So there we were, Heidi, Kye and I walking along deck 6 last night…..well……Heidi and I were walking…..Kye was being a lazy sod as usual and being chauffeured in her McLaren chariot. Anyway, we were walking from the aft to the forward section when a few cabins ahead of us we saw one of our room service ladies laden down with a tray full of tasty treats …….and if you are a climbing wall fan let me rub it in by saying “free tasty treats.”
She knocked on the door which was opened by a male guest who took the tray and without one word of thanks or one cent of a tip ……….closed the door in poor Angelica’s face. I looked at this 5 foot nothing crew member from the Philippines and felt instantly sad for her. As we approached her she knocked again on the door and I thought “Good, she is going to say where are your manners and where is my tip you rude sod.” But she didn’t, she said “Can you please sign this to say you received the food.” The male guest did and again without a word closed the door.
I asked her if this was normal and she seemed reluctant to tell me if it was or not and just kept saying “It’s OK, Mr. John”…..that’s what they call me these days Mr. John by the way. But it’s not OK. It really isn’t. I am sure this chap was in the minority and maybe he had just lost his kids’ college fund in the casino or discovered that his wife was having rumpy pumpy with Tiger Woods. But come on……..can’t you just say “thank you” ………. it’s not the Gettysburg address is it?
I am not going to get into the whole “should you tip the room service staff” or not ………. although you can guess what I think on the subject. Anyway, this played on my mind so Heidi and I sent an e-mail to the food and beverage manager and the hotel director complimenting Angelica and also gave her a nice new Carnival Dream T-shirt from the gift shop and her very own 14 carat gold plastic trophy.
This guest’s rudeness is unusual as the vast majority of our guests treasure the iconic and friendly crew on our ships but there are one or two each and every week on each and every ship who has the manners of a dung beetle. And it’s not just our guests.
There was a story in the news last week about the future King of England…….His Royal Highness Prince William. At a restaurant in Zermatt which is one of those posh skiing resorts in Switzerland, William and friends left £4.20 on a £420 bill for their waitress …… let’s put that in US dollars shall we. The bill or check as you say was at today’s rate of 1.5…..$631…………and the ginger Prince left a tip of……….$6.30
Now, I’ve thought about this and there’s just no way that this was an oversight as a Buckingham Palace spokesperson with a beard suggested. What a load of Royal bollocks ……..now I may have the brain capacity of a plank of wood but isn’t that exactly one per cent of the bill?
No, I reckon they thought £4.20 would do. And who cares when your Dad owns half of the UK and your grandmother has her face on the bloody money you paid with.
Still, it’s an excuse to raise the whole tortured business of tipping. And it confirms my belief that the higher up the social scale a person the stingier their gratuity while the lower down the scale the more likely they are to over-tip in the hope of hiding their a) unease b) the fact that are, like me, as poor as a church mouse.
Being from relative peasant stock I start worrying whether I have enough for a decent tip the moment my arse hits the restaurant or/taxi seat. If a hotel porter takes my bags to my room I’ve got the money ready in the lift.
These handsets that are brought to the table while we give our credit cards must present a new restaurant squirm fest. The waiter peers over your shoulder as you enter the gratuity. In a blind panic you cannot calculate what 12.5 per cent is so you chuck a $50 bill to him ……………… then you feel robbed all the way home.
Why do we tip? Is it to reward good service or to ensure the waiter doesn’t piss in our soup? And what about the guest I wrote about last year on the Carnival Splendor who removed all his pre-paid tips from his sail and sign card because his rib chop in the steakhouse was overcooked. Well, that’s not the server’s fault and it certainly wasn’t the stateroom stewards fault whose tips he also removed.
I suppose we cannot expect the Royals to understand since they are waited on from birth by household staff whom they tip bugger all. But if William ever plans to return to that restaurant in Switzerland and finds his steak taste likes sh*t………that’s probably because it is.
Time for today’s questions……let’s go.
Kathy M. Asked:
Hi John, Please reply.I know that you stated today in your blog that you will be on the Carnival Pride in September, so that got me thinking, are you still going to be on the Carnival Spirit in Oct and Nov. I have booked a cruise for November 12th, but if you are not going to be the CD, I will cancel that cruise. If you could please possibly post what dates you will be on the Carnival Spirit, I would greatly appreciate it.
Please give my love to Heidi and Kye,
From your #1 Bloggy Thingy Fan,
Kathy M.John Says:
Hello Kathy MI am working with Chris Prideaux in the office on my schedule for the summer and winter of this year. I do promise you that I will at some point be on the west coast. I know that I have a lot of people who have been asking me to do this for a long time and yet I have never been a CD in your region. So, I will be either on the Carnival Spirit or Carnival Splendor and will confirm the schedule by the end of next week. I am honoured (spelt correctly) that you have chosen to book your cruise around me and if I do change schedules I will assist you in changing your booking.
Best wishes
JohnDebbie Asked:
John, Please reply:First, thank you and thanks to Liz on the Freedom for making our trip the week of 1/16 a special week for us. Liz really took care of my husband and I with several surprises. This was our 2nd trip on the Freedom and 7th with Carnival. We loved the new serenity area.
Now for some comments on Your Time Dining and the comment cards. This was our first opportunity to try Your time Dining. The Dining room staff was friendly and tried to please everyone. However, there were many unhappy guests and the staff seemed surprised with the problems. Now, let me explain some of the issues. The Chic dining room is in the middle of the ship with doors on both sides. While you cannot enter from the front side until staff opens the doors, you can enter from the back, walk through the dining room and exit on the front side. So is it any real surprise that every day more and more guests went through the back, walked through the dining room, out the front and found a place in line somewhere in between the front and back of the line. Rarely making it to the back of the line. Now, there really wasn’t a line, there was a mass of guests who were arguing over who to let through to stand in line with people they knew and who should not be let through. By the end of the week, it really was getting pretty ugly standing outside the dining room waiting to enter and the line was forming an hour before the doors opened. Also, there were guests who were just walking in when the doors opened and walking to tables and sitting down. Not waiting to be seated. This just confused the staff and took longer to seat people and also meant that guests waiting the longest were not getting tables. We talked to the Hostess who said that this was an unusual week and everyone wanted to eat early and by 8:00 the dining room was empty for the night. With the many problems this caused, I would think someone would have made the decision early on to offer incentives to guests to get them to dine at a later time and avoid more problems. Also, someone from Carnival should have been outside that dining room before the doors opened to help with the problems. And the back door should have been kept closed so guests could only line up from the back of the line. Now one of the things I noticed on this trip was an unusual demographic. I would be interested in the actual number. I would guess that the majority of guests were in the age range of 65-75 and we met guests that were in their 90’s. I’m wondering if the age of the guests had something to do with everyone wanting an early dining time??
Now one more comment is that I know from talking and listening to guests that there were a lot of very negative comments made on the comment cards. I hate to think that this ship and this staff received overall negative comments for this one bad experience. I do not plan to try Your time dining again because of this experience. But I did not make any other bad comments. I have just decided I prefer to be able to walk into the dining room without having to wait in line for a table or to get a pager if I don’t get to the dining room at a good time when a table is available. I heard people say that they wrote several pages of negative comments and this bothers me. The Freedom is the cleanest ship with the friendliest staff in Carnival’s fleet of all the ships we have been on. We had a wonderful time. I would get right back on the Freedom again in a minute if I could. I hope they read those comment cards, try to understand that they are the result of people frustrated with one problem on one part of a great vacation and then try to find a solution to that one thing and then tell the whole staff that they did a great job overall on this trip.
John Says:
Hello DebbieThanks for taking the time to write and include a thanks of your own for the little extras that Liz took care of. Anytime Dining is still only a few months old and there is no doubt that we are still fine tuning this option. Our fleetwide reservations show that more and more people are taking this option and so information like this is vital for its continuing success. And when you read the concerns that you and maybe others expressed about the way we seat guests and that the aft doors are a concern…….it seems a simple fix doesn’t it. That’s why I am so grateful to you and others that we are able to have this forum and through your eyes better our product for our loyal guests.
I have therefore sent this to our VP of F&B as well as the hotel director of the Carnival Freedom so they can take the appropriate action.
Thanks for also pointing out the cleanliness and the high levels of service as well.
My best wishes to you and the family
JohnDeanna Williamson Asked:
Hi John,Great blog, by the way! I just returned from enjoying an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Destiny – and we truly had some five star service! However, we weren’t given any gratuity envelopes to tip at the end or comment cards to commend our fantastic staff. I have written to Carnival twice to see if I can forward a thank you note, but haven’t heard anything. Is there any way you can send a message to the Maitre’D and Asst. Maitre’D of the Carnival Destiny? Our entire wait staff were outstanding….and we have some fun photos we promised to share with them too. Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
Sincerely,
Deanna WilliamsonJohn Says:
Hello Deanna WilliamsonI am so glad that you had so much fun on the Carnival Destiny and thanks for mentioning the top class service. I am disappointed that you did not receive a comment card and that nobody from our HQ has returned your call. That’s not good enough.
So, I am thankful that you took the time to write to me here on the blog thingy and I have sent your words of praise to all mentioned and they will be thrilled I promise you to read your review.
I hope you continue to enjoy the blog thingy.
Best wishes to all
JohnJetskier Asked:
I wonder if the shoe was on the other foot and she was the one who left the lounge and came back and found a 20 something hunk, if her reaction would have been the same. Probably not. Don’t let it bug you. By now you should realize that you cannot please everybody. And that some don’t have a sense of humour even if it bites them on the arse.
Please respond on this question:
Did you ever get a response on if the Carnival Elation might get her final upgrades ahead of schedule?
Dave
John Says:
Hello JetskierIt’s been a long time since I have written to you and thanks so much for the words of support. How’s your arm by the way. I will have to check on the Carnival Elation and what upgrades she is due and I will see if I can post a response to this tomorrow for you. I know many bloggers have booked the repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal on her so I will get back to you and everyone else on this ASAP.
Best wishes
JohnRobert Dalphonse Asked:
John,I am hoping you can help me… I was on the Dream the week of Jan 23, 2010. Karel Pancochar sold me an awesome photo package and upon returning home, we found the CD holding all the images cracked and not readable. Could you please pass my email along to Karel and ask him about possible replacing the damaged CD.
Thanks,
R. DJohn Says:
Hello Robert DalphonseI will certainly help with this Robert and get a replacement to you as soon as possible. Please let me know if you need any further help.
Best wishes
JohnRoger Mann Asked:
JohnI am one of those who also vote for you’re to spend less time writing jokes and passing on stories of what happens onboard and spending more valuable time helping your customers. I am sure that there are others who agree but are too shy to say.
Thanks
RogerJohn Says:
Hello Roger MannThanks for the posting and all I can say to this is that I am sorry but the blog started out as a look at the life onboard a Carnival ship and if I take that away I might as well close the blog thingy down. I know it’s frustrating that it takes me so long to answer but hopefully you will understand that I am one chap with a job as CD to do as well as a blog thingy writer.
I am here should you need my help even though it may take me a little time to do so.
Best wishes
JohnStacy Just Asked:
John,I am planning on going on a Carnival cruise but would like to go on one with Victor Zuniga, the juggler. How can I find out what his schedule of ships is?
Thank you!
John Says:
Hello StacyVictor Zuniga is a brilliant juggler and I am so glad you enjoy his shows so much. He moves from ship to ship each week so it’s hard for me to tell you what ship he will be on. If you write back to me with the month you are looking to sail I can tell you on which ships he will be performing. I hope this helps.
I look forward to hearing from you
Best wishes
JohnPinkbarbie Asked:
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 there 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 RichardsonJohn Says:
Hello Christy RichardsonI am looking forward to seeing you on the Carnival Conquest and I will promise to do the Bedtime Story. I have been doing this for many years and although the premise is the same the characters and situations they provide are different each week. I have never been onboard the Carnival Conquest and so I am looking forward to seeing her and I will do my best to make this cruise the best one you have ever had.
Thanks so much for the kind words of support and I will see you soon
Best wishes
JohnLisa Tatham Asked:
John – Please RespondMy 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 parent’s 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!
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.
John Says:
Hello Lisa TathamI am so glad that you had a wonderful time on your first cruise and that I was able to help you with your dinner reservation. I have sent the Maitre D on the Carnival Glory your booking numbers and ask him to give you a table close to the entrance so that he is comfortable and seated with you and the rest of your family.
I wish you a wonderful time and I wish your husband continuing good health and happiness and I hope that this cruise rejuvenates him ready to face the treatments to come.
Best wishes to you all
John
That’s all for today and there will be more tomorrow. I need to apologize to anyone who has asked me for something before they sail that I have missed due to the backlog of questions. I know that Roger Mann and others feel that I should quit the stories and the fun stuff and concentrate on the customer service side but I can’t and unless the masses tell me to…….I won’t. But I can apologize to Seth and others for the late replies and hop that they forgive me and continue to enjoy the blog.
Please would you join me in thinking of a lady tonight? Her name is Claire and last night her husband of 53 years passed away here on the ship. I sat with her for last night before she and Lynn disembarked the ship in St. Thomas from where they will fly home to Florida tomorrow. The thoughts of 4,000 guests and all who read this blog are with the family today.
You often forget that with 4,000 guests onboard and 1,400 crew that your Carnival Dream is a small town and just as a small town on land, here also there is comedy and tragedy and good times and bad. And as I did my best to comfort Claire last night I was reminded of this fact. Just a few hours before I was meeting the Boheler family who had sent this letter into the Morning Show.
And what a wonderful family they are and how much fun they are having here on their Carnival Dream. As you read, Mysti and Ronnie’s two teenager sons have enormous challenges yet when I met them their smile illuminated the entire atrium and when I gave them their two solid gold 14-carat plastic trophies their reaction was as though I had given them a Ferrari. What a tremendous job their parents have done raising the boys and it is obvious that they have both devoted their lives to making their sons’ lives better.
It’s time for today’s photos. For those of you just joining us here on the blog thingy let me explain that the 343 Stephanies gave me a Fuji thingy to take photographs of the ship and the crew with. I am not a good photographer and also my photos are totally random and have about as much meaning as Tiger Wood’s wedding vows. But never the less……here is today’s assortment.
I think I mentioned a while ago how our older ships often get overlooked here on the blog thingy which is of course my fault. This will be reminded when I get to be the cruise director on the Carnival Fantasy in April and May. Carnival Ecstasy is a ship that I have wonderful and fun memories of and she like the rest of her Fantasy class sister ships has of course recently benefited from huge upgrades. And I thought you might therefore like to read this review from Host Mach who is one of the Cruise Critic board moderators and a great friend of the blog. Here is his review.
John,
I wanted to give you a quick overview of our very recent sailing on the Carnival Ecstasy.
Please pass along how pleased we were with embark. It was the smoothest; easiest I have ever been through. The shore side staff in Galveston was superb. They should be cloned and passed out to other ports that Carnival uses.
I’ve got to tell you that it was one of the best on board experiences I have had on ANY Carnival ship. The Ecstasy is lovely… clean, bright and immaculately kept she makes you feel like you’re on a new build. Every aspect of the ship is wonderful. She is spotless. The staff is constantly polishing, buffing and keeping after the vessel. The only thing I worry about is them wearing things out from cleaning!
The Evolutions of Fun upgrades are the best I’ve seen on any Fantasy Class ship. The newly revised grill area at the aft section of the Lido pool area is brilliant. The Mongolian Grill and the revised grill menu are very welcome, indeed.
The Taste of Nations, the deli and desert station are superb. I’ve got to tell you that some of the pasta dishes I had at Taste of Nations were every bit as good as the food at the Pasta Bar on our Carnival Dream!
While I’m on the topic of food… the Chef’s Table was the best dining experience I have EVER had on land or sea. I have to tell you that our Chef was AMAZING, the service was AMAZING, and the food was beyond AMAZING! What a tremendously talented galley staff and how tremendously friendly they all were! The majority of these folks never see passengers and rarely get the kudos they deserve. BRAVO!! Everyone at our table in the Explorer’s Library thought the evening was underpriced. I have to agree. I’d recommend that anyone sailing on a ship that has the Chef’s Table available take advantage of it. The event is not to be missed.
What can I say about Steve Cassel? When I met him I immediately felt like I had known him for years. He made our little group feel comfortable and at home. He is a fantastic gentleman, amazing talent and one of Carnival’s best. I loved the way he beamed as I praised his ship. He is appropriately proud of the Carnival Ecstasy.
Quality starts at the top and Steve is pure quality and that’s reflected in his staff. What an amazing group of folks.
We were assigned the WindSong dining room and we were universally thrilled. Not only was the food as good as or better than every other ship but the wait staff were fantastic! Ahmad, our waiter and Ni, his assistant, were unbelievable! I’ve had some great waiters but these kids were the best. Do whatever necessary to retain these two. They’re gems!
Speaking of gems… Mario, our Maitre d’, and Jamal the Maitre d’ in the WindStar blew us away. Both of them showed up at our Meet & Mingle, laughed and joked with us and generally set the tone for a phenomenal cruise.
Nothing, not even the bitterly cold wind and twenty foot seas on our way home from Cozumel could dampen the fun on this cruise.
PLEASE make sure that the folks in Miami get to read this. The Ecstasy is probably the best kept secret in the entire Carnival fleet. I know that she was just recently recognized with the Crystal Eagle award but there’s just not enough praise in the world for the job these folks do. Every fan of Carnival needs to experience the Ecstasy at least once.
At this moment we’re planning a Cruise Critic group cruise on the Ecstasy. She just too good to pass up and I really want to get the word out about her!
All the best.
Mach
Thanks mate for that insightful recap into a great ship with an obviously brilliant crew. I will make sure that they all get to read those superb words and thanks so much for highlighting one of our older ships which as you can see is now ……better than ever.
Here’s Stephanie ( one of the 343 ) to tell you about Funville.
Hi bloggers. Be sure to check out our newest Funville video. Here is a link.
http://www.carnival.com/Funville/media/p/510884.aspx?cid=So_John Heald Blog_2574
Enjoy
Stephanie H.
Do you remember the Police Academy movies? I know many will poo poo them as rubbish but to me they have an appealing innocence to them. They knew exactly what they were and didn’t try to be anything else. The first was the best when the mayor of LA opens up police training to all comers and Steve Guttenberg leads load of misfits through a hit-and-miss parade of slapstick gags about bodily functions……rather like this blog thingy.
One of the stars of the movie was a chap called Michael Winslow. The name may not mean anything but he is of course the character who could make all those wonderful noises from automatic gunfire to a helicopter. Well, turns out this actor and comedian is here this week on his Carnival Dream and is going to be playing James Brown in our Carnival Legends show. I will make sure I take photos of him and if he agrees I will introduce him to the audience at the Talent Show tonight. See……..you never know who is onboard.
Who would want be a captain? We arrived in St. Maarten today under clear blue skies but yet again the wind was a huge factor with 40 knots roaring across the bow. Can you imagine the stress a captain is under during these moments?…..Let’s set the scene so you can try and comprehend what was happening.
There are two main piers in St Maarten and every berth was full today. We were the last but one ship to arrive and as we approached the wind was a nominal 15 knots. Suddenly it started gusting to 40 knots and the captain probably said a silent “rumpa rumpa orgatz porka maseria testa da minka stropiard a stunard a pasta carbonara,” which roughly translated ………………means bugger.
On his port side somewhere was the AIDAvida which was totally eclipsed by the Monster of the I Can’t Sea The Sea of the Seas which was just a few meters away to our left. Then directly in front of us was the Brand X Solstice and Captain Marino has to dock a 130,000-ton ship in 40 knots of wind and stop her just 8 feet……let’s say that again …………..8 feet from our bow to the “X’s” stern. It is sometimes easy to forget that with all the features of the ships these days that it is still a ship. A mighty mass of steel that moves from one place to another and the responsibility of 130,000 tons and many hundreds of millions of dollars and the safety of the guests and crew all rest one man’s shoulders……….who would want be a captain?
OK, time to go. I have had a really sore throat these past three days which is a real bugger in my line of work. I have been sucking on sugar-free lozenges and tried all the normal remedies and none of them worked. Then my cabin steward Putu gave me some Indonesian powder which he told me to mix into hot milk. I asked him what it was made from and he smiled and said “is good, take.” So I took. God it was good. It was like having all my blood replaced with a cocktail of warm yak milk and valium while a naked Latvian woman poured hot gingery honey down my throat.
And then about 30 minutes later a miracle happened. My throat felt better…. And then it felt fantastic…..and then everyone became “my best friend” and then the phone rang and I found myself declaring my unending love to the Hotel Director Stewart Howard who is a 40 something man who looks like he has run a 100 yard sprint in a 90 yard gym. Damn, it was good stuff and today my throat feels brand new. Apart from making me love everyone and love everything…….there is one other side effect though, a terrible side effect that may have been the reason the captain found it difficult to dock the ship this morning…… because there was at least 40 knots of wind coming out of my bottom.
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.
Mr. John
,
How sad anytime there is a passing on a ship. A wonderful experience turns into a nightmare. We allways make sure we take some cash for tips for the room service staff. These men and women do work very hard. So are you properly trained? Or do we need to deselect you after every movement? HA HA HA HA. Ok heidi needs to start filming these moments, from the getting caught in your cabin to the sign over the window. Espically now you on the phone declaring your love to the hotel director. So are we going to see some video of big ed??
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
I honestly do not remember reading about spending less time writing jokes and passing on stories in lieu of helping your customers but i AM NOT TOO SHY to admit… KEEP TELLING us those jokes of yours and please DON’T STOP the stories of what happens onboard…
I read your blog especially for those things plus some of the Dear John Please Reply letters…. I love LOL at work and having everyone wonder what I’m doing!!!
Luv U, Your Jokes, Your Onboard Stories…Your Blog… DO NOT CHANGE A THING….
John! What happened with Jamie and the guest who had her cel number???
I’d love to know the rest of the Jamie story, too!
Sorry, I forgot to mention… WE ALWAYS tip the room service gal/guy and help with the trays and invite them in etc…
Even make room for the trays before they show up….
John,
I was so sorry to hear of Claire and that her husband of 53 years passed away on the ship. I know this was very difficult for her and her family and friends. I thank you for your kindness and compassion for sitting and comforting her before she and Lynn disembarked in St. Thomas.
On the subject of tipping. I work very hard for my money and because of that I believe in the time honored tradition of tipping. I usually leave 15 to 20 percent of the bill when dining out, depending on the level of service received. I have never left a penny before as is recommended by some people for poor service. I think most people do realize what a tough job people in the industry have and that their lively hood depends on tipping. I really could put out a 10 page report on the subject but will refrain. I am in agreement with you. We, the working sods, support and uphold the time honored tradition of tipping.
What the Prince did in Switzerland is unconscionable, unless, of course he received very poor service, which we all know wasn’t the case?
It is a sad thing John, but manners and common courtesy for our fellow human beings is rapidly becoming extinct.
I was fortunate to have been raised by parents and grandparents who went to great lengths to teach me to respect my fellow man (or woman) and to understand that “please and thank you” were not optional words. I must say that these lessons have served me will in life.
My wife and I have passed this on to our own two children. While thet aren’t perfect, they do have good manners. They know how to say “Please”, “Thank You”, “Yes Sir”, ‘No Ma’m” and so on. We constantly recieve compliments on their politeness.
Courtesy and manners will carry you far in this world. All the more so since they seem to be in increasingly short supply.
Hi, John!
Congrats on another great blog. Good for Angelica for being dignified and not letting Mr. Rude Cheapskate get to her!
And speaking of rude.. nevermind. I had a little “tip” for Roger, but decided to take the high road like Angelica and deleted it.
Laura
Roger Mann:
Please do not speak for other people, when you don’t know what you are talking about.
This Blog was started, is currently and will always be for ENTERTAINMENT.
Carnival has a Guest Services Division with tons of folks to help people like you. It is not difficult to find, assuming someone has the IQ of a gnat.
Btw, just because 99.9999% do not agree with your opinion does not mean that they are “too shy” to say anything….it simply means they do not agree with you.
Linda
You are so right.
Just because John is such a nice person that he will provide Customer Service if requested, this blog is for entertainment.
I am glad you are feeling better.
Linda -
I haven’t read Roger’s post so I won’t comment on it, but from what I’ve read on this blog I’m certain I would support your viewpoint, except for one thing — the name calling and condescending remarks. They’re unnecessary in getting one’s point across. You and I and everyone else can disagree with Roger, but let’s not resort to making disdainful comments about people we don’t know.
Hi John,
Still loving the blog – first post in about a year, but I have gotta tell you that I agree and disagree with you about the service staff …. I’m always polite to everybody and firmly believe that a smile and a thank you costs nothing and should be given to everybody.
However, I disagree with tipping – I believe that people get paid to do their role politely, efficiently and well – they deserve my respect and admiriation but it is not my job to pay their salary.
When my staff are tipped I hate it, because I then ask about the cleaners who dont get tips but withouth them we couldnt open my pub, or my chefs who lovingly cook every meal that earns the tips.
Would you tip a bus driver? or a train driver? yet they perform the same job as a taxi driver (transport you from a – b).
Im sorry – that turned into a bit of a rant, I enjoy as I know you do a good debate!
Excellent blog – love it – keep it up!!
Gavin
The difference is, though, that the room service personnel are working for tips. Tips are considered part of their salary, and if you don’t tip them you are in a sense taking their money.
Gavin,
Could you possibly be British? It is my understanding, those folks from the UK do not tip, and have gotten the Cunard liners to rethink their policy on tips automatically being attached to their bills. Just wondering.
Colleen Davis
John,
Since you’ve been admonished to spend less time on stories etc. & more on customer service, I have a request. Could you personally ask Goose to broadcast LOST on the big screen Tues. night on Carnival Splendor? Seriously, do not listen to those people who would take the fun out of this blog for their own selfish reasons. We all appreciate the help you give those who make reasonable requests. But your humor is what keeps us reading.
I wouldn’t think of ordering room service without thanking & tipping the person who delivers it. Sometimes I wonder how these rude people were raised.
Joyce
Our prayers for comfort at this time of loss are with Mrs. Claire. May the millions of wonderful memories she and her husband shared wrap around her, hold her tight and soften the pain of missing him.
John:
OK, just in case there is any misunderstanding from my earlier post to Roger Mann…this moron is WRONG.
You are NOT the Guest Services Rep, Maitre d’ or Guest Relations Agent….YOU are the Senior CD (and best entertainer around) at Carnival. If some idiots can’t figure that out…to bad….
Tips: Yes, indeed books could be written on this one.
I can tell you that I get physically angry when I hear about some moron that removes their tips from their Sail and Sign card.
Unless someone is a busrider who has never left Greenbo, Alabama…. they know that cruise lines (not just Carnival) use these “tips” as the bulk of these stewarts’ and wait staffs’ salaries.
If someone makes the choice to cruise, then they make the choice to abide by the rules these cruise lines have set in place.
Unfortunately, more and more busriders have decided that they want to spend the money on themselves.
And just like the ole days (when the main dining room on the last night was deserted by people trying to avoid their wait staff) ….. the time has come to no longer call it a “tip”.
The time has come to call it a service surcharge and (while still placed on the Sail and Sign card) make it so that it can not be removed. This is the only way to protect the hardworking men and women at Carnival.
We keep about $10 in ones at a designated location in the cabin so that DJ can tip when he order room service. This is yet ANOTHER life lesson that he has learned thanks to cruising.
Sorry if I write to much, but I have to tell you that tears come to my eyes when I think how many things DJ will not do in the real world …that he will do on a cruise ship.
DJ will not walk into McDonalds, order a hamburger and pay for it. But (without us in the room) DJ WILL pick up the phone, call room service, order exactly what he wants (from the green book) , sign the ticket when it is delivered AND TIP !
It would appear that DJ is more comfortable on a Carnival cruise ship…then in his own home town.
Our hope is that the things that he learns to be comfortable with on a ship will one day transfer over to his daily life as he gains confidence.
Linda (Mom of your friend ~ who was taught proper manners about tipping~ DJ)
Hello John!
Keep coming with the jokes and stories – they are the best part of my day (I usually skip over all the requests).
My sympathies to Clair and thank you for caring for her. I can’t think of a better way to go, myself, when the time comes, to slip the mortal coil on the Carnival Thingy.
So sorry for the death on the ship, my condolences to his wife. So, any more pictures or Video of Big Ed professing his Love for Pat? I can’t believe cruisers not tipping room service, we always do, they work hard! You mentioned the U.K. tipping is 12.5%. In the US it is 15% but we always tip 20%. Unless the service is horrible, and our waiter ignores us, then we give him our 2 cents worth (literally)! So I carry pennies with me too! HA! HA! Thank you so much for having us visit you, Heidi and Kye, we will miss you guys, but wanted you to know we had a wonderful time. My daughter is so excited about our cruise in May. Love you 3, Linda & Mike
John, your blogs are special……somewhat like a roller coaster…….the room service NO TIP passenger AND Prince William with his “generous” 1% (WOW)…..then feeling so sad about Claire and the loss of her husband (how kind of you to help her)……that wonderful note from Mysti about her husband and their very special young men……the random pics you take are lots of fun, we never know what will be next do we?…..really enjoyed Mach’s review of Carnival Ecstasy, his writings make you feel like you’re there with him……and finally your dear steward Putu’s home remedy for your sore throat…..I think he “slipped” you something…..question, was Big Ed anywhere near Putu when he gave you the powder?……and has Big Ed started preparing for his arrival in Port Canaveral?….I hope U.S. Customs will be gentle with him
…..and what blog would be complete without a reference to some sort of “wind”!!
Please keep telling us about your life at sea…..your fans love every single story/experience and joke…..you are a treasure!
Dear John Please Reply.
On the 28th of February, I wrote about my cruise, and mentioned some of the staff that helped to make it so wonderful, hoping that their bosses would know of the terrific jobs they did. I had written….Dear John Please Reply…..and somehow my letter got posted in the comments’ section of the 26th.
I am still hoping that you can tell me what ship Captain Rasello is on, since I am trying to book a cuise for April, and time is running out.
Thank you once again for the surprise gifts awaiting, for me, in my cabin.
Best regards,
Vivienne.
Hi John,
If Prince Jerk had tried that in the United States, the server would have most likely thrown the tip back in his face.
As for Club Sandwiches, Carnival does offer them, albeit some assembly required. Order a BLT and a Turkey sandwich from room service and make your own! Easy.
Be sure to ask for the bread on both to be toasted.
bill
Hi, John!!!
Thanks so much for adding my little recap of our cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy! I LOVE that ship and her crew and I can’t wait to return to her.
What is up with people? I can almost understand not tipping, although it’s widely agreed on Cruise Critic that you should tip a dollar or two per room service item ordered, but no thank you? What’s up with that? Every time is see a Carnival employee I’m greeted with a smile and a ‘how are you today?’ What kind of grump can’t even say ‘Thank you’ for someone who just walked a tray of food half way through the ship for him?? Twit…
I’m betting that you, Heidi and Kye make a wonderful scene strolling on deck. Think someone could snag a picture??
Looks like you’re having a great time with your undercover camera. I love the ‘behind the scenes’ pics!!!
Please pass along our best to Heidi and Kye!!!
Ciao!!!
Host Mach
Before I continue …….. Don’t listen to Roger Mann and his buddies. Everything that is in your blog makes your blog what it is. You take out the stories, pictures, etc will destroy your blog. Have Roger Mann ask me what I think about his idea.
Your photos are beginning to look good. Practice makes perfect.
Tipping, wow, there are always crazy people but the future King of England. I’m shocked but as you said, he entered this world with riches around him. What else would he know? I bet when his mother was alive, she taught him about tipping regarding the lower people. Even the word ” thank you ” is easy but means a great deal when given to another person.
By the way, how did Jaime make out with that nutty woman on the Carnival Pride?
See you someday.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Hi John: re: tipping. Here in Atlantic Canada we are known for being generous tippers. We even tip at our Timmy’s (Tim Horton’s) and most of us also “tip”with a smile and a “please” and “thank you”. We wouldn’t think of ordering room service without thanking them and tipping. We always have and always will. Also we tip extra above and beyond our reg. tipping with Carnival. We get great service, therefore we let our servers/steward etc. know just how much we appreciate them. Cheers to all, Angela Guptill The Dream Feb. 10
John,
I know that the wonderful waitstaff on Carnival would never do this, but the guy is lucky that someone didn’t spit in his food the next time he ordered room service.
As for Roger who commented that you should spend all your time helping customers and to stop telling stories and joke, I say rubbish. This would no longer be a blog if you did that. I actually feel that our PVP’s should be given the authority to help us with a lot of the questions that are asked here on the blog, like dining room seating. And I’m not to shy to say so.
We love the blog, your stories and hearing about life on the ship. It makes me want to get a job on a ship. If it wasn’t for this dratted motion sickness. I could handle a week with the patch, but I’m not sure how it would work if I used it for 6 months straight.
Roxianne
I almost, LOL, have no words about the post from Roger Mann. Why would anyone bother to write to you on your blog that is about Carnival, about the ships she sails and the ship you are on if he thinks so little of it? It seems to me he would have better things to do with his time then spend it here where it is apparent he thinks so little of. DO NOT CHANGE A THING. Leave your blog as it is. Since we have been “wintering” on the Texas Gulf Coast I have not posted as much as I usually do but I do try and read it as often as I can. I would love for you to write about the Magic and how she is coming along. We sail with you on 9/25/2011, it seems like such a very long time.
I will never understand why anyone would not tip or tip so little when services are rendered.
Keep smiling John, you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
John , Please reply.
As a platinum cruiser I never remove my tips,ever.
My wife and I only dine on formal night.
Nothing wrong with the service in the dining room .
I just so hate to see how some of cruisers treat the staff. Good hard working people ,like myself.
More or less it puts a damper on our cruise to see this mistreatment, so we avoid it.
Just wanted to express that opinion and say thanks for your letting your fans express their opinions here in your blog. BTW if I had your cell number I would have just called you with this info . GRIN !
Johnny and Mary Jo Williams !
John, I am not a Royalist by any means. However, I can’t believe you’re ranting on about Prince William’s tip (or lack there of in a country were tipping isn’t the norm) that you read in the newspaper. Come on, we all know how ridiculous the media is in general and the British press are some of the worst. Do you honestly believe PW signed the check and left a 1% tip? No, didn’t think so.
Remember all the “Brits don’t tip” threads…….so why start the blog thingy about tipping room service stewards? We have cruised several cruise lines over the past 15 years…..some have included all grats, some have requested pre-paid grats, others are left to your own discretion.
Perhaps Putu should be in charge of the complaints department onboard. For every person who comes to the guest services desk to complain, have him pop out from behind the desk with his Indonesian love powder and simply say, “is good, take.”
Now my question is this…what is this that he gave you and where can I find some…and is it legal?
Hi John,
(please reply)
I read on CC that one or more of the ships that have Serenity have done away with the adult only restriction to the aft pool. I can’t remember which one it was. This is what happens after 50
!
As much as I love screaming, running, splashing, jumping in the water kids (and I do) I also like to spend adult time without them and always enjoy the adult only pool.
I realize that Serenity offers whirlpools.
I had just thought that all the ships offered an adult only pool but apparently that is not true.
I am hesitant to book another cruise to later learn that an adult only swimming pool is no longer available.
Any help or advice is appreciated.
Also, as far as your blog thingy goes – I vote to keep it as it is. Without your tales and brilliant humour it wouldn’t be a blog thingy!
Keep us smiling!
Regards to you and your lovely wife and child,
John
John,
PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE WAY YOU WRITE THE BLOG !!! Love to read about all the going ons of the ship and passengers. it makes waiting till next cruise go faster. Enjoying all the pictures,also. Have a GREAT week with the girls.
famous crusin couple
barb and ken
i tip the 24 hour room service not everyorder but a few. i think that guy was rude. we also invite room service in. my heart goes out to Claire and her family.want to see some more pics of u and heidi and kye
Our thoughts and prayers are with Claire and her family tonight. John thank you for the support and comfort you and the staff give to her. Lynn and Mike Sagara
Stephanie
Loved the Funville video. Lynn
I’ve seen it suggested that celebrities are typically big tippers because they know that, due to fame, whatever tip they give will get discussed. His Royal Highness leaving such a small tip suggests he is not only cheap and out of touch with the working people, but also a little on the dim side. Dim to think he’d get away without it coming back to tarnish his image.
John, when you write about having your tip for the bellhop planned out long before reaching the hotel room, I think you express the anxiety over tipping most of us feel. I ‘ve no doubt most of us find determining the amount of a tip very uncomfortable as we want to do the right thing but not pay too much or too little.
I like Carnival’s automatic tipping as it relieves a lot of stress. What I don’t understand is why does it only cover a few specific staff rolls? I’m sure many don’t tip the room service staff because they incorrectly think they’ve already paid the tip. I imagine there are many other staff who likewise deserve tips but don’t get them from most due to the automatic tipping. One approach I think many passengers could endorse would be having the automatic tipping cover all basic tipping. The pool of money would be split among all the staff that get tips. That way the staff would all get their fair share and passengers can relax even more.
Regards, Ross
John, you are a very good photographer. Your photos are just what we want – candid! It’s my only way to see behind the scenes. Thank you.
Don’t worry about the ones that think you should just stick to helping people and not talk about ship life. I believe the majority of your true fans would agree that we read your blog daily because of your reports of ship life and the happenings on board. The thousands of times you help people are just a perk. I truly believe that if you stopped helping people all together, you would only lose about 3% of your blog readership.
You are my “fix” for my cruise junkie addition, inbetween my real cruises. Please keep up the good work!
WE LOVE WHAT YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please keep the jokes & the “stories of Carnival Life” coming. The Customer Service is a nice add-on, but not the purpose of the Blog. Since if seems that some folks don’t visit the Customer Service link on the Carnival website, maybe you have one of the “343 Stephanies” add a link to your blog for Carnival Complaints that would be redirected to the corporate site.
Hope you have a great day!
John, I think that your blog is a wonderful mix of stories of onboard life, humor, and responses to people’s requests for help. Especially considering that your primary job is a Cruise Director rather than an online customer service representative, I am amazed that you find the time to help as many people as you do. Thanks for all of the time and energy that you put into making this blog one of the best on the internet.
I always say thank you and tip the room service person. Plan for that before the cruise with an envelope of smallers bills just for that purpose. Don’t get me started on the tipping issue again because it makes my blood pressure go up when people don’t whether it be on the ship or in a restaurant.
Thank you for trying to comfort Claire and how sad for her.
I wouldn’t want the stress of being a captain. In recent years most of the accidents with cruise ships seem to be either docking or rouge waves. The captain has an awesome responsibility not only for the safety of passengers and crew but who would want to be responsible for docking a ship that big in 40 knot winds between other monstrous ships when all of them cost more than the US has in it’s treasury? I know in good weather it appears his job is easy but his expertise is why we are glad he is on the job! Rather him than me. I don’t even like driving anyone else’s car.
I love it that you, Heidi and Kye are able to take a stroll each night and enjoy the fresh air and each other.
Please let us know what happened with Jaime.
To the Roger Manns and New York Sams of the world:
It’s clear that you are on this blog for the sheer purpose of getting something for yourself. For those of us who have been around just a wee bit longer, this blog was never designed to be a customer service forum. Hate to break it to you but it IS meant to be about life on the ships and what’s going on in the Carnival world. Accept it, move on and do what the majority of Carnival passengers do….work with onboard ship staff to get your demands met.
Perhaps you might let us know how other lines have handled your demands?
John,
Please dont stop writing and telling the stories! Thats what makes the blog special. My feelings are, that if someone really needs some customer service, call their PVP and ask them. Ours helped us loads before we went on the Dream the last time.
With regards to tipping, everyone in the food service industry as well as the room stewards, etc earn their money and their tips. My mother put a roof over our head and clothes on our backs from being a good waitress. Unless the service is absolutely horrendous, stiffing them is uncalled for. When we were in the Dream, we brought along about 50- $1 bills to give as additional tips. Our steward went out his way to take care of us and we took care of him. This was in addition to what we had prepaid.
My sympathy goes to the lady who lost her husband of 53 years! My husband and I celebrated our 53rd anniversary on a cruise last year and losing him is simply unthinkable! How good that you were there to offer some comfort at this horrible time.
John,
I am so sorry for the passing of Claire’s husband. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family.
Please don’t change the way you write on this blog. I enjoy reading all the stories that happen on board the ships and the other things you write about. This is my daily entertainment.
We’ve never used room service while we have cruised. It is on my list of things to try some day. But I definitely would say Thank You to the person who delivered the food and tip them. Of course the person may assume the automatic 18% gratuity was already added to it and felt they didn’t need to tip anymore. Though that doesn’t excuse his behavior.
How cool that Michael Winslow is on board. I remember watching him on Police Academy. I can’t wait to see pictures.
Our best to you, Heidi and Kye.
The Wagner Family
John (Please Reply), First thing is, is Putu, your cabin Steward from the Carnival Victory? if so, isn’t he fantastic?
Secondly, as our cruise in May approaches, we were wondering does the Carnival Miracle serve non-alcoholic beer? You may say who would want beer with no alcohol in it. But for health reasons I am now a non drinker. And unfortunitly a non cigar smoker. We met briefly in NY back in November, when I gave you a Fire Department patch. We now know the reason I had to get off the ship. I have an irregular heartbeat which now is controlled with good medication. I am feeling fantastic now. Keep writing a great blog.
All the best to you, Heidi, and Kye.
Tim.
Stephanie,
I loved the new Funville video. I’ll have to check that out more often.
Hi John,
(Please Reply, if you like)
We’re taking our first Carnival Cruise on Carnival Dream, July 10, 2010. This will be our 5th cruise all together, our previous cruises were on “Other” lines… I’m excited to experience Carnival.
Now that you’ve been on Carnival Dream for a while, I wonder if you have any advise on what the best shore activities may be on the Western Caribbean itinerary for a family with younger children. My son will be 4 at the time of the cruise.
I’m truely excited to introduce him to the “wide world of cruising”… This coming Sunday, March 7, 2010 will be the 1 year anniversary of us bringing him home from Novosibirsk, Russia. It was a long, hard process… and what better way to celebrate than to take him on a Cruise?
I’ve seen Carnival Dream first hand, as I was invited along with my Travel Agent to tour her while she was docked in Manhattan. I’m really excited for my family and friends to sail on her. (I was introduced to you briefly while you were in one of the conference rooms … maybe blogging???… and I was glad to see that you were not in your underpants…)
I’m sad to say that in my own ignorance, I’ve not taken a Carnival Cruise yet, as I kind of bought into the whole “Discount cruise / Bad stigma” attitude that some people have. I thought about it for a bit and realized that I have no valid reason NOT to try Carnival… And if our treatment aboard Carnival Dream for the Travel Partner tour was any indication of the level of service and “fun”… I’m sure that you’ll make us a life long loyal customer.
I look forward to the cruise… and thanks for the laughs on your Blog thingy…
Dave T.
Maybe the person who didn’t ask thank you or give a tip should work in that position and see how hard he would have to work. He was a jerk. The room service is free and a tip is never added to your sign and sail card. We always order from room service and always give a tip. I’m sure Angelic appreciated your thoughtfulness.
Prayers and condolences go out to Claire and her family. Thank you for being so kind and sitting with her.
Hugs to Heidi & Kye,
Charlotte
John,
Please don’t change your blog. Carnival has a customer service dept. already. We like to hear about the behind the scenes activities. Plus we like to have a chuckle once in a while.
KathyG
Does anyone know if there has been a decision on this year’s Blogger’s Cruise?
True Carnival has a customer service department but they don’t always do something.
Mr.John is extremely respected within Carnival. If he hears about something he has always been gracious enough to help correct/fix/change them.
Mr.John thanks for all you do to help make Carnival continue to be a better company!!
I do not disagree with you one little bit. The things I hate to see are like the “Sam from NY” basically demanding something special from John. Those kind can “bugger off”. John goes far over what he should be expected to do.
All in all, John just wants everyone to be happy. The kind of loyalty that he shows for the company he works for and the customers of that company is indeed very rare in today’s world.
Carnival Customer Service can learn a few things from Mr. Heald.
555
Hi John,
Great Blog as always. We all LOVE the stories. I look forward to this blog so much every day. please do not change a thing.
Please give us an update, re: Jaime as to what the pasengers issue was. I still find the whole thing strange as to how the passenger got her # ! Just coming off the Carnival Pride everything was PERFECT and I just can not figure out what someone would be that upset about !!
John,
Please don’t stop your stories, pictures and jokes. It brightens my day!
You are a great brand ambassador and clearly go above and beyond your duties to ensure requests are met.
Great Job!
I always skip over all of the Dear John, please reply requests. The only ones that they are meaningful to are the people who request them. Do not change your blog. I look forward to reading it every evening.
About tipping, what does everyone suggest is the right amount to tip the room service person. I have usually given them a couple dollars, wondering if that is enough.
Ditto, I occassionally will read the Please Reply Requests, but I’m more interested in your stories of life onboard, jokes and just all around uplifting fun! PLEASE DON’T CHANGE THE BLOG.
Hi John!
I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Claire’s husband on board. How sad!
Michael Winslow is onboard? That’s great. I bet he is a huge hit. I would think a lot of passengers remember him.
Hope you’re having a good day.
Hi to Heidi/Kye!
Take care,
David
John, Please reply,
First, please don’t change the blog. I usually skip the please replies, unless something strange gets my eye.
We just got off the Carnival Fantasy this morning and had to read your blog as soon as we got home. We had a wondeful time. The entertainment staff, from ACD Hennie to Brandon(who should get promoted) to TJ, Lewis and Bonnie were just the best. We been on the Fantasy 3 times in the past 3 months and everyone of them remembered our names and treated us like one of the family. It’s so hard to say goodbye when you think you might never see them again. But we got e-mail addresses.
Now my question— Is there a way to attach pictures to this “Leave a Reply” thingy? While ADC Hennie was taking a couple of pictures of us with his staff he took some of himself that are really funny and we would love to share them with you and the fellow bloggers.
Thanks for making my day with your blog.
Lynda
John (please reply)
I am really saddened by your story of the person who didn’t even say thank you to the Crew member who delivered his room service. I can (almost) put down the not giving a tip to ignorance of the rules, but to not even say thank you is unacceptable.
I was on the Carnival Dream the week of Feb 20th-27th, and while this class of ship will never be my favorite the crew was, without exception, the nicest, friendliest, most efficient and most professional crew I’ve ever had the pleasure of cruising with. We gave an extra tip to a couple outstanding folks, and they were so appreciative! Here was a few dollars that would only mean a lunch out at a fast food restaurant to me, but was like a big pat on the back to these hard working folks!
I am in the midst of writting a letter to corporate to commend several of the staff by name, but wanted to let you know how great I thought the team was!
PS on the Behind the Fun Tour, my husband asked the captain which port was the hardest to sail into and Captain Marino replied “which ever one I am sailing into today!” I really admire the hard work and long training those captains have!
JOHN PLEASE REPLY
Okay, before I ask for a favor, take an entire minute for yourself and just rest before replying.
Was that nice?? Now, I don’t really want anything else from you, just wanted to give you a minute to rest, because you work too hard.
BTW, I just booked the Carnival Victory for May, 2010!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT to get back on a Carnival ship!!
Hugs,
Di
With 50 replies, I’m sure I’ll just be adding to many others that encourage you to continue the jokes and life on the ship entries. These are what I read the blog “thingy” for, not for requests for gifts or for you to go above and beyond to “make my cruise something special. I am the one that has to make my cruise special using what you and your other CD’s already provide.
You represent Carnival very well.
Hi John,
My husband and I met you on the Dream for the Bloggers Cruise. In fact, I have my bobble head sitting right here by my computer. We had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed meeting you. We are cruising on the Legend next December with at least 6 others. Is this where I can write to you to ask for assistance in getting a large table in the dining room? I just wanted to make sure I was writing to you at the right spot when it gets closer. Thanks for your help and everything you do to make Carnival what it is–fantastic!
Debbie
John So enjoyed your shows on the Carnival Dream Feb,. 20, 2010. Cruise. It was our first cruise and we are looking forward to cruising again next year 2011. Just wondered when your 2011 schedule came out. Would love to catch your shows again. Our family had a wonderful time. We celebrated our daughters birthday while on board. I thank she would like to book a cruise for her honeymoon! She hoped I would win one at Bingo but I did not win. We enjoyed the Dream it’s a beautiful ship. It was wonderful!