderful name and it won’t be Harley or Ferrari…
Please tell Heidi I said howdie and the same for the Thingy! Pass my appreciation along to Stephanie and Mr. Hair d’Video!!!
Ciao!!
Host Mach
John – what is Heidi’s father’s name? If it’s a boy you could name it John (Dad’s name) Heald. How about Aston or Martin (that might be the only way you “own” one)!!!
Good Afternoon John,
PLEASE REPLY*
I remember when I was in school there were only 2 Joan’s! Me and a neighbor girl, that was fine with me. I can not figure what gets into people when they give their children crazy names. Don’t they consider that the child has to live with that the rest of their lives and children in school can be downright mean. Thank heavens my Mother and Dad had some common sense and give my brother and I decent names. Thank you Thank you Mom and Dad! Oh here’s a name for Thingy………Ocean Blue (get it) heheheheh ;D how about Robert, John or James, or Samantha, Lisa or Melissa. How’s that for a proper name??
*By the way has Carnival stopped cruising the Panama Canal? I have been watching for the 2010 dates and find that the “Panama Canal destination” has been removed from Carnival’s website. Can you do some investigative snooping (PA 007 maybe) and find out if there will be any Panama cruises for 2010. Thanks
Joan
John, Please respond
I thought the Thingy was going to be named Kuki ???
While not live, you can get the NBA highlights:
http://www.nba.com/broadband/nbatv_broadband.html
Please keep us informed on how Chris is doing and/or how we might send him something. I doubt he is reading his emails at the moment.
Thanks,
bill
John Jr. ?
I’m partial to Micah myself.
John: Another fantastic blog as usual. I got the biggest laugh today when our administrative assistant put a letter on my desk from Lynn Torrent explaining about the “error” in the system that said my client was waitlisted for their dining. The letter went on to say that the “error” was corrected an apology was given for any inconvenience that this might have caused. That’s when I burst into laughter which caused the admin asst. to wonder why I was laughing…I told her that I already knew about this because I read your blog. So, I knew that it was an error and that my client who is sailing on the Carnival Spirit on the 3rd of June will have a wonderful dinner at the time she requested. I just had faith that it would all work out…because I read your blog…As for a name for “thingy” well…here is a suggestion…you could always watch some American Soap Operas and get names like…Jagger, Stefano, Carly, Robin, Maxi, Adam, Spinelli, Olivia, Jax or my favorite….Erica. Jagger means to carry, Erica means honorable ruler…and if it’s a girl…then I imagine she will rule the roost! Don’t sweat about what people think about you being the majority bread winner in the family and not staying home and taking care of the kiddo…From everything I have heard…you are quite good at what you do and you do like doing it. I think Joe Walsh of the Eagles said it best ” I’m just looking for clues at the scene of the crime life’s been good to me so far..” Looking forward to seeing the Q and A on the whole dining thing…My best to Heidi and your new “thingy” Rock on.
Hi John ! Hi Heidi!!
About baby names… well it wasn’t easy for us either because we decided to swim against the current ( as always) and not follow any of the advice given. I truly believe that this decision must be taken only by the parents.We didn’t wanted any of our children to be called like any other person of the family. He or she was unique. Neither we wanted for that name to transform into other like it happens to many of the children called after their parents. Example when Cristian was born there were 4 other Eugenio’s in the family. Only one was actually being called Eugenio the others have been morphed to Ginso, Ginsito and Papin. Get it?? Also I didn’t want to call my son and Eugenio to answer. no no.
So we choose Cristian named I loved at that time and I still do. Also as you can see I took away the h because Christian for me is a title. Anyway the meaning of Cristian (without h) is still Follower of Christ which I like because I want my children to always be close to God. And for Viviana i just simply loved the name and the short name Vivi. My children love their names so I think we made a good choice. Still nobody on the family has their names.
So mission acomplished.
How about Isabella?? LOL Just a thought.
Love
Nanni
Dear John I only had one child and worked away most of the time to support my family.The optimum word here is support.I did provide for my wife and child and spent quality time when home.I gave her the support and values to sustain her in life when I was home and I must say she turned out very nicely and has given me to wonderful grandsons.Let those who criticize take care of there own.I’m sure you and Heidi are capable of making good and sound decisions for the little Thingy.Bless you all Gary and Bug
John,
I’ve always liked traditional names rather than “trendy” ones
For girls I’ve always liked Emma, Michaela, Amalie and Meredith.
Boys: Eric, Ethan and Ian.
Grandparents really like having their grandkids named after them. Kind of handy when writing out the will, too! Just a thought.
Joyce
Hi John!
Not even going to touch the name ideas. That’s a tough one.
My thoughts go out to all Italians. What a tragedy.
I hope Chris is doing better. Please give us an update if you can.
I think its great how active you will be the rest of this year and in 2010. Thank you to Heidi as well who is letting you continue as opposed to quitting and working in England full time.
Take care and have a good day!
David
Carni Val Heald, naturally.
John,
Please Reply
First let me say that since I have discovered your blog, I have been reading daily. There have been many times my husband looks at me like I am crazy because I am laughing out loud However, on to my questions. My husband and I are going on the Legend 6/7/09 after the cruise we will not be leaving until 5:00pm. As we have so long without a car I was wanting to book and “excursion” through Carnival so our luggage would have a place to go until we left. However, I do not see any options for Tampa, FL. When I look at other ports I see options for things to do. Do you know if there is anything in Tampa my husband and I could do before we leave on our Amtrak train?
John;
I am sure your father wouldn’t have any objection to the the thingy being named after him.
Well if its a girl Gabriel or Halley
If its a boy how about Jacob or Jake for short.
James
John:
The bottom line is that you are Heidi are intelligent adults that will make loving parents…so you both know what is right for your family.
Anyone who does not understand your decisions can go “pound sand”.
David has traveled most of our married life. (Sometimes just a week at a time…sometimes for almost a year.) As a matter of fact, he is currently in Charlotte, NC. Our two sons have done just fine.
I “retired” from my career as an Accountant to be a “stay at home Mom” and raise them. And it was the best decision I have ever made.
We do lift up the families in Italy at this time. When David and I were there, we toured the Monastery at Assisi and saw some amazing Frescoes. Unfortunately, earthquakes destroyed many of them after our trip there.
As far as names…for a girl..I have always loved Victoria (but only if it is never shortened to Vicki).
It is ok to shorten it to Tory….but not Vicky.
It just dawned on me that we will be “sailing” at the time the Wee Little One should be making its grand entrance into the world. Please make sure that Butch keeps us informed on our cruise if he/she doesn’t arrive before we leave!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John please reply
Hi John,
I have a question about the Jones Act. Doesn’t the itinerary on the Fascination go against that since it starts in Jacksonville, then has a day at sea, then stops in Key West? I’m sure I misunderstood something….Carnival could not be breaking the rules!!!
For you and Heidi to consider:
Girl names
Anika, Claire, Kyra, Brooke, Morgan, Kaelyn
Boy names
Zachary, Christopher, Patrick, Kyler, Jarrod, Jeffrey, Kipp
The Flying Dutchman
Good evening John and Heidi. While I was reading your blog about baby names I thought about the fact that you always got along with Heidi’s father. Maybe in respect of Heidi’s father if it is a boy maybe it would be grand choosing his name unless since he was Dutch maybe it wouldn’t fit with Heald. If not put his name as the middle name. Twice I put my grandmother’s name in my girls as the middle name, Maria. Belive it or not John, whatever name you and Heidi choose, it will be the greatess in the world. One thing my friend, don’t dwell on for a long time or it drive you nuts.
Now whether you stay or go back to work, forget everybody else’s ideas. This is where you and wife make a decision for your family. Forget us in this situation. Your result will depend on the two of you and only the two of you. Ciao my friends.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
You made the right decision John, 8 weeks on a ship as CD and then home, for maybe a month or 2? Then back on the ship, that way you can BOND with your child. (And I don’t mean James BOND)! HA! Whatever you name the baby I am sure it will be unique! And I am sure Heidi has had names picked out for months now, and is just waiting your input. Won’t be long and HE or She will be here. Hi Heidi! Hope you are resting all you can, and John is waiting on you hand and foot as a good husband should do when his wife is about to give him the best gift in the world, a child! Linda
Hi John,
Since you claim to have been named after a toilet, maybe John jr. for your son. He can be named after a potty chair. LOL
John,
What ever you do don’t make any jokes about the Thingy’s pending name as I did with my Grandson. I told my daughter and her sperm donor that I imagined being in the stands watching my Grandson play football and hearing the announcer over the loudspeaker say “Tackle by number 59 Tuffy Taylor”. Yep my grandson is now named Tuff. I know this will be hard for you John but, NO JOKES!
James & Nancy
The Cruzin2some
Hi John,
Just an update on Steve…..
Yes, he did have an emegency appendectomy late Sunday night….. it’s been a crazy 48 hours! But I am happy to report that not only is he HOME….. but that we have been given the OK by the Doctor for us to Fly to Florida and go on our scheduled Carnival Pride cruise on Saturday! (The wonders of modern medicine amaze me!)
I don’t think he will be participating in the Hairy Chest contest, as they had to shave his belly! And I don’t think he will be dancing until midnight…. but he WILL be doing his favorite things on a Carnival Cruise… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!
What more can a 44 year old , father of three, want??
Although I am dreading the travel…. anytime traveling with three kids is a challenge…. we cannot wait for our cruise in FOUR DAYS!
Catrin
Names hmmm…that’s a tough one. I also like traditional ones vs the trendy ones. Don’t forget the fruits and vegetables too–remember Apple? The other thing I thought about when thinking of names for my children was did their initials make a word? My maiden name began with an “N” so my initials spelled “can” and I hated that–now it doesn’t spell anything–I like that better. Stupid huh? There are so many reasons why your children will grow up and question your decisions so pick the name carefully..LOL
I hope that Chris is doing better as I have been thinking of him.
BTW, your decisions regarding how you provide for your family are yours and Heidi’s only–nobody else should have a say in that.
Hi John,
I like old stand- by names that have been around for ages, but yet it seems to me that they’re really appropriate for whatever point in history we’re in.
Boys: David, Andrew, James, Paul, Michael, Mark or Marc, Stephen & you can’t get anymore British than Richard & Edward.
Girls: Sarah or Sara, Amy, Megan, Anne or Anna.
I have no idea how any of these would translate into Dutch.
Florence (named after my grandmother & I hate it-makes me feel like I’ve been old all my life)
Well, being from the south, we are partial to 2 names said at once…
My mom is Bobbie June, I’m Kathy June, my neice is Cara June, her daughter is Emma June…. Together, we make the Junebug Mutual Admiration Society! My mom actually wanted to name me Jennifer Lovey, but my dad got to the birth certificate first, so remember that in case you and Heidi can’t agree….
I think Heidi June Heald sounds pretty good for a girl thingy, don’t you?
Yes. Thingy. Thing one and then maybe you could have Thing Two???
Suessecley yours,
Kap
John (please answer)
I know that Carnival video tapes everything and that you can purchase these videos.
In October of 2007, my family (4 out of 5 kids, all grandkids, ex-wife and family friends) sailed on the Pride. One of the shows was a fantastic hypnotist. My youngest son was up on the stage and became the highlight of the show. Of the 2600 people on board, about 1000 knew his name afterwards. Here’s my question. Why was there no video to purchase? We were never given any satisfactory answer to this. The show and my son’s actions had everyone rolling in the aisles with laughter and would have made a great momento of this cruise since it was the last one my beloved husband would ever take.
Best of luck to you and Heidi with the Thingy.
OK so we do not want kids… I always said if a accident happened I would want twins so I could name them Tom and Jerry or Pixie and Trixie!!! (I really hope you’ve seen those cartoons)
Here are some names I like…. Corey (or Cory) Alexander (Alex) for boys. For girls I love the name Rayanna, Skyelah (I know you mentioned that as a no) How about Stephanie?? huhhh huhhhh huhhhhhhh?? I think Steph would agree with me!! =)
John, you are forgetting that you could name a boy John yourmiddlename Heald Jr.! As for girls, please, please, please, please do not consider Jeanette…I was supposed to be Jody by my mother changed her mind at the last minute…I might have been a different person if I was Jody instead of Jeanette (of which no one, other than anyone who speaks French) can pronounce properly, that or the fact my name is a feminine for of JOHN!!!!! (Jean). Maybe my mom liked my cousins name and added and “tte” to it (Jeanne)…
A woman at work has a grandaughter named Kira and I think that name is quite nice. There is Belanna, that is a nice name…er ya, ok, so it is a name of a Star Trek character from Voygeur…..
You could always use names of dead loves ones and come up with something Thingy wouldn’t hate….
Please, do Thingy a favour and DO NOT give them a last name for a first name or name then for a bridge (brooklyn) or street in NYC (Maddison)….
I wish you, Heidi and wee soon-to-be-here thingy well..
Dear John…..Please reply
Thank you so much for answering all my questions. Your answers do put my mind at ease in a lot of ways.
I see that many people who read your blog let you know about special occasions they will be celebrating on their upcoming cruises and ask for a little something from you to surprise the celebrant. Well, I wouldn’t normally do this but I am going to be cheeky and ask the same of you for my grandson who will be celebrating his 18th birthday aboard the Carnival Paradise on April 11th (Saturday). We will be in cabin # M104, so if there if something you could do for him…sorry for the short notice…he would be thrilled as I know he enjoys your blogs too. I’m always calling him over to the computer to read something you wrote or to watch the videos.
Thanks again…and just three days to go to another fun cruise.
All the best…Irene (Hooked on Crusing)
Thanks for the pics John! I now think I have a new favorite place to curl up with a good book and a cup (or glass) of something refreshing! I love that “Artists thingy”! Last time we were on the Spirit I curled up in the “lobby” area between the casino and the dining hall, well that is until other people found my safe haven and invaded it! LOL! I like finding quiet places on board and just looking out the window, having something to drink and reading. Yeah, I know, boring to most, but hey! It’s my vacation! LOL!
Not to worry, I’m one of those cavemen types too! Despite what the soap operas and womens mags will have you believe, there are a lot of us still in circulation! You do whatever works for your family and the heck with everyone else! Take care John and Heidi (and Thingy too!).
Mike
John,
Don’t let folks get you down about your career plans post baby. Different strokes for different folks…what a boring world it would be if every woman stayed home to cook, clean, and take care of baby and every man worked at the office 9-5. Everyone does what is right for their family, and no one else has the right to make judgments about those decisions.
You and Heidi know what’s best for your family so have at it. Ignore those bores who think they know what’s best for you.
Take care and say hi to Heidi for us.
Lisa and George
John, sometime a working man must be away from his family to earn a good living. I have worked in the petrochemical industry for 30 years. Working 12 hour shifts and being away from my family many nights and weekends. The good side of it was that it paid very well and had great benefits. This allowed me to travel the US with my family and have a secure retirement to look forward to. I have taken my children and now grandkids on some wonderful cruises and land vacations.
I am sure you will find a balance that works for you and your family. Perhaps they will be able to travel with you sometimes before the Thingy starts school. Maybe in a few years Carnival will return to Europe with some of their ships and it will make it a little easier. Some will not like this idea but there is always other ships within the Carnival corp family like Princess which still has ships in Europe.
As far as naming the Thingy I am sure y’all will come up with a great name as long as it is not Paris
Any more news on Chris?
John & Heidi…….there is ONLY one name you can call Thingy if he is a boy and that’s “OCEAN”!
As you both met at sea, then your child / children should be named after the ‘sea of dreams’ that we all love and appreciate!
Another name for a boy / girl is Kai from Hawaii which means “ocean, sea,” and is a unisex name. Then you can combine other letters with other elements to make more ocean names. For example …. a girl – Aliikai ” means “Queen of the Sea,” Kaikala …..”The Sea and the Sun,” Kailani….. “Sea and Sky” and Kaimana “Divine Power of the Sea.”
Whatever decision you ultimately make, it will be the right one for you both and your beloved Thingy……
But then again, parents are naming their children after major cities e.g. “London” or “Amsterdam” – only joking……..LOL!!
Hi John,
Isabell, or Isabo(Izabo)
Alexander
Best to all.
RonRN
hi john here r a few of my fav baby names bella zoe stacey megan boys caiden christopher (my sons name) michael spencer cole. hope things r well with heidi and the baby.
John & Heidi,
Be happy you’re not having the first JEWISH grandchild/great granchild on both sides!!! My mother would tell me that my Dad would be so hurt if we didn’t name the baby after his Dad and my mother-in-law would tell me they would be so happy if we named the baby after my father-in-laws Dad!!
Now, Doug & I both knew what names we had chosen, but in good Jewish tradition decided not to share it with anyone (its suppose to be bad luck). Things got so bad between both sides of the family telling us what to name the baby Doug finally told both sets of grandparents and the great-grandparents that the baby was going to be a Jeddidiah Zaccariah and it didn’t matter if it was a boy or girl (we didn’t know the sex either).
Hey, it shut them all up until our Danielle was born!! (David if it was a boy)… And all 3 sets of Great/Grandparents loved her so much that they didn’t ever comment on her name again!!!
The name you guys pick will be perfect for you and your baby….
Dear John,
Being a father of a wonderful 3 year old boy and a beautiful 18 month old girl, I can easily remember the time my wife and I took in figuring out the names for our children. I am sorry to say that for my son we picked his name almost immediately. I suggested Ethan and my wife said she liked it. We did decide that for Ethan’s middle name we would combine my father’s first name and his middle initial (Bryan + T) to com up with Bryant. My father had passed away in 1997 and never had the chance to meet my wife or see his grandchildren being born.
Our daughter’s name was not as easy to choose. We both had agreed to use my mother-in-law’s middle name, providing it sounded good. We finally decided on Sophia Catherine. I like to think that we picked good names. I do know that we both had practiced yelling the full name (as if the child were in trouble) to make sure they sounded ok. I mean if you have to yell at your kid for whatever reason you really don’t want to have to say, “Microsoft Apple Heald! You get over here right now!” Do you?
Best wishes to you and Heidi and the Thingy
Sincerely,
Tim McKinney
i have a suggestion and i know you must have a million of them. when naming a child it is a lifetime decision. when you look into the face of the child you will “know” who it is. you just will. i never tried to name one before seeing them and it was always right when i looked into their eyes. and especially don’t tell anyone your choice until you know for sure. did you ever know anyone that just didn’t “fit” their name? you don’t want that for your child…
now i have to go pack for my cruise!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Good evening John,
Any updates on Chris P.? Hope he’s doing better.
Hmmmm… the name dilemma. Since kids of my own probably won’t be happening, I’ll offer up the ones that I always thought I’d use. I like good basic names, so I’ve always been partial to Jack and Annie. Although, I was a huge Doctor Who fan (particularly of the Peter Davison era) and I always thought I’d name a daughter Tegan.
Regardless, I always thought a big consideration when choosing names is making sure the chances for name teasing on the playground is reduced. One of my favorite bits from the TV show “Murphy Brown” was when Murphy was considering names for her child and was almost set on Mohatma Ghandi Brown. And Miles, her producer, retorted, “Oh sure, why don’t you just name him ‘Please Throw the Ball at My Head During Recess’ Brown!” That was the first thing that popped into my head when I heard the name Kal-El Cage. LOL!
Good luck picking!
All the best to Heidi, you and Thingy. And big thanks to Stephanie, Mr. Hair and the rest of your blog/content producing crew.
Doe voorzichtig!
Laura (aka divetrash)
John (you can post this if you want),
Just wanted to updated you as you asked that all of us here in Rapid City, SD are all fine and well, cold but well. Here in our town we have had a total of about 3′ of snow in 2 weeks, add a wind avaraging 50-60 miles an hour that makes for a lot of LARGE snow drifts. A small town about an hour north of us however has it worse: approximetly 70 inches (6′) of snow in the last 2 weeks. They are very, very tired of shoveling. Other than a few shingles off the roofs in the wind and some stuck cars and fender benders we have all been very lucky out here! Just makes me look forward to being on the Dream next year. I am shocked that it was bad enough here to make your news reports in the UK, I will have to share that with everyone here. Good luck to you and Heidi and “Thingy”
First off our prayers are with the people in Italy what a tragedy.
As far as naming the thingy here is an idea.
Beings you are a basketball fan you and Heidi should come up with an even number of names say twelve each and make up a final 24 bracket and each day you break it down as a winner and a loser until you get to the final 2 and then you pick it from them. This adds a little fun to the pain of thinking of a name. My daughter was born in September and although her mom and I had a name picked out early we did this with boy names as we could not agree on one and it made it kind of fun. hope this helps…
Please Reply
John, I think you may want to give this to Mr. Gerry Cahill. It was posted on my blog for him.
Author : John Scott Schultz
E-mail : rescuegrinch@XXXXXXXXX
Comment:
Mr. Cahill, I was a traveler with Carnival Cruise line’s, sorry not anymore. After 8 vacations with this company I think I’ve had enought. Not only has your service been declining But your company has no experience in listening and or contacting the customer for feed back. I’m a Firefighter outside of Chicago, I pride myself on great customer service and my ability to listen. I took my mother on her first cruise on the aniversery of my fathers death so she could get out of the house. Our experience was terrible. I know this will fall on death ears but at least you know how I feel. If you are sincer please contact me at (XXX) XXXXXXX
Good morning John. You and Heidi will find the right name for that sweet baby. You still have some time. You may want to wait until the baby is born; as if that would make a difference
. If naming your baby is the only hurdle you have, you are very blessed.
Keep smiling John, you are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and the baby.
Hello John,
for a girl.
You are so very correct about naming your children properly so they won’t be scarred for life.
My mother comes from a very Italian family and she broke protocol by naming her children David, Craig and Nancy. If she hadn’t, we would be Giuseppe, Vincenzo and Filomena (dear God!). These names are fine in Italy but not in western Jersey!
Anyway, my suggestions would be: Michael or Ryan for a boy and Sarah or Gabrielle (is too French for you
Good luck and thanks for the great blog posts!
Nancy D’Andrea
John and Heidi, you might think of combining names from your family, such as Heidi’s late dad, with a new first name. Although after we picked out our second child’s name we questioned ourselves because of the TV association at the time.
Anyone remember the show Newhart with Dick and Joanna running the inn in Vermont? and those two airheads, Michael (Dick’s TV-show producer) and Stephanie (the inn’s maid)? We just didn’t want people to think of our Michael and Stephanie as those airheads.
Well, we’re probably the only people on the planet who remember that show 24 and 21 years later. We’re glad we went with what we liked.
Michael is Michael Robert … after my late father, Robert, and he will carry our family name as his last name always.
Stef is Stephanie Park … using my family name as her middle name and carrying our family name until she marries and then uses the family name as her middle name.
For heaven’s sake don’t let the bloggers vote! We’ll be back to “Desk” as the choice!
John,
Once again you have outdone yourself. I cannot think of a better tribute to those who think that they can run another person’s life than to publicly voice your disapproval. I know that most is said out of concern for your family, but not all families fit a certain mold.
You have chosen the life of a sailor–or it has chosen you. Every sailor deserves a good woman and loving family to whom they return as often as they can–but your true love will always be the sea, and you will return to that love again and again. If you try to base your life on the whims of others, you will be a miserable man. Just remember I said “A” good woman–not one in every port.
As far as naming the Thingy, that is a very personal choice. Just try to remember that whatever name you saddle the child with will impact them the rest of their life. Frankly, we have enough trouble pronouncing Heald–is it Heeld, Held, Hald, Huld? Maybe you SHOULD name the child Sewage, which in French means SOAP.
All joking aside, the suggestion to name the child after Heidi’s dad was brilliant. Based on your comments in earlier blogs, both of you loved him dearly, and I can think of no more fitting memorial than to allow your child to continue that legacy of love into the future by bearing his name.
Much love to you and Heidi, and many blessings on the Thingy, whatever name you choose.
Hello John:
Please reply.
You are too good at entertaining people and organizing fun to give it up yet mate. From what I have seen, your staff has the highest esteem for you and is completely loyal. But, of course there will be a time when you come home from the sea. You and Heidi will know when the time is right.
As for names.
I guess we have to take Andre, and Pierre off of the desk right at the start. Of course tradition would be to create a Jr. or a III for the first born son.
But you know that. What you asked for was ideas.
How about Ozzie?
How about Angelien?
The offset to being away for long periods is that you get to be home for long periods. Hmmmm. B2B would be back to back thingys, get ready John.
Technology being what it is, you can communicate with your family at any time you wish, kind of puts a different slant on it.
Igor would have had it all if he carried a raspberry and had to hear about honey do’s when he was spearing the mastadon. Can you hear it now, “Can’t hear you now.” Heh heh. “Igor, I am planning whale for dinner” “Bad connection, must be a tower down.”
I am getting an itch from the discussion on dining. Don’t know that anyone said that anytime dining would be in the same area as traditional set time, and set table. I trust Carnival to do it right, we have enjoyed it on Carnival already, no big deal.
I have not read any threads on the forums about people complaining that those people two tables over sat down after we did, and aren’t finished when we were, and those over there got their desert before we did, and why are they smiling so much? Maybe because the two seating types are not mingled? Hmmmm.
Anytime dining is not for everyone, but it does allow the rescheduling of meals to fit the day’s activities, and that is a good thing.
Please scratch John. Ahh, thats it.
Heidi, have you had any interesting food cravings? Does your market have those scanner thingys where you scan the purchases as you put them in the basket? We saw them in Canterbury.
Your friend
Bill Heck
John–I like my older son’s name, Gary, because it was a name everyone knew and recognized but not every kid was named Gary, which was a name more of my generation than his. On the other hand, I named the younger one Andrew, and if I would call “Andrew!” in Toys R Us 23 kids would come running. Always a very popular name; there were three Andrew S.’s in his 6th grade class. So you have to watch the popularity issue. My brother is named Nathan, after my grandfather, and he was the ONLY kid named Nathan. He’s now 60 and there are a zillion little kids named Nathan, the name “came back.” Also, watch initials–my older son would have been GAS rather than GIS if I used a middle name with A for him. Although, those initials might be appropriate for you….and also watch any name that might give other kids opportunity to make fun–with Robin, people were always telling me to fly away and flapping their arms at me!
Another thing John that I forgot to comment on. As a teacher and with so many children and their families going through my hands i got to tell you that having a father home every night at 7:00 it’s not a guarantee that those children are going to be happy or be on the ideal situation to grow up. There is so much more…..
Nanni
Don’t listen to the others. That is a decision that only you and Heidi have to take. Maybe your baby won’t have you every day at home but he or she is going to have a stable, happy(with a lot of laughter) home with a mom and dad that love each other. I know that you will make up for those days and more when he or she is with you. The baby is going to adore you. You both are going to be great parents.
Security, John is the key and you can give the baby that with love and a strong home.
Here is a name that seems to fit you and your role with Carnival……
Cecil Heald
Yes CeCiL (CCL)
As a substitute teacher, I could fairly accurately tell by a student’s name if they were going to be trouble or not.
The more religious a name, the more trouble.
Unusual names = trouble.
Very unusual names = lots of trouble.
And every kid named Zak.
Given the parent’s career, place where they met and your love for the French, the perfect name would be: Bon Voyage
John,
Have a few top choices picked out but wait to meet the baby before you decide. She may come out looking and acting like a CoraLee or Stephanie. But just maybe he might be a Jonathan or another John.
Sarah-
John,
As a conciliatory gesture towards those-who-charge-for-steak, I think you should consider as a name:
“Thingy Of The Seas Heald”
TOTS (nope, not the Tater kind, though I’m not sure if Tater Tots can even be found in the UK) can eventually go on to be the Senior CD (and corporate spy) on that Other Cruise Line… Of course, by that time, it will likely have been acquired (and its ships repainted) by Carnival Corp.
John,
As long as you and Heidi are happy with your decision to continue working on the ship, then everyone else can MYOB.
What I would like as a name doesn’t matter, I don’t have to live with it. Just keep in mind what sounds nice on a child won’t necessarily sound good on an adult. (Bambi comes to mind)
KathyG
John -
For a boy, how about Riley Pierce Heald ??
Hey John:
Its been a long time since I posted. Hope all is well with you & Heidi. As far as names, my son and daughter-in-law combined the first three letters of my Mom’s name (Mar) and the first 3 letters of my daughter-in-laws Mom’s name (ley) to come up with Marley – then, they made that movie and now everyone thinks my beautiful granddaughter is named after that dog! No matter what name you come up with or how you choose it it doesn’t matter – the “thingy” will only know how much you love him or her! Best wishes
Sue … in Pittsburgh
Please reply….
I have a question. Say NO if you want, I will not be insulted. I am a travel agent, and did my first Carnival cruise last year. I am a cheerleader of Carnival cruises now, that is for sure. I enjoyed the activities that was done, but I tend to not be good enough for a lot of the trivia games to win a ship on a stick. Any chances you can get me one on our next cruise?
I am checking out the new Carnival Splendor on May 3rd… can’t wait. So excited and I will be sailing with many other travel agents from Expedia CruiseShipCenters for our annual Cruise to Success Seminars.
Sure love your blog and read it all the time. I have no suggestions for baby names… hope that is ok.
Good luck in being a first time father.
Stefani
I named both my children with the letters from my and DH’s name: JAYston is from daddy Jay….KARstIn is from mommy Kari =)
You forgot to mention the names for GIRLS that are BOYS names….ex: ANDY for a girl……even though it is a HUGE trend…I think it is sorta cute….maybe BOB would be pushing if for female Thingy…lol
Congrats!
(First Cruise for me is 38 days!! Can’t sleep!)
Hi John,
It’s me, PennyB from New Orleans.
I love the name game you and Heidi get to play. So many of us have faced your same decisions. I do think we had this discussion before but I’ll give some pointers learned from teaching 25 yrs.
1. Name should be normal spelling
2. Name should be obvious male or female – don’t give male thingy a girl name or one that could be either one
3. Watch how the initials look together.
4. Don’t make it too long – in our computer age, only so many letters fit in the blocks.
As far as you being away from home – John, you are a man of the sea. The master of ships (well, sort of). In the US, we are a more landlocked society, but not Europeans. You and Heidi are both well traveled, as Thingy will be, hopefully speaking several languages. On the Gulf Coast, many of our families work off-shore for weeks at a time and the women stay home – same with our military only they are gone for maybe a year. That is what you do and Heidi will take good care of everything for you both while you work.
As I said before, “Buckle Up Buttercup”, you’re in for a great ride!
Penny B
Hi John! (please reply if you have an extra moment) I have to agree with Longin2cruise, Amy is a wonderful name
Anyways, my husband and I will FINALLY be taking our honeymoon on the Triumph, June 11th.. Just a 4 day, but it’s finally something
I’m soo soo antsy to find out who our CD may be, I’m wondering if you might know.. You know, a sneak peek before the schedule comes out later this month 
Thank you much, and my best to Heidi and Thingy!!
Hmm names… I think you should consider where Thingy was conceived and use Splendor as a baby girls middle name! It is just so pretty and pink too!
For a boy perhaps her Heidi’s Dads middle or first name?
Whatever you both decide I know it will be a baby truely blessed with wonderful parents.
Nancy
John, Please Reply,
I’ve been reading your great blog for a long time now, but this is my first comment/question. I was wondering about the Jones Act that says a ship cannot go from one U.S. port to another without stopping in a non-U.S. destination. Why are ships allowed to stop at several ports in Alaska? And why do some lines, such as Princess, do West Coast cruises (e.g. the Princess British Columbia and West Coast cruise that does San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). Princess even has a Canada and Colonial America cruise that stops in seven East Coast U.S. cities in a row (from Florida to Maine). If others can do it, why can’t Carnival? Thanks for a great blog, love your humor – don’t ever change, and I hope to sail with you some day.
Steve B.
John, My dad worked out of town almost every week from the time I was about 6 years old. I think I turned out just fine. He was a loving father when he was home, and we always knew he was working to make sure we had everything we needed. You and Heidi make the decisions for your family on what works best for you. In any case, it’s your life, not anyone else’s.
As far names, make sure it sounds good with your last name. And do try shouting the whole name, it makes a difference – don’t need a tongue twister when Thingy has done something wrong. Think about the nicknames that can be made of it. And watch for initials that make words.
We were lucky with our two girls, Dawn and Cayla, their names just fit them. Only good sense kept us from naming our first born “Wendy Dawn” – what were we thinking!!!
Diane
Call me a traditionalist but I think you should name it John if it’s a boy.
Hi John and Heidi,
I really understand the name problem. While I never really liked my name, Barbara, I always knew that my dear sister had it worse with the name of Nonny(prnounced with a short o sound) she has searched for over 50 years for something with her name printed on it. When I was in 2nd grade (millions of years ago) we had 5 Michaels in one class! When I was naming my child I too wanted something unusual and thought Christopher! Although there weren’t too many at that time by the time he hit school it was a common as the 5 Michaels so many years earlier. However, if he had been a girl her name would have been Anissa which I still like to this day but my grandmother said that it sounded like a sneeze! LOL.
Barbara
John,
You would be missed terribly if you were not Senior CD any longer. Still, that’s a decision for only you and Heidi to make. As for the name, don’t really know.
Mike & Lori
John- You will probaly spend more time with the ‘thingy’ when you are home than some fathers do that work from home!
Suggestion for naming a child: open the back door and yell the name out loud several times! You both will eventually be doing that a lot. And make sure his/her initials do not spell out something not so good. You both will be terrific parents. Blessings to you three.
Duchess Sandy in GA
Hey John,
I say in this economic downturn I say if you have a good job you better keep it. Also, whose business is it what you do except yours and Heidi’s? You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Remember, you can’t please everyone.
As for names, I agree people have certainly gone overboard with them. As long as you spell it in an unusual way you can use almost anything to be different.
Best Wishes to you both and to the “Thingy” who will hate that name when he grows up and you will have been the worst parents for calling him or her that in public!!!!
Hi John! I’m a newbie to your blog, as I just booked our cruise on Holiday, May 18. Took me 5 yrs to get back on a Carnival Ship, due to new husband, daughter in college, new baby, hubby in college, yada yada yada. Two things, well really 3 kind of- I had to choose Holiday over Glory because of location of port, price (hubby got laid off from his job week before Christmas) and we are celebrating my hubby graduating college (May 11), being elected Skills USA president for Chattanooga State Tech (his school) as well as the state of TN Skills USA Prez (high honor), hubby elected Student of the Year at his college, and in top 3 finalists of the state out of 30,000+ students (not bad for a 37 yr old redneck, lol) my daughter Lauren turning 21 (May 16) and our little angel Trinity turning 2 next week- lots to celebrate, and its kind of our honeymoon three years late, lol…all that said, whats the best way to celebrate? with a cruise! how to celebrate on a cruise? well, that’s where you come in…please tell me what I can do to surprise them- 2. I cruised on Glory, as I said earlier, and our CD was Carlo- and to this day, 5 yrs later, I still quote him from time to time when I am in a tizzy arriving at work late, in his quaint accent, “Good Morning, its a beautiful day on the Carnival Glory…….” and all my co-workers crack up…he was a great CD, and unforgettable- so I just wanted to throw that plug in for CD’s, that they do make an impression, and I will never forget the great week we spent with Carlo and all the wonderful Carnival crew members. 3. BIG QUESTION! since we are travelling with a 2 yr old, I do question why all the excursions exclude children under 8, for the most part- I understand why because of watersports and all, but why don’t they find “family” options as well? I need to know what we can do in Cozumel or Calica with a 21 yr old, 2 yr old, me and the hubby…(yeah, im an older mom, lol) that we can afford on our tight budget. I didnt want to leave the toddler in camp carnival all day while we leave the ship…
Thingy name suggestions: male- Asa (biblical and soap opera, as well as my dad’s name -lol
and female- Trinity (our angel’s name) Matrix super hero female style, kind of biblical, and not too weird or hard to spell- and Thingy makes 3 Heald, so thats your Trinity! we call ours T-bug.
Sorry to be so long winded-
Thanks, and very nice to meet you “unofficially”
Andrea
Hi, John! We recently read on the blog that the baby is due May 10th. We guess it’s a little later than originally expected. When we asked Jamie while sailing on the Splendor’s South American cruise, she mentioned sometime in April. Well, it’s even better now… the baby will arrive closer to summer and he/she won’t have to taste much of the cold weather!
We are excited because we are only 12 days away from sailing on the Liberty from the Port of Miami on 4/25! We have previously sailed on the Liberty, but this is a different itinerary. We’ve been in St. Thomas & San Juan before, but Half Moon Cay & Grand Turk will be new to us, & according to what we’ve reading on your blog, everybody praises the natural beauty of these 2 islands.
We have booked a cruise on the Costa Concordia sailing from Barcelona on Nov. 6th. The itinerary is great. It has been a very long time since we’ve been on a Costa cruise & we were able to recently join the Costa Club because we still had photos & stuff to probe that 30 yrs. ago we sailed from the Port of Miami on the “Federico C”. It was an “Italian Cooking Festival” cruise!
We were doing a lot of cruising that long ago, then we stopped & about 3 yrs. ago Carnival got us hooked again! We sailed on the Fascination & from there on, the rest is history! We have been sailing like crazy! We also sailed on Cunard yrs. ago & most recently, Jan. 3/09 on the Queen Mary 2 from Port Everglades. That’s the best of the best! Everybody who loves cruising should try the Queen Mary 2… (we can’t hardly wait until the new Queen Elizabeth ship makes its appearance!) They are in a class of their own…
We hope you & Heidi had a wonderful Easter. Good luck & keep on blogging!
The Santanas from Miami Beach