So my bad week keeps getting worse as Heidi had the audacity to catch my cold and last night went to sleep in the spare bedroom……by 7pm. This meant I had to put Kye to bed….. and change her diaper which I might add was full of stuff that I would have been proud to have created. Having disposed of that, I then had to put the new diaper on. I asked Heidi to help but she said she was too weak…….and that was me ………..in the same stuff I had just found in Kye’s diaper.
You see…….I am embarrassed to admit………..but I haven’t changed too many diapers ………. actually……I think I may have done 2……and both times Heidi was right there next to me.
However…..last night I had to do it on my own. And after introducing Pat Riley and Micky Arison on stage and the time I dreamt I was French…..it was the most terrifying night of my life.
I know this is supposed to be a cruise ship-related blog and there will be plenty of cruise stuff later but……….I feel it is my duty to pass on my advice to any new fathers out there reading this blog thingy on how to change a diaper………….this is exactly what I did last night……three times.
1. Wash and dry your hands with a mixture of soap, Grey Goose vodka and a just a dash of Chanel No. 5.
2. Remove any jewelery that might scratch baby’s delicate skin and to make sure that your wedding ring doesn’t change from gold to brown.
3. Attach gas mask and don Haz-Mat uniform. If like Kye you know broccoli has been consumed the night before, erect a Level-Ten Containment Force Field and call Jack Bauer.
4. Place at least 22 towels by the diaper changing mat thingy and have a white surrender flag ready………..these are available from all good French department stores
5. As you remove the dirty diaper, remember………………..you must maintain consciousness!
6. Manoeuvre robotic arm into place. Remove the diaper with the pooey part folded in.
7. If you used water or pre-moistened wipes, you’ll want to pat the baby dry. At this point, you may want your forehead dabbed by the au pair……….preferably one that looks like Megan Fox.
At this point, you will have just be about to put the new diaper on when Kye thinks its funny to poo again……………………bugger.
Time for today’s questions ……….here we go
Christie Asked:
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 fantastic 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.
ChristiePS: 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.
John Says:
Hello ChristieIt’s great to see that your cruises have been made even more memorable by the Cruise Directors who you have sailed with and once again Butch is on that list. The CD you referred to who dressed as a Bee was my friend Chris “Bubba” Roberts. He recently retired, got married and is living with his beautiful bride in Prague. We all miss him very much. I hope the next you sail that the Cruise Director once again leaves a lasting impression on you.
Best wishes
Johnmusingsofjustjon Asked:
John – PLEASE REPLYHaving just returned from a seven-day on the Carnival Pride, I can unequivocally 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
MTSFPJohn Says:
Hello JonThanks for this brilliant review which I have sent to Kirk and the entertainment team on the Carnival Pride. The “If I Were Not upon the Sea” is a cruise ship favourite. In fact, if you look on the YouTube thingy you will see most lines feature this during their cruise. Nobody knows where it all began. George Solano will tell you he invented it but then again he also says he invented the line “good evening ladies and gentlemen.”……………………good old Jorge.
Anyway, it is as you said a priceless skit which no matter how many times you see it never fails to have the audience laughing hard. Most of all I loved your line that stated all the crew speak fun……..brilliant.
So, thanks for the review and my best wishes to you and MMTSFP
JohnJanet Willis Asked:
Please ReplyJohn, we will be sailing with you on the Dream on 2/27/10. There are four couples who want to be seated together in the dining room, but for some reason, the fourth couple, who came in late, cannot be linked to us. We were told by our TA to arrange it with the dining room when we embark. Preferring to arrange this in advance and hopefully have a table that is well placed in the dining room, can you help us? This fourth couple, from Spain, have never been on a cruise and have no idea what to expect.
We are looking forward to have you as our Cruise Director.
Thanks,
Janet WillisJohn Says:
Hello JanetI would be very happy to try and help you with your dining requests. However, I asked the office to check the booking numbers and it shows that those booking numbers are not correct. Please can you send me the names and cabin numbers of the people you wish to be seated together and I will send those directly to the Maitre D.
Best wishes and see you soon
JohnLinda Stein Asked:
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 skis 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 any day!
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.
LindaJohn Says:
Hello LindaGreat posting and I am glad that I have someone else who agrees that skiing is not the best vacation experience in the world. Thanks so much for taking the time to write and for all these kind words for my family. I send my best wishes to you and yours.
JohnBig Ed Asked:
John PLEASE REPLYWhere 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.
BIG EDJohn Says:
Hello King EdwardThat’s a potato here in the UK Big Ed – did you know that?
I actually called one of the 343 Stephanies about this yesterday and she assured me that the highlight video of our wonderful bloggers cruise will be ready very soon. We certainly did have fun and I really want all the bloggers to see the night you fell for Stephanie Meads!
Best wishes to you and Pat
JohnSharry Veil Asked:
Dear John:I’m Sharry the PVP who Bearded Bill from Boulder wrote about. I just had a thought. I am leaving tomorrow for New Orleans so I can join 40 of my guests who are traveling on the Triumph. They are big Louisiana State University football fans and that team is in a Bowl game which is going to be televised at 1:00pm on Friday. They have requested that the game be shown on the big screen. I thought you may be able to help me make this happen for them. Whatever you could do, would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you in advance. Sincerely, Sharry
John Says:
Hello SharryAs you can see I am very late in replying to your request for which I truly apologize. However, I did send the request to the ship ……….or should I say one of the 343 Stephanies did and I hope therefore you were able to watch the game. Please let me know if there is anything else you need.
Best wishes
JohnGeri & Jack Asked:
Hello John, Heidi and Kye – please respondWe will be away over New Years Eve so we want to wish you all a very, very Happy New Year and all the best in 2010. You are such a delightful family and we love hearing from you.
We are now PLATINUM and we don’t know what ship to sail on soon as we cannot wait that long for the Magic – too exciting to be platinum. Any ideas for the two of us to go on a different ship with ‘lots of ports; for about 7 days?We have been on Carnival’s beautiful ships C-Valor, Freedom, Splendor and Dream each several wonderful times.
Again happy sailing and best of luck to you all!
Cheers,
Geri & JackJohn Says:
Hello Geri and JackCongratulations on becoming a member of our Platinum club and I thank you for you patronage over the years……………..long may it continue. You mentioned that you wanted to try a ship with lots of ports. Well, I would recommend the new Carnival Glory run out of Miami and of course the Carnival Miracle‘s new voyages to the Southern Caribbean including Curacao and Aruba. Then there is the Carnival Legend and her four ports of Belize, Grand Cayman, Isla Roatan and Cozumel. Lots to choose from. If you have a follow up question please let me know.
Best wishes
JohnLinda Bigus Asked:
John, (Please reply)We are set to sail on Jan. 16th, 2010 on the Freedom. My husband and I, with another group were to be linked together for dinner (early seating). The group, Shary Gibson’s Radio station From Freeport, IL (her real name is Shary Meinert) has about 29 people booked together. We booked separately as I have cruised on Carnival many times, under the name of Linda Krusey. (First marriage) Our TA were to link them. Ours, was told and we received confirmation from her that they were linked. However, the Radio Stations TA did not link it, and they got late seating, even though they had requested early (waitlisted). We got early through our agent. Is there any possibility that you could help us out by getting us all together as promised for early seating? It would be Gregory and Linda Bigus, and the Radio station with Shary Gibson. (Shary Meinert)? If you could help us before we leave on the 16th, we would be so grateful! Have a wonderful New Year…I was so hoping you would be on the Freedom. ( You might remember me as I cruised with Storm’n Norman 4-5 times about 7 years ago. We are still friends, however, both of us have moved on.
Thanks again.
Linda Krusey BigusJohn Says:
Hello Linda Krusey Bigus
I am sure you and your group are looking forward to your vacation on the Carnival Freedom tomorrow. Stephanie will send your details to the Maitre D today so he can do his best to accommodate you. I know you will have a wonderful time and of course I remember you and my dear friend Stormin Norman.
Have a brilliant time.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today and there will be more on Monday.
I cannot let today’s blog pass without mentioning Haiti and what we now know is a tragedy that has reached biblical proportions. We continue to think of all of those affected and in particular the Haitian crew members on the Carnival ships who await news of their family and loved ones.
We watch on the news a population having nothing……..yet seeing everything remaining taken away.
Let’s do the news. And we start with the great news for all of us Carnival stock holders that yesterday our stock hit a 52 week high. I won’t bother reflecting on the reasons why but simply say …………………..”YIPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE”
Now, let’s have a look at an e-mail from my friend and colleague Ryan Fitzgerald who is the Cruise Director of the Carnival Glory. Ryan met a family last week who were sailing onboard the ship and he thought we would be interested in their story……………he was right.
Have a read of this…
Hi John,I thought I might pass this along to you. It was a family that sailed last week on the Glory with a bit of an excessive vacation.
The story comes from the DeBenedittis Family. They cruised last week on the Carnival Glory as part of their 376 Day vacation…that’s right, 11 days more than a full year of vacation. Talk about a road trip! The vacation will cover 32,000 miles, most of it in an R/V and include, Mom (Kathleen), Dad (Kevin), and the kids: Andrew, Rachel, & Daniel. 26 of these days will be spent on Carnival Cruise Lines. The goal of the trip was to visit all US and Canadian capitals, including territories and Virgin Islands. This is why they were on our Eastern Itinerary which visits San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, USVI. The other cruises will both be on the Carnival Spirit in order to reach Hawaii & Alaska. Quite the story!
Kevin can be followed on ttp://naroadtrip.blogspot.com/
I thought it might be blog worthy! It was, at minimum, worth a solid gold plastic trophy for each of the family!
That is one lucky family…………..nearly one full year of vacation, some of which has been spent on the fun for all ships of Carnival. What do you think……………….lottery winners?
Over now to the Carnival Destiny and some great photos of a very special event. These were sent to me by my mate Tim Cabral who is in charge of all the technical aspects of our major group bookings. This includes the groups and charters that bring on their own music which has included over the past few years, Jon Meyer, Motley Crue, dozens of Elvis’s and of course New Kids on the Backstreet ………or something like that.
Anyway, Tim is at the heart and soul of these groups and he has sent me these photos of a concert in the main lobby and the huge balloon drop at its conclusion to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Carnival’s proud association with Rock the Boat (http://www.rocktheboat-cruises.com)
Next week it’s the Lynyrd Skynyrd cruise!
Great stuff…………..and my thanks to Tim for sharing these photos with us all.
Many of you have been enjoying the new Funville addition to Carnival.com. Here is the official press release all about it.
Carnival Enhances ‘Funville’ Site to Include Shipboard Blogs, Videos, Games and More
I hope you all enjoy surfing this funtastic site. Did I just use the word “funtastic “……bugger.
Well, even though I joked at the start of today’s blog about Heidi not being well……….she really isn’t and is, as we speak, in bed. That means I have to look after Kye and honestly having been responsible for doing so these last few hours I have new massive amounts of respect for Heidi and all you Mums. Obviously I worry what would happen if I was away and she was ill but I am slightly comforted by the fact that she has my parents and lots of friends who I know she could count on.
Anyway……I really have to go and make Kye’s lunch and then go back to the brown stuff …….which was actually a little more yellow than brown………..too much information?…….. oops.
Well, Monday will be a very special day. That’s because last night I received a phone call on a secure line from our Super Spy PA 007. He……or she………told me that on Tuesday Carnival will release a very special press statement and as he……..or she…….has done many times before ……… PA 007 has managed to get me the information ahead of time. I cannot tell you what danger he…….or she………….is putting himself………or herself……..in by telling me this but I can tell you that thanks to his …..or her……..bravery……Monday will be a day you should all look forward to.
I am sure the people with beards at Carnival will once again give me a huge bollocking for doing this (time to put the telephone directory down the back of my underpants to take away the shock of Gerry Cahill’s foot going in my bottom) but………..well……………..that’s what I am here for.
I will be announcing this through the form of a video using my $80 flip video thingy.
So, some of you are probably trying to guess what I am talking about. Maybe it’s the announcement that I have been made Senior Vice President of Banning Stupid Office Jargon like the word of the month “chillax.”
Maybe it’s an announcement that we have hired Tiger Woods to manage the mini golf course on your Carnival Dream.
Well, it’s only fair I guess that I give you a clue. Let’s start with some photos
Still don’t know?
Well, one last clue then and for this I turn things over to one of the greatest bands in the world ………………..ever. Ladies and Gentlemen…………….Queen!
See you on Monday.
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.
Dear John, Heidi &Kye,
What a brilliant way to end the blog week – a promise of news about Carnival Magic & a visit from Freddie (not the Funship one, although he /she is always welcome, but the Mercury kind).
Heidi – here’s hoping you are feeling better very quickly. No fun being sick.
Have a happy & healthier weekend,
bugs
The photo states keel laying for the Carnival Magic. So lets hope the secret will be where she will be homeported.
Dave
John (respond if you have time)
I definately love the Diaper changing stories, brings back old memories..Folks now days have it easy compared to what we had to do to change a diaper..There werent any zip thingys, we had to use diaper pins. I cant remember how many times I had to fold the cloth diaper in the right direction and make sure it was on right, most time it wasnt. Boy did my wife tell me about that because the outer clothes were stained. I still screw it up with my grand babies, getting it on backwards. Thank God my Grand daughter tells me when I got it on Bass ackwards
As far as using thr Grey Goose as a sanitzer, no offense meant Sir, That is pure unadelateraded Alcohol abuse, Im sure you were kidding about the Vodka, at least I hope you were.
And YES, it dont take about 2 seconds after you put the new diaper on, if you are so fortunate to to have them wait that long, to have to change them again. Yes, baby did a nature call before the diaper was pinned and finished changing , especially the boys..Gotta Love it
Mike
John, be thankfull That Kye is a girl and you only get a poo rerun. If you had a Little Ed you could have had this happen to you.
The laying of Carnival Magic’s keel is old news so it must be it’s home port. For you I hope it will be in Europe but that’s bad news for us that don’t fly.
BIG Ed
IT’S MAGIC!!
She’s going together… will she be ready next month? I didn’t think so… foo…
All the best to the poor, ill Heidi, the poor poo Kye and, most of all, you John, the Poo Master…
Ciao!
Host Mach
Well John, at least Kye doesn’t create a jet shot out of her, well where she pees, like my son did when he was a baby. The first time I changed his diaper everything was going so well until he decided to shoot his water gun. He was so great of a shooter. His aim was perfect that it landed in my eye and when I moved he got me in the other eye. After I washed my eyes he seemed to have this sly look in his eye and laugh in his cute face like saying, Gottcha dad.
Have fun John and I agree, the mothers of babies are queens.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
john just be glad for disposable diapers. you see many years ago when my babies were, well, babies. the diapers were CLOTH and you had to wash them out after changing the baby. nice, huh? there used to be something called diaper pails and you put the rinsed out diaper in them with a bit of bleach in the water until time to put them in the washing machine.
sure hope heidi feels better soon.
see you saturday!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
Dear John,
Wait until Kye starts eating Corn!
Bloggers Cruise 5 will be onboard the Magic in Europe? WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
John, best of luck to you with Kye and her broccoli “passing”. Having been there years ago, I realized I’d rather clean up after a cat or dog than change a “nappy”. I found my throat working overtime doing the nappy.
Hope Heidi is feeling better and you can soon go back to being the DAD again.
We just booked the CC DREAMin’ with the Crazies 11/06/2010. We were on the Carnival Dream for your BC3 and couldn’t pass up the cost.
Love your blog “thingy”,
ERNIE
STEPHANIE:
I want to book the Pride this fall. Can you tell me John’s dates as CD on Carnival Pride?
Thank you!!!
~Dave Carson
Hi John – Please Reply
We are the two scousers from Liverpool.
I spoke to you on your show on The Legend, in October .
Well, we enjoyed it so much, WE HAVE BOOKED AGAIN. !!
This time The Miracle, on 5th Dec 2010.
What can we expect..?
What is the ship like?
Who is the CD..?
Gary Woollam
Come On You Blues
Ps Hope you liked the shirt !!
John,
you can read it. Keel laying for Carnival Magic
Hi John (PLEASE REPLY),
We are taking our girls on their first cruise April 3rd on the Carnival Dream. This will be our second cruise. Last year my husband and I took our first cruise on the Carnival Glory and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves after I got past the jitters and being sick the first few days. LOL We are very excited to take our girls on this cruise. My daughter will be graduating this year so this is part of her graduation gift. Is there anyway you can arrange for us to be seated in the center of the dining room where they can see the entertainment? Where we were seated on the last cruise, we were unable to see.
)
Also, I would just like to say I am very pleased with how the crew members handle allergies. I have a food allergy and the maitre d was very accomodating. I am trying to make this cruise as special as I can for both my girls and my husband since this will be our 21st anniversary. Anything you can do to help make this cruise special, would be greatly appreciated!!!
Please say hello to Heidi and Kye.
Cabin # 2326
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thank you,
Helena Fedak
Dear John,
. Also my sister Caroline as been inspired by you to be in the cruise ship industry. Thank you
My family has gone on many crusies and loves every single one. We had you last year in febuary on the Valor. We are all very excited to have you again. We were wondering if you could help us be seated with another family of 5 at dinner. We usually end up sitting alone..not so fun
Allie D
Being in an RV with the family all year? Definately not my idea of a vacation! As for you having to change your OWN DAUGHTER’S diaper, well, it’s hard to fell sorry for you there!
John (reply if you can),
I wrote to you previously about my previous cruises and mentioned that Jacquie Vasquez (Carnival PVP) and the Group Department at Carnival had provided exceptional service on my previous cruises and the one we were going on on January 6, 2010.
Unfortunately, the cruise is over, but we all had a wonderful time. There were 34 of us cruising together (we had 16 cabins booked) and I didn’t hear a single bad comment from anyone.
We were aboard the Carnival Spirit, and the first day was my beautiful wife and my 2nd anniversary. I wanted to let you know that the flowers and other items I had ordered were delivered and in our room upon boarding. Thank you for taking your time to pass that request on to the ship.
Our cruise was fantastic. We had not previously sailed to the ports we visited, so everything was new. The excursions we had booked were great. The food (as always) was superb. My wife and I were fortunate enough to have dinner with the Captain (Giovanne Donato) and some of the senior officers. It made my wife’s day. It was a very good experience. The Maitre d’, was Mister Vivek and he made it a point to stop by our table every night. Super dining experiences.
Our Cruise Director was STU Dunn. STU did an outstanding job and was very visible during the entire cruise. My wife loved his Dolly Parton impression at the “Legends” show the last night of the cruise.
Now that our cruise is over, we will start working toward and planning our next cruise. We can’t wait.
Thanks,
Charles Fox
One of two press announcements WE HOPE!!!
1. A NEW SHIP….THE CARNIVAL QUEEN
2. AND THE CARNIVAL QUEEN WILL BE MAKING HER MAIDEN VOYAGE IN AND AROUND ITALY!!!
OH PLEAE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE!!!!!
John,
It is 3:44 PM on Saturday, January 16, and at this moment, I should be onboard the Fantasy getting ready for departure. However, the ship is delayed and hasn’t even reached port yet. I understand that things happen, but my issue is with guest communication. There has been no sort of notification provided by Carnival, even though Carnival has our email & phone numbers. It should be a simple matter to have each voyage’s contact info available for a mass notification of delays. Fortunately, I live 30 minutes from the port. But, I still had to drive all the way there just to find that the ship was not there, and wouldn’t arrive for hours, much less reach the point of boarding for the next voyage. Surely this is a simple task to accomplish that would provide much better guest relations. As it stands, I’m at my home waiting, but I have to call Carnival repeatedly to get status updates. In this age of instant communication, these sorts of status updates should be provided by Carnival, instead of thousands of guests having to call in for status reports.
Hopefully, we will still be able to board sometime this evening. This is my second cruise with Carnival, and I’m taking four first-timers along. So far, this is not a great first impression for them. But, I know that once we get aboard and get going, we will have a great time.
John:
You men make such a big deal over a little poo…
wait until Kye is old enough to “discover” this artistic clay in her diaper and “mold” it into an creation on the wall next to her crib!!!
(btw, Josh holds the record in our small family… 12 diapers in 15 minutes) Yes, it was a day when he was ill…and we (as good parents) have not let him live it down!!!
I hope the “big surprise” isn’t that the Magic’s keel has been laid….that has been on Cruise Critic for DAYS!!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John:
Btw, I think the Carnival Illusion would be a good name for the 3rd ship in the Dream class……
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John: Please reply…I have two clients sailing on the Carnival Dream with you on April 17th. They are upset because when we booked the cruise the Dream was going to be stopping in Nassau. Now Nassau isn’t one of the ports and Isla Roatan is the port that’s being substituted for Nassau. My client is in stateroom 8408. Could you arrange for John Stottlemire and Abigail Sanders to have dinner in the Steakhouse one night during their cruise? John Stottlemire is 28 years old and he just buried his father a month ago. His mother died when John was nine years old. Abigail and John are also personal friends of mine. I’m also their travel agent who booked their cruise. I’m also a Platinum cruiser with Carnival as well. Please reply back to me and let me know if you can do this favor for them regarding the Steakhouse. Thank you. Leslie
John-please
My husband and I were on our Carnival Dream November 15,and loved it.Had one minor issue that was resolved by the hotel manager and will continue sailing Carnival,especially now that I am platinum
In fact my daughter and I have a cruise booked on the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore Feb 14.It will be 20 years ago that week that her and I went on our first cruise to celebrate her birthday so we just had to cruise again that week to celebrate her birthday the same way.
Could you maybe arrange to send her a small gift to acknowledge her birthday that week?We will be in a cat 9 cabin(figured 2 women needed the extra room)I just wish you were the cd on the cruise like you were 20 years ago.You must have been little more than a child back then.
Anyway,love your blog and love Carnival.Keep up the good work!
Laura
Just back from sailing on the Carnival Dream and it was a DREAM! Several highlights – but certainly not all -
Service – The Crimson Hostess – Alina provided us with superior service as we had special menu needs and went out of her way to assist. Waiters Victor and Dennis also provided amazing service and lots of entertainment as well. Loved the dining – not a big surprise!
Cruise Dir – Todd is brilliant! He kept things moving with more entertainment than we could ever experience in one week. I was even more impressed with how he consistently thanked and acknowledged crew and staff for their hard work and service. Lots of positive energy on the ship and made me say thank you to everyone for their great service and smiles! Well deserved vacation coming soon for Todd.
FunForce – We loved these guys – Dizzy, Miguel and the amazing Poppin Johnny. We couldn’t get enough of these guys and went to all their events. They certainly played an important role in making ‘Dancing in the Streets’ such a superior show. Loved Johnny – keep on popping!!
Embarkation – When we got to the Orlando airport, we were greeted by Cheryl who knew our names as she advised us on where to catch the bus. When we got to the terminal, Kathy A. was literally waiting for us to check in – NO WAIT it took us 5 minutes to check in and walk immediately on the ship – quickest embarkation ever! Amazing.
The ship was beautiful, the atrium parties, blue/red contest, deck parties, piano bar, shows, games, spa, casino and Behind the Fun tour kept us continually on the go. Thanks to the Dream staff and crew – we had a brilliant time!
Dear John, (please reply)
I have been glued to the TV the past few days watching anything and everything on the situation in Haiti. My heart aches for these people and the suffering they are going through. I was wondering if Carnival had any plans to donate to the Haitian relief effort. I’m sure you have plenty of employees from Haiti, and they need all the support they can get right now.
I’ve heard what the other guys of the seas is doing in response to this situation, and while I truly commend them to their very generous support and donations, the fact that they are still docking at their private beach in Haiti almost immediately after of the most devistating natural disasters ever recorded makes me wonder if they are being run by the same loonies at NBC (the same ones in charge of the whole Tonight Show fiasco). I keep having horrible images in my head of passengers asking “could you get me another umbrella drink”, not realizing that the person providing them with service has had their entire family wiped out a few days ago. Also over 4,000 prisoners escaped the national prison during the earthquake, so safety is another concern. While the tourism they are bringing to the country is great, couldn’t they wait a week or two for things to settle down before continuing with their regular routine?
This whole situation has also had me thinking about the other ports of call that many cruise ships make each week. Most passengers on a cruise only see the lush beaches and rainforests that their excursions take them to, and do not realize that a few miles away it’s not the same happy picture. Although Haiti may be the worst of them all, a lot of the countries in the Caribbean could be in a very similar situation due to the lack of basic education, low wages, and limited government support (ex: the absence of building codes/regulations, health care, etc). I have heard many stories of cruise passengers using their day ashore to volunteer in some way at local orphanages or schools. I searched around on Google and found that Holland America has a program called Cruise With A Purpose where they team up with non-profit organizations to provide excursions for their passengers so they can participate in volunteer activities while visiting a port of call. I’m not sure if this program is still in existence, but would Carnival ever consider a similar offering? While some people prefer to go snorkeling while in port, there are a whole bunch of people who prefer to see what everyday life is like in these exotic places. I think with the spotlight now on Haiti, such a program would prove to be very popular among passengers on your vessels. It is just an idea, but maybe it is something you could bring up the next time there is a meeting with the head honchos.
All the best to you & your family.
Stephanie
Hi John,
Hope Heidi is feeling better soon.
Can’t wait to hear the news about the Carnival Magic. Looking forward to booking her soon.
Have a great week.
Linda
Hi John
All the best to Heidi,hope she recovers very soon.
Cant wait to hear all the news on monday about the Magic, I managed to keep all the info a secret for all of 30 seconds when i saw you last but i had to text my cruise friend and we are now waiting (so excited) to book. Have been pretty much stressed out with my son taking early GCSE’s so by Tuesday night will all be done and can get on line and book that cove balcony cabin for 2011. Loving the blog, i was on the Destiny back in dec 1997, had a great time, the CD and his staff were very funny, wish i could remember his name, he was a shortish guy with blonde hair and did a fantastic routine ‘If I was not upon the sea a ……I would be’ memories really are the best things.
Michellex
Have to agree with “Bugs” What a way to end the week. Pictures and a video of one of the greatest British bands of all time. How appropriate.
We can use “its a kind of Magic” for our Transatlantic cruise on the Magic. What do you say Transatlantic Dreamers?
Hope Heidi is a lot better.
Love to you all.
Valerie in Ontario/
John,
Any word on the Bloggers Cruise 2010? We are trying to plan an RV trip in combination with it, if it is on the East coast.
John
Please reply. I have been following your blog faithfully but intermittently over the last few weeks in between constant shifts of shovelling & brushing mountains of snow from the driveway & the car & hacking ice in temperatures of up to -17C.
The bad weather hit rural Lanarkshire more than a week before Christmas & we had a 16 inch snowfall while I was at work on 21 December. Despite owning a front wheel drive VW Jetta, I was unable to access my own driveway on my return home until a contingent of neighbours from our small estate, armed with spades & shovels (including my partner & me) embarked on a rescue mission of epic Arctic proportions. At length we were all assisted into our own driveways. A great show of true neighbourliness.
Unfortunately our adverse weather prevented me from posting my Christmas/New Year card to Heidi, Kye & you as I was unable to access an uplift point. I now wish you all, belatedly, every happiness for 2010.
Your latest blog video on the Magic of Queen (& the CCL variety) truly has made my day. I have always loved their music & the video was a stark reminder to me of the loss of the flamboyant style & powerful voice of the one & only Freddie Mercury. John, I have been an official judge of pedigree Persian cats for a number of years and was in fact awaiting a train to travel home to Scotland from Peterborough following an engagement when the news broke about Freddie’s death. I was truly gutted but I am pleased that Brian May etc. has ensured that the Queen legacy rocks on to this day. Thank you for the memories.
I do hope that Heidi is feeling better & that you have become accustomed the nappy changing routine. After all, it is no worse than your own emissions after a Mexican buffet on board a CCL ship particularly if within the confines of your own stateroom.
My current gripe is that Carnival ships have little in the way of Webcams to allow CCL lovers to follow ports of call in real time. P&O, Costa & other lines that are part of Carnival PLC seem to be way ahead of the game in this respect. Today, I was able to access Dream & Freedom only & the other two CCL ships’ Webcams have not been updated since November 2009 because of satellite problems.
Maybe I am just getting frustrated about having to wait 4 months for my BtoB on C Victory or maybe I need to Dream that Magic will intervene & transport me to the Destiny, Ecstasy, Elation, Fascination, Imagination & Inspiration carpet that I need to keep me afloat until I embark on my next fun trip.
It will be total Freedom to me to enjoy the Glory, Miracle & Spirit of Triumph when I step on board the C Victory that represents LegEnd & Pride concerning the best cruise line I know. I will miss the Celebration & Holiday trips that introduced me to the world of Carnival from a wee place in Scotland.
Please pass on my regards to wee Ralph Valente.
Grizel
Hi John! Please respond!
Sorry Heidi is not feeling well and sorry you have to change the poo diapers! However, you are the daddy so it’s time you did your share!
Just back from the Western Caribbean cruise on the Dream! We had a great time and the CD and his staff, the room stewards and dining staff all did great jobs and spoiled us royally! However, I do have one complaint. We had a room 9323 on Vista that was right below Lido deck. The room was great, but unfortunately you could hear chairs being dragged all day and night and people walking too! The engineers need to put more soundproofing between the floors to avoid this issue. We did call and report it and we received earplugs from guest services and they also compensated us for the inconvenience even though we did not expect to be. They were great! Did not want to overly complain, but did want to bring the problem to light (since you will be there soon)!
Thanks for all you do!(Especially being the good daddy you are to change the poo-poo diapers)!
Linda
Hi John respond if you can. Ive been on about 7 Carnival cruises and am working my way toward platinum! Ive never had a chance to sail with you but would love to one day. My last 2 Carnival cruises were both on the Miracle out of NY. Im currently booked on the Imagination with my gf for 1-25 out of Miami and we cant wait. Now I just want to throw a suggestion out there for you to relay up to all the bearded ship design people. I wanna know why on all these new ships coming out none of them have a swim up bar! The ships are so big and yet the pools are so small. A nice big resort style pool would be awesome and im sure would be a money maker as well. Look at the swim up bar at Margaritaville in Grand Turk for example the bar was always packed with a crowd and the best part is not having to get out of the pool for a drink! I know theres always waiters around but its not the same. Ive been to many resorts with a swim up bar and its always a hit. I hope to one day see Carnival being the first line to do this. Afterall it is the funship! Thanks for your time John I have really been enjoying your blog since i discovered it. Vinny NY
Dave and Barb Butler
To help John make up his mind where and when to have BC4 go to this link and cast your votes.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/bloggers-cruise-4-survey/
BIG Ed
King of the EVIL CREW
Sooooooo, when do we get the REALLY important info…….like when the bookings open?
BELC
Maribeth
Dear John,
Hope Heidi feels better soon! Yes, diaper changes can be quite challenging. I’ve been working from home/telecommuting since my little girl was born, and could tell you some stories that would turn your stomach!
You see, my dear sweet Alyssa always seemed to generate the worst poos at the most inopportune times…during a teleconference, 10 minutes before a project was due, during a phone call with the company CEO…you get the idea! And by “worst poos,” I mean “such a blow-out, only a bath could get her clean!” Yikes!
No worries, though. You’ll be longing for these good ol’ diaper days once you start trying to potty train her in a couple of years. LOL!
Laura
Please reply
Hi John,I am going on the Dream Febuary 20th with a group of 22 people. We were on the Valor last March with you as CD and had a great time. In the talent show I sang Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and you used in a ship video,as I found out later,by request from my mother-in-law Becky and her FREIND Ken. We look forward to seeing you again and are very ready to Cruise on the Dream. Take care and see you there!!!
Hi John!
Looking forward to seeing the official press release this morning but that is quite exciting for the company. Congrats on the big news!
How wonderful would it be to take a 376 day vacation. If only the job allowed it.
Take care and hope your travels go ok.
Thanks!
David