Even though seasons 6 and 7 were crap, I felt a huge loss when the West Wing finished and President Bartlett, Josh, C.J., Toby, Charlie, Donna and Leo left my TV screens forever. Then I lost Tony. There would be no more whacking and no more fantastic shots of Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie Walnuts lost in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Tony and I both loved cigars and then……………he too was gone. Yes, I dabbled with The Wire and The Unit and Entourage but when The West Wing and The Sopranos had finished there was only one man I felt an allegiances to………..and that man ………….was a man whose bladder never needed emptying……………………Mr. Jack Bauer.
Yet today I awoke and read that he too is buggering off and that we will never again hear those famous words “Dammit, Chloe — we’re running out of time!” Yep, it was those words that meant one of two things were about to happen.
1. Terrorists were about to detonate a smuggled nuclear/biological device in downtown Los Angeles.
2. It meant that CTU agent Jack “I never need a pee or a poo in 24 hours” Bauer will have no choice but to torture someone to extract the information as to where the nuclear/biological thingy was.
But time has now run out on Jack and Chloe as Uncle Google told me that Fox have canceled the show because of falling ratings.
Amazing isn’t it that Jack Bauer has survived multiple gunshot wounds, having his testicles electrocuted by the Chinese, heroin addiction, the detonation of nuclear bombs, infection of a deadly virus and, of course, his own death. In the end, however, falling ratings and that the fact that people seem to prefer to watch cooking shows or America’s Next Top Bitch……….sorry……….Model …….was his undoing. Not even Chloe …………. Bauer’s very own Stephanie……….. Could save him.
I shall miss Jack Bauer as his horse whisper demands “Chloe, can you download the schematics of the building to my PDA and set up a perimeter?”
I do have one major criticism with the show and that’s in season 1 and 2 the bad guys had names like Abdul and Mustafa and seemed a true reaction to what was happening in the real world. Then suddenly, many of the villains were English or American ………………. with a few Russians thrown in for good measure. Regardless, most of them found themselves bound and gagged and at the wrong end of one of Jack Bauer’s cattle prods. The article I read this morning on the BBC web site said that former Vice President Dick Cheney was a huge fan of the show and of the Jack Bauer was his favourite TV character. I guess they both had a lot in common because both were fighting the war on terror ……………………………. and both are experts with a gun!
Well, today is April 1 and I couldn’t resist a few pranks. The first was for the guests who at 8:30am this morning I informed over the PA system that today in Grand Cayman the tender drivers had gone on strike and only those guests who could swim could be able to go ashore.
But the best was reserved for my assistant Craig. This morning at 7 am as we arrived into Grand Cayman I had the hotel director and chief security call him to come to the captain’s cabin. There, Captain Sammartano told him that I been discovered at 3 am in a guest cabin, smoking marijuana and ummmm…….having rumpy pumpy with a bunch of college girls and that I had been fired and would be leaving today in Grand Cayman. The office had been informed and Craig would be taking over as cruise director.
I was hiding in the bedroom of the captain’s cabin and expected my assistant who knows me pretty well to stand there, mouth wide open and proclaim “What? I don’t believe it. John, he would never do anything like this, I am stunned, I can’t take this all in.”
Not quite…….he nodded his head and from the bedroom I heard him say:
“I will need the password to his computer and when should I tell the staff.”
Bastard!
Time for today’s questions…………………away we go,
Juan & Maria Santana Asked:
John, please reply…Hi, John! After reading the 1st paragraph of your blog today where you state all of your aches/pains, and old age related problems, we reached a conclusion: It’s time for you to move to a Princess Cruise! As we wrote you a few days ago, we just returned from a 2-wk. Grand Princess Cruise…. well, let me tell you something: on each of the visited ports there was a line of ambulances waiting for passengers to be taken to hospital! The ship looked like a hospice for the elderly…. some were already dead and they didn’t even know it! There were passengers on wheelchairs/electric scooters, using canes, walkers, etc., and they were running around the ship holding ice cream cones and cookies! Instead of so many fancy boutiques onboard, they should have a well-stocked coffin boutique onboard… and you could be the Undertaker and Cruise Director at the same time!
Sorry for the irreverent humor we are displaying, but remember that we have learned from you to be irreverent! Please don’t get mad at us…. get even!
Bon Voyage Home/best wishes to Heidi & Kye and to you please take it easy and take good care of yourself.
Warmest regards,
The Santanas of Miami BeachJohn Says:
Hello Juan and MariaI could never get mad at you and thanks for the humorous posting. I have been on a few voyages where the average age has been quite old. I remember the trans-Atlantic crossing of the Carnival Legend where we had two guests pass away and a few who were taken ill. It’s good though that older people have a vacation experience as well and with cruising they know that they will receive brilliant service and that there is 24-hour professional medical treatment whenever they may need it.
Thanks for the kind words and hope we get to sail together soon.
Best wishes to you both
JohnShari Asked:
Dear John (please reply only if time permits),Let the blog thingy remain the delightful concoction that it is! (And the poll concurs!) Your words from the ship are like letters from home.
Having seen others bravely do this, I’d like to join the “Oh please, oh please, a romantic table for two, please?” club. (No gold cards or swanky satin jackets necessary; just a table where my husband Mike and I can be one of those disgustingly dorky hand-holding nothing-murmuring couples. It’s a public service to isolate us, truly it is.)
We just booked our third cruise (ever, and also the third in the past ten months – someone is doing something right), this time on Spirit’s 3/27 sailing. Right now we’re waitlisted for Your Time dining, which we *loved* aboard Elation, but a table for two is our real goal. Not just for making moon eyes over the soup, I admit, but because the thought of spending each dinner in forced conversations with strangers will send us two private folk straight to the buffet for eight nights. (And sure, the buffet is fine, but ohhh la la, the dining room!)
Thanks for any help, and keep thingying!
ShariJohn Says:
Hello ShariI am very glad you are enjoying the blog thingy and I doubt I will be changing it too much over the next few months. I know that right now you are on the Carnival Spirit and I did ask the Maitre D to see if could help with your table request. I hope you are having a great time and let me know how the cruise went when you get home.
Best wishes to you both
JohnTom & Jane Asked:
Please ReplyHi john
Can we get a change in Tampa?
The Legend & Inspiration both go to the Western
Caribbean,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,boringgggggggggggggggg
We sailed them both a total of 12 times!
And we are “SICK OF THEM”!!!!!!!
Hope the boss at Carnival “”””READS THIS E-MAIL
Please slip in an EASTERN CARIBBEAN sailing
Some time,,,,
we heard it too far to go EASTERN” bull hockey”
NEW ORLEANS DOES
GALVESTON DOES
Maybe I will send the big shots a map,,,,,,,,.
Tampa IS CLOSER THAN BOTH OF THEM,,,,,,,
SO COME ON ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
rotate -east & west E.O.W.
OCHO RIOS — NICE
MONTEGO BAY — SWEET
GRAND TURK –LOVELY
HALF MOON CAY — FUN
KEY WEST ,,,,HELL- WE- SAIL -RITE- BY- IT
JOHN,,,,,,,,,,,, help us we need a change!
Call Carnival and shout at them ,,,,,,,,ok
Loyal Concierge Club Members,,,,,,,,,,,,
& Milestone Rewards Members,,,,,,,,,,,
Tom & Jane
Your Tampa & Orlando Airport Greeters!John Says:
Hello Tom and JaneFirst of all let me say again how grateful I am to you for meeting Heidi at the airport. It was an unexpected surprise for her and she appreciated it so much. I know how passionate you are about Carnival as your posting clearly shows. I also know that the Carnival Legend is a very popular ships and that Tampa is a very popular home port. We recently added a Bahamian and Key West cruise for the Carnival Conquest out of Galveston and I know how much the regular cruisers appreciated that. So, I just wrote to Terry our Senior Vice president who is in charge of our ship deployment and he told me that he would seriously look into this and the pricing and operating costs for a new itinerary.
So, your passion has been noted and let’s see what happens.
Best wishes to you both
JohnThe Cruzin2some Asked:
Dear John PLEASE REPLY.Quick Question?
On the Gangway commercial, the Rose Colored Glass of the Spirit Class ships where the Steakhouse is located is in view on this TV Spot. Which Spirit Class ship is it that the commercial was shot on or near?
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy EnslowJohn Says:
Hello James & Nancy EnslowThe commercial you refer to was shot on the Carnival Pride while the ship was in Freeport, Bahamas.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes
JohnCynthia Asked:
Dear John, (Please reply)I know this is long. Maybe one of the Stephanies will edit as they see fit.
For the past several years I have read your blog without fail. Thank you. You, your time, your efforts and your humor are greatly appreciated.
Just over 8 years ago I lost my husband of over 16 years at the age of 40. As I felt I really wasn’t capable of traveling alone, I felt confined. Just over 5 years ago I discovered cruising and my confinement was over. Since then I have had 11 of the most wonderful escapes I could imagine, on 8 different ships, all with Carnival.
Each time I have found someone to go with me (mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, friend) and we have had so much fun and made so many happy memories. The best part of cruising, for me, is that there is something for everyone. I can confidently bring someone (anyone) and we can both have a great time.
Onboard I feel safe and I can do everything from play in the casino, see a show, sing in the Piano Bar or dance in the Disco. I am always without any worries, even if my travel companion just wants to read a book on the balcony. Whether onboard or ashore with a Carnival excursion I have never left alone. That means so very much to me! Thank you, Carnival!
A really big part of the fun and security I feel is more than just all Carnival has to offer; it is the quality people that Carnival employs and trains. From cabin stewards to entertainers and wait-staff, I have always found people that I can talk to and with whom I enjoy sharing time. Even if only for a week at a time, I have new best buds that are appreciated and make me feel that they are glad I’m there.
Well, I’ve done it again! I’ve booked number 12! Woohoo! This time I’ve got 3 others coming with me. Two have cruised with me before and (again) I’ve got someone who has never cruised before to excitedly introduce to Carnival. We sail 18 April on the Carnival Conquest. This will be my 3rd time on this ship.
For the past several years as I’ve read your blog I’ve considered you to be my friend. That has never truly felt quite honest as we’ve never met. I’ve booked this cruise to remedy that as you will be the Cruise Director. I am so very thrilled to meet my friend….you! I am hoping for more than just the opportunity to shake your hand in the reception line at the Captain’s Party. I know you are very busy and have many demands on your time….but I can still hope.
So, why am I writing? I want to do something for you. Something to repay you for all the smiles you have given me. I’d like to bring you something or do something for my friend. With constraints on your diet, efforts to avoid the cigars, and the necessity to be able to pack all your belongings to travel….what could that be? What could I bring, or do, for my friend?
Looking forward to meeting you in just a few weeks! Cynthia
John Says:
Hello CynthiaWhat beautiful words and I am so honoured that you have booked a cruise partly because I will be the cruise director. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband at such a young age and you have my deepest sympathies. You also have my promise that I will do all I can to make you laugh out loud over and over again. I would like you to leave me a note at the Guest Services Desk when you arrive with your cabin number on there please so I can call you and arrange to meet. I thank you so much for your loyalty to Carnival and that the vacation experience we provide allows you to feel safe and happy and maybe forget a little about the sad times.
As for bringing something for me. Well, the fact that you have booked a cruise to sail with me is a gift enough.
I truly look forward to seeing you and your friends in a few weeks’ time and thank you for all the kind words.
Best wishes
JohnKathy M. Asked:
Hi John, Please ReplyOn your March 4th blog you wondered if you should let rest of the passengers know about the death on the ship. In a position like this you have two options, since many of the passengers already know about the death, you could just announce it, but I would think that out of respect to the family (and the deceased) it would the right thing to ask them if you could have their consent to announce to the rest of the passengers of what happened, since so many already know of the death. By doing it this way, you will have the either the family in agreement or they may say” No, we would like to keep this private” then you would abide by their wishes. You could also tell the family that people have been asking you about their loved one and that is why you came to see them.
John, when it comes to your blog, PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE A NOTHING CONCERNING THIS BLOG!!!
It is fantastic the way it is!!!
Please give my love to Heidi and Kye.
From your NO. 1 Bloggy Thingy Fan
Kathy M.John Says:
Hello Kathy MYou will be happy I think to know that I have decided to keep the blog exactly as it is. A mixture of behind the scenes stories, fun, comments, opinions and help. Thanks for the support as always.
Best wishes
JohnLidolounger AKA Donna Asked:
Please reply!John – In response to the question about your blog content….I for one don’t want to read more requests etc – I check the blog daily to read about life onboard. I enjoy your humour (spelled correctly).
I understand the need for the occasional question, but have to confess that I look over these quickly to get to the good parts!
I most enjoy hearing about your day to day adventures.
326 days until our first back to back cruises on the Carnival Dream =)
John Says:
Hello Lidolounger AKA DonnaThat’s the great thing about the blog; you can skip the bits that you don’t like. However, I hope you do read the Q and A section this time so that you will see me say a big thank you to you for your support and for taking the time to read the blog thingy.
Best wishes
JohnTxLadyDi Asked:
JOHN PLEASE REPLYOkay, before I ask for a favor, take an entire minute for yourself and just rest before replying.
Was that nice?? Now, I don’t really want anything else from you, just wanted to give you a minute to rest, because you work too hard.
BTW, I just booked the Carnival Victory for May, 2010!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT to get back on a Carnival ship!!
Hugs,
DiJohn Says:
Hello TxLadyDiThanks for that minute off………….I went for a pee and now I am ready to continue. Congratulations on booking the Carnival Victory in May and if you do need anything please let me know.
Thanks again for the time off.
Best wishes
JohnDenise Asked:
John (please reply)I am really saddened by your story of the person who didn’t even say thank you to the Crew member who delivered his room service. I can (almost) put down the not giving a tip to ignorance of the rules, but to not even say thank you is unacceptable.
I was on the Carnival Dream the week of Feb 20th-27th, and while this class of ship will never be my favorite the crew was, without exception, the nicest, friendliest, most efficient and most professional crew I’ve ever had the pleasure of cruising with. We gave an extra tip to a couple outstanding folks, and they were so appreciative! Here was a few dollars that would only mean a lunch out at a fast food restaurant to me, but was like a big pat on the back to these hard working folks!
I am in the midst of writing a letter to corporate to commend several of the staff by name, but wanted to let you know how great I thought the team was!
PS on the Behind the Fun Tour, my husband asked the captain which port was the hardest to sail into and Captain Marino replied “which ever one I am sailing into today!” I really admire the hard work and long training those captains have!
John Says:
Hello DeniseI am so glad you enjoyed the Carnival Dream team and they will appreciate so very much reading your words of praise. The captains are all enjoying the Behind the Fun tours as it really gives them a chance to show what they do.
Thanks again for taking the time to write and I hope you sail with us again very soon.
Best wishes
JohnRoxy Lady Asked:
John – please replyThere is a long comment block on Cruise Critic about a lady who wants to complain about the way she was treated by a Carnival PVP. I thought you should know and maybe you can contact the person in question and get her the name of someone she can complain to. Here is the web link to this most important piece of feedback.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1167970
Roxanne
John Says:
Hello RoxanneThanks for letting me know about this and I will send this to our CARE Team for them to research. I appreciate you letting me know.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today.
Let’s have a look at some photos from our deck party.
It’s strange to think that in a few weeks time I will be moving away from the Carnival Conquest and off I will go to the Carnival Fantasy and take her up to Charleston. Well Peter the Hair went ahead of me and shot this great bit of film to get me and everyone else excited about the Carnival Fantasy’s new home. Here it is:
http://www.carnival.com/Funville/media/p/538113.aspx
Great job as always Peter.
And so here we are in Grand Cayman and here we are once again tendering guests ashore on the same bits of 2 by 4 with a motor on the back as we were in 1987 when I was a skinny but very handsome bar waiter on the Holiday. Still, at least the weather is nice and sunny again and apart from the language barrier between me, the Mexican and Swedish guests it has been a smooth operation so far.
Thank goodness we have a Mexican trio here on the ship and they have meant that the cigar bar is packed and I mean packed with a full dance floor every night. Apart from that I feel that we have little to offer them. They don’t speak English and my Spanish is pointless outside of telling someone there is not enough toilet paper. I can only hope they are having a good time. The Swedish and Norwegian guests are definitely having a good time and apart from the numerous comments that our bathroom cabinets and bedside tables are crap and we should have gone to IKEA, they are in line dancing heaven.
I often talk about the exceptional value and brilliant food we serve in the Steakhouse but I often forget to praise the food in the regular dining room. I was reminded about this today when I spoke to two first time Carnival cruisers and avid NCL fans who were raving about the food here on the Carnival Conquest. I was also reminded because I asked the maitre d to send some food to my cabin last night. Now this is a rare thing and is a luxury that my position affords me but one I never take advantage of. It just doesn’t seem the right thing to do and so I eat in the officers’ dining room as I should. However, my groin is hurting and I felt a bit tired last night so I had an hour nap between 6 pm and 7 pm and that meant by the time I had done my evening announcements and gotten ready for the show that I missed dinner. So I called Hassan the Maitre D and he sent me a Caesar Salad and something called short ribs. Now, I have not had them before but they were delicious and so very tender. So, as we remember just how brilliant the food quality is on today’s Carnival ships………….make sure you also remember to try the short ribs.
Well, as I expected would happen we are starting to get a few comments on Easter and Passover. Here is one of a few we have received.
Guest: Mr. ———-Ref: 830781619A
Cabin: ————- Booking#: ____Added-Changed: 03/30/10 – 03/30/10CHURCH SERVICE INQUIRY
Guest came to the GSD to ask if there would be an Easter Mass on Friday. GSA called the Cruise Director who said that there was no Priest onboard. Guest wanted GSA to document how upset he was and that this was not what he had expected and that there was on Holland America a mass.
Yep, there probably was a Mass on Holland America because they put a lot more emphasis on their priest and rabbi programs then we do. Is this something we should do better at? Well, I am not sure. Personally, I would like to say that I do think we should have someone from the clergy onboard to conduct a service during the most important Christian and Jewish holidays….Easter, Christmas and Passover etc. But I can see that Carnival may feel different about this and put resources into other areas that are more ……. well……..fun I guess. So, with that in mind I asked the fleet who has a priest sailing for Easter. In fact the Carnival Miracle does as does your Carnival Dream…….but that’s it.
And I think it’s important we get your feedback on this so I am going to ask one of the 343 Stephanies to put a poll thingy together asking this question.
And of course please add your comments as well.
Meanwhile I will be asking the guests here to see if there is anyone who is prepared to host a Good Friday service and if anyone of the Jewish faith can help us with a Passover service. So far I have had no offers.
Just one more comment to show you today…….actually, let’s do this the other way around and show you the comment after I explain what happened. So at 10:50am yesterday while we were docked in Jamaica I received a call from the Guest Services Manager Caroline. She asked me to page a guest whose 11 year old daughter and 14 year old son had not seen their mother since 10 pm last night and she had not come back to the cabin. The girl was crying and thank goodness the son had told the stateroom steward who had called the Guest Services Desk.
Well, you think the worst don’t you……I mean she could have…….well let’s not go there.
And so I paged the lady through the emergency system and this is exactly what I said.
“Good morning, I have very important message for guest ________- Please could you call 7777 which is the Guest Service Desk. That’s guest ___________– please call 7777 as we have a very important message for you.”……….end quote.
Well, she called………..from another cabin and you don’t need me to explain anymore about that do you. And I thought, that was that. No it bloody wasn’t.
—-Original Message—–
From: CONQUEST GUEST SERVICES SUPERVISOR
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:27 PM
To: CONQUEST CRUISE DIRECTORSubject: Mrs._____ Cabin _______-
Good Afternoon John
I received a call from Mrs. ____- who you may remember is the mother of the children who reported her missing this morning. She wanted to make a complaint about you announcing her name to the ship as she felt it was embarrassing. I explained that her kids were worried and her daughter was in tears but she would not listen. Would you mind calling her as she is demanding to speak to you?
Thanks
Claudine
Isn’t it funny how certain things can press that button that make your teeth itch. I mentioned the one yesterday when the odd guest says “I will never cruise with Carnival again” over something so obscure that it begs belief.
And my reaction to this e mail was the same, worse in fact because I had to stop myself from marching down to her cabin and despite my groin strain which really hurts still …… kicking her cabin door down and using Jack Bauer’s techniques to get her to admit that she is a selfish bastard.
She’s embarrassed because I paged her at nearly 11am……..her kids were upset ……….. they hadn’t seen her for over 12 hours………….they woke up to find her not there ……….. they had no idea what had happened to her………………..and she’s mad at me because I asked her to call Guest Services. What a load of bollocks.
And I doubt she was at bible class when I made the announcement either!
Anyway, I have tried calling her twice. The first time there was no answer and I tried again this morning at 9:35am and the son answered telling me that she wasn’t there. I will try again later but honestly, I hope I don’t get to speak to her. I also hope her son and daughter enjoyed the solid gold trophies and chocolate covered strawberries I sent along with $20 worth of tokens each for the arcade.
Calm down John………calm down……………think of nice things…………………Megan Fox’s bottom……….on my pillow…………. ooohhhhhh ………………….. ahhhhhh …………………. happy thoughts.
I mentioned my groin strain yesterday and thanks to those who sent sympathy messages and no thanks to those who had a good laugh at the expense of my thingy and the garden in which it grows.
I concentrated on that yesterday and forgot to tell you about the wonderful couple I met at the Marriage Show. Their names are Len and Francis and they have been married 62 years. During their time on stage with me I asked about how they met. Len told me that he was at a dance to say goodbye to his unit which was flying to England in World War II. He saw Francis dancing with another soldier and walked over to him. Len was a lieutenant and the soldier was a private and Len told this young chap that he had to report back to his platoon sergeant for urgent orders. And so off the private ran leaving Len with a salute and Francis. They danced the night away and three days later he flew to the UK and was part of the invasion of France.
They stayed in touch and when the war was over they were married……….and have been now for were married and have been now for 62 years. What a beautiful story. I wonder though how much longer I will be able to share the stage with people like Len, a WWII hero who is part of the greatest generation.
Well it seems many of my bearded friends in the Miami office along with many of you will be off on vacation tomorrow or taking the day off work. This means there will be no blog tomorrow. I will be back with a full week of blogs on Monday and until then wish you all a Happy Easter and a joyous Passover.
Oh, one more thing.
At the start of today’s blog I wrote about Jack Bauer and maybe one of the other reasons he is hanging up his 9mm and his PDA is that he can’t keep up with the new ways those bastard terrorists are trying to wreak havoc.
Apparently women suicide bombers recruited by Mr. Al Qaeda are known to have had explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery.
They would, apparently, be virtually undetectable by airport security.
Well, I guess the airports are going to have to do body searches and we shall have to do the same here on the ships as well and I think that it should be the cruise directors job to carry this out. And I think I should start now…….with those Texas Tech girls…….time to look for booby traps.
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.
J R HEALD GAINING
Don John Heald at time early in the voting had a 30% lead. Now J R Heald is within 7%. Vote for your favorite John Heald picture. Click on this link and vote.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/vote-for-your-favorite-john-heald/
BIG Ed
Happy Easter
Booby traps??? OH my gosh, HA HA HA HA. You went with that corny one? HA HA HA Only you john could get away with that!!! Yes john think of that nice pillow case with megans bottom on it!! What did this guest expect you to do!! You have two minors who are upset, OH MY LORD her Rumpy Pumpy is More Important!!! I think after she complained you should have went on the system wide alert and told her, “You’re bloody kids are crying you selfish sod!”
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Happy Easter John!
I could comment on the missing mother but I probably shouldn’t. On land wouldn’t this be abandonment with the police taking the kids away from her?
Enjoy your day off from the blog.
Linda & George
John, you are so right about those shortribs. I had them on my last 3 cruises and they are great, very tender and tasty.
Now as for Church services. I have said this way back I think the first time this issue came up on the blog. I’m sure if Carnival contacted the heads of the different faiths in Miami they would love to furnish Carnival with videos of their service. They may even make them directed to people on a cruise ship. These videos could be shown in cabins on the TV or for those that would like it in a group setting in one of the lounges.
BIG ED
That is a GREAT idea!
This is a reply to the blog of Juan and Maria Santana. It was so offensive of you to ridicule the oldest and most vulernable of our population. In reference to their two week journey on the Princess. “The ship looked like a hospice for the elderly….some were dead and didn’t even know it!” There were references to those with canes, wheelchairs and scooters inhabiting the ship. The remarks by this couple who seem to be frequent cruisers, and obviously not elderly has certainly colored our view of cruising. We are milestone cruisers and with one in a wheelchair. They too for the grace of God may end up not being able to breathe well or with a disability of some sort. We have always enjoyed our cruises and try to have fun. To write this in Mr Herald’s blog was out of line,. His repsonse was so true to his genuine character. “It’s good that older people have a vacatioin experience and with cruising they know they will receive brilliant service and medical treatment need be.” We were blessed to have been on the Legend last year and he made a special point to leave his “‘hanger on’ers” to walk over and shake our hand, visit and even take a picture and say God Bless as he left. He is a true gentleman and would never be irreverant as you were in your post. When we sail we avoid if possible the cruisers who cruise every month and seeminly own the ship. We prefer the very gracious new cruisers and the young college age who offer to push a chair and open the door and never rush the elevator. Sometimes reading these blogs make us wonder if we should still take our cruise in the fall as we can only afford one a year at best.
Just to let you know…. we are not young…. Juan is 67 & I’ll be 65 very soon. Yes, we are very frequent cruisers…. Sorry, our comment was not meant to be offensive…. They were meant to be irreverently funny, as many of John’s Heald’s jokes & comments.
We are young-ish. Mid forties, but my husband is handicapped. We love to cruise because it IS easy for him to get around and see and do alot even with his limitations. But it IS funny to see the parade of elderly and handicapped that this type of vacation allows for. I love my gimpy guy and my 86 year old granny who lives and travels with us. No offense taken. In good humour (spelled just for John) is the spirit in which this was posted and the only way I would take it. Smile!
John,
I understand My jack Baauer and the cast will be doing a movie following the final season of 24. So at least you will have that to look forward to.
You might see if you can find “CASTLE” anywhere in your tele services. It is about a crime book writer and his adventuers helping the police and a certain Lt. Beckett “alias Nikki Heat” with a Meghan Fox Bottom, and the shows are well done.
i think that mom should be reported to security. isn’t that child neglect? abuse? something? i’ll call her for you.
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
I agree Bonnie. Actually when they got back to home port she should have been arrested for child endangerment and abuse! This woman is not worthy of having children, shame on her!
Linda
One of the Stephanie’s: Get John to respond in blog on Monday!!!!!!!
What ever happened to the shirt stain guy from earlier in the week? John said he would let us know if the stain came out.
Thanks!
My husband got a hernia in that “area” from kicking a tire. Ha! We still tease him about it
John,
It has been hard to believe that you can keep coming up with stories, but of course, you work with the public.
The “lady” who chewed you out for announcing her name 12 hours after her children last saw her needs a “paddling”, oh wait, maybe she was.
Love the blog as is, don’t change a thing.
A comment on your poll, I as well as many others voted NO, me because I feel that I’m on vacation. Yes I am Christian and miss very few church services at home on a Sunday, I don’t feel its necessary to me while on vacation.
Your friend,
ERNIE
Thanks for the pictures and another referrence to Texas Tech. The news coming out of the school the last few months has not been good with the firing of the football coach. If a church service is so important to someone then my question is, Why are you cruising on a 7 day cruise during Holy Week? Good Grief people do like to complain.
John: Tomorrow you should call the hot to trot mother of those 2 innocent children and tell her there is a penance mass in the piano bar, and when she shows up remind her that what she is doing is child abuse, and that if one of those children got hurt she would face the judge! And not Judge Judy either! Those children are under age and she is off romping around with some guy who cares less about her kids, but the way she is acting I doubt she cares either. He will dump her when the cruise is over and hopefully she won’t be PG and have another child to raise that will also be abused. Shame on her, but mostly Carnival is not doing their job in confronting her with this. Linda
John:
The woman whose children were upset is proof positive that just because a person CAN have children does not mean they SHOULD.
You should tell her (and you can quote me) “Madam, if you act less like a ho and more like a Mom….you would not have had to be paged!”
Any woman (I refuse to call her a Mom since she has shown no such abilities) that is this ignorant should have her arse thoroughly kicked.
Those poor children.
As far as church services are concerned, Matthew 18:20 says “for where there are two or three gathered together — in My name, there am I in the midst of them”.
I have found that I can worship Him anywhere, anytime. I do not need an “organized” religious service.
Carnival is kind enough to allow the Gideons to provide the Holy Bible in each cabin; which means one less thing I have to pack. I think that is enough.
I know that Carolyn and Don are having a great time. And they will be adding yet another cruise to that number come May !!
I don’t know if you have ever worked with Hennie before…but he is one of my favorite ACDs…. we can’t wait to sail with him again!!!
It won’t be long now….
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
John:
I am glad that your groin is better, it will take while, but you will be fine by the time you get to see Heidi.
As for that wonderful mother who was upset that you paged her at 11:00 a.m., she is lucky she was not here in Florida where she would have been arrested for leaving minors alone all night.
She is not a nice person, so, do not attempt to speak with her again.
As I am not a religous person, I cannot comment on servics.
Maybe the people who want to attend services should inqire in advance of booking around religious holidays.
Regards to you, and, your lovely ladies Heidi and Kye
Marie
John, that was a good Aprtil Fools joke you played on te passengers!!!!! Oh my, I can imagine a few were miffed until they realized that it was April 1st….
As for the mother who wasn’t there for her children–shame on her, if she wanted to spend the night in a different cabin each night then she should hve left her children with the family and went on her own!
Ha Ha Ha !!! Love your daily blog, thanks. Jan
John please reply: re: church services. I was surprised to see that the poll already indicates 21% do want services. That’s 21 people out of 100 so when you do the math on any of the ships, that’s a pretty good number. We had inquired about church services but it was OK that you didn’t have them and my husband is a pastor (ordained in the Wesleyan Methodist ) and we would love to conduct services for people on a Sunday. It doesn’t have to be at 11:00am but could be at a time when most people were back on the ship. I’m not sure what experience you have with church but apparently it wasn’t fun as you said in your blog above. Mmmm…we have LOTS of fun at our church (and we’re not holy rollers by the way
) My husband’s sermons are 20-30 mins. long (he says the mind cannot absorb more than the butt can endure!)and we sing new songs with a full band. We are a happy bunch with a growing church, lots of young families,teens and all ages!If you’d like to check us out for a live service (they are one hour in length) see us at http://www.cornerstonewesleyan.ca. That way you can see and hear how we do a service. I would be picky about who does services as you want people you can trust to do a great job just as the rest of Carnival employees do! My husband has been contacted by other cruise lines but we are Carnival people and will remain so! Hope this is helpful and if you wish to call us, please feel free to email us. Our number should be in the Carnival files. Cheers to all 
Hi John,
I feel the same as you. What in the world am I going to do on Monday nights when there is no more 24. When I was watching the other night, I said to my daughter, darn, that Jack Bauer is good, she looked at me and said, Mom, You know this is a tv show, right. LoL. Anyway, I have heard that there is going to be a movie made, I hope its true.
Thanks for the laughs
Theresa
Hi John,
Please Reply,
John I was reading where the NCL Lines are now going to start putting in smaller cabins ( 100 sq. ft.)on their new ship, starting with the Epic,s for just solo cruisers and the best part is that they will not have to pay double cabin prices. Do you think that maybe in the future Carnival could do this also. I think that they would be the first to fill up since there are so many single cruisers these days. Maybe they could also designate a couple of the regular size cabins as handicapped for solo cruisers also, with the single cabin fares. Maybe you could pass this on to the ones with the beards so they can do a study of how many cabins are sold to just solo cruisers.
On today’s blog (4/01) you asked about religious services. I think that on important religious occasions like Easter, Christmas, Passover and etc, then YES I think Carnival should have services available for passengers since some of Carnival’s other lines are already having this available to passengers. Another thing that maybe the lines could look at and that is the Captain doing a non-denominational service on the weekends if the ship is not in port (like they did years ago).
Please give my love to Heidi and Kye.
From your No. 1 Bloggy Thinggy Fan,
Kathy M..
I am a newbie to this blog stuff and must admit I am hooked, of course I love cruising and am on a countdown to the dream in November, first cruise for my kids. Great parents love watching my kids, so lucky to be on 4 cruises with me and the wife.
Anyways what I look forward to the most in your blog is your customer issues, complaints and stories, being a Hotel Director in Las Vegas it makes me wonder if guests leave LV and head directly to the cruise ship. Dont you wonder sometimes if people leave their homes withouth their brains?
Thanks
Kpate
That mother sickens me!!! You have a lot more self control than me! I would have marched down there and told her what a selfish piece of “you know what” she is!!! Poor kids!!!
Love your blog thingy!!!
I cant stop thinking about the lady that abandoned her kids for “Rumpy-Pumpy” If this happened on shore would it be proper to involve the authorities???. Just a thought. Mike & Linda
Re Tampa:
Seconding what the others said –you have a very large group of customers and potential customers over on this side of florida. The convenience of going to Tampa vs Ft. Laud is very significant–5 hour drive and $105 of parking. Bring the Miracle over here in addition to what’s here and give us variety. More HAL too if their Eurodam class will fit under the bridge. I see NCL is coming.
HAL used to do 14 days to the S. Carrib–that seems a little long. Maybe alternate 9 & 5 days to give us variety?
Thanks for listening!!!
No, I don’t need a religious service on a cruise. I’m Christian and I do attend church regularly at home, but I also don’t have a problem missing it once in a while. I consider my church service to be when I step out on to my balcony in the morning and see the glory that God created. And of course, anyone who wants can bring a bible/other religious text and religious music if they so choose. Having a religious service onboard would be very difficult due to the fact that everyone prefers a different service. Methodists, Lutherans, Presbytarians, etc… wouldn’t want a mass and Catholics probably wouldn’t be happy with a non denominational service. That leaves everyone else out. I think it’s just easier for each individual person to worship on their own or with their travel companions.
In regards to religious services, is it possible for the ships to pick up a satelitte feed and have the service put on the television? I believe that would fit the needs of those who want to attend.
Dear John,
I simply cannot believe this mother would do that! Unfortunately, (we chatted about this last Sunday) I know from firsthand experience what can happen onboard if you don’t check in with your kids on a VERY regular basis.
If the situation were reversed and they were the ones missing I have to wonder….
would this selfish mom even bother to look for them? Would she worry about “embarrassing” them so not have them paged if she hadn’t seen them in over 12 hours?
What a selfish B**** !!!! At the very least, would it have killed her to make a phone call now and then??/ OMG!!
Maribeth Kring
BELC
Great blog, as always, John. Hope your “sensitive” injury heals quickly!
As for religious services…..personally, I would probably not cruise during the major holidays of my religion. For me, Rosh Hashanah is a time to be in synagogue, Yom Kippur would be torture (because it’s a fast day!), Passover similar (because there’s so much food that’s off limits) and if we cruised during Chanukah, we’d have to carry on eight days worth of presents for our little girl!
But I can see why some people might want/need to cruise during holidays — time off from work/school, etc. That being said, if a religious service is important to you, shouldn’t you check on the availability BEFOREHAND? Rather than wait ’til after you board, then complain about it?
I do like George’s suggestion, above, about a satellite feed. That’s a pretty nice compromise.
Where are the pictures of the Texas Tech women?????
Come on John, it sounds like there are plenty to spare!
David,
He keeps all the good pictures to himself. The same goes for the videos Peter the Hair took of BC3. I think Peter is saving them to blackmail me and John at a later date. But who would pay to see me on the floor ontop of S. M..
BIG ED
As of 4/2 1:30pm Don John Heald’s, the Godfather, lead is down to only 4% of the vote. It looks like the Godfather might have to make some of those “offers you can’t refuse” or will J R Heald be able to buy his way to the top.
BIG Ed
Place your vote here.
http://ekonefe.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/vote-for-your-favorite-john-heald/#comment-7380
John, I enjoy traveling with the old age people, i think they’re alot of fun, and when I travel with my kids they seem to enjoy their company, some younger people (middle age) are sometimes moody and don’t seem to like the distress kids cause. Sorry
this is a reply for the Santanas. I just hope that when old age comes to me I’ll have the same enthusiasm to travel.
BTW I love Kye’s pic on the e-seaview, and Heidi looks beautifull.
We are not young, Juan is 67 & I’ll be 65 shortly. We cruise very frequently and our comments to John Heald were irreverently funny – as most of the jokes he does. We enjoy traveling with elderly people/children. Since he was complaining of his aches/pains, etc., we were teasing by telling him it was time to move to a cruise line catering more to the elderly.
Hi John. Just wanted to share something that about made me fall out of my seat…..Was reading the latest tv guide mag and an article about Elmore Leonard and a new show, Justified, that is based on his books. Imagaine my surprise when I read “I left the writer’s room inspired to write another Raylan story later on. I’d take a look around Harlan County, maybe STINKING CREEK…..” Yes, I was on the Dream during the Stinking Creek and Dick and Anita Little week.
I hurried to the internet and Stinking Creek is actually in Knox County, Kentucky and if you ask Uncle Google, there are oodles of info about this place.
Just thought you get a smile thinking back to early March!!
Whoops hit the button too soon. Also wanted to say I really enjoy virtually cruising with you via your blog. Keep it up.
Tammy from St. Louis, MO
JOHN! PLEASE REPLY!!!!!!
I agree with the couple who wrote you about changing the Itins!!! Carnival might give more “bang” for the buck money wise BUT we get tired of the same ITINS!!! Why not Southern Caribbean??? There are islands next to and below Aruba! Thats why we’ve started looking at RCL and NCL! They go other places! Same for Europe. My husband wanted to go to Greece SOO we had to book NCL becayse they have a nice ININT for Greece-Carnival doesn’t go there! How about the cook islands?Tahiti?? When you travel the caribbean so many many times-we need to venture out! Tell your big shots to get on the ball! As a past guest many times over-carnival is eating the dust of the other companies who are giving us the Itins we want!!
please respond
some people should not be parents. and yes if that happend on land she would of went to jail. thats crazy. hope heidi and kye r good.
and pleas tell me who the cd will be sep 4 on the liberty. i finaly booked my cruise this year lol
and when it gets close again can i ask u for a booth?
this yr we r cruising with cheryl and her family shes a carnival vacation planner we became friends. shes my carnival planner lol.hope u r good john? and ty
Hi John
I also vote for the Itinerary change from Tampa, I think Ive seen ALL I can see in Cozumel.
That lady who left her kids alone should be ashamed of herself for chastizing you, I agree if she was on land she would have been arrested, maybe you guys should have thrown her in the brig.
In regards to you religion question. i remember that some of the Carnival ships had a little chapel on them did they not? If I had been on the ship for Easter or Passover and Service was offereed I would have gone. Even though with the poll It is NOT important to me.
Just our 4 cents
Take Care
Give our love to Heidi and Kye
She is growing sooo fast.and soo cute
The Tuckers in Florida
Elizabeth & Arnold
AAACKKK I can’t believe MALCOLM Whoo Hoo Burns was here in Charleston and I did not know it!!!!!! He was our CD on the Carnival Victory in 2007 and I loved him! I would have went downtown and fought the masses just to say hello!
Dear John, (please reply)
We are so excited about our cruise aboard the Carnival Dream July 17th 2010!!!! Our summer will be very busy. We have 2 of our sons getting married with in a month of each other!!! For our wedding gift, we thought nothing could be better, than a Carnival Cruise. Our middle son’s fiance wanted something a little more cozy. (what could be more cozy than a staterooms bathroom!!!) Our oldest son & fiance are all for the cruise! They will be in cabin 6264 if you could have the CD sent them a note of congratulations. This will be Hope’s first cruise, so we would like it to be very special. As only Carnival’s wonderful staff always does!!! We love the Blog!! Thanks for keeping us SMILING!
Jeff & Annette
Dear John,
I am suffering from a severe case of post-cruise blues. (My first cruise, on Conquest, 1/24-1/31/10) I know that the best cure would be another cruise, ASAP, but that’s not possible right now. I am fascinated by the whole process and can’t get enough information about cruising. I have a ton of questions for you, but I’ll save them for future blogs. To get started, here’s an ice breaker: just how many TV monitors are used in Henri’s on Conquest? Oh, if it’s possible, can you give me contact information for Jason Martin, the extrodinary talent in the Blues Bar on Conquest. And, if you run into Reinzi, our room steward, (Lido, forward, port) tell him Rick and Marcia Swanson say “Hi!”. He was the absolute best, a real asset to Carnival. Thanks…and here’s to fair weather and calm waters.
Your truly,
Swanny
John,
JR looks really dapper! There’s almost a Frank Sinatra vibe going on there!
If religious services were offered during special christian or jewish holy days, it would be ok with me. But wouldn’t that open up another can of worms? Other more obscure religions, or non-religious sects would find a way to object.
My church services are held every morning on my balcony, when I thank my God for another day on board a Carnival ship!
About the old & infirm on board cruise ships, I am all for them. Some day that will be me, & I’ll still be cruising!!
Hope you & your lovely family have a blessed Easter!
Joyce
Hello John,
I hope you are enjoying your Easter vacation. I’m treating my 22 year old niece Jessica to a college graduation cruise. It’s Jessica’s last time to relax before going into the “working world.” She has been blessed to find employment already and begins her Teach for America assignment the day after we return from our Carnival cruise. We’re sailing 5/22 on the Freedom (cabin 9242). Four years ago, for Jessica’s high school graduation I let her select her vacation if she was accepted into Wake Forest University. She was accepted and decided to do a cruise (her favorite type of vacation – mine too!). I told her on that cruise (four years ago) that if she graduated WFU with honors I’d take her on a college vacation of her choice. Four years later, she has once again chosen a cruise; specifically the Carnival Freedom. Please point us to the “don’t miss tips” of the Freedom (special spots or things to do that most people miss or even the most popular items). Also the best quiet spots for reading (we’re more into nice shaded areas than full out sun) and great places for people watching. It’s the 8 night eastern Caribbean, so please feel free to also note any “don’t miss excursions” especially on Antigua and Tortola as we have not been to those destinations in the past. We’re both very excited about this celebration cruise! I know this is a very pedestrian question, but I appreciate your unique view and expertise. New to your blog and love it!
Happy Easter John,
We are finally home from our winter home in Texas. We had a fabulous time with the Carnival Cruise we went on in January leaving from Galveston.
I personally loved it when Carnival had a Priest on board the Holiday, Spirit and our cruise in January the Ecstasy (since the church we go to in Port Aransas booked the cruise, the Priest when with us). On our other cruse’s I made sure I knew when Mass would be when we were in Port. But it does make it a lot easier when we can go on the ship. I see nothing wrong with having a Priest on the ships, they enjoy cruising just like the rest of us. I do not understand why they stopped doing it.
I will be posting more now that I am home. I have missed the blog but with being so busy having fun and my laptop crashing last week it made it impossible.
Keep smiling John; you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye. It is hard to believe that she will be a year old next month. Time goes by so fast.
Hi John,
As a church employee, I can say that when I go on a cruise vacation, I am going on vacation. Now I know that will make some people question my personal faith, but that’s just it, it is personal. Being that I am expected to be at my post on the major Christian Holidays, I more than likely would not be sailing on Christmas and Easter. So, if having a service or Mass is important to someone, maybe they should look at sailing when it is not Easter or Christmas. That way they can be in church for those days. I would like to see more choices for Saturday sailings, as the Sunday ones means 2 weeks off for 1 weeks vacation, but that’s just me, you see, I am in Church the rest of the year.
John
When ar you going to show the Cruise Director Schedule for July to December. I like to book a cruise with you being my cruise director
FLA 007
Hi John..I really hope it was a mistake and that Alan was able to board. I feel so badly for you. the people who cruise with you are so lucky.I’ve only been with you twice and some how we keep missing each other. I hope we get to see pictures of Kye with her first Easter outfit. So glad to hear about Laurie Mason giving you a cowboy hat. I know her personally. She is one sweet lady. God’s blessings to you and your family during this special holiday..As always A&W
Hi John,
I just wanted you to know that my husband and I are VIP Platnum guests , we have been on 15 cruises so far and have met some wonderful staff and remained friends with them over the years. we absolutely love carnival . the Extascy (not sure of the spelling) and we have been hooked since, some of the ships we went on were miracle, glory, fascination, triumph, legend, pride, destiny each time we went we have a great time.. the only thing we never recieved was an upgrade to a suite, i always wanted to stay in one. well i wont keep you.. i just wanted you to know that WE LOVE CARNIVAL!!!
Laurieann Barberio
John, We were on the 3/27 Dream sailing. I could not find ship pins in any of the shops. We enjoyed collecting these in the past and are aware that now if you’re not platinium that you can purchase them in the gift shops. I checked on different days to query different staff and all told me they did not have them. Could that be? Was I just clueless or were they not available for the Dream or this sailing?
Hi John – Please Reply
We are booked, along with our immediate family (10 in total) on the Splendor on August 1st for our 40th wedding anniversary. We cannot believe it has been this long! This will be our 5th cruise, one of our daughters will be on her 4th, the other daughter on her 3rd, her fiancé will be his 2nd and the rest (including our foreign exchange daughter) will be “newbies”. We can’t wait for the “WOW” factor when they see the ship and everything it has to offer. Everyone is getting really excited!
Now to my questions for you:
1. This is the most important. Is there any way you can check to see if all of our staterooms can get a table for the 10 of us on the lower level of the Black Pearl dining room. We are in staterooms 6201, 6202, 6207, 6215 and 6219. We were on the Valor last year and for the first time on the upper level. It was great but so much more can be seen at the main level.
2. When we were on the Valor, Big Tex had Gary as an assistant CD (sorry, I don’t know Gary’s last name). This was in May of 2009. We were just curious if Gary would be on the Splendor with us. The reason? When we took our two daughters on the Pride, Gary was working the ship. When we took our one daughter on the Triumph, Gary was working on the ship. When we went last year on the Valor, Gary was working on the ship. Either he is stalking us or we are stalking him. Not sure about that. THe main reason that we remember Gary is that when we were with him on the Pride, one of his “buddies” convinced him to taste a big spoonful of “lime pudding”. He told us this story because it wasn’t lime pudding but a big spoonful of wasabi!
3. Since this will be our last cruise on Carnival (we figure that we will have so much fun that we will be banned from all future cruises) we wanted to know if, since the main theme color of the Splendor is pink, would pink duct tape blend in enough to have us duct tape ourselves to the ship so we do not have to leave?
We are also starting a pool to see how many wait staff we go through. We figure after a night or two at our table they may just say “you know, the Lido Deck has a wonderful buffet”.
Thanks for taking the time to look at this. What better way to celebrate 40 years being married to the same person than on a Carnival ship!
In another posting coming later I will tell you about the funniest customs agent ever (yep, hard to believe) and how he got my wife and daughter laughing uncontrollably in Miami (and got me completely red-faced).
Rick from Boise, ID
how do you write john a letter? cant seem to figure it out
thanks
John please reply
Dear John,
Unfortunately, it seems that a couple of bloggers who read our “irreverent” comments to you re our 2-wk. Princess cruise were hurt and their replies show it. Please let us clarify that we did it as a joke. We have already replied directly to them to let them know that yes, we are very frequent cruisers, and that we are not young…. we are Seniors: Juan is 67 & I’ll be 65 soon, so they can see that what we wrote was not about making fun of/discriminating the elderlies. We are already there! It was meant to be, as you said it yourself, a humorous posting. They found it offensive. Well, sorry about that…. Unfortunately, that couple of bloggers didn’t read our earlier review – a few days earlier, March 26 – of the very same 2-week Princess cruise,,,,,it was excellent. They read the April 1 comments only. If they would have read both, they would have realized that the whole thing was a joke to you. Again, sorry for the misunderstanding.
The Santanas of Miami Beach
Hi John!
Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.
I liked the April Fools jokes that you pulled.
I can’t believe that the lady was upset though her kids had not seen her in 12 hours. Always seems like an exciting day onboard and you never know what to expect.
Have a good week.
Take care!
David
Hi John, (Please Reply)
I’ve been a long standing quiet member of your Blog Fan Club and still reading. Please don’t change a thing. My Carnival experiences has been limited to a few industry events onboard and I was lucky enough to attend the naming ceremony on the Carnival Dream in NYC. We met briefly outside the theatre and it was definitely a highlight to my 18 hours onboard.
With the persuasion from a friend of mine we are taking our 1st Carnival cruise on the Carnival Paradise for Mothers Day. I have been on other cruise lines before, everyone else is a cruise virgin. Our plan is to surprise his Mom with the cruise and she thinks we are only going to California for the week with a drive down to Mexico. (Why she needs to bring her Passport) We will be staying on the Queen Mary the night before and watching the Carnival Splendor sail away and the Carnival Paradise sail in Monday morning (Mother’s Day in Mexico). That is when she will find out the Carnival Paradise will be her “Paradise” for the next four days. She has been a wonderful “Mum” and works very hard for her family and grandchildren. There is no steakhouse onboard but we will be sending her to the spa. Is it possible for you to get her a Ship on a Stick for being a #1 Mum or something special to treasure for years to come?
As a CruiseCritic junkie I have been pulling all the details about the ship and information about the trip. Today Carnival.com reminded me we only have 35 days to go.
Thanks,
-Aaron
PLEASE RESPOND
Dear John – Relatively new to your blog thingy and enjoy it so much. I began reading it in anticipation to our upcoming April 25th cruise and now I am addicted to it! I think you are very funny, kind and genuinely interesting. We are sailing on Conquest (cabin 8311) out of Galveston and hope to see you. Shameless groveling I know but if there any tables for two still available and if you have time can you arrange for us? I wrote you a few weeks ago but failed to include the PLEASE RESPOND headliner. We appreciate you are very busy and thank you in advance for what we know will be a great cruise–we took this exact itinerary last Spring!