It seems that the vast majority of you like our new commercial, as do I. It was fun, it got people talking and you know it’s message is received loud and clear when Heidi says that the “Dad” who stars in it and puts down his blackberry and stops checking his messages for seven days ………. should be me.
Obviously I haven’t seen the commercial on TV (only on the computer) and I am sure it comes over brilliantly as will the commercials we will feature during the Winter Olympic Games. The two negative comments I read were concerning the fact that the girl is blowing a bubble and we don’t sell bubble gum onboard ……. fair point……and the second comment was that blogger Andrea M said that Carnival should hire a famous spokesperson……….well on that one Andrea ……..respectfully……….I disagree.
Obviously we had many successful years with Kathie Lee Thingy and the shots of her skipping around lido deck singing about how we have the fun in both the morning and the evening while surrounded by preposterously good looking people were good for the times. But times have changed and today’s commercials need to be short, sharp, hip and cool and that is I think what we have brought you with the first of our new spots. If we were to hire a “famous” spokesperson who would it be and would having a famous person help sell cruises?
I think the answer to the second part of that question is no………..but I am sure if we ever wanted to find an “A” lister to sell Carnival on TV…………it wouldn’t be a problem because these days it seems anyone will endorse anything…………..if the price is right.
I like to think I still have principles………..let me explain. If Gerry Cahill our president personally asked me to host a charter of the National Association of Bed Wetters or the World’s Smelliest Feet Contest on one of our ships ……….I would say yes. Whereas, if he were to ask me to host a charter for AIG I would say no, sorry, find someone else. You see, they lost Heidi, Kye and I 70% of my retirement fund because they allowed some young wankers…… sorry……. bankers to spend my savings on lobster and lap dancers. Therefore I would say no to having anything to do with them.
But, I wonder………..is there still one celebrity who, when offered a bucket load of cash, doesn’t ask just one question — Where do I park my wheelbarrow? Who doesn’t wonder “Should I do this awful commercial?” but “Will it buy me a vacation villa next to Elton John’s?”
I don’t know what it’s like in America and Canada but here in the UK the TV ads are full of millionaire celebrities pocketing thousands of dollars
In the US I know famous people get paid millions to appear in Super Bowl commercials. Actors, comedians, celebrities and sportsmen, sportswomen and who in previous decades might have shuddered and drawn the line at a cheesy commercial now seem to form an orderly line to fill their Gucci boots without a flicker of shame. How much money does one person actually need anyway? How much can you spend in a lifetime? Does $60 million make you quantifiably more happy than $59 million? At what point is enough, enough? It’s an interesting question.
Here we have Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Angelina Jolie, Hugh Laurie, Dame Judy Dench, Dame Helen Mirren and Dame David Beckham Stephen all of whom are people who have surprised me by lending themselves to the ad man or woman. I mean, Brad Pitt is selling Levis for God’s sake. Do people buy Levi’s because Brad wears them?……..the fact that he probably wears Versace or some other Italian designer jeans is probably missed on most people. Look at poor Cheetah Woods. He advertises Buick cars yet he was driving a Cadillac when his wife shoved a five iron up his arse. Here though is the one that is being shown in the UK that gets on my nerves …………….the most.
Have a look at this
Heidi and I bought one of these machines and the coffee tastes like it has been brewed in Dwyane Wade’s jockstrap. Oh……..and ……I should very much enjoy for George Clooney to drop by one day and explain why each spoonful of the Nespresso coffee he advertises so suavely needs to be wrapped in an individual container. I am no environmentalist, but he is, and I would love to hear his views on why such an enormous amount of packaging is a good idea.
So, no…..I don’t think a celebrity is needed to advertise Carnival Cruise Lines …… but ………..if we did ever go that way…….who would you like to see as the star of the commercials….it would be interesting to read who you think is right for the role……. hhmmmm…..Megan Fox’s bottom on Lido Deck………….now that would make be buy a cruise.
Time for today’s questions………..away we go.
KITKAT0229 Asked:
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, KatrinaJohn Says:
Hello KatrinaThis is one of those questions that due to my inability to catch up with the questions I am asked to reply to I am late in answering. I hope you got your Black Eyed Peas though and I truly hope you had a wonderful New Year’s cruise and please write and let us know all about it.
Best wishes
JohnShelley Kresak Asked:
(Please Reply)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
ShelleyJohn Says:
Hello ShelleyThanks for the kind wishes Shelley and if you could send me a posting marked for my reply with the ship and sailing date as well as your cabin number I will be honoured (spelt correctly).
Best wishes to you both
JohnVivienne Paige Asked:
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.John Says:
Hello VivienneHow kind of you to think of my good mate Captain Rassello. He has fully recovered and is due to rejoin the Carnival Glory as captain at the end of February. I will send him your kind regards as you requested. I didn’t see the Mardi Gras Capers yet but I am sure he will be showing them to me soon and that I am sure will bring back many happy memories.
Thanks again and best wishes
JohnTerri Asked:
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 LarryJohn Says:
Hello Terri and LarryI am so glad that you liked the Anytime Dining option. More and more people seem to be opting for this but I know that some still are not sure, especially those who have cruised many times and are used to the assigned seating. However, the flexibility of dining when you want is invaluable and thanks for confirming this is so. I know the new Captain’s celebration has gotten generally favourable reviews by our guests but we’re still reviewing the reports from the ships to see what the overall opinions are. It certainly is not set in stone so let’s see what the future brings.
Please send me your full review here on the blog thingy. Include the good and the areas you feel we could improve on. We certainly need to read those and most importantly I am glad you had a great time. Thanks for the kind words and my best wishes to you both.
JohnKevin J Asked:
John Please replyWhat is it about Cruise Critic…that they can’t 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 Says:
Hello Kevin JIt must seem that sometimes I write as though I am not a fan of Cruise Critic when actually I seriously am. The majority of what is posted there is written by people who have opinions that are factually based. However, there is a small minority of people who write stuff that is ridiculous to the extreme and do so to try and influence others not to cruise with a certain line. That’s what makes my hemorrhoids flare up. However, it is a great site and a great way for people to get info on different cruise lines and meet new friends on the ships. I will see you soon and I promise to do all I can to make sure you have the best cruise ever.
Best wishes
JohnBrian Asked:
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!!!!!John Says:
Hello BrianI am sure you have been reading my postings about Mahogany Bay in recent blogs and will have seen what a gorgeous place it is as you will see for yourself when you dock there on the Carnival Triumph next month. I hope you will write and tell us all about it. I am glad you both had fun on the Bloggers Cruise. Best wishes and have fun on the Carnival Triumph.
JohnKatiel53 Asked:
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.
John Says:
Hello Katiel53Ahhh yes…..tipping. This is a subject that everyone has an opinion on. I remember the days when I worked in the dining room as a wine steward, before the days of Sail & Sign and automatic 15% gratuity charges on guests’ bills. There was something magical about getting that envelope at the end of the cruise, running down to your cabin to open them and leap for joy when you would find a few $10 bills or to cry like a baby when one family who you had been serving wine all cruise long had given you $1………….Canadian!
Nowadays of course the tips are placed on your Sail & Sign card and all guests have the right to adjust them accordingly. There are arguments for and against this and of course there is the argument that service would improve if gratuities were not automatic. I for one do not agree with this. We need our crew to give the best possible service regardless of tips being automatic…….or not. And I think most would agree that the service you receive now from your dining room staff and from your stateroom steward is fun and of the highest standard despite the gratuity being automatically added.
Some guests remove them because they prefer to pay in cash and some……..lets face it ………. remove them because they don’t want to pay it. Those people can be found eating dinner on the last night of a cruise…………..on the Lido Deck. Harsh………..but true.
As I said though, this is only a tiny few and of course as you said, if service has not been of the standard you expect then yes…..remove them……….absolutely. By the way, while tipping is still the normal thing to do in North America in other parts of the world it is not. P &O Australia’s announcement this month that it would abandon the practice of adding gratuities to passengers’ bills may be something other “international” lines may adopt. Still…..to me…….tipping is simple. Did you get good service?………..then tip. The End.
I would be interested to read others thoughts on this.
Best wishes Katiel53 and thanks for taking the time to write
JohnBugs Asked:
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 accessible.
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, bugsJohn Says:
Hello BugsThank you so much for this honest review of the Carnival Dream and to me the most important part of it was your mention of not paying attention to what others have written and making up your own mind.
We know there are still areas that we must improve on and you touched on those in your report. These are mostly to do with seating and service when we have the very high 4,000 plus counts during holiday cruises although obviously the comedy shows are very popular. We are looking now, as I write, at all the show schedules to see what we can do to make this better for all.
However, it seems that you had a great time and that is brilliant news. I will make sure that the ship is copied on this and they get to read all about your experiences. I hope it’s not too long before we cruise together again soon. Best wishes to you and the family.
JohnMargaret Hall Asked:
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.John Says:
Hello MargaretThanks for the touching tribute to your husband whom it sounds needs your Carnival Dream vacation to get here soon. Ken is unfortunately on vacation but I have sent your request to the ship and I am sure the Maitre D will do all he can to help you. I will be there as well so hopefully we will bump into each other. Best wishes to all and see you soon.
John
That’s all for today and thanks to everyone for your comments.
Time for the news and let’s start with a follow up to yesterday’s blog and my proud announcement that our humble blog thingy had won an award. Well, I was not the only winner as you will see now as Vance tells us about another winner……….Mahogany Bay.
New Mahogany Bay Cruise Center Earns Top Honors in Porthole Magazine’s 2010 Editor-in-Chief Awards
That’s great news and of course our new facility on Roatan is a worthy winner. Congratulations to Giora Israel and his corporate team and please make sure that you all mark this down on your must visit ports of call. I can’t wait to see it for myself on my Carnival Dream in a few weeks.
Now, there seems to have been a few problems opening the cruise director schedule which as a link thingy over there on the right hand side. It seems that it would only open if you had something called Fire Squirrel which is a computer ……….ummm………..thingy………….however, one of the 343 Stephanies has now done something that means that it will open for everyone.
And we need to add a new link thingy to the page as well because many, many of you requested the Piano Bar schedule. Our entertainers there have become iconic and I know for many it is your favourite place to be onboard. So, with that in mind and with thanks to Rob King for sending it to me……….here is……..the Piano Bar Entertainers schedule for the first part of 2010.
Carnival Paradise – Jordan Heppner 01/04/10
Carnival Liberty – Duane Lewis 01/09/10
Carnival Dream – Vince Strong 01/09/10
Carnival Ecstasy – Patrick Leng 01/18/10
Carnival Elation – Colin Kadey 01/24/10
Carnival Legend – Robert Crucilla 01/24/10
Carnival Inspiration – Conn Davis 01/25/10
Carnival Glory – Jason Davis 01/31/10
Carnival Triumph – Wally Boik 02/01/10
Carnival Miracle – Rick Atha 02/24/10
Carnival Spirit – Peter Brenner 03/11/10
Carnival Imagination – Robert Stiel 04/09/10
Carnival Valor – Larry Maconaghy 04/18/10
Carnival Fantasy – Richard Canter 05/15/10
Carnival Pride – Roger Concepcion 06/13/10
Carnival Sensation – Tom Riccio 06/20/10
Carnival Conquest – Jason Martin 07/18/10
Carnival Destiny – Bill Barclay TBA
Carnival Freedom – Greg Gallello TBA
Carnival Splendor – Steve Brisley TBA
Carnival Victory – Angela Johnson TBA
By the way, the Fascination is missing as she is heading to dry dock.
Talking of dry dock, the Carnival Glory will soon be heading there and I am going to be asking Captain Cutugno to send us a daily dry dock blog. The ship will be receiving:
• Serenity
• Seaside Theatre
• Circle “C”
• 18 Spa Deck Ocean View staterooms converted to balcony staterooms
• Your Time Dining” will be available on both levels of the forward dining room
• Addition of the Mongolian Wok on the Lido* (exact date of completion TBD)
• WiFi bow to stern
We look forward to reading all about it.
Time for today’s slide show which features some spectacular photos of the first ever ship I delivered from new as a Cruise Director………..The Carnival Sensation.
Have a look at all these brilliant shots.
By the way, are you enjoying these slide shows? I hope so and my thanks to Stephanie H for putting them together and my sincere thanks to the Hotel Director Nickos D. Batistatos for sending in the photos which are a clear and current reminder that our older ships still look stunning and provide thousands of our guests with a fun for all vacation.
As you know I always have my Raspberry (blackberry) with me and Heidi does not like this very much which is why she loved the comment on our new commercial. Recently our Super Spy PA 007 showed me how to use a device on it called Blackberry Messenger which is a bit like MSN thingies that allow instant messaging. And Heidi caught me doing this last night while she was talking to me about the moving Kye off booby milk onto solids and was not amused to discover that my friend Alan and I were sending vulgar messages to each other.
Today’s politicians all use Blackberries and I would imagine that this sort of thing happens at United Nations meetings. President Obama sending a message to Prime Minister Gordon Boyle saying “look at the jugs on that delegate from Latvia.”
Or Prime Minister Boyle sending one to President Obama asking, “What’s that smell?”…….and President Obama replying “It’s President Sarkozy.”
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 still think that they should use you in the commercial’s. Your funny and unless someone is a grouch you make everyone laugh.
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Hi John,
Brrrrrr. Looks cold in the UK. Here is a satellite shot showing the white stuff
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47061000/jpg/_47061196_greatbritainjpg.jpg
Regards,
bill
I’m a day behind in the blogs…but did want to respond to your question about music in the dining room. I don’t remember the music specifically from our cruise on the Freedom this past summer (that we were lucky enough to share with you!)…but I do remember that the dining room was noisy. That tells me that if there was music playing, it was just adding to the noise. Anyway…we were seated with a lovely couple at dinner. They were on their 26th (or 27th…they weren’t sure) cruise and it was fascinating to hear their cruise stories…except it was hard to hear each other. So my vote…no music in the dining room.
One other music comment…I love tea time on sea days and was disappointed to see that it was held in the dining room on the Freedom. I missed the intimacy of having tea time in one of the small lounges. And although the piano music was nice…I truly enjoy the string trios that have played on previous cruises during tea time.
I have just booked the Carnival Legend for August 15th, 2010 and am so excited! We are taking our adult children and their spouses this time and looking forward to a family cruise together. We did this five years ago on the Victory and had a fabulous time! I am looking forward to seeing the cruise director schedule for the last half of the year when it becomes available…and have my fingers crossed that we might get to sail with you once again!
About the famous spokesperson… I agree… don’t need it. After all, what famous spokesperson hasn’t sullied the name of the product by having sex with 27 blonds or being caught with a half dozen handguns in his locker that he didn’t intend to use? Or, perhaps, some very strong swimmer who smokes dope and is dumb enough to have pictures taken while he’s smoking it? Nope… we need average people. No Hollywood glitz and glamor… we need folks, average, run of the mill cruisers doing what average run of the mill cruisers do… having fun.
Mahogany Bay looks better every time I look at it. I can’t wait to visit!
Thanks so much for the repair to the link for the Cruise Director’s schedule. Lots of folks have been asking questions about who will be on what ship when so this is great!
Please thank all of the Stephanies for their hard work and please pass along best regards to Heidi and Kye for Stitch and me.
Ciao!!
Host Mach
Hey John… I like the CD schedule link thingy.. and the promise of a piano bar entertainer schedule link.. My wife is an a huge fan of the piano bar so she is very interested in who will be our piano bar player on each cruise. I looked at the CD schedule and saw that Todd will be our CD once we finally can make it down to cruise on our Carnival Dream in June. This will be the fourth cruise with Todd as our CD! We have had the pleasure of sailing with Steve Cassel twice and Wheeee Jimmy once. Its nice to know what to expect but a little variety would be nice too! Hopefully one of these days we can manage to cruise with you…
Congratulations on the award to you and all the Stephanies! Keep the blogs coming.
And lastly- enjoy your last couple of weeks with your girls.. give Kye lots of hugs and kisses (or maybe not.. no need to traumatize the poor girl.
)
John, please reply
I’ve been working with some wonderful people over at one of your sister cruise lines, Costa. One of them is Debbie in reservations(I don’t have her last name). The other is Angela Caicedo in the deviation department. Thanks to both of them, my GD & I have a wonderful trip planned for this summer on Costa in the Med. How do I let Costa know what a great help they have been to me? Could you either forward this on to the appropriate people at Costa, or let me know how to do it? As you might remember from previous postings, I was a bit leery going outside Carnival for this cruise. I’m glad I took your advice, as they have been excellent.
Thanks,
Joyce
John (Please reply)
. Thanks John and I hope we get to meet when I am on board in Feb.
I hope you get this in time to answer before we leave. We will be joining you on the Carnival Dream in 36 days!!!!!!!!Yeah!!!! a few months ago I asked if you could give us an approximent count of kids on board for the Feb 13, 2010 sailing. My 6 and 3 yr olds are both excited to be coming and I would like to know that the are going to have plenty of new friends on board
John, I bet you were telling Alan that your glad you will now have those “boobies” back to yourself. So you better be nice to Heidi or she will start sending you to the doghouse again.
As for a commercial I suggest Carnival put me in a Spa cabin for 6 months and record my weight loss in the Spa. I could be Carnival’s BIGgest Losser. I bet I could dump 200 pounds in the 6 months.
BIG Ed
JOHN!!!! GET BETTY WHITE TO DO YOUR COMMERICALS!!!! SHE’S A REAL HOOT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES!!!!
YOU NEED TO PLAY DOWN “THE PARTY SHIP” AND PLAY UP MORE RELAXING AND ENJOYMENT OF ACTIVITIES.
PEOPLE OVER AGE 35 TO 65 ARE YOUR KEY TARGET!
Keep the slide shows coming! Thanks Stephanies! The floor (Deck?) of Serenity area of the Sensation looks stunning.
John, you need to listen to Jimmy Buffet’s new song “A Lot to Drink About.” It is a hoot and boy is it ever so true. There is a video of it on his website.
The rich, famous, and just plain deluded–They all live in this fantasy world where their money can buy anything they want. They have no concept of what it is to struggle of what it is like at all. They all have personal assistants, chefs, chauffers, private jets/yachts/villas at the beck and call….Me, and most others, have a modest house we can just barely afford, or enough to save a few dollars for an annual tropical vacation!
I wish I had more money, but I do not
A reader just commented on the tipping policy and how upset they are with the fact that too many guests try to find ways to get out of paying a gratuity. I wanted to give my two cents on two cent tips. My husband and I always prepay our gratuity because it helps with our budgeting. However, what we have found is that we consistantly have received service that way beyond anything we could have ever expected. As a result we have found that it would only be just to leave “extra” for our waitstaff and cabin attendant. My husband jokes that he hates getting up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom on board a Carnival ship because he always returns to find his bed made and a chocolate on his pillow. Our waiters seem to take only seconds to learn our preferences and strive to provide them thereafter without us needing to ask. They treat our four children, no matter how many times they have spilled their drink, with kindness and and help bring out their laughter. I will never forget the time that our son (who was 8 at the time) would not let go of the bear hug he had around our waiter and sobbed tears because he was having to say goodby. By the end of our Carnival cruises I have always wished our waiters could pull up a chair and share a meal with us instead of surving us because they have grown to feel like part of our “family” and not part of “the help”. When your employees have been able to create these feelings for us each and every time…how can we justify not give them more than the “recommended amount”? Unfortunantly, they have not “earned” what we end up giving them…we are saddened at the fact that we wish we could afford to leave them much more because they certainly deserve it. They alway have “earned” more than the “recommended amount” and they are trully what makes our vacation so special every single time.
So to all those who try to get out of leaving a tip or lowering the amount…SHAME ON YOU!
Mari Mena
John,
I can appreciate your comment about the billions of dollars lost (collectively) in our retirement accounts since 2008. I know my DW and I would be onboard many more CCL, HAL, Princess, etc. cruises if we hadn’t lost 1/3 of our portfolio. Good for you that you acknowledge that AIG, Bank of America, etc. should not be chartering “our” ships.
David
No celebrities on my Carnival commercials. And the present ads fall short in the USA of doing anything for anyone. I just don’t get it. Ask the passengers who love Carnival to appear in commercials. The ones who work their tush off all year long to sail for 7 days on Carnival. My wife and I are saving up to book the Dream out of Port Canaveral for 7 days on October 30th 2010. It’s going to be tough, but that’s our goal. Real people need to be representing Carnival not millionaires who don’t even hang about cruise ships.
John,
About the commercial, I saw it on tv and the girl with the bubble gum wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Please don’t use anybody famous (unless it is you). If I had a choice I think it would have been cute to have the dad pop a beach ball to tie in with the largest beach ball commerical. Or have the dad pull a cord of a pinata hanging over her head and have tons of candy fall out. Ya, I know , stupid ideas that’s why I don’t work for Carnival…lol.
About tipping. I like it added to the sail and sign account. If we have someone who we think has gone above and beyond their job, we also give them cash. We always find some employees we want to give a little something extra to.
I love the slide shows! Stephanie H does an excellent job on them!
John – (please reply),
Perhaps others would be interested as we are to know the ultimate fate of the former Carnival ships that have been retired from Carnival’s fleet. Do you know if they have become scrap, were used as passenger carriers or what? Thanks.
Ken
I have been following your blog for awhile now. My husband and I are booked on the Carnival Dream (3/6-13) and I was very excited to see that you will still be on the Dream for our trip! Can you tell us the name of the Maitre’d? We have sailed w/Carnival 5 times and 4 of them have had Youseff (don’t know more…) as the Maitre’d. We love him and were hoping that perhaps he had transferred to the Dream. We love your blog and articles – you really should do TV commercials!
Nancy Sterner
York PA
Please Reply
John,
Happy & Healthy New Year to you & your family. I reviewed the piano bar list of entertainers. What happened to Ron Passalacqua?
Gary
John, I think the celebrity spokesman for the commercials should be you.
I do love watching the slide shows of the Carnival ships. It is fun to see how they differ and how they are the same.
Happy New Year John Heidi and Kye
John do you have any info on the Magic yet?
Thanks
John, I can not think of a single “celebrity” that would entice me to cruise on any line. I agree with Frank and Bridie, you would do just fine as the “Pitch Man”.
John,
I really enjoyed the topic of today’s blog. I quite agree on everything you said. Love the commericals (as one of the reasons I was so excited to get my kids with us on THEIR first cruise was to witness “Cruise Mode Mom” and “Cruise Mode Dad”…it is an actual phenomenon in our house). Something inexplicable does happen to you when you are pampered and catered to and treated like…well, like you want to scrimp and save for another year to do it all over again!
As for the ads here in the US, it’s fact that our celebs actual do ads over there (Europe) that they wouldn’t do here…I’m not sure why. LOL
Waiting not-so-patiently to book our next Carnival cruise…next up the Liberty!
Stacey
Hi John,
sorry, I couldn’t resist to post this reply:
“Anyone read John Healds blog?
How about the Carnival Chillax?
j/k ”
in this thread over at the Cruise Critics forums:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1116725
All the best,
André
I was looking through different websites for Carnival’s fleet. After reading your blog, it doesn’t matter how great the ship is or how wonderful your British accent comes across, I’m going to set sail with anything other than the Dream.
Declasse, John, declasse,
Hi John,
I understand that details on the Carnival Magic itineraries will be released on January 19th. What does PA007 think?
In any event, Elizabeth and I are trying to wait patiently for bookings to open. It will be a Cove Balcony for sure.
Regards,
bill
John please reply: Love the new advert and appreciate the slide shows/pictures/videos etc. All of these things help us decide where to go next year on our Carnival Cruise! However, in Canuck land, we do not see the Carnival adverts. Also you wanted me to remind you re:our friends (their first cruise) that we convinced to go cruising with us, that it will be their anniversary on Feb. 16th. Would it be possible for us to just have a table for 4 by a window? I know this is a huge request to expect and if it cannot happen, we certainly understand. We have the 6pm seating. Also, haven’t heard from the lady (sorry can’t remember her name) re: my husband sending his CV in for doing chaplain duty with Carnival. Thank-you and all the crew at Carnival for making memories for my husband and I
Regards,
Angela Guptill
Carnival Dream Feb.13th/10
John,
I do not think Carnival should use a celebrity in their commercials. Currently the commercials show “real” families (yes, I know they are actors) having fun. They look natural.
When using a famous celebrity you run the risk of tarnishing your image if the celebrity does something illegal or immoral or just plain stupid(i.e. Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, Jessica Simpson)
Off topic – Other then the excess amount of glitter that she wears, I think Jen Baxter is GREAT!
Roxi
Hi John,
We were on the Bloggers cruise on the dream in December and I would just like to say it was great meeting you , your staff and all the Bloggers that were there. Who are we? well if I told you that we came back to freezing condidtions back here in Edinburgh and that you name our daughter THE DRUNK, I am sure you and the rest will remember.
Wishing everyone a great year.
Len Cristine and Corrin
John:
I agree that Carnival does not need a celebrity endorsement. I don’t cruise Carnival because “Slop Dog” does….. I cruise Carnival because they make ME feel like the celebrity!!!
To Jim Berra: We truly appreciated the upgrade we received on our Triumph cruise last week.
THANK YOU!!!!
Ok…. we are home from the Triumph and this leaves me with a dilemma…..
for years….Tex has been my favorite cruise director. (which is why we have sailed with him 8 times) He is so handsome and so charming….not to mention his “moves” on the stage.
But as you know, we just sailed with Jorge again on the Triumph…..and oh my goodness…..
I have never laughed so hard in my life!!!! For the FIRST TIME in 10+ years, the travel talk was INTERESTING!!!! (actually it was down right hilarious)
DJ did not “connect” with any friends on this cruise, but still had a good time because he would sit in the cabin and watch Jorge’s shows and talks over and over again. Jorge’s comedy saved the day!
So now, I have a dilemma …..
is it ok to have TWO favorite cruise directors????
Will Tex feel slighted???
Will Jorge feel adequately appreciated if he has to share the title??
Will the French ever learn to bathe? (sorry….my train of thought jumped the track)
We had a marvelous cruise on the Triumph.
It started with Embarkation…..where Robert O. made us feel so very special. He is a remarkable gentleman and Carnival is blessed to have him as a Carnival Rep.
LeAnne (karaoke host) ROCKED! We had a blast, even though the Key Control on that CAVS system is broken. Can we get someone to replace the CDG player with a working key control???
Since we plan to cruise the Triumph A LOT and even if they add the new Ethermedia digital system….they always have the CAVS system set up for me. THANKS!!!!
Rick and Sophia (Entertainment Staff) were wonderful.
I saw a lot of crew that we have sailed with before (and they remembered me…imagine that). And a lot of passengers (who have sailed with me in the past) came up and spoke. They remembered me from karaoke. (imagine that….LOL)
Angel and Wilder (our wait staff) and Sri (cabin steward) and his assistant were all incredible!!!
Erica (DJ in the disco) made our DJ feel special. She is a sweetheart.
Brian and Justin (solo promenade and solo atrium) were great.
And (as luck would have it)….I won the Trivia contest at the Repeater’s Party. ( it was about Carnival Trivia…. imagine that)
So now we have 51 ships on a stick and ALL of them are prominently displayed in our game room.
(along with the various medals we have also acquired over the years) They are not stuck in a drawer…..they have their own display case….along with pictures of the various Legend Shows I have done.
Patrick and the orchestra were amazing. We had a blast in the Talent Show. They were so patient with us and really exceeded our expectations to make sure we were comfortable with our performance.
A shout out to Brian (sound tech) who we all know are the real “gods” of the theater…since one turn of a button and we can go from Whitney Houston to William Hung.
And of course, a very special thanks to Jorge. Our cruise would not have been the same without HIM!!
We got our funnel pins!!!! woo hoo!!!!
How does Carnival do it? Exceed our expectations time and time again….amazing!!!!
THANKS!!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
PLEASE REPLY~~
Ok so i am not overly fond of people asking for frivilous little favors but I wanted to know what you thought of our problem. We will be sailing on the Dream for our Superbowl Cruise on the Feb 6th sailing. We are SOOOOOO excited. All 1200 hundred of us. We were informed the other night at our Bonvoyage party that the first formal night is on Superbowl Sunday. They told us not to complain that there is nothing anyone can do that it cannot be changed. That’s fine…pretty much every husband won’t be there and some of the wives but i think most understand. While reading over things i had come across the fact that it looks like they do Lobster night on the 1st Formal Night. That is going to be such an issue for so many people on this cruise. The reason for the cruise is the Superbowl however Lobster night is something that MOST look forward to!! Will Carnival consider changing Lobster night to the 2nd formal night instead of the 1st to accomodate that fact that so many will miss it? I hope to hear back from you soon since we leave in 20 some days!!!!!!! Can’t wait to see your Bedtime Story show (hope you are still doing it) Thank you.
John,
I just wanted to drop a quick note, I have been reading the blog for a few months now and can honestly say I love it. Its great to follow the new and exciting things that develop with carnival. I will be cruising on the Carnival Valor on Feb 7th, is there any way to specifically request a table on the 2nd level of the Washington Dining room? I wasn’t sure if there is somewhere to email with dining requests.
Thanks!
Jeff
Great blog today John.
Mike and I just got back from a chili supper at the church we go to down here in Port Aransas. And of all the luck, we sat next to a woman who is going on the cruise on Thursday with a lot of us from the church. She proceeded in telling me that she ONLY sailed RCCL and that she and her husband had only sailed Carnival once and NEVER AGAIN. So, big mouth me said, we are going on a Carnival ship, not RCCL. She said yes we are but since it is “just” a 3 day cruise she decided to go . I told her it was a 4 day cruise and of course she argued with me for 2 minutes about that. Finally I gave up, not worth it. Then she proceeded in telling me that her and her husband always get invited to the Captains table. I swear she had a ring on every finger and they were huge. Who knows if they were diamonds but I should have asked her if she got them from Wal-Mart LOL. I decided she was not worth talking to so I turned around and talked to the couple in front of us. She is going to be complaining the entire time we are on this cruise, I can just tell. I can only imagine how she will treat the staff. Maybe someone will throw her overboard.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
I am new to your blog but I have found it very interesting and very helpful in our planning. BUT I need some help…I will be taking a cruise on Dream in October 2010 with my family and two other families. We all have children the same age but we are confused about about the Camp Carnival. Our oldest children will be 10 when we are cruising…the next set will all be 8 but the third set will be 6–one turning 6 on the second day of the cruise and the other one will be 6 a week after we return. We would like to keep the third set of children together in camp carnival but will the ages be a problem??
Secondly, what are our options for dining? We each have families of 5–two adults and 3 kids.
And lastly–I promise…my daughter and husband share a birthday which will take place during our cruise…Is there anyway beside a traditional cake that you have seen people make this day special. She is nervous that “it won’t be a fun 6th birthday” away from her extended family.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
how have you been long time no see and will you say hello to ken burns for me i will be sailing on the destiny feb 4 10 hope to see you again sometime
john please reply:
I know the past guest pins are available for sale in the gift shop but could you tell me how much they are?
thanks and hope all is well with the family,
Bobbyfk
No music in the dining room, please.
(Please Reply) Hi John, I wanted to Thank you so much for the wonderful fruit basket and gold ship trophy and wine, on our December 17 cruise on Sensation. Mike was just so happy he was beaming from ear to ear, Look Honey what John sent me!! We were on your second bloggers cruise and were with you with Wii Jimmy a few years back. I can’t say how much I look forward to reading your blog daily. I know, you say you want reviews of our cruise. We have been on many fantasy class ships and love the smallness ( if that is correct. I think all ships are HUGE. Ok lets say We have been on many of your smaller cruise ships) We wanted to see the Christmas decorations so just went on a three day cruise to Nassau, never got off the ship been to Nassau many times. I was surprised on how croweded the ship seemed? I have really never had to wait in long lines before, but no matter when we went it was a 20 minute line. No one seemed to get off the ship so it was always crowded. Which is fine, we met lots of nice people. I do have a few questions, Why is it , that only Lemonaide and ice tea and water, are the only cold beverages through out the day? The only time there was orange or apple juice was at breckfast. I asked a few people and it was like they didn’t know what I meant? ” sorry this what we have, Orange juice and apple juice is at breckfast. I know that, for our first cruise we had to buy a soda card because we just don’t like lemonaide or ice tea. Is it because it is a smaller ship? Will there be more juice choices in March when we cruise with you? ( Our ninth ) Also, Mike loves the roast beef sandwiches on the deli, and that wasn’t on the card to order? Again, hoping that it will be on the dream? We loved the shows , and Paul the CD , Really great people, great food, and company. The Christmas decorations were pretty, but yes I agree thought there would be a huge Christmas tree in the atrium. We loved the Christmas show that they put on , I was in tears when Paul said that we were the crews family at Christmas, and alot of the members came in with candles singing Silent night. It was priceless. I can not wait to see you in March, we finally got my sister and brother in law to join us on their first cruise, and so happy that their first cruise will be with you. Can’t wait to hear the bed time story, will you be doing the Dolly Parton ( we didn’t see that one ?) Well John I hope you have a Wonderful New Year with your beautiful wife and Adorable Daughter Kye. What size is she in I would love to bring her something in March. Thanks again John for all that you do…. Oh ya will you go down the slide with me??? In Your socks!!??!! PLEASE!!
I just finished a my second cruise on the Carnival Dream but this time I was in a Spa Suite So I thought I would submit a review.
The Dream is still as beautiful as it was when we cruised in Europe but I must admit the Spa Suite made a great cruise fantastic.
The proximity of the room to the spa made working out very convenient, and the addition of the bathtub was wonderful, though I’m not sure if all the spa suites have them. Had a maintenance problem; the bath tub plug was not working. Of course maintenance was right on it and is working a fix.
The spa facilities were fantastic. The equipment was all “state of the art” and the different saunas were a perfect addition to a relaxing cruise. The Thalassotherapy pool was awesome!
I would highly recommend a spa suite even if you are not inclined to use the gymnasium equipment; the Thalassotherapy pool and saunas make it well worth it.
The crew was as professional and accommodating as they always are. Capt Queirolo is a true professional and is respected and admired by his staff and approachable by all the passengers. As an ambassador for Carnival Cruise lines Capt Queirolo motivates first time and returning cruisers to be repeat cruisers. Hopefully he will lead the crew on the Carnival Magic in 2011.
Ok, now the constructive criticism; hopefully the guys with beards will read this part
In your spa suite you find a welcome letter, you take this letter to the spa desk and they will issue you your band to show you are authorized access to the private areas since you are in a spa suite.
To use the Thalassotherapy pool and the saunas (except the dry sauna), you need a key card to enter those areas. Every time you want to use the private areas you must line up with other customers to exchange your room key for the private area key card. I have wasted so much time just trying to exchange my room card for the private area card or return a card that it took a lot of the pleasure from the use of the private areas. Surely those in spa suites could have their room keys programmed to allow access to the private areas without having to wait in lines!
My wife had a minor problem with a spin class she signed up for. She signed up as soon as we boarded the ship; she was the first to sign up on the first of two classes. When she showed up for the class someone has crossed her name out. The instructor explained the sign-up sheets were not monitored and offered to remove the last person who had signed up. But she (my wife) felt that would be punishing someone else that didn’t deserve to be. She was offered the second spin class of the cruise but she wanted to take both classes so declined the offer.
We explained the issue to the spa supervisor, not to resolve what had happened but to try and ensure it would not happen to anyone else. I won’t give you her name as that is not necessary. Sadly, she was not very receptive. The problem itself was relatively minor but the lack of even feigned concern; rudeness and arrogance towards us makes it clear she needs remedial or more likely initial management and customer relations training. She tried the typical “what can I throw at you to make you go away” tactic, but when we shocked her and told her we did not want anything, only for her to tell us how she was going to prevent this from happening in the future it really threw here for a loop. At that point her rudeness really showed and we knew this was not going anywhere. A small problem has now become a big problem.
We were informed from guest services that that the spa supervisor does not have a supervisor on-board and is not accountable to anyone on the ship. I find this hard to believe but we confirmed it with two different guest services members, so it ended there. It takes more than one rude person to spoil a cruise!
The ship was very full so the food lines were long, totally understandable. Since Carnival has changed the bacon rules (not allowing self service) it really holds up the lines. The bacon is usually located after the syrups etc but not everyone wants syrup but most people want bacon. The line is held up waiting to get bacon behind the syrup. Could the bacon be moved to a location before the syrup’s? Just a thought.
Deck 5 on the Dream is a wonderful modification from the other ships however, be aware of the wind that can whip up as doors are opened, your cards and napkins will go everywhere.
These are all minor problems and I can’t wait until my next cruise is March!
Hi John!
I love the messenger feature on the Crackberry. Its a lot of fun and a great time waster.
Love the slideshows. Please keep them coming.
I agree that a celebrity will not necessarily sell more cruises in this day and age. Its the cruise itself that gets passengers onboard.
Hope you are thawing out.
Looking forward to having you back across the pond.
Take care!
David
John,
I have a love-hate relationship with your slideshows. I love seeing them, especially the ones that I have sailed on. It’s pretty cool to see how new the Sensation looks, especially cause I sailed on her twice during the 90′s, before all this new stuff came on it. But I hate seeing them because it reminds me that I’m in the cold of NY and not in the warmth of the Caribbean eating chocolate melting cake on a cruise. It’s almost like it’s taunting me. So there you have it. Although I think my love-hate relationship tilts towards the love side most days, so don’t stop them on my account
Dear Jeff Steinberg,
To get your request for the table you need to mark your post “JOHN PLEASE REPLY” that way he knows that there is something being requested of him.
John and Bloggers,
No Famass people in Carnival commercials. If you want to put people that will sell your product to the public choose any of the Bloggers and turn them loose. If you choose me, I will warn you that I will need at least a sixty minute commercial because it takes at least that long to shut me up once someone get me on the subject of going on a Carnival Cruise.
I am so bummed at not wining the free cruise from the Seabourn naming contest. I am still hoping that Carnival does this on the ship after the Carnival Magic. You know the Carnival Thingy?
Stay away from the snow and ice as we want you back in a couple of weeks without and casts.
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Peg Dunbar:
It sounds like you are going to have the great misfortune of having a “STARFISH” in your group.
I suggest if this “know it all” starts complaining on the cruise, you simply look at her and say :
“stop acting like a starfish, no one wants to hear it”.
She will say “what is that?”
Reply: Someone who acts like they have a starfish up their behind!!!
OR
I can send you hubby’s tshirt to wear around her.
It says on the back:
Attn: Bus Riders
PMC Club (piss moan complain)
Deck 13 AFT
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Hi John,
I like the new Carnival Commercial. And as far as somebody famous to do a commercial…. there is no body famous that could entice me to cruise. Actually, if you wanted entertainers on the commercials, why not yourself, or maybe Carnival’s 344th funniest comedian Al Ernst… Emmit Tutwieller would be hilarious in a commercial… perhaps fishing off deck 3. Or maybe have Ken singing in the dining room…. the food, ambience and Ken’s voice would entice me to sail!!!
Hello John,
If there is one celebrity that would get my vote it would be Rachael Ray. She seems to be the most level headed and personable celebrity of our times. She really appears as she is “one of us” common wage earners.
For a real person to do your commercials, it would be my wife. Honestly, every cruise is just like the first cruise for her. She really gets excited! The enthusiasm flows from the ship to shore as everyone she talks with gets even more excited about their cruise. Of course her favorite activity is to make a treasure hunt out of the shopping talks. She is an expert in this area!
The slideshows are absolutely fantastic!
John – please reply,
Do you have your schedule posted somewhere on this blog? I have been trying to find it. I am thinking of taking one of the Carnival Pride cruises from Baltimore, but will only consider it if you are the CD, as the itinerary is less than exciting to me.
Also, I have been wondering for quite a while if any other CD at any time has done the bedtime story. I KNOW I have seen it before, but I don’t think you were the CD. If no one else has done it, were you the CD on the Carnival Destiny in July, 1999? Trying to remember this is driving me crazier than I already am.
Thanks so much for all the work you put in this blog for everyone.
CJ
These people at AS SEEN ON TV are real wack jobs. They are very rude say they will send you a tracking number and don’t. For a business it sucks…
Some little girl feeding her baby half the time or on the toilet and won’t answer the phone.
What a joke these crooks are. I will report them to the attorney generals office to get the paper work started to knock this scam off the internet.
Levis is good.
thanks