You may have read in the blog of a few days ago a comment from someone who had recently cruised and had found that on most nights the parents of two children had left them in the cabin alone until late in the night. Of course…………the noise they made was worthy of a phone call to the Guest Services Desk. Strange then that I should wake up this morning and as I sat reading the incident report………in my underpants………..I should find this comment.
Guest: Mr. ____Ref: 828017137A
Cabin: ——— Booking#: _______Added-Changed: 10/27/09 – 10/27/09
NOISE FROM CABIN
Guest called the GSD at 12:10am to say that some children were making a lot of noise in the cabin next to them ( cabin —– ).
GSA called security who found two children Mr. ________ age 9 and Mr________age 12 without parents.
Now, there is more to this incident but I think its best I delete this but suffice to say Mum and Dad did not see what all the fuss was about…….honestly………I don’t know how they do it. I am not judging them in any way, I just know that I won’t be leaving Kye on her own until she is 43 years old.
I remember the time I left my sister home alone. I had been entrusted to look after her by Mum and Dad. I was 14, Suzanne was 10. Mum and Dad had gone to see some friends and would be gone until just before lunchtime……….2 hours away. However, just after they left my friend Carl knocked on the door and wanted to go burn ants and other insects with his magnifying glass…….so off I went………….leaving Suzanne………..home alone.
Unfortunately I was having so much fun burning the legs of a beetle that my parents got home before me……..and there was hell to pay…………I got to meet my Dad’s slipper up close and personal………….I couldn’t see what the problem was………..had they had come back expecting to find my sister had been sold into slavery in Turkmenistan?
So I was horrified to learn today that these guests had had left their kids in the cabin straight after dinner…..and they were on early sitting. What’s the world coming to? Something must be done.
However, let’s stop and think for a moment. The children left behind were 9 and 12 and, while this may seem young to those of us of a forty-ish disposition, we have to face the fact that today 12 is the new 18.
If I’d been left at home alone when I was 12, I’d have been dead of hunger or electrocution within the hour. Come to think of it, if I were left at home aged 44 there’d be the same result in the same sort of time frame.
We might like to think of a 12-year-old as some newborn foal, all slimy and incapable with wobbly legs, but it’s not that long ago that 11-year-olds were skilled in the art of mining and pickpocketry. And nothing’s changed.
Today, most 12-year-olds hot-wire a car, outrun the police, fight an entire army of aliens, drink a bottle of vodka without being sick and operate a digital satellite transceiver and have photos of Megan Fox’s bottom on their bedroom wall… So they should have no trouble at all with a microwave and a packet of Pop Tarts. I would think it may be more boring in the cabin but the more I think about it…………it is probably…………for parents of today…………a common occurrence.
You have to go back to the Home Alone movie with Macrawly Sulkin……..can you imagine if that really happened? At home. Alone. Over Christmas. For an adult this is not nice………but for an 11-year-old it’s about as close to heaven as you can get while your heart is still beating.
No hairy aunties queuing up to kiss you on the mouth……………..no need to wait until Christmas morning to play with your new PlaystationweeweeXBox game, and no need to worry that someone might want to watch television instead.
No need to open presents which you know are socks and sweaters. And because you can eat what you want, where you want, with your fingers, while slouching, and with your elbows on the table, there will be no family rows and you can fart without Aunty Margaret calling you a “devil child.”
However, back in the real world…………….to leave kids as young as 9 in the cabin brings forth safety concerns as well as the noise problems……………but …………and again reminding you this is just my opinion ………not necessarily the opinion of Carnival Cruise Lines…………… I have to say……………….take them to Camp Carnival, let them have fun and make friends ………..because I believe to leave them for hours alone in the cabin ……. is apart from anything else……………very wrong.
Let’s do some questions…………….away we go.
Kerensa Asked:
Hey John-
Thanks so much! I’m sitting here belatedly thinking that I should have put on my 2nd post ‘no need to reply if you already have’ and seeing as how you won’t get this comment until you already HAVE replied then I suppose that this is a moot pointAnd bygeorgedam…n I think you’ve got it
PLEASE REPLY: Could you tell me how your F&F program works? (If you can’t post on the blog thingy no worries…maybe direct e-mail?)
Again thanks so much and sorry for the repeat question!
John Says:
Hello KerensaI hope I am reading you correctly when you ask about our F and F program which I take to mean “Friends and Family.” If that is what you mean then I can tell you that Carnival Cruise Lines has special cruise rates for employee’s family and friends. These rates are part of the benefits we receive as Carnival employees. We also have special “inter line” rates so if we want to sail with any of our sister line companies we can at a reduced fare.
I hope this answers your question and if you have a follow up or need anything else please let me know.
Best wishes
JohnDavid Davison Asked:
Please ReplyJohn,
Always love reading your blog. Thinking about you writing it in your underwear scares the heck out of me though. lol.My wife and I will be sailing on the Dec 3rd Dream Cruise out of Port Canaveral for our Honeymoon. When we booked out cabin, we picked the type of room and we are waiting for Carnival to decide where they are going to put us. Hopefully not in steerage (but I guess if it has a balcony, that would probably count). We have had several people ask us what cabin we are going to be in and I think they want to send something to us. I also want to send some flowers (or some other form of nice pretty thing, wine, etc) to our cabin, but since we don’t have a cabin assigned, I cannot do so either. I think some flowers, candy, cake or whatever will win me big points with the wife.
When does Carnival finally decide where they are going to put us? We have spoken to our PVP and she cannot tell us anything either. Can you shed some light on this?
John Says:
Hello DavidThe fact that you are thinking about me and my underwear is also pretty scary mate ……….lets both try and put that out of our minds shall we? Congratulations on booking your dream honeymoon on your Carnival Dream. I will be there with the bloggers group so please try and say hello. I checked with reservations and you have been assigned cabin 11240 which is a balcony cabin. As far as your family wanting to order something special for you well you only need a cabin number if you wish to place an order online …………. you can call Bon Voyage directly and purchase items directly without a cabin number. You can reach them at: The Bon Voyage Department is open 9 am – 5:30 pm EST, Monday through Friday: 800 522-7648: Telephone Orders 800 764-7106.
So, there you go. All is set for your Honeymoon and I hope you have a brilliant time.
My best wishes to you both
JohnKaren pee Asked:
John, please reply.Well, this is the guilty Karen that went through the Panama Canal on that N cruise line. The traveling through the Canal was truly awesome and spectacular. The cruise line was less than expected. Way less. I won’t go into it here but did a review on CC. But I feel better cause last night my DH and I booked a Carnival Back to Back leaving in June. I think you will be on the Fantasy then right? Maybe I will finally get to sail with you as CD. We are back and probably will never stray again even if the price is right.
John Says:
Hello KarenWelcome home. I won’t talk about your past cruise but instead concentrate on the fact that you have decided to come back to the Fun Ships and we are honored that you did. I will be on the Carnival Fantasy in June and I hope to see you both there. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
Best wishes
JohnGenevieve Asked:
Dear John (Please Reply),My first Carnival cruise was November 2004 with my family. You were the cruise director then and probably the main reason I have now cruised with Carnival six times since. I think you are awesome and I love the Carnival product. I learned about your blog thingy recently and now read it daily. I find your musings very clever and I think you are doing a wonderful service for Carnival customers/guests. I am in Marketing and I think your blog thingy is a very valuable tool for Carnival. I hope you will continue as long as possible. I love the notices you post from the Guest Relations desk. They make me laugh to no end. I think you should publish a book of just those notices. I would buy it.
I am sailing on Carnival Spirit to Alaska in June 2010. I am leaving from Carnival’s newest Port of Seattle. My question is an easy one: Seattle has two piers, (Pier 91 near Magnolia Bridge and Pier 66 near Downtown Seattle) which pier will the Spirit be using? I ask this because I would like to get a head start on hotel reservations as I will be flying up a few days before we sail away.
P.S. I am half French but I still love you
Dieu vous bénissentJohn Says:
GenevieveKnowing you are half French yet took the time to say such wonderful things about me has me feeling guilty………well……….un petit pe guilty. Seriously, I am glad your first cruise made such a lasting impression on you. Congratulations on booking the Carnival Spirit which since we announced would be sailing from Seattle has been massively popular. You asked for the pier information and so here it is:
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91
2001 West Garfield St.
Seattle, WA 98119Website: www.portseattle.org
Travel Time: Approximately 30 minutes from the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport.
I hope this helps with your travel plans and if there is anything else you need please let me know.
Best wishes
JohnKimberly Garroutte Asked:
Dear John, (Please reply)We will be sailing on the Spirit on Nov 11th and taking our four teens (their 1st cruise). It is a belated birthday present for three of them who have just turned 16. That’s right; I have 3-16 year olds!!! Could you send something special their way?
I’ve emailed my PVP/CVS (can’t remember which she is) with no response. Do you know if they offer a “Behind the Fun” Tour on the Spirit? I’d love to book this for me and my hubby as a surprise for him. If they do offer it, can I book it in advance or via the phone on the ship, or do I HAVE to wait in the long line at the desk?
Most Gratefully,
KimberlyJohn Says:
Hello KimberlyI will indeed send the teens a little gift to make their cruise even more special and having three 16-year-olds means that if anyone is in need of a cruise……it’s you.
We will indeed have the Behind the Fun Tour onboard and may I suggest that you book this as soon as you get onboard via the Shore Excursion Desk so that your husband is not disappointed. Your Cruise Director will be my good mate Stuart Dunn who I know you will find to be superb.
So, have a great time and my best to you and the family
JohnStephen Smith Asked:
John, (reply if you wish)I just read the letter regarding you being away from your family. I am a father of two and have been married for twenty four years. Over the years my career has taken me in many directions including times when I was away from my family. I believe Mrs. Dezenski is missing one very important point. Love and devotion is not measured by the amount of time you spend with your love ones, but the quality of time spend with them. Quit beating yourself up. You are a loving husband and father who provides for his family and have a wife and daughter who obviously love you very much. You are a lucky man.
Stephen SmithJohn Says:
Hello StephenI just have to say that you cannot imagine how important your words were to me.
Thank you so very much
My best wishes to you and your family
JohnDave (please reply) Asked:
Back to those Dream aft deck 8 wraps again.So it appears that passengers approached the pursers desk to find out what the compensation would be, they were told that there is no compensation.
Seriously John, this makes you look bad, while those of us in the know, know that the back office of Carnival is a joke, YOU do have a good reputation, please ask them again so more passengers don’t jump ship from Carnival.
John Says:
Hello DaveThanks for your comment and I have no reference to which guests you are referring to. I can tell you that we made a mistake on our deck plans and that those guests affected have been looked after accordingly. If you know of someone who has not been happy with the outcome please have them contact me and I will be pleased to assist them as much as I can
Best wishes
JohnJohn & Patty Asked:
John, (Please reply)Glad to hear you had the opportunity to scope out the Dream and share some of the highlights with us. Weather is getting chilly here while my husband and I count down our days to our “Dream” vacation. As we previously shared, my husband and I did our last two cruises in Europe on the Freedom and Splendor inaugural European cruises. This year, we decided to take the inaugural Caribbean trip on the Dream. 2011, we will definitely book and be on the Miracle for a European cruise again (hoping for an Italy/Greek Island it). 2010 already booked on Alaska cruise out of Seattle. (Our PVP at Carnival always keeps us updated and informed of new itineraries).
Any event, now that the Dream is much closer, I am planning my shopping spree/wish list for our upcoming cruise on the Dream. This will be our 17th cruise on Carnival; 8 of them we were fortunate to have you as the cruise director, but I think you will have more fun hosting the bloggers cruise this time which we will be participating.
So, down to the important item — shopping. There are two specific items on my list for this trip. First, when we were on the Splendor (as we previously shared) we tried for the entire week during our trip through the Baltic’s to purchase two Cloud9 Spa robes. They were so impressive when we first saw them in our spa suite upon arrival, we contacted our room steward right away but needless to say there were no new robes available for purchase. The entire week the crew thought more were due to arrive, but at each port that never happened. So for this trip, I like to make sure we have the opportunity to purchase two new Cloud9 Spa robes. Several months ago you requested that I remind you prior to the cruise, so this is it. Spa Suite again!
Also during our most recent cruise in May 2009 on the Carnival Glory, I was unable to purchase my traditional ZamPavi clowns from the gift shop. Some of the staff thought Carnival was going to discontinue, do you know if this is true? It has long been a tradition to purchase 1 -2 clowns each cruise but was unable to on the Glory. Will the gift shop on the Dream be carrying these?
Looking forward to participating in bloggers cruise activities. Please let me know about the Cloud9 Robes and ZamPavi clowns.
Hope all is well with Heidi and Kylie. Will they be joining you soon?
Best regards,John Says:
John & PattyThank you for the great posting and I hope you are getting excited about your Carnival Dream cruise. I know that in the beginning we did not have enough Cloud 9 robes to sell to the guests. The good news is that the Carnival Dream is fully stocked with Cloud 9 bathrobes and they are $59 to purchase.
The bad news is that the clowns have been discontinued by the company that runs our onboard shops. I am so sorry.
I also am not sure what your PVP has told you about the Carnival Miracle going to Europe in 2011 as I can assure you that this is not correct as there are no confirmed plans for the ship’s itinerary has been made. Certainly, I, like you am hoping that it will be so and I hope that you and I get to sail in Europe together.
Thanks so much for your continuing support of the blog and for Carnival.
I am looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks
Best wishes
Johnmegan0117 Asked:
Dear John, (Please Reply)The husband and I as well as some family and friends are booked on the Dream for 2/13/10. We are absolutely thrilled that you will be on the ship us and are ecstatic about sailing on a newer ship. We have always booked a balcony suite and was wondering how the view is from our room (7272) on the Dream? The reason I ask, is that I noticed that the Promenade deck seems to stick out further on the side than the other decks do and it looks like the deck is what we will be able to see if we look over our balcony. We are used to looking straight down to water. If this is true, how much noise will we were hear if we leave our balcony door open at night to sleep, as we love hearing the waves hitting the boat? Are the people on deck 5 able to see us on the balcony or is there still some privacy? I have to admit, I like the privacy we had on our other balconies. If they can see us, I feel sorry for them because the husband likes to stand out there in his undies! Again, we can’t wait to set sail with you!!
I was advised to heck with the ship directly on this one.John Says:
Hello Megan0117I am also glad that we will get to share our Carnival Dream together. Please do not worry about the view from your cabin though. I have checked these personally and can tell you that despite the Lanai (outside Promenade) the view as you stand on the balcony will be one of the Caribbean Sea……a wonderful view indeed. Seated on your balcony you will get a view of both the sea and life on the Promenade giving you the best of both worlds. As for people seeing you…….well……..unless they are on stilts…..you will have nothing to worry about there either. However, I can tell you that if your husband does advertise the fact that he is on the balcony in his underpants then you may expect a crowd to form below.
See you both soon
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today. Those questions were posted on October 14 so as you can see I am still way behind so please forgive me if it takes time to answer your question. I just wanted to recap something that blogger Dave mentioned above regarding cabins 8463 and 8466. These cabins have now had the work completed and the partitions removed meaning that they are exactly as advertised. Our apologies once again for this but all is well now.
OK, as promised here is the information about the big bloggers event in New York and to tell you all about it is one of the 343 Stephanies.
Hello Bloggers. Steph 343 here.
Carnival is sponsoring a very special event at Rockefeller Center in New York in celebration of the North American launch of the Carnival Dream. First, on Friday, Nov. 6 we will be unveiling the world’s largest children’s book inspired by dreams gathered from children across the country who sailed on Carnival Cruise Lines Throughout the day, the book itself, along with larger-than-life, beautifully illustrated displays featuring the various pages of the book will be on view for all to read. Then on Saturday, Nov. 7, a variety of free “Dream Big” family-oriented activities will take place from 10am to 5pm including balloon artists, an acrobatic dance troupe, magicians and a coloring station, along with book readings throughout the day.
As part of the activities, John will be hosting a Blogger’s Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 7 near Dean & Deluca at 8:30 am. If you would like to attend you can rsvp by emailing:
socialnetworking@carnival.com
Subject: Bloggers Breakfast RSVP
Attn: Stephanie. I will be attending the blogger’s breakfast on Nov. 7th.
Please include the amount of people you are bringing and their names.
Let me know if you have any questions…and ENJOY!
So, breakfast in New York. Sounds fun doesn’t it? I know little about the Rockefeller Center. Will it be cold? Wasn’t that where Ryan O’Neil and the woman (can’t remember the name) went skating in the film Love Story? What I do know is that it will be an honor to be part of this special event and I hope that many of you will RSVP and let us know that you are coming……………….I hope to see you there.
I haven’t spent enough time in New York. I was talking to one of Carnival’s comedians about my forthcoming trip to the Big Apple and Frank, who is New York born and bred, told me something very interesting. In Los Angeles, everyone wants to be in show business so it’s a given the day job is temporary. You know your waitress is waiting to be an actress, the postman is writing a screenplay and the dry cleaner is also a producer…… that’s the law.
But in New York, it’s far more aggressive and people are judged by what they do. Frank said that if you are a comedian, you’d better be prepared for the next question: “Who do you write for?”……….or…………”Who are you signed with?”
He then told me that if you don’t have an answer then you’re made to feel as though you have no right to claim this as your profession.
Now, the reason I write this is I have a special filming project while I am there and I am a bit nervous who it will be received by the locals. I can’t tell you too much more but as I said…………November 5 may not be a good day to be my underpants.
I would like to tell you about a young man called Brett. Brett had written me a letter for my morning show. He told me that he was here with his Mother and his brother and his sister. They were supposed to be here with their Father as well but he was killed by a road side bomb in Afghanistan in May this year. This 17-year-old told me on the show that his Mum was sad but determined to give the family the fun cruise vacation they had planned as a family since last year despite the terrible tragedy of losing her husband.
The letter really touched me.
Here are two photos of Brett and I having fun onstage together
Brett is 16 going on 30 and is now the man of the house and in July 2010 he starts his training as he joins the United States Army…………his Mum told me despite her fears how proud she is of Brett………….and how proud his Dad would have been.
We are in Cozumel and the weather is just spiffing………..I love that word. The sun has brought out the usual range of spectacular Lido Deck wear as I discovered yesterday when I did my safety inspection around the deck 9 area. This is something that I have all the Cruise Directors have to do once a month. We lead a team of management around the guest areas to make sure that there are no hazards anywhere. Now, I must admit that while I understand the need for safety I don’t understand why the Cruise Directors should lead the team but somewhere in the cellars of our head office in Miami, men with beards have decided that we should…..and so we put on our high visibility jackets and off we go.
Don’t get me wrong, the Cruise Directors can make a huge difference to guest safety. One way I like to think I have done this is by making announcements starting during our boat drill (safety briefing) about the open decks being slippery when wet. I also mention that the condensation from the heat outside can make the marble floors of our Lido Deck restaurants slippery as well and the advice to be careful when walking and to remind children not to run across the decks has helped reduced accidents.
Anyway, off we went, myself, the Assistant Chief Security, the Guest Services Chief Information Purser Officer, the Food and Beverage Manager and the 1st Bridge Officer. It was difficult because every three minutes I was stopped by a guest who wanted to say hello etc and I know that this slowed things down considerably. Anyway, we saw one or two minor ways we can improve upon but overall everything looked good.
I don’t usually get to spend much time on Lido Deck on a sea day and I was reminded of some of the wonderful sun worshiping clothes our guests wear. There were men wearing Speedos but without the style, and a bit tighter. The thong bathing suit is the preserve of super models and Richard Simmons………on the Carnival Legend it is worn by people who are the same size as me…….or 80 years old.
Now, I do have to say that there was one safety issue we all saw yesterday………….and I will do my best not to be sexist here but I have a feeling I am going to fail terribly so my apologies to those tofu eaters amongst you who may not approve……..but it’s the truth and it’s worth telling.
There was one lady on Lido Deck who was like nothing on earth. Let’s start with her breasts, which were not vast. Vast is too small a word to convey the scale. When she choose them from the catalogue, she’d probably been tempted by the ones marked “massive.” But in the end she’d gone for the top of the range. The ones known in medical circles as: “Oh, my God”…………and they were moving towards us. The area underneath them had its own shaded area in which the 4 piece Calypso Band could have played sheltered from the sun…
Then there were her lips, which were so full of that Botox stuff she looked like a platypus. A platypus with long blonde hair and breasts the size of the beach ball we used in our TV commercial.
I spent such a long time looking at her that when I finally came out of my daze I saw that there were bodies lying all over the lido deck…………..I then realized that I had myself become the safety hazard………….because the bodies strewn all around me were men, women and children who had tripped over my tongue. ………………….oops.
Goodnight
Your friend
John
Filed under: Bloggers Cruise, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Bloggers Breakfast, Carnival Dream, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Spirit
Hello John,
Will you be at the “all for fun” weekend in Baltimore? It’s a thing Carnival is running for travel agents, Nov 6-8th. I signed up for it over a month ago, before I realized there would be a Blogger’s breakfast only 45 min. away by train. I hope to see you again, if not in Baltimore, then maybe on some other Carnival cruise. Meanwhile, I’ll keep reading the blog. Thank you for writing it.
Cheryl D.
John, please respond: Very sexy picture there of you John! So when do you go back home to the U.K.? If Stephanie is coming on board, are you leaving? Question regarding our visiting you on 1/23, can you explain how that works, with passes and all? Answer soon! Linda & Mike
Just back from a cruise Sat.on the Freedom and had a fantastic time. The only thing we did not like was the new way elegant night is done. I thought it was alot nicer to be able to meet the captain at the door and then be able to dance on stage and be introduced to all the officers on stage. The new was not nearly as formal or fun. Just my opinion, but wanted to let you know.
Dear Johnny big eyes long tongue,
I know what you mean about the marvels of medical enhancements. There has been a lady on the TV out here in California that is now in the Genius Book of Worlds records for having the largest breast implants. She flew down to Rio de Janeiro since no doctor would perform such an operation here in the states. The back problems these women are in store for later from leaning so far backwards to keep from falling on their face, or there abouts, will be very painful.
The actress whose name escaped you was Ali MacGraw and yes that was Rockyourfellows Center in the movie Love Story. Remember John, “Love means never having to say your sorry.” (If your the woman, but if your the man it means that you never get to say anything else! Except maybe Yes Dear!)
Has the contest to name the new Seabourn ship been removed from their website? I am hoping that it is over and that I have won the free trip for two as like DJ, I really need a cruise!!!!! I have entered ten names so far. That would be so very cool to win a cruise on one of their ships as I might not ever get to go any other way.
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Wish we could make it up for breakfast John but I’m sure I will be working that day. Here’s hoping to see a mob of brightly coloured, spelt correctly, Carnival Dreamers on the Today show before ya’ll chow down.
Hi John,
Please reply,
I have been thinking about how guilty you feel about not being home as much as you would like with Heidi and Kye, well let me tell you what it is like to be a child of a parent who was gone the majority of the time. My dad worked for the US Government, so he was gone quite a bit, but I will say that the times he was home with us was, as I use to call “my special time with my dad”. I always felt so special because I knew when he was at home all of his time would be spent with us and not at work. Sure I missed him dearly when I was growing up, but he sure made up for it when he was home. One year he decided that my brother’s and I needed to see how the leaves changed colors in the autumn, so he drove us 300 miles to collect leaves. Another issue that was important to him was our education, so one year he made it a point that when he was home we would visit every California Mission from the Mexican Border to the Oregon Border (he always felt that you could learn more from visiting the sites then you could ever read in a book). So as long as you make the time you are at home with Kye special (and I know you will) then you have nothing to worry about. Think of it this way to, John, Kye is going to be one lucky child when she gets old enough to really travel with her daddy, she is going to go places only her friends will dream about going to, and for that she will feel special.
My dad is no longer with me, but to be honest, I have so many happy memories of doing things with him that I honestly don’t feel would have happened if he was home all the time. It is not the quantity of time you spend with Kye, what is important is the QUALITY OF TIME you will be spending with her, so like Mr. Smith said “PLEASE DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP”.
Best Wishes,
from your #1 bloggy thinggy friend
Kathy M.
Dear John, (Please reply )
We have just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Carnival Liberty. There were many many reasons why this cruise was so fantastic but it would takes pages and pages to list them all so I will just tell you about the 2 most important and oustanding reasons why. I had read on your blog and also on Cruise Critic what a great cruise director, Butch Begovich was. He certainly exceeded my expectations. Not only was he high engery and active as anticipated but a truly genuine and personable young man. He truly enjoys his job and it shows in everything he saids and does. He is a shining example of a true Cruise Director. In over 20 cruises, only 4 CD’s have left a lasting impression on my husband and myself and he is one of them. The very first CD who made such an impression was yourself, 10 years ago on the Carnival Triumph and I can see Butch having such a long and impressive career as a CD like yourself. His enthusiasm carries over to his entire staff and most probably to the rest of the crew on the ship and this brings me to reason #2 why the cruise was so fantastic. The service. We had such great and personal service on this cruise, especially in the dining room. We had Your Time Dining. Now many people feel that the personal touch is lost in this type of dining. Not so. The hostesses ( especially Sanja ) made sure we had the same wait staff every evening and Imade, Deepak and Sachin were just as great a team as anyone could have in the traditional dining rooms. We were seated every evening without any waiting ( we usually dined between 5:45 and 6:30pm ) and were greeted by the smiling faces of the beautiful jr hostesses, Oana or Katsuirana (sp??). Lipica also came over to chat with us often. The table artist, Babu also entertained us on a few occasions and was a lot of fun. The only negative about Your Time Dining on Carnival Liberty: because the service was so efficient, we were finished our entire meal before the singing or dancing started downstairs. Several evenings, we had to stay after we were finished with our meal just so we could enjoy the singing or dancing. As you know, the entertainment is scheduled for just before dessert in the traditional dining rooms. For those who are always asking you to arrange a table for 2, they would love Your Time Dining as you are given your own table whether it is for 2, 4 or more. No one shared like they do on Princess. ( although we enjoyed that too ). We have enjoyed Anytime on Princess and the freestyle on NCL so we were familar with the process and enjoyed Your Time Dining on Carnival too.
Also, for those who are always writing to ask you to send something for themselves or others who are celebrating a birthday, anniversary etc., Butch did this for anyone who sent him a note. He read their letters on his Morning Shows and although no one requested anything, he sent each and everyone who mentioned a celebration a bottle of champagne or an alternative ( someone who mentioned expecting a baby ). If all cruise directors did this, there would be no need for them to write and ask you and then no one would be upset with you responding to those who ask you on this blog.
If all the ships handled table requests and celebrations like the Carnival Liberty, there would be no need for anyone to bother you with such requests on the blog and you could just give the personal attention to the passengers on whichever ship you are currently on.
I know that you have indicated regret for not launching the Dream as the CD like you have for many of the other ships like the Triumph, Liberty and Freedom and many others. As you planning to bring out the Magic? If not, are you and those with the beards considering Butch? I know that Carnival like all the other cruiselines always put their best on the new ships. You are Carnival’s best CD and highest ranking CD so I know you get first choice. Butch is right up there so please have those with the beards have him in mind too if the timing doesn’t work out with you when the Magic comes out. Or he could take over for you as Goose did on the Splendor after you brought the Splendor out. Hope you don’t mind the suggestion. I think it is good to let the beards hear our ideas too.
I missed your blog while I was on my cruise so I have a lot of catching up to do. Do not think that you are being selfish being away from Kye and Heidi. As a matter of fact, it is very selfless of you to give up so much of your personal life so you can put smiles on so many thousands of passengers’ faces each and every week. How would the world go around if every person stayed home for their own family? Captains, staff captains, engineers, and the rest of the crew on all ships all make this sacrifice so people like me and those who call you selfish can enjoy cruising year round. Everyone has their niche and yours is on a cruise ship. You are right where you belong. Thanks for enjoying your job so much that you are willing to make that sacrifice of being away from your family. Hopefully, as you planned, Kye and Heidi will be able to spend some time with you soon.
One other question, if you don’t mind as this is getting very long. What happened to Goose on the Splendor? I read on one of your blogs that a CD was replacing Goose and I know he just returned to the Splendor in the summer ( not long enough to be on vacation again ). Enquiring minds want to know.
Mary
John:
I have to admit that I am on the overprotective and strict side when it comes to parenting. And now that my two boys have grown up to be fine young men, I am glad that I was both.
The age is not the main issue here. The issue is that these parents did not know their children well enough to know what they could or could not handle.
Common sense tells you that kids, of any age, locked in 185 or 220 sq ft from before 8PM until midnight is not going to have a good result.
At the age of 12, our oldest (who is gifted) could probably have booked the cruise and taken it by himself. He was born responsible and respectful.
But I would not have done this to him.
Our boys have always loved Camp Carnival. And at this age, they were in Camp Carnival until midnight (we would pay for the extra service) and then asleep in the cabin with us. At this age, both boys were either with us or in Camp Carnival.
Sadly, what you witnessed were not parents…they were breeders. There is a HUGE difference.
If I were a betting person, I would bet that these two were not in Camp Carnival because they were a behavioral problem????
Linda (Mom of your friend ~ and very well behaved…unless confronted with Funship Freddie~ DJ)
Dear John and the 343,
I was just on the CCL website looking at the various ships virtual tours. One of my favorite pastimes, and I noticed on all of the ships I looked at the Steakhouse is still referred to as “The Supper Club”. Yep, the CCL website where everyone gets their info from is still using the old moniker. I still prefer it to the Steakhouse but that just me.
The Cruzin picky 2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Good evening John. I just had to comment on the two young boys left in their cabin. WHAT THE HELL WERE THEIR PARENTS THINKING ? If they had a cabin with a balcony God only knows what could have happened if the two boys decided to go out on the balcony and boys will be boys, one or both of them could have fallen overboard with no sign of them. Or they could have left the cabin and here anything could have occurred. There has to be some rule before the families come aboard any ship that they must take care of their children at all times or have someone else be in charge of them. No child should be allowed to have full run of the ship, be left on their own or be left by themselves in any cabin. There is to much that could happen. It’s a frightening situation that immediately come to my mind with the thought of these young indivdiuals. The problem is, if something should happen the first thing the parents would blame if you and Carnival and second one is the word “sue “. Someone has to begin thinking of a rule that puts the parents in charge immediately not the company or person.
Brett sounds like a fanatstic young boy and how strong his mother must be to have lost her husband and still be so supportive of him wanting to go into the army. That’s strong love.
That lady on the Lido deck was just like the one I saw on my first cruise. She literally knocked the shoes off all the men ( and women ) lying on deck. The only thing was I forgot to take a picture of her. My mind wasn’t thinking of picture taking at that moment and another thing was my wife was right next to me. She would have killed me if I would have taken a photo of that lady. Ha,ha,ha. Whoosh.
Have a great day, afternoon or night. See you John.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed Noonan as CD on our recent Fantasy cruise. He told us he had learned it all from you when he worked with/for you for 3 years (after I told him I was going to email you with our words of praise for him!) He (and Hennie) very quickly set up a game show when the seas were too rough for the Ticket to Ride show to start. A very accomplished and professional man. The two Canadians really enjoyed their first cruise!
Would it be possible to make a contribution to do something to make the cruises of some of these people a little more special?
I am specifically talking about the family of the soldier killed while serving his country. Or people that have suffered a great tragedy in their lives.
John, Since when do cruise ships carry there own cruise ship named the platypus with its own 4 piece calypso band in the shade? HA HA HA HA
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Regarding the people who left their two children alone in the cabin for many hours…
Some kids are mature enough to handle this without any concerns, and some kids are not. You can’t look at chronological age, you just have to know the kid and how he handles thing.
But here’s the deal…
If the kids are making so much noise (at midnight, no less!) that it is disturbing the neighbors, then it is a given that the kids are NOT mature enough to be left alone by themselves. A kid who is mature enough to be left alone will do so without causing a fuss and without going wild when no one is looking. If those kids had been able to quietly stay in the cabin and stay out of trouble all night… I’d have no problem with the decision of the parents. But since the kids were going wild and causing such a ruckus that it disturbed the neighbors… the kids are clearly not mature enough to handle being left alone like that.
The parents need to shorten the leash a bit, as we say in the dog world.
John,
What a wonderful blog you have! It is keeping the excitement about my upcoming cruise on the Pride in January cooking!
But I have to be honest; this will be my first cruise on Carnival. I don’t get to cruise often; I was on Norwegian in the eighties, Admiral in the nineties, and RCCL in 2002. But at least I am getting two cruises in one decade! I loved them all and expect that I will love Carnival too. I have been a member of Cruise Critic for many years and just happened to find a link to your blog and it has enhanced my expectations of what Carnival has to offer. You are a terrific storyteller and I love your sense of humor, a bit warped!
On to my questions:
1. I have been impatiently waiting to find out who the CD is on the Jan 24th Pride cruise. Maybe by the time you respond to this message it will be posted. But I would enjoy your information about the CD’s more if I knew which one was mine.
2. How do cruise lines decide who your table companions are? Is there some sort of secret file of a person’s background? This question really puzzles me, especially after the cruise we had in 2002. It was I, my husband, and his 16 year old daughter on the cruise. We were assigned a table with another married couple with two children. I do accounting and payroll for an irrigation and lawn care company. The husband of the other couple ran a landscaping company which included irrigation systems and the wife did the accounting and payroll for the company. My husband is an electrician and the father of the other wife was a retired electrician. We own horses and my stepdaughter is extensively competing in dressage (being that you are English, I am assuming that you will know what dressage is, unlike 70% of the Americans). The daughter of the couple is horse crazy and had been taking English lessons at a local stable. It really made for enjoyable conversations with us having so much in common. With that being said, I have high expectations that Carnival will do a bang up job finding compatible tablemates. And I will add, just in case your secret files have not been updated, not only do we show horses, but for the past several years raise Dutch rabbits that we show all over the country. Seriously though, with the data bases so easily managed, Carnival should think about allowing customers to go on the website, access their ship and sail date, and list hobbies, professions, special interests, etc. When the table assignments are ready to be processed, do a couple of field sorts and match up people with similar interests.
Thank you again for all the time you devote to this blog and to your job. You must only sleep a couple hours a day to keep up with all you do.
Hi John, (please reply)
I’m disappointed that you will be leaving the Legend right before I sail on Nov 8. Perhaps another time! A group of new friends from our cruise critic roll call are having dinner together in the steakhouse on Nov 10. Among our group, we have a young lady who leaves for Iraq immediately after the cruise, the wife and family of a Marine who just left for Iraq in the last month, a former member of U.S. Special Forces and assorted veterans. Its also the anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps on that date. I was just wondering if anything special might be arranged? It would also be great if an area could be reserved for a meet and greet party on Monday about 4:00p.m.. I’m sorry to ask for so much, especially so close to departure, but it would be greatly appreciated!
All the best to you and your family.
John,
Thanks for sharing the story concerning the young man who lost his father in Afghanistan as he served our great country. I am sure there is a special place in Heaven for the brave men and women who pay the ultimate sacrifice, in order to keep the rest of us safe. God bless Brett, the son, his Mother, and the entire family on their great loss.
Your blog on Brett and his family left me with tears, I have a step son who is proudly serving in Iraq and I appreciate you taking time to mention this family, as well as the great work you do as you make our soldiers feel so special on your cruises. Keep up the great work, you often move me to tears with your humour, as well as with stories like this one which you shared today.
John,
The actress in Love Story with Ryan O’Neal is Ali MacGraw.
Cindy
John,
We took the Carnival Spirit out of Vancouver in 2006 and had a wonderful time. I’d take that cruise again.
I think it’s dangerous leaving young kids alone at night anywhere, let alone on a ship out at sea. Of couse the parents didn’t know what the fuss was about, they probably do this at home all the time !
Kathy and Paul
Just a quick note on the parents that would leave their children in a Stateroom all alone. Are they insane? Why take them on a cruise if they are not going to be with them or have them watched by someone? There is no safe place for a child alone today, and that is sad. But two children left alone to do what every they want is wrong on so many levels. They could never be quiet.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
Stephanie Please Reply: I can’t seem to access the website to rsvp to the blogger’s breakfast hosted by John in New York on Nov. 7. Could you put my daughter, Nina Castro and myself on it? We live in New York and are so anxious to meet John (even fleetingly). We’re huge fans of this blog. Thanks for all you (and John) do. Clare Castro
I think you should bring back “spiffing”, it was your signature word back in 92 on the Ecstasy. Is that a real word in England or a “Healdism”?
John, your forgot one very important thing with your closing story, PICTURES. You got to learn how to use your cell phone camera.
BIG ED
Hi John,
Still on Carnival Dream. Now on the Transatlantic.
I think I’m mostly done with the pictures from the Oct 15th Carnival Dream Mediterranean cruise.
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalDream/GrandMed/index.htm
Now the fun continues on the Transatlantic.
http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalDream/TA/index.htm
Are you still going to join us in Bermuda?
Regards,
bill (and elizabeth)
Hi John!
I can’t believe that the kids would be left alone in the cabin when there are so many wonderful opportunities and venues on board for kids their age. Shame on those parents.
Wish i could be with you in New York for the breakfast. I can’t believe its been a year since you were here in Dallas. That was a great time.
Good luck to Brett and his family in the future.
Take care and talk to you soon!
David
Beth I’m with you. The new way to meet and greet the Captain and others has sort of taken the specialiness (is that word?) out of formal night. In fact we didn’t even try to make it to meet the captain on the Holiday. I think we might have spent 5 minutes there visiting with Tory before we went to dinner.
There are a lot of changes that I don’t particularly care for. I prefer The Pursor’s desk, the supper club. and last but not least Parents that look after their children instead of leaving them by themselves.
There have been children raped on ships. Just because there is security doesn’t mean that there aren’t people on board that are capable of such things . There was a girl from our town that was raped on a ship while cruising with her grandmother. Leaving a child alone just isn’t responsible on a parents part.
I agree with Linda.
Carolyn
John, ( Please reply)
I wish I lived in NY so I could attend your breakfast. We live near Orlando and I am wondering if you are going to have anything, ie another breakfast, for when the Carnival Dream comes to Pt Canaveral? If you are having one, my husband and I would love to sign up.
I wanted to also mention that I left you a note with “Big Sexy”. He told me he would be seeing you in a week or so, and I wanted to express my gratitude for all you have done for us.
We had the best time on Glory and also the best service ever. Terrance, our Maitre D’ was wonderful as was our waiter, and I am sorry I can’t remember how to spell his name, but it was something like, Sempredu. He is from Indonesia and although his assistant became ill during our cruise, he did a fantastic job. One or two nights he had no assistant, or one that was just down from the Lido, and he managed to get all of us served in a timely manner. Kudos to him.
Marianne, our cabin steward, who was new to the suites, also did a wonderful job. We were both really impressed by all that served us, as were my family members.
We are looking forward to sailing on Carnival Dream on Jan 2. I am sorry that we will be missing you, but we made those plans long ago.
Thanks again for all you have done for us and for making my dad’s 96th birthday cruise celebration so wonderful.
Frank & Gerri
John,
We would never leave our kids (4 & 7) in our stateroom. One of the reasons we cruise on Carnival is because of Camp Carnival. Those parents should utilize the Camp as we do, and none of this will ever happen.
Cheers,
Ed & Michelle
Hi John,
We just returned from our 5th Carnival Cruise and the first where you weren’t our cruise director. Malcom was great, but we really missed you–especially having you welcome us home as the guests board the ship. We hope to be sailing with you in the near future. Unfortunately for all the other wonderful Carnival cruise directors, you’ve spoiled all of us and we want you for every cruise.
Our sympathies go out to the family who lost their husband/dad in Afghanistan. Hope they are doing well. What a story!
Mike & Lori
John- (please reply)
I absolutly love reading your blog thingy! It’s so much fun to read while I’m supposed to be working! speaking of work, I work in a similar industry; the hotel industry. Mine just doesn’t move! My husband, and my family (8 total) will be on the Glory on November 7th and I was wondering if you could do something special for them. My grandmother plans all of our vacations, and I feel like she doesn’t get the gratitude she deserves sometimes. We are all very greatful for what she does, but I feel like maybe she needs a special treat. I have no idea what you could do, but she’s an avid cruisecritic member, and also loves reading your blog thingys! Anything you could do would be greatly appreciated! Her name is Sharon, or as we call her Meme! Her nick name at home is the Cruise Director! Thank you in advance, and please keep the blogs coming! I have nine more days of work to get through before I cruise!!! Thank you!
Hi John,
Please reply,
As for eating in the MDR for breakfast, I did not even know that they were open for that, I thought that they were only open for dinner at night (so I learned something new again today).
You have mentioned that you have a problem like many other people have and that is with the smelly stuff that comes out at the most inappropriate time. I don’t know if you know this but there is something you can take to take care of the odor and that is chlorophyll tablets. You can get them at any drug store, you take one a day and you won’t have to worry about the odor problem again. I have a bowel diversion (Colostomy) and I have that problem a lot, but let me tell you the most embarrassing time I had with the gas problem. I had gone to see the movie “The Exorcist” well just before the famous vomit scene was to happen, the audience was glued to the screen waiting to see what was going to happen. Honestly, John, it was so quiet you could hear a dime drop, well just then my diversion decided to make the famous noise that they do, but because it is on my abdomen and just covered with my clothes, it gave out the loudest sound I have ever heard. I was so embarrassed, so it was this when I made up my mind I was going to find something that would take care of it and these tablets do. I call them embarrassment savers.
Best Wishes,
Your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan
Kathy M
Hi, John! We returned today from Buenos Aires, Argentina where we were vacationing for 2 wks. & while checking the blogs for the past 2 wks., we were pleasantly surprised to find that you finally were able to get Wee Jimmy’s bio for us. Thank you so much. Oh boy, it is a long one! It was worth waiting for it! We are sleepy & tired now because of the long flight Bs.As. to Miami (close to 9 hrs. plus the wait at the airport before boarding!)but we have printed the bio with his photo & we are going to enjoy reading it at leisure. We are looking forward to the Nov. 21 Freedom cruise. Wish you were there with us. Thanks again.
Warmest regards to you and Heidi & a big kiss to Kye.
The Santanas of Miami Beach
Just wanted to mention that Ryan O’Neil and Ali McGraw actually skated at Wolman Rink in Central Park. There is, however, ice skating at Rockerfeller Center as well – if you don’t mind waiting a while. They do it in timed shifts – I believe 1 hour increments.
John, Please reply — I sent a post in response to your reqeust on the 21st with my cruise details., I have not seen it posted. Can you confirm if you recieved it? I sail in 5 days!! Whoo Hoo! -Lynn Homann
Hi John (reply if you like)
Regarding filming in NYC… You’d be surprised at how little attention you will be given. We have film crews running around the city constantly, and while some may be curious… most people will just go about their business.
… and if you’re in your underpants… well… that’s nothing new for NYC. LOL Been there… done that … got the T-Shirt.
Cheers,
Dave (from Manhattan)
John, We are sailing on the Dream 2/27/10. My sister and I booked cabins next to each other-7219 and 7223. Carnival is telling us that the balconys cannot be joined together. We notice in pictures, that we have seen on line, that there seems to be a door that could be unlocked between the balconys. Is this true of all balconys?.
This has me very worried, as the ship is so full there is no other cabins to move to.
Thanks so much
Dear John,
It’s been a while since I have been on your blog and since our cruise on Valor. I did a review on my blog and posted it on Cruise Critic. I hope our next cruise to be on Carnival Dream or Freedom. Carnival has always been a nice cruise line for us. Here is my review of you cruise —> http://www.kudos2fly.com/2009/09/20/carnival-valor-sept-6th-13th-2009/
I hope you enjoy it, I know you probably don’t have a lot of time to read it.
There are two little points I would like to say. I don’t really think its a Carnival thing more of a port of Miami thing. One is we had $20 dollars in quarters taken from one of our bags. We normally bring $20 in quarters to play in the slot machines and have always put it in our check luggage. Well it wasn’t in there when the luggage got to the room. But we didn’t make a big deal about it, being we thought maybe we left it at home. But got home and never found the quarters. But that’s one lesson for us “don’t leave change in you bags”. Just it never was a problem for us before to do that.
Another thing is the lasted time we cruise from Miami, after getting off the ship finding our bags was very easy. Just look for them in the middle of the room. Now they have a carousel. The problem is people take luggage off the carousel thinking it’s theirs and don’t put it back. It was mainly the porters we saw taking bags off but not putting them back.. My husband had to go look for a garment bag of ours. This added about 45 minutes to our time.. Which didn’t make me happy at all.. LOL hubby told me to scratch my made spot.
Other then those two things we had a wonderful cruise. And no I’m not tell you this to get compensated for the money. I was going to write Carnival but this is more of a “public” forum and want people to be careful in what they pack in their bags.
We look forward to our next cruise…
There isn’t anyway I would have left our kids or leave our grandchildren alone in the room with the great programs offered on the ship. Too many things could happen.
We are traveling May 2, 2010 on the Freedom and Oct 2, 2010 on the Dream and both are definitely too far away.
Change of subject. The serenity deck…. I was on the serenity deck… laying out.. then food was being thrown. deck chairs bounced on and kids being chased around deck chairs… the place was full of kids. I complain.. and I get.. ” well this is a family ship” Now, don’t get the idea I don’t like kids, I do. I have 7 children and 13 grandchildren.. thats why I enjoy the serenity deck for a few minutes… lol… If it was enforced or was what it was advertised to be… So my question is .. Is it or is it not an Adults serenity deck?
Hi Steph, (Reply Needed)
Can you be more specfic as to cost of breakfast and name of place. Tried to contact you on socialnetwork and had a problem getting to site. Please email me at bkmgr50@aol.com with details.
John Please respond,
So he we are 1 month from our trip. Things were a little rocky causing us to cancel and then rebook our trip. We of course miss will fishing off the cove balcony, a small price to pay.
We chose to make this trip because we had the best time on the last bloggers trip. The five days seemed more like ten. We first met you on our Med. Cruises (liberty 06, and 07 freedom) and have been spoiled ever since.
We are making this trip to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and look forward to spending our time with you and your sometimes zany friends.
I want to thank you for including us in the bloggers cruise.
As you suggested I am dropping this note to you requesting Ken for a 6 o’clock sitting
(I assume this coordinates with the blogger events) and a table for two if possible.
Susan & Larry Orenstein
Cabin #6381
Hello John, John or Stephanie please reply
Long time no hear! After doing much thinking and coming up with some decisions, we have come to the sad conclusion that we will not be able to make it to bloggerscruise #3 on Dec.3. However we are extremely hopeful that we will be able to make this Saturday’s breakfast with you and Stephanie in NYC (my town)**** Stephanie any extra info that you might have for us bloggers would be greatly appreaciated: you know where to go, or meet, cost, where or what lot may be a good parking lot to park in, etc. (Maybe you could put it on yourFB page?)****
Anyway, John ,Stephanie, and any other BLOGGERS who will be there, hope to reconnect and see many old faces, that we had such a great time with on the Blooggerscruise in Feb, of this year!!!
Muchos Huggos,
Sue (Muller) frm Narrowsburg
Please reply
Hey John,
I am just catching back up with all your posts and just read about the 9 and 12 year olds in the cabin alone.
I must be getting old, (i’m 30) but my first instinct was ‘wow, what’s up with the parents?.’ But then I got to thinking about my first cruises when I was 11 and 12 on Premier Cruises’ Oceanic, when the ship held around 1500 people and the kid’s clubs were 10 or fewer kids. I fondly remember making new friends the old fashioned way (rather than through organized programs) and wandering the ship throughout the day exploring and playing and having a great time. For pete’s sake, I had my first kiss in the movie theater of that ship. My sister and I had to meet up with my parents for dinner and at various times, including bed time, but we were given a little freedom to have fun, and we did.
I think this is one of the times when your general concerns about the sissification of society applies, and really it shouldn’t be a big deal that the kids were in the cabin alone, after all, they were in the cabin at 12 am, not roaming around so late at night. The part that bothered me the most was that the parents didn’t allow the kids to have any fun after dinner and just stuffed them in the cabin, that is just sad.
Thanks for all you do,
Andrew Clark