Went to the gym this morning………..OK…….let me give you a few minutes to recover ……………..yes, I really did……. My diet is going well but I new that sooner or later I would have to start working out and after deciding not to spend thousands of dollars on home gym equipment I thought I would spend thousands of dollars to join a place called LA Fitness.
So, there I was and while ad a big person I can feel comfortable in most walks of life ……. in a gym…….there is no disguising it……..I was a fat bastard. It’s not the fitness freaks that get to me though as they run at 300 mph on the treadmill without breaking a sweat …….I don’t mind them……no the ones I can’t stand……are the body builders of which there were many in evidence this morning. I truly do not understand why men and women want to look like they do.
Don’t get me wrong…….I understand the concept – Mr Wimpman gets kicked in the bollocks frequently by bullies and decides that this will never happen again. Mr Wimpman goes to the gym, meets a chap called Charles Atlas and starts spending inordinate time pumping iron and turning himself into a bulging human vein. If it was a movie, Mr.Wimpman would pick up all the bullies at the same time and say something like: “Now I have your attention, I think you need to cool off…” and hurl them into the sea while beach babes in itsy-bitsy bikinis start stroking his pulsating breasts.
What I don’t get about bodybuilding is that, to me anyway, they look ……. well …….. ugly Women always say that they don’t find these veiny hunks attractive, but that’s probably the same thing as them claiming that the most attractive thing in a man is his sense of humor. I have found that to be complete bollocks as well. I’m sorry, but if the male version is wrong, the female version is totally wrong. It’s not for me but, I can just about understand that some men might want to look like Conan The Barbarian, but what possesses a woman to want to look like that?
One after the other, greased-up uber-ladies paraded about on the stage flexing their non-existent breasts. In fact, it all seems to come down to breasts. While the women lose whatever breastage they had, the men develop huge ones.
Anyway…….while I was at the gym this morning two men in tiny shorts and ripped to the tits on steroids, started shouting at each other and there was some pushing and shoving……maybe one had borrowed the other’s baby oil and not returned it.
So I feel fantastic after my morning work out…….actually that’s a lie …….I feel like death warmed up. What I have tended to do when it comes to the business of being fit is not bother. I eat lots, and then I sit in a chair. The upside to this is that I have a place on which baby Kye can cuddle up on…….my belly is a womb. The downside is that I wobble and wheeze extensively while going to the refrigerator for another chicken drumstick. Unfortunately, all this now has to stop because I want to be here for Kye for many a year to come. So there I was walking quickly on the treadmill and trying not to look how far I had gone until 30 minutes into the regime. After 20 minutes I could bear it no longer so I lifted my towel to look to see if I had covered the first mile…….well……according to the digital readout — powered by my exertions, I might add — I had covered 200 metres. This was well short of the four kilometres I’d planned, so I gritted my teeth …….. farted …………….and on I went. Eventually, after several hours, I’d made enough electricity to power Detroit and I’d reached my goal, so I tried to dismount. But it was no good. My brain was so stunned by what had just happened that it had lost control of my legs. I also felt dizzy and sick. Fondly, I also imagined that I had a tingling in my left arm and chest pains. The problem I guess is that I have been living on a diet of celery and Diet Coke, which simply doesn’t provide enough calories to reach for the remote control let alone walk four kilometres.
So, I am thinking about giving up my gym membership already and returning to my old philosophy which I want to share with fitness fanatics. Take a look at nature. Nobody looks at a lion and suggests it could catch more wildebeest if it spent less of its day lounging around in the shade. No really. The thing about nature is that everything has a point. Cows developed udders so they could be plugged into milking machines. And humans developed the remote control television so they could spend more time sitting down doing bugger all.
Plainly, then, our stomachs are designed to demand food and feed fat to our arteries for a reason. I don’t know what the reason might be but I suspect it may have something to do with global warming………………everything else does.
Lets do some questions……….here we go.
Clay Caldwell Asked:
John: (pls reply) Does Carnival not offer “Cave Tubing” excursions in Belize anymore. Thanks
Clay
At this time we have cancelled all cave tubing tours in Belize. However, we do have some new and exciting additions. Actually I was just talking to the Shore Excursion Director Robert who told me he had just returned from there to check on the land Rover and cave Expedition………………he said it was amazing. Here are the details:
• Take a 45-minute ride to the “Landing”, the base camp for your expedition.
• Participate in a short orientation before your expedition begins.
• Set out in convoy formation and head along the highway.
• Experience the Jungle’s natural beauty as you make your way from the Tourism Village into the heart of the rainforest.
• Ride over some of the most challenging terrain imaginable in the jungle around Gracie Rock.
• Arrive at base camp where local guides will lead you in small groups over a foot suspension bridge.
• Reach the first cave that tunnels through the mountain and emerge into a hidden cirque.
• Be outfitted with a safety helmet and headlamp before your guides lead you through the caves.
• Be entertained with various stories along the way.
• Return to the camp and swim in the river or simply relax as you enjoy some light refreshments.
• Take an open-air 4×4 jungle truck back to the Tourism Village in Belize City.Sounds great doesn’t it. If you have any further questions on this or anything at all please let me know
Best wishes
John
Cheryl Donofrio Asked:
Dear John, Heidi, and Kye,
Congratulations again! John this was one of your best blogs ever. It was a two Kleenex read. I applaud you for only throwing up. With low blood sugar, and all the emotional stuff you went through, and the stress of watching Heidi go through the pain of labor, I would have fainted. I was a certified EMT in the state of CT, and the only time I almost fainted in class during training was during the child birth lecture, looking at slides of DRAWINGS of childbirth. Not an actual person, just, well, cartoons. Realistic cartoons, but still. Maybe that’s why whenever women get together when there are no men around, all they want to talk about is childbirth. It really is a badge of honor. Heidi was really brave to do it all without the epidoodle. Sometime, you have to watch the episode of Murphy Brown where she has the baby. It was hilarious.
Thank you for sharing all of this with us. We really do feel like part of the family. Your writing improves all the time. At some point, I really do think you should collect “the best of the blog” and publish it as a book. I’ll be the first in line to get an autographed copy, even if I have to fly to England.
John please Reply – I was a little depressed last night, because I had a klutzy moment and dropped my John Heald’s Blog coffee cup on the floor and it broke into several pieces. I bought it at the photo shop on this year’s Blogger’s Cruise. Is there any way I can buy a replacement?
Your Friend, Cheryl D.
John Says:
Hello Cheryl
Thanks for the compliment and sorry I made you cry. Just between me and you, I cried a bit while I was writing it. It was as you described a miracle that I didn’t wake up with a bunch of people standing over me. What with Heidi’s howls of pain and suffering and a low blood sugar I really felt pretty bad. But it was nothing compared to what Heidi was going through and as you said women deserves to wear a badge of honor for doing what they do in the delivery room.
Now, as for the cup. I have a few spares on the Carnival Freedom from the first Bloggers Cruise. I will be back there at the end of June so if you will remind me then I will happily send you one.
Thanks for the kind words
Best wishes
John
Jennifer and Danny Asked:
Please answer when you can. John, first, I want to say how dear the little miss Kye is. She is a cutie!!!
We just got home from on the Victory and they do not take cash for bingo. When did they start that and is it the same on all the ships now?
My best to Heidi and Miss Kye.
Jennifer
John Says:
Hello Jennifer and Danny
She is a cutie and thank goodness she gets her looks from me and not Heidi!
Yes, I guess I have never actually touched on this before but indeed the ships are now cashless for all bingo games. This is easier for the staff to handle and also hopefully for the guests as well. Very soon we will be getting more mobile terminals which should speed up the selling process quite a bit. I would be interested to read your thoughts on this and on the rest of the cruise. So, if you have time, please send us your reviews.
Best wishes to you and the family.
John
Annette Asked:
Hi John (please respond)
Me again – I am new to your bloggy thingy and have to say I am impressed!! Your way of presenting life on and off the ship is a joy to read! I also appreciate that we can ask questions and you take the time to actually respond and respond quickly! even in the midst of a life altering (for the better) event!!
Congratulations to you and Heidi on the birth of baby Kye – she is beautiful!!! A liefje schat!! (Heidi will know what that means
I am excited for you that you get to go on the Dream for a spell but wish it could be for about a month longer! I have booked a B2B on her, sailing April 17th and 24th. This is my first B2B and I’m pretty excited! I have a couple a questions about her though that I’m hoping you can answer or can find the answers to when you are in Italy. 1) Does the promenade deck which wraps around the whole ship jut out beneath the decks above. If I have a balcony room on the Upper or Empress Decks, would I look down onto that deck instead of at the water? 2) Is there doors on the Upper and Empress Decks that will lead to the deck at the front of the ship? 3) I just came off the Liberty and Tommy at the Wine Bar was my favourite and it was a favourite place to go for a pre or post dinner drink. Is there a Wine/Martini type Bar on the Dream? 4) Is there a fish’n’chip place on the Dream? or some type of food venue on the 2nd floor of The Gathering?
Thanks for your help in this and wishing you and your family all the best!
Annette
John Says:
Hello Annette
Once again welcome to the blog and I am glad you are finding it so useful. Let me see if I can answer your questions.
1) Does the promenade deck which wraps around the whole ship jut out beneath the decks above. If I have a balcony room on the Upper or Empress Decks, would I look down onto that deck instead of at the water?
The cabins give a wonderful view of the ocean and life on promenade. There are areas of the Carnival Dream which extend outwards which hold the overhang Jacuzzis but the views from the cabins above will be breathtaking for sure I promise. I will be taking photos during my trip in June.
2) Is there doors on the Upper and Empress Decks that will lead to the deck at the front of the ship?
Yes there are. I will check to see what levels are crew decks and which are guest decks. For certain Empress is a passenger deck with a door forward leading to the outside deck and I will check the status of the upper deck for you.
3) I just came off the Liberty and Tommy at the wine bar was my favorite and it was a favorite place to go for a pre or post dinner drink. Is there a Wine/Martini type Bar on the Dream?
Isn’t Tommy fantastic? I have worked with him many times and he really is a charmer. Well, on the Carnival Dream there isn’t a formal wine bar as far as I can tell although we will have some new features that will certainly feature wines and much more that you will have to wait a little before I can tell you all. I will say that if you loved the wine bar on the Conquest class then you wait until you see the Lanai and Ocean Plaza……it’s going to be very special indeed.
4) Is there a fish’n’chip place on the Dream? or some type of food venue on the 2nd floor of The Gathering?
We really haven’t officially announced the cuisine options on Dream – I know our F&B folks are hard at work finalizing the details and you’ll be the first to know. I can tell you that we have a few surprises up our sleeve.
I know you are full of excitement and following my trip in June I promise to tell you all you need and want to know and much more.
Best wishes
John
Aimee Asked:
John-Please reply
Please do not stop sharing Kye pictures and stories! She is a part of you and that is what you share here on the blog is your thoughts and life, plus all the details about ships and stuff. I just hope we see picture updates and Kye news often! Someone said she has a great many aunts and uncles from this blog thingy and I think all of us enjoy hearing about herSo I beg of you not to stop! Aimee
John Says:
Hello Aimee
Well, as you asked and for you and the many other thousands of her aunties and uncles…………here is Kye aged 6 days.
She is a lazy little thing. All she has done today is eat, sleep and poo……….and she isn’t even French.
Thanks Aimee and my best wishes to you and the family
John
cruzn buckeye Asked:
John-please reply
Okay…now you have gone and done it! I changed my booking on the Dream to Feb. 27. I was booked on the Dream in Sept. 2010 but now that you are going to be the CD in September, I switched! Yes it cost me 100 change fee and I went from a category 8d wraparound balcony to a cat. 6 ocean view for the same price as the 8d wrap! I just wanted to cruise with you as CD at least one more time! I hope your schedule doesn’t change again… My boyfriend said to let you know that you cost him a wraparound balcony….and you better make it worth his while! ;D ! I am sure you will do everything you can to make him happy that we changed from that wrap to an ocean view!!
See you on February 27! (I will really be in trouble if you are the Dream CD in September after giving away that wrap!)
cruzn buckeye
John Says:
Dear Cruzn:
Oh my goodness. I feel so guilty yet so proud that you have changed your cruise to come sail with me. I will make sure I send a few little goodies to your state room plus give you $100 extra worth of laughter. I promise you and your boyfriend will have a brilliant time and I am so happy that I get to cruise with you both
See you soon
John
Bobby Asked:
Hi John please reply, I am going on the Valor in two weeks. May 31st, this is the reminder you asked me to send you about getting a window table at our dining. We have the early dining. Our booking number is —- our cabin is —- and last name is T… Thank you. I am so looking forward to this cruise. Also I wanted to ask are there flat screen TVs in the rooms on the Valor? You have a beautiful daughter. Take care of both of your girls. You make a great looking family.
Bobby
John Says:
Hello Bobby
Thanks for the reminder and I have sent your request to Pablo the maitre d. The Carnival Valor does not have the flat screen TV’s but they do have the full interactive service which enables you to watch first run movies on demand and order excursions etc.
Have fun and I look forward to hearing your review of the cruise.
Best wishes
John
stef aka hockey addict Asked:
Hi John!! (Please reply when & if you can)
I want to say Congrats again! Kye is beautiful and you guys chose a perfect name. You 3 look wonderful! Kye is beautiful!
I just found out through your blog thingy about the past guest pins. I haven’t been to cruise critic in a few days. I am sooooo bummed! Please tell the powers that be that there are some unhappy campers out here! I was looking forward to getting my Fascination pin in September. You see, that was our first cruise last November. We loved it so much we agreed that there will be no other types of vacations for us. We also agreed we were NOT going to go on that other line. Whypaymore and besurroundedbysnobs of the Seas?
Is there any way possible to set aside one pin for us in September??? I was looking forward to having it and putting it with all of my first cruise stuff. I was going to pin it on my stuffed Fun Ship Freddy. I have a bookshelf with all my memorabilia. If you can’t I will totally understand!
I’ve never been on a cruise with you and I hope we can next year. I don’t know if I am considered a blogger since I have never been on a bloggers cruise… but I would love to be Aunt Stef…. I’m an only child…. this is as close as I could come!
Just a couple more things, I don’t want to take up too much of your time or space on your blog….
Jaime…. Awesome instalment…. don’t tell John I said this… but I think he sees a bright future for you! I look forward to your next Dear John letter.
John…. I hope you guys get plenty of rest!
John Says:
Hello Stef
Such kind words………thank you so much for taking the time to write them. It’s amazing how so many people loved the pins and I can tell you that we are looking into the possibility of making the pins available for sale in our gift shops. Also, I have had dozens of requests from bloggers to have me get them pins from various ships. Obviously I would love to but there is little I can do here in the UK and if I do it for one………well you know what would happen. Instead, I am putting my considerable but every shrinking weight (because of my diet) into doing all I can to have the pins available. So, while there are no certainties yet I promise you that we at Carnival now know how important these pins are to so many and I will keep you informed as to what happens next.
I also hope that one day soon we get to sail with each other.
My best wishes to you and the family
John
Paul F. Pietrangelo Asked:
REPLY PLEASE JOHN (If you think it’s important)
I’m very disappointed with Carnival that they will no longer pass out pins to past guests. I didn’t need any part but I really enjoyed the fact of receiving those what I thought were important pins. I was looking forward to receiving one with Dream’s name on it. Oh ya, Carnival needed the money to pay for the Dream. John, I’m a very disappointed cruiser at this moment. Now to something happy. That last picture of the whole family was breathtaking and very beautiful. Thank you for giving it to us. When you mentioned that you would get up a couple of times because you weren’t sure if you could hear Kye breathe, well my friend I did that also and many times. I guess the mother just knows. MaryLou would just tell me to go back to sleep. In fact I once woke the baby up just to hear her cry and then MaryLou really got angry but hearing that baby cry made me feel good. I wouldn’t recommend doing that John. Since Carnival has taken the pin away, are going to give us anything? Just wondered.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
John Says:
Hello Paul
I am so sorry you are dissapointed mate but I assure you this decision was not taken lightly and we are now looking at other options which hopefully will have you smiling again. You described exactly how I feel and being a Dad has shone a whole new light onto my world. Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice and I may ask you for more of the same soon
Best wishes to you and all your lovely family
John
Marqueta Asked:
John Please Reply
Congratulations to you and Heidi on your beautiful baby girl Kye. Enjoy her while she is so tiny as they tend to grow up quickly. My baby girl is now 22 and the years just went by far too quickly. My family will be sailing on the Conquest 24 May 2009. My mother will be going with us and she is handicapped. She rides one of those cute little motorized scooters. We were wondering if you could arrange our dining table to be easily accessible for her to get to. Since this is not our first cruise (#6/5 with Carnival), we know that the aisle ways within the dining room can be rather small in places. It would be great it she could just ride up to the table and then only have to stand up and sit down in her dining chair. We are in two cabins and obviously want to be seated at the same table. Cabin # and #. There are 5 of us total and we don’t mind sharing with other passengers.
Who is the CD on the Conquest now? We sailed her back in 2/2006 and it was Todd Wittmer and he was awesome.
Hugs and Kisses to little Kye and thank you,
Marqueta
John Says:
Hello Marqueta
Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope Kye grows up very slowly and I already have my “bugger off” speech planned when her first boyfriend comes calling. Thanks for letting me know about Mum and of course we can arrange an easily accessible table for you. I will contact the Maitre D and ask him to make it so. The CD will be Chris Jefferson who is an old mate and one of our very finest cruise directors. When you see him please send him my very best.
So, have a wonderful cruise and I look forward to hearing all about it from you when you get home
Best wishes
John
techmom Asked:
John (please reply)
First of all, beautiful picture and keep the information and pictures coming. It is obvious from the comments that we are all interested.
Jamie-we are at the 10 day mark for our cruise on the Pride-woohoo!!! We are in Stateroom -come say hello. And I read on another blog about some throw up in a cup being thrown over a tender to land on a person below. Nice! I will be sure to be on the top of that boat.
John-my wonderful husband of 26 years allows me to book cruises to warm, sunny, beach locations which he does not care for. The Pride is our 4th and we hope to rent a cabana for Half Moon Cay so that he will at least be in there while I am perched in the sun. Anyways, I decided to book an Alaskan cruise next May on the Spirit. I am going to keep it a secret until Christmas. He has wanted to do this for years and my struggle is I won’t know how to handle wearing hoodies etc the whole time so I have put it off. But, as I said, he is wonderful to me and spoils me so it is my turn to compromise.
What I wanted from you is I called my PVP (by the way would never use anyone but book through Carnival) to tell her what I wanted to do. She gave me options and I needed to call her back with a credit card (used my sons-kids are good for something) and while doing that, my husband came home. We hung up and were able to complete everything by email. She made sure nothing was going to be mailed to our house and nothing emailed to the wrong email address. DJ Myrick is wonderful. She always takes time with me and searches for the right room and price. She follows up and even notices when I am looking online for a cruise. She treats me like a friend when I call. Is it possible for you or Stephanie to find out who her supervisor is and pass this on? DJ goes above and beyond her job and it is obvious she is happy at Carnival.
Best wishes to you all!
Karen
John Says:
Hello Karen
It seems that you are very excited about your Carnival Pride cruise and I am sure Jaime will stop by to say hello and maybe even have a gift for you? I am not sure what blog you read about someone throwing something from a balcony. I checked the incident log from the ship and there are no reports……..oh well, never mind. Please make sure once you get on board you go as soon as possible to the shore excursion desk which is located in the lobby. They open at noon and you should then reserve your cabana as they are quite popular. Your husband will get the shade and realization he needs while you lay before the sun god. What a wonderful story about DJ Myrick whose supervisor Jessica will soon know all about this wonderful example of guest service. So, I will pass on the comments written above and I want to thank you so very much for taking the time to write them. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know
Best wishes to all
John
Cassandra Asked:
Please reply…
I love the pic of the family! Kye is beautiful! When is the blogger’s cruise on the Carnival dream?
John Says:
Hello Cassandra
We are going to talk about the bloggers cruises in just a few minutes so stand by. Thanks for the kind words and I will keep the photos coming
Best wishes
John
Ann Henderson Asked:
JOHN, PLEASE REPLY:
I’ve e-mailed this to your Facebook, but unsure how often you check it, I decided to post it here as well. I have a question that I’ve been unable to get an answer to, which is, how do you get an invitation to the Captain’s Table? The reason I asked is that I’m about to embark on the Carnival Legend for the 3rd time on May 31st, however, it’s my husband’s 1st cruise. Due to military commitments he’s been unable to sail. Well, through the cruise boards, I’ve found that there will be two other military branches on board as well. We have all decided to wear their military uniforms for the 1st formal night. My husband will wear his Navy whites, Julia will wear her Army Formal (this is her Return from Afghanistan Cruise), and Patrick will wear his Air Force blues. I thought I would attempt to get invites and surprise them as this will be three branches of the military showing their pride at the same time on this cruise. How can I accomplish this?
John Says:
Hello Ann
First of al let me say a massive sorry to those people who write on my Facebook page thingy. I have 2,000 plus friends there and considering I pay these friends bugger all attention I am surprised they are still friends. I just don’t have time to check this as much as I should but I will do better in the future. Anyway, the fastest way to have me help you is via the blog thingy so I am glad you have written in. With that in mind I am sure you must be thrilled that after your husband’s military commitments he is now able to experience the “Fun Ship” style of vacation for himself. It seems that your husband will be joined by other members of the serving military and the best way for them to meet is to have me request a meeting on the first sea day afternoon a few hours before the elegant night starts. So, I will do this via Jen Baxter the CD and please look for a line in the Today at a Glance section in the Carnival Capers for the first sea day. It will read “Serving and retired military meet (unsupervised) and then you can all meet up and decide what to do.” I am sure there will be many guests who will want to shake your husband’s hand.
Hope this is OK.
Best wishes and have a wonderful cruise
John
Mike Bortoletti Asked:
John please reply
I am a big fan of the blog but have not posted until now so I am not sure if I am able to ask this question to you. My wife and our three children have been on four cruises all with Disney Cruise Line but after reading your blog and speaking to friends (Joyce and Ben Rossi) we have decided to take a Carnival cruise on your ship the Conquest. One concern we have is that we read on the Cruise Critic pages that Carnival does not allow young children to eat in the dining rooms and that they have to eat with the other children at your kid’s camp. We have three children aged 8, 6 and 2 and one thing we always do regardless of what happens during the day is to always make sure the family eats together at dinner. Please can you tell me if this comment is correct and that my children are not allowed to eat with us?
Thank you for the fun you bring me each day. I have a very stressful job as a Police Officer in New York State and am a big fan of the British sense of humor so your blogs are something I look forward to reading.
Congratulations on your new child, being a father is the greatest feeling there is
Thank You
Mike Bortoletti and family
John Says:
Hello Mike
So there you are………..enjoying a meal in a restaurant and trying to tell your wife how much you love her as she sits on the other side of the herb-crusted rack of lamb, but your attention is irresistibly drawn to that large table in the corner where two hapless parents are trying to introduce their Thingies to the joys of eating out…………… and failing.
“Yes darling, it is an Italian restaurant but I shouldn’t think they do spaghetti alphabet hoops, why don’t you try the carbonara, do sit still Porsche, what, already? I told you to go for a poo before we left home, no Nicholas, it’s a pepper-mill darling, not a big penis…….ssssshhhhh…………..keep your voice down, I don’t know why it’s that size, it’s an Italian-waiter thing, please stop sticking that knife in your sister’s leg, yes it is sharp enough or they wouldn’t have put it out, the table is not wobbly, you’re making it wobble, Bloody Hell, Bob………….why didn’t we just stay at home and order pizza?”
There are honorable exceptions, of course, but compared with their counterparts in mainland Europe, British children do not usually fare well in restaurants. In France, Spain or Italy it is not uncommon to see three or four generations of the same family sitting round a communal table, but here any diner under the age of 12 is about as welcome as a fart in church.
Well, none of this will be happening on our ships and I am sorry to say that the comment on the cruise boards is 100% incorrect. Children of all ages are allowed in the dining room and I promise you that you will see many families doing what you mentioned ……… and all meeting for dinner. Our iconic wait staff is all trained to make sure your children have a fun time in the dining room. There is a kids menu and they will love the entertainment the waiters provide together and individually at the table.
I know you will have a great time all together and I hope this first Carnival cruise will be the first of many. If there is anything else I can do for you please let me know. And, as you can see from my reply, I added a bit of humor to it just for you.
My best to you all
John
As always please let me know if there is anything I can do for you by marking your comment John Please Bugger Off……..and I will………….or John Please reply
I hope you enjoyed Paul’s photos of St. Thomas yesterday and now we move to his collection of Grand Turk. This has become one of our most popular destinations and of course with the snorkelling, exquisite beaches and our President and CEO Gerry Cahill designed FlowRider it is easy to see why for many Grand Turk is the most exciting of the new Caribbean destinations. Here is a selection of photos for you to drool over.
Yesterday, Stephanie Leavitt hosted a conference call with me and many others in Miami to talk about the Bloggers Cruises on the Carnival Dream. I have to admit we sort of rushed into planning these as some of you had requested one at the end of the year on the new ship. Then some wanted New York and some Florida so we decided to do both.
Well, unlike the one recently on the Carnival Fantasy when 400 plus bloggers sailed together the counts………….so far……..are much less. So, we discussed what we could do for those who are sailing. Well, the format will be similar as the one we just held and will include.
IN CABIN GIFTS – INCLUDING SOME NEW ONES THAT ARE SIMPLY BRILLIANT
A WELCOME ABOARD COCKTAIL PARTY
MORNING ACTIVITIES WITH ME
TEA TIME WITH ME EVERY SEA DAY
SPECIAL AND EXCLUSIVE SHOWS AND EVENTS
Q AND A SESSIONS AND FUN AND GAMES
FAREWELL COCKTAIL PARTY
SPECIAL GUESTS – AL AND LEWIS AND CHRIS WILL RETURN AND SOME NEW FRIENDS AS WELL WILL BE JOINING US.
These are just some of the exciting things that will be happening. As for dining …………… well after a lot of thought we have decided to not do a bloggers open seating as we did on the Carnival Fantasy. With all the new dining options available it seems best to allow people to decide what is best for them
OK, the planning continues and all that’s missing is you
Here is the lovely, talented, shy (unless she has more than one glass of wine when she the turns into a giggling party animal) and very talented Stephanie Leavitt to tell you all about these two brilliant cruises.
Hi Everyone,
John pretty much told you most of what’s coming for the November 15 and December 3rd Carnival Dream blogger’s cruises. So all that’s left for me to say is please come and join us! The last two blogger’s cruises were incredible and the next two promise to be the same! Look out for more details coming soon about the group shore excursions, activities and entertainment. Also, don’t forget to use the PBL/CBPL farecode when booking. If you’re not booked with that farecode you won’t be an official part of the group.Hope to see you soon!
Stephanie
I hope some of you will join me and remember the best thing of all………you will get to be some of the very first guests ever to sail on the Carnival Dream………probably the best cruise ship……….in the world.
Oh my goodness. I just read some shocking and disturbing news. No, I didn’t see someone actually using the climbing wall and no I did not hear that some one saw the Norwegian Epic and didn’t actually vomit………it’s worse………….much worse. According to the US government, GPS and Sat Nav devices could break down within a year because some of the satellites that power the system are approaching their sell-by date. Without serious investment, many drivers will be forced to rely on things like maps, compasses and brains to get to their destination. Well, there is no way I can carry on living then. I am a man and there is no way I am going to pull over and ask someone for directions because this would imply that I am as thick and that they are more intelligent than me.
Anytime I have done this and actually asked for directions I always get a man with more hair in his ears than on his head who starts of his answer with the word “Er.” Hear this word then my suggestion is that you drive off immediately preferably over his foot because he has not bloody clue how to get there but being a man is too proud to say “I haven’t a clue.”
Women on the other hand will always ask for directions just as they will always read the instruction manual that comes with any electrical appliance. Forget the “We want to be cuddled after having rumpy pumpy” it’s asking for directions and reading instructions that make them so very different. I expect even the Queen can be found lying on her stomach in front of the DVD player with the manual ensuring that when she gets back from the banquet she will have recorded Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy……..and the Simpsons.
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and Kye
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.
Please Reply
This may be a dup as the first attempt appeared to fail.
Dear John:
Me and the little lady, Patti Pat, wants to congratulate you on the arrival of your little one. We knows what it is like when a the new one finally arrives cause we got 6 little Bedwetters stompin’ around our double wide.
Anyways, me and Patti Pat (I calls her PP for short) has our 14th cruise scheduled July 4 on the Liberty. One of the Platinum perks is tender boarding priority. How do we take advantage of that there perk? On the other ships we been on, they did not even provide this here perk. It either needs to be consistent on all ships or no longer listed as a perk. Me and PP has been to that there Half Moon Cay before. Cause it is almost as pretty as a mornin’ in the backwoods of Kentucky, we wants to take advantage of the perk and be ones of the first ones on the island. Heck, I even went and bought a new Speedo to shows off my fine bod. Can yous get this fixed before our curise??
Your friend,
Leroy P. Bedwetter
John,
PLEASE REPLY
You mention that you will be on Freedom in Late July…just visiting or CD? Do you have difinitive dates?
Blessings on you, Heidi, and Kye!
John Please Reply!
I had sent you a message a couple of weeks ago about my trip to Italy, however I am sure with Kye you have been very busy, below is the original email I had sent you. Please let me know if you might be able to help me out!
_
Hello John,
Congratulations first of all with your new “thingie” on the way, I am sure this will add new life to your already successful family and blog! In case you do not remember me, my name is Dan Polulak and I was previously a Club O2 Director serving 2 years with Carnival- a company that I am still passionate about. I worked onboard the Miracle, Liberty and Inspiration from June 2006-March 2008.
I recently got back from a cruise on a Glory in which I visited some friends and I must say that I am still very impressed with the Entertainment department. While I am slightly disappointed with Club O2 now being part of Camp Carnival, it’s more the fact how close Entertainment was for teens, rather then a youth program. I trust that those in charge are working hard to keep Club O2 as successful as it was in the past. Glory’s entertainment was excellent, especially the new introduction of Just Rock and Justin Illusion- both amazing production shows! I have seen almost every Carnival production show in the fleet, and these two are now my favorite. I can also assure you that Butch is doing very well in his new position; the guests loved him as Cruise Director.
As I mentioned before, even though I am no longer with Carnival, I still consider them a huge part of my life. Currently I am a Resort and Hospitality Management major at Florida Gulf Coast University, and can’t wait for the day I complete my degree so I can continue a career with Carnival. This summer I have been given a once in a lifetime chance to study abroad on Semester at Sea onboard the M/V Explorer visiting 8 different countries in Europe and Africa. During this I will also be taking all undergraduate classes. I hear this experience is life changing and I have been preparing for this exciting journey for the past year.
One stop of my trip is in Italy, and it has always been a dream of mine to visit a shipyard and tour a ship being built. What more of a dream it would be to visit the Carnival Dream while it is being built! I am spending 5 days in Italy from July 1st-5th 2009, and plan on touring Venice. It is my understanding that Fincantieri shipyard where the Dream is being constructed is fairly close to Venice, and I would do anything to be able to tour a ship that is being constructed. I had an idea; with you being so busy with your blog and the new “thingie”, you might not have a chance to report on the process of the Dream for your blog! Would you be interested in having me do a piece for your blog on the Dreams progress in exchange for helping me arrange a ship construction tour at Fincantieri?
I previously have written articles for Cruisemates.com as their teen host prior to my employment with Carnival. During my employment I also wrote two articles for Currents magazine for past guests. My cruise travel writing experience has been published in Florida Travel and Lifestyles magazine, and I was even quoted in the New York Times! I would love to add writing for your blog to my resume, all while fulfilling my dream- of touring the Dream!
I depart on my trip on June 13th but will have email capabilities during my journey. I understand that my timing might not be the best, as the new thingie will consume most of that for a while! However, if you there is anyone that you could pass my letter on to help an ole’ crew member out, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you ahead of time, and good luck!
Regards,
Dan Polulak
Sorry but we will not be able to make the next (2) bloggers cruise. Very hard to get vacation off that time of year. We are waiting for the word about bloggers 2010 cruise.
Keep up the good work on the diet. Excercise is good but walking 30 minutes a day will also take off the weight.
I have still not caught up to Big Tex with weight loss but getting close. Since last Thanksgiving (great time to start a diet) I have lost 80 pounds. It is hard to diet and cruise several times a year. I am near reaching my goal of 100 pounds lost and 4 cruises for 2009. Cruise 3 is next week on the Holiday so right on schedule there also.
Now just have to get me a new suit and hat like Big Tex.
John,
I do hope that Carnival will make the past guest pins available in the gift shops!!
Good luck with your diet and weight loss. I, for one, know it is not easy. I lost 65 pounds and I have managed to keep it all off for a few years now. A fact that I am very proud of!
Keep sharing pictures of Kye!
Melissa
John:
To follow up your comment above to Mike Bortoletti: We are a family with 3 children who are veteran cruisers, ages 12, 10 and 10 (yes, they are twins). We also make sure that we have dinner together, even on cruises. The staff is very good at helping with our kids — cutting up pizza (so we don’t have to), bringing extra sides of broccoli (yes, our kids love broccoli!!), etc.
We’ve been doing this every year since our twins were 2-1/2 years old, and we’ll keep doing it. When they were younger, we planned ahead and brought a ziploc bag of crayons and blank paper for them to draw on, which kept them busy in between courses.
We recently sailed on the Miracle with three other families and were able to have a kids table and an adults table. The staff was FANTASTIC!!! On the night that the adults went to the supper club, our dining room staff insisted that the kids come and eat in the dining room — just the kids! (Thanks again, Chardonnay!! You’re the best! BTW, John: In case I forgot to ask you after our cruise, please relay to Charunet’s supervisors that she was FANTASTIC!)
Bottom line, Mike: Absolutely bring the kids to dinner, and tell them to try new things. It’s a great opportunity for them to expand their food horizons. Our kids now love lamb! Oh, yeah — the kids will also love to see the dining room staff singing and dancing!
John, as always I wish the best for you, Heidi and Kye, and thanks to Stephanie and everyone else behind the scenes for keeping the blog thingy working!
Rick H.
John, now that Heidi’s Mum is there you better watch what you say. Saying things like “thank goodness she gets her looks from me and not Heidi” will again get you in the doghouse. Having Mum there Heidi doesn’t need you now so sending you out to the doghouse wont make a difference. You said Kye farts and poos like you so maybe that is the only part of her body that might look like you, Thank God.
BIG ED
I echo Melissa’s request that the Carnival funnel pins, with the ship’s name, be retained: either as a past guest perk or sold in the gift shop.
We are on the Dream in October and wonder if the Future Carnival Vacation certificates will be available at the Where Next Desk for the 3 October cruise?
I also wonder if MonkeyHead drinks will be available on the Dream and if so which day will they be available (I heard an ugly rumour on the Splendor when we went round South America that they would not longer be available on any ship).
OK John, stop answering questions and pay attention to the sounds in the background…. that’s Kye and it’s your turn to attend to her little hearts every desire.
Jim
John, Congratulations! I know it is a bit late in coming, but we were on the Spirit cruising to Alaksa when Chris announced that the baby had been born! The whole room brioke out in spontaneous applause! I guess we must have had a lot of bloggers on that cruise as well!
Great cruise, but after all day of traveling yesterday we are just exhausted! I’ve got a ton of pictures and will send Stephanie a link to my photobucket account once I get them all uploaded so you can have a peek. Just a small story though since I know you love governmental beaurocracy, we flew into Vancouver from San Diego. The paperwork said not to go through customs, but the US Direct thingy wasn’t working or something so they made us go through Canadian customs. Irritating, but…okay. We then board a bus for the cruise terminal about 30 minutes away. We get to the cruise ship terminal and had to go through American customs to board the ship! LOL! All I could do was laugh. Yeah, I could have defected or found something to smuggle in that 1/2 hour bus ride! LOL! On the upside, that was the last customs folks we had to deal with, but I did find it to be somewhat overkill!
Again, congratulations to both…or I guess all three of you, now!
Mike
Have no fear… the GPS system is not going to fail. It’s fine. There’s currently 31 GPS system satellites on orbit and we need 24 to make the system work. The USAF will be spending 5.8 billion dollars over the next 4 years to make sure you and I don’t get lost.
Thank you for the picture of Kye at six days. She certainly is growing up fast!!
Grand Turk is stunning. I hope to make it there next year.
Uhh… in case you haven’t heard… we would like to have the pins available in the shops. Did you hear that somewhere else?? I’ll be awaiting the email with the good news…
Please pass my howdies on to Heidi, my gratitude to Stephanie and a kiss to Kye.
Ciao, my friend!!
Host Mach
Hey John!
Keep up the good work at your gym. Don’t let the steroid freaks mess with your mind.
Love the Grand Turcos pics. So peaceful.
I sure hope my GPS doesnt crash. It’s a lifesaver.
Hi to Heidi and Kye.
Take care!
David
Que bonita KYE!!!
She is beautiful John!!
Hi, John! We are in Orlando, FL on vacation since 5/15 (Kye’s B’day) & we are having a very hard time with our laptop & the hotel internet service…We have tried unsuccessfully to send you an e-mail several times. Every time we tried, the system goes off-line & that’s it or we try to click the submit button at the end of writting the blog & we get a weird message & nothing is sent. If we can’t send you this now, we’ll do it ASAP once we get home in Mia. Bch. after May 24.
First, we wanted to tell you that we love all of Rye’s close-up photos & the family photos where the 3 of you appear together. Heidi looks great! Rye is a doll & she’ll be a knockout when she grows up…& you’ll be her fierce bodyguard!
Second, we wanted to let you know that we are also Michael Jackson’s fans, so don’t feel bad… Putting aside all the bad things & scandals involving him, people recognize there is nobody else like him & his music is great & we all hope he keeps healthy to return to his public….By the way, we read on the USA Today that the start date of his London concerts hae been pushed back a few days…They said his health doesn’t have anything to do with the change….
On our next msge. we’ll tell you something that we wanted to share with you about Carnival’s latest decisions regarding Past Guests….In the meantime, congratulations again for being such good first-time parents to Kye!
The Santanas of Miami Beach
I impressed that you are going to the gym–I haven’t been able to commit to doing that yet. Good for you that you have been able to stick to the regimen with all this stress going on around you!
The photos of Grand Turk are beautiful and I love it there–I also love the photo of the Splendor docked there–kinda of like looking at the picture of Kye–I just want to go awwwwwwwwwwww.
The guy on the Flow Rider–wow. I watched people do this when we were there and it really is amusing. Kids would go first and their Dad’s would be giving them pointers and then the Dad’s would do it and would do worse than the kids and it was really funny.
I know that you already know this because everyone has said it over and over but she really is a beautiful little baby and looks so peaceful when she sleeps.
Hi John!!
I would be more then happy to pay for one of the pins in one of the ship’s store. I really hope they have them!
As far as the treadmill goes….. slow it down and walk at a slower pace before you get off! That’s what I do. If I don’t then I have wobby legs and get dizzy! Be careful! I also worked my way up to a mile at first. It could be too much to start at a mile your first time! Pleeeeease be careful!
Please keep the Kye stories and photo’s coming!
I’m also watching for the 2010 blogger and your schedule as well as the rest of this years schedule.
Thanks for making me laugh today as usual!
I just returned from the Miracle and must have sat in the dining room next to Rick H. It was clear that all were having a good time and those kids were so well behaved. I thought they were older. There were lots of small children as well at other tables. Josh the CD on the cruise was great and our drink server in the diner room Pattimapour was fabulous. It was wonderful to come into the dining room and find our drinks waiting for us on the table. Creatures of habit we were. The best of all was seeing my 18 yr old turning many heads on the second formal night. On the last night of the cruise both my daughters won the coverted ship on a stick. Yeah!!!! And watching my daughter play the house in the bear story was priceless. I cannot wait until the next time we can all cruise . We have cruised many lines and my daughters have agreed that Carnival is more fun for the young people.
John and Heidi Congrats on Kye’s arrival . She is beautiful. I remember listening to mine breathe at night. Nothing can compare.
Debbie
john, i just read on cruise critic that the new platinum gift is a picture frame. i am happy for the change whatever it is. i currently have 16 thermoses (thermi) and have given away a half dozen. i tried using them as vases, cigar storage places, hand lotion dispensers, all sorts of things, but they keep piling up on me. should i cruise less?
and that photo of kye at six days looks exactly like heidi!!!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
John, I am a newly diagnosed Type2 just 2 months ago. I was told to control with diet and exercise. The diet the nurse told me was lots of starchy carbs, low fat, low sugar. I put on 7lbs in 3 days and my BG readings went through the roof.
I have switched to low carb and low fat. BG readings becoming more stable as I get more into it and weight is being lost.
Get a Collins Gem Carb Counter book £3.99 and start planning to eat less than 75 to 100 grams per day of carbs. Keep the fats and sugar low too if you can but you need some fat.
Hello John:
Kye Heald is simply adorable.
Hey Dad. What do you say about getting up in the morning and walking at a brisk pace 15 minutes away and 15 minutes back. Heidi and Kye can come too, Kye in a sling or whatever they call it. You live in a nice area that should have some good scenery and safe walking paths. This will help you curb your appetite, you need to do it every day. As the weight melts off, your feet will feel better, they may ache for a while if you are kind of heavy.
The strength training like you have at the club is nice, but you need the aerobics the walking provides, and then do the strength only three times per week, different muscle groups each of the three days.
You will feel great, and live a long time to enjoy your beautiful wife and daughter. Let me know of your walking from time to time. I do a mile and a half in less than 30 minutes on rolling terrain. Fast enough so if I talk it is hard to keep breathing calmly. If that makes sense.
I am now down 25 pounds from 305 when you announced your diet, I thought it was time to get lighter and move better. The pants are loose. You will not recognize me on the December Dream Cruise, I hope.
The diving in Grand Turk is excellent, we look forward to it on BC4. Happiness is plenty of air and 80 feet of pressure.
Best Wishes to all.
Your Friend
Bill Heck
John…
Oh my. Kye is so beautiful. I think she lookes like Heidi.
I was glad to hear you will be on the Dream in February, we have booked for the week of the 8th.
Look forward to possibly meeting you.
All the best.
Diane
John please bugger off… HA HA just kidding Please respond
We just talked to linda hernacki and she told us what you said……. So now that we have returned from the hospital after franks head exploded…. We are thrilled and excitied and we will defentley be there. Just let us know.
Big fans as allways,
Frank and Bridie
Made an attempt to eat the “royal rat” at the Wet Lizard in belize, failed miserably. kept thinking about mickey mouse and stewart little…
If anyone wants to attempt this, you have to e-mail the restaurent a week in advance as they dont have it ont he regular menu …hmmm I wonder why ?.
John, please reply
Hey John, you do have a beautiful daughter, but she must look more like Heidi than you because she has a little, cute, pug nose.
We were on the Splendor on the trip north when she was born and didn’t know until we got home that she had arrived. Thought maybe she might have come on the 11th, which is my wife’s birthday that we celebrated while cruising.
Is there a way I can send you an audio file (mp3) for you to listen to? We had cabin 6456 on the Splendor and this was the sounds we had most of the seven evenings while we were trying to go to sleep. In case you are not aware, this cabin is above the El Morocco lounge and it sounded like we were inside a base drum with someone beating it as hard as they could. The floor was vibrating and it was hard to even lie on a pillow without my ear drums vibrating.
We were surprised the first night when the music started but thought we might get used to it. Then the next night I heard that there were technical difficulties and the sound only lasted for a little while early on. After the fourth night, when the band played Latin music and was the loudest of all, we complained and were told they could move us to an inside cabin. No one would come up to hear the problem. Now, we booked the cruise 14 months ago so paid top dollar for an aft balcony and did not want an inside.
After complaining a couple of times, they did give us 100 OBC and told us we would get 15% off our next cruise. We do not feel this is satisfactory but if nothing more can be done, I want you to be aware of the problem. I don’t think an above average cabin should have been put above a noisy lounge, right above the stage.
We have been on 8 cruises, 5 on Carnival in the last 3 and a half years and do plan to cruise Carnival again. In fact, we did buy 4 of the future cruise certificates.
If you haven’t heard the sounds to which I am referring, let me know where I can send the mp3 file. And when listening to it, you need to have more than a Blackberry’s speakers as the bass won’t come through on them.
Thanks for listening.
Smitty
John
First off here is the incident that took place on the 5/10 Pride Cruise at Half Moon Cay that I posted yesterday. “On the way back to the ship- we were on the tender boat on the top deck with the cruise director Kirk Benning and assistant cruise director Jamie. A lady had got totally wasted drunk on the island and as soon as the ship moved- she threw up. Jamie ran over with a cup and she threw up in it and then Jamie walked over and dumped it over the side. She did not know the bottom deck stuck out 1 foot farther then the top and it went all over the people below.”
Exercise-yep that is a funny thing. My boss runs on the treadmill 10 miles a day or does some awful routine on the eliptical. Really, I mean really!!! 5 minutes for me and I am bored out of my mind. I agree with all the posters who say to walk outside. I take our dog for a walk or should I say she pulls me until I am forced to jog.
Beautiful pictures of Grand Turk. Will be there soon!
Karen
John Please reply
Earlier you had provided me a destination advice for my 30th wedding anniversary (my wife is Dutch too – she keeps me in line…wooden shoes hurt!) Venice was your suggestion, and I am hoping Carnival will be going there in April/May 2011. We have a Carnival PVP, Deborah Walston, she is marvelous and we are very happy with Deborah, but for our 30th, we will be using Airmiles and will have to use their travel agency. They do use Carnival and seems to be their exclusive cruise line (I could be wrong).
How can I ensure that this trip in 2011 is credited towards being a past guest as cruise number four? Do you know if they will be able to utilize my Past Guest number?
Is there a way that Deborah can assist and get any credit…(I believe the answer will be no unfortunately)?
And lastly, may I suggest a possible new excursion (maybe a niche thing) how about Carnival partners with local tour guides provide a Carnival photographer, take a tour the local city or countryside of the island in question. The Photographer could help passengers get the best shot by showing them how to frame the shot, help with exposure etc and show them some tricks of the trade while actually on site. The tour guide can provide the historical, cultural, geographical information thingy as the go along. If you like the idea you can use it free of charge…all I ask for is a ship on a stick! I am the guy that keeps bugging you about getting one of the Carnival photographers to give us some tips and tricks, if not here on the blog thingy, perhaps it can also be looked at as one of the on board events? Carnival has second to none multimedia equipment on board every ship and it would be quite easy to present a slide show along with an interactive session with passengers…Maybe boring and might appeal to us geeky older folks. I am getting so disappointed and being told it’s not the camera…it’s the…well I want pictures that look good and records the best times we ever had and that is Cruisin!
Kye is absolutely beautiful in this pic! Keep them coming John! She looks so happy and peaceful. OK, I know a lot of times all she does is sleep, eat and poo but that will change soon enough so enjoy it while you can! Someday you will look around the house and discover that your sweet little angel has been replaced by a….a…aaaaacccckkkkk…..TEENAGER! lolol
BELC
Maribeth
Hey John: Don’t give up on LA Fitness. I’m a member here in Pittsburgh and believe it or not it does work. Just dont push yourself too hard and eat more protein before and after you’ve worked out! Diet Coke and Celery just wont cut it. Give it a chance.
Sue K – in Pittsburgh
Sorry I won’t be on either blogger’s cruise this year. I’LL BE ON THE DREAM IN EUROPE IN OCTOBER
Hi John
Congratulations on your beautiful baby. She is indeed a blessing. I will be traveling with my best friend and sister on the Carnival Spirit on September 16-Hawaii cruise and was just wondering how is it that Carnival selects the guarantee cabins. Do past guests have priority when Carnival chooses their cabin? This will be my 7th cruise with Carnival and was wondering on the logistics.
Thanks
~millie
Hello Heald Family,
Happy Friday. Another beautiful picture of the little one. Amazing that she is sleeping so much. That’s great.
I love Grand Turk. I’m sorry the Miracle had to go to Tortola last year instead because of the hurricane damage, but I’ll get back there. Probably next year on the Miracle’s alternate itinerary (love that ship).
John, I applaud your diet efforts. I totally agree with you about body builders – men & women. Just plain UGLY.
It’s great that you’re exercising, but you can’t do too much at once – especially in the beginning. If you want to exercise, go on daily walks pushing Kye’s carriage. Or ride a bicycle. You can even take Kye with you in a special seat with her own little helmet.
Thank you John & Stephanie for the BC3 info. update. I’m looking forward to more info. And is it true – the new Platinum gift is a picture frame. Now that I could use – much better than the thermos & tote bags.
So have a great weekend, and I’ll catch up on Tuesday.
Hugs,
Carol
Hi John,
My family and I will be sailing on the Dream 1/23/10 through 1/30/10. We will be bring my 4 and 6 year olds and I noticed there are really no excursions that the 4 year old can participate in. I was just wondering if she was aloud to come on the snorkling excursions and just not snorkle or is she not allowed to come at all? I have always been very happy with Camp Carnival but I have never left the girls there when we were in port. Can I leave them there and get of the ship?
Traci L.-N.W. Florida
Dear John Please Reply,
I have really enjoyed the pictures that the various people have sent you to use. I told our old PVP that I thought that Carnival should use the winners of the Carnival Currents photo contests to decorate the rooms with instead of the prints they currently use. They could also add some from the talented staff that Carnival has. These could be labeled and be used to promote future cruises. Nothing make me want to travel to someplace more than seeing an incredible picture of that someone has taken. If you are going to decorate the rooms anyway you might as well get some promotional use out of the money spent.
James & Nancy
The Cruzin2some
P.S. Keep the photos coming! The Dream, Kye, and the destinations.
Hi, John,
PLEASE REPLY (firts, not to me, but to Ann Henderson…see above Q/A).
Her real question was “how to get invited to the Captain’s table.” Not sure if you just missed it, or if it can’t be done.
PLEASE REPLY to me for the rest:
Kye is sooo cute! Is her name pronounced to rhyme with eye or key or ??? Just curious.
I’m glad you’re using your gym membership. Ours (we’ve had for two years) never gets used any more. We really need to change that! I’m beginning to feel inspired by your efforts, so don’t stop now.
Do you still get to hold the baby, or with three ladies around most of the time do they kind of “hog” the cuddle time? Don’t let them deprive you, dude!
Bet you’re already “itching” to get back on a ship, though. You’ll probably be torn between your two loves when you get back to work, but being you I know you’ll find a way to cope. Do they let babies live on board with their working parents?
Thanks for keeping us informed about what’s happening in your world as well as the world of Carnival. Big hugs to you, Heidi and Kye.
Your pal, Myra
John (respond if you think it is necessary)
First of all keep posting pictures of Kye she is such a cutie.
I want to thank you for acting so fast on my request. We did receive a call from Kay Merrill at Carnival. Really don’t understand their polices or reasons. Still unhappy, but at least some of our concerns were acknowledged.
I think it is great you are working out but you need to eat enough calories to keep up your metabolism. Start off slow and slowly build up.
Say Hello to Heidi and a kiss to Kye.
Tom & Michelle
John, Your Daughter is beautiful! As a father of two girls, now adults, I can prowdly say it is a joy. However, as the time approached for my eldest daughter to be married I looked at my waist line and thought about how I would spoil her day with an out of shape Dad in a Tux I decided to get in shape. My wife also did the same. Well we looked probably better than we have in the past and it was well worth it. Now my youngest Daughter is to be wed in December so here we go again. I guess if there is any lesson to be learned is to look your best for your Daughter if not for yourself. You have many years ahead so be healthy and be there for that blessed day.
Be well, Jim
John, Heidi, & Kye,
My goodness! Kye gets more beautiful every day! Keep the stories and pictures coming because as you now know, all her aunties and uncles want to see and hear them. We can’t wait to get to the computer every day to find out what has happened next in the life of the Heald family and the Carnival family. We proud to say that we are a part of both!
Mike & Lori
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Has a CD been named for the 11/11/09 “Spirit”