As people with beards eat mountains of Tofu and discuss Climate Change in Copenhagen this week………the UK woke up this morning to the heaviest snow fall in many years…….I was tempted to say Global Warming My Arse here ……but I won’t. And while the heads of state wait for President Obama to arrive today to persuade everyone to hold hands and sing “Gum Bye Ya”……..I was shoveling snow off my drive way so I could get the Range Rover Polar Bear killing machine to the shops to get essential supplies like milk, bread and nipple pads.
While places my fellow bloggers live in like Michigan, Canada and up state New York seem to handle snow with ease Great Britain has come to a complete and utter standstill…….even Miami is better prepared for snow fall than we are.
According to Sky News this morning a fifth of the workforce didn’t make it to the office today.
“It’s pretty bad out there and throughout the whole of the UK,” said Sky weather lady the lovely “Lisa” who a friend of mine has a huge crush on……I must admit that the lovely Lisa does have a lovely pair of Dopplers.
Lisa then handed things over to Sky’s chief economic chappy who said “It gives the UK a bad name if there’s a bit of snow and the whole economy grinds to a halt.”
Oh bugger off I thought? Stop worrying about the cost to the economy and get on with building a snowman………and don’t forget to take a carrot for his nose……….or when your wife isn’t looking……..his penis.
In the old days, when it snowed the impromptu long weekend was a God-given right. It snowed, schools and offices shut down, Dads and sons went out to sled with other Dads and sons, and we all felt alive. We shared a brief collective moment of freedom before trudging back to work.
No one worried about the cost to the economy and it was wonderful. And I’m proud to say we made the most of it. Workers escaped their shackles for a few precious hours and spent time with their families. Men discussed the best kind of snow for snowballs with sons……. ahhhh…… those were the days.
Of course not everyone sees it like this. Sky news reported this morning that Gatwick Airport was mostly closed with many flights canceled. They interviewed a furious businessman whose flight had been canceled because of the snow who said that the UK was a “banana republic.” ………I am sure that’s the same guy who complained at the Guest Services Desk on the Carnival Splendor that the sea was too rough and he wanted a full refund.
But actually……he was right. I do live in a banana republic, where leaves can stop trains, sunshine can start hosepipe bans and snow can cause fun. We should celebrate this.
There is now a threat to our God-given right to grind to a halt at the first sign of the white stuff. Business leaders are calling for greater investment in snow ploughs. Employers are being told to equip their staff to work from home in the event of more “extreme” weather. We are all being told to learn from Detroit, British Colombia and Moscow. It’s all bollocks.
However, I have noticed one thing though today that is quite sad. Schools here in the UK have already stopped for the Christmas holidays and the streets should be full of kids on sleds throwing snowballs at each other………but the streets are quiet. It seems that snow, once the dream of every kid has been replaced by killing Zombies on your Wi–ninetndoxboxstation ………………….and that is very sad indeed.
Here are some photos of my car and driveway.
Time for today’s questions……………….here we go.
Waiting4acruise Asked:
John, Please Reply.I just read a post on the 12/3/09 Dream Cruise Critic roll call and someone mentioned that they had a letter in their room that stated that they only get one bag of laundry free per Platinum cruiser…Is Carnival going to start taking things away from their most frequent cruisers because there are so many that are platinum now?
I will be Platinum next year. I sailed 8 cruises with Carnival in the last 3 years because of its loyalty program. It will be very disappointing Carnival will be cutting back on its Loyalty program when I reach Platinum status.
John Says:
Hello Waiting4acruiseCongratulations on nearing your Platinum status and thank you so very much for sailing an amazing eight times with us last year. I am sorry to say that the Cruise Critic thread you refer to is wrong. We are not reducing the laundry reward. This was done on one ship for one cruise only and that was the Bloggers cruise when we had 600 Platinum cruisers on your Carnival Dream. Obviously we asked that cruise if guests would mind only sending in one bag due to the demands on the crew and the machines. However the option to send in unlimited bags was offered by the state room stewards if they were required. As I said, this was a one time thing only and just to make it clear that Platinum guests have unlimited free laundry and we are not reducing any of the Platinum benefits…….in fact ……….as you will soon see. I would be grateful if you would correct the wrong information on the thread thingy by posting this answer.
Best wishes
JohnJill Buchweild Asked:
John – Please CommentHow ridiculous. You talk about how Carnival looks after their Platinum passengers and then what do I see, a report on Cruise Critic that you have canceled the free laundry service. This will I am sure make many rethink their cruise choices.
Jill
John Says:
Hello JillPlease see above my answer to Waiting4acruise where you will see that the information you have read is not correct. Please don’t worry………the free laundry service for Platinum guests is still in effect………..except for some reason they refuse to wash my underpants.
Best wishes
JohnMiriam Asked:
Hi John,A few months ago, you did a blog about helping those of us with special needs kids. I wrote to you then and you wrote back asking me to write again in December to remind you of my cruise.
My daughter and I will be sailing the Destiny January 16, 2010 – room 8330. She has autism and I want her first cruise to be a fun, minimally stressful, time.
We chose Carnival because of its kid’s programs so I would be forever grateful to you if you would let the staff of the Destiny know of her sailing.
I’m really looking forward to introducing her to the joy of cruising.
I truly appreciate the offer to help us! (and warn the ship of her arrival – LOL)
Thank you so much, MiriamJohn Says:
Hello MiriamI am very grateful to you for taking the time to write back to me. I have alerted both the ship and the supervisors of our wonderful Camp Carnival program that your beautiful daughter will be sailing in January. I know that the shipboard staff will make sure that she has a great time leaving you time to relax and enjoy this well deserved cruise vacation. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Best wishes to you all
JohnMike Asked:
John, Please respondI am looking at the pics of the new dock at Roatan. Love the looks of the beach. When we went there with you on the Leg-end (as you so kindly called it) in October, we took a 45 minute, scary, ride to a beach on a tour where all we did was enjoy the sun and the sea, and of course a few of the local libations. I do hope that this beach will replace that tour.
I am debating on whether to take a cruise out of Baltimore, stop and see my Son in Pennsylvania for a few days and go see your Half Moon Cay, which we loved the first time we were there, in September, or go to Port Canaveral in December of next year and sail on the Dream…I want to give this as a Present to my Wife for Christmas..What would you suggest?
By the way, enjoyed meeting and talking with you on the “GOTH” cruise…Very interesting bunch of folks, to say the least.
Our best to you and your Bride and Kye.
Mike MJohn Says:
Hello MikeI am sure you have been enjoying the photos I have been slapping on the blog thingy showing the beauty of the new Mahogany Bay area in Isla Roatan. The beach that is accessible by the ski lift is stunning and I know that it will become a very popular destination and it should be on every cruiser’s “must visit” list.
The choice of Carnival Pride or your Carnival Dream is a tough one to make as both ships have their own special virtues. You should see Half Moon Cay and if you can do a Carnival Pride cruise from Baltimore and see your son………well that might be a wonderful way to combine family time and a great cruise vacation. The simple answer…..do both ships next year. I hope you had fun on the Carnival Legend with me and the Goths and hopefully I will get to sail with you again very soon.
Please let me know if you have any further questions
Best wishes
JohnCheryl in FL Asked:
Dear John (geez, that sounds like a bad start to a not so good letter! lol)!First of all – you all but make me spit out my tea laughing when I read your blog – now on a daily basis! What visuals you create!
I do have a question for ya – on our last cruise on the Victory in May 08, our dining room seating was HORRIBLE – we were all the way in the last table on the second floor of the dining room – not very fun. Could not see anything and it was not very entertaining! How can we get good dining room seating on our Dream Cruise this coming May 2010? We have 4 of us going!
Boy, I sure wish we were cruising in March to see you on the ship! Who will be our CD at that time!
Be Blessed, John! Keep us laughin!
Cheryl in FL!John says:
Hello CherylOh dear………..I am sorry to make you spit your tea out…………please send all claims of compensation for ruined computers to:
Micky Chaill
Carnival Cruise Lines
Uglyepic Street
Bollockville, AlabamaPlease would you remind me a month before you sail and I will do my best to help you with your dinner reservation. Todd Wittmer will be the Cruise Director when you sail on your Carnival Dream and I promise you will have a great time. Have fun reading the blog and don’t forget to remind me about your cruise.
Best wishes
JohnAlex G. Asked:
Hello John, Please reply when you can. No rush.First of all, it’s always great to hear from Heidi and Kye! I’m glad I was able to see pictures of her last month at Rockefeller as we all miss seeing them on here. I’m happy to hear that they are doing well. Kye is so adorable!
Anyway, onto my question. I saw in today’s questions, Matt was asking about his favourite waiter. This got me thinking if my favorite waiter still works for Carnival? Back in 2004, I sailed on the Carnival Destiny out of Puerto Rico with my family. The waiter’s name was Vanburn who is from Grenada.
While I had many great waiters throughout my cruising history, Vanburn is my absolute favourite out of all of them. I remember we were celebrating my younger brother’s birthday and we gave him my brother’s hat while he wasn’t looking. He handed him the hat as “a birthday gift”. A very funny man as well! I hope to meet him again on a future cruise. If he’s still around, which ship is he serving on at the moment?
As for Christmas gifts, I know how you feel. I haven’t bought anything for my girlfriend yet and I am completely stumped on what to get her… I also have bought her something with a plug in the past year… a quesadilla maker. However, since she loves to cook, I didn’t end up in the doghouse… I usually don’t get that lucky…
Great photos from Radu! I hope to see another Dream-class vessel in NYC soon! I saw the webcam today looking at the wet, empty deck and it sure did look nasty out there for you guys. I wish Carol Marlow all the best in her new job at P&O!
Anyway, have fun tomorrow with the blogger’s cruise! I really wished I could’ve been there to join you guys. My best to you and your wonderful girls!
Cheers,
Alex G.John Says:
Hello Alex GThanks so much for the kind words for Heidi and Kye and I hope that despite the freezing temperatures you had fun in New York at the Carnival event at 30 Rock. I know Vanburn very well. He was on the Carnival Freedom with me and I know that he is a favorite of many. He is currently serving our guests on the Carnival Liberty and I will make sure he gets to see your words of praise.
You are very lucky…….I buy Heidi anything with a plug and I am assured of spending Christmas Day in the dog house………although a quesadilla maker…… ummmm……now that might be worth being in the dog house for.
Thank you also for those kind words for Carol Marlow how I will be interviewing again very soon. I hope that you continue to enjoy the blog and as always I remain at your service.
Best wishes to you and your family
JohnFrank & Bridie Asked:
John Please reply,Hi we just wanted to touch bases with you early because we know that you are overloaded and back logged. But we are assuming everything is set for Jan. 23rd? I did see where Linda emailed you a few weeks ago. So we will wait for emails from you or one of the 343 Stephanies. We of course can not wait to see you and that beautiful ship your on right now. See you soon.
Thanks a Bunch,
Big Fans as always,
Frank and BridieJohn Says:
Hello Frank and BridieSorry for the late reply to your question. I will see you on the 23rd and will make arrangements nearer the time. Thanks for your continuing support of the blog thingy.
Best wishes to you both.
JohnTrish Asked:
Hi John, Please replyWhat is going on with the Destiny??
I keep reading all over the boards about past cruisers who are furious over the change in itineraries.
The issue has been going on for months now and it seems they keep making temporary fixes that keep breaking. Specifically the propulsion problems causing the change it ports.
I have to agree with the disgruntled cruisers the small credit of $50 per person for the port charges are not worth the port changes.
I understand, per the contract, changes to the itinerary is allowed at the decision of Carnival. But when Carnival knows in advance they are not going to be stopping at the scheduled ports telling the cruiser 24 hours before they sail is not right. I would rather be told in advance so we could make an informed decision on if we should go or reschedule at a different date or on a different ship.
We are booked on back-to-back cruises – 9 days on the Destiny – and really don’t wish to spend the days circling and stopping at the same ports because of engine problems.
Have you heard anything about this? Are there any plans to dry-dock and fully fix the problems she is having?John Says:
Hello TrishThanks for taking the time to write and yes, there were some technical problems with the Carnival Destiny which were unforeseen and took longer that we would have liked to be repaired. My sincere apologies to anyone who had their itinerary changed. I know that while many, if not, most guests accepted this some, were quite upset and that is something we never want. The good news is that since your posting the ship has had the technical concerns taken care of and she is running her published itinerary.
Therefore I wish you a wonderful nine days onboard and if you need anything else please don’t hesitate to write.
Best wishes
JohnAlan Asked:
Hello John, please reply if you can…if not, that’s OK because this is my follow-up to your reply that was included in your Dec 1st blog.Anyway, I promised a review of my DREAM vacation and my impressions of the new smoking policy on the Dream (particularly in the casino). I will try and keep this short and will be posting a much larger review on Cruise Critic (my nick there is Fire Lt if you or anyone else wishes to view it.
So here we go…
My first impression on driving up to the dock in NYC was “Dang she IS big and beautiful”. Embarkation was a snap. The port authority and Carnival had obviously cleared up the problems from the 2 night CTN. We entered the terminal at 11:35 and enjoying lunch by the waves pool by 12:05. Talking to others who arrived after 12:30 that it took about an hour and a half to board, which when you are trying to get that many people on board is not surprising.
I was surprised to here Todd tell us at the welcome aboard show that we were setting a record with 4,300 passengers for this cruise (over 1,300 junior cruisers). Despite that number of people I never felt that the ship was crowded although it did get a bit cramped in the buffet area during peak times.
My wife, son, daughter and myself had a GREAT time on the Dream. There were tons of things to do and in fact the only down side is that we are going to have to book another cruise on the Dream to catch up with the things I didn’t have time for (oh darn the bad luck).
I will just hit a few points for now:1. Casino smoking policy: I found that it worked out VERY well. There were enough tables where I could play and have a smoke while playing. I saw just a couple of people violating the rules and the staff were quick to correct the problem. They did this in a very discrete (the only way I realised a person was being reminded of the rules was because I was watching to see what would happen) and professional way. There was only 1 able game I wanted to play which was not in the smoking area. This was easy to get around by just stepping away from the table and onto the port side deck for a quick puff or two and then back to the table. No problem at all. Well done Carnival.
While on the subject of the casino…please pass on to the higher ups…this was without a doubt the BEST casino staff I have ever dealt with on any cruise (3 other Carnival as well as 5 cruises on other lines). The head of the casino is to be commended as well as all the dealers and supervisors. It was truly a wonderful casino experience!!!!! The fact that I came out $250.00 ahead on an 8 night cruise didn’t hurt either…ha ha)
2. Buffet area…This is an area that need a LOT of work. Although I did not have much in the way of any problem, this was because I adjusted my eating times to avoid the crowds. However, I talked to around 100 different people (I love meeting and talking to new people when on a cruise…my 23 yo son Carnival should give me a Carnival jumpsuit to be an onboard ambassador for the cruise…my 13 yo daughter accused me of being “just too dang friendly”) and 90% of those people had complaints about the crowds and set up of the whole buffet area. I will go into much more detail of this in my CC review). However one thing that would cut down the crowds would be to open one floor of just one of the main dining rooms for lunch.
3. This is a request…please join Todd in trying to get the rating system used in the question are changed. It is fine for new cruisers. But for us who have cruised before it does not work as well. In my instance I filled it out prior to seeing the debarkation show with Todd. I mainly used the “met my expectations” choice because as a seasoned Carnival cruiser I have come to expect superior service and entertainment and that is what I got! I did use the exceeded my expectations choice for a few of the questions because the staff involved was just so beyond belief!!!!
Well John I should close for now because this is getting a bit long but I do just want to relate one more tidbit.
John…you could have gotten me in trouble. Do you remember during the lead up to the Dream coming on line you would always refer to the Dream as “Your Carnival Dream”. Well I might have taken this quite literally and it was a good thing that the crew members who I talked to (and it was a LOT). When I would meet someone from the crew (especially one of the casino dealers) early on I would say to them “I want to thank you for being here on My Carnival Dream.”
Anyway on the morning of our second sea day I was having coffee by the waves pool with my wife and a crew member was mopping the deck (it was another day of light rain) and I noticed that here name tag said “new crew member” and that was all. So I said high and that she had an uncommon name and she sheepishly (she seemed a bit shy) explained that she had just joined the ship in NY and that here name was Cindy and she was from the Philippines. SO…you can see this coming…I said “Well Cindy it is very nice to meet you and welcome to MY CARNIVAL DREAM.” She gets this look of horror and says “you mean you are on the ship all the time???” I think she was afraid I was some important person from Carnival and that I lived on the ship. So I set her mind at ease that I was just another passenger and would not be on the ship all the time.
That’s it for now John. As I said in the beginning feel free to respond…or not.
Take care and hope you and your entire family have a great Christmas season,
Alan D.John Says:
Hello AlanWhat a brilliant review and there is not one subject in your posting that I do not agree with. I want to start with the Lido Deck which we know has challenges and we are all looking at ways to improve this. It’s interesting that we do in fact have the dining rooms open for lunch from noon – 1:30 pm yet it seems that we are not getting this information out to our guest’s very well as shown by the fact that you did not realize that eating lunch in the aft dining room was an option. We must do better here…………and we will. We have also recently added the new barbecue stations to the Lanai on deck 5 and I will be writing more about these next week.
You are certainly preaching to the choir when it comes to the comment card. This antiquated review sheet with its “expectations” wording is as outdated as a Betamax VCR and we must get rid of it. I brought this up at the recent CD conference and I was assured by people at the top that this would be done………………..hooray!
I know that the smoking policy in the casino ruffled a few feathers and that we still have some people who are sitting at the machines pretending to play while having a crafty cigarette. The casino staff is working hard to make sure that this does not happen though and as the world changes with regard to smoking……..slowly………….so will the cruise industry.
I thought your story of “your Carnival Dream” was very funny and I hope that you have some wonderful memories of your cruise. I will now forward this comment to those in Miami and onboard who I know will appreciate, as do I, the time you took to write it.
Best wishes
JohnJD in BC Asked:
Hello John (please reply),I have a suggestion and I’m not sure who to talk to about it. I have been on over a dozen cruises (all with Carnival) over the past 10 years. Everyone I come in contact with knows this as I talk about them all the time. One of the biggest complaints I here from people that have only gone once or twice is the tipping. I try to tell them it’s just part of vacationing and you just put it in your budget. One of the complaints I hear is we never go to the dining room yet they want us to tip for the service there. I always tell them that that server depends on those tips and it’s not fare to them or their income because you didn’t want to eat there. I was wondering if there was a way Carnival could offer a buffet only dining choice along with the any time and scheduled time. If you choose the buffet only your S&S card would read buffet and your tips could be lowered by $3.50 per person per day. This way the wait staff would not get stiffed by having empty chairs and people wouldn’t complain about the tipping. I know some people don’t have their kids go in the dining room so maybe they could get it for their kids only. It was just a thought I had but I wasn’t sure where to go with it. I know you are the man with a voice so let me know what you think.
JohnJohn Says:
Hello JD in BCThe subject of tipping always causes mixed emotion. In fact I was talking to a friend of mine who is British about his recent trip to the States and his lack of understanding when it comes to tipping.
Although a buffet style option is already available on the Lido deck each and every night of the cruise we do hope that guests will experience the fun service and excellent food we provide in our dining rooms. Certainly, if guests choose not to use the dining room and only eat on Lido then they have the option of removing the gratuities from their Sail and Sign card at anytime during the cruise. You are correct in stating tips are very important to our service personnel on board. At the end of the day tipping is a personal thing and all we can do is provide guidelines especially for first time cruisers. But in the end……….it is up to the individual. All I ask for is that if you have received great service and appreciated the efforts of your waiter that you do not remove the gratuities. I am sorry to say that there are often incidents on each and every ship where people will eat in the dining room all cruise long……then on the last day remove the gratuities …….and eat on the lido deck on that last night so as not to face the waiter. And that is quite sad isn’t it?
Please let me know if you have a follow up to this and thanks for your ideas which I will as you requested pass up the line.
Best wishes to all
John
That’s all for today. More, of course, on Monday.
The bloggers cruise was as I have been saying in recent blog thingies……… a brilliant cruise. One of the many gifts I received was something that as I write…….I am wearing now. They are a very special pair of…….umm……..underpants. They are made of the finest silk and lined with Camel hair, which although warming can be somewhat……..ummm……….itchy. However, the luxury doesn’t stop there because hanging from my underpants…….oops…………..that didn’t sound right did it? Let’s try that again. Attached to the outside of my underpants are all a blogger would need to survive. A pen, notebook, tape measure and an emergency packet of Preparation H.
I was going to show you a photo of me actually in the underpants but as young children read this blog….I thought I had better just show you a photo without me actually in them.
These were presented to me by Big Ed, Mrs Big Ed and their Evil Krewe and I thought you might like to see all of Big Ed’s photos of the bloggers cruise using this link thingy.
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/album/AD38E4338FB4?source=pw980
Thanks to Big Ed for allowing me to share these and thanks also for my jock itch!
It’s been a few weeks since we heard from our man in the UK…….and Cunard Line’s President Mr. Peter Shanks………..so it is with a spiffing amount of pleasure that I invite you to read this.
John – a little something different for your bloggers:
‘Queen Mary 2 gets ready for Father Christmas’
After a very busy transatlantic season, and some challenging Autumn weather – Queen Mary 2 is now in the Caribbean. I asked our Captain how the weather had impacted our ability to keep the ship looking at her famous best. He told me not to worry as he had a plan in place with the deck team and he would keep me up to date. Yesterday he sent me the attached pictures of our team working hard to clean the most famous funnel in the world. I thought I would share the fabulous pictures with your bloggers. We often talk of our Cunard White Star Service and everything our ship’s company do to look after our guests. Often it is the hotel team who are seen to be delivering the service. However – as these pictures show – it’s every member of the ship’s company that make the difference. Of course it also means that we will have a beautiful clean Chimney – just in time for Father Christmas!
Best Regards
Peter Shanks – President and Managing Director – Cunard Line
Brilliant photos Peter and you are correct, these are things we don’t often think about during our voyages at sea and thanks for honouring (spelt correctly) those behind the scenes. I will be sailing with some of you next year on that stunning British Isle cruise on the Queen Victoria …………I can’t wait.
Bloggers, I cannot thank Peter enough for taking the time to share his thoughts with us so often. To have the President and MD of the world’s most famous Ocean Liner company write so often for this humble little blog is truly wonderful. So let’s say a big thank you to Peter and hope he enjoys a brilliant Christmas with his family and has time to relax and roast his chestnuts by the fire.
And now let’s turn things over to my friend Captain Scala for another view from the bridge.
It’s been a Pleasure
by Captain Pier Paolo Scala – Carnival DestinyI have to admit that blogging for John’s very popular blog has been truly a fantastic and fun experience. Thank you, again, John for the opportunity you have given me to write and share my stories with thousands of readers. It was amazing to see how so many people remembered me from their past cruise vacations. Sharing my stories and answering so many questions in this particular fashion is what I love to do.
When on board, I always look forward to the last day of the cruise for my Q&A session where guests can ask any questions regarding our on board operation or the cruise industry in general. Although I have been doing this for over six years now, it still excites me to be able to share my stories and technical background with so many interested people. In this regard, I would like to thank all of the readers who through this blog, or directly through my Q&A sessions on board, have taken the time to hear or read my stories of a long time sailor and for giving me the opportunity to answer all your questions.
Doug Asked:
Captain Scala (Please Reply)My kids and I had the pleasure of sailing with you on the Carnival Ecstasy in January of last year. Thank you so much for the great trip! You and your entire crew did a wonderful job, and we had a great time.
I was thrilled to read that you and John are talking about working together next year. I would like to sail with you again, and have been wanting to sail with John as well. So, if the two of you decide to team up, I will book immediately!
Now for a question if I may. When leaving Galveston, is there only one corridor thru the oil rigs? I am curious, do all of the ships inbound and outbound, to and from the Houston/Galveston area, have to take the same route out into the Gulf of Mexico?
Thankyou for taking the time to blog, and we look forward to sailing with you again in the future.
DougCapt Scala Says:
Hello Doug.Thank you very much for the wonderful comment and for taking the time to read my blog post. I would really be honored to have you on board my ship again. If John and I will have the chance to work together next year, you will be the first to know.
Here is the answer to your question:
Leaving Galveston there are four – two ways exit lanes (corridors) : North/Eastbound lane for traffic towards the Mississippi river and the eastern part of the Gulf, South/Eastbound lane for traffic towards the Florida Strait or the Yucatan Channel, Southbound lane for traffic towards the Southern part of the Gulf and finally the Southwest bound lane for traffic towards Corpus Christi or any port located on the west part of the Gulf. Each lane is approx. 1 nautical mile wide. The Carnival Ecstasy and the Carnival Conquest typically follow the South/Eastbound lane on their way to the Caribbean or ports in the Yucatan peninsula.
Carolyn and Don Asked:
Please ReplyCaptain Scala. Don and I were on the blogger’s cruise on the Fantasy with you and John. You left a lasting impression on us what with your wonderful sense of humor, spelt correctly. You seemed to be very much at home on the stage with an audience. We enjoyed you.
If I remember right, you were going home on vacation and also to bring your wife and daughter back to cruise with you. My question is, How did your daughter do on her first cruise?
CarolynCapt Scala Says:
Hello Carolyn.Thank you very much for your comment. I have to admit that being on the stage is one of my favorite parts of my job. Being able to interact with so many people each cruise is what I like the most. I hope I will have the privilege to have you as a guest on board one of my ships in the future! With regards to my daughter Sofia, I can tell you that she really had a great time on her first cruise. I took her on the stage during the Senior Officers introduction and the first thing she did, she wanted to take the microphone from me. You can tell she is already following in her daddy footsteps!!! I really look forward to having her on board with me many more times in the future.
I’ll take this opportunity to wish you and your families a joyous and happy holiday season and I look forward to seeing you onboard soon or hearing from you on “The Blog” in Funville.
Best wishes,
Captain Pier Paolo Scala
Thanks, Captain. I see many of you have enjoyed the chance to ask him questions and we shall have more news on the Captain’s guest blogs soon. Thanks again Captain.
Now, here is the original Stephanie…..that’s Miss Leavitt…..to tell you about Carnival’s new Facebook thingy page.
Hi Everyone, I hope you’re all ready for the holidays and spending time with the family. In between your shopping and holiday festivities please stop by Facebook and check out our new page. We have videos, photos, virtual gifts and more! And if you’re not fan of Carnival on Facebook yet please add us today!
Thanks and Happy Holidays! Stephanie L.
Also, have you seen the new home page of carnival.com? It looks fantastic and congratulations to Jordan, the 343 Stephanies and all the interactive marketing team and there will be more fun news about the industries number one website very, very soon.
Just a quick reminder in case you missed yesterday’s blog that I posted the new CD schedule on the blog. In the next few days it will be permanently linked to the side of the blog.
I have been reading your comments on our shore excursion program vs. the option of finding cheaper less secure tours on the Internet. I have found your answers and replies fascinating and it seems that most of you want to book the tours through the cruise lines. You want to do this it seems because you realize that with a ship-booked excursion comes peace of mind that should a problem occur that the cruise line will be there to assist you.
However, it does appear that you have some concerns most of which involve pricing and those concerns have been sent to a committee of representatives from all Carnival Corporation & plc’s cruise lines and I know they will take what you say very seriously indeed. We need to continue to offer you the best pricing possible and make sure that our guests realize that little bit extra you pay is worth so much because the security and peace of mind you get by doing so….is invaluable.
I will be writing much more about this in the near future.
Well, I have been suggesting this for years to anyone who will listen………..the world has gone mad. Have a read of this comment sent to me by the Cruise Director of the Carnival Liberty …………Butch.
John, I thought your bloggers would like to read this comment from our incident report.
NAME———– REF: 20499AA50
CABIN _______ DATED: 12/17/09 – 12/17/09
UNHAPPY WITH CHRISTMAS MUSIC
Guest Miss ______ came to GSD saying that she was very unhappy with the Christmas theme to the ship. Guest said that there were carol music playing in elevators and on the lido restaurant. Miss _____- said that she did not was an atheist and she found it offensive. Tasked to CD and AV Manager
Thanks for sharing this Butch…….there really isn’t anything to say here. I was in Aventura shopping mall in Miami in late November and I heard strains of Silent Night etc played there. I understand and accept that not everyone celebrates Christmas but come on………to take the time to stand at the Guest Services Desk and have a moan about it is quite silly.
As is the political correctives of today’s world. And as I said……the world has gone mad. You won’t be seeing the halls decked with holly or any kind of nativity scene if you live in parts of North London or any of the other places that can’t bring themselves to utter the C-word. One borough of London organized a multicultural Festival of Lights instead of traditional Christmas illuminations…………..so not to offend those at the local mosque.
But would it offend them?……..probably not. And what could be more damaging to race relations than the idea that Muslims …….. or anybody else ………would want to ban Christmas? I am sure that the majority of those who don’t celebrate Christmas fully expect to see a Christmas parade, a Christmas grotto, a Christmas market, a visit by Christmas reindeer and a Christmas display of people emerging from the office party with cheap red wine and vomit over their shirts.
At this point I should mention that on every ship we have the proverbial melting pot of cultures who celebrate Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan and Christmas together….. as one true united family.
I have asked Butch to send me a guest blog next week about holiday celebrations on board which I’m sure everyone……..apart from Miss Bah Humbug……..will enjoy reading. Butch’s report will include the Christmas show, the Hanukkah candle lighting services and life for the crew during the holiday season.
See you on Monday and I to celebrate Christmas I will leave you with a photo of Santa who I hope will be coming down my chimney on the 25th………….because I have been a good boy.
See you on Monday
Goodnight
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
John, Please reply..
First, just in case you missed my earlier post, thank you soooooo much for the great picture of Daddy & Daughter. I truly understand protecting our kids, but I was getting Kye withdrawal and the picture of the two of you has helped.. Please also thank Heidi for sharing it with us. Don’t really know how far behind you are with the posts, but I hope the HEALD Family has/had a VERY MERRY XMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR…
Now for my question…We are just minutes away from booking our 18th Carnival Cruise (23rd for Naomi & Marty, the grandparents) on the Freedom, March 27th sailing. Can you tell me a bit about the CD who I believe will be Ryan Fitzgerald. Also, can you please share with all of us, what, if anything, will be done, or has been done as far as changes in the Platinum Program… Please at the very least tell me that we’re not going to get our 5th Picture Frame EACH!!!
Thnx again for all that you do….
Yea john, And I do beleive I see mrs. heidi there in the background holding a golf club. Watch for the tree when you drive your range rover off. Oh I wish we would get a bit of snow here in florida its going to be in 70′s on christmas.
Big fans as allways,
Frank and Bridie
John:
Loved the pictures of the snow.
So glad you are nice and warm …snuggling with Heidi and giggling with Kye.
I hope that Miriam’s daughter has a wonderful cruise. DJ is so excited to see Jorge again. He thought Jorge was a riot on the Imagination. I can’t believe it has been 2 years….where does the time go.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John, I love YOUR snow covered pictures. You can have it all. Here in Southern Michigan we have yet to see any stick.
As to “one bag of laundry free per Platinum cruiser” on the Bloggers cruise. We had no problem with ours. There were days we even sent out two bags full. Our cabin steward never said anything about it.
The United States Constitution gives us “Freedom of Religion” it doesn’t say freedom FROM religion. So I wish all a Merry Christmas.
BIG ED
John, On the recent bloggers cruise we had a letter in our cabin saying platinum guests could send one bag of laundry for free. I pretty much ignored it. I sent one bag in my name and one bag in Dave’s name. I would have liked to test the waters so to speak and send a third bag to laundry but ran out of time. I wondered if there had been a change of policy.
Jo
Yeah, John, See you on Monday…if you survive the weekend after Heidi sees your Santa picture! Anyway, I thought you liked blondes.
Love your snow pictures. Wow, you’ll probably have a white Christmas. How does Kye react to the snow or have you let her play in it yet?
Oh, and by the way, what’s the magnifying glass on your underpants for? Or shouldn’t I ask?
And finally, congratulations on the Heat beating the poop out of the Magic last night. I thought of you and wondered whether you were watching at three am (as I was watching at 9pm at Gators Dockside while playing…and losing at…Trivia and also watching my Jaguars play the Colts on the other TV). Of course, the Jaguars managed to give the game to Peyton at the very last minute!!! Grrrr!
I hope that you, Heidi and Kye have a wonderful Christmas. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to watch Kye on Christmas morning opening toys. Don’t forget the video camera! Best wishes to the three of you and to your families.
Your pal,
Myra (from Clermont…near Orlando and Mickey)
I’m very happy that you have the snow. I have none here in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, just cold no snow before Christmas.
You know John, this business about not saying Merry Christmas because it may bother hurt someones feelings or the Christmas music, well I say to these people, GET OVER IT! I will always say Merry Christmas and if they don’t like too bad. The world is getting ridiculous, pathetic and just plain stupid. So…………………………………………………
to all of the people of the world……………………….
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Enjoy the time during the Christmas holidays with Heidi, Kye, your parents, Heidi’s mother and all of your friends.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Dear John, reply if you wish!!
I was on the Carnival Dream when the Menorah was set up and all of the Hebrew/Jewish people preformed the Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony, I felt that it was a very moving ceremony that was well attended. I as a Christian was happy that the Carnival Dream would open minded to allow this to happen, as well it should.
I was disappointed that there were no Christmas decorations or trees at that time. I do understand that the ship was decorated for the trip after ours.
Have fun with those 2 adorable ladies of yours and a Merry Christmas to the Heald family. Bah Humbug to those who do like Christmas music or parades etc.
ERNIE
John, reply or not
You best get a photo of you, Kye, and Heidi in the snow. You never know when or if it will snow like that again.
Snow is a fact of life in Western Canada. You don’t know what it is like until you have to trudge though a foot of snow in a raging blizzard and they are saying it’ll be around all day and night! Cold, that is another factor why so many of us want to leave for warmer climates. You haven’t lived until you’ve lived through a week or two of -36C to -48C temperatures……downright balmy!!!! (If you’re wearing two layers under your triple goose down filled jacket and can’t see anything past your nose because the scarf you’re wearing only has a narrow slit for your eyes).
John, you must experience a Canadian winter to know how bad it can be!!!! Better yet, go to the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg in winter to see how truly cold winter can be!!!!!
28 days until I leave for my cruise!
Hey John,
I’m going to guess that the sexy Santa photo is going to put you in the DOG HOUSE again!
Better you than me…………..and thanks for the picture.
41 days and counting until the CARNIVAL DREAM!! Tick Tock can’t wait.
B&D from Canada
Hello John,
To add on to a comment above – we agree that the comment cards need to be changed. The wording would be appropriate for a new cruiser to Carnival but for those of us that sail often it doesn’t make any sense. We “play the game” and put exceeded our expectations but really that is what we expect from Carnival. There may be a few instances where a crew member really did exceed expectations but we usually expect the best and that’s why we are still sailing on Carnival.
Captain Scala – you are one of the few captains that we’ve had any interaction with. We really enjoyed sailing with you and hope that we can join you again. You are much more relaxed and open with the guests than the other captains we’ve sailed with
Say Hi to Heidi and Kye for us.
George and Linda
John,
Those pictures of the snow looks like what I got here. I live in southeast Kentucky and we are getting snow now. I left the house around noon and before I got back at 4:00 it was snowing hard and the roads were getting bad, thank goodness I have 4 wheel drive in my trusty blazer. I will be staying home until this stuff melts, I don’t like driving in it. It has built up on my satellite dish, so we are not able to watch tv, so watching the shows we had taped and some of our Christmas dvd’s. I love days like this, peace and quite and a beautiful view outside. Enjoy your snow and enjoy the upcoming holidays.
Aren’t you happy you have polar bear killing machine
to safely transport your most precious cargo-The girls. While it’s not economical-how do you put a price on peace of mind? Especially when you have to be away.
Merry Christmas & A Happy Healthy New Year to you and all of your family.
Enjoy all that lovely snow and Merry Christmas to you and your family. We looking forward to our cruise on the Carnival Dream a week from today. Can hardly wait! Again, Merry Christmas. Jeri
Hi John,(please reply)
We will be on the Dream, January 23rd, stateroom 7430 My husband is my hero, he’s been taking care of a 4 year old 24/7 and has not cruised with me over the past 4 years as he has not wanted to leave her. He’s helping out while her Mother is finishing her education and working full time. My question is, can you arrange us to be on the main level in the dining room and at a large table where he can have adult conversation. Sitting home with a 4 year old watching cartoons is not stimulating. He’s 71. He was an airline pilot and now his mentality has been reduced to “spongebob squarepants” He deserves a vacation away from responsibility and it would make my day if he could see Ken my favorite Maitre’D rather than just listen to him singing. It will make my cruise. I’ve been on many cruises with you in the past and I’m looking forward to seeing you January 23rd, even if you won’t be in the CD capacity. This is my 12th cruise on Carnival, it’s my cruise line of choice. Believe me I’ve been on ALL of the others, carnival has come a long way and has not forgotten who the customer is. Thank you for all you do. I said I’d never write and ask a favor, but, this is for a special man that has sacrificed so much.
We have that awful white stuff here in Virginia also, we’re expecting another foot or more.
Enjoy your time off, even though you seem to work just as hard from home. Say hi to Heidi for me and also Kye.
Dear John, (please reply)
Having caught up on sleep and laundry from the Blogger’s Cruise thought it might be time to share some thoughts about the Carnival Dream and Carnival in general. The cruise was simply awesome. Many poor reviews had me a bit nervous about lines, bad service, too much smoke – not enough places to smoke, blah food – you’ve heard them all before.
The people who wrote those must have been on another ship in another dimension, or I was. This time Carnival really did do it right.
The crew, except for the spa girl who was having a bad day, were unbelievably efficient, professional and friendly. One who truly rose above the rest was Demila who tended bar at Rendezvous, on Lido and Serenity. She always exuded warmth and made us feel special. She is a gem!
Embark and debark was very smooth and painless including ports.
Food – the choices were wonderful and usually good. Pasta, pizza, deli (my favorite) and tandoor. If one didn’t fit the bill, another or the buffet did. Tried the eat when you like dining and loved it. It freed up more time to do more on the ship.
Accommodations – h’cap spa inside (11207) bathroom is A+, closet space D-. Room would be adequate for one passenger. For two, a wheelchair
and some clothing it’s a ridiculously tight fit.
While on the subject of limited mobility a few situations might be pointed out. Many people are not able to use the pools because they cannot navigate the ladders. Lifts and hoists are not always necessary, a ramp or steps with a sturdy railing would make the pools more accessable.
A new ship comes with new problems. The spa elevator broke on the second or third day of the cruise. I was told it would not be fixed until after the cruise was over because a part was needed from Port Canaveral. This made the spa and Serenity much more difficult to access.
Public Spaces – The ship is so easy to get around. Upper and Lower Dream Streets allow quick passage fore and aft. The casino was not too smoky. I don’t smoke and used both the smoking and non-smoking areas and only noticed that the machines are tighter in the smoking area. Lido deck has a new design with large open spaces through the overhang that allow smoke and cooking odors to escape while keeping the rain and sun off those sitting there. Very nice modification. Now, if the volume could be adjusted it would be just about perfect. When the sound is so loud it hurts, we end up going elsewhere. Serenity is wonderful except for the chair hogs. The Promenade and Lanai open the ship up so nicely.
Entertainment – The bloggers discussed this quite a bit, but I think it deserves another mention. Getting into a show -any show- was a hot ticket. On a 9 day cruise we managed to see one show in the Comedy Club. That’s it, one show. Even showing up an hour early every seat in the theatre and the comedy club were taken.
Ports – Wonderful! The scenery in Antigua and Tortola was heavenly. Shopping in St. Thomas. Some chose to load the cannon with the attempted stop at San Juan, I enjoyed every minute of it all decorated with rainbows from the moment we entered the harbor till we left. Grand Turk, great beach, great pool, gorgeous weather – wow.
The Bloggers Cruise and the Carnival Dream teamed up for an unforgettable adventure. As always, John you took excellent care of your bloggers and provided hours of fun and new and exciting experiences for us all. I loved the Q&A’s and those little chicken legs at the Farewell Party deserve a fancy name and a spot on the menu. (Please don’t tell me they were frogs legs)
The team of Carnival delivering the best value in cruising today; John being the most dedicated, sensible, funny, honest, goofy and down to earth Ambassador; and crew like sweet and kind Demila add up to an experience that is hard to beat. We saw a few hiccups, but they are being addressed and we have every reason to believe that our upcoming cruises on the Carnival Dream with four dear OLD friends on January 2 (counting the days!!) and on February 20 with NEW friends Mary & Ed (counting the weeks!!) will be fantastic and sensational.
Wishing you the best in this season of hope, sharing and caring; to celebrate with your family and create new traditions and preserve old ones with Heidi and Kye and to carry the spirit of the season into the new year.
Peace, bugs
Dianne and I totally enjoyed our Bloggers cruise on the Dream. Thanks to John, Stephanie, Craig, and the ever-present Pizza or Hair. Will read the blog to stay up to date, and plan our next cruise.
My husband Dave & I sailed on Carnival Victory 12/23/07 and on Carnival Splendor 12/27/08. Both ships were beautifully decorated for Christmas and also had a mennorah and a lighting ceremony. I would have been greatly disappointed if there was no mention of Christmas.
Good luck with Mrs. Claus coming down your chimney. Merry Christmas to you, Heidi and Kye.
Hi John,
I enjoyed reading the blog today and the snow looks SO FUN! I wish we had that in Georgia for a short time so I could teach my grand daughter how to build a snowman.
I thought you would like to know that on the CC board people are speaking of re:Dec 3 laundry issue, it was ALSO stated on that same roll call that you let us know that it was only for that particular sailing. People are killing me for only reading a small sampling of something and jumping right to compaining!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the Christmas music, I LOVE it and miss hearing it as often as in years past. Some people just refuse to be happy, and those of us blessed enough to be able to vacation in today’s economy should be grateful.
John,
Thanks for the reply. Love this blog today, definately brings back fond memories of my child hood and Military career.
I can remember many a day when my mother and father would take myself and my brother to a local park and go sledding down a hill during the week. It was a form of entertainment, and free, didnt cost a dime.
I can also relate to the pics of the snow in and around your car. That is why I live in Phoenix..If I want to see snow, Ill drive north towards Flagstaff for a couple of hour and say “Yep, thats snow”, and turn around and fire up my BBQ grill.
I also remember our first year when I was stationed in Germany, 1976. as Dad used to say, nobody had a pot to pee in, much less a window to through it out of. Talk about economy, We had just opened a new radar site, and most of us were were from out west. The first big snowfall came and 99% of us went out and made snow angels..What a site..Afterwards, we all got together, soaking wet of course, and had some gluvine (hot wine)
I hope that you and your Beautiful family are having a great holiday..Our best wishes to you and yours this Holiday season
Mike
John, Please Reply,
I do feel that there are too many people who can find excuses to not tip the suggested amounts, especially to those in the dining room. On Cruise Critic, there are many posts where people ask if they “have to” tip their regular waiter when they are going to eat in the steak house or if they aren’t going to eat in the dining room every night. Another is that their kids aren’t going to eat in the dining room every night, or their kids don’t eat much or whatever excuse they can come up with.
My thought is that tipping should be made a non-removable service charge. This is done on another cruise line and I think it seems to work out well. If there is a problem with service, it needs to be brought to the attention of customer service and they are given the opportunity to see that the problem doesn’t re-occur. Should it, then that part of the service charge can be removed. I think it’s a great way to solve the tipping problem.
Service charges are common in hotels and resorts and it doesn’t seem that people try to get them taken off like they do on tips. JMO.
Hi John (PLEASE REPLY)
Thanks for the awesome time (and the fun gifts)on the Bloggers3 Cruise, it was a pleasure meeting and spending some time with you. I now understand why my wife spends so much time “with” you. My parents also enjoyed getting to know you and can’t wait to sail with you again.
We are sailing on the Carnival Triumph on February 13, scheduled to call on Roatan on February 17th. I’ve tried calling CCL several times and cannot seem to find anyone who knows if we will be docking at the new Mahogany Bay Port. Can you please check this for me?
THANKS!!!!!
I will never understand people that lie/give wrong information on Cruise Critic, people that complain about anything and everything including Christmas music in a elevator (the fool could have taken the stairs if she was so offended).
You did get some snow, and a lot of it. You must have gotten the snow that we had last week here in Iowa. It really did not bother us too much as we are retired and did not have to go anywhere. Even if we had to go somewhere, almost everything was closed. It took two days to dig out of that snow. Since the wind made it’s appearance the second day; it made it even worse.
I seemed to have missed the cruise excursions versus the cheaper less secure tours on the Internet, question. Mike and I will only go on Carnival excursions. Just the thought of seeing the back/aft of the ship as it sails away to the next port makes me convinced that to go on a non Carnival excursion is not something I would ever do. From reading your blog someone had booked a non Carnival excursion and had a big problem when the ship was unable to get to the port. They would not refund all their money but Carnival refunded all the money the pax had paid for their Carnival excursions. There are more things that can go wrong than booking cheaper less secure tours on the Internet. I also love the option of booking our excursions before we leave, one less thing on our Sail and Sign card. Mike and I worked very hard for the money we have to be able to travel as much as we want. I sure do not want to risk it by doing something that I know could be a risk.
OK, getting off my soap box, back to packing for Texas and our next Carnival Cruise.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
John, a couple of quick points… Regarding Butch’s disgruntled passenger; this is little more than the foolishness of political correctness run amok. The basis for all of this nuttiness is the US Constitution, the First Amendment states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
It recognizes the right of the people to practice religion, not be free FROM religion. Please have Butch tell the passenger to bugger off…
Next, tipping… it’s always a hot topic on Cruise Critic with the VAST majority of folks acknowledging that the staff deserve every bit of the tips they get from the default ten dollars per day per passenger. There have been MANY who have suggested that the tips should be rolled into the cost of the cruise and not be optional or removable. I think the system works fine the way it is. The majority of folks I cruise with tip above and beyond the minimum especially when it comes to the wait staff and cabin staff. Those folks are amazing and are at the core of what makes a cruise a wonderful experience.
About the underpants… uhhh… I’m glad they’re yours and not mine…
All the best to the girls and your entire family… at home and at Carnival.
Ciao!
Host Mach
Wow, that’s a lot of snow! The east coast of the US is getting lots of snow right now too. It would be fun to have a white Christmas. I’m over the political correctness of this world. Why can’t we all do what we did before people complained about it or brought law suits…ignore it. I will look through Big Ed’s photos to see more but your underpants are quite “festive”.
Actually Muslims would celebrate Eid, not Ramadan as Ramadan lies in roughly August-September. And don’t forget Kwanzaa
John, Heidi and Kye,
Have a Merry Christmas!
Enjoyed the snow pictures. I like snow as long as I don’t have to shovel.
I live in southern New Mexico. We normally average around 3 inches for the entire season. Well a few weeks ago we had 6 inches fall in less than a week! Since I live where there aren’t any sidewalks I didn’t bother to shovel. I did discover the fun of ice on the driveway. :-O
KathyG
Greetings John, Heidi & Kye
I love the pictures of the snow (blizzard of 2009)!! I can see you out on the lawn showing Kye how to make a proper snowman …. Heidi, make sure he gets the carrot in the right place (the nose John, not down there). Darling Kye gets a white Christmas for her first. That is so great!
I believe your PA told me he doesn’t live too far from you …… is it not Craig’s responsibility to clean off the Range Rover AND shovel your driveway? Also, if it’s tough to get around on the snow & ice you might suggest he finish off your Christmas shopping AND wrap the gifts of course!
Have a wonderful Holiday Heald Family. You’re in many people’s thoughts this special season.
Warm regards,
Steve O
Der John,
Please reply,
On today’s blog (12/18) it was brought up about waiter’s tips. When I was on the Carnival Pride (which I love) I never ate in the dining room because I could not get to my table using my walker and I refused to make the waiter’s have to wait for me, because I would have to fold up my walker, one of the waiter’s would carry it for me, then reopen it and this happened 3 times before I got to my table. I know that they told me not to worry, but John they were so busy, that I just did not want them to have to stop and wait for me. Well, one day in the buffet, I saw an officer a white uniform and I said to him”Sir, may I ask you a question?) he replied, “By all means.” So I asked him, “Since I did not eat in the dining room, how do I go about dropping the tips for the wait staff?). I did explain to him why did not eat in the dining room, that is when I got an eye opener, he said that even though they work in the dining room, the waiters also work in the buffet area, I was shocked to learn this. I said to him,” they also work out here as well as the dining room” and he said “Yes”, I apologized to him about even thinking of taking off their tips.
John, so please let people know that the waiters not only work in the dining room everyday, but they also work hard in the buffet everyday as well. I double tipped my waiters, because when I would be out in the buffet, one of the waiters would always come over and ask if I needed anything or could they go get me anything, but what amazed me the most, was they always had that BIG BIG SMILE.
So, even if people don’t eat in the dining room, those same waiter’s are helping them in the buffet.
Merry Christmas, John Heidi and Kye
From your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan,
Kathy M.
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Hi John,
I looked at your pictures of the snow and could not believe that they shut everything down for such a small amount of snow. Where I live, for the schools, offices and everything else to shut down, we have to have at least 6 or more inches of snow, bus since we don’t get snow that often (except in the Cascades or the Siskiyou mountains) we may have one or two days a year that we get snowed in.
Now the next time it snows, you and Heidi have to make a snow family, take pictures of it and put it in Kye’s baby book.
Best Holiday Wishes,
From your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan
Kathy M.
JOHN! PLEASE! The pictures you showed of your snow is NOTHING! Thats a dusting here in Grand Rapids, Michigan! I could send YOU pics of our snow! All 19″ of it!
We are on a heat wave today-high of 24!
We don’t do it better just tolerate it! With 7 to 8 months of winter-WE HATE IT!!!!
I’ll trade a truck load of snow for one of SUN! hahahahahahahaaha
John,
Now really, have you been that good to have that Santa come down your chimney? I think NOT…LOL.
Heidi you have every right to get mad at John for posting that picture! Think of something evil to do to him, I know you can!
Would be nice to see a picture of your $80 Christmas tree!
John Please reply….. What is it about Cruise Cridic..that they cant get any story that they do RIGHT…..Its sounds like to me they need to get with the program… We are still waiting patiently for our Feb. 20th voyage with you……..Kevin
John (please reply):
I haven’t yet gone back and read all the blogs I missed while on our cruise on the Carnival Spirit. Eventually I will catch up!
I did want to say we had a wonderful time, and just note a couple of things (will be writing a more detailed review later…before I get caught up reading your blogs, I have to get caught up at work!). We tried the “Your Time Dining” and found that it worked very well for us — and when you asked a while back on the blog, we voted for traditional assigned dining! *LOL* But we have previously found that early seating dining makes us feel a bit rushed to get back to the ship on port days (so we are rested, showered and dressed in time for dinner), but that late seating makes us miss the start of some of the evening activities we enjoy. “Your Time Dining” = problem solved! On the other side of the coin, we did not like the new version of the Captain’s Party at all. Quite a disappointment.
When we do write up a more detailed review, where would be the best place to send it? The Comment Card never seems to have enough room to list various things we want to take note of.
Love the photos of your snow. Here in southern California it has been sunny and warm since we returned from the Mexican Riviera (which was even sunnier and warmer!). I’m not complaining because I KNOW southern California would come to a complete halt if we got snow like that!
Love to Heidi and Kye!
Terri and Larry
Hello John, Please Reply.
Would you please convey my sincerest wishes to Captain Salvatore Rassello for a speedy recovery, and a speedier return to his place at the helm.
Do you happen to know what ship he will be on , when he returns? Oh, and by the way,…….Did you get the copy of the ‘Mardi Gras Capers’ from him?
Thank you,
Vivienne.
I sure hope that the captain of the QM2 doesn’t need to use the ship’s horn while those guys are working on the “chimney.”
Merry Christmas to you John & your wonderful family! I hope “Santa” brings all your wishes!
My husband and I are taking our very first cruise, well our very first “adult” vacation I should say.
Is there any way you would be able to help us out with our dinner seating? Possibly a window seat? I’m trying to get him hooked on taking a cruise vacation and need all the help I can get!! lol
Thanks bunches
Shelley
Hi John, Heidi and Kye
Have just spent 2 hours catching up on the blog,so much to read, thanks john for keeping us all up to date. I have managed to get hold of a copy of Walter (think that was the name) the farting dog goes cruising, so funny and now it is wraped and under the christmas tree waiting to be opened by david (nearly 16) think he is going to love it!! How lovely the snow has been lets hope it stays for christmas.
I want to wish you all a very happy christmas and fantastic new year, enjoy this special time together.
Pop in and see me for a coffee.
take care
michelle and gang x
Hi John – please respond, we’ll finally be sailing on our New Years cruise next weekend – yippie! We’ll be on the Conquest sailing out of Galveston and I was wondering, will they be serving black eyed peas for us Texans on New Years for good luck? It’s always been a tradition in our family
We’re soooooo excited for our cruise and can’t wait to be done with work this week. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Thanks, Katrina
John Please Reply,
Happy Christmas to Your whole family.
We will be in Southend January 14th, I just love the train ride on the pier. The Last time I was there was Easter 2007, it was very warm then for that time of year.
We just missed you on the Freedom due to the CD conference in 2008, and have been reading the blog since its first week. I remember when you were at 25 000 Hits!
My Family and I will finally get to sail with you on February 6th cruise, on Our Carnival Dream.
This time I have convinced my sister to come along with her husband and their two girls (8&10) also, so the four girls (mine, 5 & 7 ) will have a great time with their cousins. Could it be arranged for the four girls to get a tour Back stage by one of the dancers?
Our party of 14, have all been confirmed on the early dinner, which is what we what, but are unsure of how it sit together. I was put in charge of setting sometime up.
Can I request from you please ( or Ken), two tables. One for my family of 10 at a ROUND table. We would like to be with Ken to hear his amazing voice in the dining room.
On the Carnival Freedom we had G’Day and assistant Alvin in the dining room, and wow the way they looked after us and the girls, Wow!
Enjoy your dusting of snow, and I am glad that a little snow does not shut down a Carnival Ship, like it does to the Chunnel trains!
Happy Christmas
Timothy
Even with all that snow, I bet you’d rather be at home with Heidi, Kye & all the snow, than in the sunny Caribbean without them. Stay warm & have a great Christmas.!!
John, I really enjoy reading your daily blog entries, as it is giving me some insight on what to expect when my Wife and I take our 1st Cruise on the Carnival Ecsasty in Feb. for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I thought about booking on The Carnival Dream, but (and I hope you know what you are in for) with that being the same time as the Annual Truckin Bozo’s Cruise, I really didn’t want to be on board with 1500-2000 other Truck Drivers, as I am around them all the time… at least not to share my Anniversary with. I am looking forward to our Cruise and was wondering if you could verify (or not) something I read in a thread somewhere.. Are the plans for the Carnival Magic to be Homeported in Galveston? That is 1 of the rumors going around on the WWW. Again Hope you have fun on the Truckers Cruise, Just avoid Doc Holiday and Hollywood. Just ask any of the drivers on board will know them.. Smooth Seas.. Tom Foster
John,
We are booked on The Dream on 17 July next year. I was wondering where the smoking areas on the promenade deck are as we have booked cabin 6388 and I am concerned that the smokers will be directly below my cabin. Thank you and have a great Christmas.
Nicola McCormick
HELP
WHAT HAPPEN TO MY POST FROM FRIDAY. IT WITH FROM WAITING MODERATION TO GONE???????
Hi John!
I hope you had a pleasant weekend and the weather has warmed up for you.
Your pictures remind me of the pictures that i’m seeing from the Northeast United States this morning.
Enjoy the holiday week and hi to the family.
Take care!
David
Hi John,
A few months back I wrote to tell you my wife and I would be on the January 11th sailing of the Carnival Destiny. As a reminder, we’re taking this cruise to celebrate my 40th Birthday, but more so because we are both badly in need of a break from the rigors of our hectic daily lives! This is the first trip we’ll be taking without children which immediately changes the title of this “trip” to “vacation.”
I had asked if there was anything special you could do so I could surprise my wife. I can now happily say we are within 3 weeks of our sailing! This is the time at which you asked I remind you of our trip. In any case, whether you can do something or not, I’m sure we’ll enjoy our trip. I love your blog and read it every single day. Thanks for the daily entertainment!
Steve
John,
Tim and I really enjoyed our first blogger’s cruise on the Carnival Dream. We both had a lot of laughs during the blogger’s events, especially when Tim had his “spasms”. Looking forward to seeing the blogger’s video.
We had no problem with the platinum laundry being limited to one bag per person on our cruise. But we were disappointed that the ship was not decorated for Christmas. Thanks again for providing us with a fun, memorable cruise.
Enjoy your first Christmas with Kye. We will be spending ours with our granddaughter, Victoria, that was born a couple weeks before Kye. I wouldn’t be surprised if Heidi puts coal in your stocking after posting that Santa fantasy picture.
Merry Christmas!
Patti & Tim Kriebel
Hello John,
I think I (and others like me) have a different perspective on independent versus ship’s excursions. I had polio as a child and now have difficulty walking and huge difficulty with steps. I use a scooter when we cruise (almost always with Princess). The ship’s excursions are listed as easy, moderate, or strenous. This does not help me decide if I can safely reserve them or not. All the water activities are listed as strenuous. I can swim well, not walk well. The easy rated excursions are usually bus tours and I cannot manage the steps up into a large bus. There is no way to tell what is what by the ship’s descriptions. I have had much better luck describing my difficulties (and possibly sending a photo of my travelscoot scooter) and needed accomodations to an independent operator who will then reply as to whether or not they can provide a tour which meets my needs.
As an aside I was disappointed in the pictures of Mahogany Bay. The incline from the beach area to where the independent tours pick up people is excessive for those in wheelchairs or using scooters. If the only choice is a ship’s tour on a bus with steps that I cannot manage or getting up an incline that I also cannot manage I end up feeling hurt and left out. I wish the lines could accurately describe the access availability of their excursions and possibly even have a handicapped person evaluate the excursions.
Thank you for reading my rant.
Kathy Tisdale
Dear John,
Please Reply
My comments waiver at Awaiting Moderation to complete disappearance.
I asked if you would please convey my sincerest wishes for a speedy recovery to Capt. Salvatore
Rassello, and a speedier return to his place at the helm. Do you also know what ship he will be assigned to?
Thank you.
A Very Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Vivienne
Hey John
You don’t know me but you do know my wife Sharon. She brought you a tin of English Toffee Cappacino from Timmies on the Freedom in May of 07. I’ve just started blogging, clicked the Carnival tag and you popped up!
I’m blogging our trip on the Dream (Italy,Spain,New York)
Small world.