For the last few months I have been trying to persuade some British friends of mine to try their first ever cruise and come and sail with me next year. Bobby and his wife are very good mates and Bobby is in the entertainment business and quite famous here in the UK. I thought that my powers of persuasion had finally gotten them to ready to explore the fun for all world of Carnival …………..but yesterday Bobby informed me that they are considering something else…………………..skiing.
Skiing ……………I couldn’t believe it…………why would they or anyone else who isn’t mad…..or Italian…..ever want to go skiing?
Faced with the two options, either having fun onboard a beautiful cruise ship surrounded by sun, entertainment, brilliant service and wonderful food choices or spending laughable amounts of money catching cold and knocking down trees with your face there is no bloody contest. I would have to be very, very drunk to agree to go skiing.
Drinking, as far as I can see, would be the only possible upside of skiing. Otherwise what are you left with? Smashed bones, stupid clothes, crusty red cheeks and a huge dollop of snot hanging permanently from your nose. You can achieve that effect by being the trolley collector in a Publix parking lot in Alaska…..in January. The only difference is that the Publix trolley collector doesn’t bore everyone senseless with stories of their black slope accomplishments at Aspen.
I went skiing one time and one time only. It was many years ago and all I remember is the pain and the agony and the cold and the laughter of others as the fat git tried to get up after falling over…………..again. I hated the snobbery and the ridiculously good looking ski instructors whom unless you had breasts the size of the Alps had bugger all interest in teaching you anything.
The reason I kept falling over though is not just because I have the balance and poise of Heather Mills…………………… It’s the ski boot!
The first thing you must understand is the ski boot is it is specifically designed to be as heavy as possible and to ensure that if you fall over………. and you will………….all the time ………..and your leg will break at its most painful point…………. just above the ankle.
Men……..The only way to prevent this happening is to look at photos of Megan Fox’s bottom before you ski so you can cushion the fall with your thingy…………….it’s like having a third ski pole.
As you can see I am a fervent anti-skier. This is partly because ski bores are the second worst of the vacation bore genre (just ahead of people who hate Carnival even though they have never cruised with us) and partly because I cannot think of a single redeeming feature about snow.
Heidi once asked “Do you think we will ever go skiing?” I look at her in bewilderment and replied: “I would rather have my thingy ripped from my body by a rabid squirrel ………….I think she took that as a no.
“Oh, but you’ve never tried skiing?” people say. “How can you possibly know you won’t like it?” Look, I’ve never tried having rumpy pumpy with Judge Judy either…………………. but sometimes you just know.
In any case skiing is not a vacation. A vacation is when you go somewhere warm and relax, eat good, have fun and see interesting places…………lots of places in fact if you take a cruise. A cruise vacation is where you enjoy that lovely feeling of just putting on shorts and a pair of flip-flops every day and changing into some casual wear at night as you head to the dining room, see a show and have a good old sing along at the piano bar. It is not mincing around $1,000 of ski gear, eating fondue and spending all day gazing at ambulances ferrying brand new paraplegics across a picture postcard landscape.
So, I called my friends back and I explained it like this to them.
For your next vacation, why don’t you take all your money and set it on fire? Then stand in a refrigerator for a week, beating yourself with a baseball bat until your arms and legs break. And then, after you’ve eaten some melted cheese, dislocate your shoulder. …………. it’s the same process as going skiing. Alternatively……………you can go on a cruise.
Bobby called me back ……….they booked a cruise on their Carnival Dream for February 2010 …………………………skiing………..my arse.
Time for today’s questions………away we go.
Bill Russell Asked:
John, Please replyRe: San Juan. I’m glad now we had to cancel. The main port we wanted to see was San Juan. “The Ship Didn’t Fit.” Someone on Carnival has to be fired. Didn’t fit. Wow, what a snafu. Hope the rest of the trip goes well. The web cams are now working. I wondered why you were at sea, then did a little searching and found out why.
John Says:
Hello BillIt certainly was very disappointing for everyone that the ship was unable to dock in San Juan. As you know I was onboard and I can tell you that the Captain tried everything to get us alongside. It was actually a good thing that he spotted those steel cables as they could have seriously damaged the life boats. As I wrote at the time it was our fault and I can assure you we are looking into this very carefully so that it doesn’t happen again. For now I can only apologize to everyone affected.
Hope you continue to enjoy the web cams.
Best wishes
JohnTom Asked:
John, please reply.ANOTHER CARNIVAL TIGHT ATTACK. 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?John Says:
Hello TomThe fact that we still serve complimentary lobster and unlike a certain other cruise line I could mention do not charge for steak in the dining room is in the current economic environment remarkable…………and at the price we charge for the cruise.
The steaks at the grill have been gone for some time and we replaced this with of course the massively popular Mongolian Wok.
I truly hope you had a wonderful cruise.
Best wishes
JohnKatiel53 Asked:
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 behaviour.
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, rumours 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 miss-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, i.e. 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 Levi 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 & GerriJohn Says:
Hello Frank and GerriThanks for those very kind words. I have nothing but respect for the majority of people who post on the boards but there are one or two who enjoy posting comments that are designed to antagonize others and those are the ones that get on my nerves. Host Mach is a great friend and I know he monitors what is said on the Carnival boards very carefully and we often write to each other to discuss courses of action should someone post something that is quite obviously untrue.
Thank you again for all those lovely words of support and hope to see you both soon.
Best wishes
JohnHarmony Asked:
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 Hanukah 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, Hanukah stuff is being offered or to make a request if nothing is being offered (which would be disappointing… people cruise on Christmas expecting Christmas stuff…). This is our first time travelling during the holidays and we are both looking forward to it. Thanks!!! Harmony
John Says:
Hello HarmonyLet me start by apologizing for not responding to you on Facebook. I rarely get a chance to open my thingy there. The 343 Stephanies tell me that I have close to 3,000 friends registered there and what with the blog and my work as CD I just don’t have the time to answer questions there. Anyway, as you can see I missed therefore your sailing on the Carnival Pride but I am sure you enjoyed the menorah lighting ceremony hosted by Jaime and had therefore a very special cruise.
Please let me know if all was well
Best wishes
JohnBarb R Asked:
John, Please ReplyI 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.
John Says:
Hello BarbJust a quick note to say a big thank you for your kind words of support. I always do my best to help people and sometimes it is a little annoying when people forget to use the words “please” and thank you.”
Such is life though.
Best wishes,
JohnWaiting4acruise Asked:
John Please ReplyYou 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 medallions 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 Says:
Hello Waiting4acruiseI was intrigued to read this and I sent an e-mail to Chris Jefferson the Cruise Director on the Carnival Conquest. He told me that there was a period of two weeks when a shipping order was delayed and very few trophies were onboard. However, I want to state that unless this situation happens there should never be a time when the trophies are not handed out at all contests and events. If anyone sees this happening please ask the staff member why and let me know as well.
There was some discussion at the last CD conference of possibly replacing the trophies with another prize but due to the many, many comments from guests stating that they love the good old solid gold plastic trophies that idea was quickly forgotten.
Thanks for letting me know
Best wishes
JohnTodd Asked:
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 Oksana Shevchenko at 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,
ToddJohn Says:
Hello ToddI was so sorry to read these comments and I am very disappointed that Eli did not receive the gift I had asked the Entertainment Staff to deliver. I promise that the next time you cruise that I will make up for this. I was even more disappointed to read your comments about the Guest Service Desk. Obviously I do not know the details but I have now taken the liberty of sending them to David in our Miami HQ. He is responsible for this department fleet wide and I know he takes comments very seriously indeed. I will also be copying our guest CARE Team as well and will make sure that you are contacted accordingly.
I will also read the details myself and make sure that everyone who needs to read this does so. This includes Hector our Guest Services Manager who is one of the very best I have worked with and I know he will take your comments very seriously indeed.
I appreciate you taking the time to write to me and I will hope to hear from you soon.
Best wishes to you all
JohnLance and Ilda Asked:
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 seem 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 Says:
Hello Lance and IldaI am not sure how to answer this comment as thank you does not seem enough. I will say that one of the provisions I have with Carnival is that I will keep writing as long as I am permitted to write about the mistakes I make and in what areas Carnival can continue to improve to be able to continue to be the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line. Yes, we mistakes and there needs to be an avenue where that can be discussed and that avenue is here on the blog thingy. I am sure that some of the things I write make the people with beards at our Carnival HQ rush out to Wal-Mart to buy new underwear but on a serious note I know that I do have Gerry Cahill’s support as well as that as all the Carnival executives.
The launch Oasis of the Seas was met with great fanfare and that’s great for the industry. Have a look at what the Chairman of Carnival Corporation Micky Arison recently said when asked if the Oasis had had an impact on Carnival business………. “We’re not seeing any impact from Oasis. If there is any impact, and clearly we’re not seeing it, it’s in the additional exposure to the whole cruise industry. But the reality is that we have great mass-market brands and better prices. So the net effect is, if anything, positive.”
By the way, a full pod cast thingy of that interview can be heard on www.carnivalcorp.com …………………I suggest all of you have a listen.
Thanks to you both for that great post and I will continue to do my very best to keep this blog thingy honest and most of all fun.
Best wishes to you both
JohnMelissa Asked:
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
MelissaJohn Says:
Hello MelissaI think we did post some of the Club O2, Camp Carnival and Circle C areas during the bloggers cruise but just in case I have asked Radu to send me some more and will post them here as soon as he does. I know you and the kids will have a brilliant time on the ship. Hope to see you soon.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today. Those questions were submitted on the 10th of December and so once again I promise to try and catch up as quickly as possible. For any newcomers to the blog thingy who may wish to ask a question to please mark your postings “John, please reply” and eventually……………..I promise I will.
So I have been hearing a lot from the ships about their Christmas cruises and while everything went well there is one area where the Cruise Directors mentioned that we need to improve on and its an area that I agree we seriously lack in . You see, only a few of our ships had a priest or minister onboard to hold Christmas Mass and interdenominational services. Now, there are reasons why this is and one of them is that it appears difficult to find 22 priests to come and sail at Christmas.
However, I know Holland America does seem to be able to do this so I guess I have to ask ……..why can’t we? Well, I am not sure of the answer but we’ll certainly look into it. I was going to address this with the office today as I know a few Cruise Directors received negative comments from guests who felt that we should have had a service.
However…………before I do raise the flag I thought I would ask your opinion on this. Is it important? If you were sailing at Christmas would you attend a midnight mass and Christmas morning service? Does this have a place on a Carnival fun for all cruise?
Now, I know we are getting into the realms of religion here and I am certainly not looking for a discussion on religion but I would appreciate those who may have opinion on this to please share them with me and everyone here on the blog before I decide whether to take this further…………………….thanks as always.
By the way, I know that some of the Cruise Directors were very smart and made an appeal onboard for anyone who may have been willing to lead the service.
One would imagine that the Cruise Director may have the best job on board and obviously I agree. It was therefore very interesting to read an article sent to me by my great friend and may I say brilliant writer, Carolyn Spencer Brown who is of course the editor of Cruise Critic. She kindly sent me the results of the poll which I know all of you will have fun reading.
If I worked on a cruise ship, I’d want to be ____.
A chef.: 10.08%
A cruise director.: 35.69%
The captain!: 36.76%
A show performer.: 17.27%Total Votes: 1,488
So, it’s the Captain that still has the popular vote. I wonder if it’s the uniform. You know, I have often wondered if CD’s should wear a uniform……then again ………….. nope ………. white makes me look fat.
I see that many of you enjoyed the photos in yesterday’s blog thingy. The slide show of Jordan’s Blog Diary was excellent wasn’t it and my thanks to him for putting that together. I see you also enjoyed the photos of the Carnival Ecstasy and I did indeed thank the Captain for sending them to me. By the way, I should have posted a photo of the Captain but I forgot and will do so in a moment.
Ask any long time serving Carnival crew member who one of the greatest characters we have serving on our ships is and many will answer Captain Domenico Cilento. Not only is he a great navigator but he this man from Naples has been blessed with a wicked sense of humor. He can also recite every single line from any movie that involves the mafia. Usually this is a subject that many Italians don’t enjoy discussing and one can understand why. Not Captain Cilento though. I have not worked with him for many years, in fact the last time I did he was the Staff Captain and every time I walked past his office he would shout a line from Goodfellas, The Godfather or his favorite all time movie……….Gotti.
He is a brilliant Captain and as you can imagine so much fun to work with……I said that so he doesn’t have me whacked!
Here he is
Well, its time to highlight another one of our ships that due to my deserved excitement about your Carnival Dream I may have forgotten about. So……….let’s remind ourselves just how beautiful the Carnival Paradise is.
I know that the Carnival Paradise is a favorite ship of many and there will be more photos of her tomorrow plus………we will be meeting the Captain and Senior Officers as well. Meanwhile, to find out more about her, where she sails and how you can enjoy a Carnival Paradise cruise why not pop on over to www.carnival.com/paradise.
You may remember a few weeks ago that I posted and replied to a comment from a blogger who stated that he was angry that during his Carnival Inspiration cruise the stateroom steward, the dining room staff and other staff members did not speak English. Well, I have had another comment from this gentleman which I will not be posting due to some of the wording contained therein. It did though make me very angry and last night I wrote and deleted my various replies one of which contained reference to me inserting my shoe in one of his orifices.
His comment, along with my diabetic leg cramps (bugger) kept me awake but by morning I had calmed down a bit and although I decided not to post his comment (which contained reference to the fact that he won’t cruise with Carnival again because the staff are “not English speaking.”)
You see that’s wrong in so many ways. Don’t cruise with us again because you didn’t like the food or the service or the fun or the value for money we provided…………..but to say you won’t cruise with us again because your waiter’s English wasn’t 100 percent perfect ………………. well honestly…………..in my opinion……………….that’s just ridiculous.
English is my first language however I forced myself to learn as much Dutch as I can so I can speak to Heidi’s family and friends, especially her Mum who is staying with us and does not speak English. I’m so out of practice though that it’s often a struggle to convey simple concepts as “coffee” and “are you OK.” When I speak Dutch to anyone, they have a tendency to slap their thighs, laugh out loud and make sound recordings my attempts for future entertainment of their friends and family. Dutch is a very hard language to learn. You need half a ton of phlegm in your mouth to pronounce most of the words. Don’t ever stand to close to a Dutch person and enter a conversation with him …………………..you will be washing spit out of your hair for months.
Speaking a second language is something most of us cannot say we can do yet Ketut from Indonesia and Martina from Croatia and Sergey from Belarus all speak a second language. They may not be able to discuss the political situation in Iran or converse with you about the chemical properties of table salt but we insist as a company that all our service staff pass a proficient English test before they are allowed to serve in guest areas ……………………oh and all our crew speak one other language………………the language of fun………………..and I think they speak that………………fluently.
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and Kye
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
John, I have NEVER run into a staff member who I couldn’t communicate with IN ENGLISH. Some spoke better English than I do. I have to believe that his complaint, like many others I’ve heard is, to quote you ‘bollocks.’
I can’t imagine how hard the staff works to keep up with the passengers and to insult them because they don’t speak perfect English is ridiculous. End of story.
Regarding skiing… I used to. Now I cruise.
Please pass along my howdies to Heidi, her mom and that lovely baby of your!!
Ciao!!!
Host Mach
John,
I can only speak for my wife on the subject of the religeous services..Yes it should be provided..If I am not mistaken, on Holland America, they always have a volunteer Priest on board, I could be wrong, but I dont think so. My Wife loves to go to Mass every day, especially Sundays. Me myself, I get my religion on the golf course on Sundays, being out there in the open with God, no better way in my opinion
Mike
John, don’t worry about white making you look “fat”. I’m sure you have the same fear of mirrors just like I do. Standing in front of a mirror nude is really bad for us. For some reason things on us look so much smaller in mirrors.
BIG ED
John,
Couldnt agree with you more. I travel worldwide and its amazing how many people speak a 2nd languages. I always have found the staff on Carnival Cruise ships “FUN”. (especially the crew parties).
As far as a Christmas Eve Mass I say I would attend but that depends on how much “FUN” I had during the day.
Brent
(Carnival Freedom May 2010)
John PLEASE REPLY
Where are all of the videos Peter the Hair took of the Bloggers Cruise on the Carnival Dream? Is he waiting for the perfect time to blackmail me with my crash landing ending up on Utube.
BID ED
John,
In regards to whether I would personally attend a formal service on Christmas, probably not. And on one hand, I find it ridiculous that people who claim to be so religious book and pay for a cruise, before even checking to see if a religious service is available (meaning, if it’s so important to them, they probably should have checked that out before booking a Christmas sailing). On the other hand, I suppose if it’s something a majority of people want, then have it be non-denominational and maybe the CD can do it…more of a sing along/fellowship gathering than an actual reading/response kind of service.
John,
Hope you and your wonderful family had a great Christmas. It was quite snowy here in the Midwestern US. Great for skiing! No thanks! I’ll leave that to the young fools. Give me a drink by a warm fire instead. Or give me a cruise.
Oh, wait a minute, I just booked a cruise on the Carnival Miracle for Jan.2011. Can’t wait to see Aruba & Curacao again!
If I ever had the chance to do a Christmas cruise, I would indeed attend Midnight Mass if offered. But if not, I wouldn’t be overly upset.
Happy New Year,
Joyce
I’m with you on skiing, John. I tried it once – quit when I fell off the rope tow. I’m also not a fan of the cold weather, which is precisely why we have been taking February cruises for the past few years!
John (please reply)
I wholeheartedly agree with you about skiing. I went a couple of times when I was 25 years younger and about 50 pounds lighter and NEVER AGAIN! I almost killed myself when I slid down some ridiculous thing called the “bunny hop hill” on my face, one of my skiis came off and slip down the hill without me and I was forced to make my way down on one ski and one boot with a spinning head and bloody face. I spent the rest of the ski trip getting to know the bartender really well! I figured if I fell off the bar stool at least I wasn’t going 50 mph when I hit the floor and it’s warmer in there too. So, I am totally with you. I’ll take sun and fun and a great cruise anyday!
I hope you and Heidi and Kye had a great holiday even if you had to trek to see the lights. Just the thought of Kye laughing up at Santa makes me smile. I remember my daughter’s first trip to see Santa. She’s 20 years old now and I still remember how bloody cute she was. Enjoy it. It goes by soooooooo fast.
Linda
When I cruised, I thought everyone knew English really well. They certainly knew English better than most Americans know a second language, and it’s really hard to learn a language as an adult anyway. All of them were pretty fluent to me… but when people want to find a problem I guess they will
.
I would go to a midnight mass service or a religious service if I was onboard a ship for a Christmas cruise (or during any other holiday that could be considered a religious one). I think a lot of people would go even if they’re not Catholic (I’m not) just to experience it. I mean how many people can say they went to church on a cruise ship? Maybe you could deeply discount cruises to clergy during the holidays for that reason, hehe… I know my pastor would totally love that, he always says he wants to go on a cruise anyway after hearing about me!
Hi John,
Hield van uw “skiing” verhaal. Just a tiny “Dutch” test….Heidi will help you…..I just called my sister, who used to ski, and told her todays blog is a must read!
Try 250mg of Magnesium twice a day for the leg cramps…it works for me
The guy who won’t cruise again with CCL because the crew doesn’t speak perfect English makes me sad. I can’t imagine what people expect. I always have a great time with all of the crew and staff. They do a remarkable job listening and responding in my opinion……and always with a smile.
Goede nacht aan de familie van de Hevel,
Steve O
P.S. Heidi will probably have a good laugh over my fractured Dutch!
John – I remembered some time ago you and I talked about having church services on the ship. At that time you shared with me that each ship had a list of churches located in the ports of call. To this day, I have never seen a list.
We did not attend church at home over Christmas so I don’t think I would do so on a ship. However, I would find it more interesting to attend a service in port and/or learn how the local folks celebrate the holiday. By the way after 20 cruises with Carnival I have never come across a staff member who could not speak English. Give Heidi a hug and Kye a kiss for me. Lynn Sagara
Hey John,
Speaking of the Christmas service. Wouldn’t it be difficult to put together a service or sermon that would please all possible religions that may be onboard?
I doubt I would attend some sort of interdenominational service anyway.
John:
Sadly your “English” complaint was probably from an American.
Someone from another country takes the time to learn a second language, well enough to hold a job that requires it…..and we “as Americans” can’t take the extra 5 seconds it may take to understand the “accent”.
And folks wonder why the term “ugly American” is still alive and well today.
That guy needs to get a life….and unfortunately, although morons like this always threaten never to sail on Carnival….they always do. For once I wish they would be true to their word and stay away…..because no one wants to sail with them!!
33 cruise with Carnival in 11 years….and I have yet to come across an employee that I could not understand. So perhaps the “problem” isn’t the Carnival employee…..
My experience with skiing (as I may have already written about) was less than stellar. And since it involved David skiing backwards in front to prevent me from killing myself….I probably won’t be doing it any time soon. Although I will say that I looked really good in the outfits. These ski outfits are designed for tall people….woo hoo!!!
Please pass along my great thanks again to Risa B (CD on the Fantasy) and Heenie VH (ACD)….. they brought great joy to, and made precious memories for, a very special young man. Michael will be talking about that cruise for years!
Hope your friend and his family have a wonderful cruise on the Carnival Dream.
Hugs to Heidi and Kisses to Kye!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
I agree with you John. The Carnival crew who I’ve spoken spoke clear enough English to understand every word when every time I’ve talked to them but the best language that they have spoken to me is the language called ” SMILE ” ,one that was easy for me to understand. The respect that they gave me showed me that they cared about me. The Carnival crew were also one of the reasons why continue cruising with Carnival. The ships, the food, the entertainment and also you John. Thanks.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
John – PLEASE REPLY
Having just returned from a seven-day on the Carnival Pride, I can unequivocably state that all members of the crew speak FUN fluently.
We had a great time – Jaime is an absolute doll and I made a new friend in Kirk. The cruise itself was a very difficult voyage (the 12/13 cruise that missed Freeport and returned to Baltimore and it’s 20 inches of snow). Despite these issues, Kirk and the entire entertainment staff did a marvelous job of keeping the ship hopping and a boppin’.
In particular, two events jump out – first, the concert that they put on when we missed Freeport. In particular, the dancer’s “If I weren’t on a cruise ship, I would be . . .” bit – HILARIOUS. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.
The other event was the Christmas show. It was great how they integrated the children from Camp Carnival into the show – and Santa managed to find the ship despite the high winds and seas.
My sincerest complements to a great staff for a great cruise – it was well worth our cruising at the last minute. Mrs. MTSFP even commented that I was much more relaxed when we returned than when we left.
Anyone who doesn’t think that Carnival are fun ships simply has never sailed on one of the fun ships.
ALL FOR FUN
FUN FOR ALL
Carnival
MTSFP
John:
Thank you so much for the pictures of the beautiful Carnival Paradise. I really do miss that ship. We sailed two years in a row on her and bought family the second time to show them how great a ship she is. As we live in So. Florida, it has not been to our advantage to cruise her again. Mostly, we miss the smoke free atmosphere.
I look forward to seeing more pictures tomorrow. I hope you, Heidi and the beautiful Kye had a wonderful Christmas and I wish good health and much love to you in the New Year.
Marie
Hello John,
Here is our reply to your question on Christmas Services: we are very spiritual. Sending our child to catholic school since 5 th grade and he is now 11th grade attending a catholic high school. We attend mass every Sunday. So choosing to go on a cruise from 12-24 thru 12-28, was a tough decision. Especially when we found out there would be no services on board. However, we had a FANTASTIC time and we were able to attend mass at a church in Key West, so it is true, God does provide. We were happy to see the Destiny decorated beautifully for the holidays. Having several priests and bishops in our family, I can safety say Carnival would have no trouble finding priests for your cruises. Many are forced to retire by 70 and are not assigned to any church. Let’s face it they are used to working on Sundays and holidays. Having the option to attend services would only enhance the experience. Like all activities on a cruise, what you choose to attend is a personal choice, but at least we would have a choice.
Do you know if you will be on the Dream in July 2010? If so, what dates? Thanks
Hi John,
To the man who doesn’t want to cruise w/Carnival anymore because the crew English isn’t as good as it should be. Good. I don’t want to share my vacation with him.
Enjoy your time with your girls.
And, keep up the great work.
The Kilmartins
Hello John,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family, and all your bloggers.
Skiing is a major industry here in central Ontario, at least until Carnival gets a ship on the Great Lakes.
As for the Christmas religious ceremony, I know I would not attend this if it was offered, but it would be nice to hold these if people wanted them. It might be interesting to hold a multi-denominational ceremony with an explanation of each part- this I would attend.
I would like to send a hug to any Carnival ship staff not able to be with their families this Holiday season.
Cheers
John, We very much enjoy meeting crew members from all over the world and love to hear there stories. We also love to hear some words in there language what ever it may be. So someone who is as dumb as to be so worried about english only really shows there understanding and ablity to get along in society! I have a fellow guy at work who is going on a Silly ski vacation next month, I to told him about sonny bono and the tree “I got you babe” I shall have him read your comments about skiing!
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
John, skiing can be fun, but personally, I would rather be in shorts and a tank top enjoying a cold, fruity drink of the day (or a kiss on the lips fruity drink).
Cold be damn, I gotta go where it is warm!
Now, if only the travel restrictions on carry on’s loose up in the next two weeks I will be happy. I have a transborder flight and it looks like just about everything has to go in the suitcase except the cameras and lithium batteries! Not even allowed a change of clothes!
Damn terrorists!!!!!
Hello, John!
Just for your info and the guest who didn’t think the Lido serve steaks anymore….. We recently returned from sailing 1 wk. on the Dream (Dec, 12 – 19) and twice, not once, they served flat iron steaks on the Lido buffet (The Gatherings). They were delicious, as always!
Happy New Year to everybody. Kisses to Kye!
The Santanas of Miami Beach
Hi John,
I am glad you decided to ask about Christmas celebrations while at sea. If I could ever convince my husband to sail over Christmas, I would definitely appreciate the opportunity to attend a worship service.
I also can only imagine the difficulties for a cruiseline to accommodate the many different religions onboard. I won’t get into my personal religious background, but I know how important different traditions are to different people. Maybe a service with traditional carols and prayer would be inviting to most guests. But honestly, after following this blog for a while, I think someone will find offense no matter which way you go.
John,
I think having a Christmas service on board would be great to have when on a Christmas cruise. What is Christmas without Christ? A short service would be nice to have sometime on Christmas day or Christmas Eve.
Also, I have had some crew members on Carnival cruises that did not speak the best English. This was mainly in the dining room. However while they were not able to communicate efficiently with you, they did understand English. It did not affect our fun time on board. And you’re right, all the crew members speak the language of FUN!
Relative to having a priest and mass – I would certainly attend a Christmas mass on board. In fact I would attend on any Sunday if there was a priest saying mass on my cruise.
On the other hand, I would be a bit leery of anyone claiming to be a priest who would be cruising during Christmas (except maybe a very old one who would be retired).
John,
(Please reply.)
I went on my first Carnival cruise in the summer of 2000 on the Fantasy. I was having a horrible year and a vacation at sea away from telephones and everybody I knew just seemed like the perfect idea. And it turned out to be perfect. Fortunately, I get to go about once a year — usually my birthday trip present to myself. I’m booked on the Dream this fall (yay!).
I don’t remember a whole lot about my first cruise. I think I was intoxicated most of the time. I recall generally that I had a fantasitic time and in the pictures from the trip I look like I’m having a blast. My one actually memory is laughing like a crazy person at a super funny cruise director in a bee costume. Was that you? I seem to remember he was a bit, humm what’s the word… rotund.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2010,
Christie
PS: I was on the Liberty with Butch and his team last fall for my 2009 Birthday cruise. The Liberty crew is a really terrific group of professionals. Thank you for sharing the story of the Liberty team’s special holiday celebration with the children in Ocho.
With respect to the person complaining about the English spoken by Carnival staff, I for one would support the strong responses you elected deleting. I have always found the Carnival employees from around the world to be fantastic and very caring people. Their spoken English has never been an issue as for as I am concerned.
Hi John,
Thank you for the pictures of the Carnival Paradise.
To answer your question about the Christmas service, we would attend if it was available however we would not be upset if it was not.
Happy New Year to the Heald family!
John,
Jo Ellen and I have been on many cruises all over the world on many different ships with crews from many different countries. I enjoy meeting people from diverse ethnic groups and who speak many foreign languages. It is part of the human experience one should enjoy and not shy away from nor find offensive. Learning someone elses language to speak with them in their own langauge is a sing of respect and tolerence that is usually greatly appreciated.
The person who said they will no longer cruise with carnivaal because they do not speak their kind of English, is a person I do not care to meet or be around and I am just as glad they will not be on any cruises with us.
Sounds like a boring self centered twit to me.
Happy New Year to you, Heidi, Kye and Mama
and to Ed and Pats Evil Crew and all the other Bloggers we have sailed with over these last few years.
From Very Cold 12 degreesF in Northern NJ
Dave and Jo Myerly
Hi John.
I’ve been following your ‘blog thingy’ for quite some time and just wanted to thank you for all the time and effort you put into it. Your musings are, well, very amusing!
Me and my new fiance (I proposed on christmas eve and she said yes!) are sailing on the Freedom this weekend. It wasn’t originally intended to celbrate our new engagment, but we’ll definitely take the opportunity to celebrate the occasion. We booked quite some time ago and visiting your blog has really helped keep us excited and thinking of our upcoming cruise. And I must say that, as a result of reading your blog, we both feel like we have a deeper appreciation for all the crew does and all the effort that goes into running these magnificent ships.
So, thanks again, and please keep up the good work!
Tim and April
Yes, I would like the option to attend Mass at Christmas. Personally, I would probably not opt for midnight Mass, but would definitely be interested in an afternoon vigil Mass, or Christmas morning.
Happy New Year John,
Please reply,
I may let the cat out of the bag when I ask this question, but I saw it on Cruise Critic. Is it true that the CD and the Maitre’D are the ones who decide who has dinner with the Captain. If this is true, then what is the criteria that a person needs to meet to have that honor to sit with the Captain.
If this is not true, then would you please tell us who does decide who sits with the Captain and you better let Host Mach know because he is the one that said it was the CD’s and the Maitre’D that decided who would have that honor.
Give my love to Heidi and Kye,
From your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan
Kathy M.
Hi John,
Please reply
I am so tired of reading about, and listening to people (passengers) who make frivolous complaints. This is the main reason why I always ask to be seated alone. I have been on many cruises, dating back to the ‘Mardi Gras’ (yes I’m ancient) and, ofcourse, I always celebrate my birthday by being on a Carnival Cruise (4 of which were on the Glory). For my next birthday, I will be on the Dream, Feb: 13th sailing date, and, so help me, if I hear anyone within earshot complain, I will demand that they be forced to “walk the plank”.
The man who complained about the fine staff who, in his opinion, were not English speaking, must have a vocabulary that is not extensive, or he would never have resorted to the ugly language that he used in his comments to you.
Yes!! I would love a chapel on board. They had them on the earlier ships. I was told that there is one on board the Dream. Is this true?
My regards to you and yours,
Vivienne.
Other than sitting around the fireplace and watching the snow bunnies thaw out a cold winter vacation has no appeal to me. Now for me a cruise in the middle of January to a warm tropical island is just is needed to escape the winter blues. I plan on doing just that in a few weeks aboard the Carnival Ecstacy.
On the subject of preachers on board ships for services like Christmas or Easter I would think that there are many retired preachers who would love to take a cruise and fill in for a service while on board. It might cost you more than a fruit basket but I am sure that a comp’ed berth would do the trick.
John, (Please reply)
I can’t imagine someone’s complaining because the staff couldn’t speak proper English. I’m sure it would be interesting for him to go to a foreign country where English is not spoken and see what it feels like to try to speak the foreign language.
Once when I went to Paris I tried to find a store to order a bottle of wine. I had a French/English dictionary and the word for wine is vin. You won’t believe how I pronounced a simple word like that. No one knew what I was trying to say until I showed them the word in the dictionary. Oh, vin (like bin). I felt like a fool, but I was finally able to get my bottle of wine.
I think the employees on cruise ships do a great job in speaking English. I know sometimes it’s hard to understand them, but our language isn’t that easy to speak either.
As far as having a service at Christmas, if I were on a cruise, I would like to have either a midnight Mass or a service on Christmas Day. I guess I am old school in that Christ is the reason for Christmas. My dad would never go on a cruise at Christmas if he weren’t able to go to a service . Then again, he is 96 and is quite religious.
I think there are many retired priests and ministers who would be willing to do a service or services if offered a free cruise or perhaps a lower priced one. JMO.
Frank & Gerri
John I want to wish you and your family the greatest of new years, in the year 2010 let all news be good news.
we are still hopeful that we will see you on the Dream, those pesky doctors will decide.
Hi John!
I echo your sentiments about skiing and have never had a good experience on the couple of occasions that i have tried. I’m more of a warm vacation type of person.
I always have communicated fine with any of the employees onboard so I don’t know what the blogger is referring to.
Thanks for the great Paradise pictures. Look forward to seeing more.
Take care!
David
PLEASE REPLY
Hi John, I recently returned from seeing my daughter who is working as a hairdresser on the Valor. I would like to say how impressed I was with everything. We had expected a “Butlins at Sea”, but we found a lovely ship with something for everyone. We were a little disappointed with the Steakhouse, but mainly because the standard of food and choices in the main dining room were so good! We were also amazed to hear that there were about 900 under 18s on the ship – the younger ones were so unbobtrusive that the clubs must have been doing an excellent job.
My question is about tipping. I know that in the Spa they don’t get a wage, and if they don’t get clients they end up owing their employer money!
How does it work with Carnival staff? Is their share of the tips their wage, or do they get a good basic plus the auto-tips? We gave personal tips as well as the auto-tip, but would like to know for future reference. Thanks.
Hello John, we (Xavier, my Mom – Sandra and my Grandmother – Naomi) met you on the Dream Bloggers Cruise. Thank you for helping to make this a very very special experience for my Mom, Sandra. She has been battling cancer for many years. It had been in remission, but the week before the curise she was advised that it was no longer in remission and the brain tumors were growing rapidly. My Mom loves cruising with Carnival and she especially enjoys your humor, so thanks for this blog thingy. She always tells us that she has a warped sense of humor…smile!!! So no doubt, she really understands your humor. Regardless of the pain and discomfort that she endures, she made sure that my grandmother and I had a great time, too. That is the special lady that she is. A special thanks to Craig for all of his assistance. The Cruise was a very good Cruise. The staff did everything they could to make up for the little problems that we encountered. But, some people will complain no matter what. My Mom taught us to always see the glass from the half full prespective, so with the lemons we make lemonade. Special thanks to Henry our cabin steward, who went above and beyond the call of duty. The diningroon staff was great and Ken brings life to every dinner evening. Our plan is to cruise again in the near future, once this new Chemo regiment is done. In the meantime, I know she will keep reading your blog thingy and smile quietly. Again, thanks for helping to make her Dream cruise a very special pleasure.
Xavier
Dear John,
I agree that I would attend a Christmas eve or day service if one was offered. One of my favorite memories was when our family was cruising on a cruise line that is no longer in service about twenty years ago. The ship’s staff put on an event Christmas eve that included carols, songs and discriptions of how they celebrated the holiday in their countries around the world. The presentation was very well received by the passengers and the staff seemed to have really enjoyed sharing their traditions. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Cheers,
Peter
Just a thought, no need to reply. As far as Holiday Services are concerned, finding a priest/minister who would be able to leave his parish during the Christmas season may be very difficult. On the other hand, having a service, via satellite feed from the major religions, sent directly the ships could help fill the void. Additionally, if it is a public service, and if a deacon, elder, etc is available, they could assist with the broadcast.
John, I’m sure if you showed the Pope’s midnight Mass from the Vatican on the big screen or in the main lounge guest would attend. I’m sure it was watched by some in their cabins. It is broadcast every year.
BIG ED
Kudos to your lack of response to the terrible boar who thinks English is the only language and anyone that cannot speak it perfectly should not be on Carnival’s staff. I personally only speak English and being from Texas, some people may say I don’t speak it very well. However, on all of our 7 past cruises, we have run into staff from countries the world over. Some speak English better than others, but all spoke english to us. In addition, I have found that all of the staff, no matter where they are from or what their first language, have been very courteous, understanding, and helpful, in almost every situation.
Our very first cabin steward, on the Celebration, was named Aporn. He was from the Phillipines and although his English wasn’t perfect, he always took the time to ask us how our day was and greet us by name. Although I don’t know where he is now (Hopefully with Carnival still), he is one of the primary reasons we have sailed on six more cruises and have 2 planned for next year.
As a Navy veteran I have traveled to many countries. I find more people in other countries that at least attempt to learn English than I find American’s that attempt to learn another language (this includes myself).
Hi John
Please reply
Have been a fan of your blog for about a year now but never have had a decent question to ask, but do have one now. We will be on the Carnival Dream with you on the January 30 sailing returning to Port Canaveral on February 6th, with our flight leaving Orlando at 3:pm. What are the transpotation options available from the ship to the airport so we can get there in plenty of time for an international flight home?
Have really enjoyed your humour and stories and your lufe experiences and possibly getting a chance to shake your hand during our holiday. Our first experience with you as CD was back in Sertember of 1995 aboard the Carnival Imagination,our honeymoon cruise, when we enjoyed your bedtime story, so much so that we purchased that tape and have viewed it a number of times over the years, you had commented on the tape that it was one your best ever. We love a cruising holiday, but have only been four times, twice on Carnival (Imagination and Valor) and twice on NCL, Pride of America in Hawaii in 2008, like you say, not that pretty on the outside but very nice on the inside. We enjoy the free style dining very much and although it was an open seating arrangement we loved our servers so much that they wanted us back every night so we always had our reserved table every night (eight to twelve of us) with our great serving staff, pretty good service. We are not the kind of people that complain, we have nothing but good things to say about all of the cruises we’ve been on, just enjoy that fact that we are away from home, somewhere warm for awhile, as say this as it is -19C outside and going down to -33C tomorrow night new years eve, just hope its not windy. Yes those are about normal average temperatures here for this time of year. I can relate to your health issues also since i am too a somewhat well fed diabetic that struggles to keep fit, maybe we can meet up on the top deck some night and toss some old rotten eggs at the mall of the seas in St, Maarten or St. Thomas.
Cheers for now, wishing you and your family a very happy new year.
wayne.
John,
Skiing can be fun, it’s just not for everyone. I used to ski, never broke anything or ran into a tree.
I’ve always been impressed how the ship’s crew speak so well. My Spanish is terrible.
I would not go to any religious activity but as long as they don’t interfere with the cruise experience I’m ok with having them. I never cruise during Christmas or Easter anyway.
KathyG
Hi John,
We would really appreciate having a priest on board to say Mass especially during the holidays. When that doesn’t happen we try to find a church in port. Last year on the Carnival Splendor we did that a couple of times but were at sea for one Sunday. We were able to catch a broadcast on the TV of a Mass so that was good. But especially for Christmas and Easter we would like to see a Mass on the ship.
The person who complained about the crew not speaking English is totally wrong. Sure some of them have a strong accent but then again I have a hard time understanding some from the US South or northeast. The crew speaks much better English than I speak whatever their language happens to be so that works for us.
Say Hi to Heidi and Kye for us.
George and Linda
I did cruise on Christmas on Carnival Victory. My husband and I would have attended a service if one was offered. The Carnival Paradise looks inviting. Maybe I will check it out in person.
Happy New Year to you, Heidi and Kye.
John,
We we’re lucky to get people who speak English at all to serve us in the States, I think Carnival does a wonderful job of having a staff that can communicate with their customers.
I’d also appreciate a service on Christmas and Easter. But I also don’t expect Carnival to bring me my exact religious experience when I travel.
NO I would NOT miss having services on board ship. When I go on vacation-thats what it is vacation! I would not be inclined to go. I would probably be on a shore excursion somewhere instead!
So to answer your question-NO we do NOT need these services on the ships.
John:
Meant to add….
if someone doesn’t like the size of the lobster tail…all they have to do is order 2.
Personally, the entrees are usually more than I can eat. I wish they had a “child’s portion” because I hate to see food go to waste.
Thankfully, usually David is right there to “help me out”.
As far as having clergy on board for the holidays….
Christmas and Easter may be nice…but then again, it would be virtually impossible to cover “all the religious bases”…and if Carnival did it for one and not another…there would be complaints.
If someone wants to worship, all they have to do is… WORSHIP. I can assure folks that if their heart is right with God…the way the praise is structured doesn’t matter!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John, Please reply–or perhaps one of the 343 Stephanies can–
I always enjoy learning more about the various CDs, Captains and other crew members through the interviews you do with them (and their letters or postings to you). Seems like those could be eaiser to find either by listing them as links on the side of the homepage or if we need to look using the search engine then having each entry in turn opening to that reference and having the reference highlighted in yellow. This would make it easier to locate! Thanks and enjoy your time at home. Sandra and I are heading back out in February and will be on the Victory this time meeting Karl and his merry band of entertainers. Linda
Having a service onboard for Christmas would be wonderful, it might be hard to find a priest to do it during Christmas week (can you say free cruise to all retired preists) because that’s the churches busiest time, but if you could pull it off, it would give wearepassingtheofferingplatearoundandthosewhodon’tgivewillendupwithasteakuptheirarseandbecharged29.95forit of the seas to shoot for, just another service you offer that your competition doesn’t. If you did decide to take an offering, it would be a great way to give back to the communities Carnival visits.
While we have not booked a Christmas cruise, as our kids are young, I could see it as a wonderful vacation when my kids are high school and college age.
I can speak for my husband and say that he would be quite upset if there was no service available either Christmas Eve (I think the preference of most) or Christmas morning. But think of the posibilities? Can you just imagine an open air evening service under the stars with everyone holding a white candle and signing Silent Night? It wouldn’t have to be anything complex…kind of like a sunrise service for Easter. God will provide all the majesty you need.
I am sure if Carnival made the price right, it would be no problem finding ordained priests or ministers…perhaps providing a few a vacation that they could not otherwise afford? Just a thought.
Thank you for your wonderful blog, and your on going work to keep Carnival the best cruise line around.
Sking?…Not for me either. As we know I fall on land (ie my little disaster in Grand Turk). I would never pass up a cruise for cold, there’s enough of that in New England…
Miss all the Bloggers and of course you!
Love to Heidi and Kye, Peggy
I just want to post a short Thanks! for highlighting the Carnival Paradise. I sometimes think the ships on the West Coast get forgotten about so it was nice to see the shout out for the Paradise. I have two upcoming cruises in 2010 both on the Paradise and I am looking forward to both!!
John,
I am more likely to attend a service around 1900 hours. I really never gave a thought to Christmas Service however, as I assumed there was some sort of service available on board. We are contemplating a Christmas Cruise departing either Port Canaveral or Tampa, preferably Port Canaveral either this Christmas (2010) or next and we also are contemplating a Thanksgiving Cruise either this year or next. The only reason we haven’t done so thus far is that we do not know what to expect from those cruises. I have searched different sites and found some wild answers as to what to expect. What we do know, however, is that we would receive the Royal treatment! That is priceless!
We are aware how hard it is to learn a second language! You see English is my second language. I studied English in high school for four years and when I left to make my place in the world, I was met with all kinds of criticism, some constructive, for my accent and slow talk. I still have trouble with the English language as I get older I am slippin’ into my old habits. I guess by now you all have guessed I am an old hillbilly! I was raised so far back in the woods that we didn’t get the grand ole opry until Wednesday night! (An old joke, I know, but one the older cruisers will recognize.) We have been on 11 cruises thus far, 8 with Carnival and we have never been on a ship that the crew members were not able to talk with us about our needs, wants or anything else we desired IN ENGLISH! In fact, the only communication barrier I have had on any cruise ship is the fact that I have a significant hearing loss. Other cruisers with this problem will understand what I am conveying.
We generally cruise in February for our anniversary or late March to early April for spring break and have cruised in the summer.
Keep up the good work, John!
John,
I would love to see Carnival have either Catholic or Non-Denominational services at Christmas and Easter. In fact, one of the reasons I don’t cruise at these times is because there are no services, or the services are hit-or-miss.
Therefore, if Carnival had religious services for these holidays, I would be more likely to cruise with Carnival during these times.
Thanks for asking,
Alice
John,
First of all let me say, “My Lance” sure does know how to tell it like it is! I agree with everything he said.
Ok, now it seems as I used to be known as “The Church Lady” with Big Ed’s Crew, let me tell you if I was on a cruise for Christmas and/or Easter, I wouldn’t go to service even if it was provided. You see, you will find this hard to believe but I rarely go to those services at my own church or I would go to the least “popular” service. I really think that my seat is better left for the hypocrites that only goes to church on the holidays. You can worship anywhere, anytime you want to; can you imagine sitting up on deck watching the sunrise? To me that would be a great place to have private time with who you believe in. Why would I want to spend the holiday with a minister I don’t know, people I don’t know, with a service I may not like?
I can do that at home. Those who want to attend a service should stay home over those special holidays and go to their own church. There is always another cruise they can go on. Ok, I’m off the soap box.
Now about not being able to understand the crew because they don’t speak perfect English. Get a life! The crew works so hard plus learning another language, they do a great job. I have never had a problem with not being able to communicate with any crew member. Plus, how do they smile all the time when they are working….something Americans should learn to do!
Ok, now for skiing….forget about it….just cruise!!!
Hi John,
About the passenger who couldn’t understand the crew member’s English… I think it takes an open mind to understand accented English, but it is certainly easier than learning English as a second language! I commend your staff for being able to communicate in more than one language, it’s more than I can say for myself.
Tankuverymud,
Di
Dear John,
In answer to your question, yes, I would attend Midnight Mass or Christmas morning Mass if were offered onboard, and I were fortunate enough to be sailing during Christmas!
I would advise, however, that Carnival provide Christmas morning or Christmas Vigil Mass only, though, rather than attempt a Midnight Mass.
I sing in my church’s choir, and we perform a little 20-minute Christmas program before all the Christmas Masses. This year, I was there for Vigil Mass and Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, as well as morning Mass on Christmas Day. Every year, I notice that the Vigil Mass has the highest attendance, followed by (and some years surpassed by) the Christmas morning Mass. Midnight Mass, though well-attended, still always has the least amount of people in the church for Christmas.
So I’m thinking that if midnight Mass is the least attended at a Catholic church on land, then you will have even fewer participants at sea because 1)The ship’s Catholic population would be lesser and 2) not all Catholics feel obligated to attend Mass while they’re on vacation.
Just my voodoo logic.
Laura
Dear John,
Skiing vs Cruising:
I used to ski back in my college days. Then I could get a lift ticket, rent skis (Before I bought my own) have lunch at the Chalet for twenty bucks. Now it costs the same as a seven day cruise.
Skiing is cold.
Cruising is hot. Winner
Skiing you fall down alot
Crusing I fall down into a Carnival Comfort Bed.
Winner
Skiing you can go to foriegn countries if you have enough money.
Cruising you can go to foriegn countries for little money (ON Carnival anyway) Winner
Skiing you meet snobs
Cruising you meet fun people. Winner
Skiing you have to go out to restraurants and pay extra and the food can suck..
Cruising the fabulous food is included. Winner
I think I will keep on Cruzin’
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
If there were a Catholic Mass, interdemonational service, nondemonational service, etc. on board to celebrate a religious holiday, both my husband and I would attend. During our recent Spirit cruise, a service was not offered and we celebrated the Holiday privately.
On previous cruises we have attented a Jewish candle lighting ceremony (and after seeking permission because it was held in a meeting room and we are not Baptist), a Baptist mass.
John, I have been on 3 Cruises with Captain Domenico Cilento! I have great pictures for him! Of New Years Eve Cruise. But, I lost his email address he gave me to send the pictures too! Do you have a site or email for him? I am Cruising again in May do you know what Ship he will be on in May? Thanks, Trish Knox
18 Cruises & counting!