Sometimes, I do things that I know is going to get me in the doghouse……….it’s a human trait and one that sometimes I just cannot help. But why do we do this………I mean………you don’t see Flamingo’s smoking cigars or Panda Bears chowing down on a Porterhouse Steak with lashings of fries covered in ketchup. You don’t see pigeons in St. Marks Square ignoring non-organic seeds or a Hippo at Neiman Marcus buying something it knows it can’t afford. ……………yep the animal kingdom is smart……………I am not.
Let me explain…………..and I will build up to my point by sharing some of the wrong decisions I have made today. First of all I had a cigar last night even though I know I should stop smoking. Then this morning when the alarm went off at 7 am I hit the snooze button on my Raspberry even though I knew full well that I had to get up and blog this morning or I wouldn’t be finished until very late and that would mean Vance and the 343 Stephanies would be waiting to post the blog thingy and that would make them very, very mad…………Vance goes green and his clothes fall of when I do this.
Once I had dragged my arse out of bed and removed the shower curtain which for some reason always gets lodged up my arse I went to the Coffee Shop on Promenade Deck and had a cup of coffee, which I know will make my teeth all brown and then I skipped breakfast even though I know I should eat something to accompany my diabetic pill.
Once I had reached the conference room on deck 4 I should have started my blog immediately ………..but I didn’t…………because I logged on the internet and read the business reports and looked at what AIG had left of my investments……………..even though I already knew that this would make me very angry……………..the bastards.
Then I looked at my watch and realized I had to press on………………that would be the watch I bought even though I knew I couldn’t afford it yet.
Sometimes I think that if I had one more brain cell I would be an Ameba.
I knew then that I would be making similar mistakes to the ones above when I was planning the bloggers cruise………..yet even though a voice inside my underpants told me not to do this………I went ahead and did it anyway…………..I decided to host a table every night and invite bloggers to eat with me……………….and this morning I faced the consequences of my stupidity.
Let me break this down before I go any further. I have Stephanie Meads, Craig Johnson, Jordan and Peter from the office and myself at the table which leaves 4 spare places. And so since the first night and for every night of the 9 day cruise that allows me to invite 36 out of 183 bloggers to eat dinner with us.
Deciding who should have the privilege of watching me chomp my way through dinner was based on who I had known the longest………….milestone (25 cruises or more) guests…………and those that had done all three of the Bloggers Cruises. But as I sat with Stephanie and Craig deciding who would join us each night my underpants vibrated to the nagging sound of “don’t do it………..don’t do it.”…………but I did it………bugger.
This morning I met a person who I know will most likely read this so I will be careful with my words ………….but I have to say…………….she was as mad a sleeping lion that has just had a laughing Hyena give it a lobotomy. She wanted to know why she hadn’t been invited and what made those who had been at my table better than her?
I explained as kindly as I could the parameters I have just mentioned yet she was having none of it. I have to say that I had not met this person until this cruise………….I have never seen her post a comment……….and this is her third Carnival cruise…………but she……………and the wagging finger which was so close to my face it could have removed a booger or two from my nose …………….felt that she belonged at the table.
And even though the voice in my underpants told me I should say sorry and respectfully “no” …… I said “yes”……told Craig he was eating on Lido Deck tonight…………….and Miss X will be joining us for dinner. I have seen a lot of the bloggers as a group at the private activities and around the ship…….I have tried to divide myself up equally as I could……………but with the dinner thing……….I knew right from the start that it was a bad idea …………………. bugger.
Apart from that the cruise is going really well. I went on a tour with many of them in Antigua yesterday. The tour was called the Best of Antigua and we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery and had a chance to chat ……………….it was very nice.
I was going to send in some of my photos but compared to the ones that you will see today I am too embarrassed to do so………………..instead then I will start by showing you these amazing shots of your Carnival Dream in Antigua…………hope you enjoy it.
Another wonderful group of photos taken by a true professional. Comparing my photos to those of Radu is like comparing drinking a fine Chateau Marguex 1979 to drinking the water that my underpants have been soaking in for 79 days.
By the way, did you enjoy yesterday’s videos?
There will be more great shots in a moment.
So, as I was saying, apart from the dining thingy everything is going well. The bloggers have enjoyed the free gifts we have given them which have included a mouse pad………..a bag………..a lanyard and tonight…….they will be getting the John Heald bloggers pen. I will show you photos of these later this week. The weather has been fantastic and the mood ………….mostly brilliant. I know I keep saying this but………………….I truly do …………….wish you were here.
Time for today’s questions which as yesterday are more current as I took the ones that I could find. The Stephanie that collates them is back in the office tomorrow so normal service will be resumed. and I will go back and answer the older questions as quickly as I can ……… anyway………….away we go.
Carolyn Bartlett-Richman Asked:
PLEASE RESPONDI was extremely upset when I read about What Royal Caribbean was doing. Every year we cruise at Christmas at least if not at another time. Unfortunately last year we had to go on Royal Caribbean due to port and sail date. AND WAS IT A MISTAKE. From the day we boarded they did not live up to the standard that we are used to that Carnival sets as a precedent. They left such a bad taste in our mouths we almost didn’t cruise this year. We have cruised Carnival in the past and will always go Carnival in the future. This year is an example we changed our port of choice to make sure we were on a Carnival ship. We are leaving 12/19 on the Dream and are so excited to be back on a Carnival ship especially for my daughter’s birthday on the 23RD.
John Says:
Hello CarolynWell, all I can say is that we are so very thankful that you will try and restore your faith in cruising by joining us on your Carnival Dream. I am here now and I can tell you that the ship looks great and the facilities, the staff and crew and everything this ship has to offer will I promise make this Christmas one you and your family will never forget. You can expect a little bit of Christmas cheer from me as well. Best wishes to all and………………welcome home.
JohnBill Russell Asked:
John, Please replyWe were booked on the 12/3 Dream cruise but had to cancel. Had hoped to follow you on the on board web cam. It doesn’t seem to be working. What’s up? Right now 12/6 at 5:35PM EST it shows you docked and nobody on the Lido Deck.
Have a blast on the bloggers cruise, miss you. Hi to Todd too.
Bill RussellJohn Says:
Hello BillI just checked the web cam and it is working so hopefully you have been able to see that we are docked in Tortola today and the weather is fine and sunny. It seems that our web cam has been up and down more often than Paris Hilton’s underwear though and I have mentioned this to our Director of Audio Visual Operations and I hope that the situation improves. Please keep me informed.
I am so sorry you could not join us and I hope that sometime in the near future we do get to sail together.
Best wishes to you and the family
JohnEric Asked:
Hi John, Please Reply.Looks like the bloggers cruise is great fun, I hope to join you for one sometime soon.
My question is in regards to tipping. I hear so many things so I figured I would ask you for the “correct version”. I understand a portion of the daily tip allowance goes to the dining room staff. On our upcoming cruise we will be doing Anytime Dining (which I LOVE – utilized this option on the Liberty in August). On this cruise I will be taking my 7 year old son for his first cruise. We most likely will not end up dining in the dining room each night. I can only assume that your tip goes to the server you have each night, which I know can vary when doing Anytime Dining. If we do not end up in the dining room every night where does the tip go?Kye looks beautiful, so glad you will be home soon spending quality time with her! I look forward to this blog every day and enjoy sharing the “kid appropriate” portions with my son! He looks forward to the videos. He is bummed out that you will not be joining us on the pride in February.
Happy Holidays!
John Says:
Hello EricWe are indeed having fun on the bloggers cruise and I hope that the next time we hold one that you will be able to join us. Anytime Dining continues to become more and more popular and thanks so much for asking about the tipping. The daily rate of $3.50 per day per person that you put on your Sail and Sign card is pooled amongst all the team head waiters that are assigned to anytime dining. This is because you are likely to have a variety of wait staff during the cruise. If you do not use the dining room the money will still be paid into the pool unless you tell us to cancel the daily rate that represents the number of days you do not eat dinner there. This is done via the Information Desk…….sorry…………Guest Services Desk………..still can’t get used to that name. I am glad you are enjoying the blog and thanks so much for the kind words for my family. I wish you all a wonderful cruise and my best wishes to the family.
JohnPeter Calgaro Asked:
Dear John,A friend of mine needs help. She is booked on a Carnival Cruise to go to the Cayman Islands for her daughter to get married there. There is just enough time to get back to the shop for departure so they were planning on the reception to be held on board. Somehow the bride got left off the list for the reception and they are trying and trying to get that corrected without success. Can you help her? Or give me the name of someone who can? Time is of the essence. Many thanks,
John Says
Hello PeterPlease do not worry although how we left the bride of the reception list is quite honestly ……..astonishing. I have rectified this by sending this onto the ship and the wedding department shore side in Miami.
All will be well and I my best wishes to the bride and groom for a wonderful and happy life together.
Thanks for being a great friend
JohnAshley Asked:
John (Please Reply),I’ve been reading multiple reviews of the Carnival Dream on Cruise Critic (can’t wait to sail on her!) and I have a question about the pasta bar. Everyone keeps saying that it is only open for a couple hours in the afternoon. Are there plans to extend the hours as I’ve heard it’s very popular?
Thanks,
AshleyJohn Says:
Hello AshleyJust before I answer this question can I also direct you to www.carnival.com/dream where you will see my blog review on your Carnival Dream and 275 reviews from guests who have sailed here? Please take the time to read these comments as they paint a true and honest story of the ship.
Now, the Pasta Bar is very popular indeed and the hours of opening are noon – 3:00 pm each and every day of the cruise. There are no plans to open this at night at the moment but maybe it is something worth considering. I hope you get a chance to enjoy pasta made to order when you cruise your Carnival Dream.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Best wishes
JohnKevin Asked:
John, please reply whenever you can.Really enjoy your blog; I think we’re going to miss you on our next cruise, the Dream on 3/27/10.
Question about the pasta bar. Looks yummy, but why is it only open for lunch? While we normally eat dinner in the main dining room, there will probably be at least one day of dinner elsewhere, and the pasta bar would be perfect….
Happy Holidays,
KevinJohn Says:
Hello KevinThat’s two Pasta Bar questions in a row and that’s good because it shows how popular it is. There are no plans to open this as a night time venue at the moment as we already have an excellent choice of alternative dining on Lido deck from 6 pm – 9:30 pm. However, as I said to Ashley, maybe this is something we should consider and I will certainly pass it up the line.
Sorry I cannot be with you when you sail but I promise you will have a brilliant time.
Best wishes
JohnPhilip Levi Asked:
John- please commentI have just seen on Cruise Critic that the cutting of an already thread bear Carnival product is continuing as you are now charging for ice tea at meals in the lido restaurants and in the dining room. This is another reason that people will for sure not put up with your nickel and diming policy and cruise on another line.
Philip
John Says:
Hello PhilipWe do not charge for Ice Tea and anyone who says we do is talking bollocks.
Best wishes
JohnBill (Zydecocruiser) from ZydecoCruiser.com Asked:
John, Please Reply.Hi John, Regarding Ramondo Nicita. Would it be possible for me to obtain a copy of the Seaview Magazine and/or the letter from the Senior VP and/or excerpts, and I will add to my webpage?
There are a number of people who have access to neither, yet knew Raimondo, and I’m sure they would appreciate it.
Regards,
billJohn Says:
Hello BillI will certainly ask and I see no reason why not. Let me check with Vance and I will be back to you soon. Thanks again for your continuing concern.
Best wishes to you and Elizabeth.
JohnCheryl Donofrio Asked:
Hello John, Please replyI’m sorry to bother you with this, but I don’t know who to ask. We were on the Carnival Triumph October 10th sailing, and had a wonderful time. While on the cruise, we took the Behind the Fun Tour. They didn’t receive their shipment of baseball caps, and told us we would receive ours in the mail. I haven’t seen anything yet. Can you tell me what is a reasonable time to expect them? Should I call or email someone, and if so, who? Thanks for your help. Have fun on the Blogger’s Cruise. I wish I could be there.
Your Friend,
Cheryl D.John Says:
Hello CherylI am so glad you enjoyed our Behind the Fun tour and I am sorry to hear though that you have not received your promised baseball caps. I will look into this immediately for you and make sure they are delivered post haste. Thanks for letting me know and I will be back to you soon.
best wishes
JohnWoodbutcher Asked:
Reply as you see fit.John, just seen an advert for the “Big John Toilet Seat” and was wondering if you had a hand in the development?? Here’s their web link http://www.bigjohntoiletseat.com/seats.htm
I’m sure you can prevail upon Micky to outfit your stateroom with your own personal version, from which you could blog in grand fashion!!John Says:
Hello Mr. WoodbutcherAll I can say is that I want one of these……………..at home………….and on the ship…………….it’s the perfect gift and I have already sent the link thingy to Heidi.
Best wishes and I will send you a photo of mine………..being used.
JohnCruisngrandma Asked:
Please reply JohnWhy has Carnival stopped awarding those cute plastic ships on a stick as prizes because everyone loved them? What are you handing winners instead?
Thanks
SheilaJohn Says:
Hello Sheila
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHWe are not…………….the trophies live on and the bloody idiot that keeps starting these rumors deserves having a cattle prod shoved up their arse.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today and as always thanks so much for all the great comments and reviews. Please keep them coming.
Just a quick follow up to the question asked yesterday about who designed Carnival Cruise Lines now iconic smokestack. I had asked PA 007 who is not only our super spy but is also a Carnival history buff and he or she told me that it was in fact designed by Joe Farcus………..and what a brilliant design it is.
Thanks PA 007 for the help with that and hope all is well in the land of cubicles.
Many congratulations to Carnival Corporation who were the huge winners at the Cruise Passenger Travel Awards in Australia last night. The readers voted for their favourites……..and as you can see………….it was Carnival Corps night.
Best Luxury Ship 5 Star – Winner Queen Mary 2
Best Family Ship – Winner Pacific Dawn
Best Ship from Australia and New Zealand- Sun Princess
Best Large Ship – Diamond Princess
Best Mid Size ship- Pacific Princess
It was a big day this weekend as well in Mobile, Alabama …………as described here by our good mate Vance.
Have a click on the link thingy
Although the festivities were a little late because of Hurricane Ida, it was still a great way to celebrate this popular embarkation port. Congratulations to the people of Mobile and everyone who can now enjoy the Carnival Fantasy and her new home port.
Time for me to take a break and turn things over to a good friend of mine. You know, it is easy to forget that your Carnival cruise vacation with all the wonders and fun that go with it is taking place onboard a ship. A ship with hundreds if not over a thousand crew members and they along with all of you and the ship itself all fall under the responsibility of one man……..the Captain.
And so today I thought me and my underpants would take a rest and let you read the adventures of one of our Captains. This particular master of a vessel is one that many of you will know. He holds very popular Q and A sessions onboard and his cigars under the stars event is something that many guests enjoy. And so without further ado…………please join me in welcoming to the blog the Master of the Carnival Destiny…………….Captain Pier Paolo Scala.
I Love the Sea
Captain Pier Paolo Scala – Carnival DestinyBefore I introduce myself, I would like to thank John for giving me the opportunity to write for his very successful blog “thingy”. I am honored and feel privileged to be able to reach out to thousands of cruise bloggers from around the globe and share my stories of being a longtime sailor.
Hello bloggers, my name is Pier Paolo Scala, I am a cruise ship captain and I’ve been working for Carnival for the past 15 years. Today I am going to write about my career at sea and how it all started when I was just five years old.
I was born and grew up in a small fishing village on the South/East coast of Sicily just north of the island of Malta. Malta is only 50 miles away and is today my favorite sailing destination when on vacation! My father, a retired customs officer, owned the first book store in town. My mother had to give up her profession as a hairdresser in order to look after her third child, which happened to be me. Besides being the third child, I was also the naughtiest one who kept scaring the nearby flower shop lady because every time I passed by I kept snapping the stalks of her flowers on display. Lucky for me she didn’t have any kids and besides being a friend of my mother, she considered me as her adopted son!!
My sister, who’s 11 years older than me, was the one who did the hard work. Since I was born she looked after me 24/7 and helped my mother in trying to keep the little “monster” quiet. Finally, there’s my older brother, also my mentor and the person who contributed to make my career at sea a very successful and unique one – Mike. He went to nautical school in Siracusa, a nearby, much bigger town, and traveled almost daily by train. At that time this was the only available means of transportation unless you were wealthy and could afford a car. My parents kept telling me that my brother was going to work on ships and that he will one day become a “captain” and if I studied and work hard like he did, I could follow in his footsteps. Mike graduated and went to work at sea when I was only five years old. It was then, when the idea of pursuing a career at sea all started. My parents kept me updated on Mike’s whereabouts. My father showed me on the atlas the exact location of Mike’s ship and I was very fascinated and excited to be able to see my brother going to so many places all around the world.
Pursuing a career at sea is very fascinating and rewarding at the same time, but to reach the captain position it requires consistency, hard work and sacrifice. It takes about 20 years to become a captain of a cruise ship and not all are able to reach the top rank.
As a little boy I used to hang out by the sea (only 100 feet away from our house). My uncle owned a local shipyard where he built small wooden fishing boats. I used to spend hours with him, helping him carrying his tools and listening to stories from the local fishermen who spent most of their day at my uncle’s shipyard when the weather was unpleasant. It was my uncle, Salvatore, who built my first boat, a beautiful 11-foot wooden boat. It was like a dream come true. I still remember the first time we launched it into the water, I was only 14.
When I graduated from the nautical college at the age of 19, Mike had already become a captain on tankers. He worked (and still does) for Chevron. At that time my English was very poor, it was my brother who kept motivating me and trying to make me understand that the only way to have a fast and successful career, was to learn English. It was then that I started to read English books. This is exactly what I tell my son now who just started his career at sea as well!! After working for 10 years on tankers, in 1995 I decided to change and work for Carnival.
I have always enjoyed interacting with people and working on cruise ships has contributed to enhancing my social skills. I started as a Second Officer on the Carnival Ecstasy, then Staff Captain, in 1998, on the Jubilee. Then I was promoted to Captain, in 2001, on the Carnival Fantasy. I am presently on the Carnival Destiny and my next ship will be the Carnival Triumph, starting in March of 2010.
During my eight years as Captain, I have been in command of 11 ships, half of the entire Carnival fleet. I have been able to meet thousands of guests mainly from all over the U.S. and thousands of crew from all over the world. Although my number one priority as a cruise ship Captain is the safety of the ship and all guests and crew, I enjoy organizing additional social events where guests can get up close and personal with the Captain. John got to know me because of his blog and the many comments he received where my name was mentioned. I’ll share with you how I got to know John in more detail in the next blog.
And now I’m ready to answer any questions you may have.
What a great story and as you can see there will be two more features this week from The Captain. Now, he finished his blog by asking if any of you had any questions. This means that if you would like to know anything about the operation of a ship from the Captain’s view or a question about his career at sea you can ask him here on the blog thingy. So, please post your questions in the usual fashion and mark them “CAPTAIN SCALA, PLEASE REPLY.” Then one of the 343 Stephanies will send them to the Captain and he will reply as soon as he is able. Look out for another guest blog later and once again a big thank you to Captain Scala for taking the time to share his adventures with us.
You know, here on your Carnival Dream there is so much to do and so many ways in which to have fun. I could sit here and write about the slides, the mini golf course, the big screen, the pools, the whirlpools, laying in the sun………you know what……………shut up John……………….and let these photos tell the story ……………..its fun time!
Fantastic photos taken by the man responsible for carnival.com Jordan Tofu …………………. amazing stuff and he will be sharing more tomorrow with us all.
I must admit to being jealous of Todd the Cruise Director here and as much as I have enjoyed all this Brand Ambassador stuff I am so looking forward to being a Cruise Director for most of next year, I start back here on your Carnival Dream in late January and will have the chance to have fun on other ships in the fleet as well.
Until then my life is pretty much spent here on the laptop thingy. That’s because since the internet arrived my powers of concentration have buggered off. An e-mail here, a need a bigger penis spam there, a quick Facespace, an eBay flutter, a Viagra advert, check the headlines, check the e-mail again, log off, log on, blog, blog off, blog on again ………….. it may be brain activity but it’s definitely not of the higher order.
If you read too much, you become learned. If you spend too much time on the internet, you go blind or worse……….you become a Royal Champion. Honestly……..they are starting to get on my nerves now. Their aim it seems by posting these lies and rumors on Cruise Critic is to create an endless online thread of bollocks. Look, we know we make mistakes and we know we can always do things better but that’s what this blog is for …….to admit mistakes, to tell you what we are doing and to listen to your comments……….we don’t need some strange man wearing a T-shirt with a blue anchor on it…… sitting in their attic spell checking Solid Gold Plastic Trophy.
My advice to them is to unplug the computer and throw the keyboard out of the window. ………. leave us alone and know that I won’t answer anymore of your bollocks………….oh………and you don’t need to be online to buy Viagra……………because no doubt you live alone anyway.
Goodnight
Your friend
John
Filed under: Behind the Scenes, Bloggers Cruise, Caribbean, Destinations, Links, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Behind the Fun, Best of Antigua, Bloggers Cruise, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Dream, Carnival Ecstacy, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Triumph
John (please reply, kind of)
John, the pictures from the Carnival Dream that you have on today’s blog by Jordan are absolutely wonderful. My husband and 2 children (ages 3 and 7) are sailing on her with you Feb 13th, 2010 and I wonder if there is anyway Jordan could take some pictures of the Camp Carnival areas to show the kids? Bill (Zydecocruiser) did try to get some while he was on the transatlantic, but did not get a lot and it looked like they were mostly from the doorway area. My kids would love to see the area on the ship where they get to have all their fun too.
Thanks for the help and see you in about 67 days
Melissa
Hi, John!!
Just a quick little note… I know how frustrated you get because of the various ridiculous rumors that get started on Cruise Critic or get imported to Cruise Critic from God knows where.
I started a ’sticky’ thread to try to intercept some of those odd ball questions before they erupt into full blown urban legends. You’ve been kind enough to help me answer some of these. Here’s a linky thingy to the thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1098946
If folks at Cruise Critic have heard some strange rumor I’d appreciate it if they could either email me or ask the question on that thread. Getting the truth out there quickly can only help.
All the best to you, your lovely ladies, the 343 Stephanies and all my Blogging family!!!
Ciao!
Host Mach
By the way, Captain Scala has to be one of the most loved of all Carnival Masters. He is a gentleman, indeed.
Dear John,
Please don’t answer anymore of the stupid comments placed on Cruise Critic. Just send them to Host Mach and let him straighten them out there. It does show you however that their policy of posting lies on sites such as these does confused the first timers that go there looking for information. They read this garbage put there just to try and confuse people who read it but all that it takes is one cruise with Carnival and the vail is lifted. To you Royal pains find another venue to try and pull the wool over peoples eyes. It doesn’t work here. Here we already know that Carnival is the best and Royal is a pest. So buzz off!
Captain Scala Please Reply,
I know that Carnival only uses Italians to Captain their ships. Do you think that this is fair that only Italians get to captain these beautiful ships and also get to live in Italy which is so beautiful and drink Barberra which is my favorite wine and eat pasta made by the women that are also so beautiful. Italians get to wear the best shoes and clothes made by Italian designers. Why can’t I be Italian? You are so lucky.
Now for my real question. How often do you get to visit home where all these wonderful things are as a captain is away an awful lot of the time. Does your wife and family ever get to travel with you?
Thanks in advance,
Thje Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
hi john! cruise critic has more and more misinformation these days and it’s a shame. it used to be so helpful. there are still helpful people there but this tea/ship on a stick krap has got to stop! arghhhhhh…..
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
John, I loved ALL the pictures, but then any picture from the Caribbean has to be pretty as well as any picture of any Carnival ship.
I honestly believe that the slamming/down right lying/miss truths and half truths (whatever they are) of Carnival on Cruise Critic should be taken off the second that it goes up. I now our Mach can only do so much but there has to be some kind of moderation over there that these lies do not get on the board and then come here and you have to deal with it. Never again will I go there, it is a waste of my time.
No time to comment on anything more, very busy with Christmas Parties and trying to pack for Texas. We leave on December 27th for three months. We are on the Texas Gulf Coast and have the most beautiful view from our Condo of the Gulf of Mexico. Can not wait to go on our cruise on January 14th, I am so ready for warm weather. We have a huge snow storm here in Iowa with a ton of snow plopping down and the wind is going to make it even worse. Is it the 27th yet?
Glad you are having such a good time on the Bloggers Cruise.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
Hello John,
Thanks for the great pictures the last few days! I sure wish I was there. The Dream is beautiful! Tell all the Evil Krewe Hello from Carl and I! We miss all of you! (and especially tonight…. we are getting a major snowstorm, so I am especially jealous of all of you!)
Hugs!
Thanj you John for the photos which excites me more knowing that I will be there soon and the other thank you was for Captain Pier Paolo Scala’s blog. I thoroughly enjoyed his words and I can’t wait till the other two.
I’m afraid that the cruise company that has the largest cruise ship in the world, the Oasis of the Desert, sorry wrong ship, is afraid of Carnival and that is why they make so many negative statements on the Cruise Critic. They are having problems of their own getting people going on their giant rowboat. One statement I read was that it was a good ship but that he never saw the ocean while he was onboard and only when he was in port. He missed the water but he saw many trees, bushes, indoor buildings and a merry-go-around. Like they say, the biggest aren’t always the best but they are the first to fall. See you my friend.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
John,
First I would like to say that we wish we were with you and Ken and Big Ed’s Evil Crew on this Blogger’s Cruise! Now, you know from my past responses that I am extremely impressed with the fact that Carnival Corporation still allows you to blog about life aboard their many vessels, reporting the good, the bad and the ugly. You tell it like it is, right down to the nitty gritty, sometimes in your tidy whities! In this world of spin, corporate greed and deception, that still impresses me! Carnival controls far more vessels (and brands) than RC. When you own a larger share of the market (see Microsoft), you own a larger share of public attention and therefore are under closer scrutiny. If Apple owned a share of the market the size of Microsoft, folks would see that their operating system, web browser and associated programs have the same amount, if not more security holes, patches, crashes, freezes and other assorted issues that sem to plague (only) Microsoft. You just don’t hear about it as much and you’d have to be naive to think otherwise. It’s the same with Carnival and RC. The difference is, Carnival understands that shift happens and at times has to be dealt with. A good company knows this. You can install as many safeguards, rules and regulations to try and keep negative occurrences to a minimum but there is no factoring in a human error, a lapse in judgment or a failed piece of equipment. That’s just the way life is. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, they’re either naive or they’re lying. These so-called RC Champions are bad for the business of cruising. Period. They belittle Carnival in hopes of what? To sway people to switch to their product? To show that they are superior? (Their products should speak for themselves). No. The small-minded individuals who fall for that propaganda most likely add up to nothing. Most folks are smarter than that. Pepsi is not going to win soft drink customers by trash talking Coke, any more than RC is going to woo cruisers of Carnival. RC fits a certain demographic. Evidently, with their new Mall of the Seas, they are aiming squarely for the Las Vegas crowd. Those individuals who feel right at home in a totally “artificial-made-to-feel-real-environment”. NASA should forget about trying to train astronauts and look to these individuals, for it is they who are perfectly suited for long-term deep space travel in an artificial environment. The RC Champions just seem like an awful lot of work for a minimal return. That’s not what I would call a great corporate model. John, you are the best marketing tool this company has. An honest, shoot from the hip perspective. One who has come up through the ranks and paid his dues. A true voice, not a hired one. Truth is, Carnival offers more ships, more lines and more choices, all at a far greater value (see bang for your buck) than RC could ever hope to compete with. Carnival will always have cruisers who enjoy their product and RC will have the same. There is plenty of business out there for everyone. The big difference is that while RC continues to build bigger ships, packed with more over-the-top, “how did they do that?” attractions, all the while trashing their main competitor, Carnival just keeps cruising along, all the while quietly racking up one industry award after another. Let the product speak for itself. What a concept. Now THAT’S a great corporate model!
Keep up the brilliant work.
Your friends,
Lance & Ilda.
PS… please say hello to Heidi and a kiss to Kye.
PPS… HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
John,
Planning of the Bloggers Cruises is a sore subject for us right now. As you were doing all the Bloggers Cruise planning, I wish it would have included the Bloggers Cruise from New York that we scheduled and then cancelled after we were booked for it and as we were unable to change with the late date with my employer not letting us have vacations in the mid-December to January 1st time frame as I work in the law enforcement field!
Please, if more are planned, lets do them one at a time and follow through with it as you are planning for the next one.
Attention John and Capt Scala: thank you for all you both do in making a week of our year memorable. My husband and I come from a long line of sea captains/seafarers etc. We were going to buy a sailboat but decided one year to do a cruise and now the sailboat is no more! Thank you again for all the hard/difficult and labourious work that the entire crew is famous for. Angela and Denn Guptill Carnival Dream Feb.13th/10 PS we are bringing friends this year.:-) Cheers
Hi John,
What a wonderful post from Captain Scala! Can’t wait to hear more from him.
Clair
Hello John, (Please reply)
I have been reading your blog for about 6 months. I enjoy your comments and your constant humor in almost every blog.
My wife and I met you as we disembarked the Carnival Dream CTN on Nov. 18th. Although we only spoke briefly, you took the time to hear our concerns and praises of the ship on that voyage. We also informed you that we had booked a surprise trip for our children as we were going to return to the Dream on Nov. 23. You told us to inform Eli (who was with you at the time) and he would send some surprises as well when we returned on that voyage. You also stated that we would have a more enjoyable time on a longer voyage.
We saw Eli and spoke to him directly and also left him a note at Guest services when we arrived. Unfortunately we received no surprise on that voyage. What we did experience was the “fogging” training that Carnival must teach their front line at guest services.
I submitted my concerns to guestcare.com. Our time aboard was enjoyed by our family. Our frustration lies within the guest services department’s inability to accommodate our situation. Due to the lengthy details of the situation, I chose not to post them on your blog. You are welcome to review the details from guestcare.com should you wish to do so.
Sincerely,
Todd
John
Please Reply.
You mentioned in you blog today that Carnival still gives out the Ship on a Stick. That is not true in all cases. I was on the Carnival Conquest for a back to back cruise at the end of September. I participated in many trivia contests. They only gave us medalions for the trivia contests. I asked the moderator about this. They said Carnival only give out the Ship on a Stick for big contests now. I missed my SHip on a Stick.
John, Please Reply
John,
I hope the woman who was rude to you about seating arrangements is reading this blog as she owes you an apology. Parameters are set for a reason and some people always seem to think the rules do not apply to them. I am sorry she bullied you as you are much too nice to be subjected to this nonsense. People who behave this way ruin it for everyone.Keep up the good work.
Hello John,
We really enjoyed the photos. We’ll have to make plans to sail on the Dream soon. It looks wonderful. By the way do you know when the Cruise Director’s Schedule will be updated to include 2010? It’s important to us to know who it will be when choosing a cruise. We always (of course) try to find where YOU are and sail that one.
Thanks for always giving us an enjoyable cruise,
Bob & Naomi
She is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the pictures.
And thank you for answering my question!
John,
Thanks for the great photos as usual! Keep them coming! I know how you feel under such circumstances with Lady X. I can also be too nice when there are times where I need to be firm.
Great story from Captain Pier Paolo Scala! I don’t think I ever had him as Captain during any of my cruises. I have enjoyed his blog entry, today, and I look forward to his next posting!
Great finish to today’s blog. So true what you said! All these stupid CC rumors are getting on my nerves, and it shows that some people just have nothing better to do…
Onto better things, I can’t wait to hear more updates from the Blogger’s Cruise! Have a good night!
Cheers,
Alex G.
Hey John! My Mother Michele and my Grandmother Eleanor are on the dream right now with you! Tell them my father and I miss them very much and Love them! and it’s a pleasure to meet you John, I’m Corey.
Really very beautiful place to make fun and very nice trip they all make and I like the way they have presented all. I would like to be with John Heald for a trip together with my family.. Thanks for post.
I had the previlidge of navigating with Captain Scala, by far the most pleasant captain ever. I have sailed Carnival Cruises about 10 times and in my many trips never did I encounter such an entertaining Captain. He is a gracious host too.
I cannot believe that you would allow someone that rude to dine with you at your table.. I am sorry that some people feel they can take advantage of someone like you. You are like my granddad, too willing to please, even when that person is incapable of good grace. He was a minister and got beat up a lot by always doing for others. He was from Royston, England. Is that anywhere near you? Maybe it’s in the water???? Well, please dont consider it a thankless job, because most of us out here appreciate you and all you do.
Happy Holidays!
Our 3rd Carnival cruise was on Carnival Spirit with Captain Scala. It was a wonderful cruise and the Captain was the best. It’s so hard to choose a favorite, but I think Alaska is #1.
John,
I know it is probably too late, but I tried to send you a msg on FB before someone gave me your blog address for me to try. I’ll be cruising on the Pride with my 5 year old daughter (and congrats on the ‘thing’ its awesome you two are going to have a little one of your own!) Sunday, 13 Dec for a Hannukah cruise and it was suggested to me to contact you to get the CD’s email address so I can contact them before board to find out what, if any, Hannukah stuff is being offered or to make a request if nothing is being offered (which would be disapointing… people cruise on Christmas expecting Christmas stuff…). This is our first time traveling during the holidays and we are both looking forward to it. Thanks!!! Harmony
John, I think you should have had a drawing every day for the seats at your table. This would have given everyone there a chance to dine with the guy they all came to see.
Just a thought for the next one…
John
Hi John
Thinking of bring Tania, Elliot and Georgia on their first cruise next summer. Quite fancy Carnival Freedom out of Ft Lauderdale, W.Caribbean (Key West, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios).
Is this a good one for starters? What’s the ship like? Any tips?
Are you home over Christmas? Be good to catch up with you and your mum & dad.
Take care
Garry
PS Was going to bring Mary Strutt with us on the cruise but she’s a bit worried about her wig coming off on the waterslide!
John, (Please Reply)
I’m sorry you had to give in to the rude person who wanted to sit at your table. I know this world has many self impressed people who feel they are “entitled” and their sole purpose in life is to make others as miserable as they are. I’m sure in the long run, you did the right thing, but it’s a shame we have to reward boorish behavior.
I also feel that there are some people who enjoy posting untruths on Cruise Critic. I know host Mach is trying his best to stop the lies, rumors or whatever you choose to call them, but there are those who enjoy starting trouble. I think the sad part of this is that people who are truly trying to get info are mis-informed and give up looking for the correct info.
The one thing I find amusing is that there are any number of posts where people state they tried to use the search function and can’t get it to work, so they ask a question that has been asked many times. On the other hand, the posters who perpetrate the wrong info, ie the tea, ship on a stick, seem to find the search function working just fine.
I think that, at times, the people who pose the question to you, as in today’s blog, Philip already have a problem, real or imagined, with Carnival and are looking for ways to justify their feelings. I think you did a great job in answering him today, lol.
In another few days you will be home and enjoying the holidays with your family. I know it will be special time and it will be exciting for you to see Kye and her first Christmas will have you and Heidi smiling from ear to ear. Enjoy!
Frank & Gerri
ANOTHER CARNIVAL TIGHT ATTACK
John, please reply.
Just got back from the Glory 11/29 cruise.
The lobsters served on this ship were no bigger than 2 inches long but they did serve a couple shrimp to make up for the reduction in size of the lobster. Not a good sign for Carnival.
Also on Lido deck they used to serve little steaks for sandwiches at the hamburger station….gone.
What’s next?
Hi John ,
There is so much misinformation
on CC that I had them delete my account.
If a person wants to get thems selves in a depressed state before a cruise go read CC.
Hi John!
I have read and enjoyed your blog since the begining. Look forward to your post of cruise life each day and updates on your lovely family. Our first cruise with you was on the Triumph in Sept of 2000. Anyway I don’t comment much but I am thinking today Dec 9th is your birthday? Hope I got this right! I guess I would rather be wrong than to miss your day.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!
Mary
John,
For some reason I remember the captains better than the CDs. I must like Italian men. 
It’s your table you can choose who you want. Would this woman insist on entering your home? If I ever get the chance to go on a bloggers cruise I would never assume that I would get the same treatment as Big Ed who has been much more involved in this blog. (Sorry for the long sentence)
I thought Captain Scala sounded familiar. Checked my old Capers, yep he was captain of the Carnival Spirit when we sailed from San Diego down to Mexico.
KathyG
Hi John,
It is nice to read a story from a cruise Captain. I am sorry that I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him. How many months a year do they work?
I am sorry to hear the blogger put you in a position to “invite” her to dinner. You just have to realize you aren’t going to make everyone happy.
I hope the rest of the week is a lot better.
Hi John!
Loved the Captain’s interview and i’m looking forward to more that he has to say.
The pictures from Antigua and onboard look so nice.
Hope the BC is going well and I wish you luck as you sort through the dining issues.
Take care!
David
Just a suggestion in regards to sitting with you at dinner. Host a luncheon on each of the sea days with you and your staff at the head table. Arrange the remaining tables so that no one has a bad seat. I would think this would work well and solve some of the seating problems.
Hi John, (Please Respond)
I don’t want to ask a favor, per se, but is there any way to guarantee you get to be in a certain dining room? My husband and I are going on the Freedom February 27, 2010, sailing and we have three cruise-newbies coming with us. I really want to WOW them at dinner by sitting in the Posh dining room, hoping that we get one of the tables by the window. My husband and I were seated in the back on our last cruise on the Destiny, and our favorite part of the day was coming back on the ship and having the most gorgeous view to go along with dinner. I just want them to feel the same way we did!
Thank you so much for all that you do. I think you are fantastic, and you make my waiting for my cruise that much easier!
Sara
P.S.: I am keeping my fingers crossed that you are going to be our CD.
Captain Scala, Please Reply
What would you tell someone brand new to cruising is the most important thing for them to know?
Captain Scala, Please Reply.
Were you on board when ID’s, Boat Drill cards etc: were all handwritten? Was it ever one of your duties as 2nd Officer?
John
Captain Scala is a gem and the time we cruised with him his Q and A session was one of the highlights. We found him full of good information and very funny!
Regards
Roger T
So enjoyed your blog tonight. Just can not understand the rude behavior of people or the lack of understanding when plans have to change. The hard work you put into Carnival is amazing. The treatment of each and every guest whether they blog or not has always been paramount and sincere. I understand the disappointment when plans change! Today would be an example of unforeseen circumstance! One hand washes the other and both hands wash the face ! Please excuse me while I wash the lies of CC down with some sweet tea…
( Would have been a proud guest and a proud observer if I were not a guest @ your table! ) In fact, I have enjoyed everyone I have ever met at a Carnival dinner table!
Yours,
Kap
Just discovered that today is your birthday.
Many Happy Returns John.
We went on our first crise this past week on Destiny with Captain Scala. While we don’t have experiences with other captains to compare him to, I have to think he will be a tough act to follow. We did the “Behind the Fun” tour and got to have him treat us to a tour of the navigation bridge. He is true gem. He never made us feel rushed – no matter how mundane or routine our questions may have been, how many times he had heard them before, etc. We also enjoyed his daily updates every afternoon and saw him “out and about” on several different occasions while on board the ship. You can tell that he genuinely enjoys interacting with people and has a passion for his work. It would be great to have opportunity to cruise with him again in the future if able to work it out!
Hi big bro from Southend…Have no clue what a blog is all about but hope you and the young lady are well…Helen has now got her own dance shop and me im teaching and playing darts as normal….hope all is well and yes before you ask …..i nmiss it badly…
John:
I wish we could have enjoyed the pleasure of your company at dinner….but as you know, DJ does not eat with people that he does not know.
And while DJ certainly does know (and adore) you….he only eats with David, me and Josh at the same table. Now he will eat with other people around him….even close to him…but NOT at the same table.
It is one of those aspects of Autism that is hard to understand and sadly getting worse as he ages. He used to eat in restaurants with the family….but he won’t even do that any longer. Only at home or in the car (at a fast food place like Sonic).
We are constantly battling to get him to eat with David and I in the formal dining room. Again, he used to do it all the time…..but as he ages…it is becoming more and more of a struggle to get him in there.
We don’t want him to completely recluse himself….so we struggle to keep him eating with us on every cruise. Sometimes he only stays 15 minutes….on this cruise DJ actually stayed 45 minutes one night and 30 minutes on another night. Sometimes we can not get him to come at all.
DJ has started using a service dog at home to see if that will help. So our fingers are crossed …..
but even if we did not have the issues with DJ….if we had not been selected to have dinner with you…we are grown adults….we would have understood. We cruised on the Bloggers Cruise for the “experience”.
It was GREAT to finally meet the FABULOUS RADU!!!!! What an incredible gift he has…….
As for the Royal “chumps” …. they are clearly making RCCL look jealous, petty and desperate.
Just like men who drive BIG cars when they are not well endowed in other areas…..it looks like RCCL built a BIG SHIP to compensate for some of their passengers being less than endowed in CHARACTER and GRACE. how sad……
What these morons don’t realize is that they are shouting to the world what immature children they are…..they aren’t hurting Carnival at all…since they are giving Carnival even MORE advertisement!!!
All press is good press!!!!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend ~ who gained TWO POUNDS ON THE CRUISE~ DJ)
For years, my wife, Fran, tried to convince me to take a cruise. And for years, I refused. Finally, on Nov. 2, 2009, we sailed on “The Destiny”, never imagining what Destiny had in store for me. Let me say that the experience was one I soon will not forget. At “Meet the Captain Night”, I introduced myself to Pier Paolo and was curious about his last name, Scala, as it was my maternal grandma’s maiden name. As I explained that and the fact my parents were from southern Sicily, We both realized that it was the same town and that our families knew each other. Destiny ? My question; how did you guys do that ?
I had the honor and priviledge to sail with Captain Scala aboard the Destiny in December. What a treat that was! I have been on 7 Carnival cruises and he was the most friendly, personable, visible captain I have sailed with. We heard more from him than we did the cruise director, unlike when I had the honor to sail with John Heald on my first cruise aboard the Glory.
What would be the ideal cruise……. Captain Scala and John Heald and ME on the same Carnival ship!
Kudos to you both… you are top notch!
CAPTAIN SCALA, PLEASE REPLY
Hi, Captain Scala. I am an avid reader of the blog “thingy” and your post was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I think it is great that we can have access to a ship’s captain and pose questions.
I have two questions for you:
1. Is it true that the captain is supposed to be the last to leave a sinking ship? Or is this just some Hollywood heroic falsity?
2. What changes happened in your profession and the cruising industry in general after 9/11?
Thanks for your time and keep up the great work.
Genvieve