I remember a comment on the blog last month commenting that it had taken nearly an hour from arrival at embarkation to actually walking on the ship……..an hour! I wonder what that person thinks when they hear the news that once these body scanner thingies are in place that we will have to check in about seven years before the flight is scheduled to leave.
CNN’s Wolf Blister was talking about this yesterday and the chap he was interviewing said that longer check-in times would be needed for security purposes……..what he didn’t say was that it’s also done so you can spend all of your vacation money in the airport shops.
OK, seriously, I do understand it’s for security so that the people with iron-on badges will, if they want to……. have a long hard look in your bottom. They will also want to have a look in your shoes, your pants your bag, your pockets and your hat.
Rumor has it that if you are a man or woman with huge muscles…….they may even insist you remove your arms.
And why? Well obviously it’s to stop Abdul and his mates and their ticking Fruit of the Looms.
Because of these bastards you end up wasting hours of your life, while people in high visibility jackets rub your thighs and confiscate everything you’ve just bought in the airport shops.
It’s hard then to take comments like this one seriously:
Guest: Mrs ————-Ref: 846081113A
Cabin: ____ Booking#: _______ Added-Changed: 03/12/10 – 03/13/10EMBARKATION COMPLAINT
Guest stated that it had taken too long to get on the ship. Guest said she and her family arrived at 12:30pm and it was 1:40pm before they got to their cabin. Guest said that they had to wait in a long line to go through security and have their ID’s checked and that on a cruise on Celebrity it had taken 20 minutes.
I hate it when comments mention other cruise lines………..just state your case, let us apologize and move on. Now while I am not calling Mrs. Celebrity a liar. I am saying did the Celebrity ship have 4,400 guests onboard? Did you sail recently or before the world went security nuts? I still can’t understand why people do this. We now think its normal behavior to take off our clothes at an airport and nobody dares to complain. Yet, each week on each ship across the industry, as sure as Paris Hilton will have rumpy pumpy this weekend………someone will be complaining to a Guest Purser Relations Information Officer about the check in process.
Anyway, having thought about this I have decided to quit my job as Senior Cruise Director and Brand Ambassador and start my own airline. You will be able check in 30 minutes before the flight leaves, bring as much baggage and toothpaste as you want at no charge and there will be no scanners, no laptop removals, no shoes off, no pat downs, underwear searches or security checks of any kind. You just arrive, fly and maybe ……. land. I will charge a bit more than the other airlines but without all the headaches I just mentioned I think it will be worth it. I am going to call it “My Arse Air.”
Time for today’s Q and A …………here we go.
Jennifer Asked:
Dear John (PLEASE REPLY)
It would be an honour (spelt correctly) if you could help me with something.
I will be on the Splendor March 21st (cabins —-
It is my husbands and I’s 20th anniversary and we are celebrating with all our kids. To make it even more exciting my oldest son plans to propose to his girlfriend on the cruise!! Any ideas on popping the question- anything stand out in all your years with Carnival?
Thank you for all you do John and I am glad your family will be with you soon!
JenJohn Says:
Hello Jen
If your son is feeling shy then a night in the steakhouse with a romantic table for 2 followed by a stroll on deck and a bended knee declaration of love is certainly one way to go. However, if your son is feeling like this needs to be a very public affair and a huge surprise for your future daughter in law then I suggest he does this on stage on the elegant night before the show. If this is something he wants to do please have him leave a note at the Guest Services Desk as soon as he arrives on board. It should be addressed to the Cruise Director Goose who will then arrange everything. I will let him know should your son take this option. I hope you all have a brilliant time and congratulations in advance to your son and his future wife. Please let me know what happens.
Thanks for the kind words and best wishes to you all
JohnMaribeth Kring Asked:
Dear John,
Please Reply
I am sooo looking forward to your time on the Carnival Conquest!
While timing (1 week too late for spring break) and finances will probably not permit me to cruise with you, I would love to drive down and take you to lunch in Galveston sometime while you’re here. The last cast of the Ecstasy introduced me to some wonderful restaurants down there I think you would enjoy!
I know you’ll probably be settling in during your first week so let me know what would be good for you! Big Ed has my number and email info. Let’s set up a time!
BELC
MaribethJohn Says:
Hello Maribeth
I have never been to Galveston before and I am certainly excited to see it and the Carnival Conquest. Are you related to Big Ed? Anyway, if you want to visit the ship please let me know. I never have time to see home ports much so maybe you will have to come to me. Thanks for the kind offer and hope to see you soon.
Best wishes
JohnDave Wojtylko Asked:
Hello John (Please relply)
We were on the January 30 sailing of the Dream, and we had an amazing time. The entire experience was positive, beginning with the service provided by our PVP and right on through to debarkation. You may remember us. We were sailing with Pete Macklin, who wrote you an inspiring letter about his wife Jennifer. You also read the subsequent letter from me and another cruise mate, Bob Novak. We truly appreciate the personal attention you provided, and your professionalism.
Our previous three cruises were with other cruise lines, the first with Disney and then the next two with Royal Caribbean. I responded on a message board to someone who wanted responses from people who could provide comparisons between Royal Caribbean and Carnival, people who had actually sailed both. I thought you might like to see it.
Best regards
We just returned from our cruise on the Carnival Dream. Our two prior cruises were with Royal Caribbean aboard the Explorer of the Seas and the Vision of the Seas. For the purposes of this comparison I’ll use the Explorer, as it’s the newer of the two and will be more “Apples to Apples” than the Vision would be.
The Ship: Carnival and the Dream win this round. We enjoy outdoor spaces, and the Dream is loaded with them. Where the Explorer tends to funnel you back inside to the Royal Promenade, the Dream has numerous outdoor spaces on decks 10, 11, and 12…and also deck 5 which wraps around the entire ship. The Explorer is more “rich” feeling, with more wood and marble appointments. The Dream has a much more Vegas feel, with far more chrome, acrylic, and neon. I wouldn’t describe the Dream as gaudy, but those that like the classic cruise ship appointments might be put off. After I stopped continuously making comparisons, and immersed myself in the “Fun Ship” concept, I began to enjoy it for its own merits.
Food: Carnival and the Dream win this round with GUSTO! The food in all areas was superior to what we experienced on either the Explorer or the Vision. There were at times long lines in the buffet area, but we avoided these by eating all three daily meals in the dining room. Heck…I’d rather have somebody waiting on me anyway. We had nine people in our group, and not one of us had a bad meal. Quite the opposite and we have some serious foodies in our group.
Embarkation & Debarkation: Carnival wins again, though our Explorer cruise was out of Bayonne, NJ. My wife and I both agree that we would never again sail out of that port. Bad doesn’t begin to describe our experience in Bayonne.
Wait Staff: Carnival again wins. Though our wait staff on the Explorer was good, they were not “memorable”. They did nothing really above and beyond…no better service than we’d get at a local restaurant. Our wait staff on the Dream were spot on, very personable, and they took great pains to make sure our dining experience was memorable. Major kudos to Bianca and Ardika!
Room Steward: Royal Caribbean wins this round. Carlo vs. Joan…and Carlo wins by a knockout. Joan, our steward on the Dream, was at best just adequate. We at times had to ask for beach towels, when she took our wet towels and didn’t replace them. Seeing as there’s a note that says any missing towels would result in a $22 charge, this caused my wife some stress. There was also one day where Joan missed cleaning our room entirely. Carlo on the Explorer was all about anticipating our needs. He was like a room steward ninja…you never saw him coming or going, but everything was always right where it should be.
Activities: Carnival and the Dream wins this one HANDS DOWN. We were very fortunate, having Carnival’s senior C.D. John Heald as our cruise director. He truly made this cruise a memorable and special time for our entire group. The personal attention to detail that this man exhibits is truly something to see in action. Outstanding! The C.D. on the Explorer was good by all accounts, but John Heald is the KING, baby!
Stateroom: Carnival wins here as well. The room was larger, there was more storage, the shower was slightly bigger, the lighting was better, and the appointments and furniture were more comfortable and tastefully done. Special for us on the Dream, too was that we snagged a deck two cove balcony. Can’t get one of them on a Royal Caribbean ship, and it’s their loss. This cabin ROCKED! The balcony is so close to the water line that you can hear the bubbles fizzing. Truly awesome. The only downside, and in our opinion it was a small one, is that deck two resides below deck three…which houses the galley. We did at times hear some noise above us from the kitchen. Nothing constant, and nothing that ruined our experience. Just the occasional rack of dishes and such hitting the floor, which was our ceiling. We didn’t hear any of the normal kitchen activities…just larger “events”.
Overall Cruise Experience (aka who are we cruising with next?): If you’ve been keeping score, this one’s a no-brainer. Carnival started out of the gate quick on sheer value, and just kept going from there. The lack of outside spaces on the Explorer vs. the expansive outdoor spaces on the Dream is the key decider for us. The rest of it just reinforces a decision we’ve already made. Our next cruise will be with Carnival.John Says:
Hello Dave Wojtylko – how do you pronounce that?
Welcome home and it’s ironic that you cruised on my first voyage as CD here on your Carnival Dream and I am writing to you on my last time as Cruise Director here. This shows how far behind I am in answering questions and I apologize that it has taken me so long to get to yours. The ship was subjected to a lot of criticism during her first few months in service. Some of it was justified and some certainly not. All I asked was for people who had booked their Carnival Dream voyage to arrive at the ship and make up their own opinions and not arrive already tainted by others. That is exactly what you did. Your review was superb and apart from the stateroom steward issues which I have addressed with the Hotel Director and the Housekeeping Manager, it is truly super to hear how this ship rates against the other brand. I remember the letter to Jennifer well. Strange that I do because I read around 100 plus letters a cruise but that was sticks out in my mind. Thank you to Pete for doing that. I hope it is not too long before I see you all again and thanks so very much for that excellent review.
My best wishes to all
JohnStacey Asked:
John- can you please give me the link to the working Liberty webcam? The only link I have is this one: http://www.kroooz-cams.com/carnivalindex.html, where the date on the shot is late November. ???
Thanks,
Stacey
John Says:
Hello Stacey
I know that they have been having some technical problems with the web cam on the Carnival Liberty but hopefully all should be well now. Here is the link thingy.
www.infocruise.com
Best wishes
JohnMarjorie Asked:
Hi John. Hope you have a fantastic weekend with your family. I heard about you while lurking on the Cruise Critics website and am happy to see that you’ll be CD on the Dream when us are cruising this Feb. 27. I’ve read your blog and like your humor (correct spelling for U.S.) This will be the first time we’ll be cruising with Carnival (yes, we’re Carnival virgins- we have cruised with RCCL before). I was just wondering about the talent shows. Are they only for passengers who can sing? Would you consider a storyteller who illustrates the story through face painting members of the audience? (I know, weird question of the day…..) Looking forward to our cruise and thanks in advance for your answer.
John Says:
Hello Marjorie
I just wanted to say a huge thanks again for the marvelous sketches, some of which I featured here on the blog thingy. You are so talented and I hope you continue to express yourself through your drawings and that we get to cruise together again soon
Best wishes
JohnSusan Asked:
Dear John (answer if you get a chance)
Seeing that you mentioned the ship doctors, I’m just curious… do you know what it takes to be a ship doctor? Right now, I’m in my third year of medical school (so I’ve at least got the first part, getting my medical degree, taken care of), and it seems like it might be kind of fun to work on a cruise ship for a bit. Obviously, I know I have some other things to do first, like actually graduate and complete a residency. So what sort of training and experience does one need to be a cruise ship doctor and is it as fun as it sounds? If you don’t know the answer, its fine, I can always just go on another cruise and track down the ship doctor myselfJohn Says:
Hello Susanv85
Congratulations on your med school success so far. I am sure you are going to make a fine doctor and maybe one who works here with us. While I do not know the exact qualifications or expertise that is needed I do know that we have many doctors who work with us with different fields of expertise? One of the doctors who is here is an ER Doc while the other is a Pediatric Doctor which if think is feet…………isn’t it?
Still, rather than me waffle on and on why don’t I get someone to e mail you from our medical staff at Miami HQ and let them fill in the enormous gap that I have left you with.
Wishing you much success…..it would help me out if you could specialize in hemorrhoids.
John
Canuck Cruiser Asked:
Hey John, (PLEASE reply …..When you find a moment …..No hurry)
Please tell me that you smoked that Cohiba that I brought you before you decided to quit! I couldn’t stand to think that one narrow minded guest would cause you to stop the one of two pleasures (the other being rumpy pumpy) that you enjoy.
As Big ED just said……..tell them to bugger off and get a life. I don’t smoke but respect that fact that if you and the other officers want to have a puff and you’re in the designated area……go for it!
Just a quick question………..Were Donna and I supposed to get a copy of the Bedtime story that occurred the Jan. 30th sailing? I know that you mentioned that the “cast” would get one. Just curious.
All the best from us in Canada……….btw……..Donna expects me to drop to one knee and profess my love for her every time someone on the Olympic coverage says “CANADA” ……LOL …..Not happening.
Say HI to Heidi, Kye and the multitude of Stephanies……PS………..thanks for the champagne and fruit basket as well. Our dinner mates enjoyed the bubbly with us.
Brad and Donna from CanadaJohn Says:
Hello Canuck Cruisers Brad and Donna
Oh I smoked it alright and it was amazing with long ashes and lots of typical earthy Cohiba taste. I have fallen of the cigar wagon recently though but will be back onboard it once I am reunited with the girls. Thanks again for that great cigar.
Did you not get a copy? That’s really weird as Craig my assistant says he delivered it to your cabin. I will check now as I think I have a copy of that week and if that’s the case I will be in touch and mail it to you. You were fantastic Brad and I hope that every night is a yaba daba doo night for you both. I will be in touch soon.
Best wishes to you both
JohnJeanette Asked:
John-reply if you wish, and please ignore typos, my claws, er fingernails, are still long…..
I am here to defend you John! I am a non-smoker, but was raised in a home where my parents, one grandparent, brother, and most of my aunts and uncles smoke. I do not like it, but the fact of life is non-smokers have a right to breathe free air, but smokers also have a right to indulge their addictive habit. They just have to be aware that non-smokers may be around and to be considerate to those that do not smoke, as in don’t exhale in their direction. I also have to add that American cigarettes have a truly horrible smell to them.
You were where you were supposed to be and if this guest did not like it, she just has to remember WHERE she was when she stopped and asked you the questions she did. I find that MANY non-smokers are 100% intolerant of smokers; thankfully, I am not one of them. I have the attitude of smoke if you wish, but try to exhale the opposite direction and not towards me. I am tolerant of smokers in the casino as I know it is allowed in that space. I just find it ridiculous at how ignorant many non-smokers can be, however, I also find that Americans can vocalize the smoking issue and make it more of an issue than other nationalities can–more tolerance and understanding, but also exerting their rights as a non-smoker to have clean air.
I do hope Heidi is/was able to get Kye to be the little angel she is on the flight and that she was adored by all on the plane…..
PS I do hope you showed the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on the big screen. Too bad you don’t have access to Canadian channels, we are less biased and willing to show any and all events regardless of who is competing…they show it anyhow (after all Canada is a mosaic of many cultures…..)…..
Thanks John!
John Says:
Hello Fuzzypeach
I just wanted to say that despite your long claws that are your finger nails that your support for me was truly gracious. I am so very aware that on the very odd occasion that I do have a cigar that I smoke it away from the guests as much as I can and if approached while enjoying a fine cigar I stop until the guest has left.
Thank you then for those kind words which written by a non smoker such as yourself mean a lot
Best wishes
John
Cynthia Hood Asked:
Hi John, (please reply)
My husband and I will be on the Carnival Paradise on November 29th leaving from Long Beach. This will be the honeymoon that we never had. I have recently been diagnosed with several food allergies, and in perusing the Carnival menus, I have decided that I’ll be the first person to starve on a cruise ship!
I’m wondering if you can tell me if the food is pre-plated for the dining room, as eating in the dining room is a must do for my husband. It seems that I am allergic to almost everything on the menu such as tomatoes, berries, broccoli, peas, peppers, asparagus, seafood, mushrooms, you get the picture…
Is there a way to custom order meals (other than eating a steak or chicken breast with no sides, or sneaking a hot dog in my purse) and if so, how do I go about it? Does it need to be set-up in advance? I certainly don’t want to whip out a long list of items that I can’t have, and expect the wait staff to accommodate me, that just doesn’t seem fair to them! Do you have suggestions and/or recommendations? Thanks so much for your time.
CynthiaJohn Says:
Hello Cynthia Hood
Please do not worry. You have given us plenty of time before your cruise in order to help you and I have asked one of the 343 Stephanies to please send your e-mail address to one of our CARE team who will be in contact. They will have you list all your allergies and we will work around them to make sure you are comfortable. Please stay in touch with me here on the blog thingy and if you need any help I will be here.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today. I will be back tomorrow with more.
As usual it’s time to wrap up last week’s cruise which of course for those who were here will be remembered as the cruise we missed Roatan and as the Stinking Creek cruise.
Obviously there were many more memories than that but I am positive should a guest see me again in the future that sailed last week they will either say “we were on the Carnival Dream when we missed Roatan” or “we were on the Carnival Dream with the man from Stinking Creek.” Such is life.
The weather has been devilishly freakish this year all over the Caribbean with ships from all lines missing ports because of various weather conditions. Let’s hope that things settle down though as we move into spring and if the do I won’t have to keep typing……. Global Warming My Arse and Al Gore can come out from under his bed and start preaching again.
Hopefully though there will be other great memories of last week. I have many including a double birthday celebration of these two ladies here. Please meet Fanny (with the white hair) and Elle on my left…………they are sisters by the way.
As you can probably tell we celebrated their birthdays during our debarkation talk… Fanny’s was on March 17…..she was 98 ……..and Elle’s was on the March 19 …….she was 104.
They were here with their parents.
Kidding……………..they were on Holland America.
Kidding again.
What I am not kidding about is their age and the fact that they were celebrating this amazing birthdays within two days of each other. And what characters they were. Both spirited and fun. Fanny told me that he sister Elle does all the talking. In the last photo you will see that Elle is answering my question of “what is your birthday wish”……. her answer as you can see from the smile on my face was ……………..”a man.”
I wish them both many more happy birthdays.
Here is who is sailing with us this cruise…………..
TOTAL GUESTS 4,448
NON-US AND CANADIAN 381
PAST GUESTS 2,309
PLATINUM AND MILESTONE MRS DOROTHY K. – 38 CRUISES HAS THE MOST THIS VOYAGE
And as for the kid count;
AGE GROUP TOTALS
Under 2 Years 13
2-5 Years (Camp Carnival) 87
6-8 Years (Camp Carnival) 133
9-11 Years (Camp Carnival) 223
12-14 Years (Circle “C”) 280
15-17 Years (Club 02) 260
18-20 Years 168
As you can see this is a very high count both in the number of kids and the total number of guests onboard. The Youth Staff will be very busy for sure and so far the kids have been well behaved. I made some additional requests of parents during the Safety Briefing/Boat Drill including no running and to please be respectful of others while walking through the hallways at night etc. It has mostly worked………of course those that know this blog thing will realise that as I used the word “mostly” ……what’s coming next.
Guest: Mrs. ————Ref: 846008098A
Cabin: ____Booking#: _____Added-Changed: 03/114/10 – 03/14/10NOT HAPPY WITH SO MANY CHILDREN
Guest came to the GSD very upset saying that Carnival should have warned her that there would be so many children onboard. Guest stated that they are everywhere and have made this the worst cruise they have had. Guest has asked for money compensation. GSS spoke to guest and explained that it was normal at this time of year and that we would not be able to give any money back for this
And
Guest: Mr. ———— Ref: 846008106A
Cabin: ____Booking#: _______Added-Changed: 03/20/10 – 03/20/10NOISY CHILDREN
Guest called the 911 emergency line at 8:20pm saying that there were children in the cabin next to him making noise and that he and his wife could not sleep. Guest demanded security be called.
The first comment is just ridiculous and again it’s one that would only ever be asked on a cruise ship. Do you think the miserable bastard who Heidi wrote was seated next to her and Kye on their flight home wrote to British Airways and demanded compensation?
Of course he didn’t. He may have wanted to shove Kye in the overhead locker but he new better than to expect anything. This is because the airline industry is tighter than a duck’s arse with a cork shoved up there. Whereas we in this industry…….well……..don’t get me started please.
And the second comment. Well the Guest Services Associate who saw the 911 line ringing probably had hellish thoughts of a medical emergency but it wasn’t. It was some kids………laughing……..at 8:15pm………….little sods……..how dare they.
I checked on the manifest. The guests who complained were surprisingly in their forties, I had expected elderly folks to be in bed at 8:15pm on the first night of their cruise. But they were my age. OK, maybe they had a long flight from California, Australia or Stinking Creek. Nope………they are from Pepsicola, Florida so I am guessing the drove here.
There may be other circumstances that I am not aware of that demanded they be in bed at 8:15pm…….but come on……..calling 911……..that’s a bit extreme isn’t it.
Maybe they were being romantic and laughing boy next door put Mr. and Mrs. Pepsicola of their rhythm. Maybe they were trying to make a kid of their own. Or maybe they just don’t like kids ……..who knows? I understand that some people don’t like to spend their vacation time where there are lots of children and I respect that. But surely you would have to live in a cave not to realise that this time of year…….there are going to be kids ……..being kids.
What I do know is that it’s great to see so many families together on their vacation here on their Carnival Dream. Last week we had Fanny and Elle at aged 98 and 104. This week we have 1,000 plus kids. This once again is a reminder that this great cruise line carries more retired persons and more children and everything else in between ………… than any other cruise line in the world.
So I tried something last week which failed miserably. I decided that we should keep the library open 24 hours a day every day of the cruise. This was instead of the four hours a day that is the fleet standard. My thinking was that it was time to use the facilities of the library more. Now unlike other lines like Cunard who have the best libraries at sea, I don’t have a librarian. This is a side job that is carried out by the dancers which is why the library hours are limited. So my thinking was that we would leave the cabinets open at all times and allow……….actually lets use the word……..trust……the guests to bring them back. They didn’t. We lost 41 books.
Remember we used to take a deposit for each book and when we did this we rarely had any non returns, but the week I decide not do this we lose 40 books. That’s a shame and considering we have an inventory of only 390 books you can see that keeping this system would not be a good idea. Oh well.
However, this leads me to another point. Whereas on the liners of Cunard who have 6,000 books on inventory which are necessary for long voyages, my question to you is….. do we still need a library or is this a space on the ships that could be used for something else? More internet stations. A card room? What do you think? Are we in a bit of a time bubble here where we think a library on the Carnival ships is a must or could we be using this space better.
I asked the staff how many book s we check out on a regular seven day cruise using the old system of deposits and they reckoned an average of 200 books a cruise here on your Carnival Dream. That’s 200 out of 4,000. So, just a thought……..what do you think about the libraries………are they a thing of the past? How many of you use them on a 3, 4 5 or 7 day cruise? I would be interested to know.
The welcome aboard show once again proved to be a great tone setter for the cruise. I was very cautious with what I said because of the amount of kids at the show. It always amazes me by the way that kids as young as 4 and 5 are up at 10:30pm at night. Anyway, I met some great characters and wanted you to meet two of them
Here is honeymooner Leslie
Leslie got married on Friday and here she is on her honeymoon with husband Derek who she proudly told us won the World Championship Bowling thingy in 2008 and was a runner up in 2009. It’s strange that I was talking about Wii wii bowling on Friday’s blog. I have to admit I think I have been bowling a few times and wasn’t very keen on it, probably because I was, like with all sports………crap.
I remember seeing the professional bowling on ESPN 56 once and noticed a few differences between them and the rest of us who may have bowled. They wear their own shoes, rather than ones worn by 5,000 bowlers before them and quickly spritzed, by the school-leaver behind the counter, with a heavily diluted mixture of water with a bit of soap. By the way, did you know that scrapings from the insoles of bowling alley rental shoes are what bearded laboratory scientists use to restock their Petri dishes when they want to study bacteria and foot fungus?
I also noticed that their bowling balls are polished and painted to resemble flaming meteors. They favour the single glove look, made popular, in happier times, by Michael Jackson. And unlike when I bowl…..they don’t use the rails……..and shout “bugger, bollocks, sh*t and bugger” every time they let go of the ball.
Anyway, Leslie was one of the guests in the welcome aboard show as was this chap.
This is Chu Ing………yep……..I am not ly……. ing…….his name is Chu Ing. Obviously I had a lot of fun with his name and he was great sport. They are from Toronto and when I say they I am talking about his two children and his wife………whose name is …….wait for it………and I have 1,500 people who were there, laughing as hard as me…………because her name is……………Mei Li Ing…………………..brilliant.
Anyway, Mei was not at the show and her husband said she had gone to bed. Now, the theme of the evening was “love” so I got my ships cell phone and asked Chu for his cabin number and he told me. My intention was to speak to Mei Li and get Chu…..or Chewey as he is known now here on his Carnival Dream to tell her he loves her.
So, I put the phone on speaker and held the microphone over it so the audience could hear. I called cabin 6224 as instructed but a man answered. The audience laughed and then laughed even harder when I said “Chewy…….you gave me the WONG cabin number.”
Goodnight
Your friend
John
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.
Well since u don’t want 2 hear bout other lines I won’t mention — but will say that Tampa customs is terribly slow and Port Canaveral operates at just the right speed – what I do hate is 80 year old Helen in a wheelchair with her 42 relatives in tow flying past everyone in line while everyone else waits patiently – perhaps I should join the family as uncle #43 and go with them – I also know that by confiscating my bottle of Dasani before boarding in the 90 degree heat security has guaranteed a safer voyage for all – Bin Laden has 2 be laughing his rear off
John
Regarding libraries the whole thing is kind of surprising.
The books seem to have been donated to Carnival over the years and never did understand why if I lost a book (and I never have) I would be charged the full retail price for them..
I would think the best thing is to encourage people to donate books and if people want to take them with them so be it.
I am a big time reader and will read several books during a 7-8 day cruise and bring my own.
This is because of your limited selection.
I think it would be better to encourae reading and donations of books and leave the library open 24 hours and see what happens.
Please keep the library!! I always read and relax and I don’t have to worry about carrying a bunch of books with me. I don’t get a chance to do this at home! It’s part of what I love about a cruise doing as much or as little as I want.
John:
WOW….those two sisters are incredible. How wonderful to still be enjoying life at this age !
Sorry you lost so many books last week. Sadly the word “character” is severely lacking in our society today.
Everyone thinks they are entitled to act any way they want to and take anything they want to.
As for Spring Break, was your first complainer raised under a rock. Again, the “entitlement menality” that makes everyone want to be a victim. No one wants to take responsibility for their own decisions. Complainer number one did not do their research before they booked this cruise and no one is to blame but themselves.
Complainer number two, yes it can be aggrevating to be next to a cabin with kids who are jumping from the Upper bed to the floor or other beds, screaming (not just laughing), wrestling and swinging from the Upper slamming their feet against the walls. If you cruise enough, you will see it all. But the complainer clearly over reacted.
Our boys were always instructed that 10PM – 8AM was quiet time in the hallways and the cabin. And that ANY TIME they were in the cabin, they were expected to behave the same way they do at home.
Even at the age of 21, when Josh comes crawling into the cabin at 3AM….he understands….he had better not wake up Momma!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
OK…a couple of things here… I believe those sisters lied to you…. they are absolutely beautiful, don’t look their ages and are obviously amazing. I hope that I will live that long and be able to be on a Carnival Cruise when I turn their ages… Happy Birthday Ladies.
As far as the library goes, we use it…. to sort out our pictures!!! We collect all the pictures taken during the week, go into the library, lay out the photos and one by one, decide which we will purchase!!! So, my vote for library….ok to do something else with that space!!
And just maybe…Chu didnt give you the wrong cabin number???? Well, we won’t go there… OR DID YOU????
On Libraries,
On the Liberty we never visited and on the Paradise it was centrally placed and but was rarely open. Me recomedation would be to have the board games available somewhere fpr check out but turn the libraries into game rooms or card room kind of things.
It was a quiet area out of the way.
John, About the libraries. I am an avid reader and as such I always bring at least one or two books with me that I have been dying to get to on every vacation. I would not dream of leaving home without one (or two). However, to date, I have never even cracked the spine on one during a cruise. The best intentions, eh? I am always having too much fun to slow down…..and I still dont do everything I want to. LOL The libraries would not be missed by me and I LOVE books!
hi john- please note!
DW and i are travelling down from canada to virginia in june and i just booked tickets for jethro tull and procul harum at the wolf trap, just about an hour away from baltimore. as you and i are frozen in the 70′s musically (do not get the mrs. started on that subject!), maybe you could slip aboard a baltimore bound ship and i will pick you up. just think of it- locomotive breath and then simple sister- i may faint!! are you in?!?
terry and danielle
beautiful prince edward island
Maybe instead of the library, offer some magazines and paperbacks in the shops. A 5 dollar paperback is not going to set anyone back too much.
I will say that it is probably a non-issue. People use the library room for what they want to, sorting pictures or playing cards, etc. Just open up the cabinets whenever you can spare someone. Because the options you have for the library (card room, etc) already happen.
The only time we have used the Library was a meet and greet for Cruise Critic. I think if people want to read a book while on vacation, then they usually bring their own. I say leave it open and when all the books are gone then find another use for it.
I have seen lots of people using it for playing cards. How about a card room.
Oh no! Don’t eliminate the library. One of our disappointments on the Carnival Dream Transatlantic was the sparsity of books, and the fact that every evening, as we passed by after dinner, it seemed to be occupied by Friends of Bill W. On other lines, there is a lot more to the library than books. HAL Vista ships has combined library with internet cafe, and the jugsaw puzzle table always has at least two puzzles in progress. One of my biggest distresses with Carnival is that as ships get bigger, the library gets smaller. It wa a lovely size on Carnival Celebration, a bit smaller on the Fantasy Class, and much smaller on Carnival Splendor…but always well utilized. On Carnival Dream, it seems like an afterthought…Carolyn
Hi John,
As usual, I am relaxing after work, reading the blog thingy. I love the antedotes of customer complaints. I too wonder how people who are so blessed can be so hard to please.
Its funny that you should mention the library on board. Although I take my books to read and due to all the activities on board, I rarely finish reading what I bring, for some reason I always browse the library on the first night of a cruise. I am somehow comforted to know that there are books close by, Just in case…
(Silly I know) But when I was on the Dream with you in late February I did my normal walk thru of the library and wondered if you guys ever need any books donated. I have a lot of newer novels and am currently doing some spring cleaning. Would it be of any benefit if I ship some great standard authors your way? (John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Nicholas Sparks) They are like new because I am a true book lover at heart. If you want them just send me note and where to ship, and I will be glad to box them up.
I would gladly exchange the books for an opportunity to say hello to you on our 4th cruise with you. I am hoping to book on the Magic next year as I understand you will be there.
My best to Heidi and Kye. Will they be able to cruise with you on the Magic too?
Thanks for all you do to keep all of us entertained daily. I sure hope to hear you say “Welcome Home” soon.
Your Cruising OB doc
Berniece
Yes John Maribeth is my cousin. We reconnected about a year ago right here on your blog. She saw my name in a comment and asked if I was from Michigan.
BIG ED
Hey Big Ed, I too am from Michigan! Maybe we could start our own club? As in ‘Get a Cruise Port in Detroit’ club….LOL
I do love going out of New York and Baltimore for the closeness, but the selection is thin….
I’ve been trying to get a CCL ship on the Great Lakes for years. CCL does have ships that would fit the Seaway to get here. All those southern people that come north for the summer to get away from the heat would just love to do the oppisite we do to get away from winter.
Lord knows I couldn’t tell from the photo!! lol
Hi John: re: more kids on board in March. I guess some folks don’t realize that this time of year is going to be busier with kids on holiday than any other time with the exception of the Summer months. That’s why my husband, Denn and I don’t travel in March. People really need to do their homework before going on a cruise or any holiday if they want to avoid children (or whatever). Re: safety at embarkation, I was actually pulled out of line at the terminal and my carry on had a good going through by a security officer who was very pleasant but I was pleasant to him. I told him I didn’t mind as it’s a relief to me that Carnival has tight security and thus the time for boarding might be a bit long but worth it. The waiting time is MUCH shorter at the cruise terminal than it is at the airports anyway. That and the fact that at the cruise terminals they are loading thousands of people rather than just a few hundred at a time at the airports. Re: the library. We bring our own books so have never used the library but I will use the library when we take our family cruise with the grand-children, Therefore, maybe more children’s books would be nice and I don’t mind shorter hours and having to put a deposite on each book. LOVE the dear ladies who were with you on the stage. Thank-you for honouring (spelt correctly) such special people.:-) Thanks again for all you do and I’ll be writing my reviews soon from our Feb.13th Dream cruise for all to see on the review boards. Thanks so much to all the Stephanies too
Hi John, Please don’t close the library. I just wish the ship would use them for libraries. Dave and I go to the library to read the blogs when we are at sea. Last time we were on our Carnival Dream Guest Services had schelduled a meeting of friends of something. We were in there reading and this group comes in and has a loud meeting. I reminded them this was a library and was told their group had the room reserved and maybe we should leave. Then there are the groups putting puzzles together and making lots of noise. I think the problem is that ships need to have small rooms where people can meet to to play cards and have fun. Ships need libraries and card rooms. And they should be in separate areas.
Jo
Regarding the Library
While I have never “checked out” a book from a library on a cruise ship, I do bring 3 or 4 with me that I read while on board. I would be more than happy to donate any book that I have finished to the library.
The complaints you received about kids during spring break reminded me of a time when we took our daughter to IHOP. I must say, she has always been a well behaved child in public, especially when eating (she never made a mess and when she did we cleaned it up). Now, I know every parent says their child is well behaved, but I assure you, mine only behave in public and when my husband is around. Next to us, in the corner booth, was another family with a little boy who was probably only 15 months old at the time. He was a little loud, but his parents were trying to keep him calm, quiet, and behaving. On our other side, sat this single person who finally yelled at this 15 month old to shut up. Then he proceeded to ask the restaurant for a manager and complain that people with kids shouldn’t take them out to eat. Did I mention this was at IHOP (international house of pancakes, casual, family-friendly dining) and not at some 5-star restaurant??? He proceeded to have a very loud conversation on his cell phone (so loud the people on the other side of us could hear his conversation, which I’m sure was his point) and making numerous complaints about how parents shouldn’t take their kids to restaurants or shopping or on airplanes.
I honestly feel bad for people with this attitude, because they’ve obviously missed out on something in life. I hear a child laugh and it makes me smile (okay, not when it’s my one year old and 3am). I love how when I’m shopping with my kids, they smile and try to talk to everyone, which in turns makes people smile back at them. I consider myself lucky to live in an area full of retired grandparents (aka FL) and I love seeing people walking around with a smile on their face, even if it’s only there because my 1 year old simply smiled at them. If you can’t enjoy the simple things in life (like a child’s laughter) then you may as well go stick your head in the sand.
Hi John, I’m an avid reader but in 5 cruises (2 Europe, 3 Caribbean) have never borrowed a book from the ship’s library. I bring a few of my own (usually bought used) and read them. I discard them after I’ve finished in airports or leave them in my room and hope the steward knows what to do with them!! I suggest some games be available to sign out, but the space might be better used for other purposes. I never spend any time in the library room, whether the library is open or not. Gloria
Sorry about the books. Even on the 49 day cruise on the Carnival Splendor, fellow passengers organized a book swap before we left. The library was used for puzzles I saw and Jaime would put your blog in there. I personally think the space would be better utilized with more internet space.
Hi John,
I would say use the library for something else. The only times I have been in it is waiting for VIP dis-embark and having our nightgowns checked on the Blogger’s cruise.
I have always brought a paperback with me on each cruise but for some reason have yet to have time to read it.
Dave
I like the idea of doing away with the library and using it for some other purpose. As someone else stated, just sale paperbacks in gift shop. Plenty places to read on board. On noise, lol, im an early night person and i would not even complain about noise while on a cruise, It’s others time for fun and relaxation also. It’s hard to please everyone
Regarding the Library, we could never find it open on the Dream inaugural cruise (the real one out of Civitavecchia).
Why not encourage everyone to bring books they are are ready to part with when they come onboard? I would gladly bring a couple of dozen to help build a library and will be on the Magic in May of 2011. Also, expand the selection of books for sale in the gift shop.
John, in regards to your queston about keeping a library on the Dream (or other cruise ships). My opinion is, if I want to read book(s) while on a cruise, I will bring my own. I recommend changing the library to a card room with a bar (accessible by all walking by) or at least provide waitstaff to provide beverage service.
REPLY SOON
John, I have several bags of paper backed novels that I would gladly donate to the libraries of the cruise ships. I have an electronic book that Don got me for Christmas especially to take on cruises. So no need to take them to the used book store to swap them.
We will be going on the Conquest and the oooooooooopps Carnival Conquest 3/28 and the Carnival Fantasy 5/8th If they can make use of the books, just say the word and I’ll take a bag to both of them
Carolyn
Hey Carolyn! See ya in two weeks!
Hey Carolyn did Don buy you a KIndle? Do you like it? I was wondering while reading hte blog if people would rent preloaded kindles to read. Probably not. I always want to read when I go on vacation, but never take the quiet time to do that.
Kap (Kathie)
John as for the Library, I can’t say to keep it. Bridie allways brings books. Maybe something different!
I thought in May when we get on the Dream I will go to the pursers desk and Complain that the cruise is only 7 days. That I should be compensated since its only 7 days and that other cruise lines give us an extra day…. Amazing, every time I think I’ve heard the greatest complaint it allways gets topped with a better one. How about I call 911 that my room is too cold?
Big Fans As Allways,
Frank and Bridie
The long lines on embarkation is everywhere because the staff checking the passengers in are so slow – it’s not the cruise line and cruise staff fault, first of all.
I guess these travellers need to go to New York to experience what a check-in line really is – long and no one to help you. When we were in NY (JFK), even the people working in the airport (security and check-in personnel) won’t even answer a simple question (where to go, where to check-in, where to bring your luggage). Oh, those body scanners I believe is way cool – we’ve done it too in NY. The air tickels tough, and make sure women are not wearing a skirt (not unless you want to pose like Marilyn Monroe). I have a funny picture of the new body scan – but somehow I can’t paste it on this comment. I’ll try sending it to you later.
I’m hoping that on my future cruise, I’ll have the chance to meet you (hey, I’m Ms. Congenality on every cruise I take according to passengers – and I help the staff the best I can).
John: My family and I just returned from a 7-day cruise aboard the Valor. It was amazing. My husband and I had just taken the same cruise in November and enjoyed it so much that we wanted to take our sons who were celebrating their 21st and 20th birthday. I contacted you to request a private table for our family so that we would have a more intimate setting. Not only did we get a private table (Thanks to you and Pablo), but the boys also received a gift from you and Big Tex. They were so excited and met so many new friends that they are planning to keep in touch with. They are already planning their next Spring break cruise.Thank you for adding your special touch to make our vacation that much nicer.
Hey John,
I can only say one thing to the person who complianed about the wait at embarkation, you should have beeen here when they did everything by hand, I used to get to Miami at 11am just so I could get on the ship by 2pm…. and talk about standing in lines…. back in the 90′s the lines streched and streched , and streched….. no computers at check in everything was done by hand. I will say that the last time I cruised (in 2003) out of tampa the wait was about 2.5 hours form arrival at the port to getting on the ship….. and I thought that was fast……
ohh well keep up the good work. and I agree with Marshall about getting inline with the family with the wheel chair……. sometimes poeple take advantage of theses privilages (before anyone berates me my wife is also disabled and would not think about allowing anyone but the minimum amount of people help her, while the rest of the group waited like everyone else>)
Capt Bill
John, (please read)
I asked a question the other day about if I would get Platinum status on my 10th cruise which is immediately after my 9th cruise. I already got my answer, so you don’t need to spend time to reply. I hope you get to see this in time to save yourself the trouble of replying to a question that has already been answered. If not, then thanks in advance for the answer
John (Please Reply)
Love your blog.My wife and I will be sailing on the Spirit in July to celebrate our 25th anniversay/ I would like to suprise her with somthing, could you talk to the Cruise director on this sailing and have him suprise her? thanks for your help
Dear John,
Nancy is an avid reader and can read a couple of books on a seven day cruise. Like Beth Flynn however she brings them and only gets to read them during the long flights to and from the port. Our first cruise was the eight day Mexican Riveria on the Carnival Spirit and she brought two books and never even looked at the cover. I think with all of the Cigar Bars that are in the wrong place on ships or have disappeared all together maybe the space could be used for the poor tobacco hounds that are being confined to the great outdoors. No Iam not a smoker. I just think fair is fair. Most people who are going to read a book on a cruise bring the book that they are intending to read with them. Space is at a premium on a ship so why not use it for something that will be used. I do like the idea above to have a few paperback books for sale in the stores. Just in case it rains alot.
The two ladies pictured Elle and Fanny are great and I hope she got her wish, Wow a one-hundred and four year old cougar!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Dear John,
On the three Carnival cruises I have been so thus far, I haven’t checked out any books from the library but did use it as a quiet place to read inside. Even though there are tons of things to do on a Carnival ship, having a place to just relax (besides your cabin) is nice. Another suggestion would be to allow drinks inside since some of us enjoy a nice refreshing drink (or even a coffee if you prefer) while reading. Just my 2 cents.
I too use the library but only when they have an exchange system. Yes true that some people will still just take and not leave one, but our condos have always done an exchange books and it works. I do think a card room/library combo would be very well used on the longer cruises.
I really only used the card room when on a 14 day cruise. Too busy on the shorter ones. No matter what– some peeps will be happy and some not. Me– I choose to remain happy
THe library is not a necessity for me. i usually bring my own books for relaxing by the pool (if the famous chair hogs have left any chairs for us) . You can do with it as you wish.
Se ya in 5 and a half weeks on the Conquest
JOHN!! We do not need librairies on cruise ships! Most of us bring acouple books along to read! I have never used them to get books. Make it an adult game room! Trivia games are nice.
If someone wants to “donate” their own book/books when they are finished-they can just leave them there for others to read.
Maybe you will find the missing books in their rooms after they get off ship.
John please reply….
Hi, John! About the people who complaint that there were many children and/or young people onboard the Dream this past week…. First, I would like to remind them that Carnival is a Fun Ship and younger people are more attracted to Carnival than any other cruise line. Second, people have to realize that during school vacation (spring break, summer vacation and/or winter Holiday vacation), there will be more children and younger people onboard. Third, we would suggest to the personal vacation planners and travel agents to recommend to this people that instead of cruising on Carnival, they should cruise on Princess or Cunard. Princess and Cunard cater to a more mature invidivual…. There are very few children, teenagers or young adults onboard. That brings me to the point that we recently sent you a comment (since you are a little behind, you haven’t had the chance to read it yet) where we were joking about the fact that there were lots of people on wheelchairs, motor scooters, walkers, etc., on board the Grand Princess Feb.12-26 Caribbean cruise, and that there were ambulances in a couple of ports, waiting for the ship to dock to approach the pier and carry the sick away. If the people who dislike cruising with younger generations are advised from the very beginning of Carnival’s alternative cruise ship lines catering to more mature generations, maybe they will be satisfied and won’t complain so much.
Sorry, but we couldn’t keep our mouth shut!
The Santanas of Miami Beach.
Hi John (please reply), I went back to work today after returning from the Carnival Dream cruise with “Stinking Creek” March 6-13…..I wish I was on the ship again!
Anyway, we (my hubby, 21 y.o. daughter, her girlfriend, and myself) had a fabulous time all week! Lots of laughter and good family time. You read my letter on the 1st morning show and we were able to meet you at the captain’s party (my husband’s birthday wish was to meet you)….we had our picture taken with you, you talked with our daughter who is soon graduating from college and for our 25th anniversary, you surprised us with some things in our room, …..THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! My husband does not show his feelings all the time, but when he saw that, he choked up and couldn’t believe that you did that for us, knowing how busy you are.
We are truly Carnival fans…..the food, service, entertainment, everything was wonderful! Embarkation was a breeze as was debarkation (we did self-serve)……we tried most of the eating areas and never waited in long lines….planned our “grazing” to avoid the busier times. Sure, there were a few minor negative things, like my husband never receiving his birthday cake (Carnival did reimburse us)….but nothing that would cause us to say our cruise was ruined. We totally understood the missed port of Roatan and enjoyed our sunny sea day and know those things happen. We always say, that “a vacation is what you make of it”…..lots and lots of memories, including those lovely ladies celebrating their 98 and 104 birthdays……good for them to be able to go cruising!
Lastly, John, YOU ARE THE BEST! We have been reading your blog for a few years and love it! This was our 6th cruise, the 4th with Carnival and the 2nd having you as our CD. Laughter is good for the soul and you definitely had us laughing, as did the guests. So many times today at work, my mind would drift to different aspects of our cruise and I would start to smile. Thanks again to you and CCL !! By the way, loved the pictures of you, Heidi and Kye…..Kye is so cute! Take care.
John,
I’ve never, in three cruises, used the library, nor do I intend to. I enjoy carefully choosing 3-4 books fro the bookstore to pack for the trip. It’s part of my “pre-cruise ritual” that I enjoy.
Stacey
Hi, John.
Sorry for the complaints you received. I generally sail from Miami with my young son– just the two of us, because that’s all there are of us. Boarding can be awful, and is not helped by the pictures they take before embarkation, while others are held in line.
The other folks should realize that the joy that young people bring to us older folks is that they can laugh gleefully. I do not enjoy bratty kids, but the joy of their laughter even if at the outrageous time of 8:15 lifts my spirits.
I love the library, and wish that Carnival would open it more and have a better selection of books. Since I am an older Dad with a young son, I tend to hang out at a lounger as he does the slides, pool and thus and such with newly-made friends. While I keep an eye on him at all times, I use this time to read. On a longer cruise I go through many books. I so wish that Carnival had a better selection and that the library was open more than rarely so that I could borrow when my supply is either or both boring, or finished. Certainly, Carnival could cough up for a few books from Amazon.
I tend to leave my read books on board when I leave. I hope they end up in the libraries, but I suspect they may end up in the trash. If the library was ever open, I’d just leave them on the shelves.
While the library might not appeal to the hairy men or their fondlers, it certainly appeals to me.
Hi, John!
About ship libraries – you know, the running jokes for me and my family on this centers around the fact that we have yet to see them ever open. We talk about how the books “aren’t real” or are “for display only” since we can never get into the cabinets to touch them.
Anyway, I wouldn’t say get rid of the lending library completely, but maybe make the space available for other activities…cards, internet, etc. during (the many) non-operating hours.
Hi John,
If I make it to 98 or 104, I hope to have as much spunk as Fanny and Elle have!
Clair
Hi John
While on the SA cruise on the Splendor we made very good use of the library for the 17 days we were there. It was great to have a place to lay out a jigsaw puzzle and leave it for later on in the day. We made good use of the books (checking them out and returning them) and even donated our own at the end of the voyage. These were gladly accepted since there wasn’t enough for such a long voyage.
So what would happen if there wasn’t a library???? On a short vacation we tend to bring our own books, however it is nice to be able to go somewhere quiet and get a puzzle going or play a game. Keeping it open for certain hours with the dancers fill in during their off time is still better than nothing. The sea days can be boring if there aren’t enough things to do on board.
One other thing would be to have the donate box at the Guest Services Desk and ask passengers to donate before they leave. Then we can use those books for the next voyage and hope that there would be enough books to cycle in.
John I did email you when we got back from the Valor to thank you for arranging things during our lovely cruise in January on the Valor . I never saw a reply so i don’t even know if the email ever made it to you. Anyway i’m taking this opportunity hoping you’re reading these comments regarding the libaries to say hello and thanks once again.
Thank you for everything you do for us cruisers.
Eva
I have enjoyed reading the blog thingy for a while but I am a virgin commenter.
I’d be very disappointed to see the demise of cruise ship libraries. Reading for sheer pleasure (rather than for work) is one of the delights of being on vacation, and the ship library is always one of the first places I visit. Invariably I walk out with something interesting to read, even though I generally have brought one or two books along with me anyway.
Why not encourage passengers to leave behind the books they brought with them when they disembark? Doing this will help to increase book numbers or at least offset those that walk! I have often left books on board when I leave … partly because I don’t need to keep something I’ve already read, but mostly to make space for my wife’s vacation purchases!
Bob
Hi John!
I am a new travel agt as well as a cruise fanatic. I have booked many families on the Carnival Dream for 2010. So far everyone has come back VERY happy with the service, entertainment and the ship. You were one of their favorite parts of the cruise. I will be sailing with my family and a group of 13 on the Dream April 3, 2010. Sadly you will not be our CD, but I do have a question I am hoping you can answer. I am an avid “spinner”. I take spinning classes a few times a week and would like to spin while on the cruise. I see that you have to sign up for the exercise classes when you get onboard. I was wondering if there was anyway to sign up for those classes from home before I leave. I appreciate your help. I am so excited to set sail on the Dream.
While I don’t use the library – I would if it was open more and there was a larger selection. Especially would like to see port specific books available. On Princess the Cruise Director on the Emerald used the library as a spot to answer questions and leave messages to be read etc on the early morning Cruise Director TV show. For example on the first TV show of the cruise (it’s done live) he asked random questions and invited us to place our answers in a mail box in the library. We also left silly commnens and questions… had a great time. It was the talk of the ship as many were eagerly awaiting the answers and comments each morning…was very entertaining.
Anyway, back to the books – I too think the ships could do a better job of promoting guests to donate their books after reading them to the library…I confess to never thinking of it and can’t even guess how may books I’ve simply thrown in the garbage can in our cabin when packing to go home.
John,
I see Kristie beat me to the comments, but I wanted to also thank you for your kindness and generosity this past week. I know lots of readers on your blog have sailed dozens of times, but I have only sailed 6 – and BY FAR my Carnival Dream experience was the absolute best I could have hoped for (even with the misfortune of missing Roatan). You are one in a million and I hope you never retire from your Cruise Director duties.
I finished catching up on the blogs today, and read that you had the unfortunate task of letting one of your staff members go – I think now is the perfect opportunity to say that I am willing and able to replace him or her
(regardless of what his or her position was)
Again, you made a good vacation fantastic, and I thank you for that.
Until next time,
Chris
Hi again John,
First let me say that in all of my 11 cruises I have never used the library. I usually bring my own books to read by the pool. The only time I ever went into the library was to find the Cruise Critic log book to sign.
Second, I just loved the pictures and comments about the two sisters celebrating their birthdays. I want that to be me someday. I want to be able to still be cruising at that age as well. I want to know if the waiter shown in the picture is Arzu from the Scarlet Dining Room. He was our waiter on the 2/27/10 cruise. He was fantastic. It certainly looks just like him but you never know. Could you please reply and let me know if it is him.
Margie
P.S. I am ready for some video blogging. I need a fix already and it’s only been two weeks since we cruised together.
i cant talk about other cruise lines cause i have only sailed with carnival. lol i think the library is ok i see kids and adults with games but i dont have time to read on a cruise with a 4 yr old taking him to camp carnival playing games shows going ashore swimming eating lol watching a move gambaling massages and playing in the elavator ( son loves the elavator) last cruise across the hall their was a little one he was a screamer but we didnt call ship 911 so what it happens. accasionaly chris acted up but not bad. he cant wait to cruise again lol. hi john
Dear John
I’m a voracious reader, and former teacher-librarian, and when we travelled around South America last year on the Carnival Splendor I averaged one book a day – well over 40 books from the library, as well as those that new friends met on board lent me – and still had time to take part in many, many activities from breakfast to midnight! Because we had to fly across the Pacific and then across the US to reach the ship, without the library (even the paltry offerings that the library on the Carnival Splendor offered, as they left behind all the extra books we were promised!) my husband’s cruise would have been totally ruined by my bookless demeanour, and the neighbours (spelt correctly!) on both sides of our stateroom would have been ringing Security to complain that the woman next to them was climbing the walls!
PLEASE keep the libraries – those of us who are bookaholics are happy to plan our day around the few available opening hours, and are happy to share with jigsaw shapers and other users … although the library is perhaps a bit too public for the Friends of Bill W, who objected if unknowing readers knocked for access (we saw this happen quite a few times), And after all, where else could we read the printouts of your blog? Even a 7 day cruise is too long to be away from THE blog!
John. Please reply
Hello John.
First, I just wanted to say I love reading your blog. Every day you make me laugh and help keep me occupied until my next cruise.
I just sailed on the Carnival Triumph for my 12th cruise. It was a perfect vacation. I wanted to let someone know that the waiter we had for dinner was outstanding. I believe his name was I Komang(sp?). Every night he was very attentive, would ask us how our day was, danced with us and would sing to us. Carnival is very lucky to have him as an employee.
Next, I have booked the Carnival Magic for July 10th, 2011. I am so excited to be going to Europe. Will you be the Cruise Director for that cruise and do you know when i will be able to book shore excursions for the cruise?
Thank you for everything.
Kevin
Hi John,
Regarding “on board libraries” I think if you encouraged cruisers, through the ships newsletter, to deposit used paperbacks at a designated place, it would generate enough reading material and choice for those people who finish their novels and wish to start a new one. This would free up the library space and relieve the dance crew of the extra responsibility.
Regards Celia P
How about taking the space that is the library and converting it into a few ‘Video Email Booths’. Guests like sisters Fanny & Elle would go into a booth and, for a charge to their S&S account, they could send a video message to whatever email address they enter. Let’s say a two minute message costs $3.99, the girls agree and they simply push a button to start recording and another to send when they are done. The idea being similar to those little photo booths in a mall but larger spaces so a family or small group could all fit in the booth. Each booth might have a distinctive backdrop — Heck it could even be a blue-screen effect where a canned video backdrop is added and the user can choose the backdrop. Choices for backdrop could be various ship sights such as the Lido deck, Dining Room, or the Bridge.
No staff would be involved as there could be a card reader for the S&S card similar to what are in the casino. With such a system the users would only need to type in the email address of the recipient so it might appeal to a wide demographic and be a fun way to share your vacation with the folks back home – for instance, co-workers at home could be taunted!
Perhaps the cost of putting in such a feature could be shared or covered by a corporate sponsor. I’m thinking maybe a company like Google would partner with Carnival and the facility would be known as the “Google Video Connect” or whatever… (The sponsorship has a precedent in what Disney does at EPCOT).
Perhaps as part of the system their could be a free-to-use booth for providing Carnival feedback. It might provide useful feedback and potential marketing video materials.
Anyways, I haven’t really thought it through. It was just an idea I had when you asked what else the library space might be used for. Perhaps the idea could be shared with HQ and developed more to explore the potential.
Regards, Ross
Really have enjoyed your blog!
I like the idea of a library on board, and think it should be open 24 hrs. It should be designated as a “quiet” space, and have wi-fi access so people can read and/or check email in a quiet environment. If you were to have a “take a book, leave a book” policy, people could donate books and it seems that you’d never run out and there would always be a changing selection. I’d be happy to leave the books I finish on the cruise with you! You could still have an attendant a few hours a day to keep things organized, but wouldn’t need to check-in/out books or charge for them.
I agree with other comments that the library should not be used for group meetings but reserved as a quiet space.
Space to do puzzles and play board/card games should be in another location. There used to be a card room on the Ecstasy, but I believe this was made over into a kids/teen space.
Thanks for all your hard work!
PLEASE REPLY
Dear John, My husband and I will be going on our first cruise (vacation/honeymoon) on the Carnival Conquest on the 25th of April. Another couple was going with us so we could celebrate our 20th anniversaries this year (not on the sailing dates though), but they had to back out. However, since my husband’s birthday falls on the day we port (did I say that right?) in the Cayman’s, I made reservations at the Steakhouse for that evening.
I only recently found your blog thingy and I really love reading it. I also read on another board that you will be on the same cruise? I sure hope so! Much as I’ve heard and read, I’ve still got no idea what to expect on a cruise ship. We are very much looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the very interesting staff on the Conquest. If you could give some advice for the trip or maybe some ideas of something special I can do for my husband, I would greatly appreciate it!
Very Respectfully,
Karen
Hi John!
Welcome to Spring Break season and good luck with all the kids onboard. Though they might get a little rowdy at times, i don’t know if its worthy of calling 911 at 8:30 at night. That’s just my opinion though.
We should all be so lucky to make it to 98 or 104, so its truly special to see how great Fanny and Elle are as they have hit those milestones.
Thanks for posting and take care!
David
John,
We just returned from The Dream, Feb 13th sailing. I though you guys did a great job getting everyone on board. We walked in, filled out the “we are not sick” paper, walked up to the desk, gave the guy our passports (family of 4), he was most helpful, signed us up, gave us the famous sail and sign card, and asked us to have a seat. We did so, and I didn’t really time it, but gosh, we waited maybe 15 minutes.
Since we were then on the ship, had our card, we got a welcome aboard drink (we did this last year on the Valor, our of Miami, same week 80 and sunny). I will have to complain on one item, because we did have to wear a jacket on the deck as we had our drink, so next year, can you make it about 75 deg, or 80 if it is not too much trouble for the weather director of Carnival. Other than that, keep up the good work, your team at Carnival does a wonderful job (well except the weather director, he should be spoken to, or maybe replaced).
Hello John,
Responding to your question regarding the pronunciation of my name. No surprise that I get that a lot.
The “j” is silent. It is pronounced Woh-til-ko
People used to ask my grandfather, who was first generation from Poland, why he didn’t change the spelling to something simpler when coming to America. He always answered, “I did. There used to be a “ski” at the end.”
We’ve booked our next Carnival cruise for the 1/21/12 sailing of the Liberty.
Thanks again!
Dave Wojo
John,
My sister & I just returned from a week on C Splendor. Yes it was spring break, but the young people really were no trouble to us. Their energy is so much fun to watch.
Fanny & Ellie are an inspiration. Maybe Gig & I can make it that far, & still be cruising Carnival.
If you intend to keep the library, you need to STOCK IT with reading material. Both my sister & I read a lot on cruises, but find we have to lug our own books. On longer cruises, we try to organize book exchanges with other cruisers. This worked great on the SA 49 day Splendor cruise. Maybe this could be a way to solve the problem. Have a set book exchange time & place & put it in the Fun Times.
Speaking of the Fun Times, you asked for people to catch mistakes in them. We had a gem on C Splendor this last week. Even though the cruise was Mar 07 to Mar 14, our Saturday edition was dated March 20. We almost thought we missed the debarkation the week before!
Joyce
Greetings from Canada!
My husband and I have been on 3 Carnival cruises, our Honeymoon on the Sensation in 1999, the Glory in 2005 and the Dream on December 3. All cruises were fantastic!! These complaints you guys receive boggle my mind. Carnival rocks! The hour we waited to get on the Dream in December was well worth the 9 nine days of fun and excellent customer service we received.
We are booked for the Magic on October 7, 2011. I get so excited just thinking about it. I hope you are CD and we get to meet you. It’s 18 months and 3 weeks away and I have a goal to lose 100 lb before we go. Cheer me on – I need the support!!
Alicia
When I cruise I always bring my own books to read. I have about 20 Carnival cruises never on another line and 3 with you. I never knew about a library.
With regard to your question about the library, I think the space could be better used. Personally, I bring several trashy romances on board with me – who knows how many I can get through while sunning! The library never seems to be open when we might use it – such as early evening, say if we are not interested in the show?
But, I do like the fact that you have games available. This is particularly useful on rainy days for some family time. Might I suggest that Camp Carnival keep the games? That way, they could be checked out for a particular amount of time to a particular person – and you would know who to bill if it wasn’t returned?
Keep up the great blog! Thanks, Amy
Wow… what a special cruise! First you have Fanny and Elle who have seen more history that I’ll ever even be able to read about and then Chu Ing! I’m betting you were in heaven!!!
About the library… I would prefer that it stay. Every library on every Carnival ship needs more books but every ship needs a library.
Are you still coming to Galveston? When? We’d love to have lunch with you one of the Sundays!!
All the best to the girls!!
Ciao!
Host Mach
Good thing there are no mirrors in the library or you my not have made it to that mens nightgown contest on BC3. But then the women in the front rows of the main lounge might not have been laughing so hard. At least I was covered by 2 of those “Don’t cover all robes” one for the front and one for the back.
BIG ED
Hi John
I am like the others
I go to the library it was to find the blog, find a game,or drop off a lingeried husband. I usually bring 2 books with myself when I travel and like the others I never get a book finished because there is so much to do. I also have a lot of books at home (hardcover) and wondered if CCL needed or would take these novels if offered.
I hope I am as lucky as the two ladies Elle and Fanny 98 & 104 Whoo Hoo!
Take Care
HUGS to Heidi and Kye
The Tuckers in Florida
Elizabeth
So far I have never used the library. I am much too social for spending the time reading a novel while onboard! Still, the quiet space is nice. Perhaps a coffee house/wine bar added with internet areas and and sel those $5 buck paperbacks????
Kap
Please keep the libraries! I do bring my own books but I read a lot even though we always go on shore and spend time (too much, maybe) in the casino and go to all the shows, etc. I would panic if I ran out of reading material. We have cruised on Carnival 25 times now and the best library for me was on the Carnival Liberty on the back to back. One shelf had only paperback to trade and it was open all the time. As the supply seemed to be stay about the same II guess people did trade one for one. It worked very well.
Waiting an hour to embark….the NERVE!!! Just kidding…how can people let a little thing like that (which by the way, is NOT a long time to embark) ruin their vacation. Anytime time spent embarking is well worth it considering the fantastic time that is to be had on the cruise!!!! Hang in there, John…we appreciate you.
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I love to read and I do so on every cruise. I do not, however, go to the library. I bring my own books. I many times leave them on the ship and I don’t know what happens to them, but I do hope someone reads them.
It would not make one iota of difference if the library were closed. I don’t know what would be the best use of the space though. I do know on another cruise line, the library was also the internet room. It was open more than 4 hours a day in that the person who was in charge of the internet room also took care of the books. I know Carnival’s ships aren’t built like that, but it is a suggestion for other new ships if the library is continued.
I would think that having books sold in the gift shop would be a profit maker for Carnival. I think that only if it were publicized. If it were, then people like me, wouldn’t have to bring the books onboard. I would buy them.
John
In my Carnival Dream CC Review, I actually reviewed the Library. Nobody does that…. Please KEEP the Library, it is one of my favorite spots on the ship, besides the Spa and The Gathering. But please move it away from the photo shops and into a quieter area; people sorting their pictures in there?? Jeepers! Most of the Carnival ships we’ve sailed (11 and counting) have a great library for occasional readers like myself, so I don’t have to cart 10 pounds of books with me. I like the idea of book readers to loan or rent as well. Sorry to hear you lost so many books when you were being so generous. What is with people, anyway? Another good idea is to separate the games from the library too, maybe make those available up at the Lido activity stations. Just a thought.
Thanks for all you do to make your guests feel at home while on board.
Please leave the library. I am an avid reader and I do bring a couple books with me every cruise (which I donate to the library as I finish), but I also check out an average of one every 2 days. Besides novels, the library should have reference books (dictionaries, atlases, travel books on the ports of call, etc) and GAMES. On the 49 day Splendor cruise, there was a lot of downtime and we needed games to play.
Thanks so much for my daily laugh. You asked about library usage – my husband’s comment, “they have a library on board?” He feels he has to read enough at work, he’s not going to do it while he’s on vacation.
I currently use a Kindle, so I no longer use the lending library on board ship. Before the Kindle, I would usually borrow one or two books during a 7 day cruise. If I boarded with my own book and finished it, I would donate it to the library before I debarked. The only time I now visit the library is if I need a quiet place to read on a rainy day or if an activity happens to be scheduled in that room.
In answer to your question, you should make the library a smoking lounge. A cigar lounge would be nice. we bring the books we plan on reading, and have never used the library on any ship. I’ve actually seen some libraries on ships I thought were smoking lounges. Soft furniture, nice carpets, etc….
Hi John,
About the library. I have been on 4 cruises and have never stepped foot in the library. I do bring books with me from home, but most of the time don’t have time to read them. I think the space would be better off as something else.
Just a suggestion, but can you have a “library” located in the home port terminal? This way guests can rent books before they board and then return them when the ship returns. You would only need to staff it on the 2 days you are at port. Just a thought.
NO, John, do NOT lose the library! Even though they are small, I usually end up checking out a book to read in a lounge chair somewhere on deck or just on the balcony in a quiet place. Those of us who are avid readers do not stop reading because we are cruising. And these days, because books weigh too much to put in checked luggage (that means you’d have to leave out too many clothes
and they are a pain to carry in carry on baggage it’s nice to have something available to read on board. KEEP THEM.
John, shame on you for saying the wait at airports is so the passengers have to spend more money in the airport shops. That is like saying you skip a port of call because the passengers will spend more money on board.
Tim
Hi all. My thoughts on the library have changed recently due to my having a child in the early reading stages. I bring my own books, but my boy (6) dearly loves scanning for books in the ship’s library. So I guess I’d maybe like to see a larger emphasis on kids books. Just my two cents. Thanks.
Hi John,
Here’s my two cents. Like so many of your commenters, I love to read and look forward to relaxing with sea breezes and a good book on “at sea” days. I always bring a couple with me, and, if I finish one, leave it in the ship’s library for someone else to enjoy. The only time I ever used the library was to play cards with friends on the rare rainy afternoon.
john… i am very upset with you.. plz email me so i can tell you why.. ps post something about dick and ineda little.. from the teenage girl you met with the hurt knee…
Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me right now, but in general, the usefulness and also significance is overwhelming. Thanks again and also fine luck!