I had written a piece for the beginning of today’s blog but considering the terrible, heartbreaking news regarding our friends and colleagues at Costa it didn’t seem appropriate.
And so with your kind permission I will in respect to their memories move on to today’s Q and A. Here we go:
Anita Dunham-Potter Asked:
(PLEASE ANSWER)Hi John, Lewis and Big Al on the same cruise!! Those are lucky guests on Carnival Dream!! I am sure there are lots of laughs going around.
Okay John, what the hey is that logo on the screen for the “Morning Show”? It looks like you are being felt-up by a giant ringworm or sea cucumber penis.LOL
Fondly,
AnitaJohn Says:
Hello AnitaIs this the first time you have asked for a reply? I don’t remember you asking for one before. Anyway, for those who do not know Anita she is an esteemed cruise and travel journalist whose brilliant writing can be found at www.expertcruiser.com.
Lewis Nixon is one of Carnival’s longest standing entertainers and one of the funniest and nicest people you will ever meet. Al Ernst is Carnival’s 344th best comedian and can always be found at the buffet…….don’t tell him but I may promote him to Carnival’s number one comedian. Only you Anita would come up with the term “sea penis” although looking at it………..you are so right. I have to do something about that logo.
I hope you and your girls are well and hope to see you soon.
Best wishes to all
JohnApril Z Asked:
Dear John, (please reply)I am excited to tell you that we just booked the Fantasy on May 3rd, and according to your schedule you will be the cruise director on that sailing! I am so excited to meet you! I know you have a lot of readers and get a lot of comments, but maybe you will remember that I was the reader who requested the trophy from the Holiday to give to my great-grandmother who had a trophy from the first year the Holiday ever sailed.
Anyway, don’t have any real questions or requests, just hoping that you will have some free time so that I can buy you a diet coke!
Oh, and what is Kye’s middle initial? I have a friend who makes pretty baby things and I would like to bring you something for her.
See you in May!
April Z.John Says:
Hello April ZCongratulations on booking the Carnival Fantasy and yes indeed I will be the Cruise Director when you sail. I am looking forward to being her CD again. The last time I held that position was in 1992. I am sure we will have chance to chat and of course if there is anything I can do for you please let me know.
Best wishes to all
JohnRachel the Librarian Asked:
Hi John: (please reply)I must say, I like the new design of the Fun Times. But is the time to be back on board going to be printed on it when we are at port? With the emergency number to call just in case? Maybe I am just not seeing it. Thanks for answering…102 days until I sail on the Dream!
RachelJohn Says:
Hello Rachel the LibrarianI will be talking about Fun Times in a moment but I promise you that yes, the emergency contact number and the arrival, back on board and departure times will be listed on all port day Capers. It will be interesting to see what you all think.
Best wishes and thanks for writing.
JohnAngela Guptill Asked:
John please reply:Oops! Sorry John, I forgot to tell you what ship/sailing we are on re: our first time cruising friend’s anniversary. We sail on Feb.13/10 on The Dream. You’re our CD I believe and I thank you ahead of time now. Our friends names are Scott and Shari Prime and we are Dennison and Angela Guptill. We have the 6pm seating and our request was for a table for four at a window if possible. If this cannot be, we certainly understand. Oh, and their anniversary is Feb. 16th.And thank-you also for forwarding our info to Mary re: my husband sending his CV in for the religious services. Thanks again for all you and your staff do. Awesome job!
John Says:
Hello Angela GuptillI am sorry that you all had a good time and I know we spoke at the start of the cruise but then I never got to say goodbye. I hope you had fun and hope you have time to write a review.
Best wishes to you all.
JohnNew York Sam Asked:
John – reply requestedI posted a request for a table request and anniversary gift 10 days ago but have yet to see a reply. I need to know this has been taken care of
John Says:
Hello New York SamI did indeed reply a few days ago and hopefully you saw my response that I would do my very best to assist you and your wife. Have a great cruise.
Best wishes
JohnDonna Rall Asked:
John,Celebrating 20th anniversary on Liberty 4/10 and my son wants to propose to his girlfriend also. Any ideas you romantic devil?
John Says:
Hello DonnaWow…….he’s a brave man proposing to his girlfriend with his father onboard with him. OK, well, how about this. Elegant night. The CD introduces the Captain and Senior Officers and at the end introduces your son……he comes onto the dance floor…… and on the microphone…….and in front of the guests and on film……he proclaims his undying love for his lady and on bended knee he says:
You are the flower in my garden
The sunshine in my day
And without you
I cannot live
Will you marry me?
She says yes, the band plays Saving All My Love For you………..and everyone cheers.
If she says no……play the DVD backwards………..and it will have a happy ending.
If you want me to plan this for you please let me know and I will speak with the CD on the Carnival Liberty.
Best wishes to you all
JohnLidolounger AKA Donna Asked:
John Please respond!Hello John and fellow bloggers!
We just returned from our Mexican Riviera cruise onboard the Spirit. Unfortunately, nobody contacted us to try and fix our dining times with our friends. (I previously asked you to try and fix this for us and you asked for me to tell you how it worked out). We did try to make the changes on our own. As this was my first cruise as Platinum I was able to change my dining time to Your Time, but one of our group was refused. It was a disappointment, especially when each night we observed numerous open tables that could have accommodated our entire group.
Some quick thoughts on our cruise:
Over all one of the best Carnival cruises we’ve experienced.
Rynato who worked in the Deli – is a real asset. He was always smiling, friendly and eager to talk. He also answered any random questions we had and appeared genuinely interested in our experiences onboard the ship.
Our cabin steward, Christian was the best we’ve ever had. Greeted us by name – quick to accommodate our requests for extra hangers etc. I looked forward to visiting with him daily.
Stu, our cruise director was very good. He gave a great mix of info geared to both the new cruiser, as well as those who’ve been there and done it!
He made my cruise when we were tendering in “Z”. As priority tendering is a perk for being Platinum, I was eager to see how this worked. The night before a letter was left in our cabin telling me that as a Platinum cruiser I would receive this perk – but more importantly it told me how. Now, not that I didn’t believe Carnival had good intentions but, I was a bit doubtful… as we were making our way to deck 2 Stu was there managing the traffic. He noticed my Platinum status and said “OMG! Your Platinum. Do you know what happens when we have a Platinum guest? Balloons fall from the sky, streamers pop out”… you get the idea – it was very nice and fun. As we continued down to deck 2 I noticed he walked ahead and when we got there another crew member was looking for us and put us directly on the tender. Well done Carnival!!!
There was wonderful communication nightly regarding Platinum benefits and how to use them. I don’t know if this is unique to the Spirit – if it is, I recommend doing this across the fleet.
Now for my 2 areas of opportunity for Carnival:
1. Drink service in the dining room…is a mess. We had Your Time dining. Nightly, we would ask anyone who approached our table for drinks, a combination of alcohol, pop and ice tea. Nobody for the entire 8 nights asked us for a drink order. Our waiters would say that’s “bar” and then proceed to take our dinner orders, never following up on our drinks. When I found a bar waiter named Brad from South Africa who was very good, (he did ask several times later in the night if we needed drinks) I asked him to explain why he sometimes stopped by and what the disconnect was. He proceeded to say that they were getting bad comments about bar service and that about a month ago the process was changed and that they were not to approach the tables. The waiter was to take the orders and give them to the bar waiters, but he knew they weren’t doing it and wanted to help. After hearing this I went to guest service and she told me that Brad was absolutely correct as she had worked in the bar service area for 6 years as was aware of the change…my question is why aren’t the waiters taking the drink orders? Some nights we drank only water because we couldn’t get anyone to bring us drinks,
2. Soda cards. When a friend of mine approached a bar and asked to purchase a soda card the girl said and I quote “why do you want that? Good luck getting anyone to bring you a drink with that.”
Now we laughed it off, but unfortunately this began to ring true during the cruise. Many times if a bar waiter knew we had a soda card and another guest came up they would serve that guest first. Other times, the smiling happy face that approached me would change to one of disinterest once I showed my sticker. The point I’m trying to make is – if you offer the soda card – ensure the crew supports it.
Neither of the above ruined our cruise, as stated earlier this was one of our most enjoyable. I do prefer Princess, but based on my experience with the Platinum benefits and specifically the great communication around the benefits and the execution of them…we will be booking our cruise for next January with Carnival. Even considering a back to back! Well done Carnival!
John Says:
Hello Lidolounger AKA DonnaI love reviews like this, the ones that go into detail and tell us what you enjoyed, and where you feel we can improve. I am really glad that you mentioned someone who surely never gets any praise in this forum, the man at the deli, Mr. Rynato. He is obviously a true asset and I will make sure his onboard and shore side supervisors see your comments of praise. The same applies to your stateroom steward and congratulations to him as well for making your cruise extra special. I am glad you enjoyed Stu Dunn the cruise director. I have watched him grow with us and from someone who used to be a gold miner in Australia to where he is now is quite amazing.
I was though astonished to read about the obvious problems we have in the dining room with the drink orders. I won’t comment anymore because I am not totally sure how the system is supposed to work. I will however tell you that this is unacceptable and I will make sure that our VP of food and beverage gets to know about this immediately and that this problem is addressed. He would want to thank you for telling us about this as would the hotel director of the ship and of course me, as well.
I was stunned to read the comment the staff member made about the soda card. Again, this is not acceptable and we will investigate further.
I am though very happy to read you enjoyed the experience and reviews like this are so helpful and will help us continue to be the world’s most popular cruise line.
I hope one day we can cruise together and I remain at your service here on the blog thingy.
Best wishes and thanks again for taking the time to write.
JohnTracy Asked:
Please replyThe cd schedule only goes to June will u be a cruise director in nov/dec? If yes what ship?
John Says:
Hello TracyThe CD schedule does indeed only go to June but hopefully very soon I will be able to post the rest of the year as well. I will certainly be a CD for all of November and part of December. Now, I was due to go to the Carnival Spirit but it looks like there may be a small change to that which I hope to tell you all about next week. Thanks for asking, you are very kind to do so and I hope we will be able to cruise together soon.
Best wishes
JohnLaura from UT Asked:
Dear John (please reply),First of, since there are many Laura’s posting comments and questions, I decided to do something that would differentiate myself from them.
I really appreciated today’s blog especially the link to the thread on Cruise Critic where people were supporting and defending Carnival. This leads me to my question. A few days ago, I saw some rather rude comments from what I would construe is a Loyal Royal about Carnival and it’s policy regarding swim diapers in the pools and waterworks area. What this particular poster basically said was that Carnival was too cheap to install a filtration system (unlike the thinkstheirbetteroftheseas). Do you know why Carnival doesn’t have any of these systems in their pools? Just curious
John Says:
Hello Laura from UTWhat a great comment and how timely as Heidi and Kye are here and Heidi is disappointed that she cannot swim in the main pool with Kye. It’s hard to accuse any company that has just spent billions of dollars on the Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic and Carnival Thingy (Dream 3) and on rejuvenating the Fantasy class fleet of being a little tight with the purse strings.
However, I guess we don’t have a system that allows ummmm…….poo……….to be filtered through a poo pipe and into a poo tank………why……..well just because we don’t I guess. I can tell you that anytime an accident happens in the pool we drain the water as per United States Public Health regulations……maybe other cruise lines don’t do that…..I don’t know. I do know that it would be nice if we had that system here and if there is one thing missing from my Carnival Dream…….it is a splash pool for little kids……… but space was of course as always at a premium.
I will investigate this further with our chief engineer and by the way…….Heidi has just brought up a good point that you can buy special swimming diapers that are poocatchers, I wonder if they are acceptable. I will let you know. I have also suggested to those at the top that if possible we consider this on future ships.
Best wishes to you and the family
JohnJust to let you know I checked with someone who has recently cruised on another cruise line and she confirmed that their newer ships do have a filtration system. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say: “Good for them.” As a new father, I wish we did here. I will say though that our policy of allowing under 2′s in the playroom on port days from arrival till 12 and on sea days from 12 till 2 means that the youngsters have a fantastic time!
Paul Asked:
Hi John, (please reply)I’ve been trying to find out, but haven’t had a solid answer for the Carnival Liberty.
My wife and I had a welcome addition to our family in July of 09, he will be 10 months old on our cruise on the Liberty on May 8. I was wondering if we will need to arrange for high chairs/pack n play pens for him to sleep in or will they just kind of magically be there?
Any help is greatly appreciated. We were engaged on the Valor, married on the Valor, had our honeymoon on the Valor so we figured we should try a new ship for our first family cruise.
Can’t wait to see the Liberty
Thanks again.John Says:
Hello PaulStrange isn’t it that the last few questions have been about children. While everything is probably arranged, why not let me confirm this for you. Please send me your stateroom number and your requirements one month before your sailing date and I will make sure the ship is prepared. I know you will love the Carnival Liberty; she has always been one of my favorite ships ever since we took her around Europe. Look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
JohnBarry Asked:
John, please reply (privately if you’d like)Wrote a couple weeks ago but must have fallen into the black hole…
Back in Nov. I told you about the diet I was starting and recommended a couple books. Today I weigh 205, down 29 lbs since starting. But the more important thing is my glucose numbers are now in the normal range instead of diabetic and my cholesterol and blood pressure have fallen significantly (over 35%). The low carb lifestyle is definitely effective, plus I get to eat MORE food than ever before. I feel better at age 53 than I did at 33.
I have three requests. First, I’ll be sailing on my Carnival Liberty on Feb 27th with my martial arts teacher (Dan Anderson) and his wife. Could you put in a word with the Maitre’d that we would like to be seated together? Prof. Anderson and his wife Marie will be cruising for the first time. Dan has been my teacher, mentor, and friend and I want this to be special for them.
Second item, I see that Kevin is filling in for Butch as CD. I would like to bring a small gift for Kevin, the Captain, and the Hotel Manager just to say thanks for the wonderful time I know we’ll have. Could you let me know if those folks have a favorite wine or chocolate or cigar that would be appropriate? I’d just like to give them a little indulgence at the end of their long days.
Finally, I have created a web site devoted to providing information to first time and novice cruisers. Places like Cruise Critic can be overwhelming (and sometimes harsh) to new folks so I wanted to provide a safe environment for them to find answers. One of the features of CruiseDork.com will be the Dork Chat. This will be a 30 minute podcast with folks who can provide important information and tips for new cruisers. I would be honored if you would accept my invitation to be the first cruise director interviewed. Who better than you to tell folks how to have a marvelous time and get them started right on their first cruise?
John Says:
Hello Barry / CruiseDork.comCongratulations on your diet. I am still doing well and supplementing my low carb diet with B12 vitamin pills which seem to help. My cholesterol is very good and compared to how I felt in November on the Carnival Legend, I must say I am very happy. I wish you continued good luck with your diet and sugar levels.
I have sent your request to the Maitre ‘D who will do his best to give you and your friend the same dining assignment. You will love Kevin and how kind of you to think of him and the Captain. I always say a little memento from where you live is what they really enjoy. A keying, baseball cap etc. will be great.
Congratulations also on www.CruiseDork.com I shall pop on over after this blog is finished and have a read for myself. I wish you much success and I am sure many of the bloggers will join me.
Have a fantastic cruise and looking forward to reading your review.
Best wishes,
John
That’s all for today and I will be back on Monday with more of your questions answered.
This coming Saturday marks a big day across the fleet as we say goodbye to an old friend and hello to a much cooler and fresher one. I mean of course we will be saying farewell to the Carnival Capers, the onboard activity program that has been with us pretty much since the days of the Mardi Gras. Steve Cassel, Lenny Halliday and I are the only Cruise Directors left who remember the days of sitting in our cabins…….in our underpants ………. typing the day’s activities out and gluing them to an empty piece of legal white paper.
We then would hand them to the Purser Bellman who was always from Korea and always called Mr. Kim and he would print them up on a machine that made more noise than a 747 at full thrust. Then along came the computer and all of us CD’s were immersed in a world that would change our jobs forever and indeed would change the look of the Carnival Capers forever as well. And let’s face it. Over the years they have become cluttered and it was indeed time for a change.
And that time and change have come because over the next three days every ship (apart from the Carnival Elation which is in Vancouver on a charter) will start their cruise with the new and shiny Fun Times.
The Cruise Directors have been working on these for weeks and under the supervision of Chris Prideaux and Shahnaz Kashanipour they are ready….well mostly. In the days of the Carnival Capers the Cruise Directors had 100% say in what went in there which is why some Capers (mine included) looked about as clean as Turkish prison. Those days are gone as well. That’s because 90% of the content is pre written by Shahnaz, Chris and their teams and all the CD’s have to do is fill in a few areas specific to the ship. That means that you will see the same font, the same spacing, the same titles and the same …… well……..everything whether you are on your Carnival Dream or the Carnival Fantasy. And that of course is a good thing.
Now, I have, ever since I was a young, skinny, dark haired cruise director….hate doing the bloody Carnival Capers. There are many things I’d rather be doing than making the dam things, including waiting for Dwyane Wade to come off the court after scoring 50 points and then licking his back clean……..that’s how much I hate doing Capers. And hotel director who has worked with me will tell you that my spalling is awful as will the 343 Stephanies, Vance from PR and my Father.
So I was overjoyed that when this new Fun Times project came out because I remembered ………I have a bitch……..sorry……..I mean I have an assistant, the wonderful and sexy in his own mind……….Craig. He has worked hard on these Capers ……. bugger ……….. Fun Times …………and his hard work has allowed me more time to entertain the guests, produce the daily blog thingy and play with my daughter……but not with my wife.
Seriously, he has worked very hard and I thank him very much. So……….do you want to have a look at the first ever Fun Times on your Carnival Dream? Well for those who do ………………here it is.
So, what do you think? Please let me know and oh yes………if you see any spelling or grammatical errors please let me know. I told Craig for everyone my bloggers find I will twist his nipple one full revolution………….so please………….find one……….or more.
Well, it’s been a great cruise and up until tonight the weather has been great. Tonight though after leaving Costa Maya we have been bouncing around like a braless Pamela Andersen on a trampoline. Still, it doesn’t seem to be bothering the guests as the Get Ready Motown Show, The Comedy Club and all the lounges are busy as is the casino. This week has gone by all too quickly and that means that I now have only one week left with my girls as they will be leaving on March 6. I thought you might like to see one or two photos of Kye and Heidi………..here they are.
I have resisted the temptation of bringing Kye on stage. I really want to show her off to the guests. I want to do this because to me, Kye is the most beautiful baby in the world. To me she is the Megan Fox’s bottom of babies. I also want the guests to know that yes, this aging grey haired fat man can produce something as beautiful as Kye…….even if it did only take me 3 minutes. But I haven’t done this because I know that Heidi and Kye would get no peace or quiet and that’s what Heidi deserves.
Well as Friday is my busiest day it’s nearly time to bugger off. I have my Debarkation Talk next which lasts for 35 minutes. Most of the guests I hope enjoy its mix of information and humour while others will pay about as much attention to this as you all will during President Obama’s 9-hour telethon about health care. I am not knocking his polices by the way as I know bugger all about them……..but 9 hours? Does it come with one of those commercials for pills that say “watching 9 hours of President Obama on See – Span may induce drowsiness, muscle ache and explosive diarrhea?”
I have only flicked through See-Span a few times whilst being bored out of my mind during one of my many hotel stays. I often wonder who the camera operators are. They surely have the most boring job in the world outside of those climbing wall managers. How those See-Span cameramen must wish that something would happen, hoping that a fight will break out or that Nancy Pelosi will, in the middle of a bill reading, suddenly whip of her clothes and do her impression of a naked Latvian stripper……. using Senator John McCain as the pole.
See you on Monday
Goodnight
Your friends
John, Heidi and Kye
Look, friends — there are a few things you should remember before you comment. The space below is for you to post your comments about the post I've just written above. If it is something that's unrelated, please use the Ask John tab above. Now, while I may not be able to reply to your comment below, I do sit in my underpants almost every morning and read everything that is here. So feel free to comment on the comments and then if someone wants to comment on the comment to the comment then go ahead as well. Please be courteous unless the poster is French...........then you can say whatever you want.
Hi John, a few people on the chat forums on Carnival told me to get in touch with you. uh you see, my husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan and will finally be home next month. to celebrate we have a cruise booked on the Legend May 16th 2010, and i was wondering what i can do to make it special for him. kinda like a “welcome home”. maybe like, who do i talk to on the ship to see if they can do something cool for him. i dont know. i just want to make him feel appreciated and honestly welcomed home. i hope this makes sense. any help and advice would be really great. thanks so much.
by the way, your daughters adorable. and sorry i left that in a comment!
John
Kye is growing up. Watch it, before you know it, she will be asking for the car keys! Lynn and Mike Sagara
Or wait in Johns case the BOAT keys lolololololol
John:
Craig is indeed a treasure! You are blessed to have him there to assist you in all that you have to get done.
I am not going to comment on the Capers (I mean Fun Times) until I see them in person.
I can’t believe how quickly Kye is growing up. The pictures are adorable.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
Btw,
thanks for posting the Fun Times with my Birthday!!
I feel so special…. LOL
Linda
I think you did the right thing in going with what you did, respect those that lost their lives on the Costa Ship. I am not surprised that you decided to do this John.
I love the Capers or new thingy. I not only remember the old Capers from the ship Carnivale when we sailed her in 1988, but I have them. I always save every one of our Capers from every cruise we have taken.
I am sure everyone would love to see your sweet baby but your are right to let Heidi rest and enjoy her vacation.
Keep smiling John; you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
Peg,
Can you please scan and post one of the 1988 Capers? I’d be very interested to see the differences and similarities they share with those of today both in format and activities!
Thanks!
KC
John,
I will see you tomorrow. Can’t wait!!
It would appear that Kye is getting her SEA LEGS !!!
I am looking forward to seeing the NEW “Fun Times” when we climb aboard (OK, hopefully not actually CLIMB) the Dream tomorrow!
See you there,
Tom
My husband and I sailed on the beautiful Carnival Dream January 9th. It was our 6th Carnival cruise! We were wondering why Carnival no longer gives out its ships pin to past guest and why do they charge to use the hot tub in the spa area now because on other ships they do not charge a fee. Also, one last comment about Dream.. why in the world did you remove the hot tubs mid ship near the big screen tv? We truely did miss those hot tubs, but the ones that jet out from the side of the ship were pretty awesome! The hallway that leads past the mid ship dinning hall to the back of the ship is so convenient too!
Also, I am happy to say we just booked for September 28th on Carnival Miracle to celebrate our anniversary!!
Thanks,
Violet
26 from Syracuse, New York
John, Its going to be hard, I am still going to call them the capers. Keep the new design but why not call them the Capers still?… Oh my what a beautiful little girl!!
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank And Bridie
John,
You may commence with the nipple twisting as I see a typo!
#8 Win $500 in spa treatments. It says “We INVITES you to join us for a spa tour today” INVITES!! It should say invite
TWIST AWAY MY FRIEND!
Jen
And another for your twisting pleasure:
#3 there is no . after fold’em
I know that is pretty nit picky but they did capitalize the M in Must be 18 or older so they must have meant to have a period but forgot it.
Do I get some sort of prize for this? KIDDING- the joy you will have twisting his nipples is enough for me
Awwww, Kye is so cute and ready to take off walking on her own too. I’m glad that you qre enjoying your girls.
I have really enjoyed watching all of the Olympics but don’t know if I would have watched as much if I had been cruising.
Just got back from the snowy NE and I’m catching up on the blog. So very sorry to hear of the Costa tragedy.
I saw on the news of a huge outbreak of Nurovirus on a Celebrity ship this week…no amount of reminding people is too much in my opinion. Nothing will ruin a cruise faster than getting this type of illness.
Cheryl
Hi John, Heidi and Kye
Love the Politics
Love the “Fun Times” Very Readable
and Miss Kye, she is growing so fast! Standing up.
Oh John She has her “sea legs” she gets those from her Mum and Dad. She is the Most beautiful baby we have been saying THAT since last May!
{{{{{ H U G S}}}}}}} to ALL
The Tuckers in Florida
Elizabeth & Arnold
John -
You asked for a grammar/spelling check so here it is… And yes, I have been called a grammar nazi…
First item I noticed is under “cellular phone service” heading – it reads “Please remember that your cellular phone may show a different time then ship’s time.” THEN should be THAN.
Second, under “welcome aboard, important” heading – it reads “When the signal sounds, please go to your assigned.. Please listen for announcements.” Looks like this is template text that needs “muster station” or some such added to the text.
Third, under 3. Texas Hold ‘Em Table… after “when to hold ‘em and when to fold em” there should be a period.
I hope you were being honest when you asked for a grammar check! So, can I get a job doing this from home?
Thanks for so many great blogs – I look forward to it everyday!
Sara
Hi John: thanks so much for the reply above. We (Denn and I and Scott and Shari Prime) had THE wait staff and a supurb table. Scott and Shari’s anniversary was marked with a cake that Osden and Putra presented in a fun way. Love the new layout of the newsletter and as with everything, change eventually comes but I believe for the better with the Funtimes. Thank you so much again for our “Ship-on-a-stick” that you gave to us and Scott and Shari as well as the autographed pic of the Dream! Denn got another SOAS when he won the “Who Wants to Be a Millionair” so now we have a matched set LOL Cheers to all and I said a prayer for the families re: their loved ones who were killed in the incident yesterday.
PS LOVE the pics of Kye and I almost asked you if you would bring her out on the stage but I felt that that would be overstepping your privacy …Angela Guptill
Dear John,
I LOVE the pictures of Kye! She’s precious!!
I hate to do this to poor Craig, but I’m a writer, and feel compelled to point out a grammatical error in the Capers…bugger…Fun Times.
#8 that mentions spa treatments begins, “We invites…” but it should be “We invite…” (no “s”).
So sorry, Craig! Forgive me?
Laura
Hi John,
Please reply,
I loved the pictures of Kye, she has gotten so big, but I do have a question. How is she handling the rocking of the ship, does she have sea legs where the movement of the ship does not bother her or is she having ha hard time getting used to it. My guess that she adapted very well since cruising is in her blood.
You mentioned that there will be some changes to your planned cruise on the Carnival Spirit. I wrote to you and asked if you were going to be on her for the sailing of Oct.17th, and you said, “yes”. Please do not tell me now that that date is going to change because if I cancel it, I will have to pay an extra $50.00 administrative fee or lose my whole deposit since I booked under early saver.
BTW, if Carnival starts allowing swimmers diapers for babies, you might suggest it to the Gift shops to sell them onboard, because most parents would not want to hassle to bring some and probably prefer to buy them on board.
Please give my love to Heidi and Kye,
From your #1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan.
Kathy M.
Hi John,
First cruise was the week of Jan30/10 on THE DREAM! It was….better than I could have ever expected. 16 of us with my sister getting married on the Dream Feb 3/10. John you made the cruise so worth it and we would all like to thank you very much for your hard work and long hours that you put in that no one see. Great staff,entertainment and food!
One question is it possible to get a copy of the cd tapings? We did get the bedtime story with Mary and of course the famous Dick & Anita Little:) but really want the honeymooners video. Wished I had. Thanks again xoxo
Dear John…your so right about not bringing Kye on stage just yet.
Heidi does need as much down time as she can get just now…there will be time enough for little Kye to shine and shine she will, after all look who her father is. The shinemister..she is definately a cute cute baby…good on ya…both
BTW I did read the New and improved Funtimes, and found several spelling errors…so twist away John…just kidding…not one..
I have to tell you I have watched several of your utube videos, and they still crack me up hope I have the opportunity to sail with you someday..What are you doing on February 05/2011, I hear the Liberty could use you…enjoy your blog at lot…thanks for all the entertainment…
Found one!
Grammatical error: Second page number 8
“We invites you”
Have fun with Craig!
Re babies in pools
Surely the time you would have to wait to be sure all the water in the pool had passed through the filter wouldn’t be any quicker than emptying and re-filling.
I for one wouldn’t want to go in it with any “remains” floating in the water. Special diapers – why not, as long as they can’t leak.
John, It’s been three weeks since we came off the Carnival Dream…..that’s how long it has taken me to wind down. Of the 8 or 9 cruises we have taken, this cruise was hands down THE BEST. And in so many ways. We were with the polka group and that in itself was amazing. Carnival really knows how to treat people. The Burgundy Lounge worked out great and the two open bars that t he group had scheduled were amazing. Not only for the cocktails but for the delicious appetizers. There was so much going on on the ship at all times, no wonder it took me three weeks to recuperate. And the food and service in the main dining room were wonderful. Again of all the cruises, the food & service here was by far the best. The only thing we didn’t do that we planned was to sneak away to the special restaurant, I believe it was a steakhouse. We didn’t have to go because the food was so good in the dining room. And the nightly entertainment during dinner by the service crew was such a nice touch.
And it seemed so much easier to get around this ship than other large ships. I remember when we sailed on the Carnival Glory, we always were at the wrong end of the ship. Not the case with the Carnival Dream.
Again, I can’t say enough about what a wonderful experience the Carnival Dream has been. You even sent us a nice gift to our room, which was very thoughtful of you.
Dee & Richard Hayman
John,
Nancy Pelosi & John McCain! What a sight that would be! Definitely one worth watching.
I would much rather be seeing those beautiful pictures of our girl Kye, though. Looks like she’s getting ready to toddle off on her own power soon. Now the fun begins!
Thanks for the adorable pictures.
Joyce
John(Please respond)
I was looking at the new Fun Times. I have a couple of questions and suggestions. My wife keeps telling me that I am Blind in one eye and cant see out of the others, and I am begining to believe her, so i probably just didnt see it
Am I correct in reading that there is no smoking on the Lido Deck? I go up there every morning for coffee before my wife get up and have Coffee and a cigarette or 3. I didnt see that in the smoking areas. If this is not true, you all might want to put it in there.
Secondly a suggestion and only a suggestion. In the Capers, you listed the Bar hours. I dont see it on the Fun Times. Please publish those
My wife and I do enjoy reading your Blog thingy and look forward to it every day.
What a beautiful baby you have wish we could have seen more pictues of her and your Bride
Best wishes to you and yours
Mike
John, to comment on the soda cards. My husband and I were on the dream January 30th and purchased the soda cards. Every time we asked for a soda it was brought to us promptly and with a smile. After the first night in the dining room our bartender Alec always had it waiting at our table for us when we sat down. We had such a great time, everything including the weather was perfect. Our wait staff was excellent. We were at table 177. Looking forward to the Glory September 11th.
John, why don’t you bring them up at the debarkation talk? That way, they only 1 day of being bothered!! Kye is an adorable little girl!
Dear John,
I noticed in your new Fun Times newsletter that the Carnival Waterworks is open from 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. I think this might be a typo that involves nippletwisting (Sorry Craig).
I enjoy your blog very much and look forward to reading it. I am sailing with my husband, two kids, inlaws and 20 other assorted rowdies on the Carnival Spirit on March 11. It’s our third cruise and we’ve finally convinced a bunch of people to come see how much fun we have.
Thanks so much and enjoy the nipple twisting.
John please reply.
I usually dont ask for anything but today I need to.
DH and I were to board March 1 on the Carnival Triumph (note both names)
On the way to NO on Friday he suffered a heart attack. I got him to the Police department in the small town that we were driving through. They got the EMT and then on to the hospital. That is where I am now waiting to hear what is next. He is stable but will need more procedures It is a matter of getting him to our hospital where his doctors are. So we are waiting for the helicopters to take him back to St LOuis. I will drive there to meet him there.
We have successfully cancelled our bookings but are awaiting news of refunds. This cruise was a result of a credit from the “swine flu” cancelation, We were not allowed to buy insurance for it was a credit with Carnival. Here is my question– who is the correct person to talk with and what is correct procedure to follow. Any help would be appreciated. We have already decided on the booking we would want. So we dont need refund just credit to be applied to different cruise, Any help you or one of the many stephs would be aprreciated.
Keep up the good work.
Dear John(PLEAE REPLY),
We are going on the Magic in july 2011 for my high school graduation present. I read on here that you wont be on he Magicfor all of july 2011 and i was wondering if you will still be on there for july 3??
We started cruising 2 years ago this july and ever since then it has been my DREAM to have you as my cruise director so i really do hope you will still be on there!!
I love cruising so much that i am doing a speech about it at school!! every year at my school we do speech week and this year mine is about the joy of cruising!!
Nina
We heard that the Blackjack Band has been positioned on the Dream. We booked the very next day on our way out of town going to the Inspiration. The Black jack Band is one of the best at sea, meaning they provide great entertainment and we can dance to their music. All ships should have music that we over 50 can dance to. Most of the time there is rock in the mid-lounge and rock, again, in the Disco. There are many good cruise bands out there. Costa and Holland America don’t have a problem finding them,
Thanks for listening.
Bob and Dolores
New York Sam – learn some manners my friend. Regards to all, Marina.
John,
Number 8 in the top ten – We invites you…….
Get ready Craig!
John (please reply),
2/27 – We just booked our 5th cruise (half way to platinum) with Carnival Cruise Lines, this time on the Carnival Victory (7 day Southern Caribbean). We will be leaving on May 9th. I have a question about the two cruise director’s the CD’s schedule says we are to have during this week. Karl Bird is schedule to leave the ship on May 16th and Brad Calabrese is to arrive on May 7th. Will they both be performing CD duties?
Thanks for answering my question.
Roxi
John or one of the Stephanie’s, can you answer this question please? My husband & I are cruising 4/24 and are wondering how the table seating is determined?
Our TA has linked some (not sure which ones) of our group together. In our situation are we wrong to assume that our seating will be with only members from our group of 32?
Thanks Linda
John if you want to show off Kye you might do it at the end of the show on the last night of the cruise. Therefore when the show is over, Heidi and Kye will likely be heading to bed anyway. That way they will not be bothered by any of the guests and have the privacy they deserve.
Fun Times “error”. Not sure if it is an error but at 7:00 there is a liquor tasting and at 7:30 there is a liquor tasting for 21 and over. Does this mean that anyone can participate in the liquor tasting at 7:00? My son wants to know (he is younger than 21).
Here’s a grammatical error on the Fun Times. Under Today’s Top Ten – 8 Win $500 in Spa Treatments, it states “We invites you to join us for a spa tour today.” It should state “We invite you…”
Ok, this is going to painful for Craig… Also under Spa Treatments… it mentions learning about “tooth whitening”. Why would I only want to get only one tooth whitened? Wouldn’t I want all of my teeth to be the same color of white?
I’ll try not to find anymore.
Dear Christine,
This treatment is for folks from Arkansas the same place where the toothbrush was invented. If it had been invented any place else it would have been called teethbrush.
The Cruzin2some
Hey everyone just letting you know to check back to the blog this week..Big Ed is onboard and John Has promised him a fun on stage week for him!! Stay tuned!!
Love to see the pictures of Kye and Heidi but you are missing the Heidi… Kye is a beautiful baby and you are a blessed man, it would be hard for any parent to not want to show off their baby so that all can see and you have a rare opportunity, but the wisdom of keeping the peace is far better.
still here
still reading
still enjoying
still only one
Heidi-Beth
Dear John
Please reply
My sincerest apologies for not writing earlier, but I hve been ill, since my return home, from the fabulous Feb: 13th cruise, on the Carnival Dream, due to the adverse weather here at home.
Thank you for the surprise Welcome Home gifts that you had delivered to my cabin. I appreciate them.
I would like to thank, and have the following recognised for their outstanding .service:
Saurabh…F&B Manager. He took care of my dietary needs and requests.
Adrian….my breakfast steward.
Olimpio (that’s how he spells it) my Dinner steward.
Klaudio…..my wonderful Maitre d’hotel.
Laurie, Stefan, David and Alwin…all of whom took great care of me in the Casino.
All the gang at the Purser’s desk, especially Kisun and Roxana.
The Mongolian Wok chefs were wonderful to me too. I did not get their names.
Must not forget my Cabin steward……Karma.
What a glorious week I had!!!!
Please John, could you tell me what ship Captain Rasello is on? I would like to book my next cruise for April, and would like to see him again.
Best regards,
Vivienne.
Hi John,
I like the new layout of the Fun Times. It does look like it will be easier to see what all that is going on.
As my 6 year old just said after seeing a picture of Kye, Kye is adorable. I hope that you will be able to show her off to the guests. I am sorry that we didn’t get an opportunity to see her and Heidi but I also wanted to respect their vacation time.
Hope you and your family have a great week. I know it will be a tough week to get through. Enjoy and treasure each and every moment.
Our best to you, Heidi and Kye.
The Wagner Family
Hi John,
Please just a short reply.
I read one bloggers comments about bar service in the dining rooms. I experienced a similar situation in the Crimson on the Dream. We had trouble getting someone to the table and when we finally did, she appeared to be a rookie. She actually would not allow us to use our drink tickets. It happens once in a while and we will never let a single issue put us on a downer while we are cruising.
Now on the much brighter side. Could you please stop by the Atrium bar and personally thank Stella, Leila, and Carmelo. They represent Carnival staff that makes my wife and I look forward to our cruise each year. We sailed with you on the Dream February 6th and 1 week after our cruise we are booked on the Miracle for next year.
We dined at 6:00 in the Crimson dining room which was directly behind the Atrium bar. Our family meeting time was 5:45 at the Atrium bar. We had such a great time with all three, that by mid week we were meeting at 5:00.
We often hung out there in the afternoon as well, listening to the music. One day I asked Leila if I was allowed to buy the entertainment a drink of any kind during the break. Next thing I saw was Leila climbing the stairs and returning with the lead singer. We had a nice chat and I bought her an expresso.
It’s all about the memories for us and this year Stella, Leila, and Carmelo went out of their way to make sure we never forget the beautiful Dream. Please extend our most sincere gratitude to all of them.
I sent Ken his calendar and I haven’t heard from him. I hope September and December didn’t put him into shock.
One last thing John. We love hearing you tell us how beautiful and wonderful Kye is. You are a Britt and I am a Yank. Many differences but one constant for sure. The entire world agrees that it is only considered bragging when you can’t back it up. She is beautiful.
Keep smiling my friend
Wayne & Pat
Kye is adorable and growing so fast… Please just drop us a sentence or two about how she adapted to cruising…. Did she inherit her Daddy’s genes? Does she love cruising? Is Kye going to be our future CD????
I say take Kye up on stage with you on her last night on board that she will be cruising with you… This way your can show off your beauty and, at the same time, Heidi wouldn’t really have to worry about everyone stopping her and talking to her and bothering her except for perhaps the last day…
BUT, if you do decide to show Kye off the last night of their cruise, you had better post the DADDY/DAUGHTER and maybe even MOMMY picture on here for all of us to see….
You get another twist as well – in addition to #8, it also says “we invites” under the Cloud 9 listing!
Dear John,
We just left the dream on Sat Feb 27. This was our 3rd cruise with you (and Heidi). The Freedom, Splendor and now Dream. It’s funny that you put up pics of Kye as i had thought several times on board about asking you to show us one. I knew she and Heidi were on board and so much wanted to see them, but I assumed that you guys had precious little time alone as it is. I didnt contact you on board so as not to bother. I just wanted to tell you again how very much you and your family are appreciated in our lives. It truely does make it feel like home to come on the the ship as I have come to associate your voice with a wonderful week of rest and fun. ( I am the Ob who spoke with you once from the Splendor on stage.) I visited the medical area again this cruise as I continue to consider being a ship’s doctor. The nurses were great to show me around and fill me in on a career with Carnival.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again for a wonderful week of fun, rest, and reminders of how fortunate we are to have spent time with you.
Hoping to see you on another cruise soon. Awaiting your schedule for the end of the year to book again.
All my love to the girls
Berniece
Wow is Kye growing up-and is beautiful. Enjoy this next week with she and Heidi. Thanks for posting the new Capers, Er Fun Times.l I sail on the Dream 3/6 so this helps the excitement even more.
Hello, my friend!
We’re just of the WONDERFUL Carnival Ecstasy after what may well be the best on board experience I have EVER had on ANY ship!!
The ship is gorgeous! Best of the Fantasy Class without doubt. Steve Cassel is BRILLIANT!! BRAVO! What a great guy! All of our Crazies agreed that he was amazing… incredibly open, accessible and friendly.
I’ll be sending you a short review to add to the blog and forward to the folk in Miami.
Regarding the Capers… here’s link to near full size images of the uhhhhh… Fun Times from our five day sailing:
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff313/mach_man/Ecstasy%205%20Day%20Capers%20and%20Day%20at%20a%20Glance/
I can tell you that I HATED getting off the Ecstasy despite the fact that it was probably the easiest debark I’ve experienced.
All the best to those lovely girls of yours!!!
Ciao!
Mach
John, please reply…
Hi, John! We returned from a 2-wk. cruise on the Grand Princess on Fri., 2/26 and we have to tell you something that it’s going to make you go on strike or start a protest in front of Carnival’s Miami Headquarters…. Martyn Moss, the Grand Princess CD, has an army of helpers! In addition to Deputy CD Stuart Mac, he has 2 Asst. CD’s and 2 Junior Asst. CD’s! How do you like that! You are lucky to have an Asst., and he has 5! Sorry to be the messenger of the bad news…. we couldn’t resist to tell you!
Carl Strong, the black comedian who we liked so much during our December 1-wk. cruise on the Dream was on the Grand Princess… We were able to attend 3 out of his 4 shows. As always, he was great!
Do you know or have you heard of Kyle Esplin, the Scottish Piano Entertainer? He is a very talented young man that not only he is a wonder playing the piano, but also has a great voice and has a terrific personality. We attended 2 of his shows. Everybody loved him! Maybe you’ll be able to get Carnival to have him play on the Dream….
Warmest regards to you and Heidi & kisses to Kye,
The Santanas of Miami Beach
Oh, John, Jen was right, and the same type exists under the title Cloud 9 Spa. Just anohter chance to do a little twisting!
The new Fun Times look great, can’t wait to be on a ship to see them for myself.
Loved seeing Miss Kye, oh how fast she is growing up!
Thanks for all you do,
Di
dear john
while i can appreciate the fact that the carnival capers
can take quite a lot of time to produce, i must however disagree with you about a generic capers with insert your ship here.
i believe it takes some the flavor, the personality if you will out of an individual ship, and truly does bring carnival one step closer to being the Wal-Mart of cruising, in that you can visit any carnival ship and get the same hamburger made the exact same way anywhere (BORING)
to me its kind of like the generic carnival ship pictures carnival uses in brochures and advertising (you know the ones with the ship name whited out)
which i guess will probably be next for the carnival
post cards, and photo staff.
i will however grant you that most people are rather stupid cows, who can barely remember the name of the last ship they were on, and will probably enjoy the fact that they get the same thing while believing the burger king moto have it your way
thats my opnion and i am sticking to it
Mitch
John!
We have heard nothing but great comments about you as a CD!! We are so excited… we have a little tiny, interior, spa room… because we are poor, haha. We are looking forward to a fantastic cruise and are excited that you will be our CD… and I guess that is your last cruise on the Dream for a while?? *Sailing 3/13 – 3/20*
SOOOOOOO excited — any tips on making the days before the cruise fly by and the days on the cruise stand still??
Thanks,
Erin and Chris
Erin and Chris….
we had one of those “little tiny, interior, Spa rooms” on the Dream in December and it was fine…even with there being 3 of us in there!!!
Have a great cruise!!
Linda
Thanks, Linda!!
Is it nice having unlimited acess to the spa… did you really use it that much? I think I migh just soak in that big jacuzzi all day and sip on pina coladas!, lol
Hi John – Please reply -
First, I truly enjoy your blog – at the end of a long day it is exactly what I need!
My wife and I are boarding our Carnival Valor October 31st and this is celebration of our 5 years together and 2nd time on the Valor! My question is that I have seen that a couple of other lines are now offering drink packages, other than a soda card ie.. Liqour, wine, beer packages – Is there any chance that your 007 can give us some great news that CCL will start to offer such packages???
My best to you, Heidi and Kye while aboard your Carnival Dream as I’m sure you all are having a superior time
Cheers.
“When the signal sounds, please go to your assigned..”…WHAT??? Left it a little vague, didnt you John? Twist away!
I like the new “Fun Times”. I didn’t see any spelling or grammatical mistakes, and I write/edit for a living so I’d notice, but it’s 8:00 in the morning so yeah. BTW I love the pictures of Kye
.
Let the nipple twisting begin!
Under the Cellular Phone Service paragraph, it says “please remember that your cellular phone may show a different time then ships time. Please always stay on ships time”. It should say “than” instead of “then.” Also, in both places where it says “ships time,” the word ships should have an apostrophe (ship’s time). That’s 3 twists of Craigs nipple!
Also, where it’s talking about wine packages, it says “wine packages, deluxe packages, premium package.” That last “package” is missing an S at the end. Then it says “at a saving” but should say ‘at a savings” (with an S on the end). 2 more twists!
In the Sail & Sign paragraph, it says “re board the ship.” That word should be hyphenated (re-board). Another twist!
Also, the headline for the Captain’s Celebration says Captain’s Celebrations (with an S on the end). Unless there’s more than one celebration, it should be singular, not plural. Another twist!
That comes to 7 nipple twists! Have fun torturing Craig! Ha ha!
And the photos of Kye are adorable! Thanks for posting them!
Angela J. (sailing on my first Carnival cruise in 47 days on my Carnival Dream!!!!)
Please Reply….
Hi John ~
Any idea if there will be a Blogger’s Cruise this year? Unfortunately, vacation schedules need to be submitted sooner rather than later and I know we would hate to miss out!
Thanks!
Colleen
John,
First, Kyle is beautiful! Second, I do like the new format of the Capers. Yes, Capers. They always have been and will always be “Capers” to me – and I’m sure many others. Please consider changing the format, but keeping the name!
Oops, my mistake. I meant to say CARNIVAL Capers!
John, How adorable! Not you, Kye! You said pictures of your Girls. Well where is Heidi? I remember those days many years ago with my two girls. I was always the “Horsey” now just the Horses #$%^, well you know what I mean. Enjoy your short time with the girls. Send my best.
Jim
Dear John,
I hope and pray that the crew is helping each other get through a tough time and probably sleepless times. The tragic loss of the crew members on the Costa ship tends to ripple through the whole industry. All my best and I am glad that Heidi and Kye are there to help you get your mind off that terrible event.
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
John,
I’m home now from the feb 20th cruise…its soo depressing being home
that was the best vacation of my life and you were such a great director, but my reason for writing was more than telling you how hilarious you were, lol..when i was on the dream i really enjoyed one of the musicians, but didn’t get his website, i was wondering if you could help me there..his name’s Kevin and he plays guitar and sings, has a cute little ponytail, indy rock kinda vibe..it would mean a lot to me if you could get back
xoxo,
Emily
Hey John just got off the DREAM ( 2/20-2/27) and had a blast. Your the best CD by far ( my 2nd cruise with you as the CD – March of 09 on the Valor was the other one. ) Just want to say that you guys have out done your self with that ship. From the spa to the water slid. And dam some of the people we had on that cruise from James doing his thing to Romeo( OMG he was so funny – STOP , OR I’LL **** lolololol ) You and that GREAT CREW you guys have on the DREAM made my and my girlfriends cruise the best vaca we could ever have plained. That was her first cruise and she already has me looking to book another ASAP on Canrival. Once again and I cant say it enough THANKS TO YOU AND ALL THE CREW OF THE DREAM FOR MAKING IT A VERY UNFORGETABLE WEEK FOR ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND.
John,
Being a student of graphic design and typography I can be overly critical when it comes to type design…so I’ll spare Craig, for now. I do like the new look of the Capers. The only thing that really bothers me is the awkard leading (spacing between lines) of the Carnival Mixology copy. At first glance I thought it was a further explanation of the Open Times.
Hi John: We do a “family reunion” cruise every year, and it works out so well for everyone involved. This year we’ll be aboard the beautiful “Legend” on 9-26-10, and we always enjoy the special attention we get from the crew. Thanks to you, and Carnival for making the Jones Family Reunion Cruises so carefree, and FUN!
Ken Jones, his 4 brothers, and their extended families