As well as the Swedish clog dancers and 600 people called Jose and Maria, we also have a group of 88 people who are obsessed and in love, not with Megan Fox’s bottom………….. but with pick-up trucks…………..and apparently the Megan Fox of the pick-up truck world is something called the Ford F150. I know this because these men (haven’t seen any women) are all wearing T-shirts proudly proclaiming that this truck “kicks arse”….sorry………”kicks ass,” etc.
I don’t know much about trucks except we don’t have them in the UK. I do know that when you have a pick-up thingy, you are not an IT engineer from Microsoft or President of Carnival Cruise Lines. Oh no, you are a frontiersman who likes his beer cold, his deer raw and his music country style as he listens in his Ford F150 about how sad a cowboy was that he drove his Ford F150 off a cliff because Betty Sue had been shagging his brother. You can go to the woods at weekends with your other pick-up driving friends and dream up plans to hide in the woods and survive should the terrorists attack. You have the military-style wheels. You have the military-style haircut. You have the guns. Yep………………you are Charlton Heston.
A pick-up truck to me looks like it is made by nailing a couple of slabs of pig iron onto a chassis, then you simply add leather seats to make it feel like a premium product, and get some man with a very deep voice to advertise it on TV.
It wouldn’t work in the UK. I know they have great big open trunk thingies to put your construction equipment and tools and that’s fine when you are driving across your ranch in Texas. But drive a Ford F150 around the streets of Southend in Essex…….. every time you pulled up at a set of traffic lights, passersby would simply help themselves.
Anyway, the Ford F150 group are having a great time as are most of the guests and the Southern hospitality I felt last week is in high evidence again, in fact, now that they know who I am, it is even more so. I wonder if the following comment made to our Guest Services Desk would have been made anywhere else but on a ship out of the south.
Guest: Mr——— Ref: 830015294A
Cabin: 8264 Booking#: 81Q2T5 Added-Changed: 03/29/10 – 03/29/10C - – REPORTED GUEST NOT WASHING HANDS
Guest reported to the GSD that he had been in the public bathroom on Lido deck when he saw a male guest use the toilet and not wash his hands. Guest suggested to him that he should wash his hands but was sworn at by the unknown man and told to mind his own business. Mr _______ was upset and wanted to apologize if he had caused a problem but wanted the ship to know.
I wanted to get this story straight so I asked the Guest Services chappy and he said that the guest was more concerned about the fact that he didn’t wash his hands rather than being told to, well, I don’t know what was said because the guest would not repeat the language used. I think that’s wonderful. And what with this man’s kindness and concern and the chap who didn’t wash his hands………..well…………..it shows that we have both ends of the evolutionary scale on board this week.
Lets wash our hands of him and move on to today’s Q and A………….here we go.
Barb Lensmire Asked:
Hi John, PLEASE REPLYA friend of mine told me about this blog and suggested I write to you with a question I have. I was on the Carnival Conquest out of Galveston on February 21st through February 28th. I saw a gentleman on there that looked familiar to me from some twenty years past. If I saw him again I was going to speak to him. I never did see him again and now it is bothering me. Are you able to tell me if a Harrison R. Anderson was on that cruise? He went by Andy Anderson. He lived in Alabama when I knew him, but am not sure if that is still where he resides. Any help would be appreciated. Barb
John Says:
Hello Barb Lensmire:This is a difficult one because I am not able or allowed to give information like this out. There are certain privacy factors here and, having checked with our legal beards, I was informed that I cannot, I am afraid, give you an answer on this.
If there is any other way you think I might be able to help, please let me know.
I hope you find your friend.
Best wishes,
JohnGlen Asked:
PLEASE RESPONDJohn, I think you are beating yourself up too much over the San Juan incident. A little bit – ok, but I can’t see spending thousands of dollars to send an engineering crew to San Juan with ship measurements for a ONE TIME visit. The Carnival Dream has never (except this once) had San Juan on her port list. Time to continue moving forward with all of the fun and excitent the Carnival Dream offers.
Glen
John Says:
Hello Glen:Thanks, mate. I know you have just gotten on your Carnival Dream so I hope you and your group are having fun and enjoying the amazing ship and her brilliant crew. Thanks for the support and I have to admit that the San Juan Carnival Dream incident was not our funniest hour.
Best wishes to you and the family.
JohnSue McMichael Asked:
John (please reply)Wanted to let you know that there seems to be something wrong with on-line ordering from the Bon Voyage Dept. I (and others on Cruise Critic) have been trying to place orders online but have not been successful. I know that I can call and place the order (and have) but wanted to let you know as it is frustrating!
Love your blog and am happy that you are getting to spend some time with your favorite girls!!!
John Says:
Hello Sue McMichael:I spoke to Carol in the office who is in charge of the Bon Voyage department and there was indeed a problem with the ordering system. I won’t bother to explain what happened as the twenty minutes she spent telling me about computer glitches and band width were hideously boring. What I will do is apologize and inform you that all should be well now. Please also send my apologies to my friends on Cruise Critic who were also trying to use the ordering thingy.
Best wishes and thanks so much for the kind words.
JohnSusanne Asked:
John please answerSince Ken will be joining the Carnival Legend in early April, will he still be there in September? That will help me decide which ship to book in September.
Also, I just returned from the Carnival Fascination on February 25 and unfortunately all of my comments will not be positive. I assume more and more people are driving to the cruise ports with all of the additional fees now charged by airlines that Jacksonville would be the most convenient for a lot of guests.
I do realize that Carnival has no control over the Port Authority in Jacksonville. However, that is the first impression of Carnival (especially for first time cruisers) and it was disorganized and was unlike any other port that I have ever been. I do not think I want to use that port again which is a shame because it is more convenient. It would be good if Carnival could review the procedures here and offer suggestions for improvement. Unfortunately, I heard this same comment from other guests.
The cruise director was okay and it was good to see Tina Nobles again who was the assistant cruise director. She was the cruise director on the Carnival Legend in October 2008 and she did an excellent job then and also as the assistant on this ship. She should be a cruise director.
I was so happy to see the fly-on entertainer Tia since I have not seen her in years–I guess I just was not on the right ships. She is fantastic and hopefully will be on more ships.
The entrance area to the casino was non-smoking which allowed guests to walk through the promenade and breathe which was wonderful. Hopefully, this will be adopted on the other ships.
Most of the food was good but could not compare to some of the other ships, I never saw or met the room steward and the service was not what I normally see and the waiter forgot some of the requests.
I am not telling you any of this to be negative but to review and make improvements where needed. There were a lot of very helpful and sweet staff on this ship and, with the convenience of Jacksonville, it will be how a lot of guests see Carnival and I did not see the Carnival that I normally see.
John Says:
Hello Susanne:Yes, the terrific Ken Byrne will indeed be on the Carnival Legend in September and as there is only one dining room on the Spirit class ships you are assured of his incomparable entertainment and hospitality. Now there should never be anyone who reads this blog to feel that they need to apologize before being critical of what we do. We are not perfect and if your criticisms help us improve, that is something that we should thank you for. And I do because you have some great points there. My biggest disappointment is the comment about the room steward and waiter and I have forwarded your comments to the hotel director on the ship who will make sure your concerns are addressed. I have never cruised out of Jacksonville and was surprised to read your comments about the embarkation process. We are always trying to find new drive – cruise home ports and Jacksonville is very important to this program. I have sent your comments to someone in charge there and we will do what we need to do to improve.
Tia Thompson has always been a great favourite of mine and it has been many years since we worked together. She is one of a kind. I shall also pass on your comments about her and Tina Noble the ACD.
Thanks for the review and I hope you get to spend a cruise with Ken soon.
Best wishes,
Johnflipflopcruisequeen Asked:
John, PLEASE REPLY,A week or so ago, you dropped a hint that you will be sailing on the West Coast in the near future. I have scrolled back thru the blogs, but have been unable to find that message. I was wondering if you could let all of us “West Coasters” know the details, such as when and which ship? It would be SUPER for all your fans here to be able to enjoy you without having to fly to the East Coast or to Europe. I am secretly hoping that you will be on the Splendor going to Mexico on the sailing the end of November. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell us that you will, in fact, be over here with all of us! I could almost bet that any sailings with you on board would be sold out or darn close to it. I don’t think you realize how many West Coast fans you have! Thank you, in advance John, for the information.
John Says:
Hello Sheryl – Flipflopcruisequeen:I have indeed mentioned this and I am going to be announcing my summer and winter schedule next week, no later than April 11th, I promise. I have never been on the West Coast as a CD so maybe this year I will be. We shall see.
Thanks so much for the kind words and please keep reading for more information.
Best wishes to all,
JohnLillian Drosche Asked:
John PLEASE REPLYThere is a discussion on the Cruise Critic site that Carnival does not offer Coke Zero as part of its unlimited soda ticket. Why? Other cruise lines do, so why doesn’t Carnival. We would all like an explanation please.
Lillian
John Says:
Hello LillianDo you know, I have never had Coke Zero. I guess I am a Diet Coke chap. I really don’t like Diet Pepsi at all although I really like Diet Dr. Pepper. Diet Sprite is better than Diet Seven Up although my favourite is Diet Root Beer in the glass bottle………forget the name of it but that’s the Megan Fox of diet drinks as far as I am concerned. Although saying that there is a brand called Stewart’s Diet Root Beer that my much-missed friend Robert used to bring me when he sailed. Is there a diet cream soda? I loved cream soda but have never been able to find a diet one I like. It’s like sugar-free chocolate. Some is gorgeous and some tastes so sweet it is sickly and, of course, eat too much of any sugar-free product and you can guarantee lots of time on the porcelain throne.
Oops, nearly forgot………we have been serving Coke Zero on board for months now and it is part of the unlimited soda package across the fleet.
Best wishes,
JohnSheryl Asked:
Hi John,David & I are getting ready to get on the Dream 4/3. I was looking at cruise director’s locations and was sorry to see you got off the ship on the 20th.. I wanted to touch base with you, to make sure that Todd Wittmer would be able to help us with Moms’ scattering. You had said to leave you a note when we got on the ship, is that still what I should be doing?? We are all packed and ready to go!!
Can’t wait to see this new ship! Always look forward to reading your posts. So sorry to hear that you left the Dream and we won’t get to meet you in person.
Thank you so much for all the help.
SandiJohn Says:
Hello Sandi Del Monte:I am so sorry that I will not be with you for your cruise. I know it will be one with mixed emotion and I have alerted the ship that you will be doing this. Please remember that if you are throwing the urn overboard that it must be bio-degradable. Once on board, someone will contact you with the arrangements as far as the best time and place to do this. I will be thinking of you.
Best wishes,
JohnLeah Asked:
Hi, John!My family and I will be sailing the Freedom in April (yay! can’t wait!) and would like to know how we can contact CD Ryan in advance? We’d like to invite him to our Cruise Critic meet & greet at sail-away! We have over 70 active people on our roll-call, and we are in the process of planning a few other get-togethers! BTW, do you have any fun ideas for our cabin crawl? We’d appreciate any ideas from you and Ryan! Thanks so much for replying, John… love your blog!!!
Leah ~ “CruiseVacationQueen” on Cruise Critic
John Says:
Hello Leah:I have sent this and your e-mail address to Ryan so that he can contact you. As for the cabin crawl, I will ask Ryan to provide you with some trophies as prizes. I am not sure what a “cabin crawl ” is exactly. Maybe we could ask Ryan to come up with a scavenger hunt or have one of the entertainment staff come and have some fun with you. Regardless, we will make sure you all have loads of fun.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Best wishes to all,
JohnChristine Asked:
Hi John,I’m sorry if this has been answered before, but I wanted to find out whether Carnival is planning to add more itineraries out of Baltimore, particularly Bermuda and/or something shorter than 7 days.
Would be very grateful for a reply!
Christine
John Says:
Hello Christine:Baltimore has proven to be a massive success and the Carnival Pride has found a wonderful home there. The current itinerary is still in the early days, yet due to the success we have had there, I would not be surprised if we offer different voyages from Baltimore. I have no specific details to tell you about just yet but I promise as soon as do, I will let you all know.
Best wishes,
JohnDocF Asked:
John, please replyI know you agree with me that Jaime is a very special person. That is probably why idiotic people like she encountered the other day upset her so much. When we met her on the Carnival Splendor transatlantic cruise, Dear Wife and I both found a special friend and we think of her that way to this day. Please remind her that almost everyone she meets falls in love with her.
Thanks,
DocPS: Great work on the a1C!
John Says:
Hello DocF:She is, indeed, and I know that sometimes it is easy as a cruise director to remember the one person who shouts and screams and not the many more that laugh and smile. I will make sure she sees your words of encouragement.
Best wishes to all,
Johnjeanie rockwell Asked:
HI JOHN,JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I LOVE YOUR BLOG AND FIND IT VERY ENTERTAINING. I AM A HUGE FAN OF CARNIVAL AND HAVE NEVER SAILED WITH ANOTHER COMPANY. I GET TO SEE MY BROTHER ONCE A YEAR AND WE ALWAYS TAKE A CARNIVAL CRUISE. THIS YEAR WE ARE CELEBRATING MY 50TH AND HIS 55TH BIRTHDAY ON THE CARNIVAL DREAM. WITH THE ECONOMY TRYING TO MESS UP OUR PLANS, WE HAVE BEEN REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS TRIP. SINCE I REALLY CAN’T AFFORD TO GET MY BROTHER A BIG GIFT, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD MAYBE JUST SEND HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH. I’M SURE HE WOULD LOVE A BIRTHDAY WISH COMMING FROM AN IMPORTANT MAN LIKE YOU. WE ARE SAILING ON THE DREAM, APRIL 10TH CABIN #2207.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
EUGENIA ROCKWELL
I HOPE YOU GET THIS IN TIME.
John Says:
Hello Jeanie Rockwell:Thanks for letting me know that you are sailing on your Carnival Dream soon and I will ask James and Katie from the entertainment staff to send your brother a birthday wish.
Thanks for the kind words and I hope you both have a brilliant time.
Best wishes,
John
That’s all for today, there will be more tomorrow.
Just a quick follow up on the subject of cruising to Nova Scotia and the best excursions there. I asked Robert our director of excursions in Miami to list his top recommendations and here they are.
Saint John, NB
Hopewell Rocks Tidal Discovery
St. Andrews by the Sea & the Fairmont Algonquin
Bay of Fundy Coastal Photography
Bay of Fundy Lobster Cookout
Halifax
Taste of Nova Scotia Historical Harbor Cruise
The Essential Halifax Tour
Valley & Vineyard Tour
Peggy’s Cove and Titanic
Full descriptions of these excursions can be found at carnival.com
By the time you have read this, I will have completed a one-hour live travel agent Q and A on behalf of Travel Weekly. It will be live so I have to be careful what I say, of course. If you would like to have a listen, here is the link thingy.
http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid211942.aspx?terms=*john+heald*
As I mentioned last Wednesday, the Carnival Victory was the third Carnival ship this year to achieve the perfect score of 100 during their United States Public Health inspection. Here is a photo not only of the management involved but every single crew member whose hard work and constant dedication achieved the perfect score.
Many congratulations again to the Carnival Victory team.
So here I sit at 7:20 a.m. in my underpants with a Morning Show, my Travel Weekly thingy, a Marriage Show and two past-guest parties.
Time to say thank you. And I start with this couple here.
This is Carolyn and Don who have cruised seven times with me including all the Bloggers cruises and came especially to see me a few weeks ago on their Carnival Dream and are back here to do the same on the Carnival Conquest. They are a wonderful couple and brought with them my usual gift of sugar free chocolate but also a very special gift for the ship. They drove down with a suitcase full of 60 books which they have donated to the Carnival Conquest library. How wonderful of them to do this and on behalf of the ship and the guests who will in future days enjoy them………….thank you.
Time also to say thank you to the Texas Business Development Manager for Carnival Cruise Lines, Laurie Mason, and her team of Shannon, Karen, Alicia and another Shannon……….apparently, Shannon is a very popular name in Texas. Anyway, they wanted to welcome me to Texas and did so by buying me a T-shirt with the Texan flag on it and……………..something very special indeed…………….my very own cowboy hat.
I love it and I came across all Dallas and found myself singing the theme song to one of my favourite programs of all time and putting on that Stetson which has made me want to become ………..an oil man………..not a cowboy……………..but JR Heald and name our house Southfork…………..I can see it now.
Heidi Ellen Heald………….I’m a bit chilly, JR. Are you sure we can’t eat inside?
JR Heald……… Darn it, Sue Ellen. This is the most sunshine we’ve seen in England for more than 20 years and we’re going to have a barbecue.
Heidi Ellen Heald……….. It’s December, I’m going inside to fetch a light cardigan.
JR Heald………….. Don’t you cross me now, Heidi Ellen Heald. I swear that if I see you in a light cardigan ah’m a gonna kill you.
There is a knock at the door and enter Cliff Barnes.
Barnes:……………JR Heald, you bastard. Your oil field has been drilled in an area that is disturbing the leser spotted greybacked mole and I have reported you to the environmental people with beards. Y’all have gone too far this time and I am going to put Heald Oil out of business, if it’s the last thing we do.
Cue Dramatic Music
Tune in to the next blog to see if Heald Oil survives or after coming out of the shower I realize……………it was just a dream.
Thanks again Laurie and team, I shall treasure the hat always.
Well, I got my first chance to promote our partnership with St. Jude Hospital yesterday by asking guests to take part in the Build-a-Bear activity. It lasts just 30 minutes and we sold 29 bears with the St. Jude costumes which makes me very happy indeed. It doesn’t sound like a lot but considering the language barrier I have this week and that the bears are not cheap, it was a good start and we raised a lot of money for the kids. The big promotion will be on Saturday when I try and get 500 people to wear the St. Jude T-shirt and wrist band. I will let you know what happens.
I met my first upset guest today and as nice as the Galveston guests are, this gentlemen was not. Here is his comment.
Guest: Mr———Ref: 830901524A
Cabin: 7367 Booking#: 87JH77 Added-Changed: 03/29/10 – 03/29/10C – 7367 – SHIRT DAMAGED BY BLEACH ON RAILING
Guest reported that he had placed his shirt over the railing by the mini golf place and that it had been stained because of the bleach there. Housekeeping reported that there was not bleach but the oil used to protect against the salt. Mr ____stated that his shirt cost $180 and was a designer label. GSA checked but there was no label in the shirt. Guest was very angry. Cruise Director assisted and suggested the laundry try and remove the stain.
This is not normally something I would get involved in, however, I happened to be standing in the lobby with the captain and senior officers waiting for the introductions we do in the lobby. I heard this young man raise his voice and noticed that he was shirtless………..on elegant night, not that is not appropriate, and so I went over to see if I could help and ask him to put his shirt on. That’s when he unleashed both barrels about how his shirt had cost $180 fu**ing dollars and that this fu**ing ship was responsible and he wanted a refund right now……….well you get the picture. I calmed him down. I told him that Ketut the laundry manager was a magic man when it came to stains and that we should let him try to work his wonders on his $180 shirt, which by now he was wearing again and yes………….it did have a huge brown stain on it.
Now, I have to admit that I had no idea who the laundry manager was but I needed something to calm him down and telling him that we had an Indonesian Stain Doctor called Ketut on board did the trick and as I write his shirt is in the laundry manager’s hands………..oh, his name is Wayan by the way…………..and I hope he is good with stains. I am confident as he did wonders with my underpants last week.
Seriously, though, it was our fault and although his anger and bad language was way over the top, I can understand his frustration and that’s why we will do what we can to resolve this. I will let you know tomorrow if the stain came out.
So we have the Swedish Cloggers, lots of people named Jose or Maria, 88 people with a truck fetish and, of course, spring breakers including a wild, but fun group from Texas Tech Red Rangers University. I know this because like the Ford F150 chaps the spring breakers were, as they boarded the ship on Sunday, wearing their school’s name proudly on their chests…………..and their chests are much more pleasant to look at than the truck chappies.
Anyway, while on your Carnival Dream, spring break was a little more subdued, here on the Carnival Conquest ………..it is not. Goodness me, these kids can drink. When I say kids I mean these 21 plus year olds……….not 8 year olds slamming back Woo Woo’s. What I mean are the college kids who despite government beardies telling them that alcohol rots your liver, makes you impotent, gives you stomach ulcers and turns your skin into something that looks like a lizard’s scrotum……….they are truly going for it.
I mean this group is really getting stuck in hosing back the cocktails until the room begins to swim and their bambiesque legs seem to be on backwards. As you can tell, the group I am referring to is all, ummmm……….girls………..ummm………ladies………………….and wow, they are all jaw droppingly beautiful. If Tiger Woods was here, he would think it was a buffet. Last night after the show, I was abducted by a group of “very happy” Texas Tech girls who wanted a photo with me. And as nice as it was to be surrounded by ravishing beauty, I was quite light headed afterwards due to the amount of alcohol that was oozing through every pore of their bodies……………..and by the way much of their bodies were on display to the rest of the ship, it would have made a good dog break its leash.
As I have bored you with before, it has been many years since I have had any alcohol and as I am a cruise director and not a spring breaker, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson or in public relations, I haven’t had a good old binge drink in many years. And when I did, and just like the girls from Texas Tech, I did so with others, it was a group activity. Normal pain, such as a toothache or a fiery hot hemorrhoid, is a lonely and solitary pursuit, but a group hangover is a problem shared. Like when you land with 300 other passengers in Paris after a long flight and have to face the rudeness that lives there……… everyone’s in it together.
I met one young lady called Amber (she was never ever going to be called Jane or Susan) a 21- year-old who told me how much she and her friends had laughed at the Welcome Aboard show which they had watched on TV. Now remember, we met at 7:45 p.m. and she was already very, very happy. If she had been asked to give blood it would have had ice and lemon in it. I mentioned that she and the rest of the Red Rangers were already very happy. She said they had been drinking beer and mojitos throughout the afternoon and they were ready for martinis.
Normally I would rather do time in a Turkish prison than spend time with someone who is absolutely drunk or as we say in the UK ” totally wankered ” but these girls…………were charming……………drunk………..but charming.
I think it was their charm, their smile and their Southern-style manners that, despite the fact that they could hardly talk, really endeared me to them.
Or, it could have been their breasts.
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.
John:
I am one 55 year old lady that has driven a pick up truck most of my life. Oddly enough, I prefer a good size truck to any sedan.
DJ is currently searching for “his truck”. (even though he will never drive) We are going to buy him a good ole used pick up truck 4×4, just so that we can drive him around in it. It will be as “rednecked” as humanly possible but it probably won’t be a Ford F150…DJ is a Chevy guy!
Btw, you can tell Wayan to use whatever gets “poop” out of a shirt to remove that “brown stain”, because that guy is clearly full of crap !
Hope you reach your St Jude goal….
and tell Carolyn and Don GREAT picture. I know they are having a wonderful time.
Linda (Mom of your friend~ a true redneck pick up truck driving Southern boy~DJ)
Greetings from Lubbock, Texas home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders!! If these young, but drunk, ladies are real West Texans they should have big hair. You made no mention of the big hair. Go ahead John, take a look at the hair.
Handsome Cowboy there John, or should I say JR? All you needed was a cigar to complete the outfit! Sounds like you are becoming a real Texan! Howdy Partner! You should have signs put on the inside of all bathroom doors to WASH HANDS FIRST BEFORE EXITING! That’s how Norovirus is spread! Shame on that man! Hope the man with the $180 shirt got a clean shirt back! You could always give him your “LOVE BOAT” T shirt that Frank & Bridie gave you to make up for it! HA! HA! Well, I hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of Sugar Free Jelly Belly Jelly Beans! Post more pictures of Kye soon, maybe one with the Easter Bunny. Your Hippidy Hoppidy Friends, Linda & Mike
Great blog and a good laugh today. Hope the laundry was able to get the stain out.
Great picture of Carolyn and Don.
Oops..great picture of your cowboy hat and I love the JR Ewing story with Heidi Ellen.
Woo Hoo, John, You do look like you could very well be an executive for BP in texas in those photos. Sounds like your having some fun there on-board. I’m sure if heidi were there she would have taken care of those college ladies real quick !!!
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
John, The FORD F150 is the top selling truck.
FORD F-SERIES DOES IT AGAIN: BEST-SELLING TRUCK FOR 33 STRAIGHT YEARS; BEST-SELLING VEHICLE FOR 28 YEARS
* Ford’s F-Series is America’s best-selling truck for 33 straight years, outselling its nearest rival by 97,000 units, largest margin in three years
* December sales for F-Series were 48,209, a 16 percent increase over last year and the best sales month since March 2008
Dearborn, Mich., Jan. 6, 2010 – For the 33rd year in a row, Ford’s award-winning F-Series is America’s best-selling truck with 2009 sales of 413,625. F-series outsold its nearest truck rival by more than 97,000 units, the largest margin in three years.
In addition, for the 28th consecutive year, F-Series is once again America’s best-selling vehicle of any type – car, crossover, SUV, truck or van.
F-Series sales for 2009 totaled 413,625, which increased its segment share by 4 percentage-points. December sales for F-Series were 48,209, a 16 percent increase over December 2009 and the best sales month since March 2008.
John, my friend… you need lessons on how to properly wear a cowboy hat. It tilts back, not forward unless you’re lookin’ for a fight.
I have to agree… there’s not a thing in the world more delightful looking than Texas college girls… expect maybe Stitch. (Think I scored points with that one…)
Congratulations to the entire team of the Carnival Victory! They certainly look proud… deservedly so. Bravo!
All the best to Heidi and Kye!!
By the way… do you have a copy of that picture with the Red Raiders??
Ciao!!
Host Mach
Yes John those girls should have big hair look up and away from those boobs and you will see!!! Welcome to Texas, you will however have to stay here a long time before you become a TEXAN!!!! Happy Easter,
John, you look quite handsome in that cowboy hat, wear it often on the Conquest!
The charming Texas Tech ladies!! LOL I have seen some of those around, and they do indeed know how to have fun!
See how nice us Southerners are?? You should come visit more often!
Di
ATTENTION ALL BLOGGERS
I just posted a new poll on my blog. You can vote for which picture of John you like best. Is it his Don John Heald or his J R Heald picture.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/vote-for-your-favorite-john-heald/
BIG ED
Mr. Heald…………………..aka J. R. Heald.
Looking good buddy. The hat is a great addition.
Dare you to wear it on stage.
All the best from the land of springtime weather. Canada.
B&D
It was a spring break cruise with my Texas Tech Red Raider daughter and her 2 roommates and their moms that got me hooked on cruising. I plan on taking my ninth soon and making platinum by the end of the year. Go Tech!!!
Dear John,
Well, I must say that 10 gallon cowboy hat is very debonair on you!! You most definitely give Big Tex something to fear!
Enjoy your time on the Carnival Conquest because you are getting a good taste of the American South (by way of TEXAS!)
Laura
Good evening Tex, oops John. I love your new cowboy hay. I have one that my father brought me back when he was in Houston quite awhile back. He also brought back a pair of cowboy boots that I couldn’t wear because the heels were so high.
I think you should have put that young man in his cabin until he realized his immature attitude and his dirty mouth.
It’s amazing how these young adults can drink but that also scares me because they have no idea alcohol poisoning can kill them or get the girls pregnant after a night a high drinking.
I’m glad that you are enjoying yourself on the Carnival Conquest. Have a great time my friend.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Dear John,
For the UK you will also need the best selling accesory to the F-150 truck. You can definitely find this at any truck dealer in Texas. It is called a gun rack. It is amazing how having one of these bad boys fully stocked with a 12 gauge shotgun in the rear window of the truck will keep passers by from helping themselves.
The Steson looks great JR.
Yes indeedy the girls of Texas are a gift to men who love girl-watching everywhere. OMG!
I have never noticed this however since I married the beautiful Nancy.
The Cruzin2some
John, regarding the above daring you to mention the hair. A famous former Govenor of Texas Ann Richards once said…..We have big hair to make up for the big arse!
Hi John,
Have you tried “Mug Diet Cream Soda”, yet? It’s my favorite drink of choice. I even prefer the diet over regular Mug Cream Soda. My Dad even keeps his refrigerator stocked with it just for my visits. LOL If you haven’t tried it be sure too. I think you will like it. It’s almost as good as RS SF Jelly Beans! LOL
Love the cowboy hat… Does this mean we have to call you “Bigger Tex”?
My love to Heidi and Kye!
John, you look so dashing in your stripped suit and cowboy hat. Heidi had better watch out. All you need now is a pair of cowboy boots and a pick-up truck.
Take care
Love
Cruising Grandma
Carol-Ann
John, Please reply if you wish
Just got off the Carnival Glory on 3/21-3/28. I know you appreciate comments and I thought I’d share a few – mostly good.
James the cruise director was a delight. Very personable. Nice sense of humor that wasn’t “over the top” but quite funny at the right times.
Fantastic meal at the steakhouse! The comedy club was great. Saw all 4 comediennes (enjoyed 3 out of the 4).
Our wait staff Rody and Lucie were extraordinary. Not only did we get great service but every night they gave us a rundown on the next day’s timing for all meals. They never failed to ask about our day and if someone from our table didn’t show up, they asked if everything was ok. They were wonderful!
All employees were pleasant and everyone spoke. You didn’t walk down a hall or get in an elevator without someone saying hello or good morning.
So much more good stuff. It was a fantastic cruise.
Only a few issues I’d like to comment on.
Our room was cleaned every day. However, we seldom saw the room steward. When we did see him he did say good morning. He never called us by name (which I had come to expect). And the most disappointing thing about our room was the towel animals we had come to expect. We went two days before we got an animal. And then we got them about every other day. Sometimes he’d just take the animal from the previous night and put it back on the bed. A silly complaint I know.
I thought the muster drill was chaotic. When we cruised last fall everyone had to take their life jacket to the lounge. I loved the idea of not having to drag my life jacket. However, this time we all lined up in the hall by the lifeboats, 4 people deep. You couldn’t see the person demonstrating. The FunTimes said the drill would be at 3:15. Wanted to make sure we were there and had time to take an elevator because of some mobility issues. The drill started late and wasn’t over til 4:15. People kept coming and as the drill was finishing people were still walking by.
And finally…..one thing I thought was odd. We had so much free food on the ship, free entertainment. But yet there’s a $1.50 charge for popcorn. Just thought that was odd.
Looking forward to another wonderful cruise sometime in the future!
Lisa
John: Just getting back on the internet since last June , I was just checking the listing of the cruise directors and saw your name on the Fantasy for June, 2010, My husband, Bill, passed away last June and my children convinced me to cruise on June 11th out of Charleston on the Fantasy. The list said that you were off on June 5th. Please don’t tell me I’m going to miss you again. I hope not. Bill and I were fans of yours for many years.
How’s Heidi and your lovely daughter? I remember when she was born.
take care and let me know if we will have you again.
Terry Dunning
Hi All,
I have a question if anyone could help me out. I have been reading this blog for only about a month. If you want to send John a msg and want him to respond, how do you leave it on this site. Is the reply section (the one I am on now ) how you contact him, or is there another way we are supposed to ask him questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Theresa
Theresa
You leave the message/question right here but you put on the top,
JOHN PLEASE REPLY
Then one of the Stephanie’s will send it to John. You wont see it here again till John answers it in the Q & A.
BIG ED
Theresa:
You just did. It really is that easy !!
Post your comment to John exactly where you posted this only start it by saying ” John, PLEASE REPLY” or
if it is something private … simply note that as well.
Please understand though that John stays about 3 to 4 weeks behind in his replys to direct questions or request, because he get so many….so it may take awhile to get a response.
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Theresa,
WELCOME to the BLOG!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Hi All,
Thank you so much for the welcome and all the great help you have provided. I really appreciate it.
Thanks again,
Theresa
John:
This is one of the best posts I’ve read!! You are hilarious and I can’t wait to be on the Conquest. I hope there’s time to read each day’s post.
We’ve owned a couple Ford trucks but now prefer Carnival ships and our motorhome as favorite modes of travel.
See you on the 25th of April.
Hi John,
That hat looks good on you…You should have had a cigar in your hand to make the picture perfect!!
I use to live in Houston and trucks rule the roads..Trucks have been sneaking across the Mississippi river invading the east coast and they are becoming more and more popular, especially as a second vehicle and in the more rural areas.
Dallas has to be the ultimate TV show, at least for me and I can’t wait to read more about JR Heald and Hedi Ellen.
When you are on the Pride in September, will Jamie be on the ship with you? The blogger who said that when you meet Jamie you fall in love with her is correct. She is so warm and caring, When you meet her you think you have met a friend for life…she is a gem that shines bright for Carnival. I know my parents would love to see her again…I can’t believe they are going to be married 61 years this year…So where else to celebrate but on a Carnival Ship!!
The latest pictures of Kye are priceless..She is growing up to fast…
All my best to you, Heidi and Kye,
Deborah (Debs)
HI JOHN-PLEASE PLEASE REPLY!!!!
After Princess cancelled the Mexican Riveria cruise that we were supposed to have our wedding on, I have been anxiously waiting for months now for Carnival to release the dates for the Mexican Baja short cruises(4 & 5 days) for May 2011. Both my friend Nikole and I are planning cruise weddings in May 2011 aboard one of Carnival’s cruises. Initially we were each going to do the Carnival Elation 5 day cruise to Cabo and we were both so excited that our weddings were going to be awesome. I am sure you can imagine the complete disappointement that we both had when we heard the announcement that the Cabo itinerary was not going to continue into 2011 and that the Carnival Elation was moving out of the West coast port.
Right now we are both so stressed over whether there will be any cruises at all to pick from or should we forget the whole cruise idea and start to look for an alternative wedding venue? This is really not something that either of us wants to do…we kind of have our hearts set on the cruise wedding as well as all of our guests!
I know you can’t reveal top secret Carnival itineraries until the bearded ones give you the go ahead but could you at least tell me whether I have any hope or am I wasting my time hoping for something that is NOT going to happen. Will there be ANY 4 or 5 day cruises at all during May 2011 leaving out of Long Beach? Not really picky about where it goes or which Carnival ship….would be ecstastic if Cabo is added back in but will just be happy to be on any cruise and getting married!
I have been reading your blog thingy every day to try and find some hints written between the lines but the waiting and anticipation is killing me! Can you let me know something?
More than eagerly anticipating your reply!
BarbaraKing
Hi John,
Love the hat!
Clair
JR you are just TOOOO SEXY FOR YOUR ……..
Thanks for a great blog today. I hope the stain is out of the shirt.
Happy Easter to you, Heidi and Kye.
Hi John….my goodness you have an interesting mix of folks this week!
Wear that hat proudly! They really respect you to have
given you one! No one in Texas gives a cowboy hat
to just anyone and never EVER touch someone elses
cowboy hat without permission!
Have a wonderful day.
Hugs to Heidi and Kye
BELC
Maribeth Kring
John, I loved seeing the picture of Carolyn and Don. Nice to put faces with the names of people whose blog comments I read all the time! And good news that Ken will be on the Carnival Legend in September: Gary and I will be right there with him, for our 33rd anniversary. But first: the Carnival Inspiration in May, to relax after two college graduations and a wedding in six months. Whoo hoo! Janet
I can’t even imagine living in a place that didn’t have pick-up trucks, let alone, not have one myself.
John, you would probably make a pretty good Texan, as long as you don’t talk. The accent would be a dead give away. The hat looks good on you. Big Tex would be proud….
Dear John, PLEASE REPLY
Grrrr….I’m so mad! We had some new neighbors move into the area last summer. They’ve been wonderful and fun people but we just haven’t had the chance to spend much time together due to our schedules. Well, Mark, Pam, Laura and I got together last night for a little while.
The time i spent with you on Sunday came up in the conversation and we all decided that we are going to
try to find a way to all go on a cruise together!
One problem……they prefer…..emmm…ahhh….that other line…you know, the one my daughter, Laura got in trouble for saying on Sunday. lol
They say they won’t go on Carnival because it’s “just a party boat with too many kids”!!! I asked them when the last time they went on Carnival was and they said…..(yep, you see this coming right?) …..NEVER! Will this bad rep EVER end???
I now have a mission in life….I WILL convert Mark & Pam. I am determined and, like the Borg, resistance is futile!
Any facts and figures you might have access to about the general demographics of Carnival’s ships, especially out of Galveston would be a huge help in my mission.
Thanks a bunch.
Maribeth Kring
BELC
John,
Love the hat! Remember to lay it brim up for luck and never let it touch your bed-that’s bad luck.
Get a truck and become a redneck. It’s fun!
Now I’ll sign off as anY self respecting southerner would…
SEE YA LATER AND TELL YOUR MOMMA WE SAID “HEY”!
URSULA
john
we were on the december 4 “dream” cruise . we were delighted with most everything, beside attending the bloggers gig. what was really great the singing matre de, ken byrne, not only was he great, but apparently his team added the extra with their song, etc. since we live in the tampa area and saw a great deal for seniors, we signed on for the april 18 trip .looking forward to great entertainment in the dining room.
tally ho and all that other crap
dms
I loved this blog! My favorite show was Dallas and we have 3 Ford trucks in the driveway. Hello from Oklahoma!
John, please reply
I am sailing on the Carnival Legend this October. It will be my 4th cruise with Carnival. When will the details about Halloween celebrations be out? I already have my costume and I am looking forward to it! But since we are arriving back in Tampa on Halloween, I want to make sure that Carnival will be celebrating Halloween on the prior cruises, in addition to trying to determine what night it would celebrated. I know that you are going to publish the updated CD schedule soon and I’m anxious for that as well.
Also, I just want to congratulate all the staff that we’ve met on our Carnival cruises. From waiters to room stewards and photographers to entertainment staff, they have all been friendly, helpful, outgoing and truly concerned that we were having a good experience. I love the ships and the activities but the crew is what really keeps me coming back. Our favorite by far was our waiter on the Inspiration in Jan. ’06. His name was Catalin but he went by Bobby and I believe he was from Romania. We ran into him again on the Legend in Oct. ’07, but I have no idea if he is still with Carnival. He absolutely made my grandma’s cruise and she still talks about him to this day.
Btw, my brother and his girlfriend (thier first cruise) sailed with you when you were on the Legend last October and they had a wonderful cruise. As you can see, we tell everyone that we know how much we enjoy our cruises!
John we listend to you on TW’s site yesterday.. You did a great job of promoting the one and only Cruise line in the world (in your mind) it was very good to listen to you. Thanks for answer the question about your cigar cutter.
Have a geat summer of cruising.
Tim and Diane
Tim and Diane:
I am interested in :listening: to John as well…but I am not getting to where I need to be following his link.
It goes straight to “make a comment”….
any suggestions…
thanks
Linda (Mom of DJ)
I’m another woman (over 55) who drives a 4×4 pick up truck – I like sitting high up in the air so I can see better and where I live with an average of 160 inches (yep, that’s the correct number) of snow a year, it’s a necessity. Great picture of Carolyn & Don and the one of Kye the other day. I vote for your “J D” picture for your blog picture …. a much better looking picture of you. Hoping you can keep the sunshine coming in the Eastern Caribbean as we leave 4/24 on Carnival Freedom – our first cruise.
Hey Linda,
My best friend is a YOOPER!
He and his family live in Escanaba.
Have fun on the Freedom…………I have to wait until next Feb. on the MIRACLE for my next fix with Carnival.
all the best from Canada
B
My nephew lives in the U.P. and I go through Escanaba everytime I go see him. Love it up there. I’m a Wisconsinite (Packer Country).
Happy Cruising Everyone! Wish I had a cruise in the works. Hopefully next year.
John, love the cowboy hat!!! Keep wearing it.
Carolyn
Dear John (please respond when you can)
I promised myself I would never do this BUT……dear Sis and I are sailing with you and “slightly handsome Craig” onboard Carnival Fantasy, May 8th from Mobile…..I’m calling it John’s UNOFFICIAL Mini-Blogger’s Thingy…..and there will be some other people you also know…..we’re excited about being with you and your personal assistant once again…..and wondering if you could help us….here comes the part I promised I wouldn’t do…..secure a table for 2? We are confirmed for 8:15pm and don’t care which dining room (big of us huh?). This will be our first time on a Fantasy class ship and the “word” is that there are very few tables for two.
I am usually able to secure a two top by speaking with the Maitre D’ onboard but this could speed things up. Thanks ever so much John for whatever you, the WORLD’S GREATEST CD”, can do for us
Linda CATLEDGE Cabin U74 “GS” = El Grande
Steven OWEN Cabin U167 “1A” = El Cheapo
Our bookings are cross referenced of course.
Hey, we booked with Jorge Solano’s daughter Vanessa, she’s a peach! Isn’t Jorge the CD that has stolen most all of “your material”? …..haven’t they all?
I feel so sorry for Craig having to “do” your personal laundry each and every evening…. but that is part of being your assistant. Do you want us to bring you a case of nice, new underpants on May 8th? We’d be happy to do that for YOU…..and I’m pretty SURE Craig would be happy too!
Be seeing you guys on May 8th,
Your OLD friend (and now “asker-of-favors”)
Steve O
Hi John!
I love the fact that you are wearing the cowboy hat. I hope to one day see a picture of you in England wearing it as well.
Thanks for your little Dallas lingo too. Just like old times.
Glad you’re having a nice time with all the spring break folks and enjoying the “scenery”.
Have a good day and take care!
David
Hi John,
Love the cowboy hat, it suits you well.
I hope the stain comes out of the man’s shirt. I am doubtful that it is a $180 shirt though.
That was so nice of Don and Carolyn to donate all those books and to put faces to the names.
We own a pick up truck except it is a Chevy Silverado. We just traded our 2007 Toyota Tundra in for it, wouldn’t have happened if they weren’t having problems with them. We bought the trucks to tow our camper with. Only downfall is my husband drives a company vehicle to work daily so the truck hardly gets any use.
Can’t wait to hear what happens with J.R. Heald. LOL
Happy Easter to you and all the bloggers.
Our best to you, Heidi and Kye.
Wagner Family
John, please reply.
I started to send a message to you on Monday but I was so tired after my trip to London to the Cruise Show, losing sleep time with the clock change & a major restructure on return to work that I nearly dozed off at the keyboard.
Many thanks for the Bloggers t-shirt & mousepad which has provided me with double vision when visiting your site – the pursed lip versus the slick mousepad profile image.
John, I was delighted to touch base with several of the Carnival UK staff at Olympia & was impressed with the clever presentation of Carnival’s version of Loose Women. When I told my team at work (mainly guys) that Linda Lusardi was one of the LW panel they were spitting blood because they only ever travel to London for purely business purposes.
Following the presentation, I spoke to your UK MD Lynn & during our conversation she asked me if I was Grizel (you cannot hide the Scottish twang). She has given me her business card with mobile telephone number & e mail address & I shall be contacting her soon to express my delight that the UK website & access for Carnival has progressed by leaps & bounds recently. I also met the Marketing Director & one of her managers who performed an interesting presentation on C Dream. Like me, they wished that you had been prsent to chip in your humorous asides. You surely would have added an extra dimension to the proceedings.
Like you John, I love Jamaica. Ocho Rios is one of my favourite stops. On my first visit, some 17 years ago, I felt a wee bit intimidated by the culture etc. However, since then I have been there several times & enjoyed various trips to Dunn Rivers Falls, Cool Runnings, Jamaican Farewell etc. & I can wholly embrace the spirit of the native population & fantastic reggae & calypso music. Where would GB be in athetics if it were not for sports people like Linford Christie or the wider world with the Jamaican Bobsleigh team?
You suggested that I let you know in early April about my BtoB on Victory in May 2010. OK, I know that it is 31 March, but I want to avoid Huntigowk (April Fool’s Day). I shall be setting sail on C Victory on 16 May for my 14 day fun outing. My cabin number is 9210 & I shall be on my balcony every morning on entry to ports & on evenings when we depart to watch the efficiency of the Captain & his crew as they guide us out to open waters to head for our next exotic port of call.
I do hope that I can meet Heidi & Kye sometime as they are clearly a big influence in your life. I am sorry that you missed the opportunity to meet up with them recently. Keep that pursed lip curled to perfection.
With regards, Grizel Robertson
Hi John:
Still laughing away although I’m on vacation (who wants to work on their birthday) this week so I can take my time to read your blog without patrons asking me questions. Still I can’t wait to the Carnival Dream…going alone without any friend to hit me up for money.
If you are looking for a diet cream to drink might I suggest a brand called Dr. Brown’s. It’s a great way to quench the thirst. And if you are willing to try, give their diet black cherry a shot.
Rachel
Hey Canuck Cruiser – I live about 40 miles from Esky.
Take care.
Hey, are you dogging pickup truck owners?
I had to laugh… we own 2 pickup trucks… one is a late model Toyota Tundra, the other is a 1987 Ford F250 and they do in fact “kick ass”!
However, what made me laugh is that my Husband is indeed a Microsoft Certified Engineer and Trainer! Last time I checked though he was definitely NOT the President of Carnival Cruise Lines, or I would be cruising this week instead of hauling mulch in the back of my very large and powerful pickup truck to do my spring landscaping.
See here in the heart of the midwest, our yards are generally larger than a 5×5 foot square, unlike the UK, and our gardens are actual gardens that produce real vegetables, they are not tiny little microscopic patches of land in the back of someone’s flat that have a hibiscus bush planted on them. Some of us even have farms and we use our pickup trucks to haul hay or straw and grain out to the livestock… Where do you think all that beef and pork you guys are serving on that ship comes from? I challenge you to try and move a round bale of hay with a Skoda and see how that works out for you.
Have a great day!
Hi John,
I have cruised 19 times now….12 with Carnival, 2 HAL, 2 Disney, 2 Royal, and one Celebrity. My in-laws are convinced Royal Caribbean is the only way to go and stick their noses up at Carnival. I finally got them on the Paradise a while back, and they didn’t care for it. I finally have them going the Conquest on May 2, but they aren’t excited as they would be with Royal. What can I do to convince them that Carnival is the better way to go?
Hi I believe the DC’s have done great work this season and I can’t wait for 2010 season.