While I love the names of our Carnival ships there is no doubt that some of the best names in the industry belong to Costa Cruises. They have the Fortuna, the Luminosa, and the Romantica.
Everything about Costa oozes Italian class and Italian style, even the people who work in the office. While Carnival executives are happy to wear a pair of chinos and a polo shirt it is not unusual to see Costa executives dress fabulously. When I was invited to the naming ceremony of the Costa Luminosa and Cost Pacifica I saw someone very high Costa forty something man wearing a bottle green, jacket with a black sweater, light shirt, yellow jeans, black shoes and – as a finishing touch – an ivory silk scarf. It sounds stomach churning……. but, as an ensemble, worked perfectly because he was Italian. If I had been dressed like that I would have looked like Elton John and Richard Simmons’ love child.
But Italians …well……….they are a breed apart and I make no apology for repeating a statement that to be born an Italian man is to win the lottery of life. OK, they may want to live with their “mamas” forever but they have that certain something that us Brits just don’t have.
Italian style and bravado is as you will see alive and well aboard Costa Cruises fabulously named new vessel…………the Costa Deliziosa. ………….hold on……….let’s say that again but this time in your best Italian accent while moving both hands up and down and say it slowly…….ready……..Costa De……… .lizi……..osa. There………that’s magnifico.
It is often forgotten that Carnival’s interior designer Joe Farcus also does wonderful work for Costa Cruise Lines and as you will see now, his contemporary Italian designs have made the Costa Deliziosa a stunningly beautiful ship.
Let’s have a look at one of the 343 Stephanie’s slide shows of the new Costa Flagship ….. and I think you will agree with me………….she is simply delicious and I can see why Costa is for many……….their favourite cruise line.
As I said…………..deliciously stunning. My thanks to Gianni for sending me those photos. Gianni Srtoopiard is the Assistant Cruise Director and is extremely handsome and all the girls want him……………the bastard.
Anyway, thanks Gianni for the photos and congratulations to Costa Cruises on their fabulous new ship. More information on where she is sailing to and from can be found on www.costacruise.com …….including voyages to India, the Maldives and Dubai. ……..wow ………Dubai…………..where if you are caught stealing they cut of your hand………and where playing hide the sausage with someone else’s wife can be very painful indeed!
Time for today’s questions……….away we go.
Terri Asked:
John (please reply):You said to send you our more detailed review of our cruise, last month, on the Carnival Spirit, so here it is:
We booked the Dec. 5th sailing of the Carnival Spirit to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We had sailed this exact same itinerary in 2005 and enjoyed it very much. Living in southern California, San Diego is a very convenient departure port and we like that it is an 8-day cruise – it’s always nice to have one more day on a cruise! Because this was a special celebration, we decided to splurge and booked one of the corner aft suites with the wrap-around balcony. We have been spoiled, now!
We decided to stay at a hotel in Oceanside, California on Friday evening. It was not as long a drive for us, since we didn’t leave until after work that day, and yet was close enough that the drive to the San Diego port the next day was a quick one. We pulled into the port around noon and unloaded our luggage and hubby stayed there to arrange a porter while I parked the car. There is a long-term parking lot directly across the street from the port; very convenient. There were plenty of spaces available; I parked and walked across the street and joined my husband. Going through security was normal. Once past security we found the check-in room for Carnival. Since we are Platinum, we went into the VIP check-in line (I believe that we’d have been in that line even if we weren’t Platinum because we were booked in a suite), which was super short. I think it might have taken 5 minutes total, even with their computers down! We were on the ship as fast as we could walk!
We like the Carnival Spirit. This was our third cruise on her (in 2008 we made the Vancouver/Hawaiian Islands cruise). The staterooms were not open, yet, so we made our way up to the Lido Deck for a bite to eat and then explored the ship again in order to re-familiarize ourselves with the layout. After that, we checked to see if the hallway that led to our stateroom was open yet, and it was. Woot! We would finally get to see our suite! We loved it. It had a separate living room and bedroom, each with its own TV. Hint for those planning to book one of these suites: if you have any VHS tapes you especially enjoy, the TV’s have built-in tape players…but there is no library of tapes available on the ship (we asked). There was also a separate vanity area, and a large bathroom, with double sinks, and a Jacuzzi bathtub with shower doors. The bathroom may have been the biggest luxury – it was so wonderful not to have the little corner shower with the shower curtain that sticks to you! There was also a walk-in closet. In fact, there was so much storage space there were actually a few drawers and shelves that we never even used and, as usual, we over-packed! We really enjoyed our balcony, which was an extended width – room for two chaise lounge chairs, as well as two chairs and a small table. There were also floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the living room and bedroom, looking out toward the aft and side of the ship.
We initially had booked late, assigned dining, and we loved our tablemates immediately! But we found that by the time we were finished with dinner, we had missed the first half hour of karaoke, which is one of our favorite evening activities on ship. We decided to try Carnival’s “Your Choice Dining” (or whatever it is called). We’ve always enjoyed assigned dining, and were unsure if we would like this, but it worked our perfectly for us. We were generally seated in the same area, so we often had the same wait team, and met many wonderful tablemates! We will probably choose this dining option again. The food was good. I thought it was a little bit better than on the same ship the year before.
We did not get off the ship in Acapulco. Having sailed this itinerary before, we didn’t care to disembark. I think this is the first time we have stayed on the ship while in port, and it was very nice! It is very quiet, and you feel as though you have the ship to yourselves! We enjoy both Zihuatanejo and Manzanillo. On this trip, we took a taxi to Ixtapa from Zihuatanejo. We went to one of the large hotels there, and were welcome to use their beach chairs and umbrella. There was a lifeguard station right there, but we did not go into the surf, as the black flag warning signs were out. There were a number of parasail vendors out (I don’t know what else to call them). For $20, you could get a short flight. I used to say that I wanted to do this, but over the years had developed something of a fear of heights. But…I have reached an age where I feel that I should occasionally go beyond my comfort zone and just “go for it” before I die! Bucket list, and all that! And, it was only $20, so…..I did it. I’m very glad I did it, but I will never do it again! We had lunch at the hotel restaurant….not particularly good, overall, although their salsa was good! In Manzanillo, we shared a taxi with another couple from the ship and went to the long stretch of beach north of the port. This beach also had lifeguards, but the flags showed that it was safe, so we enjoyed swimming in the surf. The water is as warm as the Caribbean, but not as blue!
Our gifts as Platinum guests on this cruise were very nice photo frames with a subtle Carnival logo. These are our favorite items we have received, so far. They are quite nice. Since we had photographs taken on the ship on our anniversary (which happened to be on the first “elegant night”), these picture frames now hold two of the photos we purchased – a perfect memory of our special celebration cruise.
We thought that the service and crew were something of a “mixed bag” this trip. We really enjoyed the karaoke host, Vinz Brown. We thought he was as funny as the comic that appeared at the Pharaoh’s Lounge – Carnival has a gem in Vinz! We loved the assistant maitre ‘d, Ekaterina, and the wait staff we encountered in the dining room. Our Room Steward was excellent. How do they always seem to be there when you want them, but never obtrusive or in the way? We thought that the cruise director, Stu was good when he was not dealing with passengers one-on-one. However, every time we encountered him or witnessed him in a one-on-one capacity he gave the distinct impression that he was too busy to bother with the passengers, at best, and, in fact, we felt he was inappropriately harsh during debarkation. Granted, we realize that debarkation day is stressful and that he has to deal with passengers acting inappropriately, but we both felt that he could have acted in a more professional manner than we witnessed. He was at his best either on stage or making announcements over the PA system – and at that he was absolutely marvelous. We always knew it was going to be “a cracker of a day!”
Debarkation is always somewhat chaotic. As Platinum cruisers, we met in the Club Cool lounge and were to be escorted to the debarkation point. It didn’t quite work as planned, but, still, it did not take an inordinate amount of time to disembark. Once we gathered our luggage, I left to get the car and my husband arranged a porter to assist him getting the luggage to the pick-up point. I paid the parking fee (note: they did not take American Express, so have either cash or MasterCard or Visa with you), and zipped around the block and into the port area. We loaded the luggage and we were headed home. All in all, it was a very nice cruise, and we remain fans of the Carnival experience!
Well, that’s it, John! It was a very restful, relaxing and romantic anniversary cruise.
John Says:
Hello TerriWhat a great way to start today’s Q & A session with this superb review of your Carnival Spirit vacation. I was interested to read your comments and I know the one about having VCR’s in some of the suites yet having no video rentals has come up before. To be honest, I am not sure why we still have them in there and I will be bringing this up later today with my friends in our Miami HQ. It sounds like we also need to polish up our debarkation procedures and I will make sure the Hotel Director onboard gets to read about this.
I don’t know Vinz Brown but he sounds quite the entertainer and I know he will be thrilled when he reads this. So, thanks for the review which I hope others will take the time to write after their cruise as they are so valuable to us.
It sounds like you had a great time and I am so happy to hear that.
Best wishes to you and the family
JohnTom Asked:
PLEASE REPLYHey John, so glad that Heidi and Kye will be joining you on the ship. I was wondering how come the other cruise directors do 6 month contracts and you only do a couple of months?
Is the cruise director’s cabin just a cabin or does it consist of a living room and bedroom? Just being newsy.I hear you all the time telling people to write back a short time before their cruise when they are requesting something. Wouldn’t it be easier if you or one of the 343 Stephanies put their request in the computer calendar? It would seem there would be less email to read/handle if you did this.
Hope to sail with you soon.
TomJohn Says:
Hello TomI am getting very excited about my girls coming to visit. You asked about my contract and I guess I am very lucky to be able to write my own and that’s thanks to my friend Chris Prideaux in the Miami office who makes the schedules. I have been at sea for 22 years this August and I guess if I didn’t have the girls I could still do a 6 month contract. But honestly, I miss them too much plus I have the added responsibility of the blog thingy and my brand ambassador role and writing the blog thingy that 4 months is about the right time before I need a break.
As for the cabin……well……I am not being a moaning old sod…… well…… maybe a little bit but here on your Carnival Dream it’s smaller than all the other Destiny and Conquest class ships. That’s because of the Lanai and the outside deck space on deck 5. But I still have a bedroom and an office space with a couch and desk so I mustn’t complain ……too much. Now, if I had the Penthouse on the Fantasy class as my cabin I would do an 8 month contract.
I know the requests are coming in thick and fast but even with the help of the 343 Stephanies I have to manage them myself as they also have other responsibilities.
Thanks for the great questions and I hope you continue to read and enjoy the blog thingy.
Best wishes
JohnShawn Asked:
John,Thank you for all that you do! Really enjoy the blog thingy. Me, my wife, and 7 year old son will all be PLATIMUN cruisers on the Triumph on February 13th! We will be celebrating my son’s 8th birthday as well.
I’ve been reading the blog thingy for a while now and this is my first request and only request. We would like to have a particular server in the dining room. The only reason I ask you is that I did ask the Maitre’d on our last cruise and our request was not granted, in fact, we were never even contacted (not complaining, just explaining). I am hoping that you will be able to pull of few strings. We are in cabin 7382 and would love to have a small booth type table with Team Head Waiter Tommy Malang during early seating. We had him on our Thanksgiving cruise and he and his assistant (Rudi) were the best we have ever had. I would appreciate your help if you can.
Hopefully, we will have the honour (yes spelled correctly) of sailing with you one day soon!
Shawn
New OrleansJohn Says:
Hello ShawnThanks for the kind words and I am sure you are looking forward to your cruise on the Carnival Triumph. I will certainly ask the Maitre D if he can help you with your request to have your favorite waiter. I hope he is able to accommodate you.
Please wish your son a very happy birthday and I will send him a little something.
Best wishes
JohnDavid & Lucy Asked:
Please ReplyI 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 her 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!John Says:
Hello David and LucyFirst of all many thanks for taking the time to write and many thanks also for your obvious loyalty to Carnival. I am glad that you like your Carnival Dream so much that you booked another cruise here. I love the spa suites yet it seems we need to re think the access to the Spa because I totally agree with you. If you book a Spa Suite then you shouldn’t have to line up with those purchasing day passes. As for the situation with the spa staff, well, I can’t abide rudeness and I know those who run our brilliant spa program can’t either and therefore I have written to those in charge.
The bacon thing is a bit of a dilemma as people were taking many more pieces than they could eat thus wasting so much. Yet, you are right it does hold up the process. I have been monitoring the lines carefully here and the busy time between 9 am and 10 am at breakfast there are some lines but they move very quickly and guests seem to understand. I have been promoting the brunch and that has really helped and the lines on lunch look as normal as they do on a Conquest class ship…….oh……except the Mongolian wok which due to the nature of the process does take longer to prepare and serve.
The review had some great points on which we can act and as I have said many times before here on the blog thingy, constructive criticism is worth its weight in Prime Rib.
My best wishes to you and the family
JohnCheri Bolchoz Asked:
Dear John (Please Reply)Just back from Carnival Destiny We of course had a fantastic time, despite the weather. It was the worst weather we have ever had on all 17 cruises.
The Carnival Destiny being an older ship was still beautiful. You however could see some of the wear & tear in different areas.
The Your time dining is very successful. This was our 2nd time doing the Your time dining. It was great. Was a little disappointed that they did not serve Escargot or beef wellington any night on this cruise.
All of the shows were great. On little point, is that there were a couple shows (one production number & one comedy act that had a bit more Revealing parts & language that was not be appropriate for young children.) And it was a family show not the adult show. Maybe they need to post in the capers for all shows, that some parts of the show might not be appropriate for the young. They did post it in the capers for the last show (even though they were not able to do the show (due to the weather & high winds) Understandable for the safety of the dancers. They did put a great act together quickly as a substitution.
The crew was fantastic. Every crew member we ran into called us by our first names. The even interviewed us on the Captains Celebration party. It is on the Voyage tape, also showing all of Michael’s tattoos. You will have to see if you can get a copy for you, if not I will try to make a copy of ours & give it to you in May.Michael Thanks you again for the name tag. Now what about the Christmas ornaments????
Chat with you later & See you in May 18th
CheriJohn Says:
Hello CheriWelcome back and I am glad you had a great time on the Carnival Destiny. She is of course going into dry dock for some need technical repairs which will also enable the crew to give her another bow to stern cleaning. Some of our shows do contain what we call “showgirl style costumes” as seen on Broadway and in Vegas. The Cruise Directors are supposed to mention this in their pre-show announcements and I will make sure that they are all doing so…….although I have to say…………that these days you see far more flesh on Lido deck……..much of which is far less pretty than what you see on stage.
It’s so strange that you should mention your husband’s tattoo today as you will see late on in the blog. I am so glad you both had such a wonderful time and I hope we cruise together again soon.
Best wishes to you both
JohnCheryl Asked:
(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 let’s 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 crowded 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 Lemonade and ice tea and water, are the only cold beverages throughout the day? The only time there was orange or apple juice was at breakfast. I asked a few people and it was like they didn’t know what I meant? ” sorry this is what we have; Orange juice and apple juice is at breakfast. I know that, for our first cruise we had to buy a soda card because we just don’t like lemonade 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 crew’s family at Christmas, and a lot of the members came in with candles singing Silent night. It was priceless. I cannot 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!!
John Says:
Hello CherylGreat review and it sounds like you had a brilliant three days. Do you know, I am not sure about orange and apple juice but I am pretty certain we only serve it at breakfast across the fleet but I will check. I can’t check right now because it’s 6:10 am and the only people up are me and my underpants but I will find out for you and let you know. I guess Nassau is a port that many have been to although the fact that not too many got off the ship maybe testament to the fun, food and service we were providing onboard. I am looking forward to seeing you in March and hope that we have great weather and you get a chance to see Kye and Heidi.
Late news on the juice: Yes, it is only served at breakfast and at lunch we switch to ice tea and lemonade. However, apple and orange juice can be ordered free of charge 24 hours a day through room service.
Thanks again for the great review.
best wishes
Johnbobby Asked:
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,
BobbyfkJohn Says:
Hello BobbyYes indeed, the pins are available and are sold for $4.95.
They are larger than the ones we give the Platinum guests and a slightly different design and are proving very popular indeed.
Please let me know if you need anything else
Best wishes
JohnMelissa Z Asked:
Please ReplyI 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 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!!John Says:
Hello MelissaIt is always a huge pleasure to welcome new comers to the blog thingy and I am glad you asked for help because as well as looking sexy …………that’s what I am here for.
Seriously though let’s chat about your kids. The six-year-old will be in a different group to the eight- and 10-year-old but………they will both be in the same place, at Camp Carnival on deck 12 midship. The eight- and 10-year-old will be involved in slightly more grown up activities than the 6-year-old which I am sure they will appreciate but will always be in the sight lines of each other so all will be well.
If you remind me one month before you sail I will be happy to send a little birthday surprise to your daughter.
I hope you continue to enjoy the blog thingy until then.
Best wishes
Johnann-marie Asked:
john Please ReplyIt was so nice to talk with you on Dec.3 on my Carnival Dream, my husband and I had a great time, 9 days go by so fast so on Feb.8, 2010 we will be on the Carnival Destiny for a Back to Back, 10 days of Joy. Could you please help me get a table for 2(only) for dinner every night? Thank You for all you do. Happy New Year to you and your family. Ann-Marie
John Says:
Hello Ann-MarieI am so glad that you enjoyed our little get together on BC3 and it did indeed go far too quickly. I will send this straight off to the Maitre D on the Carnival Destiny and ask for his help with your table request.
Have a great time and best wishes to you both.
JohnMocha Joe Asked:
I agree with Diane’s comments. I love Carnival – our upcoming Dream cruise will be our 8th with Carnival – but SOME of the things you do are a little stale … she pointed out the hairy chest contest and she’s right. Mix it up a bit. Bedtime story, though it’s funny, I cannot sit through it again. The first timer cruisers think it’s all spontaneous, but then we see it again…and again…and we realize it’s all rehearsed. You need some new material, John
John Says:
Hello JoeRespectfully I have to disagree about the hairy chest contest as it is still massively popular with both past guests and new cruisers alike. While the premise of the activity is the same the characters it involves each week are vastly different. Also, the entertainment staff on each ship will run the activity differently so it’s always a fun spectacle. As for the bedtime story…….well…….maybe you are right there but unfortunately when I don’t do it I get many guests saying how disappointed that I didn’t even though they have seen it many times before. What does everyone else think?
The one thing I do know is that I am getting too old to have Mary do what she does. I hope I can still make you laugh as I have lots of new things planned and of course every time you get a guest on stage……..you never know what’s going to happen.
Best wishes
JohnPeggyTC Asked:
PLEASE REPLY~~Ok so I am not overly fond of people asking for frivolous little favors but I wanted to know what you thought of our problem. We will be sailing on the Dream for our Super bowl Cruise on the Feb 6th sailing. We are SOOOOOO excited. All 1200 hundred of us. We were informed the other night at our Bon voyage party that the first formal night is on Super bowl 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 Super bowl 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 accommodate 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 Says:
Hello PeggyTCI am dying for a pee so I hope you will excuse me if I answer this one quickly and tell you that I have changed the elegant night to the following night after sailing from Cozumel.
See you soon and I hope the Dolphins win.
Best wishes
John
Got to pee……….back in a minute.
OK, that’s better. That’s also the end of today’s Q&A and there will be more tomorrow.
I was just talking about Cherie’s husband and his brilliant Fun Ship Freddy tattoo. Well, yesterday I was stopped by a guest called Billy Ray Crane who is from West Virginia. Billy is on his 10th Carnival Cruise and before coming onboard his Carnival Dream he got this tattoo done to celebrate his Platinum status.
Now that’s true dedication to Carnival, congratulations Billy Ray.
Ok, I want to discuss a couple of guest comments with you, starting with this one:
Guest: Mr. ——-Ref: 846005669A
Cabin: ____Booking#: _____Added-Changed: 02/01/10 – 02/01/10C – 2399 – SERVICE SO SLOW
Gst reported that the service in the Scarlett Restaurant was so slow. Gst stated that last night he had to wait 25 minutes between his appetizer and his main course. Mr ______ said that he expected to be in and out of the dining room within 1 hour and 15 minutes . Guest said that the service on NCL was quicker and he was not impressed with his first Carnival cruise.Tasked to Maitre D for reply and response.
Now, before I start with this one I should point out that I am not posting this because I disagree with the guest but because I was surprised by his expectations of a full dinner service in 1 hour and 15 minutes so much so that I called him. I know that my job does not involve food management but I was …well…….intrigued. I called the guest and let me start by telling you that he thought the food was better here on Carnival than on NCL but I will admit he said that their late night buffets were excellent. What he expects though is quick service. At NCL the Freestyle thingy means that he is in and out within an hour which personally……..I found extraordinary. I don’t know how the Freestyle thingy works but serving a guest a 4 course meal in an hour would seem difficult……… wouldn’t it?
Personally I wouldn’t want my dinner served in an hour. I like to have a rest period between each course. I know this is more of a European way of eating but isn’t an hour too short? Too short to savor the food and to enjoy good conversation with your family and tablemates? The guest is also at first sitting which because of the older clientele this cruise is far more popular than the late sitting or anytime dining. I asked the Maitre D what the average time from the guests being seated to the time their desert is served is finished. He told me for main sitting dinner it was 1 hour and 30 minutes which for an appetizer, salad, main course and desert as well as the offer of coffee and after dinner drinks seems pretty good to me.
Anyway, I apologized and I know the Maitre D is going to have a Head Waiter assist the Team Waiter to see if we can get Mr. Eat Quick out of the dining room within the hour. We will be serving his desert with a side order of Zantac.
So…………I was wondering……what are your thoughts on this. Me and the people with beards at the top of the Carnival tree would really like to know.
I was talking to my great friend Doctor Dave who along with his gorgeous and brilliant wife are the ship’s physicians here on their Carnival Dream. They are not only wonderful and talented doctors but also have that old fashioned British bedside manner that always puts their patients at ease and……like all ship’s medical staff …….they are unsung heroes.
Anyway, let me tell you about today. They had been looking after a man for some time in the ship’s medical center and he left having been treated and as always well looked after.
Well, he then saw the minimal charge for medical consultation on his Sail & Sign bill and so he walked into the infirmary…….and threw an ice pack at Mrs. Doctor ……. yep …..he not only threw this bag of ice at a lady…….he threw it at the lady who had been treating him. Yet, Mrs. Doctor being Mrs. Doctor she simply calmed the man down ….she didn’t get angry and impale his thingy to a gurney with a scalpel…….she remained professional and calm.
It’s a shame in some ways because I personally think that any guest who assaults a crew member should be disembarked in the next port of call and banned from cruising with us again. I must stress that this is my opinion…….and I am certainly not speaking for Carnival Cruise Lines here although they are for the most part truly supportive in this area. Maybe we should hire “House” (Hugh Laurie) and have a ship’s a doctor curing people but being a total bastard about it.
Well, today we are in St. Martin and I got my first look at the Monster of the Seas which is docked next to us. I was going to post a photo of the two ships together which I must say does look impressive. However, the chances of RCI big chief Richard Thingystein’s posting a photo of a Carnival ship on his blog are bugger all………why should I put one of theirs?
But what I will say is that while I have heard continuous comments that you can’t see the sea and it feels as nothing like being on a ship and that yes…..having 6,000 people onboard feels exactly like it sounds………there is no doubt that she is massive and looks very impressive…….in a big, shout, look at me kind of way. She sort of reminds me of that man you see in the gym……..you know…….the one who is always looking at himself in the mirror and wears a shirt and shorts three sizes too small so his biceps and meat and two vegetables stick out…….. for all to see.
Still, as no doubt the women would look at the self admiring hunk in the tight shorts in the gym and think “wow” despite him having the brain capacity of an amoeba…….in much the same way……I can’t help look at The Monster of the Seas and give my own “wow” ………she truly is massive!
There is no point me getting into conversation about which ship is better because I know that the RCIheads on the cruise boards will take up arms and try and shove a climbing wall up my arse ………….but………….I do though want to share my thoughts.
I wonder that when people decide to book a cruise on the Monster of the Seas do they do this based on what they see on the commercials? ………..hold on……I am not sure I am explaining myself properly here. Let me try again. So you book your cruise because the ship has a climbing wall and ad an ice rink and a water thingy and 209 different restaurants and a park and, and, and. But I wonder how many people who do book a cruise based on this actually get to appreciate these clever touches……..just a thought.
OK, nearly time to go. I have lots to do today and of course I have my first bedtime story to perform which made the timing of Mocah Joe’s comment that I need new material just bloody perfect.
Still, bigger things to worry about than that. Like……I hope there is going to be a guest cabin open for Heidi and Kye when they sail. There is no way her crib and toys and stuff will fit in my cabin and of course it’s also my office so how will she sleep with the phone ringing all day and the general comings and goings of a CD and 80 staff. I am seriously considering buying a cabin for the three weeks. I know I could get a good discount but with three back to back cruises it will be expensive…..bugger….didn’t think that one through did I?
I could wait and hope that a cabin will be free that someone will wake up and discover they have a bad case of hemorrhoids and cancel their cruise. I might be lucky one week out of three but never three weeks in a row will there be a cabin that’s empty. So, that’s me tomorrow buying a cabin for three weeks……..at least I will send myself a fruit basket.
Naturally I miss Kye and worry that she thinks I have abandoned her but the pressure of Kye and Heidi sailing is getting to me. I have to spend hundreds of dollars on a cabin for them and today Heidi sent me a list. Because of Abdul the bastard and his exploding underpants there are massive restrictions on what Heidi can bring on the plane both in weight and substance. And so on Saturday that will be me …….off to Wal bloody Mart to get this lot:
- DIAPERS – 4 packs
Pampers baby dry no 3
(Kye weighs 8 kg’s)
- BABY WIPES -
Pampers
- BABY LOTION – 1 bottle
Johnson’s baby lotion
Breast Feeding Pads
1 box of 60 – Lansinoh
- BATH BUBBLES for KYE
Johnson’s bedtime bath (1 PURPLE bottle)
- SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER
L’oreal Vive pro (RED bottles)
- BABY FOOD –
Gerber 2nd foods
(2 in pack – 6 packs)
- Carrots
- Sweet potato
* Gerber 2nd foods
(2 in pack -5 packs)
- Banana yogurt dessert
- Apple, strawberry banana
* Baby mum mum rusks – 20
- Maybe they have a Little Tikes toy you like
- WASHING UP LIQUID -
Anything is fine.
I mean…..4 packs of Diapers…..is Heidi going to be feeding her Indian food every night? ………not even I need that many. And 60 nipple pads………..60 …….is she feeding 5,000 …….has she grown udders…..60 sodding nipple pads!
As much as I am excited about them coming I am beginning to stress and when I get stressed ……I sweat. And right now I am sweating like a stray dog outside a Korean restaurant.
Goodnight
Your friend
John
Filed under: Caribbean, Destinations, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Camp Carnival, destiny, Dream, Spirit, Triumph
John and bloggers,
I talk to Linda at least every other day. She had surgery and can not sit at the computer to blog yet.
Her doctor is very pleased with her progress and hopefully she will be back blogging in a couple of weeks, if not sooner.
She doesn’t have a laptop that would enable to her to read the blog, etc while in bed. So I have read your comments to her over the phone and she is so happy to know you are thinking about her.
If there is anything you would like me to pass on to her please let me know.
David is working from home right now and DJ is taking really good care of her., so she has very good nurses..
Carolyn…. of the Evil Crew
Dear John,
Let me start by saying that I read your blow every day. I enjoy your insight and am a true cruise junkie. However, the bashing of RCCL should stop. I’m sure that many of your readers enjoy it. However, I surely prefer to hear about all of the great things you tell us about Carnival versus the negative you say about your competition.
I did have the chance to sail Oasis of the Seas and it is truly a marvelous ship. For those that want to be close to the sea, you can certainly do that. And to be honest, while our sailing only had 5,000 guests and at times the ship empty–never crowded.
People choose ships for different reasons. Jabbing the rock climbing walls is no better than if someone were to say that a Carnival passenger only sails Carnival for the water slides.
Both Carnival and RCCL have their plusses and minuses. Please don’t lose credibility by talking bad about your competition. Rather, spend your energy and time telling us about what is going on with Carnival. Thanks for your entertainment.
I agree on the assault charges on the guest. No one has the right to assault anyone. He should have been held and turned over to authorities and banned from Carnival.
Hi John,
Regarding Mr. Eat Quick…he needs to stay in the Lido restaurant, where he can stuff his face as fast as he wants.
Regarding the “Monster of the Seas”, remember the old saying…”it’s not how big it is, it’s how you use it”.
Carnival uses theirs much better than RCCL
Marty
Hi John,
I know first hand that Carnival food is superior to NCL.
A typical dinner on NCL is 3 courses, even though you can order more and have 4 courses (or 6 or 10).
NCL has a number of extra cost restaurants on their ships, so the main dining rooms do not handle the volume of passengers that the dining rooms on Carnival do. Despite that, on NCL, there was almost always a wait for the MDRs.
I haven’t tried Anytime on Carnival, but we will try on our upcoming Sensation cruise.
bill
Hello John,
Don’t stress about Heidi and Kye’s arrival. Yes it sounds like there will be some challenges involved but having them with you will make up for it.
We think a formal dinner should be taken slowly and the dress and ambiance of the room support that. Unfortunately when people “dress down” to come to the dining room their expectations change from a formal setting to a fast food setting. We like a leisurely dinner and don’t want our courses rushed and that’s why we like to eat in the dining room.
See you soon.
George and Linda
oh i have many things to say today john! first of all if i didn’t cruise carnival, costa would be my choice. we have been twice and loved both ships.
next the bedtime story is NOT old! tell that guy to do something else if he doesn’t like it. i could watch it all the time. seriously.
next i hope they give heidi a nice cabin, you certainly deserve it.
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
OK, I was sitting here just enjoying this until the end and the “wal-mart” list…. at which point I busted out laughing and have my S.O. thinking that I have finally lost it. Um, John? Better get all 4 packs of diapers. Or you could by a 12 pack of handkerchiefs and some safety pins and do “wash out” duty every night? Didn’t think so!
Thanks for the laugh!
Hi John
Please donot sweat the cabin stuff ,Hiedi and Kye
will take everything in stride .Just to be with you will make it just fine take it week by week .
Have eveyone in the crew help you shop for this stuff and you do have friends coming on board i dont think you have to ask if they could pick some of these thing up on there way to the ship !
John—Please don’t stop doing your “Bedtime Story”. We are cruising with you on Feb. 27th, and my whole family is really looking forward to it! Also, I agree with you. The dinners should be served with “breathing room” in between the courses. Dinner in 1 hour is much to rushed.
See you on the 27th!
Patty
John please reply– yes is is your #1 blogger–(he he he)
You ask our opinion on time in dining rooms. I love the time in the dining area. Why hurry? People are serving me anything I want and then more of the same and you want to rush? Why do people not see it is the experience that is the fun part. Food is good don’t get me wrong, but it is the time with friends, new friends, new wait staff and all the others that can’t be bought.
That fellow needs to get a life and slow down and enjoy the moment.
I always let my staff know if we are in a time constraint. And with that information, the wait staff has always accommadated the issue.
Oh by the way– (John reply)
We leave on March 1 for our 13th cruise on the Carnival Triumph.
You are so funny…..love “the list” from Heidi….have fun at the big Mart…..is there one near Port Canaveral? Your MATERIAL is perfect, don’t let that guy get to you. Everyone should love your Bedtime Story no matter how many times they’ve seen it! I’ve only seen it on U-Tube and I so look forward to a live performance….perhaps on a little old ship in May this year? Your stage presence is second-to-none…..you are brilliant! I agree with you on the time to complete a nice meal…..I like to “dine”….sounds like Mr. Speedy likes to “eat”. May I suggest the Lido? I run into someone on almost every cruise who ONLY eats in the Lido area, no matter what ship or line. For me, dining in the MDR is one of the highlights of the day…..okay, I guess “one of the 3 highlights” since I try to eat there for every meal. You’d probably never know that looking at me…..LOL. I’ll be thinking of you and your shopping trip on Saturday. Best of luck finding that many nipple pads!!
Dear John,
Don’t sweat it, friend! You’ll be fine. Heidi will be fine. Kye will be fine.
If I might make a suggestion, though – on your trip to Wal bloody Mart, you should add “inflatable baby pool or tub” to the list, because unless you’re buying a suite for 3 weeks, you won’t have a tub on board for bathing Kye, and bathing an infant in the shower, while possible, isn’t ideal.
Take care,
Laura
Hi John,
Please Reply,
Please don’t worry about Heidi and Kye coming to visit, everything is going to be fine. I just know that in the end you are going to tell us that is was worth every dime that you spent to have them with you. You will be able to spend some quailty time with the two of them and that is very important. I know that if I was sailing on the ship at that time, I would bring some items that are on her list to help you out, to kind of relieve some of the stress for you.
Hang in there, your girls will be there sooner then you think.
Take care my friend,
Kathy M.
Hi John,
This is concerning the guest that was upset with the time it took to eat his four course meal, I wonder if he thought that he was in a Denny’s Restaurant or something. If you are receiving the kind of food that you get on a Carnival Cruise, the whole idea is to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy your dinner, not hurry out. If he wants to eat in a rush, then he should eat in the buffet area.
I am sorry, but I just do not understand people today, they pay good money for fantastic food, but want to rush through the experience. I want to be able to sit, enjoy my dinner without having to rush off to do something, so please don’t let the Maitre’D’s (sp) change anything, leave it the way that it is and that is like eating in a 10 star restaurant.
Give my love to Heidi and Kye
From your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan,
Kathy M.
Dear John,
You forget that just about the time you get the diaper on, the child decides to finish the poo that she only half way deposited.
Don’t worry about the nipple pads. After they have been used let them dry and get hard and you can use them as pigeons for skeet shooting. Great fun!
Keep the Bedtime story period.
The Monster of the Seas will never see me. Too many guests on one ship as far as I am concerned. I think that the Carnival Dream is pushing the limit. Add another two thousand people?
FORGET ABOUT IT!
Have a great day and we will see you tomorrow!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
I love the send yourself a fruit basket! You are so funny. Be sure to send yourself a ship on a stick and speak with the Maitre’D about the table you would like as well.
Traveling with a baby requires a lot of supplies and equipment. If I lived closer I would make the trip to Walmart for you and deliver it to the pier! Don’t stress, it will all work out and it will be fine when they get there and Kye will love cruising.
I’m so sorry that Mrs. Doctor was attacked. I agree that should not be tolerated. I hope she is ok.
Please reply, if you so desire..
I did it, I booked my Platinum cruise!!!!!!!!!! Liberty Sept 18th back to Half Moon Cay (otherwise known as paradise found), St, Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk!!!!!!!! Embarkation day is on my 41st birthday, so that ought to be fun!!!! I can only hope that that Alex, that hot maitre’d is on the Liberty in September!!!!!! It’ll make my seven day 41st birthday bash even more fun….*BG* wink wink nudge nudge…..I’ll go for a different cabana number this time, something closer to the food….
Platinum perks–laundry service–I know Platinum gets free wash n fold laundry, but it is everyday or limited to a certain number of days only?
I am tickled to be getting a card of a different color!!!!!!! Bye bye gold, hello PLATINUM!!!!!!
In regards to Mocha Joe’s comments about the Bedtime story, our 2/20 sailing on the Carnival Dream will be my 15th Carnival cruise and I have never had the pleasure of having with you as my CD. I am looking forward to seeing your Bedtime Story!! Also, I still laugh at the Hairy Chest contest. On all of our cruises, I have never had slow service in the dining room. They somehow seem to know when I am ready for my next course and the timing is perfect. I would hate to be rushed out in an hour!
Dear John,
Your favourite blogger ( Mom of DJ) had stated in a previous posting, that she was going in for surgery, and would not be on here, for a few weeks. I hope that she is recovering, and has somone to inform her , that everyone misses her.
Vivienne
RE: long dining time. John, the reason we go to the dining room is to enjoy a leisurely meal and not have to worry about rushing. The dining room is an experience not a fast food restaurant. We love to be waited on, take our time consuming our food and laugh and talk along with out table-mates, sharing out daily shore excursions and the like. If said person wants a fast,quick meal, I suggest he go and grab a slice of pizza so he can hurry off to whatever he’s in a rush for in the first place. Re: the man who threw the ice pack at the dr, I believe he should be charged with assault and put off the ship. If that had happened on land, the police would have been called. Again, thank -you and ALL the wonderful staff of Carnival. What you do makes a HUGE difference in our lives and makes me a VERY happy cruiser! Cheers to all
We really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of sitting back during the late seating and taking 1.5 to 2 hours for dinner. The next time someone wants to be fed a 4 course meal in 1 hour or less, send them to the lido deck!
Roxi
Hi John:
Another entertaining blog…don’t stress too much. In the end everything will work out when you have Heidi and Kye abroad.
I say the guy who wants food under an hour is a meshugganah. Oy! Most of the times I have had such great tablemates and waiters (Sam, who had the whole table laughing out loud, and Erceg, who was very kind, are the two I remember the most) that I enjoy a long meal. It’s one of the ways I get to meet people since I like to cruise alone. And besides, I want to digest what I eat between the courses so I can enjoy more of the delicious food Carnival serves. Must have room for the warm melting chocolate cake. Who needs to be rushed on vacation?
Rachel
John,thanks for all that you.I do not know where you find the time for everything.
Anyway,could you please email me,I have a personal issue with Carnival and hopefully you can help.
Thank you
John (Please reply),
Ok, so now we have our passports and I have a couple of questions. I am sure you have answered these before but I have no idea which blog they are in. 1) I am a US citizen, will Canival take my passport until the end of the cruise or will I keep it? and 2) Will we get the visa stamps at the various ports of call?
We love the blog!
Roxi
John
Love your blog but feel I should comment on one point you make.
I do not think that RCCL should criticize Carnival’s ships and vice versa.
Both are two good cruise lines and think it is improper and undignified IMHO.
Stu
Fun Blog. Don’t usually comment, but – Just for you FYI, the answer you gave to Melissa Z was slightly incorrect. The groups in Camp Carnival are 2-5; 6-8; and 9-11. The one’s who are 6 at the time of sailing will be in the same group as the 8 year olds. I think, they can talk with the couselors and allow the one who will turn six just after the cruise to be placed in the 6-8 group. The 10 year olds will be in their own group and can sign themselves in and out with parents permission. My Daughter loves Camp Carnival.
Hey John,
Don’t write much however, the person that threw the ice pack at Ms. Dr. should be thrown off twenty yards short of the next port of call. It takes all kinds!!! Cannot wait to see you in Barcelona in May of 2011!
John & Susan from Frisco, Tx
John, since you asked, I’ll answer. I prefer to extend my dinner. I like having some time to digest my food between courses, enjoy my tablemates, etc. We would usually do late seating dinner. The only issue with that though is that we would often end up missing evening bingo, which is where the larger prizes are. Not a deal breaker for me, probably better that way so I don’t blow all my money on BINGO tickets, but I do like to play every now and then. And when I cruised on NCL, our dinners took about as long as they did when on Carnival, closer to 2 hours if we got all the courses, so I don’t know where that guy thinks he got all his food in an hour.
As for the Monster of the Seas, I’ll be honest, I thought about booking it, but I can’t justify the insane price tag that’s associated with it, and the chances of me being patient enough to wait on line for all their fun toys are probably very small. I don’t even have the patience to wait on line for the waterslides on the Carnival ships, and those move pretty fast. I’m just not good at waiting, I would rather just relax on a lounger with a DOD. For a while, I really wanted to go on one of the ships with an ice rink, mostly because I love figure skating, and then I heard that they are only open once during the week, and for general skating only, not worth my time. So I don’t think those extras would cause me to book it, it’s just too many people, too many lines. And I hated being in port with them, you could see that the islands were a lot more crowded.
hi john please reply, the post from david and lucy has me baffled , we have been in the spa suite on both thr splendor and the dream, we are not aware of the “key card for acess” we had the wrist bands on both cruises and had no problems gaining access anywhere in the spa aeras, this is the first time we are hearing this, are we misinformed? ps we are booked on the magic for 12 day out of barcelonia spain in the spa suite, please tell me you will be our cruise director! thank for all you do for us personnaly john & patty
John, (PLEASE REPLY)
I read your story regarding a guest being pissed when they got the medical charges on their sign and sail card for services rendered and tossed an ice pack at one of the staff members.
We were on the Carnival Dream on one of the Europe trips…the one where carnival cancelled the porters at the airport and we had to deal with a mess in getting luggage out….previous email to you.
Anyhow, getting off point, we had to use the medical services for my father and let me tell you they were just wonderful. The staff was so friendly and professional and they really provided great care for my father. My mother was worried it was going to cost a fortune but nearly dropped the bill in shock when it was handled over to her.
Why? It has barely $200 and included x-rays, blood tests, IV bags, doctor’s fee, etc. Here in the states that is what they charge you to walk in the front door. We were very pleased and impressed at the low cost and excellent care they provided my father as it was touch and go all day if he would be able to remain on the ship and not get transferred to a hospital in Messina, Itatly which was not high on our list. The Doctor kept saying I am not going to let that happen and she came through.
So bonkers to the guest who got his medical bill and threw an ice pack at the medical staff…what an idiot. Just thought I would share that with you.
Best,
-Chris
Hi John
Yeah yeah you’re stressing with the girls coming eh!!! I bet you’re loving every minute of it. Just think, having your girls there is going to ultimately be the cherry on the cake for you. Think about it, you enjoy doing what you do i.e. Cruise Directing, you’re on a wonderful ship (which I still have to try) and now they will arrive in a couple of days. What more would you want. Enjoy it to the fullest.
With regards to the gentleman who wanted to be served his dinner in an hour, well he should not have gone to the steakhouse and instead visited the Lido deck. We went to the supper club on the Valor a few weeks ago and it was fabulous. The service was great, food was fantastic and we enjoyed the fact that the time in between courses gave us the ability to talk and catch up on things that normally in our “rushed” world hardly have time to talk about.
Well John that’s my opinion I enjoy Carnival doing what it’s doing or I wouldn’t be back, so keep the dining room at the turnaround time that they are on please. Say hi to Heidi and Kye.
Eva
Hi John,
So happy that Kye and Heidi are joining you. I know it will be a special visit for all of you.
I tried to handle the next matter on my own without pestering you but I wonder wonder if you might help me. On the Swine flu cruise last year we shared time with Maitre d Ken and he gave us his card. He said he could help us with seating if we cruised again. We’re using our 2 for 1 letter from last years Splendor cruise for the March 7th cruise on the Victory. I emailed Ken to see if he could help us get a table for 2 in the center section of the dining room (early seating) but he never replied. I’m hoping he received my email. Is there any way you could check or relay our request to the Maitre d’ on the Victory just in case. It’s my husband’s bday cruise and after a year of our parents health problems we are looking forward to a relaxing cruise for the 2 of us. I’d appreciate any help with this matter. We’re hoping to hop on the Conquest if we can while you’re onboard since we live in Houston. Hopefully we will see you!!! Thanks again!!!
Barbara
Hi John (Please Reply, Thanks).
So first off my name is CJ, i’m 15 years old and I went on my Fifth Carnival Cruise in July of 2009. My family and I sailed on the Carnival Freedom and had a very good time.
Lucky for me I happend to wander into the theater when you were doing something that involved the audience. So I took my seat close to the stage and watched.
You were telling a story and made us do all this “Pitter, Patter” and “Whoosh” noises, and then you invited someone up on stage. To my surprise it was a large black lady and she was supposedly asleep. Anyway long story short, I have a video of you being wildy humped on stage by a big black lady, every time I watch the video I burst out laughing.
A few questions:
What was it like being humped on stage?
How did you become Carnival’s senior Cruise Director?
What job posistion did you start off at?
Thanks very much Mr. Heald,
Sincerely,
CJ
Hi John,
Please reply.
Long time reader, first time poster:) By the way, it’s much too cold in Indiana to write this in my underpants.
I enjoy reading the blog and seeing all that you do to promote Carnival and help folks out.
I have a beer question/comment for you.
In reading Cruise Critic recently, it seems that Carnival is now charging $5.75 per 16 ounce American beer. I thought the $4.75 we paid last April was high, but I understand we are a captive audience and will pay a premium. We pay a premium at sporting events, concerts and in major vacation spots (hotel bars, theme parks, Vegas bars, etc). I think the difference is we are in a hotel bar, Vegas bar or ball game for a few hours and we are on a Carnival ship for 4-5 days in my case, some folks a few days longer.
I’m not suggesting “dollar beer night”, just that Carnival keep prices for a couple of drinks more affordable. My question is this: Can you mention to the bearded guys at corporate that $5.75 for a beer is a little high?
I don’t know what the other lines charge because I have never looked. This will be my 11th Carnival cruise, my wife’s 10th, daughter’s 7th and son’s 3rd.We love Carnival and we are not going on any other line. Last year we started an annual group cruise on Carnival and had 25 people. This year we are up to 37 people.
We’re on the Fantasy March 4th, cabin M45 in case you want to send a bucket of Bud Light to help ease the pain:))
The bucket aside, please do mention to the corporate beards that those of us that want to have a few drinks responsibly can only afford so much.
Best to you and your girls (and the 343 Stephanie’s!)
Jason
Hello John..I have my second cruise booked on the Liberty, and thought I’d write and see if Carnival’s room service has learned to make a real club house sandwich…for 8 days, I tried to get one of these bad boys made…I even spoke to the Manager of the kitchen…the Maitre D..The Purser…and apparently the head chef…who then assured me a proper club house sandwich would be available on my next order…I wasn’t hungry at the time but every one was so nice and trying to help I ordered one…this is what I got two pieces of bread, mayo shovelled on like it was on sale…turkey, lettuce,tomato,fried egg, who puts fried egg on a club?, ham, and some other processed meat, two different cheeses, and the biggest insult no bacon..you needed to hold this monster togehter with an elastic, just to pick it up to your mouth..acually there was so much mayo everything slid off..so that ended that..
So my question to you is have they learned to make a decent club house sandwich…just test it for yourself, and order one it’s fun on your next cruise, give no special details just to see what they come up with..and please could you slip a little note to the powers that be..if Carnival would like to know how to make one I will personally go on every cruise and teach them..or give them the recipe.
Is a club sandwich such a rare order in room service that they would not know what it is? Just sayin…
John,
I really enjoy the guest comments. I work as a nurse and I have had numerous things thrown at me over the years too. And we stilll keep the patients! My favorite one was the one about the Iguana. It amazes me how people can be on a ship or in the hospital and think they are at a 5 star resort and want that kid of service. Where some people are just happy to get a pain pill. I hope you will be the CD on a ship near the Gulf Coast in the fall. I wanted to go on the Fantasy in May but can’t do it so I hope the fall will work out better.
Lexi
Howdy John,
My and the fiancées opinion on the speed of service in the dining room is that it should be somewhat relaxed. We have had a few meals move slowly here and there, and on one cruise in particular had excessively long service at every dinner, but it was only a concern when we wanted to see one of the shows (we always choose late dining). Logistically we knew before taking the Behind the Fun Tour (which is simply brilliant) that they wouldn’t be able to move the meal service along much faster without compromising quality, and hearing and seeing the presentation in the galley just verified that.
Those comments aside, we are usually among the last to leave our table as we like to have conversations with our tablemates and wait staff and want to enjoy our meals, not mow through the food like a starving dog and suffer the consequences the rest of the night. If we wanted to eat as fast as possible, we would eat at the buffet which in fact we have done when pressed for time.
On a different topic, what are the chances of showing us West Coasters some love with the next Bloggers Cruise? I’m telling you, hold BC4 on the last sailing of the season for Alaska on the Carnival Spirit, stay on board for the next three and catch Hawaii and Mexico, and your port calls will be complete before your Magical move!
~ MattInSoCal
Dear John,
I have to agree with you about taking your time to sit down and talk with family and friends at dinner. I don’t like to rush through dinner and tend to eat slower than all of my friends (maybe because I’m sitting there running my mouth). Now that I think about it my friends and I have never had dinner in less than 2 hours on a cruise or in a restaurant.
I haven’t personally seen your Bedtime Story yet but I’ve seen the videos floating around. I laugh every time I see a different one and hope that you continue to perform them. I love seeing the hairy chest contest and how each man gets up there to strut his stuff! Sure to some it may seem tired but Carnival wouldn’t be Carnival without it!
Hi John (please reply),
I read on Cruise Critic yesterday that the Miracle and Spirit would both be getting Future Cruise Certificate desk (or whatever the right name of this is
in this month. I’m just wondering if you could confirm this.
Cheers,
Ange
Just a note regarding the medical charges. My husband has visited the medical center on 2 ships. The first was Carnival Victory and the 2nd was QM2. The charges on each ship were $80.00. That was $60.00 for the office visit and $20.00 for medication. Where can you go to a doctor for the first visit for only $60.00? Certainly not here on Long Island. And an antibiotic was only $20.00. That is not at all unreasonable.
My second choice for cruise lines (after Carnival of course) is Costa. I would love to try one of their ships. The Deliziosa is beautiful.
It will be wonderful to have Heidi and Kye with you again. I can’t wait for Kye’s review of her first cruise.
John: It will be well worth $$$, having your family around. But could you have someone film you when you go buy the nipple pads……… that would be a nice change of material for the blog
John, Please reply when you have a chance
2 quick questions
1 With the new ship pins, do you have any pins for the older ships, like the Holiday?
2 The Vance you talk about in the Corp HQ, Could that be the Vance that was a Crusie Director in the early 90’s?
Hi John!
How exciting that Heidi and Kye are coming so soon. I can only imagine the reaction you are going to get when you bring all of that baby stuff right back on board.
I really enjoyed the Costa slideshow and the color scheme.
I like the leisurly dinner onboard but there is no reason to be in-and-out in an hour at the expense of poor quality food and service. There has to be some tradeoffs.
Have a good day.
David
John-please reply
We are elated to be on the Carnival Elation 4/30/10 through the Panama canal. This will be our 21st Carnival cruise in 5 years. It will also be our 40th wedding anniversary. I am so happy to be on a cruise for this wonderful occasion. The crew members of Carnival are like family to us. We already know that Brandon, social host on the Fantasy, will be with us. We love him. Could you please just send my husband a note because he has put up with me for 40 years. Our cabin is R12.
Love the blog, have be reading it for years. You start my day with a smile.
Your friend, Lynda
John,
I think an hour and a half for dinner is perfectly fine. Dinner is one time on the cruise (that I normally have planned down to the minute) where I don’t have a set plan on how long something should take or where I’m going next. As long as the evening shows are scheduled accordingly, I have no issues.
John – please reply
Don’t stress so much about Heidi and Kye sailing. They will do fine. Kye will love all the attention she is going to get from both your staff and passengers alike! I was in the Orlando airport last week waiting about 5 hours for our flight. There was a little girl there about 9 months old with her mother. Their flight had been cancelled due to weather and they were trying to make other arrangements. The little girl wasn’t fussy at all because she had so much to look at and watch. People sitting around her were smiling and talking to her and she was eating it up! Now for my question: Did Carnival do away with the chicken fingers at lunch time at the grill? They didn’t have them on the Carnival Dream on our sailing so I was wondering if this was an item they are no longer serving????
Thanks for the reply, John. Looking forward to seeing you on stage real soon.
John – Please Respond
My husband and I have been reading your blog for the past few years. We so much love your humour and the things we learn from our nightly reading!
Our first cruise was last fall. I always wanted to cruise but my husband never was excited about it. And then he got stage 4 cancer. All of a sudden we started trying to do things that we had put off before. He wanted to visit Florida, I wanted to cruise, so we combined the two – and took our first Carnival cruise last September. Now we’re hooked. We hadn’t been home for more than a week when he started talking about the next one.
When we went on our first cruise you were very kind in offering a table for us in the dining room that would accommodate him. Because of the almost constant chemotherapy he has gotten weak and walks with a cane. The table you arranged for us was perfect. He didn’t have to navigate through the entire dining room and it was very close to the singing and dancing every night. Perfect!
Finally I had to give into him again and we booked our next cruise on 3/21 on the Glory. An entire week this time! We’re working with his doctors to allow him to take a break from chemotherapy to enjoy this cruise. Knowing that you have a fantastic medical staff on board certainly helps to ease my mind a bit.
We have wonderful family and friends who didn’t want me to travel alone in case of emergency, so we’re bringing my parents and another couple. They have been so helpful through all of this and I want to make this cruise very special for everyone. I’m thinking of booking the steakhouse for everyone as a thank you and as a celebration: of friendship, of my 25th anniversary (a few months after the cruise), and my parents 45th anniversary (a few weeks before the cruise).
I hate to ask, since you get so many requests, but I would appreciate it again if you could book us a table in the dining room (for 6) where my husband won’t have to navigate through all the tables. I want this trip to be enjoyable and stress-free as possible! Currently we should all be linked for the same table.
Thank you again for all you do to make Carnival enjoyable for so many people! I know it has provided me some very special memories of me and my husband that I will always have.
You asked for opinions regarding the dining time. Like most working stiffs, I work long hours, run my son around to his different activities, and in the evening scarf down my meal in about 20 minutes. This routine go’s on day after day with little change.
When we get to go on a cruise about once a year, we REALLY, REALLY look forward to the relaxed atmosphere of the formal dining. Being served by an excellent staff and being able to take your time and really enjoy the conversation and food is all a part of the package. If I wanted a rushed meal, I would eat up on the Lido deck.
The whole idea of a cruise, for me, is to take the time to enjoy myself and relax. The thing I love most about cruising is I don’t “have” to be anywhere at anytime.
The gentleman that wants to be out in an hour, let him go. I hope he enjoys his time. But as for me and my crew, we will enjoy our meal casually, leisurly, and without the rush…..
Hi John, hope your well. Good luck for 2010 and all the new ships. Hope we can work together again one day soon. Best regards Jeff Stevenson ( comedian)
Once again I think you are trying to get me fired. You have again made me laugh out loud while reading todays blog at work.
Doug and I went to see the Monster of the Seas when she first arrived and we both were in awe of her size, but just like you commented and have heard, too many passengers are coming back and saying they didnt feel like they were on a cruise. I want to lay in the sun, enjoy the music, watch the contests, not sightsee while on a cruise ship.
We also enjoy the dining room atmosphere although sometimes when we are waiting for desert, the waitstaff has to stop and perform. That we do not like… Sitting and relaxing in the dining room is part of the cruise and we enjoy it, don’t ever want to feel rushed….
And although we haven’t cruised with you in an unfortunately long time, when the times does come again, we absolutely, positively, without a doubt, want to see the Bedtime Story again for the 3rd time!!
Luv U John…Have a Nice Day
Bonjour, from Acadiana,
It’s only me, Penny B, from New Orleans, now Lafayette.
I had a few things I wanted to mention after reading todays blog.
#1. I do hope you are using your Royal Writing Underwear and if so, you must say you are writing in your underwear – it sounds so much classier then saying your underpants.
#2. – Concerning nipple pads – How many you buy has to be divided by 2 – so you see it’s really only about 30 which actually is rather a small amount for three weeks.
#3- While you’ve never mentioned it, it does sound like Kye sleeps in her own bed most of the time. If this is the case, good job. If she does tend to sleep in the “big bed”, good luck, as my 4 yr. old grand still sleeps there.
#4 – Bath time? Unless you have something special, there never have been any tubs in my cabins and the sinks are actually pretty small for a baby – especially for 3 weeks. I’m sure someone with a suite wouldn’t mind sharing his tub. Maybe you could do a daily lottery to see who gets to share a tub with Kye.
All this is very exciting – before you know it, Kye will be a Platinum cruiser. Do her cruises count as 3 or just one? Is it a 21 day cruise, or 3 b2b? Now you see how some cruisers have trouble counting up.
Hope to see you soon.
Kisses to Kye
PennyB
Hi John,
I always look forward to your blogs. They are so enjoyable.
I think that the way they do things in the dining room is wonderful. I like that we get to relax and enjoy great food and be pampered and not rushed. I also like to take a break between courses as it gives time to get to know your table mates better. I don’t think they should change a thing because the service in the dining room is fantastic.
I also think that any passenger who assaults a crew member should be put off at the next port and banned for life. There is no reason for doing that. I applaud Mrs. Doctor for keeping calm. I’m not sure I could have done that. I would have charged him double too.
I’m so glad that Heidi and Kye will be joining you soon. I’m sure it will be a great time for all of you.
Thanks for all you do,
Nancy
John, just buy the stuff and when you see your girls the memory of your shopping trip will seem all worth the turmoil.
IMHO, Carnival should provide you with connecting cabins. Your worth to Carnival overshadows what it will cost them.
Enjoy your family,
555
John,
Personally, I don’t think that 1 hour and 30 minutes is enough time to enjoy the dining experience that is presented on a nightly basis and this guy wants it done in 1 hour. He must be Sir Speedy!
Hey John,
You keep my day light with your tales from the sea. On our 2 Carnival cruises dinner in the main dining room have been highlights. All of our dinner companions have been terrific and the only time we’ve eaten elsewhere is when we’ve enjoyed the Supper Clubs. The timing of the meal and the service has always been spectactular, thanks!
AB
UMMM, hello Mickey, buy this man a room or two, I hear rci is looking for a new blogger, someone with a good sense of humor (spelled correctly) and sweaty undies, I wonder who qualifies? Reguarding MDR times, I think an hour to an hour and a half is about right, when we ordered our food, it came within 5 min., which was perfect, as long as you are not sitting waiting for your food for more than that, the guest should determine the flow. People that assault other’s should be thrown off the ship. I think if Carnival doesn’t do this, they will be facing future litigation and liability. May I suggest you throw them off as soon as it happens irregardless of where the ship is.
John,
Reading through the various message board “thingys”, I have come to discover your outstanding blog. My wife and I truly enjoy reading it and love your sense of humor. Since we booked our cruise in October, we have enjoyed you insight and knowledge you share on an almost daily basis. Thank you for taking the time out of you busy life to share with us. Our family will be sailing with you on the Carnival Dream on February 13th. Although I feel I already know you, I really look forward to meeting you. This will be our first Carnival cruise and we are soooo excited that we lucked out and are able to go on such a beautiful ship.
A few comments I would like to share:
As far as Mr. Eat Quick, I do agree about getting in and out of the dining room in about 1 to 1¼ hours. The quicker they bring the courses, the better. Maybe it is an American thing (haha). Let me explain my reasoning behind this. I run ice cream stands that are open from March through October. I work many, many hours during this time and cannot take off from work. Even though I have 4 months off during the winter, with two teenage kids in school, we have to plan any vacations we do take during the time they are off of school which amounts to Christmas break and the February break. Since Christmas is devoted to family, that leaves February as the only time everyone’s schedules line up to be able to get away. With that said, and not being able to go on multiple vacations per year, we personally want to make as much out of our upcoming cruise as we can. If we can save 3½ hours not sitting in the dining room over our 7 day cruise and do some of the other great things the Dream has to offer, we would prefer it. This is just our opinion, and I know many people would agree and disagree based on their personal life styles. Even though you seemed so surprised by Mr. Eat Quick’s desire for faster service, you shouldn’t be. Different people have various reasons as to why they like and dislike things. With that said, we are not looking for the dinner times to speed up. You guys have to do what most people prefer. If the majority likes a more relaxed dining experience, you have to cater to that majority and I would think most people would understand that.
Reading through the message boards over the past couple months, and seeing some of the negativity towards various things on the Dream, I just want to thank you and the Dream staff at working hard to better what is within your control. Your quick response to some of the issues is truly impressive and is what customer service is all about. Because of your blog, I am looking forward to trying out the brunch and the outside bar-b-q. Adding more options for lunch was a great idea.
(Please Reply on this section)
On past cruises with other companies, we did not have to pay for soda. We were just able to walk up to the soda machine and fill our own cups. With two teenagers, plus the fact that my wife and I enjoy soda, it still makes cents for us to purchase your soda cards for our upcoming trip. Anyway, since our family plans on coughing up about $200 for soda stickers, I am a little concerned about only being able to get one small cup at a time. On past cruises, we could fill our larger mugs or reusable water bottles and not have to constantly keep going for refills. Will the staff on the Dream fill these for us? I understand the need to control what goes out, but working in the restaurant business, I also know that fountain soda is one of the least expensive things to purchase wholesale. Please advise me what we can do to make this part of our cruise convenient for us.
One other thing, we are scheduled for late dining. Because my son has attention deficit, I was wondering if it was possible to get a table for just 4 in the main dining room so we do not annoy other guests. As much as I would like meeting new people, his quirkiness at 8:15pm can get distracting and we do not want to ruin anyone else’s dining experience because of this. Thank you in advance.
David
Dear Carolyn & Don,
Thanks for the update on Linda (Mom of the King of Zingers DJ) Linda, we miss you and hope for a speedy recovery. The Blog just isn’t the same without your input. Hurry back and may God Bless!
Dear John,
My wife Nancy has to deal with sick people all of the time. Sometimes things just get too much for the older ones and they feel that they have to verbally abuse someone and since Nancy handles the front desk guess who gets all of the abusing. If they were to start throwing things at her I think that would be another matter all together. Anyone who abuses someone who is only trying to help them should definately be put off the ship and blackballed from the cruiseline from then on. There is no excuse for rude people that think they are above those that serve. Seems like more and more people feel that they shouldn’t have to pay for anything once onboard. Did he really expect to go to the doctor without there being any cost?
Feed him to the clams!
The MDR seves the food just right. Like many others I like to enjoy the experience and my new friends around the table. Find out what everyone did at the port we have just vivited. Why would anyone want to rush through Beef Wellington, or a steak that they didn’t have to pay for, or Lobster. Rush through dinner, go to the Lido Deck and Burger King if you want it fast. The MDR is for enjoying the time and celebrating the fact that you are on a cruise for goodness sakes!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Dear John: There should not even be an issue in regards to getting a room for Heidi and Kye. With all the great work you do for Carnival Corp. both on the ship, and behind closed doors in your underpants, with this great blog, there should be a room waiting for your family for as long as you want it and at no cost to you. While I am sure you are fairly compensated for your service to the company, they probably have no idea how valuable you are to bringing people onto their cruise ships. I know this for a fact, because I am one of them. Best regards, and health and happiness to you and your ladies.
John, please don’t stop doing the bedtime story! I’m finally going to get to cruise with you on the Magic next year, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it. I’ve seen it on YouTube, and I laughed until I cried.
Enjoy having your girls with you, and try not to stress too much about the shopping. It will all be forgotten once you see Heidi and Kye’s beautiful, smiling faces!
Relaxe you will do just fine with the girls onboard. We look forward to seeing them, oh and you as well.
Dear John (please Reply)
I know that there has been some talk about various acts being stale or overdone, such as the hairy chest contest or the bedtime story or other things.
For one, I am very much looking forward to getting to see your bedtime story on the Conquest the Week of April 25th, when my husband and i will sail with you in celebration of our 25th Anniversary (so excited that you will be the CD). I have seen the youtube videos and I know it will not be anything new, but I just can’t wait to see it in person. Because each cruise you have different people and it never turns out exactly the same way.
It is the same with the hairy chest contest. I have been on 4 cruises with Carnival and I love watching the Hairy chest contest every time. It is the guests and how they react that makes it so HILARIOUS.
To the people who dislike these events, they should find other things to do. It is a FUN SHIP after all and there are always plenty of things going on. This is how I respond to the same shows that have been on the Conquest for years. I just do something else during that time. While I would like for their to be new lounge shows, I know that there are many people who haven’t gotten to see them, so I find other things to do at that time, and it usually works out great.
Anyways, PLEASE DO YOUR REGULAR SHOWS I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO. I love reading the blog daily and can’t wait to hear you in person.
See ya in April.
Christy Richardson
JOHN: I do agree that the dining rooms are slow with food. I first hane saw part of my dinner sit on a stand getting cold. I brought attention to it with my waiter who quickly served it only having to send it back BECAUSE it WAS cold! They should leave the dancing and singing till dessert time! At least then the HOT food will have been delivered. More than once we have had to wait and wait for next course-wondering where it is. We don’t spend alot of time in dining even home. Makes you want to eat more(weight gain) we want to get out and do more things on ship! Please tell them we like the dancing BUT save it for dessert time so our food moves faster.
Hi John,
I have to say that your blogs are one of the highlights of my day (of course that may be saying something about the rest of my day!). My wife, 3 kids and I will be sailing on the Carnival Dream on February 27th. Will you still be on the Dream at that time? While we have cruised before with Disney and Princess this is our first Carnival cruise. When we first made the decision to take another cruise I did not even consider Carnival. Now that we have made the decision I have to say we are all very excited and one main reason is this blog thingy that you do (the videos are great too). If the rest of Carnival crew has half as much personality as you do, then I am sure we are going to have a wonderful time!
Our family subscribes to the notion that one third of the enjoyment of something is in anticipating its arrival, another third is in doing it and the final third relates to the memories that we hold afterward. So far, our upcoming cruise is a 5 star experience! We can’t wait to get on the ship to keep the good times rolling.
Looking forward to sailing with you and the rest of the crew!
Bob Kennedy
Hi John, I so agree with Angela above that I just copied and pasted her comment as if it came from me!!
RE: long dining time. John, the reason we go to the dining room is to enjoy a leisurely meal and not have to worry about rushing. The dining room is an experience not a fast food restaurant. We love to be waited on, take our time consuming our food and laugh and talk along with out table-mates, sharing out daily shore excursions and the like. Dinner is one of the highlights of the cruise for us and we don’t want to rush through it like we often have to do at home because someone has to be somewhere! The only place I have to be next is the show lounge with whatever entertainment Carnival has selected for me, as it is ALWAYS excellent too! Fast food diners should go to the Lido buffet! Have been enjoying the blog, looking forward to our Feb 21 Carnival Glory Cruise, and can hardly wait to see the new Fun Times! Making every day a fun Carnival day until then! Love to your family, Gloria
Hi John,
I really enjoy reading your blogs. My husband and I will be on the Feb 20 departure of Carnival Dream and are really looking forward to this cruise! We have 3 boys (ages 9, 7, & 8months) who will not be joining us this time as we are going to have some much needed “mommy & daddy” time before our next baby arrives in the summer
In response to the person complaining about the length of time it took to eat his dinner, I agree with everyone else…if he’s in such a rush he should eat on the Lido deck. This will be our 5th cruise (our 3rd with Carnival) and we have always felt that the service in the dining rooms have been fantastic and never slow.
We can’t wait to meet you on our cruise! Happy shopping at Walmart!
Hi John
I want to thank you for the pleasure of your company on our recent cruse on the Dream. I love the Dream, I love Port Canaveral, I am disappointed that we missed being on board when your lovely wife and daughter were sailing with you.
I started my 4 weeks of radiation treatment this past monday, so looking forward to the end of my problems.
Thanks again for making another cruise a true pleasure.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the update on Linda, (DJ’s Mom). Glad to hear that she’s doing better.
John, here’s a suggestion for something Heidi should shop for BEFORE she leaves home. I took my girls on multiple overseas trips when they were quite young, and a good way to occupy them on the plane (or during a long layover in an airport) was to introduce 1 or 2 new toys or books that they had never seen before.
I don’t recommend noisy toys for the airplane (you don’t want to disturb the other pax), but maybe something like the classic Fisher-Price stacking rings, or something else with multiple uses like teething, when Kye gets tired of playing with it.
A new book with colorful characters, like Curious George or Winnie the Pooh or the Sesame Street characters would be good for quiet-down, cuddle time on the airplane.
If they have a long wait time in the airport, Heidi should find a big corner area with lots of carpet if possible, then set that up as a play area and/or let Kye crawl around during the layover time, so she’ll be a little bit tired and settle down better on the plane.
Save naptime for during the flight, if possible, because a nap should kill an hour or more of flight time. Make sure she is breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle during take-off and landing, so her ears adjust to the changes in cabin pressure by swallowing.
Hopefully the flight attendants will be helpful too and serve Heidi’s meal before the other pax get theirs. We usually found that type of service, although I wouldn’t know what to expect these days with all the cutbacks.
New toys, new “friends” (stuffed animals, dolls, etc.) are important during travel. The new factor keeps young children occupied more than if you have a lot of familiar things from home, although if she has some type of favorite security blanket or stuffed animal, make sure you bring that along.
I wish them a smooth flight and I hope they have a relatively calm travel day ahead. (I hope that Murphy only travels with you!)
Laurie F.
Just a couple of comments in regards to today’s blog.
This past September when I was sailing on the Elation with my mom, she had slipped on the deck and we went wandering down to the infirmary to see the doctor. Posted on the door in really BIG BLACK LETTERS was a notice about the cost for seeing the doctor. We decided that it wasn’t that important for her to see the dr. I wonder if the infirmary on the Dream has this same notice (or if the passenger just didn’t pay attention?)
In regards to the list Heidi sent you, at least those items are available at your local Wal-Mart so they can be available on board once Heidi and Kye come stay with you. Hope you have a good time with them!
John
of all the old Carnival Ships ,,,,our favorite
was the “Festivale ” what a lovly lady.
me and jane and the kids sailed on her
7 or 8 times,,,,for three years in a row we
had the same cabin U-66 and the same
waiter,,,,Jude Stewart,,,,super guy from
Grenada,, once on his leave he came up to
tampa to visit us,,,,on the bus,,,,wow
we heard from some waiters that new him
that he retired in 2008..we wish we could have sailed one more time with Jude.
we will never forget him,,he was Carnival
to us,, he worked over 40 years with
Carnival,,,,we hope all is well with our
buddy Jude.
we love Carnival
tom & jane
Ciao, Il mio amico John. Thank you for that beautiful statement …….. ” But Italians …well……….they are a breed apart and I make no apology for repeating a statement that to be born an Italian man is to win the lottery of life “. My how my father would just love you John as he sits in heaven looking down on us.
After meeting the husband and wife team of doctors on Elegent Night, how ignorant of a man was he to throw that ice pack. He should have been thrown off the Dream immediately.
As far as the time for dinner, Every night was perfect. Our waiters, Raphaela and Iwayend were excellent and very personal. I think they have been the best of my 4 cruises even though they are all so very close to even make it difficult to choose. The Monster of the Seas will never see me onboard her. She may be massive but so is mass of cancer. I’ve heard so many people say that they can only see the water when they get to ports and even then the ship is stopped. Why waste all that money to be asked to spend more money on each store on Central Park.
Don’t worry John. Poof, suddenly there will be cabins for you wife and child. Don’t stress the small stuff.
My Carnival Dream will see me some day again.
Paul & MaryLou Pietrangelo
John,
I am coordinator for our group of 48 sailing on our Carnival Dream 2/27/10 and can’t wait! I’m so looking forward to having you as the Cruise Director! When do you tell ‘the bedtime story’? With so many activities going on, I don’t want to miss it!
I do have one favor to ask of you. When we booked this cruise in March 2009, I didn’t know that know that Your Time dining was an option and did not request it for one particular couple. When our final dining arrrangements were made, we were told Your Time dining was completely booked(only on a waitlist). This couple really enjoys Your Time dining and would like the opportunity to dine with new people each night. Would it be possible for you to request a confirmed seating for them? C. Torbeck/E. Haught – Cabin 11221.
Thank you for all you do!
Jessica Anderson
PLEASE REPLY…
Hi John!
So looking forward to having your girls join you on board! I hope you will be able to share pictures but given what happened last time, I think we would all understand if you chose not to.
In regards to dinner, I am usually fine with the length of time that it takes. I’m not looking to be rushed through it. Unfortunately, sometimes I feel like we have to rush through it in order to get a decent seat for the show. Inevitably, as late seating diners, there is always a Bingo session right before our show and the players tend not to leave which makes it hard to get a decent seat sometimes.
I guess for me, the real issue is why so many bingo games right before that late show?
Thank you much!
Colleen
I must be doing somethin wrong – why does this not go through – I need help !!!!!
Please give me some sort of acknowledgement
MELISSA:
You had a question about Camp Carnival for the 3rd group of kids you have sailing with you.
One was already 6, one was going to be 6 on the second day of the cruise and one was going to be 6 a week later.
Might I suggest that you take all 3 “6 year olds” to the orientation and speak with the Camp Carnival Director. These kinds of requests are very normal, so please do not hesitate to ask.
Every case is handled on an individual basis, since every situation is a little different. If all the “6″ years olds are on the same maturity level, that is a plus. Also, I would also suggest that you bring something from their school IF all three “6″ year olds are in the same grade.
Please understand that IF the answer is no, that there is a very valid reason that may have nothing to do with your 3 children. Sometimes a particular age group has reached its limit, making a move not possible.
But always know that the Camp Carnival staff want you and your family to have the very best experience possible and will do everything they can to assist you.
Have a wonderful cruise…
Linda
First: THANK YOU to everyone for the well wishes. I am slowly getting back to “normal” (whatever that is) LOL
John:
You asked for our opinions on Carnival activities.
One of the perfect things about Carnival is that there is something for everyone. Personally, I have not been to a hairy man’s contest in 5 years….BUT I have dear friends who literally would never miss it.
If there is a particular activity that isn’t my thing, I just don’t go. I certainly would never want to deprive someone else of something they love….just because it isn’t my thing.
As you know, I cruise to karaoke. There are a ton of people who would never go to karaoke….because it just isn’t their idea of fun. How heartbroken would I be if karaoke was cancelled just because someone else did not like it?
As for your bedtime story, PLEASE never stop doing it. While the story line may be the same, you never know what you will see, because each performance is as individual as the CAST you select from the audience. This keeps it fresh!!
As for your timing question about dining:
You may be shocked to learn that our family are one of those who do not “dine”. Dining to us is not an experience. The only reason we eat is because we have to do so to remain alive.
We always arrive on time and are usually out of the dining room in an hour or less (we usually do not stay for dessert). We enjoy the food very much, but just like dinner at home would not last over an hour….our dinners on the ship do not as well. Probably the reason for this is DJ. We are doing good to get DJ in the Main Dining Room in the first place…. having him stay for 1 1/2 hours is just not going to happen with his Autism.
We have always been blessed with wait staff that take our needs into consideration and do their very best to see that we are served in a timely manner.
We always eat at 6pm and of course, if karaoke is starting at 7pm….then I am usually done in 45 minutes!! Again, one of the wonderful things about Carnival is that everyone can have it “their way”.
Yes, the cruiser that assaulted the doctor (and that is exactly what it is) should have been removed at the next port and put on the Do No Cruise List.
As for the RCCL / Carnival banter…..
I think it is important to note one very large difference. You have always limited your satire (and that is all that it is…the overly sensitive RCCL folks should get over it) to the COMPANY.
You have never attacked, demeaned or belittled a RCCL cruiser.
However, on the reverse side, RCCL can not make the same statement. RCCL has personally attacked Carnival cruisers and this is what I find disgusting.
And it is the only reason I will never sail on a RCCL ship. Why would I want to give money to a company that demeans and belittles me?
I just spent about 30 minutes looking at the pictures of dear friends who went on the Mall of the Seas…and that is exactly the impression I got.
When I first started looking at her pictures, I literally could not tell where the embarkation building ended and the cruise ship began. It was clear through out all her pictures that the emphasis was on the gimmicks the ship offered.
She had a wonderful time. She obviously liked all the gimmicks.
Lots of people will cruise for the gimmicks…I am just not one of them.
I am repeated stated that I hope RCCL does very well financially on all their ventures, but a ship that size for the Caribbean is just not for me.
Now if I am doing a Trans Atlantic…. perhaps a larger ship would be fine.
I know I am late posting this and that Heidi and Kye are probably already on board…but remember that a lot of parents use a small inflatible baby pool to bathe the little one in.
I know you are thrilled to have them there.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)