I met a man today who had asked to see me……he was a very nice man…..but wasn’t a very happy one. This was his 43rd cruise and his first with Carnival. And while he thought the service was excellent and the food good, he hated the decor of the ship and was exasperated that we didn’t provide lectures and other high brow forms of entertainment. He also did not like the fact the ship was so big with so many people on it.
I asked him for his history.
His first cruise was on a Cunard ship called the Vistafjord. He then did a world cruise on the Seabourn Sun (which I think then became one of the Holland America ships….not sure which one……dam) and from then he has cruised on Seabourn, the Pacific Princess and other smaller vessels………and as happy and as honored as we are to have this 70-year old-retired widower on board …….for whom money is no object………….I had to ask ……. why did you choose Carnival…………..he gave me a very interesting answer which I will tell you about shortly.
Until I asked “why” and having heard his list of previous cruises, I had already made my mind up that Carnival wasn’t for him. Sometimes certain people feel comfortable doing, driving, sailing on and wearing different things……….I I mean, would Judge Judy ever be found playing Zombie Death Killer Driller on her Playstationxbox? Would Cameron Diaz turn up for the Oscars wearing a full length tweed skirt and a cardigan knitted by her Great Aunt Betty? ……….Can you imagine me as cruise director of the new Queen Elizabeth wearing a mankini?
People tend to know what suits them……..and what doesn’t. It is rare to find someone who has just finished reading The Complete Works of Shakespeare and has now picked up a copy of Paris Hilton’s biography.
So, there I was thinking all of the above and listening to Mr. Smallship’s tales from his world cruise and how he did not like comedians and big shows and missed the fact that we didn’t have a bridge instructor etc, when I stopped him and respectfully asked …….. why Carnival?
Simple he said……..value for money. And there it was.
This world traveler had realized that even he wanted quality and value for his money. I asked him if he thought that this is what he had received…….and he agreed that yes……..indeed he had. And so for the rest of the 20 minutes we spoke I began to realize that I had been too quick to sum this chap up and that even though he wore expensive clothes and jewelry that he too wanted and deserved value and therefore had turned to Carnival. OK, maybe we weren’t totally his cup of tea but overall he had enjoyed the cruise so far and as we continued to talk about his favorite ports and how much he misses cruising with his wife…….I also realized that he was probably………very lonely.
Time for today’s questions…………..here we go.
Mark Asked:
John Please Reply
John, I have to mention that many Canadian men and women have given their lives in Afghanistan too. I know that there was no offense meant by not mentioning the Canadian effort, but felt important to let many our blogger friends know that we understand and appreciate the situation in Afghanistan as we are there too.Like the US Marine you had cigar with I am not sure why any of us are in Afghanistan, but I support the troops whether they be US, British or Canadian. It doesn’t matter the flag patch on their uniform – their willingness to step up and put their lives on the line for our countries demands our respect.
John, I don’t blame anyone for not mentioning our effort in that part of the world. In part that is a failing of our government and perhaps indifference from US and British news media – after all our national population is that of California! : )
John, I really considered if I should or should not post this as I don’t want to sound that I am whining, complaining or sounding like the little brother that feels ignored. Thanks John for opening your blog to comments!
John Says:
Hello Mark
As a British citizen I certainly understand that other countries have paid the price for defending the world’s freedom. Many, many young British men and one lady have died and continue to die in Afghanistan as of course do Canadians as you mentioned.I certainly meant no offence by not mentioning that these and other countries were fighting the war, it was just that the chap I was talking to was a serving United States Marine and that prompted my thoughts for the day.
I am so glad that you did post this comment as it gives me a chance to say a huge thank you to all the brave men and women who continue the fight for freedom and wherever home is………I hope they get there soon.
Thanks Mark and I hope you will continue to express your feelings here on the blog.
Best wishes
JohnSheryl Asked:
John please reply
Hi John,
Just wanted to thank you, once again, for getting the Bon Voyage department to sell the sugar free cakes. We will be celebrating my husband’s 56th birthday on board the Carnival Pride on August 31st. I have already ordered him the s/f chocolate cake. I talk about you and your blog thingy all of the time to him and he would get such a thrill (as would I) if you could recognize him on his birthday. Besides living with diabetes, he has also been diagnosed with another illness that will force him to start taking heavy duty treatments when we return from this cruise. I want this vacation to be extra special for him. Couldn’t think of anyone better to make that happen than you!John Says:
Hello Sheryl
I am glad we were able to sort the sugar-free cake out for you which as you mentioned has now been added to the bon voyage list. I would be honored to send him a birthday wish so please send me the cabin number when you can by posting it here on the blog thingy.
Best wishes to you both
JohnMelissa Jurgensen Asked:
John please reply.
Before I get to my question I have to comment about “Travis” the clueless boy on your cruise. Unfortunately that is the norm anymore it seems. Don’t think I’m an old frump for saying that, I’m only 32!I have to tell you, a few years ago I worked with a girl who had just graduated college with her teaching license and she did not know who the president of the US was (she was American), the difference between the US’s two major political parties and there were several other common sense things she was clueless about. I shudder at the thought to think she is teaching children now!
Anyway, I recently won on eBay a Destiny inaugural cruise book. You had signed it “To my best Dick ever”…. I really don’t want to know about THAT inscription!
I love the ships and I have bought a few of these books on eBay. Is there ever a chance that reprints of these books will ever be sold in the ships’ gift shops? I would gladly buy them! I love all the pictures and the technical details about the ships! (I’m a ship geek, I know.)
My best to you and your beautiful ladies. Counting the days to my Dream cruise in October. (62 more days!)
MelissaJohn Says:
Hello Melissa
I cannot believe you have that Carnival Destiny book……and you bought it on eBay ……… wow. The inscription was for a character who played a role of Dick Dastardly in the Bed Time story and as I only signed books on the very first cruise, you have a true inaugural book there signed by me. How much did you pay for it if you don’t mind me asking?The inaugural books are limited in their production. We normally give them to the guests on the first few cruises of the inaugural season but after that they are placed as cabin copies which we ask people not to take home. Maybe as you said we could sell them in the gift shops or in our Formalities shops onboard. You certainly have a collector’s item there and what a small world it really is.
Best wishes to you and the family
JohnFLIP FLOP CRUISE QUEEN Asked:
SherylPelton
John, PLEASE REPLY,
I LOVE THE BEDTIME STORY!!! I don’t care if I see it 5 times every cruise, it would still make me laugh! Please don’t ever retire it. You can come up with something to do on another night, but please leave the Bedtime Story alone.Yeah, tomorrow is Heidi and Kye day . . . I so look forward to Heidi’s blogs and the wonderful pictures of she and Kye. It is so fun to watch Kye grow. Soon you will be home to share in the joy of her! When is it that you go home?
SherylJohn Says:
Hello Sheryl
It’s funny answering a question about the bedtime story because that’s what I did last night and although the audience was tired I am still sure they loved the antics of their fellow guests. I will keep it going for a while longer then I guess.I hope you enjoy the photo of Kye today, it’s my new favorite and I will be home to see her myself on August 24th.
Best wishes and thank you so much for the very kind words.
JohnJeanette Calli Asked:
John – Please reply…
You have convinced me! I am about to be a first-time Carnival cruiser sailing on the Pride August 21st out of Baltimore. I am cruising with my husband and 3 little ones and, after reading all the fabulous info about the steakhouse supper club thingy, I am going to make a reservation. It sounds wonderful, but I do have a question for you. Our cruise is 8 nights and I don’t want to miss elegant nights in the main dining room. What nights are “elegant” on an 8 night voyage so that I can make a reservation for the Steakhouse, usher the wee ones to Camp Carnival, and have a romantic dinner for me and my hubby? We are married 16 years tomorrow, so the cruise is an anniversary present to us! I can’t wait!! Thanks for any info you can provide and for writing such an entertaining blog thingy.John Says:
Jeanette
You have no idea how it makes me feel when I read that the blog thingy has helped convince someone to try a Carnival cruise for the first ever time. I am humbled by that and I am positive that you and the family will have a brilliant time.The steakhouse is simply sensational and to help you decide when to book I have added the itinerary below indicating the elegant nights for you. I hope you have a fantastic time and please let me know how much fun you have when you get home.
Eastern Caribbean:
Baltimore, MD;
Fun Day at Sea; ELEGANT NIGHT
Fun Day at Sea;
Grand Turk;
Half Moon Bay,
Nassau, Bahamas;
Freeport, Bahamas; ELEGANT NIGHT
Fun Day at Sea;
Baltimore, MDBest wishes to you all
JohnThe Tuckers Asked:
Dear John PLEASE REPLY
How good it is to read your blogs as CD again. The pictures from the Dream are great; I’m getting worried that if I keep looking at them the “thrill” will be gone when we finally board the ship in December.
Thank You for sharing your insight/ conversation with the soldier re: Afghanistan & thanking them all for their service.I am jealous of the DVD’s in the Suites on the Dream. Speaking of DVD’s. I never heard back about a specific NOLA- DVD you were going to check into when you got to Miami in June. Can one of the 244 Stephanies check into that again please?
ALSO Question #2 Will the Dream be Having the Behind the Scene tours when we are on the Bloggers Cruise in December? They sound great and well worth the price.
Empress Bee and Charlie are Great Cruising Ed’s Krewe Buddies and I hope you catch the “Conniving Bike Riders” and Serve them their “Just rewards “as only Carnival will allow…..
Your pictures are showing you winning your fight with the “Diet King” you are looking good and of course Heidi and Kye are absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait for Fridays
Take Care
The Tuckers in FloridaJohn Says:
Elizabeth & Arnold
I am glad you are enjoying the blogs so much and there certainly is no shortage of things to talk about while I am on board. You know so many people ask me questions that occasionally I forget what it is I have said I will do for people. Such is the case with New Orleans DVD. Are you referring to the Bloggers Cruise highlights or something else. Please can you post me a reminder and my apologies again for not following through with your request before?The Behind the Fun Tour will indeed be available on your Carnival Dream cruise and I am excited that we are offering this very special look behind the crew only door. I continue to try hard with my diet and thanks for the words of encouragement.
I look forward to sailing with you and all the Evil Krewe again very soon.
My best wishes to you both
JohnMichele MARAGNI Asked:
Hi John, (Please Reply)
I hope this letter finds you feeling much better! my mother and I will be on your Bloggers cruise Dec. 3rd, we are so excited to finally meet you, I will also be cruising on the Dream, Oct. 2nd, 2010 with my husband and son, I am so excited as my husband and I will be renewing our vows, on the ship, after 33 years of marriage, will there be any chance that you might be scheduled to be the CD on this cruise?,( it would be a plus to also have Heidi & Kye!) besides our vow renewal, having you there would make this all so perfect! (Love to Heidi & Kye!) MicheleJohn Says:
Hello Michele
How super – two brilliant cruises on your Carnival Dream and not only a bloggers cruise but one where you will be renewing your vows……..congratulations. I am still not sure of my 2010 schedule. There is certainly a chance that I may be there and I will let you know as soon as I can.I will see you for sure in December and by then I will know my 2010 schedule.
Please let me know if you need anything else
Best wishes to all the family
JohnGina Diaz asked:
(Please Reply)
Hi John,
I want to tell you that TJ and I were so excited about being on the Freedom this coming week with you but unfortunately TJ has been diagnosed with cancer and we have been forced to put off our trip.
We were so looking forward to stalking–ahem– meeting you on the ship, but sadly there are things you cannot control.We are praying that after the months of chemo that that TJ will have to endure and that once she is fully recovered we can take our much needed cruise.
It just goes to show you that you never really know what life will bring your way. One day you are a healthy person studying for the bar exam and after weeks of nonstop pain and weird doctors exams you are told that you have cancer. I cannot presume to think that I know what my friend is going through and can only offer my support in this very trying time for her and her family.
But here’s the gist. In between TJ’s spinal taps and chemo and surgery schedule we have been on the phone with Carnival trying to get a refund or a credit of our trip. Unfortunately we did not get the insurance (we did not get it on our last cruise in March–why would we need it for one in August?–why indeed). We booked the cruise in June and she was diagnosed at the beginning of July and with all of TJs doctor’s visits and the doctors not wanting to commit to a diagnosis we didn’t get to contact carnival until two weeks ago. TJ booked it, so she needed to make all the calls and I was a mess with praying and hoping that all would be well with my best friend, if you knew me you would know how I can get. I will most definitely not go on a cruise when my best friend is being treated for cancer. We were told that we could write a letter to carnival and it would be at their discretion if whether or not they gave us a full refund or credit. We have written the letters and are sending them to Carnival. Is there something else we can do to ensure this? I am honestly shocked at the fact that we have to go through so many hoops to ensure that our trip is not lost. Please reply with any suggestions you may have.
I wish you all the fun ever on the Freedom and please keep TJ in your prayers.
Much love,
GDJohn Says:
Hello Gina
What a sad way to finish today’s Q and A session. Let me start by saying that I have sent this to the very top and I hope they will be able to do something for you. Please let me know the outcome and if you need anything else please also let me know.Most importantly I would ask that you tell TJ that thousands of people who daily read this blog are thinking of her and that our thoughts and prayers are with her at this time. I am sure that one day soon you will be both sailing with Carnival……..stalking me.
Please send me an update when you can
Sincerely
John
I am slowly catching up with all the comments and hopefully I will be answering yours shortly. Please forgive my tardiness.
Now, as promised here are today’s photos of your Carnival Dream and as promised we go behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the engine room and the engine control room?
First though some facts and my thanks to her Chief Engineer Stefano Gazzolo for providing me with the following.
ENGINES – WHO MAKES THEM AND WHAT IS THE POWER PRODUCED
6 Diesel Engines WARTSILA NSD 12,6 MW (equal to 16896,8 Horse Power) each engine
GENERATORS – HOW MANY
6 Alternators (Electric Generators) 14000 KVA – 11 KV
Active Power 12, 3 MW each Generator
PROPELLORS – DIMENSIONS
5, 80 Meters = 19.02 Feet – 6 Blades Mass 26900 Kilograms
FUEL CAPACITY – HOW MUCH APPROX DO WE USE ON ONE 12 DAY EUROPEAN CRUISE
H.F.O. (Heavy Fuel Oil) Max Capacity 3981 Cubic Meters at 100% – 3901, 3 Cubic Meters at 98%
Diesel Oil Max capacity 255, 1 Cubic Meters at 100% – 250 Cubic Meters at 98%
Diesel Oil is used for Emergency Diesel Generator, Boilers Pilot Burner, and Incinerators and for Diesel Engines in Emergency situation. For a 12 days Grand Med cruise we will approx use from 1,400 to 1,500 Metric Tons This was the consumption of the Freedom and Liberty. It varies from many factors and condition of the ship’s hull and weather therefore is approx.
TOP SPEED OF THE SHIP
During the Official Sea Trial the ship reached 23.95 knots at maximum speed.
And here is where the chief spends most of his time onboard
And now here are some terrific photos of the captain and senior officers photographed together, for the first time, inside and outside of their Carnival Dream.
Fantastic shots………and did you see that top speed? 23.95………that’s Ferrari quick. On the next blog we will be sharing some amazing photos of the atrium on your Carnival Dream………..have you booked yet?
There is no doubt that the sight of a magnificent ship gets the hairs on the back of my bottom standing on end…………….and none more so than the Queen Mary 2 seen here leaving Hamburg, Germany yesterday.
![Queen Mary 004[1]](http://johnhealdsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/queen-mary-0041.jpg?84cd58 "Queen Mary 004[1]")
I remember the first time I saw the Queen Mary 2 I damn nearly wet myself with excitement. I was on the Carnival Triumph in St. Maarten and when I saw this incomparable liner I ran around the bridge clutching at my private parts with one hand, pointing with the other and screaming at the top of my lungs down the PA system to tell the guests to get their cameras out.
That’s how you will feel when you see her for the first time and when you see your Carnival Dream …………well…………..depends!
Here are some letters from my Morning Show.
So all in all it’s been a good cruise but we have definitely had some challenges as I have pointed out here in the blog thingy. Yesterday in Panama one of the boats we use for the Panama Canal excursion broke down resulting in a one hour delay for some guests returning to the ship. The back on board time was 3:30 pm but about 200 guests did not return until 4:30 pm. We will be looking after these guests accordingly and more than anything else it was another prime example that if you are on a Carnival excursion, we know where you are and what’s happening…………..this way you are never going to be somewhere…….panicking …….wondering if the ship will be disappearing over the horizon when you finally make it back to the pier.
Last night I once again put my body on the line for Micky, Queen and Company as an extra medium sized Mary decided to throw me down like a sack of feathers.
When I recovered I found a piece of Mary’s hair stuck in the strap of my watch. Here are some photos of said event
It’s Friday and so …….here is Heidi……….oh ………..actually it isn’t………………it’s Kye.
Hello Bloggers,Mummy asked me to say a few words as she was too busy with Oma, sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine……..
It has been very hot again the last few days so I am sitting (mummy said I forgot the H) here in my nappy (diaper).
I am doing really well, I am smiling and making lots of funny noises I didn’t even know I could make and mummy keeps pulling funny faces which makes me laugh even louder.
Today Oma and mummy took me for a walk along the beach. I heard them saying how lovely it was etc. but I don’t think they realize that from my ”car,” the sky looks the same wherever we are….the breeze was nice though and I am sure I will sleep well tonight. I have been sleeping really well and this morning I confused mummy as she woke up at 5:30 am and then she was not sure if I had woken her up in the night…..but I didn’t. I slept from 8 pm till 5:30am! Not sure if I will keep doing this though, I like to surprise her and I like our “meetings” in the night as she sings to me.
I miss my daddy very much but mummy says he is coming home soon. Yippee!
I like it when he calls and mummy puts the phone by my ear and he talks to me.Mummy keeps getting me presents and then tells me that they come from aunties and uncles that read the blog thingy.
Mummy has explained to me a little bit what a Blog is. I am not sure I understand yet but I keep getting presents so it must be a good thing
My wardrobe is now so full that mummy and daddy might have to buy me another one soon or maybe they can move into my room and I can move into theirs.
Well, its bedtime now and mummy says I have to stop so I better listen.
Bye Bye Bloggers!
Cuddle,
Kye
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh………..Kye’s first blog! I truly can’t wait to see my girls again.
Last night at the Talent Show I had a crying baby on the third row and my Daddy instinct took over and I wanted to cuddle him or her. However, it kept crying and crying and crying and then the infant began howling like a rabid wolf. It was like a car alarm had gone off. Everyone in the show was disturbed by it. Even the other babies…… The quiet ones….. were pissed off. The parents did nothing. They continued to sit there immune to the judgmental looks and head-shaking from the other guests around them.
And this made me think. When I was last home Kye was house bound, but now she has a social life and so once again does Heidi and that means we will be going to restaurants again………what if Kye starts crying……what do I do? I mean ……….why should everyone else be subjected to it? There are laws to protect people from second-hand smoke ……….. why not second-hand noise? I guess some would say “live and let live”……but this answer only goes so far. If I decided to strip off my clothes stand on a restaurant table and started singing “I’m A Little Tea Pot” would people just say “live and let live?” …….. would they bollocks.
What if I lit up a cigar, that’s living too? But no one would let that happen. People would go bonkers. It’s different, I know, because it’s a health hazard. But what if someone has high blood pressure and the stress from a wailing baby puts them at risk of a stroke? That can’t be healthy.
When it comes to how parents handle their children, it’s never a good idea to interfere. It’s okay if you interrupt to tell them how adorable the baby is, but anything else is risky. People have no problem asking a stranger to go outside to talk on a cell phone. But asking a parent to take their baby outside…. You’ll be beaten to death with a bag of diapers.
I’m not sure what the best thing to do is, but I know what doesn’t work. The disapproving look. This look does nothing and last night by act three of the talent show I was seriously concerned that the guests were getting really upset and the constant crying…….and so I took action.
![B1[1]](http://johnhealdsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/b11.jpg?84cd58 "B1[1]")
I invited Mum and dad and baby Jasmine on stage….I sung her a lullaby ……….. and ………she stopped crying……………..it was a miracle…….and as her eyes closed and she buried her head in her Dad’s chest……and fell asleep …….1,800 people started to applaud and cheer……….and woke the little bugger up again.
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 reading this blog! We will be on the Carnival Freedom starting August 15th and are really looking forward to it. We started taking our daughter on cruises when she was just a few months older than Kye and she will turn 4 while we are on the Freedom, My how time flies!
Speaking of Alaska and Carnival Spirit, if anyone wants to see Chris Roberts in the Blues Brothers show, or the encore show, they better hurry up and book a cruise for this season.
I have seen others post You Tube videos here, not sure how they are doing it, but I will try… Just in case, here are the URLs:
and the rest of my Carnival Spirit pictures:
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalSpirit/Alaska/index.htm
Whoa, here is one of Chris and BobbleHeald:
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalSpirit/Alaska/Juneau/pic3/DSC01079.JPG
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-UHUm33fQ&hl=en&fs=1&]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKoGJXlo6EE&hl=en&fs=1&]
oh my gosh that photo of kye is beautiful! that’s your girl for sure john, at first she looked so much like heidi but now i see you too.
sending prayers for tj of course. i sure hope they get their cruise in the future.
prince charlie is all set for his knee replacement the end of this month. i hope he does well. he sure is suffering now.
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Hey John (Please respond)
It’s been a while, but we want you to know that we are still reading every blog. It’s amazing seeing the pictures of Kye. You must be so proud.
Maybe you could help with something. We have some friends (3 couples) who are going to be sailing on the Carnival Destiny (remembered to use the full name) in October. Two of them have only sailed on RCI before, and one not at all. They have decided that they would try Carnival, and I am hoping they will see the error of their ways. I’d like to send you their info before they leave, and maybe you could help to make sure that they have an extra special time. One of the couples is going to be celebrating their anniversary, and I would like to see them stay with the Carnival brand from here on. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Til next time
Kevin
John-please reply. My husband Harold and I will cruising with you Aug 15 on Carnival Freedom/res******/cabin **** as we celebrate our 80 and 85th birthdays and 57th anniversary. Please try to obtain for us a table for 2 for our confirmed 6PM dining. Thank you for all you do. Laverne Ord
John,
please reply
I was just on the carnival connection site and saw where someone was asking if any one had ever seen a carnival bumper sticker. I got to thinking what a good ideal. I would buy one along with maybe some window clings and license plate frames. They could say I rather be cruising, my dream is the Carnival Dream, cruising is my thing, Carnival fun ships is my stress buster and etc. They could be bought on board or in the bon voyage gift store. There seems to be alot of people wanting to know why we have not seen any and I thought I would bring this to your attention and maybe you can have someone look into it.
I loved Kye’s first blog, taking after her daddy at such a young age, she is good at it. I think she is looking like both of her parents now, she still a beauty.
Heidi, thanks for the pictures and up dates, we look forward every Friday to your post. Thanks so very much.
John,
The DVD was for the Blogger’s Highlights that the lady was referring to. A lot of us were not aware of it being for sale on the last night. You had commented that you would look into it and would put a link on the blog where we could purchase one.
I am still interested in one also.
Dave
Here is another breaking news story.
Posted by someone from Curacao.
Just heard on the news that the Carnival Miracle will pay 15 calls to Curacao in 2010-2011.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1037808
There was an announcement in Aruba that Carnival is returning there also in 2010.
Dave
John—PLEASE REPLY—-
Hey John, I’ve got a question that a typical brand ambassador should be able to answer!!
Suppose I am booked on a cruise in November. When I booked, I paid rate Y, which had just went up about $60 from rate X. I am fully paid, however the final payment due date is a couple of weeks away.
Now suppose that I was “surfing” the Carnival site, and realize that the same room type that I booked is now BACK to rate X, again about $60 cheaper. Is there any recourse that I would be able to take—short of cancelling the booking, waiting for the credit card credit, and then rebooking?
We are all Platinum guests–including my 10 year old!!
Any advice? I don’t want to sound petty about $60, but when you multiply it by the number of guests, and then with the pretty good possibility of the fuel surcharge being socked to us again….I need all the help I can get!!
Thanks for your time!!!
Brian
No offense John, but on Fridays I scroll down to wherever the Heidi and Kye note is and read it and adore the picture of Kye, and then go back up and read your blog for the day. How cute is that to have Kye write her own blog??? Heidi is very clever and a good writer also. I am glad that you will be home with them very soon. It is nice to have your old form of blog back, but will be even better now when you are home as I am sure you will be provided with many Heidi and Kye stories to share with all of us. Thanks for saying that you will continue the Bedtime Story for a while longer. I have a video of it from when we were on the Freedom in Europe, but it just isn’t the same as seeing it in person. I hope I get the chance to see you do it at least once more live.
Thanks again,
Sheryl
Hi John,
Thank you for offering to send my husband Robert Maldonado a birthday greeting on our 8/29/09 Carnival Pride cruise. His birthday is August 31st and we will be in cabin 4207. He is the diabetic who I ordered the sugar free cake for.
May you and your beautiful family be blessed always. You are a wonderful and kind man.
John, She is a beauty, what else can I say…….. Heidi says she chuckles now. Has she chuckled for you when you talk to her on the phone.
Please, when you get home, would you do a video so we can hear her giggle?
Hugs to the three of you/
Aunty Carolyn
John – The blog from Kye was wonderful. I hope she writes to us again soon.
John,
I’ve been so busy with my own home adventures. Oma has got to be one of the most beautiful babies I’ve seen. She is adorable. I’m glad I decided to come and visit your blog on the day Oma wrote her first blog. Heidi and you made a beautiful “Thingy” together….
As for Dream – just gorgeous too. I’ll have to keep coming back to your blog to see the new photos. Any idea on the exact time she might be sailing into NYC. I can’t afford to go on her yet but I’d love to bring my granddaughter Faith so that she can see (what I hope will be) her next cruise ship….
Sincerely,
Theresa
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
I love Fridays for 2 reasons – It’s the weekend and we get to see Kye. She is just so cute! Heidi, thank you for the blog from Kye’s point of view – it was sweet to read!
God bless you all,
Debs
Hello John! I’ve heard a lot about you and look forward to cruising with you on the 15th! It’s our first big ship (and the newest). Looking forward to celebrating our anniversary on board and cruising with you!
Well, it doesn’t seem to matter with youtube…
Ok, here are a couple more Carnival Dream videos – don’t think they have been posted here, but what do I know?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlvrLihyHS8&hl=en&fs=1&]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxdRiauzqEY&hl=en&fs=1&]
Stephanie’s please pass this info along to John… I noticed he spoke about Heidi putting the phone to Kye’s ear and talking to her. He should look into using http://skype.com/ . If his laptop doesn’t have a web cam on it then he can purchase one for around 50.00 (US). Download the software for free and it’s a free service. This way he can see the girls and they can see him. (Heidi would obviously also get a camera.) It is an awesome service and would make them feel so much more like they are with each other. Just remind John that if he uses it to see-talk to anyone else he will need to put his pants on
Great blog…love the photos of the senior officers of the Dream…a handsome bunch.
Kye is just gorgeous, so enjoyed reading her first official blog. Tell Heidi they are both quite clever.
Take care John,
Lisa and George Kilmartin
Hi John!
I too would love to have a copy of the NOLA bloggers DVD if it becomes available to sell. That was such a wonderful time…Would be great to have a DVD to relive it! Loved the PIC of Kye….Such a doll!
Hi John,
Thank you for all of the pictures you have been posting of the Carnival Dream. What a cute blog from Kye!
Also, I wanted to say thanks to Bill for posting the video of Chris Roberts Blues Brothers show. I won’t get the chance to sail with Chris as a CD, but am glad to have seen his show this way.
Clair
I’m wondering why this blog is becoming frought with hand outs, refunds, freebies, and other things.
It’s quite embarrassing to read. I can only imagine being asked to perform.
John we just love the photos of Kye. We also are very much enjpying t updates on the dream and we still cant wait to see the cabins. I agree with Carolyn and Don we’d love to see and hear video of that beautiful baby laughing.
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Hi John! Your story reminded me of my dad, but with a different ending. Dad is 84, and two years ago he went of his first cruise without my mom, who had passed away a year before. Mom and Dad had always cruised Holland America. However, this time Dad chose Carnival, and even though we are staunch Carnival fans, I was a bit nervous. However, when he got home, he was full of stories about his cruise and how much he enjoyed it. When I asked him if he enjoyed sailing on Carnival, his reply was “What’s there not to enjoy…it’s the Fun Ship!” He continues to cruise…and to choose Carnival!
I love being here for Kye’s “firsts” and it is so true the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She already is displaying her amazing writing abilities in her very first blog! There is nothing in the world more fun than hearing a baby giggle and laugh and it’s contageous. She is just adorable.
On the other hand, a screaming baby in a restaurant or other venue is horrible. And you are correct, the angry or disgusted “look” doesn’t seem to bother parents that think they are entitled to eat at this restaurant or see this show…even if their child ruins it for you. When my children were young, we either got a baby sitter or we didn’t go out to dinner or a show. Babies and toddlers do not understand sitting still and not bothering others for extended periods of time…and especially when they are tired and it’s past their bedtime already. We have become a society of people that have no respect for others…it’s all about me and what I want to do and that includes their own children! The parents should have taken that screaming baby out of there until the baby calmed down and if Jasmine didn’t, then back to the cabin.
Great photos of the officers of the Carnival Dream–good looking officiers for our good looking ship.
John,
I want to thank you for helping me during this very sad time in my life.
Cruzn buckeye
John,
What a cool story behind my Destiny inaugural book! I am printing that out and keeping it in the book.
I paid $14.99 for it on eBay BUT in the past I have seen the Destiny’s book and some of the other books for other ships go for quite a bit of money. The books are a fairly rare find, even on eBay.
I love collecting them (and apparently a lot of people do) so having re-prints in the gift shop or formalities would be really great.
I love the ships so much. I pull out my books and look at them on rainy, cold days in between cruises when I get really “home sick” for Carnival.
Best to you and your ladies. Kye is so gorgeous!
Melissa
John – PLEASE REPLY
First of all, I have to admit that, for a 12 week old, Kye has a remarkable grasp of the English language and keyboard skills. Clearly, we have a child prodigy here.
Now, for my question. It is clear that I am, once again, missing the blogger’s cruise. As much as I would like to attend, it just isn’t going to happen in 2009. Its likely I won’t even get a cruise this year.
So, has there been any discussion regarding the 2010 Blogger’s Cruise? My preference, of course, would be an eastern itinerary with both St. Thomas and San Juan as ports of call, but you have that itinerary with the December 3rd cruise, so it’s likely I am unlikely to see such an itinerary chosen for 2010.
Anyway, give us a heads up as soon as possible so that those of us who desire to join the family can consider it.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
Jon
John –
Gina, From my family to yours, we wish your friend TJ a very speedy and painfree recovery so you both may enjoy your well deserved Carnival cruise.
John – Your daughter is getting prettier each week, you better be careful in about 25 years when you finally let her out of the house!
Warmest Regards,
Brandoninbuffalo and family
My heart went out to the elderly gentleman. I hope he found the cigar bar or the lovely lady that sang in the atrium of the ship to sit and listen to. I hope you referred him to HAL because it is reasonably priced and smaller and they have lectures….and a lot of nice widows who might like to come back with him on a Carnival someday and take part in an awesome John Heald Marriage/NewlyWED show.
John,
Miss Kye sure is a beauty. And I can tell how much you miss her. Big higs to you both for making the best out of being apart.
Stacey
JOHN! We will be on the Freedom the 15th and this time I am bringing allllll my kids and Grandkids along! All 17 of us! My mom passed in January and in her memory-I’m taking everyone cruising. Give a shout out to the Sharum(share-rums)and the 15 Bakers!!!Rms 1116,1118,1120,1122,1018(celebrating Anniversarys,Birthdays)
Of all the cruises we’ve taken on Carnival-YOU have been the Director on all of them!!!Your Very funny!Even tho you speak words different.
Hi to Kye!!!
Kye, PLEASE REPLY
Now that your a BIG girl tell mummy and daddy you want to go on BC4 to meet all your aunties and uncles. Tell them you will be a very good girl on the airplane. We would just love to see and hold you. We would even babysit for you while mommy and daddy goes to the steakhouse to have dinner for their anniversary. So you do whatever you have to do to get mommy and daddy to bring you and I’m sure you will get some nice CHRISTmas presents.
Aunt Pat and Uncle Big Ed
JOHN,
LOVED READING YOUR BLOG .
I WAS LOOKING FOR A GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWER SPOT?
I RECENTLY MOVED TO FLORIDA FROM CALIFORNIA AND NOTICE THE CRUISE SHIP BUSINESS IS OF THE HOOK DOWN HERE.
I WENT TO THE CORPORATE WEB PAGE TO APPLY FOR EMPLOYMENT BUT DID NOT SEE ANY POSTINGS FOR A FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER POSITION? ARE THOSE LISTING POSTED ON A AS NEED BASIS?
ANY SUGGESTIONS OR KEEP CHECKING. THANKS,
C.W.
Ooo… look! I’m all italicy!!
Yep… Kye is destined to be a star… no doubt. I mean, she blogs just like Heidi and she the most adorable child in the world so stardom is a given.
John, did you notice the comment from our friend, Jetskier?? Some time ago you and I talked about getting the master of the DVD from the Fantasy Blogger’s to Miami so the video could be offered for sale. Many of us didn’t know that there was one available and missed out. Thank you, my friend!!
I did a few calculations from the information provided by the Chief. The Carnival Dream has the capacity to hold an amazing one million gallons of fuel!! The Conquest class burn 34,500 gallons of fuel per day. WOW!! Using those numbers the Dream could steam for a month without refueling… amazing…
The Queen Mary 2 is stunning. I’ve always been amazed by that ship. I wish her a long, long life as I fear that she is the last of the true, great liners, a sad thing.
Please offer my thanks to all 344 Stephanies and the occasional guy that works on the blog. By the way, what ever happened to Mr. Hair??
Ciao!!
Host Mach
john
my children and i sailed with you on the Freedom July 26th. our cruise had many downfalls but one of the best memories was of the bedtime story. we did not get to purchase it before we left and i would love any info that you have on how to obtain this video. i still smile whenever i think of the skit. thanks
John, I was just telling Donna about Kye’s first blog and all the gifts from her American Aunts and Uncle’s. Kye will fit right in with todays women having more clothes then they could ever wear but at the same time not having anything to wear when they go out on the town.
Donna just returned from checking the mail there was a Thank You card from Heidi and Kye. She was all smiles that the package arrived.
john
please tell me how to purchase bedtime story from july 26th Freedom cruise. that is one of the few good memories of our cruise. you were wonderful. my kids are still talking about it. thanks
Kye, PLEASE REPLY
Now that your a BIG girl tell mummy and daddy you want to go on BC4 to meet all your aunties and uncles. Tell them you will be a very good girl on the airplane. We would just love to see and hold you. We would even babysit for you while mommy and daddy goes to the steakhouse to have dinner for their anniversary. So you do whatever you have to do to get mommy and daddy to bring you and I’m sure you will get some nice CHRISTmas presents.
Aunt Pat and Uncle Big
Dear John,
Great blog today. The picture of Kye is wonderful. Keep up the good work.
Lynda
Oh, my heavens, John, how gorgeous is your little Kye??!!?? I look forward to Fridays to see a new photo, but I’m with you — this is my new favorite! It won’t be long and you will be reunited with her and with Heidi. God bless you and your little family!
Terri
Dear John:
Oh how I sympathize with Gina and TJ on their situation. I can relate in some respects as we, too, had to cancel our Splendor cruise due to illness and had, in addition to having missed a wonderful trip, also had to cope with losing some $9,000. because of the insurance company going bust.
I send my prayers to Gina and TJ, as I also know that our blogging family is also doing. We are fortunate to be in an era where there are so many new, wonderful treatments available to us. So please hang in there and maybe someday soon we will be able to sail the high seas in better health.
John, you and Heidi have produced a beautiful little girl. May she hear your voice soon as you gaze into her gorgeous smile. I hope someday to sail with you all and would like to volunteer to babysit with Kye while you take your lovely bride to the specialty dining room.
P.S.: I’ll even keep her longer in case there might be some rumpy-pumpy afterwards . . .
Auntie Joan
Seabourn Sun became the Prinsendam. Anyway…
I do feel sorry for that elderly gentleman but I hope that I’ll be able to cruise half of his 43 cruises. Wow John your daughter Kye is so beautiful and is now able to comment on your blog. Fantastic job she did. I really enjoyed the photos of the engine toom. Usually we would have no knowledge of whaat is below us when we’e on our cruises but now I’ll remember when I’m aboard the Carnival Dream in January. Please tell
Bill (Zydecocruiser) from ZydecoCruiser.com thanks for allowing us to see and hear the great abilities that Chris Robarts has. It’s a shame that he will no longer be will us as a CD very soon but tell him my congratulations of his impending marriage to his very beautiful fiance. I think that’s about it. Have a great weekend my friend.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
As I have said before KYE does look like her daddy! She is so beautiful, and I loved her blog, she needs to blog more often. Yes, when you get home do take a video of Kye giggling. Can’t wait to see that! Michele who wrote to you about renewing her wedding vows on the Dream next year is my best friend and hairdresser. She will be on the Bloggers cruise too Dec. 3rd. Take good care of her John, ok? You will LOVE her bubbly personality! Well, the new Carnival cruiser who is 80 yrs old is so right about value for the money, Carnival does offer that, now they just have to get their customer service to working better! Linda
(PLEASE REPLY)
John,
We ‘blogged’ is that the right term? On my pending (hopefully) engagement on the Liberty sailing at the end of August.
I have made dinner reservations for the first Elegant Night (believe to Sea Day) at Harry’s for 8/8:30pm (cant quite remember!).
Was hoping we might be able to sit down and order a drink and then have a Carnival Photographer ask us to stand for a photo where I could pop the question – then order some champagne and have a nice dinner!
Could that be arranged? Also is there a way I could drop my video camcorder at the Pursers Desk so that someone could record the moment so that we have it for the memories?
Know it’s quite a few requests hopefully its feasible.
Loving your blog and the fact you’ve kept it VERY british!
Thanks,
Mark
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Hi John!!
Here’s a little story for you…. I thought you may like this…
When I was little… I believe I was a little over 1, my mom and dad went out for dinner for their anniversary.
They went to a super fancy restaurant and took me with. They went early when they first opened so it wouldn’t be crowded. I was good and sat in my chair and didn’t make any loud noises… then the food came…. I started screaming and having a fit…. My dad told my mom to enjoy dinner…. She did… she sat there alone and ate… Dad took me to the car…. dad had a doggy bag…. buggar
Great blog as usual… loved the Kye blog! I love what you did… had the parents and the baby come on stage!!
Have a great weekend!
forgive me forgive me forgive me for not putting your daughter’s correct name – I will remember Kye for the rest of my life
Hi John!
Definitely a value vacation for the money. I think that is why the company will have a successful year.
Fantastic pictures today. I can’t believe she topped out at over 23 knots. Wow!
Kye is so adorable. You are very lucky.
Thanks for the great blog.
Take care!
David
Great blog today. The picture of Kye is wonderful. Keep up the good work.
John, please reply…
Would you please clarify something for us? Who will be the CD on our Nov/ 21 cruise on the Freedom? The CD schedule on your blog shows Ralph Valente but recently in one of your blogs you mentioned “Wee Jimmy, the Scottish ball of fun” and even showed his photo….That sounds like a lot of fun indeed!
You have been super busy lately & we know you are behind in replying to all of us….Juan & I sent a couple of comments days ago & we haven’t seen the replies yet. No problem, we understand.
We love Kye’s latest picture & her 1st blog! She is a genius! Regards to Heidi & a kiss to Kye….You will soon be home with them.
Regards.
The Santanas of Miami Beach
John:
That is one of the things that I love about Carnival Corporation. They were smart enough to allow the different cruise lines that they acquired to retain their “individual” product. That way everyone gets “what they want”!!
I am so sorry to hear how lonely he clearly sounds. Just a reminder that the most important things in life can not be bought…no matter how much money you have.
One of my favorite things to do on a cruise is find someone just like this person and find a way to help them “join in”. You would not believe the number of ladies (Senior Citizens) that I have gotten on stage in karaoke to be “The Pips”. They never dreamed they would ever do karaoke. They had a blast.
One of the smartest parenting tips I learned early was to know your child (at any age) and not put them in a situation they can not handle. (sitting to long, etc etc etc) Both our boys knew what we expected ( and they were respectful enough to follow the rules) but at the same time, Dad and I respected the boys enough to know their limitations as they grew up and we took those limitations into consideration when we made our plans.
There is no excuse for parents to do not get up and leave a venue when their child is screaming at the top of their lungs. Proof positive of the old saying that “just because someone CAN reproduce….it does not mean they SHOULD.”
We just finished one of our parental duties. We moved our oldest son 482.5 miles away. ; (
David had to work, so I learned that I could pull a U-Haul trailer across Tennessee without incident.
Josh will be there for one year (doing an internship at Eastman Chemical) before going back to the university to finish up his Senior year in Chemical Engineering. I know he will gain a lot of practical experience that will be a great addition to his college degree.
As we drove across Tennessee….DJ kept me entertained with his “zingers”.
DJ was sitting there and saw an advertisement for some kind of alcohol and said ” I believe that in the world of Jack Daniels….there are no ugly women”.
We got Josh all moved in and drove 8 hours home.
Great pictures of the Dream.
Please thank Kye for taking time our of her hectic schedule to send us a post and beautiful picture.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John,
This is the first time that I have checked out your blog thingy as it is so eloquently called and I have to say that I really enjoyed it! Your daughter is GORGEOUS!
Anyway, my husband and I are sailing for the third time on 09/13 on the Conquest. We are very excited as this trip is just the two of us (no kids this time!) We are booked in a balcony stateroom for the first time and are really looking forward to it. However, I am already starting to try to plan our next cruise. Our oldest son is graduating from high school in May and wants to sail on the Dream. Do you know if they are booking yet with any past guest pricing? I need to start saving now for this one so any info would be great!
John,
Imagine how excited I was to do a search on CD schedule to find out you will be our CD on the Legend Oct 4th sailing.I have no complaints on other CD’s on other sailings but have always wanted to sail with the BEST.Please save a bedtime story for me LOL. I will be celebrating my 50th b-day,my husbands 51st and our 29th wedding Anniversary this sailing ,and this is the best way to celebrate with you being there.(Sorry Jenn I love you but I finally get to meet JOHN.)This is my 3rd time on the Legend as it has my favorite ports of call. See you in 55days!!
Please reply)
John,
Like Dave & Elizabeth, I too have been waiting for the answer to the Feb. Bloggers DVD. I was wanting to purchase one too, since I didn’t know they were on sale.
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Charlotte
Hello John!
I’m sailing on the Freedom Aug 23rd to 29th. According to your schedule, it says Ralph Valente on 8/23, John Heald off 8/29.
I’m hooooping this means that you will still be the CD for the week. My family and I have been on many cruises and never got the chance to meet you!
John, Please Reply.
Just a quick question. Over on the cruise critic boards they are talking about you a lot these days. Guess that comes with the job. The big topic now is, “why does John give all the people that ask, free stuff”. Seems lots of people want and expect freebies. Anyway thanks for being a great CD, we have cruised with you 3 times so far. BTW I dont want anything free.
Dear John,
Just wanted to say how adorable Kye is! Also, your story of the screaming baby Jasmine made me laugh. You are brilliant for thinking to bring her and her parents up on stage, especially since they obviously had no intention of budging from their seats to take their baby out of the room and settle her down.
Don’t worry about what you’re going to do if you’re out in a public place and Kye starts to fuss. You’ll be just fine!
I am a mom, and for me the trick to dining out (or just going out) with a little one has always been to bring something to entertain her. It could be a small toy, a book, or (my favorite “weapon”) some pipe cleaners. Yes, pipe cleaners are not only so cheap you don’t have to worry about losing them, but they’re also incredibly portable, and you can make all sorts of characters and objects out of them.
Anyway, thank you again for a great blog and for the latest pictures of the Carnival Dream.
Laura
This is for one of the Stephanies. Could you please tell me how I can leave comments in Johns Blog. I am a member of WordPress, but for some reason I can’t find where I can leave comments. Any help would be greatly appreicated.
Kathy
Hi John,
I am enjoying reading your blogs and am hoping you will still be our cruise director when we board Freedom on August 15, 2009, which is also my 40th Birthday! We are really looking forward to a great cruise, this is our 2nd cruise (we went for my husbands 50th) and our 1st Carnival Cruise!
Thanks!
John (please reply)
THANK YOU!!! For a wonderful cruise…sorry you were not feleling well..I would have written sooner but after we left Freedom on 8/1–we headed to Disney…and had a great time there.
I cannot thank you enough for all ot the laughter you shared with all of us…we made our tablemates go to the shows and everyone said they never enjoyed themselves and laughed so hard.
This is our 11th cruise and I never thought a CD mattered…all were the cookie cutter same cruise director well you are defineitly not one of those…
The only thing I want to ask…is why you were not at the final show…were you that ill? I hope not but you said you did not feel well…so we were all concerned…please let us know…
My husband is trying to book a cruise now on Freedom for when you will be there…but will you be doing any shows etc…or just administrative stuff???
Thanks again John…by the way your daughter is so lucky to have a Dad who enjoys life & laughter…those are the best gifts a parent can impart upon their children.
Hi John,
What a clever little blog thingy from Kye. She’s learning fast from you and Heidi. Pretty soon she’ll take over for both of you. Her picture is just adorable. Soon you’ll be together John.
This was almost a sad comment for me to make. I thought I was going to have to cancel my reservation on my Dream. Problems came up that I’m going to have to deal with. Not health or family problems, just some things that will need an outlay of money. But I am dipping into my 401K plan (no penalties), so I should be ok. My heart was breaking with the thought that I wouldn’t be able to go and finally cruise with you again after all these years. I almost didn’t even want to read the blog thingy at all. But I’m here.
Hopefully I’ll read a new entry when I get here in the a.m. – so have a great evening.
Hugs,
Carol
JOHN PLEASE REPLY
My very first cruise, at the ripe old age of 15, was on the Mardi Gras in 1973 and since then I’ve been on more than 35 cruises including the Festivale, the Glory, and the Valor among others. I only recently reached platinum status because so many of my cruises were before they kept track of past guests!
In answer to the question, does it matter who the CD is, I actually booked a cruise on one of your ships because I’d heard so much about you on the message boards. I had already been to those ports of call many times so my sole purpose in going on that cruise was to see if you really were THAT good and you were! How wonderful that you’ve undertaken the enormous task of this blog so that we can get a daily dose of your vast knowledge about cruising and your wonderful sense of humor.
I just got home from the Imagination (June), I’m booked on the Inspiration in September and just to hold me over the long hot summer, I’m booked on my 6th trip to Alaska on August 19th with 28 of my closest friends. I work for the fire department and every year, 2-3 dozen of my firefighters and their friends come with me on the Carnival Spirit. You really should consider coming along on one of the few Carnival ships that have not experienced the side-splitting joy of the Bedtime Story.
Aside from you, my favorite of all CDs was Michael Mullane – we only had him once, in 2005 on the Spirit, I believe, and he was in your league. I wondered whatever happened to him. Did my group of 35 firefighters scare him off?
Keep up the great work as Carnival’s ambassador…. you do a terrific job and I look forward to the next time we meet.
J. Taylor in Orlando, Florida
John- (Please reply)-
I just wanted to let you know that I booked the Carnival Dream sailing 12/3/09 – based on the ship and the itinerary. I did not realize until a week later that it was your bloggers cruise. My husband and I cruise at least 3 times a year (always with Carnival), take our kids (19 & 22) on at least 1 cruise each year and we just got back from sailing our 20th cruise. We sailed the Carnival Pride with 23 family members. Everyone had a great time. We have had you as a cruise director a few times many years ago and my husband really enjoyed talking to you during the day in the cigar lounge. My concern is that my husband and I will not be included in the bloggers “exclusive events”. Please let me know if its possible for us to be included in the blogger’s events.
Kye is a priceless writer! Loved it……she is getting more and more gorgeous by the day–again, I will ask, are you SURE she is your child????
Kye is so precious…. I do hope Mummy will take more time for herself and let Kye write again from time to time!
What a charming daughter and starting her on blogging so early in life!!!! she’s a doll and thank goodness she takes after Heidi…… I love Fridays when the new picture is there so thanks once again from us for keeping us updated to her antics.
Kye be a good girl for mummy.
Hi John, thanks! I realized i forgot to give your our booking # in case you may need it. it is #******.
Ok. This is going to be a long one so first things first, your little girl is beautiful but I hope that if she is hollering in a restaurant full of people and they’re not hollering themselves that you put a cork in… uhh… take her home and put her to bed cause she is probably just as unconfortable as the people giving you dirty looks are. It amazes me sometimes. I know that after being cooped up for ever with a baby parents want some time out but there is a wonderful invention called a babysitter another called a grandparent/aunt/uncle/sister/brother that can take your baby for a few hours so that you can have sometime together and not bother unsuspecting victims.
And second, and this is where it gets long, I wanted to thank you John and all your readers for all your kind words and support. It is amazing, you seem to get everything from reading John’s blog. There is always the potential for uproarious laughter and amazing anecdotes, but after reading it you always leave the blog with the warmest feeling in your heart knowing that there are such great people out there in this world.
There are days you forget that, with all the running around and problems at work and the oppresive NYC heat that just makes you ask yourself “OY! why me?” Today was such a day. I had a late night last night and an early morning, needed two cups of coffee instead of the normal one to actually make the vowels and consonants that came out of my mouth form real words and not ‘mugh?’ and by 9AM it was already 80 degrees out and it was all I could do to run back home to the safety of my air conditioner.
I called TJ during my afternoon break–I happened to take many of those today– and after speaking with TJ this afternoon I felt more calm because the poor girl could finally form a coherent sentence after her first dose of chemo this last week. We spoke for a while until she needed to go rest and then it was back to the hustle and bustle. After what felt like endless hours, 5PM rolled by and I felt I could leave work without raising any suspicion and walked out to the by now 90,000 degree weather and ran for the cover of an airconditioned train car where the rush our crowd proceeded to push and push until we all resenbled sardines. I thankfully scored a seat so all I had to contend with were flailing limbs knocking my book around. (Sigh) Needless to say, I needed a nap when I got home.
But, and here is where I had to force myself to stop and breathe, I checked my mail box and saw a card from TJ. I initially thought it was probably some information about her cancer and a support group that she joined, but no…it was a card telling me how good of a friend I am and that she treasures all our moments because among other things I make her laugh. I sit here writing this almost in tears as I think, how selfless she is. How great of a friend she is and how honored I am to call her my friend.
So to you all, I say that I am honored that you have taken us in to your awesome group and that I hope God (or whatever higher power you believe in) keeps you in his (or hers) safe embrace.
Much love,
Gina
Dear John,
Please Reply
I just finished reading “An Apology to Southern Dreams” and had to jump way ahead to write this question. Always trying to catch up!
If those kids had been caught could they have been in any legal trouble in that they where on a ship and not on land? Not sure if I am asking this correctly but could they have been arrested as juveniles? I understand that Carnival can have them taken off at the first port of call and not allowed to cruise the line again. I was just wondering if they could also be in legal trouble. I would hope so. BRATS!!
I think that people who come to Carnival after sailing on some of the more staid lines often overlook the fact that there is more than one side of the Carnival experience. In line with the traditional experience, there are afternnon teas on sea days, teak wood decks, a senior officer’s reception where one can actually mingle with the people who run the ship, a captain’s table in the dining room, trivia contests etc. These things may not be emphasized but if one looks, they are there on the Carnival ships.
With regard to the decor, there are intellectually interesting details such as the use of old master paintings in the Pride; the Flora Danica designs in the dining room on Legend and the accompanying China collection; the glass sculptures in the wine bar on Triumph; the pop art manequins on Splendor etc. It is also interesting to see how the central theme Mr. Farcus uses as inspiration in creating the decor of the Carnival ships is developed in the different rooms. One just has to think about what one is looking at and not dismiss it because it may not look like a traditional ship decor.
Your blog entry also highlights that one of the most frequent reasons that people are unhappy with a cruise is that they did not consider whether the type of cruise experience that a particular line offers is in harmony with their personality or lifestyle. A person who likes to dress for dinner each night isn’t going to feel at home on a line where there are no formal nights nor is a person who likes to go casual going to be happy on a line that is black tie most nights. All the lines are different to some degree in what they offer and so it behooves a person to do some research beforehand.
Best regards,
Richard
Dear Julio. PLEASE REPLY
you are the funniest person i know! i loved bedtimes stories so much. can we purchase it anywear if we didn’t on the ship?
also i was wondering if you could give the names of the people in the talent show on the 8/1/09 to 8/9/09 cruise. I’m not sure if your allowed to do so. But i was trying to find someone on either facebook or myspace and do not know their last name. However, a family member I believe, was in the Talent show. Thanks for your help.
-Justin