“John……..are you an alcoholic?” That’s the first question people ask you. Then the next thing is, ‘Oh, are you religious?’
These are the usual opening statements I get when I tell people I don’t drink any alcohol. Tell someone you don’t smoke and that’s impressive…….tell them you don’t drink………and you’re a weirdo.
Such was the case last night when I sat with a group of guests in the cigar bar when I hosted “Cigars with John” and as all 40-plus of us sat together discussing life and good cigars the subject of what drink best complements a Cohiba came up………some said Scotch, others cognac while many were enjoying the mojitos we were serving………..me …………I said “Diet Coke.” ……………………..and instantly………….I was a friend of Bill W.
I am used to this of course and I am used to the fact that me teetotalism (is that a word?) provokes an almost in-built guilt for those that are drinking. When I tell people that I don’t drink, they start looking at themselves. They either start trying to justify drinking, or say “I really must give it up.” Or they’ll tell you a story about how they stopped drinking for four months two years ago and it felt fantastic. For people who drink, it’s a big deal not drinking and you think, “Actually, this person makes me feel like I am a very strange person.”
I stopped drinking as I said just after meeting Heidi. A few weeks later I was back at work as a cruise director on the Carnival Imagination. I had been out in the disco and had been celebrating someone’s birthday and had drunk 3 or 4 cognacs……….large ones. I remember going to bed feeling fine around 2 am but then the phone rang at 4 am and I was told to come to the bridge.
There had been reports of a man overboard and I had to call a full muster. This meant getting on the PA system, waking every guest and crew member up and telling them that the stateroom stewards and department heads would be checking that every guest was accounted for. Well ……..I was told this by a captain who I can’t name but whose English was not the best ……..he is a wonderful captain and one of the finest navigators I have ever met………but his thick Italian accent was difficult to understand at the best of times…….without my head feeling like Paris Hilton was living in it. “You zee”………he said…………”Wake op de passongers and tell dem wea hava to check a them in de beds.”…………….ummmmm……………….”What?”
I had flashbacks of the last time he had called me to the bridge to tell me “Johnny…….you zee make on an anoouncment dat we no go Cayman !”……..ummm…………”What?” ……… ”Johnny…….you zee make on an anoouncment dat we no go Cayman”……….”Oh ok……why are we not going to Grand Cayman?”……………”De oricani come” ………………. ummm ………… “What?”…………………”De oricani come.”…………..it was just as he was about to repeat it for the third time and just as he was getting ready to explode because I didn’t understand that the staff captain told me “We are not going to Cayman as the hurricane is heading that way.” …………….oh.
But on this occasion it wasn’t just his thick accent that I was having trouble with…..it was my head and my stomach and ……I have no idea how I managed to get through that night. My speech sounded slurred and I couldn’t concentrate and luckily there was no man over board as the guest that reported it turned out to be ……well………..drunk. But, we had to take his report seriously. Anyway, I have no idea how I got through that night and how the guests understood me anymore than I understood the captain.
Since that day in 1995 I have never let alcohol touch my lips……..except during my stag party in Amsterdam when Alan and Roger tricked me into drinking a pint of Guinness with a shot of Bailey’s in it — and a pair of edible cherry underwear……..the bastards.
Time for today’s questions ……………here we go.
Slickabrina Asked:
Please reply…
Hi John!
Have a question about Elation’s schedule past April 2010. Just kidding!! I think your replies and my postings somehow crossed in the email universe. Thanks for the info and looking forward to booking.But, do have a question about the current situation in Honduras. The State Dept. has advised against non-essential travel to the region. Does Carnival have any plans to suspend their calls to Roatan? I know the info I see on Cruise Critic is no (which I know is not gospel) but given the State Dept. advisory, is this something being considered or would it be on a sailing by sailing basis?
Thank you much!
ColleenJohn Says:
Hello Colleen
While the capital and major cities of Honduras does have an advisory against it there them for non-essential travel there are no such advisories for the cruise industry to suspend their calls to Roatan and at the time of writing there are no plans to cancel any calls. However, we will continue to monitor the situation very carefully and as the safety of our guests is our number one concern rest assured we would never purposely put you in harm’s way. I promise to keep you informed.Best wishes
JohnLisa Asked:
John, (Please read this and comment)
I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out yet, as I don’t read the comments every day, but, something posted on Cruise Critic (6/21/09) disturbed me greatly when I read it today:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1009650
It is a thread by a mother who is upset that her daughters (10 y.o.) were being bothered by another 10 y.o. boy in Camp Carnival, and complained to the Camp Carnival Staff with the promise by the staff to monitor the situation. Well, they weren’t monitoring very well because later, the boy exposed himself to the girls in camp. She feels, as do I, that the situation wasn’t handled properly.
I would like to see what you think should have happened and reassure me that this type of situation will be handled differently in the future!
Thank you for your help today.
Still love your blog and the thought that if anyone asks you a question or has a concern, you will follow up.
John Says:
Hi Lisa
Thanks for writing about this and you are correct that here on the blog I want to know what concerns people and I want to make sure I look into those concerns for each and every one of our loyal Carnival guests. I was aware already about this as someone else posted the comment from Cruise Critic a few weeks ago. There is not much I can tell you except that an allegation was made by one set child and completely denied by another …….a sort of “he said, she said”-type of thing. Once an allegation like this is made it is carefully investigated by the ship’s senior management and appropriate steps taken as warranted.Our Camp Carnival program is staffed and managed by professionals and there is no safer or more fun way for children of all ages to enjoy their cruise experience.
I hope you continue to enjoy the blog and please feel free to ask me anything, anytime.
Best wishes
JohnDeby Asked:
Dear John, PLEASE REPLY!
Hi John- love looking at the pics of your beautiful Kye- she is adorable. I know you miss her but I can tell she is gonna be a daddy’s girl at heart.Hubby and I are booked on the Caribbean Princess in Sept doing the Canada cruise and I have seen something called the Chefs Table. Can you get your spies to find out what this is and how to sign up for it- sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate our 29th anniversary? Thanks, Deby (who is looking very forward to booking a cruise on the Dream next year).
John Says:
Hello Deby
Thanks so much for saying how beautiful Kye is and I hope you enjoy today’s photo of her. How wonderful that you are cruising on the Caribbean Princess. I love their product and the Chef’s Table is a magical highlight. I asked my friend James Lay, their senior cruise director what this was all about and he told me the following:John
The Chef’s Table dinner on the Princess ships is one of the best and most memorable meals at sea. The Chef’s Table dinner begins in the galley for pre-dinner cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with the executive chef, followed by a specially prepared multi-course tasting dinner in the dining room. It will be a wonderful chance to see the food you are going to eat be prepared in the galley and is a real look behind the scenes.Additionally, each couple at the Chef’s Table will receive a personalized autographed copy of Princess’ best-selling cookbook, Courses, A Culinary Journey, which has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide and is available on amazon.com. Guests will also enjoy a complimentary photo taken at the private table with the chef.
The Chef’s Table experience can be reserved by up to 10 passengers per night, at a cost of $75 per person. Reservations are made onboard through the ship’s DINE telephone line or in person at the dining reservations table set up on the first day of the cruise.
I hope your bloggers enjoy this super experience
Thanks James………I am sure they will.
So Deby……..how about that?……….it sounds brilliant. Let me know if you decide to do this and tell us all about here on the blog thingy.
Best wishes and have a fantastic cruise
JohnDorothy Asked:
John,
Please reply when able to.
Kye sure is a beauty.
I was wondering if Carnival would do a few connecting modified stateroom with another stateroom. When I cruise with my son we need a modified stateroom, and then another regular stateroom for my dad and sister, we would love to be able to stay together instead of being on different ends of the ship or on other decks. We were lucky back in May, we were only a few steps from each other, but it would have been better if we only had one door to go through instead of in one and out another. I hope that when they start on the Carnival Magic, that they will take in consideration more modified balcony and suites, and some with modified connecting staterooms. Thanks for the pictures of Kye, keep them coming.Thanks for all of your time and help.
John Says:
Hello Dorothy
My Kye is getting spoiled today with all these lovely comments and thank you for making me a very proud Dad through your kind words. We realize the importance of family vacations and that some families like to be close together and also need more space. That’s why we have the new family cabins on the Carnival Dream that include connecting doors and the two bathrooms. I am sure that many will relish these facilities. I have yet to see the plans for Carnival Magic but I am sure you will not be disappointed and I will certainly pass your request up the line as what you said makes total sense.I hope you like the photo of Kye today
Best wishes
JohnLisa D Asked:
Dear John,
Please respond………..
I am in the process of booking the Dream for March. I just found out that you are scheduled to be the CD and that thrills me since I have never cruised with you before. I am traveling with my husband and two teens and I am trying to figure out if it would be better to book adjoining cove balconies or a balcony on the panorama deck with an interior across the hall…………do you have any advice? Thanks in advance………….and I have recently became a fan of your blog…………I want to congratulate you on your new daughter and continue with the updates…………please!John Says:
Hello Lisa
It is a double thrill to know that you have discovered the blog thingy and become a fan and that you want to book the Carnival Dream to sail with me………..I am so honored. I will indeed be the CD on your Carnival Dream for part of March and it would be a joy if you could join me. Both the cabin options you mentioned are wonderful and they both have a lot to offer. Personally, though, I would go for adjoining cove balconies. You can open the partition and make one large balcony and the views…….well they are extraordinary and you feel so close to the sea. However, those would be two very lucky teens to have their own balcony cabin and of course the balcony and inside cabin option is also a good one………for me though the cove cabins have the edge as you can have two together.Let me know when you have booked and what you decided to do and I promise that I will do my best to make your families Carnival Dream cruise the best vacation you have ever had.
Best wishes to you all
JohnLorraine Beggs Asked:
Hi John (please reply)
I wrote last week but I don’t know if you have received this yet. I asked for comments on the following:-
I am cruising for the 1st time with Carnival on the Maiden Voyage of Carnival dream on 21/09. I did the maiden on Independence of the seas as was truly disappointed in the sail away celebrations. What does Carnival do on these occasions? Also we were originally booked on the Freedom, then moved to the Liberty and finally to the Dream. We did received $50 per person obc (there are 4 of us). Our travel agent called Carnival to ask if there was anything else could be offered due to the inconvenience of my husband and I having to use another days holidays to accommodate the change from 19th to 21 September and they said it would be up to Miami. This was also their comment when advised that we have previously cruised with Princess and as the back of Carnivals brochures indicate, this could mean either discount or little extras. I’m not asking for a free cruise and upgrade (if only!) but just wondered what you thought.PS the photos of Kye are beautiful and I hope it is not too long before you get to see Heidi and her.
John Says:
Hello Lorraine
I have a feeling your question and my answer crossed somewhere. When people post questions I always kindly ask that they give me five working days to answer them as I am always working behind the pace so to speak and answering 60 questions a week means that unfortunately the answers are not instantaneous. Anyway, here is my answer which I hope you have seen was posted three days ago.
Here we go.Well first of all I want to apologize to you in case I have not done so before. There were a group of guests like yourself who were booked on both the ships we canceled from their European cruises due to the credit crunch, etc. This was very unfortunate and even though it was the right thing to have done as bookings in the Caribbean have shown, we knew we would be disrupting people’s vacation plans and that is something we never want to do.
So once again please let me apologize. I also want to tell you that having seen your Carnival Dream I can tell you that the ship will not disappoint you in any way. She is truly magnificent and her inaugural cruise will be very, very special. I know that plans on what will be scheduled for this voyage are ongoing so I really cannot say yet what will happen. I wonder………as you experienced an inaugural cruise that was disappointing please could you tell me what you felt was missing and what you would have liked to have seen. Maybe there are other bloggers who have experienced inaugural cruises who would like to jump in here.
As far as the on board credit is concerned, I will forward your comments to our Miami office and let’s see what we can do to help you. Please send me a comment the week before so I can send you a bon voyage gift as well.Thanks for writing and I look forward to hearing from you with your further comments. Thanks again for the kind words about Kye, there is another photo coming up.
Best wishes
JohnPaula Asked:
Hi John, (Please reply)
I spent yesterday reading blogs from Jan. 2009 through April 2009. I had read some previously but got hooked yesterday. 1. Your daughter is precious. And her name…adorable. 2. I sent two blog questions yesterday, but did not put please reply, so…I was wondering if we have ever sailed with you as our CD before. I am sure we have but don’t know on what ship. Is there any way we could find out? 3. We completed our 9th CC cruise in March, on the Freedom which was the BEST CC ever. We celebrated my husband’s 61st b’day on the cruise. It was the best cruise we have ever been on–and we have been on 15. Of course CC is our favorite, but we had to try others–to make sure and to get to other ports. We made sure to tell Todd, James and Captain Queirolo that they MADE the cruise. Now, we have booked The Dream for January 23rd. Will Todd and James be the CD and ACD on that cruise? They are the reason we booked that cruise. We have bragged about them so much that we have enticed several other people/couples to go with us b/c of them. And also Capt. Q. 4. If not them, then who? You? I’m sure you would be a great substitute. OUCH. I hope that didn’t destroy you. LOL. 5. On the Freedom we paid a deposit for another cruise and now are told we can’t use it with a group. BOO. At least let us use it for a deposit and then we’ll save the onboard credit for another time. Or, vice versa. The rules truly need to be expanded upon and expressed clearly.Anyway, enough. Just wanted to get the answers to my questions and tell you how much I am enjoying reading your blog.
PaulaJohn Says:
Hello Paula
I have a feeling your eyes must be exhausted after reading all those blogs but I am so thankful that you have taken the time to do so. I should explain that there is around a five-day gap between you posting a question and me answering it so my apologies if you thought I had ignored you. Hopefully you will have seen my answer posted yesterday……if not….here it is again.Hello Paula
You know I have no idea what ships I have been on and when just off hand. I have been a Cruise Director since 1990 and apart from Carnival Conquest, Carnival Pride, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Elation, and Carnival Paradise. I have been CD on all the ships. I am sure If you had have sailed with me you would have remembered because I am better….much better than Todd ……and I am much better looking as well. Then again, the lesser Spotted Mongolian Dung Beetle is better looking than Todd so I guess that’s not saying much.OK, to get serious……Todd is brilliant and he will be the CD on your Carnival Dream and James will be the ACD. I don’t have Captain Queirolo’s schedule just yet so I don’t know when he is taking a vacation. I will let you know when he knows.
Regardless you will have a fantastic time and your Carnival Dream cruise vacation will be the best ever.
There you go. Hope this helps.
Best wishes
JohnPeg Asked:
Dear John,
PLEASE REPLY
I hate to bring this up after the drunk blonde made a fool of herself, but there is a post on Cruise Critic that the drinks at the Captains Party are no longer free but are $1.00 off the regular price. Is that information true?It sounds like this cruise is going to be a problem. I wonder if there has ever been a cruise you have been on that has been smooth sailing. I doubt it. Keep smiling John; you are truly one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.John Says:
Hello Peg
There is always a story on each and every cruise if you look hard enough. However, I always seem to attract the fun individuals that make great topics for the blog thingy.Well, the thread you are referring to on Cruise Critic is correct but then not correct. Here’s the latest: We wanted to do something special for our guests towards the end of the voyage to thank them for spending their vacations with us so developed the concept of a farewell appreciation party with the ship’s senior officers and complimentary cocktails. At the same time, we are continuing to offer the captain’s celebration on the first elegant night but have modified and expanded it to feature discounted drink pricing for a two-hour window not only at the location of the captain’s party but all along the ship’s promenade as well. These adjustments not only retain the one hour of complimentary cocktails but add a second party with the ship’s senior management and a two-hour period of discounted drinks. I will keep you posted though.
Thanks for the kind words and I send my best wishes to you and the family
JohnKiciaski Asked:
Hi John,
I have a question for you regarding a post from Cruise Critic. Some people mentioned that there were no more free drinks at the Captain’s party but were available for $1 off per drink. There was also mention of a Farewell party with free drinks. Is any of this true? How about at the Past Guest Party?In two months we’ll be on the Carnival Liberty and we can’t wait.
George and LindaJohn Says:
Hello George and Linda
I am trying to remember the last time we sailed together…………when was it? I am going to use my cut and paste thingy button if you don’t mind so I can make sure I get you the right answer to what seems to be a popular question today………….here we go.We wanted to do something special for our guests towards the end of the voyage to thank them for spending their vacations with us so developed the concept of a farewell appreciation party with the ship’s senior officers and complimentary cocktails. At the same time, we are continuing to offer the captain’s celebration on the first elegant night but have modified and expanded it to feature discounted drink pricing for a two-hour window not only at the location of the captain’s party but all along the ship’s promenade as well. These adjustments not only retain the one hour of complimentary cocktails but add a second party with the ship’s senior management and a two-hour period of discounted drinks. I wish I could be on the Carnival Liberty with you.
Best wishes to you both
JohnDonna Asked:
John…please reply with your thoughts
Love the stories on the Freedom…counting down the days until 7/26…Do you have any suggestions as to the best excursion or something special onboard (not overly priced)…it is our 30th anniversary and I wanted to do something special and surprise my husband…we have never been to any of the ports…so any suggestion is welcome…Is there a way that I can book an excursion/onboard activity and pay cash…so it does not show on our room card? I don’t want him to see it if at all possible…I’d like it to be a surprise with no bill!!!John Says:
Hello Donna
I am looking forward to spending your 30th anniversary with you when you sail. Please ……….book the steak house……….it will be the perfect way for you to celebrate this special day. You can pre book online or I can do it for you.As for an excursion, well it’s hard what to choose without knowing what you like to do ……. sightsee, swim, snorkel etc. I highly recommend Mystic Mountain in Jamaica where you take the ski lift up and then experience the most amazing scenery in the Caribbean from a Jamaican sledge. Tell you what. Come along to my travel talk which I will hold before we arrive at the ports and I will tell you and the guests all about the ports. Then if you have any questions myself and the staff will be there to help you. Also, please leave me a note at the Guest Services Desk when you board stating who you are and it’s your anniversary, etc. and I will read your dedication out on my morning show and send you a little gift.
See you soon
Best wishes
JohnWes and Liz Manchester England Asked:
Hi John.
Please respond if you get the time.
Good to see you back on stage and doing what you do best. You seem to be enjoying yourself, despite missing Heidi and Kye.You may remember a few weeks back you were discussing your itinerary regarding the Dream’s inaugural. You mentioned it wouldn’t be fair to Todd to be on board as he was the CD.
Later you seemed to be having second thoughts because of the disappointment expressed by a number of bloggers who will be on board.
Have you had any more thoughts on that or are we going to miss you in September.
Another cruise critic thread that seems to be getting a lot of attention (for obvious reasons) is the fact that there were no free drinks at the welcome aboard party on the Valor recently and the thoughts that this was going to be introduced fleet wide. Any official news on this one.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1018042.
All the best
Wes and LizJohn Says:
Hello Wes and Liz
You know, it is so frustrating when people write only half the story on the boards ……………… why?…………….why not add the most important fact.
Sorry to vent mate. Here is the answer to the comments on the thread:
We wanted to do something special for our guests towards the end of the voyage to thank them for spending their vacations with us so developed the concept of a farewell appreciation party with the ship’s senior officers and complimentary cocktails. At the same time, we are continuing to offer the captain’s celebration on the first elegant night but have modified and expanded it to feature discounted drink pricing for a two-hour window not only at the location of the captain’s party but all along the ship’s promenade as well. These adjustments not only retain the one hour of complimentary cocktails but add a second party with the ship’s senior management and a two-hour period of discounted drinks
Now as for the Carnival Dream………….let’s see what we can do…………….but I have a feeling we may be talking about John Terry playing for City.
Best wishes to you both
JohnJudy Asked:
John please reply.
I am sailing on the Dream on October 3 and I have a question. Will my Passport be retained at any of the ports? I have never had to do that at any European ports I have gone to and honestly, this makes me VERY nervous. What if there is an emergency in port or on board the ship and I don’t have my Passport? What if the authorities/cruise line loses it?
Thanks.
JudyJohn Says:
Hello Judy
If you are a US Citizen, Canadian or EU passport holder we will not take your passport in order to present it to Immigration. The only time we do this in Europe is during our Greece and Turkey cruises. By the way, when we do, there really is nothing to be nervous about I promise. The passport never leaves the ship and is kept securely the entire cruise. Anyway, during your Carnival Dream Grand Med cruise you will keep your passport for the entire voyage.I am sure you are getting excited now and I wish you a wonderful cruise on your Carnival Dream.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today………please remember to mark your postings “John, please reply” if you would like me to help you in anyway. Once again a big thank you to you all for your reviews and comments.
We have been talking about our continuing goal to make the embarkation process a smooth a transition to the vessel as possible. With that in mind here is some news about Miami and some special kiosks.
Carnival Introduces Self Service Check In Kiosks At Port Of Miami
Have any of you used this yet? If so, please let us know your thoughts.
Now, we have been talking a lot about your Carnival Dream and we have heard from some of the people who are already in the shipyard in Italy such as Captain Queirolo and of course our friend Boris who has also sent me some photos of some of the other people who will probably go un heralded for their wonderful work which is so important to the your Carnival Dream’s start up program. Here they are.
Gazzolo Stefano – Chief and Vincenzo Lubrano – Hotel Eng
Boldrini Stefano – Staff Chief
Margherita Castagliuolo – Guest Services Manager
Gianluigi Falcone – Receiving Coordinator
Ana – Guest Services
Deck Officers
We thank them all so very much for all their hard work and lets see some of the public areas of the ship that are continuing to take shape.
Those photos were taken by Boris on Thursday so as you can see we are trying to keep you up to date with whats happening on a ship we are all so excited about………….have you booked yet?
Oh, by the way…………….I forgot to take a photo of the Fish and Chip selection yesterday as I had ………..ummmm…………..eaten it. So here is a montage thingy of what we serve there.
Did you see the James Taylor video I posted earlier this week? It is incredible and 10,000 plus have clicked on it and enjoyed his music played onboard the incomparable ocean liner Queen Mary 2. If you have not seen it yet here is another chance to do so and if any of your friends are music fans this is something they have to see so make sure you pass it on.
It’s never a good sign when the Captain sends a ” Bad Weather ” report round for each department head to sign. This bit of paper procedure has been around for as l can remember and is used when bad weather is expected. Personally I think its a bit antiquated…………..why not send an e mail like we do for a million other things on board? Anyway, each department head has to sign to say that they understand that there will be bad weather and when the security staff member came to my cabin for me to sign it I already new by the thunder and the lightning outside as we prepared to leave Panama that it wasn’t going to be a pretty night. And it wasn’t.
The seas have been 8 – 10 feet since we left and as always when the ship moves like id did last night and still is today it is the older people I feel sorry for who may already have walking concerns. Anywway, at lezst the sun is shining somewhat and thats good. It is still very windy and we are still moving quite a bit as we head from Panama at 20 knots back to Port Everglades.
Its still windy as well as you will see.
Good morning,
Please be informed, decks 12 & 14 (slide, mini golf, ping pong, basketball court) area closed due to strong wind in open deck, until further notice.Thank you and best regards,
Pools & Decks Supervisor
Bugger……………….as I said though……….at least the sun is shining.
Talking of sunshine……………………here is my sunshine……………Heidi and Kye
Oh my…………….how I miss them.
I know that I sometimes can be a little cruel about the French and that my words sometimes puts peopels back up……………including one esteemed cruise industry writer……………..ces’t la vive.
But my reflections on all things French are not just the result of my own treatment by my garlic munching friends but it seems others…………..many others…………have the same opinion.
Have a read of this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8143780.stm
In case you cant be asked to read that link thingy let me explain that during a poll of 4,500 hoteliers by Expedia the French were the worst in the world, coming across as penny-pinching, rude and refusing to even try and speak any other language………………….and that’s a shame.
They live in such a beautiful country ………ok, the women don’t shave their armpits and you need to bribe a taxi driver with something from Cartier to get him to take you to your hotel.
They don’t seem to do cruises………..certainly not on Carnival that much and with good reason. Does God leave heaven every August and take a vacation in hell? No. Well, why would anyone go abroad if they live in France…………….it is a stunnuigly beautiful place?
The fact of the matter is that the French are not the worst tourists……………no……………don’t faint……………yes, I am sticking up for them………….certainly in my experience from years on ships………………the Russians are the worst tourists in the world. Of course, they spent most of their childhood eating their own hair and trying not to be tortured so who can blame them for exploding onto the Carnival ship’s with their Versace sunglasses and extraordinarily tight Speedos.
The only problem is that they all look so sinister with their pasty complexions and their special forces tattoos. You get the impression when they look at you that they’re imagining what you would look like with no head.
A complaining passenger from Paris may smell and treat you like ” merde ” ……………but a a Russian passenger would happily garnish your Chocolate Melting Cake with a dash of polonium posion if he doesn’t get late sitting dinner…………………so given the choice between sailing with Sergei or Jean Claude……………the snail eating soapless white flag waving French mate JC wins by Le Mile.
See you on Sunday with a quick post from Jaime and I will be back on Monday.
Goodnight
Your friend
John
Filed under: Tales from the Ship, Travel
Hello John,
Please reply.
I posted a comment on July 7th regarding an earlier post thanking you for having the padded lounge made for my daughter on Carnival Pride.
I didn’t receive an answer to the first post and the next one is “awaiting moderation” still. Did I do something wrong? Am I banned from posting?
Great picture of Kye today. I actually think she does look a bit like you.
John, if we ever sail together my husband would love to join you for cigars and diet Cokes. Husband does enjoy both Scotch and cognac, but as we’ve grown older – well, later at night he tends to fall asleep too easily if he’s had an after-dinner drink. So lately it’s been diet Coke as the drink of choice. (As for me, I’ll still go for a Scotch or cognac while he enjoys his cigar.)
Kye is just beautiful. Thanks for keeping us up to date on her!
John:
While I certainly appreciate your willingness to discuss concerns that may happen on a cruise, I think your ability to help would be greatly increased if the complaint (or concern) is posted by the original cruiser.
Complaints that have been posted on cruise forums that may (or may not) have happened can not be adequately assessed on here, because unfortunately you don’t have any way of knowing what really happened.
“Speculation” of what did ( or did not ) happen is best left to the cruise forums.
Speaking of cruise forums…..how funny is it that the week you talk about not drinking is the week that Cruise Critic is full to the brim with “talk” about “free drinks”???
Since Carnival is personally responsible for getting me addicted to Melon Balls, I think that every hour should be Happy Hour !!! LOL
As far as “not drinking”….I have lots of friends who don’t drink and I have actually never given it a thought.
Hope Countess Carolyn did ok with the bad weather. Vitual hugs to Kye!!!
Shout out to Cocoa Stephanie and the new Stephanie….and all the great folks on the team !!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
Hi John,
Very much enjoy your website. I learned you will be on the Legend when my wife and sail the week of 18-Oct. Looking forward to the crusie and meeting you then.
Dear John (please reply),
I apologize if I am posting this twice, but the one I put yesterday went to moderation and still hasn’t been posted so I don’t know if it actually went through.
I am a new fan of yours, having just been told by my husband we can FINALLY book our first cruise. So, I have been all over the internet trying to soak up as much information as possible before we hit the Fantasy in Sept. I am so excited, I can barely stand it.
I have three questions for you:
1. What is your favorite thing about the Fantasy?
2. Kevin Noonan will be our CD according to a schedule you once posted, can you tell me anything about him?
3. Are you planning to sail on the Triumph any once she moves to New Orleans? If so, I will be sure to look for that week and try to book.
Thank you so much for your time! I LOVE how open and honest you are. You wit is really a breath of fresh air.
Thanks again,
April Zark
Highlight of the Blog… Kye… she is gorgeous!! Now, when do we get to see Heidi and Kye together??? PLEASE???
May I compliment you on your Italian accent? You’ve captured it perfectly…
Thank you for the clarification regarding the Captain’s Reception. I posted it on Cruise Critic.
Please thank Step… Cocoa and Stephanie for all the hard work.
Ciao!!
Host Mach
Thanks for sharing the beautiful picture of Kye. I confess, reading about she and Heidi is as much fun as reading your entertaining stories.
I understand the way you feel about drinking. I never drink. It was my choice not religious or anything, I simply don’t like it. Now I have 3 friends that I love dearly and they all drink. When we go out they want me to drink and I won’t so they start teasing me about it. They also tried the Bailey’s thing. One of them was worried the last time that we went to a bar at Old San juan. He thought we were bored or didn’t have a good time. Wrong! I don’t need the drinks to have a good time all I need is good company and that I had plenty.
Besitos para la bebe mas bella y un abrazo para su papa y uno para su mama!!
Dear John ( please reply )
First let me say what a cutie Kye is! You and Heidi must and should be be sooo proud!
Now mt question.
Please Reply
Dear John,
We have a cruise booked on Carnival Valor. This will be my 6th cruise and my husbands 8th with Carnival. We have a standard balcony booked. We have booked it with AmEx Travel being we were using our points. Or I would had booked with my PVP.
The question I have since we booked with a TA how does upsells work? I have herd through Cruise Critic that if you book with a TA you most likely will not be called for a upsell, only people that book with directly with Carnival will be called. I have put a request on our reservations to be called if one is offer for a suite. Of course that depends on the price of the upsell
. I called my PVP to ask, but didn’t know anything about upsells or how they work.. LOL I haven’t even been graced by the upgrade fairy, let a lone an upsell call..
Waiting for you answer..
Sincerely Yours,
Kim and Ken Risley Valor Sept. 6th, 2009
Dear John ( please reply )
First let me say what a cutie Kye is! You and Heidi must and should be sooooooo proud of her! You must get her on the ship with you soon so you can spend some time with her.
Now my question: Is the Mardi Gras ship a distinctive build as she was not built by Carnival? The reason I’m asking is that my husband and I cruised on the Mardi Gras in 1977 but have no proof ( who knew we needed to keep receipts from then ) other than some personal photos we took of the ship with us in front. The picture of the ship is from a distance so the name on the ship is not readable. The one picture taken by the ship’s photographer is in front of a mural inside the ship but is not dated or stamped with Mardi Gras. Would our pictures showing us in front of the ship be proof enough that we cruised on the Mardi Gras? We are proud to have sailed on Carnival’s first ship and would like to have it as part of our Carnival profile. How can we prove it? Thanking you in advance for checking.
Hope to sail with you again soon. We were on the Triumph with you in Nov. 1999 to celebrate my 50th birthday.
Mary
I love reading your blogs!
John~ (Please read and consider)
Since the whole issue of drinking has come to surface… My husband has an allergy to alcohol and it’s best for him to stay away from it. Last year our first cruise was rough, they really didn’t have enough activities to keep us busy and don’t get me started on the lack of evening food choices. I know Carnival will have a much better entertainment list and the 24 hour places to eat will help. I would love to get him the soda card (juices and ice tea get old after a few days) but it is my understanding that you have to go to the bar for it. I have been told you can ask a server but that might just work his patience if he has to look around for one and then he’ll just end up at the bar anyhow. Has Carnival ever considered putting in some type of a machine where you can insert your sign and sail card and it either charges your room or reads that you have paid for the soda service? I don’t want to stop taking cruises ~ever~ and i am just hoping that we will be so busy on Carnival that alcohol won’t be an issue
Thanks John
Peggy
Hi John,
We last sailed with you on the Carnival Splendor last year on what was supposed to be the inaugural but it was still great. We were supposed to sail with you on the Carnival Valor this year but you left the week before so we missed you on that one. We are lucky enough to be booked on the Carnival Dream on 2/13/10 for Valentine’s Day and you are scheduled to be our CD then so we hope that works out. We booked our friends to come with us on that cruise so we can introduce them to the best CD and Maitre d’ in the industry. Can’t wait! But first we have to sail with Butch in September. That will be fun.
Has the past guest party changed? We actually really like the movie about Carnival’s history. It’s nice to have you talk to us.
Say Hi to Heidi for us and Kye is getting better every day.
George and Linda
Please Respond John :
Hi I just wanted to let you know thar you asked me to remind you that I and My Friend will be sailing the carnival Splendor on Oct 18th 2009 are booking number is 44FS20 and Our Room number is 7202… I’m wondering if my friend can get a Happy Birthday Greeting from you his Birthday is the 19 of Oct. … I know that you will not be on board with us… Just want to let you Heidi & Kye a wonderful summer and best wishes
Shawn
Chicago Heights IL .
Kye is such a beautiful baby…..you must miss her & Heidi so much. It won’t be long before you are reunited with them.
Cindy
Hi John Please reply if you can!
(sorry for the second post, I forgot to put on the please reply part)
You probably don’t remember me, but I the lady who brought you and Heidi “Timmies” from Canada in May 2007 on the Freedom.
The reason for my writings is we are going on the Dream for the Transatlantic – (wishing you were our CD) and noticed Melissa Ford and that she is from a small town north of Toronto, we too are from Barrie, small city north of Toronto, and wanted to contact her to see if she was homesick for anything. How might I get her email address or contact info.
Just a mention that we have been on a couple of cruises since then and had a few CD’s – BUT NONE compare to the quality of your compassion and energy. Once you’ve had the best, it’s hard to have any CD worth mentioning! Thanks again John for the great memories.
This is a very special cruise for us, as we are celebrating our 30th anniversary and Chris’ 60 birthday on Nov. 6th.
Hello John, Please Respond.
John I just wanted to Thank You and all the others for the tireless work you put into this blog thingy. I do have a question for you. We are on the October 3, Grand Med sailing on the Carnival Dream. I know that when we land in Rome we will get our passports stamped. How would I go about getting it stamped in all the country’s we visit? (yes even France.) Also do you know if they will stamp it in Monaco and at the Vatican since they are technically individual countries. Thank you for all you do not only for me but for everyone. You truly make everyone feel special and at complete ease when talking to you. May God Bless you and yours. P.S. Kye is gorgeous you can never post enough pics of her.
What a beautiful picture of Kye!!! She has already grown so much and I know you miss her and Heidi incredibly.
Just wanted to pass on my opinion for what it’s worth on the whole farewell party/$1 off Captains night thing. I think you guys should reverse it. I would imagine attendance at the Captain’s party will decline greatly with only a $1 off deal – many may not even bother dressing up anymore which will cut down on your photo revenue as well as the wonderful festive atmosphere of the first elegant night. It’s a great welcome to the cruise and a celebration of starting your vacation. Now that there’s not any food being served at the Captain’s party along with no drinks – it just becomes another lounge and I fear many won’t bother. Other than seeing the officer’s introduced – there’s nothing to make this any different than any other bar or lounge on the ship.
By the last evening most folks are trying to pack, many are heading to bed early in anticipation of a long day of driving or flights, or are just plain tired after a week of fun and excursion. Quite a few people would be much less inclined to want to attend and have a few cocktails I think.
I really think it would work better if the Captains’ party still did the one hour free drinks and you did a farewell party with the $1 off special.
Just my very humble opinion as both someone who loves to sail Carnival and as a stockholder that wants to see you guys still turn a good profit!
I also think that you may lose out on introducing some people to a few new cocktails that they may continue to order all cruise, but if you wait until the last night there’s not much chance for repeat business that cruise at least.
Thanks for all you do John – you and your blog really bring great joy to many cruisers out there.
Where can I submit a question for John?
John, (please reply)
Apparently the blog thingy here has taken a dislike to me, I have tried to post this 2 different times in the last 10 days and it has never showed up in the comment sections so I will try again. I asked you a couple of weeks ago about a regarding a splash area for children in swim diapers. I posted your respose to me about there being an area on the upcoming Carnival Dream and an area already on the Carnival Splendor and another poster is calling me out saying that Carnival’s ship description specifically states that there is not an area on the Carnival Splendor for children who are not completely toliet trained. Can you confirm for me that there will be an area on the Carnival Dream for a child in swim diapers (and I will continue praying that my son gets the idea of going potty in the big potty instead, before we leave in Feb 2010) 2nd question is this: yesterday you were able to give a poster an estimate of how many children were going to be on her sailing, I am wonder if you could answer the same question for me? We are sailing on the Carnival Dream Feb 13, 2010 and bringing our 7yr old and 3 yr old. Since this is during the school year and not during a usual break time I am wondering if the Camp Carnival program will be very very full or just comfortable for the kids (ie not too crowded). Finally my 7yr old is a little bit of a drama queen and loves to dance. I was wondering if I reminded you closer to cruise time if you would be able to set something up for her where she might be able to meet one of the dancers and see what they have to do to get ready for one of the production shows, I think she would really love that. Thanks for all your help, hope everything is going good for Heidi and Kye and I hope this reaches you this time.
Hi John, PLEASE REPLY!
Thank you for doing this blog! My husband is a fan, and I am new to your blog but love it. We’ve cruised with Carnival three times – on the Pride, the Spirit and most recently, the Splendor.
Long story short – I had a little gold Christmas ornament that I bought when we sailed on the Pride a few years ago (it was a replica of the ship) and it disappeared after a large family Christmas party. How would I go about replacing it, since it is ship-specific?
We have little ornaments for the Spirit and Splendor, and we hope to keep adding to the collection…all we need to do is replace this one! Could you steer me in the right direction?
Your little Kye is adorable! I have a 5-year old girl who also enjoys cruising
and the time goes SO fast. Enjoy every minute and every picture.
With thanks,
Marilee/Arizona
I have never really thought about how I reacted in a “drinking” situation with those that don’t. You are amazingly right on with everyone wanting to know why you don’t drink–like there is something wrong with you. Great fun idea having cigars with John!
Kye, awwwwwwwww…I want to hold her. I remember when the grandkids were that age and so cuddlely and now I can’t even pick them up anymore. Time goes by so fast.
I love the info on the Carnival Dream and have visited the website and looked through all the info and pictures there too.
Can’t wait to hear from Jaime…I miss her!
HI JOHN!
))
Love the blog!Love the post!
Thanks
Zack
Dear John,
no need to reply–just read……..
I wanted to thank you for the reply to my post. Unfortunately, I am very inpatient………….lol ….I already booked prior to your response and after having discussed with my personal vacation planner. She thought the panarama thing was better………….go figure. I should have waited to hear from you…………we will be in cabins 11274 and 11276 on the March 13 Dream. I sincerely hope that I get the opportunity to meet you.
After reading your blog yesterday, I hope you are overwhelmed with invites for dinners and excursions. I would love for you to join us whenever your schedule allows………….but perhaps we can discuss that again when the cruise gets closer.
In response to one of the things you talked about today…………My first cruise was Nov 30, 1985 on the Holiday. I think at that time she was a new ship…………..from what I recall, maybe a few months. Our ports of call were Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten……………..the same ones the Dream will call. Unfortunately, yep……….Hurricane……………….I can’t remember which one, but the ship was rocking and when I say rocking, I mean rocking…………..you would start walking on one side and the ship would go up and you would kind of roll down to the other side. I personally found it very fun…………….lol. There were a lot of others that didn’t…………most of the bathrooms on ship were full of people with seasickness………..if you get my drift. We ended up skipping St Maarten and going to San Juan instead. It was still one of the most memorable vacations of my life. Even back then, Carnival went out of their way to try and give everybody the best vacation they could even when mother nature was totally against it.
Makes me kind of sad the Holiday is going out to pasture…………….
Thanks for the picture of Kye today……….she is beautiful!
Lisa
Hi John,
Please answer
First of all great picture of Kye,
like to sail with you again, but me booking very early getting low airfare and/or cruise prices it might only happen by chance. I would like joining the cigar bar without the cigar but diet coke.
TA Dream my next cruise and many more booked. Could Todd please at least set up a bloggers meeting during our crossing?? Reading the blog there are many on board i would like to meet.
I always had to turn in my passport at check in on a TA. Bad luck it never got lost. Carnival me not getting of the ship then…
Going on a cruise and just looking for some free drinks and complaining not getting them do not cruise! There was no more food on Captains party last time (April) not spoiling dinner and past guest reception with canapees way ahead of dining seating. Very good.
Sorry bloggers: Real football John only.
I do know you are a supporter of the Reds.Is it really true John Terry leaving the Blues? He is a grown child of Stamford Bridge.
Good Morning John,
I have been enjoying your blog, especially updates on your beautiful little girl and the Carnival Dream. I am booked on the January 30th, 2010 cruise, in one of the new Spa cabins, which I am very excited about. My best friend and I splurged(we like our own rooms) and booked rooms side by side. I do wish that the singles rate was a bit more reasonable, but it is our choice to have 2 rooms-nice to be able to come back to rest, without being disturbed and especially not to have to share a bathroom, like at home(if you know what I mean)..
I have been on 2 sailings with you previously, but you will be a first experience for my friend and I’m not giving her any advance information about you-I want her to be surprised-you are indeed a funny guy!
Can you tell me what the blank space is on Deck 11, between room 11426 and room 11428? I booked the 2 spa rooms furthest back from the front of the ship because I feel the motion if I’m at the front, but can’t tell what that space is. Thanks for your help.
Also, sailed with Todd on the Liberty last year and he is “one” of my all time favorites-what a talented guy and more visible, on the ship than most. Perhaps the person who complained didn’t realize that was him singing outside the Casino-great country-western. I stopped because the music was so good and didn’t know who it was until he took his cowboy hat off. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed him-I’m sure he gets more positive feedback, than negative, anyway.
And, you, I don’t know how you manage to get everything done, that you do, but thank-you for all you do, it’s always a wonderful laugh, to come home from work to read your blog and I look forward to sailing with you again. Colette
I too am a non drinker and have endured the same sort of comments that you have. They really can hurt. Why do people have to be so insensitive to the personal choices of others? It beats me. Still my recent diabetes diagnosis has made the switch from Coke to Diet Coke simple so every cloud has a silver lining!
John, stay off the fish and chips! The fish is good but not the batter or the chips.
John,
You asked about embarking and debarking at ternimals. I been to Jacksonville and Port Carnavil
and at each port had no problems. Working my way down I 95 to ft. lauderdale and miami. Then want to try Tampa. Can not wait till Oct. for my Carnival Fascination Cruise to Nasssau and Half Moon. Went on same ship and itenray last with girlfriend.This year taking hubby.
Kye is getting bigger every week we see her.can not wait to see her and heidi in person again.
Have a great week. Barb
Oh John, you must be in the DOG House again with Heidi! I thought you gave up cigars when Kye was born? How is the diet coming along? Love the picture of Kye, she has your cheeks, eyes and mouth shape, she is looking more like you now than Heidi! I think, anyway! I agree with Nanni- it is NOT necessary to drink to have a good time! I don’t drink either, and don’t like the taste of it either! How about a video of Kye, ok? Tell Heidi to do one soon! Linda & Mike
Dear John (PLEASE REPLY)
Hi I just wanted to tell you i have enjoyed reading your blog and have added it to my favorites. My wedding cruise / family get together is coming up soon (11-14-09) I wanted to know if you had any ideas that i could do to make it a little more special. We are getting married off shore on the 18th if all goes well.In costa maya by the mayor! We are playing it fast and loose and praying for good weather and actually making it to port. I would like to do something special for my family either that night or sometime during the week. My grandparents have never been on a cruise, or a vacation really ever. And they are meeting the in-laws for the first time as well. We dont have enough cabins to qualify as a group(1 short) but i would like to do a small cocktail party or some how arrange to play some music in a lounge so we can do the first dance ect. I would really appreciate if you could give me some ideas as to how i could accomplish this.Or if you know what people have done in the past. Also my G’pa is diabetic (insulin) and was wondering what kind of options he will have for dining on the Glory? Or if i should bring him snacks.Thank you for taking the time to read all of this and doing such a great job with everyone. Take care. Christina
Please Reply!
Hi John,
I wrote a few weeks ago that we were going on the Triumph 7/18 to celebrate my folks’ 50th anniversary. We would love to be able to get them in on the Marriage game. I understand Jorge is our CD. Any good words you can pass, we would appreciate it.
Best to you and your girls. Kye has grown so much and is so beautiful.
Melenie
Heidi,
Be on the look out for a package mailed from Texas to the PO Box in the UK. It was mailed last week, so it should arrive in the next few months
Maybe Kye will not of outgrown everything by the time the package arrives.
John,
Important news flash. This just in on the best and worst tourists in the world.
http://coresectorcommunique.blogspot.com/2009/07/japanese-voted-worlds-best-tourists-by.html
Best are Japan, followed by Great Britain and Canada…… worst areenvelope please….. France.
Dear John: Ir ead and enjoy your blog every day and really am enjouing it.
SInce you have such a “love affair” with French tourists, I thought you might enjoy reading this article from MSNBC entitled “French Tourists Ranked as World’s Worst”. You can read it at this URL
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31827905/ns/travel-seasonal/
Marilyn
Dear John – Please reply
This is really a ‘dear john’ letter to ask something of you.
1. Please keep the 1 hr Captain’s Welcome Party and complimentary cocktails at the beginning of the cruise..please please! It really puts everyone in such a happy holiday mood, we feel.
2. Another blogger suggested reversing the Parties and have the reduced drinks at the end of the cruise with the Captain’s Farewell Party… please please!
Four things that attracted and brought us to Carnival were the SUPPER CLUB (the special name alone), the Captain’s Welcome party with the cocktails, the Past Guest party and the Pins.
Please see what you can do to save these much appreciated special occasions.
Thank you.
Soon to be excited Platinum fans!
Hi John,
Though I still indulge from time to time, I still feel that to each is his own and I commend you for going almost 15 years without a drop.
Fantastic pictures of the Dream. So close to completion.
I hope you get to enjoy some of the weekend.
Take care and hi to Heidi/Kye!
David
The Newest Carnival Ship the
”youmustpayforyourfreedrinksoftheseas”
has the French takin over C.C.L.
[...] Drink? “John……..are you an alcoholic?” That’s the first question people ask you. Then the next thing is, [...] [...]
John please reply,
It seems that I have another question with regards to our Oct 3rd Med sailing of the Dream. Is it true that we will sail past Stomboli in the evening to see that Lava? I would be super excited if this were true….I also wanted to mention that the pics you post of the Indian Food had my mouth watering!!
Thanks
Mel
Dear John, (Please reply)
I’ve been reading your blog for several months, and it certainly made me want to cruise again. In fact I’m booked for the 10/24 sailing of the Carnival Freedom. I’m a bit bummed out that I’m going to miss you, not once, but twice.
You see, I live in Tampa, and last year went on the Carnival Legend (1st Carnival Cruise, third cruise over all) and enjoyed it so much I wanted to do it again. Last year I took my Mom with me, because it cost only the taxes to add her (as the single rate was double the double rate). However she is pretty much confined to her scooter, so we have to have a handicapped cabin. This year I decided to take Dad too, and so needed a handicapped cabin for 3, which doesn’t seem to exist on the Carnival Legend. So I booked us on the Carnival Freedom, which does have a few 3 person handicaps available. Unfortunately, you are leaving the Carnival Freedom before we cruise and going to the Carnival Legend
I do have a few questions for you though, since you know the Carnival Freedom so well:
1. Cabin 1001 is sometimes shown as an inside, and sometimes shown as an obstructed ocean view. Can you tell me which it is?
2. What is the best way to get assigned a table in the dining room close to an entrance? Last year we were at the very back of the boat (with a wonderful window, wonderful waiters, and wonderful companions). Because of her very limited mobility, Mom would drive her scooter back to within 10 feet of the table, and then the waiter had to drive her scooter away to get it out of the path. It was cumbersome for all involved, though we enjoyed the dinners themselves very much.
3. My mother & I are past guests now, but I seem to have two past guest numbers and she doesn’t have one at all. When my TA booked us, the Carnival rep (in the Special Requirements department) apparently looked up my past guest number, and that’s on my paperwork, but they didn’t look up hers. The past guest number they put down, does not match the past guest number shown by my name when I visit the Carnival website. In fact they are two different lengths, which seems weird to me. Mom will probably never make platinum (she’ll be 78 when we cruise this year) but if I read correctly, as a past guest our sail & sign cards should look different from my father’s, and if it doesn’t she’ll wonder why. I tried contacting the past guest department, but I never got a response. Can you help?
Finally, a couple of comments. I was surprised by the person who wanted a sharps container in their cabin ‘from the booking’. My surprise was because our cabin had just that. We had to fill out the Special Requirements paperwork for her scooter and for my CPAP, and it asks about injectable medication. I guess they picked it up from that form.
I hope Carnival stays around a long time. Otherwise I will have to consider myself a jinx. Both of the other two cruise lines I’ve been on (Premier & Delta Queen) have folded after I went on them.
Julie Anne
John,
Fantastic July 4th cruise aboard the Freedom. You are fantastic and added so much to the cruise, same goes for your staff.
Well done
Dear John – Please Reply!!
Erin W here with a few questions for you! I hope that you are enjoying the time as CD on the Freedom (sorry the Carnival Freedom!!) but I know you are missing little Kye . I have 3 questions for you and I hope you have 3 answers!! But first I must tell you that it’s a coincidence we are set to meet on the Dream in NYC (oh Buggar, the Carnival Dream!) since you said that said you have not sailed out of NYC since you took out the Carnival Destiny – well that was the first ship I ever sailed on in 1997! It was a HS graduation present and at the time was the largest ship – My nephew likes to say this was his first carnival cruise as my sister was 6months pregnant with him at the time! After a climb up Dunns River Falls in Jamaica (the stairs not the rocks!) she went into premature labor on the vessel – She almost had to be flown to Cuba as the ship was unable to handle a preemie – But the wonderful medical staff onboard got things sorted out and we were able to stay on the vessel for the remainder of the sailing! Now Dominic (who is now 11) is about all things Carnival and will be taking his first official cruise with me on my next sailing (which he still insists is his second!)– Could you send him a little surprise form the Brand Ambassador – it would make his year! – Now here we go with my questions!
1. It seems that since the early saver discount came out that Carnival has not really had any sales (there used to always be a one day sale or a sale for this or that) and are getting rid of fare discounts such as the Welcome home credit. While I think the early saver is sometimes a good savings (I have seen it be only $20 difference from the Fun Select) it come with a lot of risk (for lack of a better word) and is also not beneficial for the travelers who can’t or don’t book way out in advance – Is Carnival planning to stop having sales altogether and only offer the early saver? For those of us who a frequent sailors and like to book one soon after returning or just last minute – what is the benefit to us??
2. Why is it that if I book through my PVP that I cannot pay online? This bothers me because I hate having to call in to make payments when My PVP is at work and reading my CC number over and over to them (Especially when i have multiple cruises booked). I was told that the pay online feature is only available to those who book online – however most times I can’t get my past guest discount (if available) online – it doesn’t show up in a lot of sailings online – I guess this is question 2b – why doesn’t the past guest discount show up when available if I am signed in as a past guest and have the box checked to search for it? You can see your reservation in your profile and it has a link to pay however once you fill out your CC number it says you are not able to pay online.
3. And lastly are you going to be posting more interviews with the Dream take out team? I ask because while on the Glory I met one of the best social hosts – the very energetic, the very fun, the very tall Amy B!! She told us that she was going to be on the inaugural Dream team and I hadn’t seen an interview with her – unless I missed it??
That’s all from me – sorry this turned out so long but I figured to get it all out at one time instead of multiple postings! Thanks a bunch – Erin
Hi John,
Please respond,
I am so excited to hear that you are going to be on the Splendor next year. Do you know when your schedules will be coming out, because I have a cruise booked for Jan 10, 2010, but I am willing to change it to when you will be on board. That is how much it would mean to me to sail with the best CD in the history of cruising. I am already excited just to cruise on the Splendor itself, but to have you as the CD will make it even more special, so as soon as you find out when you will be assigned to that beautiful ship, please post is ASAP, so I can change my booking.
I tried the link to the Carnival Dream page but it kept asking for a user name and password, so I could not get in. I tried my user name and password for the Carnival website, but it would not accept that, so you may want to check into the problem. It won’t let me look at anything that has to do with the Carnival Dream.
Thank you for posting picture of Kye, she is getting cuter and cuter everyday. Please also thank Heidi for sending these beautiful pictures so we get to see how she is blossoming from a Rosebud into a beautiful Rose.
From your bloggy thingy fan,
Kathy
John,
We just returned this evening from a wonderful vacation aboard the Freedom. My wife, daughter and I are still laughing at Dick Little, and the talent show “story time.” Yes, even the drunk girls on the first night added a few good laughs. (You handled the situation perfectly–Got a few good laughs out of the situation and got them off stage before it got ugly.)
We are going through detox right now since we got used to eating every 3 to 4 hours. Got home from the airport, opened the fridge and it was empty.
You mentioned in an earlier blog about drinking…My daughter participated in the Circle C program. Unfortunately, some of the other children suffer from poor parenting–Kids ages 13 thru 16 were getting a hold of liquor. My wife and I notified the Camp Carnival staff, Guest Services and security. Some of the kids drank in excess and got sick on the Promenade Deck. Thankfully, our daughter confided in us and told us what was going on. This is NOT Carnival’s fault, but I do think that some stiff penalties should be handed out to the children and/or parents.
Again, we had a wonderful time. Thank you to you and the staff aboard the Freedom. We have been on several Carnival cruises, and look forward to our next voyage soon!
Best Regards,
Matt
Harrisburg, PA
Hi John,
Your little ray of sunshine “Kye” gets more beautiful with each picture you share with us!!!
Hello, can you please clarify the info regarding the two parties on the ship. First the Captains then the Farewell….
Do they still offer complimentary drinks for 1 hr then they added 2 hrs of dicounted drinks?
And this is basically done twice on the ship? Is there a difference between the two parties?
Is this something in effect right now?(sept we sail on the Splendor)
Our board is a little confused, I’m hoping you can clear this up for us.
Thanks,
Tammy
Oakley, CA
LOL. The “white flag waving” comment had me rolling, LOL…
Hey John nice post. So which brand of Cohiba do you like? I like Fonseca No. 1 a lot.A tripple cap and a wrapper with very thin veins make the cigar really attractive.Out of a box few cigars have tight draw. The burn is rather straight.The second third of the cigar is particularly delicious. Its smooth and creamy.If the cigar is at least one year old then you will get a strong flavor of cinnamon and black pepper.The price is according to its taste. This is an interesting option.