Good morning from Costa Rica and as me and my underpants sit here writing to you the guests are heading ashore ready to go communing with nature . They will be on tour looking for monkeys and sloths, exotic birds, frogs and turtles………..in France that would be considered a buffet.
Pre-blog days I took one of the most popular tours here which goes to the rain forest to experience nature up close and personal. I remember last time I was here I took the amazing Canopy Tour where the guide told me that there are186 species of birds here. It’s where a group of male bird watchers would go for a stag weekend.
As I stood on the canopy that whisked us across the tree top I could hear howler monkeys in the trees launching a chorus that sounded worryingly like a pack of hungry wolves. I would have looked down to check but I’m not very good with heights…………… or wolves.
Costa Rica has had no army since 1949 (a bit like France); instead the money’s been poured into education and health, making for an extremely modern and very democratic country. For such a small country (on one of our tours the Two Oceans by Railroad you can actually see both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts) it boasts an extraordinary variety of things to see and do.
And so while the guests are ashore I have a busy day ahead of me making some videos for a site I will be telling you about shortly. But first…………..let’s talk about phones.
Just before I boarded the Carnival Freedom I had dinner in Miami’s Lincoln Road with my friends Roger and Marie. They are a wonderful couple so right for each other and whose love has produced two of the most beautiful children in the world…….Max and Ashley. While they are so alike in many ways Roger and Marie are certainly not alike when it comes to technology. It was only a few years ago that Marie made Roger throw away a TV that was a black and white and had a remote control system that involved someone getting off their arse, walking over to the TV and turning a dial……..not pressing a button………..turning a dial.
Marie on the other hand is a wiz when it comes to the latest technology and as we ate dinner that night I watched her dribble and drool ………no………she wasn’t fantasizing about me dressed all in rubber laying on her dining room table with an apple in my mouth………nope……….it was because we were outside of the Apple Store and they were launching some new Eye Phone thingy. Apple launched its upgraded Eye Phone, the 3G S thingy and by the end of the weekend, it had already sold a million of them.
That’s a million people parting with serious cash in the depths of a recession…………….. For a phone. …………….recession my arse
Why am I mentioning this?………………here is why.
Guest: —————-Ref: 838006504A
Cabin: ———-Booking#: ______
LOST PHONE
Mr. ______ arrived at the GSD and started to cry. GSA asked what was wrong and took guest to sit in the lobby as other guests were there. Mr. ____ said that he had left his phone on the table on Lido Deck during breakfast and that he now could not find it. Guest was crying a lot and said that he had just bought it and paid $400 for it. GSA said that he would need to fill out a lost property form and that hopefully someone would hand the phone back. Guest then demanded that the Cruise Director make a ship wide announcement for the phone. GSA said that there were many pieces of lost property and we could not do announcements for this. Guest then started to scream and GSA had to ask guest to calm down. Mr._______ then said he wanted to speak to the Captain and John (CD)CD called guest and arranged meeting.
Note: Missing phone is an iPod3Gs – black in color.
So what made this man and thousands of others toss their old Eye Phone into a desk drawer in preference for the S model? What magic powers does the S offer? You would hope, given how upset this guest was when I spoke to him, that it would cure hemorrhoids or make cappuccino or have a built-in Star Trek phaser (I spy a French person — set iPhone to maximum stun).
Nope……… the EyePhone 3G S thingy has according to the guest……… who I tried to calm down by talking nerdy talk about the phone………a longer battery life, more memory and it can open applications a bit quicker than the old Eye Phone. And it has a editing package a million people can post their annoying home videos of their pets doing stupid stuff straight to YouTube ……….. and that, it appears, is that.
It is clear Apple could announce that the next phone is exactly the same as the last one except it is 1 mm smaller and has a built in nose hair trimmer built in and we would still rush out with our credit cards………..I guess it’s all about brand image and other marketing bollocks.
My whole house is full of things that don’t work properly. I paid a ridiculous amount for a Dualit toaster because it was supposed be the best……..but isn’t. It toasts one side of the bread more than the other. Sometimes it burns the toast and sometimes it doesn’t. It depends on what sort of mood it’s in. My printer jams. My DVD player, a very expensive DVD player, only accepts films without explosions. It is obsessed with chick flicks but won’t play Bond or Rumpy Pumpy movies.
I accept all this without complaint because I am used to technology not doing what it’s supposed to do. But Eye Phones it seems are the exception to the rule and if Apple made cars people would buy one for sure. And when the company announced a new version, complete with slightly better windshield wipers, they would scrap the old Eyecar and buy the new one. Let’s hope Apple never gets into the cruise business.
By the way…………..the story continues.
Guest: —————-Ref: 838006504B
Cabin: ———-Booking#: _____Added-Changed: 07/06/09 – 07/07/09
LOST PHONE FOUND
Team waiter Victor returned a phone that had been left on Lido Deck. Phone was the iPhone belonging to Guest ___________. Phone returned to guest at 10:55am
Nothing further
I am waiting for the guest to leave a little note for me asking to thank Victor for finding the phone………so far …………….there has been …………iBuggerall.
Now onto to some questions…
Stacey Asked:
John,
I know you sometimes arrange for CC’ers to have a space for a Meet & Greet, and sometimes arrange for people to receive a Ship on a Stick for whatever reason. I was wondering if I could impose on you for a combination of the two. There’s a group of 50 (and growing) of us sailing on the Glory 11/29 sailing, and we’d love to have a meeting place the first night of the cruise for a get-together, but also to kick off a series of scavenger hunts. I’ve got some FUNNY cruise-specific lists…both for physical objects themselves and funny pictures taken by people of humorous things and situations. ANYWAY, I wondered if we could maybe squeeze a Ship on a Stick or a few small Carnival logo items as prizes. If not, the way things have been reading lately on CC, I understand the need for cutbacks and will take a reasonable cruise fare over some donated door prizes any day, no worries.
Thanks, John! Keep up the good work!
StaceyJohn Says:
Hello Stacey,
It will be my pleasure to help you on both counts. The scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun and we will have a few solid gold plastic trophies ready for the winners. Please send me a comment on the blog two weeks before you sail and I will make the arrangements.
Best wishes to all
JohnMike Asked:
Please Reply – John, I Read Your Blog Thingy Religiously, So Thank You for All Your Posts and Help to So Many. I Am Sailing On the Triumph Soon and Have Been Researching Everything Under the Moon About this Ship. Including Numerous Reviews on Cruise Critic. I Have to Say, This Poor Girl! You Have to Admit She’s Got a Good Head On Her Shoulder’s and Isn’t Mad at You For Forgetting About Her! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=19994659&postcount=2 More Cruisers Should Act Like ThatJohn Says:
Hello Mike
I thank you so much for the kind words and for posting the review. I rely on my cruise director colleagues to send the things I ask to people’s cabins and for the most part they do. Yet on this occasion I was let down and that makes me sad. So , may I ask you to please post this apology to momof1lilguy for not receiving the gift I promised and I will make sure next time she sails come hell or high water……..there will be something in the cabin.Now, as for you………please let me know if there is anything you need to know before your Carnival Triumph cruise. I am sure your research has proved useful but if you need anything at all please drop me a note here on the blog thingy.
Best wishes
JohnMaribeth Asked:
JOHN – PLEASE REPLY
Hi John. I am cruising on the Carnival Legend on July 19th and had a question. I was finally able to convince my brother and his wife to take a cruise with me. It will be their first and I’m sure by the end of day 1 they will be Carnival Junkies just like me!The first day of the cruise is his wife Laura’s birthday and I was wondering if you could do a little something special for her to welcome her and my brother to Carnival?? Here is her information:
Laura Berendt
Booking # —–
Cabin # —-
Carnival Legend
July 19th, 2009
Thank you very much for all you do for everyone, John. Hugs to Heidi and Kye!
Sincerely,
Maribeth Kring
Big Ed’s Little CousinJohn Says:
Hello Maribeth
It will be my pleasure. I am sure they will have a wonderful first time experience that will have them Carnival junkies just like you. I hope you all have a brilliant time.
Best wishes
JohnJim Asked:
John, please respond,
I heard a rumor that the Specials Cards (drink-of-the-day and coffee) might eliminate. Any truth to this rumor?John Says:
Hello Jim
I wonder where all these rumors start? Anyway, I have not heard this and checked with the bar management here on the Carnival Freedom and they have not heard of any changes in this regard either. I will keep my ear to the ground mate and will let you know if I hear anything at all.By the way………ssshhhh…………….I heard a rumour that the Godmother of your Carnival Dream is going to be Judge Judy…….ssshhhhh
Best wishes to you and the family
JohnMissingthesmokefreparadise Asked:
John – PLEASE REPLY
Don’t take offense at this comment, mon, but I think the Dunn’s River Falls is tremendously overrated.I remember our very first cruise on that magnificent (now defunct) new ship, the Smokefree Paradise – it’s beautiful hull decorated with the universal no smoking allowed symbol.
Anyway, we wanted an eastern itinerary, but our schedule only allowed us to book the western (the little one was in Europe at the time – yes, we sent our daughter overseas and left the country). Looking at the stops, we decided to take the Rum Party boat excursion to Dunn’s River Falls.
I still remember the description – the magnificent, 600 foot Dunn’s River Falls. I had visions of a smaller version of Angel’s Falls in Venezuela.
What we discovered was a mountain stream – yes, that is what Dunn’s River Falls is, a mountain stream. I can show you a dozen such “falls” in the State of Vermont alone, and I am sure that there are thousands in the Rockies.
I will admit that the interaction of the fresh water with the salt water was quite fascinating – there had been a pretty good shower the night before, so the effect was a little exaggerated, but impressive nonetheless.
I also hope that you warn the passengers about the climb up the stream and that a path is available that allows access at various points – the Mrs. & I got out of the conga line and partook of the path instead. Just as interesting and much less stressful. We had a woman on our cruise who was part of the conga line and having trouble keeping up – she was pulled along, fell and suffered a concussion, so this tour is not for everyone.
I do have to say kudos to the crew of the Rum Party boat that took us to the Falls and back – very entertaining and doing everything they could to make tips. One young man in particular flirted with the Mrs. the whole way over and back – he earned a few dollars in tips from the Mrs. (and myself – I enjoyed his shenanigans).
I do enjoy the port – we walk over to the shopping center and go to Margaritaville. A simple, forceful “No, thank you” is always enough to get those individuals who approach you to leave you alone.
Still, I do think that Dunn’s River Falls is overrated – give me Quechee Gorge any day.
JustJonJohn Says:
Hello Jon
While I think Dunn’s River falls is still a great tourist attraction and a must see while in Ocho Rios it is not nearly as grand as Angel Falls. It is though as you said an experience and the climb is only half the fun. The water, the scenery and the locals all add up to a brillinat day and it is no surprise that on all cruise ship calls it is the most visited tourist attraction in Jamaica. I certainly do warn the guests to be careful during the climb. I also mention that they should never go up barefoot and if they don’t want to get their own shoes wet that they can rent a pair of Aqua shoes there for $10.Jamaica is all about the experiences and I have to tell you that the new Mystic Mountain attraction is fast becoming the “new” Dunn’s River falls.
I value your opinions mate and there is nothing you could say that would offend me ……….. except maybe that you wanted to dance a tango with me…..naked………….that may do the trick.
Best wishes to you and Mrs. MTSFP
JohnKaperino Asked:
Dear John or Stephanie, please reply
Periodically I have tried to book the supper club (steak club) for the Dec 3rd Blogger’s Cruise.Dan and I are celebrating our anniversary and really want to reserve on the 5th. When will the Dream go online? Looking more forward than you could know! Alaska is in the prelim stages….ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Soon,
KapJohn Says:
Hello Kap
Thanks for writing in. The steak house will go online sometime in August. I will post the exact date soon I promise. I am excited that you have booked your Carnival Dream and the Bloggers Cruise and I promise it will be one cruise you will never forget.
Best wishes
JohnFrank & Bridie Asked:
John Please reply,
John thanks for the info of the past guest pins and we will read you’re blog to see what you have to say once you get us an answer. I noticed that one of your guests had an issue with luggage tags and getting them laminated. I thought I might share with you something we have now done on our past two cruises and it has worked quite well. We Print the luggage tags on to full Letter size Avery style sticker sheets. Once they are dry we trim them down to size. We then lightly score/cut the back side of the tags about a 1″ down from the top and bottom. When it comes time to leave for the pier we simply remove the backing where we scored them. Put them through the suitcase handle and push the two ends together. Making us have airline style luggage tags! It has worked quite well for us. I bet carnival would do good at this too if anything for maybe pier side check in just like at the airport! Oh john One more thing I must admit that I was disappointed today when my parents told us they were going on a cruise most likely to Alaska. We were excited to hear this seeing we have already been and told them they would love it. ….. That was till they told us what cruise line……. Yup you guessed it……. it’s the closet cabin cruise line with the hideous nose art. We have told them NO NO NO, you must do carnival or even Holland America these two are the best at Alaska take it from experience. I don’t know what good it will do so we have tried but are somewhat disappointed. We are still so looking forward to meeting you along with Linda and Mike on the dream hopefully in January!
Big Fans as always,
Frank and BridieJohn Says:
Hello Frank and Bridie
I am sure many of the bloggers will find your information on the luggage tags most useful and thank you for taking the time to mention this. I am sure your friends will have a good cruise on their Alaskan adventure and I can understand that you are disappointed that they are not going on a Carnival or HAL ship. Still, think of it this way. Tell them when they disembark that if they had a good time and want to have an even better time cruising the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera etc ……..then they should try the Fun Ships of Carnival. Maybe they could cruise with you?Anyway. Thank you again for your continuing loyalty and support for Carnival and the blog thingy.
Best wishes to you both
JohnDoug Asked:
John (Please Reply)
Talking about steaks, I took your advice back in May when I sailed on the Carnival Imagination. I had a milkshake which I enjoyed very much. They are soooooo good. Later at dinner I had the Flat Iron Steak, and I can honestly say it was the best steak I have ever had! Could not wait to get to dinner the next night and place my order for one more.
As for embarkation, I have not had to wait in line to check in. Out of three Carnival Cruises now, two from Galveston and one from Miami, I get there a little early, get checked right in, and twice have gotten onboard without hardly any wait. Once had to wait about thirty minutes as the Ship was not ready for boarding yet, but no problem. I had a nice visit with some friendly folks and before I knew it, I was onboard.My daughter and I were looking at the webcam last night from the Carnival Freedom. When she saw the Lido Deck all lit up she could not sit still. We are sailing on the Carnival Ecstasy again in December and can hardly wait. I would love to see a Bloggers Cruise out of Galveston on the Carnival Ecstasy. Sign me up!
Now my question. Would it be possible to order a print of the Carnival Destiny in Cozumel? I would love to have that picture framed and on my wall. I really enjoy all of the beautiful pictures and thanks for putting them on the Blog.
Thanks for all you do and I look forward to the Blog each and every day. I know you have a passion for what you do and it shows. Kye is a Beautiful little Girl and I know you miss her and Heidi very much. Hope they can join you soon as I know you would like to have them on board with you.
DougJohn Says:
Hello Doug
The flat iron Steak we serve for FREE in the dining room is superb as you said and it’s FREE unlike the steak on the Getsomemoneyoutofyourpocketifyouwantsomemeat of the Seas.
I am glad to hear that the continuing hard work we have put into the embarkation experience is paying off and I know that we have some way to go yet at certain locations. This is great news that I will share with everyone involved.I have never sailed out of Galveston so maybe it is time to consider a bloggers cruise from there ……………certainly something to consider.
The photo of the Carnival Destiny was taken by Acting Cruise Director Stephanie Meads and I am sure she would love to send you a copy. I will ask her and get back to you ASAP.I loved hearing how excited your daughter was looking at the webcam of the Carnival Freedom and maybe she will see me wave at her next time.
My best wishes to you all
JohnRuth Asked:
Greetings John!
I loved the picture of Kye. She is really a beautiful baby! I know that both of you are very proud of her.John, PLEASE REPLY! Who is the cruise director on the Glory? We will be on there for the July 11th sailing. I wish it were you….but…..
Just wanted to know!So, Ken is going to the Dream. He is magnificent. His voice is truly incredible.
Well, it is late and I have to work in the bakery tomorrow. They are giving me lots of hours because people have to cover for me while we are gone.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
RuthJohns Says:
Hello Ruth
I wish I would be there with you as well. However you will have a brillinat time with Ryan Fitzgerald a young energetic CD who is becoming a firm favorite with many. Enjoy working in the bakery. I cannot imagine how big I would be if I worked there. Have a wonderful cruise and please send in your reviews. Thanks for the kind words for Kye………I am indeed ………very proud.
Best wishes to all
JohnDave and Barb Asked:
John
We are glad you are having such a good time back as a CD. You love it as much as I love computers. I go bonkers when I don’t have access to one. I am the IT manager at work so luckily I always have one, even on a cruise. They like to contact me 24/7.Kye is looking great, not at all like her dad. Hopefully we will get to meet her next year.
Speaking of being in the yards with a new ship I have done that with 2 US Navy ships. The USS Tarawa and the USS Saipan. It is a very exciting experience.
The following is a John please reply.
When Barb and Valentine were on the Carnival Pride a few weeks ago they got to meet Jamie. Since she will be the ACD on the Carnival Dream for our 10/15/09 and 10/27/09 cruises she ask Barb to email her directly so she could make arrangements for Valentine. Barb didn’t get Jamie’s email address and wondered if you could ask her to send it to us? She was such a big help.My second question is about Platinum status. We are under the impression that you achieve that status while taking your 10th cruise or is it your 11th cruise. The reason we need to know is that Barb will be on her 10th Carnival cruise when we start the TA portion of our Carnival Dream back to back cruise. Since we will be on the ship for 28 days laundry is going to have to be done, because we can’t pack enough for that amount of time. If Barb gets her Platinum card on the TA it will help since one of the perks is free laundry. Too bad we don’t have time to squeeze a short cruise in early or it would be a moot point. Thanks for your help as always.
Dave, Barb and ValentineJohn Says:
Hello Dave, Barb and Valentine
I give thanks everyday that Kye has been blessed with her Mother’s looks and my bottom.
Here is Jaime
“Hello guys.
It was great to see you on the Carnival Pride and I will be able to look after you on the Carnival Dream as well. I will send you an e mail once I am onboard so we can look after everything.
Please give Valentine a big hug from me
Jaime.”There you go……………..I am sure she will make this a wonderful cruise for all three of you and if there is anything I can do please let me know. You will indeed have achieved Platinum status for your exciting Trans Atlantic voyage so you can indeed take advantage of the laundry service. This way you don’t have to worry about what you pack. I wish I could be there with you all and again please let me know what I can do for you.
Best wishes
John
That all for today……I will be here tomorrow to answer some more so please let me know if I can help.
And now some very important and exciting news about Your Carnival Dream because today we officially launch the new carnival.com/dream web page thingy. Here to tell us all about is Stephanie “Coco” Leavitt who has been working on this brilliant new addition to our web site.
Stephanie – What will we discover when we click on the link thingy to www.carnival.com/dream
What can we look forward to in the future?
We have a lot of interesting and exciting content planned for the Carnival Dream section of carnival.com. Every week we will be updating the site with new videos. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but you can expect to see videos introducing key onboard staff, features on dining, waterworks, spa, etc.What special Carnival Dream events will we be showing either live or recorded for readers of carnival.com and the blog to enjoy?
You’ll have to check back every week to find out more regarding events
Just think back to the great events we’ve hosted in the last year: World’s Largest Beach Ball and Pinata, Fun City: Baltimore and the live blogging coverage of the Carnival Splendor naming ceremony. If our fans enjoyed any of those, they’ll love what we have in store!!
What other computer-type people helped put this great site together and…………do they have beards?
We had a dedicated team that worked very hard to put the site together, hopefully I don’t forget any, but here they are:
Dan, Giselli, Andres, Sherri, Renee, Peter, Michael, Jordan, and Stephanie (Cocoa)
Unfortunately none of them have beards, although Dan has a goatee and according to you Jordan belongs in a boy band.
Thanks Stephanie and I am sure we will all join together to thank her and her team for getting us even more excited about your new Carnival Dream……….she will be here soon ………… have you booked yet?
Just in case you need more encouragement, here is a photo sent to me by Boris Flyisopenski of your Carnival Dream just returned from her massively successful sea trials part 2.
Let’s take a musical break and back by popular demand is part 2 of the James Taylor video from his voyage on the Queen Mary 2. Here to introduce it is a man who is as British as Yorkshire Pudding and Spotted Dick………….Cunard’s Commercial Director Mr. Peter Shanks.
John
Hope you are well. Attached is the 2nd James Taylor link for the blog. It was awesome – and just the sort of thing that makes the Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic crossing so special. I like the fact that he and his whole band wore a tie for the concert – respect!
Best Regards
Peter
Thanks Peter it was indeed awesome and I once again declare my ambition to take a TA voyage on a Cunard liner……….and to take as many bloggers as I can with me.
And as we were talking about Holland America Line earlier here is a great photo of the Oosterdam as she sails behind Le Grand Levre hills in Monacco. And just down the road in Villefranche near Cannes is the beautiful P & O ship Ventura.
So, the Carnival Freedom is in Costa Rica, The Ventura and Oosterdam are in the Med …….. proving that Carnival Corporation’s ships really do give us the opportunity to cruise the world.
Here are some letters from today’s In Their Own Words Section
And two photos from the Marriage Show.
Well, the weather took a turn for the worst yesterday and we had a day of grey skies, high winds and a few light showers. The high winds meant that we had to close the water slide and putting course but entertainment of a different kind came via the Seaside Theatre big screen.
I had ummed and ahhed about this yesterday and decided not to do it and thus it was not advertised in the Carnival Capers but this morning, when I woke up, I saw the weather and decided yes……we would show the Michael Jackson memorial on the big screen. And I am glad I did.
The Lido was full of people in windbreakers sitting on the lido chairs watching intently ……….. some cried………….others preferred to watch while drinking a few beers.
Of course, I am sure a send off like that is exactly what Michael Jackson would have wanted. This was after all, a man who blew a multimillion dollar fortune on giraffes, fairground rides and gold-plated chess-sets and slept in a bed with 12-year-old children. He was, after all, one of the greatest showmen in history.
I watched along with the guests and for me there were highs and lows. The Rev Al Sharpton in a speech that claimed MJ was responsible for Live Aid, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Barak Obama’s election to the White House……… “and love.”
“I want you to know there was nothing strange about your daddy,” he said. “It was strange what your daddy had to deal with…” ………………this had some on Lido Deck standing and applauding ……………black, white, young and old……….extraordinary.
I stood with the entertainment staff and listened to Stevie Wonder sing They Won’t Go When I Go ……..for me……it was another Princess Di / Elton John moment.
But then in a crashing moment of sadness fell across deck 9 as the entire Jackson family took to the stage, with Jackson’s three children sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter blurted out, “From the moment he was born, my daddy was the best daddy in the world.”
The family then followed her father’s golden coffin………watched by 500 passengers onboard the Carnival Freedom’s Lido Deck………… And the world.
Goodnight
Your friend
John
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.
John:
I love the name “Cocoa Stephanie” … it worked for Coco Channel….and our Cocoa Stephanie is much prettier !!!
Since Carnival offers Scrapbooking Seminars, perhaps there are other areas of “education” that could be offered.
Apparently, one of the seminars that Carnival could start offering is a Basis Course in Manners 101. Seems some of your guests could really benefit from it.
Lesson One: When someone finds the $400 phone that the owner lost, because they have the attention span of a gnat, the owner is suppose to say THANK YOU!
Feel free to print out this first lesson and send it to “Mrcrylikeaspoiledbabyasithrowmyhissyfit”.
As for the comment about the Church Services….every cabin has a Gideon Bible in it. All one needs to do is READ. Perhaps if Arthur (and his many others) read more…they would not have time to participate in the activities that they do not care for.
First it was Mr Snob whose cabin was not big enough….now it is Arthur who does not like the casino or drinking…. you have to wonder how in the world these people got booked on a cruise ship?
Did they just pop out from under a rock and walk onboard? Are they not capable of reading a website or informational pamphlet?
That is like going to Nashville and complaining about having to listen to Country Music???
Just another Chapter for your book!!! LOL
Linda (Mom of your friend ~ now all grown up~ DJ)
Thnx for letting us know how you handled the Michael Jackson Memorial. I know I for one was wondering if the passengers would want to “party” or watch.. Now I know… Working for a large company where most of our employees take incoming calls, I will tell you that the lines were empty and no calls were coming in all day yesterday… So, yes, the world was watching too.
While cruising on the Valor in April, prior to boarding the tender, a passenger had left their camera near the water dispenser. I picked it up, and yes, I looked at some of the pictures, ONLY because I was hoping one of two things.. either the passengers very first shot was his name/phone #/perhaps cabin OR I would recognize the people and be able to return the camera. Well, neither. So upon boarding the ship, I immediately dropped the camera off at the Guest Relations Desk, they did take my name/cabin #.
The next day I lost my Platinum Thermos. Where on the ship I left it I have absolutely no idea. So, I went to Guest Relations and asked them if someone had perhaps turned it in. I also asked if someone had asked about their camera.
Yes, the camera was picked up. I was told that the passenger was thrilled, but I just thought a thank you would have been nice and the passenger didn’t offer one. Guest Relation personnel said thank you but not the passenger who lost it.
And NO, even up to the last day, noone turned in my thermos. I even still have the bag that it came in. Why would someone (this is the part I need explained) keep a used thermos that doesn’t even come with the carry case?
So, I would still ALWAYS return something that I have found (especially on a cruise when there are so many memories) even without getting a thank you.
Oh, and I hope someone is enjoying my Carnival Platinum Thermos!!!
JOHN! Your shirt is too big!! Woo Hooo Doing good!
Hmm, crying over a lost iphone.
I guess he hadn’t heard of the “find my iphone” of the 3GS.
Dear John, Jaime & Cocoa,
I think you should see if James Taylor and his band would like to do a Caribbean Cruise for the Dream Bloggers Cruise. I think he needs a vacation like the rest of us!
I also think Mr. $400.00 iphone needs to give someone a BIG tip.
Cocoa, I can’t wait to see what you and the othe beardless wonders have cooked up for us on the DREAM homepage.
In Ocho Rios my favorite Shore Excursion is riding the horses in the Caribbean. My wife was smiling from ear to ear. Another woman came out of the bay and exclaimed “That was Great!” sounding alot like Tony the Tiger.
Safe Cruzin’ to you all onboard the Freedom!
That after all is a Carnival Cruise not just an ordinary one! FOTFLOL!
James & Nancy
The Cruzin2some
Hi John…
Just thinking of Michael’s daughter’s little speech makes me tear up. I’m glad I watched. I wasn’t effected by his passing until then.
Great blog again today, as always…. can’t wait until tomorrows entry!
#3
The new Carnival Dream site is WONDERFUL!! I love it! Now, we need MORE videos… we need MORE pictures and MORE details!! Thank you, Step… uhhh… Cocoa.
I’ve got a group cruise going on the Carnival Dream. We’re about 220 and growing. I’m POSITIVE we won’t be disappointed. Of course, I’ll be sailing with you November 13 from New York so I’ll be sure to get hundreds of photos for the kids at Cruise Critic to drool over!! By the way, Stitch will be by my side!!!
The Oosterdam looks wonderful! I saw the Eurodam in Port Everglades when I sailed on the Splendor and she was stunning… The exterior elevators are a brilliant touch. I think I’d spend a good portion of the evening just riding up and down enjoying the view!
John, please thank all the folks at Carnival for all they do for me and the folks at Cruise Critic. I have NO doubt that we have the most up to date, most accurate information of any cruise web site in the world… all thanks to the amazing Carnival team.
Ciao!!!
Host Mach
I’m excited that there will be a “Dream website” and can’t wait to see the updates each day.
Sorry you haven’t heard from Mr. iPhone who should have rushed to want to give the person that found his prized possession a special personal thank you.
Looking forward to “Kyeday” and the photo of the week too!
John,
Love the pictures of the Dream – and also of your dream baby! Also like reading the handwritten letters you receive from guests. Way cool.
My family is sailing on the Carnival Miracle on July 27th out of NYC. We are all really needing a vacation and looking forward to our time with Josh and his staff.
My daughter and her friend are in college and will be sailing with us. My daughter is a straight A Math majors and captain of her college softball team. Allison really works hard and it shows! Do I sound like a proud Mom?
I was hoping you could have a Ship on the Stick (we have one from each of our Carnival cruises proudly displayed in our home) delivered to her room in honor of all her accomplishments. She will be so surprised!!
Our info:
Booking Number *****
Room Number 8104
July 27, 2009
Carnival Miracle
Allison Knapp
Thanks for all you do – you are a special person who really bring the cruise experience to life every day!
John,
Thanks for the pics of the marriage show….brought back great memories and I am looking so forward to being on board the Dream with you!
I am glad that you decided to show the Michael Jackson memorial. I was at work and didn’t get to see all of it but watched much of it last night after work on a special. I was one of those that shed many tears….I thought it truly shows how much he was loved, and though he did a few strange things, he was a very loved person by his family and friends and fans. I think all people should remember that he was not convicted of any crime. He had lots of money and I could imagine in this sue happy world that we live in, there were many who would try in any way to get to it. As far as sleeping with a 12 year old in his bed….personally I don’t think it was wrong if nothing sexual went on. My granddaughters are 16 and 17 and will still crawl in bed and chat…. Everyone has their own opinion on this but now that he is gone, I hope people let him rest in peace.
Now, back to cruising….I used to look at pics of Costa Rica in the travel section of the newspaper and wanted to go there so badly..but now that I am a cruiser and love the Carribbean, just not sure if I can tear myself away to go to Costa Rica! Maybe someday…..
Thanks for everything!
Edy
John, (please reply)
Thank you, Thanks Skip, Thanks VanBuren, Thanks Nelson, Thanks Carnival!
My son and I have completed our Inspiration cruise and let me tell you it was fabulous! I don’t want to sound gushy and patronizing but truly there was nothing to complain about. Your gifts were much appreciated and the attention Skip gave us made us feel like kings.
If I may let me give you some of the higher points of the high points.
Embarkation June 29th we arrived at the pier at 1220 pm. and there were people everywhere. I took a deep breath so as not to allow this process to ruin my vacation. It was not needed at all. The lines were well organized and moved quickly. We were on the ship at 1:15 and that was after waiting for the Welcome aboard picture for about 5 minutes. They were very busy with 2 large groups. We headed straight to the Lido deck for some much needed food and a drink. We went to check out our room and found Nelson not quite ready so we went outside to watch us leave Tampa and explore the ship.
The ship was beautiful, although those purple tube thingy’s in the Brassierie cracked me up everytime I saw them. After we set sail we went back to the room to settle in and were surprised to see the gifts from both you and Skip. After the muster drill Skip called our room directly and chatted and offered his services to make my son and I have a special time.
When the ship was revamped did Carnival redo the cabin bathrooms. I was so impressed with the shiny chrome and pretty blue floor as well as the material the floor was made of. Clean as a pin everyday and every night. Great job by Nelson.
The dining experience was of course one of the highlights of the day. VanBuren was our headwaiter and he provided absolutely the best service I have ever had in the 6 previous cruises I have been on. Josef “supercharged” Maitre ‘ D and the rest of the dining staff were great. The food was good and Van made sure if we didn’t like something we didn’t go away hungry! I am having flashbacks of warm melting chocolate cake.
Finally, Skip. Skip was amazing. He checked on us daily, he provided us with gifts, he gave us backstage tours and behind the scenes looks at things, he introduced us to the other entertainers, he sat down with us at the deck party to make sure we were enjoying ourselves…. Get the picture he went well out of his way to make our cruise special.
I can’t thank you all enough for making this special cruise with just my son the cruise of a lifetime! Travis and I shared several special moments and we will never forget the time we had together.
Also, you should have more folks reading your blog now. I told all of our dinnermates about your blog and your kindness. I hope they all follow through and if they read this ; hey guys I know we are all missing VanBuren and Suki but at least we don’t have to listen to the “witch laugh at the next table!”
Sincerely John, Thank You!
Please reply. Could you or one of the bloggers point me to a CD schedule?
John:
I forgot to add that my best memory from Costa Rica on the Freedom was that I found a KARAOKE BAR in Costa Rica.
I did a great rendition of God Bless the USA to a standing (and some staggering) ovation!!!
So now I have say I have karaoked from Halifax to Costa Rica!!!
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Hi John. I’m Martha from Arkansas. We will be cruising with you in 3 weeks on the Freedom ( the same itinerary you are on now)/Panama and Costa rica. I love your blog and read it every day!! We are Platinum cruisers and love CCL!! 6 of us on the Freedom Aug 1st, we will look for you and say HI! Save a few DOD for me! See you soon.
John,
BTW, is it possible to get Bridge tours anymore? DH is an airline captain and loves to see the controls.I think he wants to quit his 25yr job as a Captain flying to get a job as a Captain sailing,lol!!
Martha
Arkansas
John
Please Reply
Mr. Ilostmyiphone needs to say thank you and send a huge tip in an envelope that can be found at Guest Services any time of the day. There are so many people that have forgotten all of there manners. I am sure that their mothers would be apalled if they knew. I know I was taught please and thank you always and was corrected if it did not come out of my mouth.
Great Blog John, glad carnival showed the MJ memorial. It was very touching and brought back to me alot of memories from my teenage years and the lovely times I spent with lots of my friends even my best friend that died of cancer 14 years ago. Lots of good times and it would good to cry and remember. He is a legend of our time.
Marqueta
Having just recently moved to Houston, I think a Bloggers cruise out of Galveston is a wonderful idea!!!
Hi , John (Please Read)
This seems to have been lost in cyberspace, so I’ll try again…
I’m sorry to be so late posting this, but I do want to thank you for your part in making daughter’s wedding cruise so special. The newlyweds really appreciated the nice letter from Butch and treats that were delivered to their cabin.
Esther and John were married aboard Carnival Glory on May 2, and a few of us stayed aboard and sailed with them. That was right at the beginning of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and our Western Caribbean cruise became an Eastern Caribbean cruise. This was fine with us, and one member of our group was very happy with the change as he preferred the Eastern itinerary anyway.
Butch Begovich does a great job as cruise director. He was visible and friendly, and his communications about the itinerary change were very clear. We introduced ourselves to him early in the cruise, and I was impressed that he actually remembered my name when I ran into him again a couple of days later.
Our waiters, Joel and Iketut, were very welcoming and always greeted us by name. And we enjoyed seeing the magic trick Iketut did one evening for the kids at the next table. Natalia, who I believe is an assistant to the Maitre‘d, made sure my son-in-law’s food allergies wouldn’t be a problem. She would stop by during dinner with the next evening’s menu and have John pre-order. That way they could ensure there would be no concerns with the food preparation. What a great service!
The wedding coordinator from the Carnival Wedding Experience, Carol, and the wonderful photographer, Boris, also deserve recognition. Carol made sure that the wedding went smoothly, and Boris captured some great memories. The photo book he put together is brilliant! I’m so glad Esther and John decided to have a Fun Ship wedding!
The only problem we encountered was some incredibly bad luck my stepson, Joe, had with his luggage. We had special luggage tags for debarkation because we were taking a tour, but Joe’s luggage didn’t show up with everyone else’s. A member of the debarkation staff asked the tour guide to wait for us while the tried to locate the luggage, which we greatly appreciated. However, the luggage didn’t turn up in time, and Joe decided to go on the tour and hope for the best. The luggage was eventually located, of course, but then it was stolen from the van that was taking it to Miami. Fortunately, there was nothing lost that can’t be replaced. I haven’t heard the final outcome, but I think Joe must have a luggage curse and I will never share a suitcase with him!
Congratulations to you and Heidi on the birth of your beautiful daughter!
Pat
John,
Did I miss something? Please don’t leave us hanging! What the heck is going on in those marriage show photos?!?
Laura
John, this e-mail is last minute but I just discovered your blog. My wife and I are cruising aboard the Freedom on July 12th. I would like to suprise her with an appointment at the salon during the day prior to formal night. I cannot find anywhere that I can reserve a spot for her in the salon prior to the cruise. Is it possible to do this? If not can you tell me the best way to reserve it when we get on board.
We are both very excited about the cruise.
Thanks,
James Osborne
Good Morning John!
It is our Family Vacation Eve. I am so excited. I got very little sleep last night. Today I go to the bakery at 11:00 and get off at 3:00. You know, John, family vacation is an annual event for us. For one week or longer if we are lucky, we leave the stress of our jobs on the tarmack at the airport. Amanda puts her team sports and practices on the back burner. We spend quality time together as a family and make so many memories. We look forward to this time and Nikki’s boyfriend does the official countdown for our family. All of us are definately ready to go.
(I am going to make sure Tyler keeps one hand attached to his luggage this year!)
Any thoughts of Carnival returning to Europe?
We have really enjoyed those longer cruises for the past two years. Actually, I got spoiled. I told Jim that if we had to book a seven day cruise, then we would need to be back to backers. I do not think the bakery would be very happy about our taking one of our really long cruises this year. I just started there recently and folks are having to cover my shifts.
I will try to get a short comment written tomorrow morning. We are dropping our animals off at the animal hotel this morning. One less thing to have to deal with during the day today and tomorrow morning. I love them dearly but….I need a rest.
Oh, I think it is really rude that people are not willing to say thank you when things are found such as the cell phone and the camera. Victor is to be commended for his actions. That certainly speaks well for the people that Carnival hires.
Until tomorrow……
Ruth
I really enjoy your blog and now look forward to it every morning. Wish I had started reading it sooner. Thanks for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to do this.
Hi John, Cocoa, Stephanie, Jaime, etc.
(and Heidi & Kye of course),
Just keep the pictures and updates on my Dream coming. It’s my daily fix.
I agree with what Stef (aka Hockey Addict) said. I wasn’t really affected by Michael Jackson’s death until I heard his daughter speak. Then he became “Daddy” and not some person who had been accused of wrong behavior or looked funny. I just hope his children can be left in peace to grow up happy and loved, and be bothered by paparazzi. And his music will definitely live on. One of my favorite things was to go see Captain EO everytime I went to Epcot. I usually ran to that attraction first because of the lines – and I was an adult.
And, D.J., I forgot yesterday – Happy Birthday.
Regards,
Carol
P.S. No phone is worth crying over. AND YOU’RE ON VACATION – LEAVE THE PHONE IN THE SAFE.
To think that some have become so reliable on a phone that when they loose said phone they have a flippin fit but when said phone is found they do not have the common sense to thank the person that found it. This cruise John seems to have more complainers than I remember in your past cruisers.
I wish more people that post on Cruise Critic would come here and read your blog. They would find out so much information and most important, the truth.
I too watched the Michael Jackson, for lack of a better word, celebration of his life. The only one I muted, Al Sharpton
. What an amazing talented person who became so lost.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the very best.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
Hi John – Please Reply
This is my first question since the birth of your beautiful daughter. Congrats!
I have 2 questions.
First we just missed sailing with you on the Liberty, and Splendor, by just a few weeks. We just got off the Freedom on 6/14, so we missed you by a week. Now we are booked on the Dream for 3/27/10. Are you going to be our CD, or are you going to keep trying to avoid sailing with us?:)
Second, we would love to take a tour of the galley. I have read online of some ships offering this, and some not. Do you know if the Dream offers this, and how can we set it up?
We love the blog, and enjoy the information and humor. I hope you always find a way to keep it going during your busy schedule!
Thanks!
David & Catherine
John,
The new Dream web page is awesome! Thank all the techies involved in it’s creation. The only problem I have is having to wait 110 days to board Her!
I wrote you earlier with a request for Med. info & you suggested Princess. After checking it out, along with other Med. cruises, I decided to give Costa a try.
Two BTB eastern & western Med. cruises on Costa will give us all the ports we wish to visit.
My question-please reply- is what is your opinion on Costa for an 18yr old girl & her Granny? I’ve sailed on Costa twice in the past(before falling in love with Carnival) & am ready to give it another try. Your opinion would be appreciated. I trust you to be objective.
Remember tomorrow is Kye Friday!
Joyce
Reply needed please. John, since we have only gone on 7 cruises with our 8th one coming up on the August 5th Northbound Alaska cruise, we have not achieved the coveted platinum status yet. However, we do have VIP status through our Carnival Vacation Club status. Therefore, we receive the priority boarding as well as some of the other perks given the platinum status cruisers. I was wondering if the laundry service is included for theVacation Club VIP cruisers?
John – Love the blog – I just have to share that I was reading your comment about March 14 being International steak and … well when I googled I figured out what the American “English” version of that word is… much to my surprise… well, to give March 14 a better reputation, it is also Pi Day (3.14 = Pi) so schools do math activities and eat Pie.
I have to give a compliment to Carnival. I was one of the people booked on a 4 day Elation cruise that was changed to a 5 day. Sounds great, right? Well, I don’t live in California so it didn’t work out. Carnival worked with me to find me another cruise. I even ended up with a little extra onboard credit than offered when I showed how much more money the airfare was costing to due their canceling the cruise. I didn’t get mad (or consider staging a mutiny once onboard) ha ha!
I would like to put in my vote for Carnival considering some 7 day Canada cruises during summer months. I would love to go on one but not without my son and he starts school mid-August. And I’m not going to waste a Canada cruise if I can’t go to Prince Edward Island.
I know some enjoyed the 7 day Northern Splendor diversions. It would be the same thing – kind of mixing it up without moving the homeport. It just gives people more options. Families are really limited on when they can travel.
Hope to cruise with you sometime! Best of luck with that scrapbook for Kye!
Hi John!
Loved the James Taylor video. Very well done.
I think its sad that the passenger has not gone out of his way to thank you and the staff for finding his phone. I hope that changed last night.
The pictures were very well done today. I wish i could be in Costa Rica or Monacco instead of 105 degree Dallas.
Hope all is well.
Take care and hi to Heidi/Kye!
David
Dear Stephanie (Secret Agent Cocoa),
The “JUMP TO COMMENTS” button still doesn’t work. Just thought you and the beardless wonders in the IT department would like to know.
The DREAM page is great. Nice Work!!! Where is the Italian video of the yacht sailing in front of her on the sea trials?
James & Nancy
The Cruzin2some
Hi John.
We just returned from the cruise aboard the Carnival Freedom, June 28 – July 4, 2009. We had a blast . You are a great cruise director.
We really enjoyed the entertainment. Charlie , Whopper man, really had a great time . He enjoyed being a celebrity for a day. I enjoyed singing on the stage, it was a dream come true.
Is it possible to get a copy of the group activity on June 28, in the victorian theater….. where you chose people from the audience and they did the relay. I have tried to explain to my son, but He was not able to go on the cruise with us. My son would really get a kick out of the Dick Little scene and all the contributions from the 6 people on stage. Our address is : Charles Sparkman, 3116 Stokers Lane, Nashville, TN 37218.
You and your crew aboard the Carnival Freedom are the greatest. Thanks again for a wonderful time.
I am gearing up for my 10th Carnival cruise with a group of 20 going on the Spirit Alaska Aug 19-26. I am a Caribbean cruiser, but promised my husband when he turned 60 (I thought the day would never come) that we would go to Alaska – and voila! here it is. I know ‘another’ cruise line sponsors cruisecritic meet & greets if the group gets to 25…we have a large group chatting on the board and want to do a little get together August 20 at the Fantail Bar, aft on the Lido Deck. We want to go to the travel lecture so though 1pm would be a good meeting time. Is there anything Carnival can put on for us? Ships on a stick, some drinks? We would be appreciative of anything.
Finally, I saw some pictures of guests with little blogger bobbleheads of YOU – they are just adorable. Does one get those only if they go on your blogger cruise? I thought maybe that finally getting to VIP status, I would get something cute in my stateroom?
Oops, I lied – this is finally…my little grandson will turn 2 a few days before we sail. Any advice on how to keep him busy on sea days?
Thanks for your interesting and amusing blog…it is the only one I subscribe to.
John, please reply
My wife and I have sailed exclusively on Carnival now for 5 Cruises. We can’t imagine cruising on any other ships. Last year, we decided to take our children and my parents. We spent 5 nights and 6 days on the Carnival Elation and had a blast. My dad had never taken a vacation where he didn’t drive and even he had a great time. Before I forget, please pass on a big “Hello Mate hope you’re having a cracker of a day” to CD Stewart Dunn… We still talk about him, he is great!
Unfortunately, my dad passed away in March so he won’t be with us. Despite our loss, we are honoring our promise to take a family cruise at least once a year. My wife, kids, mom and I are sailing on the Aug. 16th sailing with the Carnival Splendor. We can hardly wait!!
If possible, I’d like to ask a favor of you… Can you please confirm that my mom will be seated with us at early dining? We have requested this through our PVP but don’t feel very confident with his promises. He’s a great guy and all but we’ve experienced some issues with him which makes us a little unsure if he is following through with our requests. Also, we requested to be seated at a table alone. We agree that it’s nice to meet other people but we’ve had experiences where the people we sat with made it so uncomfortable that we actually ate on the lido for the entire cruise! The lido is great but not for 7 days!!
Thanks so much for your assistance to all of our requests. You provide a great service to the Carnival customers. My daughter Marissa is turning 10 the day before we set sail. She thinks it’s her birthday present to be on the cruise. Ever since she was a baby, she has been referred as the “Princess” well; she is the “Princess cruiser that sails Carnival Cruise Line” now…
Sincerely,
Kevin
Kevin , Cabin #—-
Kathryn , Cabin #—-
When they decided to go to digital TV, husband got two coupons for boxes. One went on the kitchen TV and the other on our bedroom TV. It is older than dirt but has a great picture. We seldom watch it because it is not hooked up to the cable. When husband went to the big box store to get the converters he explained that one TV was “don’t touch that dial.” The young salesman looked at him like he was from Mars. “What do you mean it is a dial?” He finally gave up with the kid and asked if they had an older salesman who might underestand which they did and he got the necessary equipment
Tucker in Texas
Hi again John,
I found this story on MSNBC’s website. It’s only part of it, but I think you’d agree:
“PARIS – French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.
They finish in last place in the survey carried out for internet travel agency Expedia by polling company TNS Infratest, which said French holidaymakers don’t speak local languages and are seen as impolite.
“It’s mainly the fact that they speak little or no English when they’re abroad, and they don’t speak much of the local language,” Expedia Marketing Director Timothee de Roux told radio station France Info……”
Like I said, there is more to the story, and, by the way, I think the Japanese were voted as best tourists. Bowing all the way, Sayonara,
Carol
John,
We noted above that you’ve never sailed out of Galveston and you might consider a Blogger Cruise there sometime in the future.
Even though we’re both first time cruisers (celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary), we’d like to extend an invitation for you to (hopefully)decide to travel on the Carnival Conquest which will depart on 1/3/10.
We took advantage of your Early Bird pricing, which allowed us a much nicer stateroom, but with 178 days notice, you might be able to pencil the trip in.
Hi, John! Wow, are we excited! God willing, in only 9 days we’ll be once again sailing on the Freedom and best of all sailing again with you! What a blast!
Can’t hardly wait! We’ll see you at the terminal in Port Everglades or onboard the Freedom…. having a delicious lunch at the Lido! Hurrah!
The Santanas of Miami Beach
John,
Just thought you might want to see the results of a survey I found on MSNBC a little while ago:
French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.
They finish in last place in the survey carried out for internet travel agency Expedia by polling company TNS Infratest, which said French holidaymakers don’t speak local languages and are seen as impolite.
The Japanese ranked top of the Best Tourist survey, with the British and the Germans judged the best of the Europeans.
Dave Butler
Thought you would find this interesting… not surprising! From Reuters
updated 9:21 a.m. ET, Thurs., July 9, 2009
PARIS – French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.
They finish in last place in the survey carried out for internet travel agency Expedia by polling company TNS Infratest, which said French holidaymakers don’t speak local languages and are seen as impolite.
You never cease to make me smile! Although I’m a little pissed that you made my wanderlust rear it’s at-the-moment unfunded head rather nastily with your talk of Costa Rican beauty….I’ll forgive you if you will please teach me how to get my underpants to write! Imagine what a relief that would be during bouts of writer’s block…..
Have a Great One!
Hi John! I will be sailing on the Destiny next month with my girlfriend of 5 1/2 years. We actually met on a cruise and I find it fitting that I ask her to marry me on a cruise! Do you have any ideas or suggestions about how I should proceed with such a task? Have you every helped set up a proposal on board? I appreciate your help as I am having trouble thinking of the most memorable way to do so.
Best Regards,
Brett
Hi John,
Thanks for your reply to my question…you’re awesome.
For the record, I’m with Doug about a Galveston bloggers cruise! Carnival Ecstasy or Carnival Conquest…either one is a great trip! It would be so wonderful to have one out of this port and I’m sure there will still be plenty of opportunities for a charity/volunteer thing.
Hey Big Ed and Pat….if it happens, you can stay with me before/after the cruise!
Maribeth
B.E.L.C.
Pingback: Top Posts « WordPress.com
Will the steakhouse mentioned above serve grass-fed steaks?
Carnival Freedom July 4-12, 2009
John, you are absolutely the BEST cruise director ever! My husband and I have been on over 50 cruises to date. You had been on two previous Carnival cruises that we sailed on in the past 20 years. I remembered you as soon as I saw your name in the Carnival Caper. The “Bedtime Story” was incredible! I am so sorry that we didn’t get a copy of the DVD. The passengers on the cruise were hilarious and you made the best of each one of them.
We had been very disappointed with one previous Carnival cruise about 5 years ago. After the Freedom, Carnival has won us back. Every employee went out of their way to see that our cruising experience was excellent. Our room stewards (Tammee and Jamnean) were fabulous. We never had to ask for anything.
The review shows were the best ever! The food was delicious and plentiful. Believe me, we never went hungry!
We just had a wonderful cruise, and YOU truly enhanced our cruising experience. Thank you for the great memories!
I just returned from my fist cruise. It’s part of my bucket list. We departed from Baltimore on the Pride; returned the following Saturday. It was great and beyond my expectations . You don’t pay your cruise director, Eric, enough!! He made our trip most enjoyable and funny. The food was very good. The service from our cabin steward, Henry, and our dinner servers, Neal and Neal excellent. For my girl friend and I it was a honey moon. The production shows were wonderful with great dancing and singing. Email me. I can’t say enough good things about your ship, the Pride. I loved having Pizza at 130 in the morning too.
Great Blog!……There’s always something here to make me laugh…Keep doing what ya do