In just two days time it will be Heidi’s birthday and I still haven’t even begun to start thinking about what I’m going to buy her. I have been sitting here since debarkation finished yesterday surfing the internet online shopping thingies for something that I can get a bloke to deliver to our house on Wednesday morning.
I’m a wigwam and I am a teepee…….in other words…….I am too tents……get it…two tents….too tense?…bloody hell even my jokes have been affected by my inability to choose Heidi and gift.
I’m sitting here biting the bits of finger where my nails used to be which is no good as my hemorrhoids have flared up again and I have nothing to scratch them with………..apart from my assistant Craig.
The internet thingies are telling me kindly that if I order now, I can get super saver delivery for nothing . . . and Heidi’s present will arrive with time to spare. I can even tick a box that will ensure it comes wrapped, with a ribbon, a card and a sodding balloon. Maybe they’ll even write the card for me. Who knows? But no, I’m just sitting here, with itchy inner buttocks, worrying …….buying bugger all.
Buying presents is worse than phoning a call center. Or trying a different cruise line because someone said it was better and realizing they were talking bollocks. I am sure my blood pressure is high and I know that this can lead to hypertension; hypertension can lead to stroke, heart disease and kidney problems. Death is only one step further away, my blogging friends. Yep ………….internet shopping can kill.
However, my sudden death is not going to be a sufficient excuse when Heidi wakes up on Wednesday and finds that I have bought her bugger all. So I’m sitting here, with bleeding fingers and a throbbing rusty sheriffs badge………… trying to find something to buy her. I am like this at Christmas as well, always waiting to the last possible minute because I don’t know what to buy. Anything like silk negligees, edible underwear or nurse’s outfits are deemed to be more for me than Heidi. In fact the last time I bought her edible underwear I had eaten them by the time I got home.
Clothes as a whole are out because if I buy a size that fits, it’s insulting (“I can’t believe you bought me a 12”). If you buy a size too small, you’re making a point about how she’s let herself go (“I can’t believe you bought me a 10”). Books? Nope. Unimaginative. Ditto perfume, shoes, scarves, make-up, DVDs or anything at all with a plug. Handbags and purses are a minefield.
And so until someone invents an online shop called www.WhatWomenWant.com, full of things women want………..I will sit here, fingernailess and one step closer to heart failure.
The only good news is that Ugly Craig has just walked into the cabin…….so at least I can now take care of my hemorrhoid problem.
Time for today’s Q & A……….let’s crack on.
JUDY SHARUM Asked:
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! That’s 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 because 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!!
John Says:
Hello JudyThanks for taking the time to write. It is interesting reading your thoughts and I thought about what you said and I think the simple answer is that Carnival remains more successful, more profitable than the other lines you mentioned because of our affordability and our itineraries. We have a dedicated team led by a chap called Terry who plan out where the ships will call at and obviously he is doing something write because our ships are all sailing full. We have recently added cruises to Europe on the Carnival Magic and the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Miracle from New York and who knows what the future will bring. Thank you for your loyalty and I have passed your thoughts to Terry and his department.
Best wishes
JohnTrisha Knox Asked:
John, I have been on 3 Cruises with Captain Domenico Cilento! I have great pictures for him! Of New Years Eve Cruise. But, I lost his email address he gave me to send the pictures too! Do you have a site or email for him? I am Cruising again in May do you know what Ship he will be on in May? Thanks, Trish Knox
18 Cruises & counting!
John Says:
Hello Trisha KnoxCaptain Cilento and I have been friends for a long time and I think you will agree he is quite the character. I can’t give you his e-mail address but I have sent him yours. I hope that’s OK and I am sure he will be in touch soon. Many congratulations on 18 cruises and I hope number 19 is heading your way soon. We appreciate your loyalty very, very much.
Best wishes
JohnHelen Plus 1 Asked:
Reply neededMy husband and me are sailing on the Ecstasy in June and have read on Cruise Critic which we are members of that you do confirmed dinner reservations. This is our second cruise with carnival. The first was on the Destiny and it was ok but our waiter was boring and the people we ate dinner with were more so. I want a better waiter this time and to assure that we don’t end up with the same kind of jerks as last time. They were loud and obnoxious and I don’t want that experience again!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like a table for 2 to be confirmed. Can you and will you do this
Thanks
HelenJohn Says:
Hello HelenPlus1You are correct that I do indeed help with dinner reservations. I am not sure what you mean when you say your waiter was “boring” but I am sure the waiter you will have on the Carnival Ecstasy will be brilliant.
Please send me your name and date of sailing as soon as you can and I will ask the maitre D to see if he can help with your request.
Best wishes
JohnKathy M. Asked:
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 Thingy Fan,
Kathy M.John Says:
Hello Kathy MI have seen the small cabins on the Epic and while it may save money for the single cruiser I have a feeling that after a day or so in a cabin that small that includes the sink inside the cabin and not in the bathroom that it may get somewhat claustrophobic. I realize that single cruises have to pay a supplement but I don’t think the answer is to shove you into a 100 foot closet ….. there must be a better answer than that. I can tell you that Carnival has no plans to build the next two ships (Carnival Magic and Carnival Thingy) with cabins this small.
As for the religious services. Well, I agree with you that on high religious holidays we need to work harder to provide priests and rabbis and we are working on a plan for this at the moment.
Thanks as always for your support of the blog and I hope to see you on the Carnival Splendor.
Best wishes,
JohnDon Asked:
John, please reply.I’ve noticed that when you report the number of passengers on board that the total number is a lot more than the stated capacity.
Does this mean that there are that many passengers sharing cabins or was this a mistake?
Thanks DonJohn Says:
Hello DonThe capacity mentioned on our fact sheets and official documentation is based on what is called double occupancy or put more simply……..two people in stateroom. However, often many state rooms have families in them utilizing the other beds and that is the guest count that I list at the start of each cruise…….as I will be in a moment.
I hope this answers your question and please let me know if you have another.
Best wishes
JohnDucky Asked:
John please reply.I came across the article today I would like to share with you. http://www.macworld.com/article/150204/2010/03/shipping_refunds.html
It seems the author inadvertently requested expedited shipping ($12.00 up charge) on his iPad order which turned out to be of no use because all pre-orders were to be delivered at the same time.
A short while later, unprompted by the author Apple sent him an e-mail advising him the expedited shipping for this item was unnecessary and they were refunding him the charge.
I realize that Apple is the Cunard of the computer industry, but it would be nice if Carnival took the same sort of pro-active customer service approach (automatically applying price drops for instance).
I’ve nary a personal complaint about how Carnival has treated me as a customer, but it would be nice to see them go that extra mile.
Six weeks until the Carnival Miracle, I can hardly wait.
John Says:
Hello DuckyThanks for the posting and obviously despite my hatred of anything starting with an “i” even I have to admit that Apple is a massively successful company and the people with beards who buy their products are huge fans of course.
I also have to admit that I know bugger all about how our pricing people decide when and how to reduce or increase the cost of a cruise. I do know that they keep it amazingly affordable and that is obviously very important. I would actually say that Carnival is more like Apple than any other cruise line as we appeal to the mass market and I think like Apple our name is the strongest and most recognizable in the industry. The only difference between them and us is you don’t have to like tofu to take a cruise.
I am glad you have appreciated the care Carnival has given you so far and if you ever need help in this regard please let me know.
Have a brilliant time on the Carnival Miracle.
Best wishes
JohnGeorge Richards Asked:
Please replyWe sailed on the Freedom this past Thanksgiving. The aft area, complete with pool, hot tubs, and bar was called the “adult serenity” area. Several times during the cruise we observed ship personnel asking adults with children, and unaccompanied children to leave the area.
It was a well maintained adult area and in my opinion, the greatest thing since sliced bread! I wish the entire fleet had the same program as the Freedom!
John Says:
Hello George HunterIt sounds like we need to maybe advertise a little better onboard that this is the Serenity Deck and is adults only but I am glad to see that our staffs were proactive in asking the children to leave. Our Fantasy class ships all have Serenity decks which are fabulous and you should see the two tier Serenity decks on your Carnival Dream.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best wishes
JohnPaul Hunter Asked:
John please reply.My wife and I are sailing the Dream on May 15, 2010. Will you be our cruise director for that trip? Is the Legends show still being done and is Livin’ La Visa Local still part of the “Legends” show? I would love to do my Paul Stanley imitation from KISS. Should I bring my 7″ platform boots with me along with my spandex costume? I think it would be fun to dress up as a rock legend while on board. I was mobbed at KISS concert for photo ops at a concert in Greenville, SC back in October. Navigating in 7″ platform boots might not be easy on the ship, but I am game to try.
John Says:
Hello Paul HunterUnfortunately I will not be the Cruise Director on your Carnival Dream cruise and thus I will not be able to see you dressed as a member of KISS. We certainly are still doing the Carnival Legends auditions and I hope you get to play the part of Ricky Martin. I am sure your KISS costume will be very popular and I look forward to reading all about your escapades when you return home.
Have fun!
Best wishes
JohnMaurene (yes spelled that way!) Asked:
John (please reply)Lord love a duck you are hilarious!!! Are all the cruise directors as funny as you?? I know weeeeeee jimmmmmmmmmy was a blast on the Glory when we went in 2007, We are going on the Liberty May 14th. Not sure who will be our director but hope he comes with an awesome sense of humour.
Just a question, you may not even know the answer to. We would really like to get our daughter involved in the camp carnival, onboard, but she will be a month shy of 2 when we sail… is there no way to fudge the numbers and get her in? I know she would really enjoy the time with kids, rather than boring old Mum and Dad.
Another thing. One of the competing cruise lines (yes I was looking around…lol but no one compares to Carnival!!!) had a program where you could take toys to your room for the kids. Like a lending program. Is there anything like this on board? We will be bringing a few toys, but as we are traveling from Canada, we are limited in space to pack them.
Please let me know, and I hope you get to see your friends and family soon!! Silly Airlines… lol
John Says:
Hello Maurene“Lord love a duck you are hilarious”………..that’s a brilliant statement, I have never heard that before and I intend to use it conversation. The CD during your Carnival Liberty cruise will be a chap called “Noonan” who is very funny and hails from Buffalo, New York. As you may know I just had Heidi and Kye with me on our Carnival Dream and each day Kye went up to Camp Carnival for two hours of playtime. This will also be the case on the Carnival Liberty as well and although we don’t have an all day babysitting service for the under twos there will be an opportunity each day for you to leave your daughter there to play. I had not heard about the toy lending scheme you mentioned and it is a great idea and one I will pass along.
Thanks again for the very kind words and lord love a duck; I hope you have a brilliant cruise.
Best wishes to all
JohnNick Howell Asked:
Hi John (please reply)You are hilarious! I can’t wait to have you as a CD on a future cruise. I hope you feel better too, what a nasty pain to have.
I wanted to chime in on the pin thingy. Undoubtedly it sounded like some were wasted, but I would be willing to bet many people actually looked forward to getting those little things. I don’t collect pins, that’s for older people, but I do have my Carnival ones, and looked forward to them each cruise. My family was disappointed with our last cruise (their 2nd) because they were not there with the past guest invite. Maybe I caused some of the issues since I told them to look forward to the surprise. Anyways…for the ones that were left behind in cabins would be minimal if it created loyalty with others, and that the people who looked forward to the small gift would outweigh any waste, besides tell the beards to hide the cost on the fare…LOL it’s just one small thing that makes Carnival stand out in loyalty. I mean even a 2nd timer should be important.
Also maybe this has come up before, but would it be possible to add this blog thingy to the “free Internet” section while on board the ships? Like Carnival.com is.
Thanks for everything you do John!!
NickJohn Says:
Hello NickThere is no doubt that the pins were very popular indeed and I know many people miss them. Regarding the pins we stopped handing them out to everyone except the Platinum guests. While many would wear them with pride many guests discarded them and so it was decided to stop passing them out. We had 10,000 past guests or more each week across the fleet and that is a lot of pins.
They are available in the gift shops for purchase however I think maybe we could address this subject again and see if there is a way to hand them out to guests who have maybe cruised 5 times or more or maybe three time or more and to find a system where we hand them only to those who actually request one. I will certainly be bringing this and the subject of making the blog available as part of carnival.com onboard very soon as both are excellent points.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best wishes
John
That’s all for today. There will be more tomorrow. I am still three weeks behind…… triple bugger.
Just one quick follow up on the prohibited items subject. My good friend Host Mach from Cruise Critic visited me onboard on Sunday and was asking about electrical items and I thought this is something that would be beneficial for everyone to know.
While individual Eye Pod chargers etc are allowed onboard (suggest you put them in your carry on) a power strip is considered a household item and would be confiscated mainly because it could overload the electrical capacity of an outlet. Fans are also considered household items and so I ask you all to please kindly remember that no electrical appliances are permitted.
Let’s recap last week shall we. We had 6 days of glorious weather and it was only the Saturday on our return trip to Galveston where the skies became gloomy and the sea a little choppy. We had very few complaints and apart from not offering shark diving and charging an outrageous price for some tampons……………it was a brilliant week.
There is one addition to this though and I will explain ore on that in a moment. Here though is the perfect way to sum up last week………….a poem from a guest.
So, all was well until Friday night when we nearly had bloodshed…..at Karaoke. Here is what happened.
Guest: Miss……………Ref: 830093315A Owner:
Cabin: —– Booking#: _____Added-Changed: 04/23/10 – 04/23/10
CABIN ———– INCIDENT AT KARAOKE
Miss———came to the desk very upset as she had been singing a song at Karaoke with two friends. At the time of singing some other guests were shouting and making rude noises at them. Guest said that she and her friends left because they were scared.
GSA contacted Cruise Director. More to follow.
Now my immediate thought was that these girls must have been such terrible singers that the other guests were booing them off the stage which is quite ridiculous. And so I contacted our Karaoke Host who I expected to confirm this was the case. I was wrong………totally wrong.
And I still don’t quite understand why this happened. You see, the girls were singing a song by a group called “The Dixie Chicks?” Anyway……..regardless the song was called “Cowboy Take Me Away” and as soon as they had started singing a group of guests had apparently started boo and hiss and shout abuse. The husbands of the three ladies who were singing then squared off against the crowd who were booing and apparently it got close to punches being thrown. Luckily the singers had the sense to drag the men away and went to the Guest Services Desk to complain.
I had no clue as to why and so I asked the lady how had been upset and she thinks it may have been because of something the real Dixie Chicks had said about George Bush …..allegedly.
Is this true? And if so, why would this cause so much emotion and hatred from the other guests? I know they were probably from Texas where George W is from but come on…….they were just singing a song. I checked the lyrics and there was nothing offensive that I could find. I guess free speech comes with limitations these days as I know so well from writing this blog. In a democracy, speech may be free but it can also get you in a spot of bother……..even if it is just by singing a song in a karaoke bar on a cruise ship.
Ok, let’s take a break and talk about one of my favourite TV personalities……..Katie Couric. I have had the honour of introducing many of Carnival’s new ships and therefore the honour of introducing the godmothers but if there is one ship I wish I had been involved in ……..it would be the Carnival Valor and that’s because Katie Couric was the godmother. From what I understand she did a marvelous job and off stage she was absolutely charming.
As some of you may know she lost her beloved husband to colon cancer and Carnival has been a big supporter of her charity. She hosted a spectacular fund raising event on the Queen Mary 2 which was a big success.
Anyway, I was watching the CBS Nightly News and saw a report by Katie from Haiti and specifically about something that once again Carnival has been involved in…..as have many of you. And that is supporting work of Project Medishare who continue the ongoing battle to help the sick and needy of Haiti get back on their feet again.
I was truly moved by her report and I thought that in case you missed it that I would put the link thingy here for you. You will see a passionate and heartfelt interview with a real life hero Dr. Green and you will see again that although Haiti may not be at the top of the news bulletins these days, the country and its people are still suffering beyond comprehension. Here is her report.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6426573n&tag=api
You can see just why Katie Couric is so respected and loved and she has that rare quality that only a few newsreaders have………..and that’s being able to look into the lens of the camera and make you feel like she is talking…….directly to you……………and to you alone. I wished I would have had the chance to meet her.
For more information on how you can continue to help the men and women who are still in Haiti, still saving lives please go to http://www.projectmedishare.org /
OK, let’s see who is sailing with us this week.
TOTAL GUESTS – 3219
NON US – 83 – MEXICANS
PAST GUESTS – 1325
| AGE GROUP | TOTALS |
| Under 2 Years | 13 |
| 2-5 Years | 58 |
| 6-8 Years | 30 |
| 9-11 Years | 24 |
| 12-14 Years | 30 |
| 15-17 Years | 29 |
| 18-20 Years | 40 |
I can’t believe this is my last cruise already on the Carnival Conquest. And as much as I am looking forward to going to the Carnival Fantasy I am going to miss this ship and the people that sail on her.
After vacation I of course head to the Carnival Splendor and the West Coast. I have seen lots of you have booked this ship and some have booked having heard I will be the CD which is a massive honour of course.
It also seems I have caused the folks at RCI to soil themselves slightly because hearing I was heading to the West Coast has made them abandon the area it seems as the Mariner of the Seas is buggering off. So, West Coast folks, come and sail with me and let’s have some Carnival fun.
As is tradition on a Monday Carnival Conquest blog I get to talk about the Welcome Aboard Show which has always had some wonderful characters in it.
Have a look at this chap, the pictures are from the TV and are not good plus his beard is white.
Yep, a man with a beard. A very long Santa like beard. Now I have had some folks on stage these past weeks with heavy southern accents but this chap…….well I had no bloody clue what he was saying. His name is Henry and he is from a place called Sterling City, Texas. The conversation went like this.
ME STERLING CITY, IS THAT A BIG PLACE?
HENRY I GUESS
ME HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE THERE?
HENRY ‘BOUT 1000
ME 1,000?
HENRY WELL MA NEIGHBOUR PASSED ON LAST WEEK SO IT MAY BE 999
But the star of the show was a 2 year old boy called Colin. He wandered up onto the stage and I just let him roam around and even gave him his own microphone. Sometimes, words are not necessary. When something like this happens its best just to shut up……and let the audience laugh………and they did. Here are some photos.
Now, I promised the news on Bloggers Cruise 4 today but I need one more day. The 343 Stephanie’s are confirming the fare code thingy but I promise that tomorrow come what may, I will release the news…..honest ……I swear on Megan Fox’s bottom…….tomorrow BC4 will be unveiled.
Finally, I have to tell you one more thing about last week. At the guest talent show a young man sang a song by the Monkees called “I’m Believer” ………..although he insisted it was buy a band called Smash Me In The Mouth or something like that. Anyway, regardless he did a great job and I asked him who he would like to present his medal. He told me his wife and she came up on stage holding their 8 month old baby…………who was fast asleep. I asked if I could hold her while she presented him with the medal. I did…….and baby Adrianne woke up, saw me … and cried. Here’s proof.
I gave her back to Mum and then sang Kye’s favourite song “bouncy bouncy” and Adrianne went straight back to sleep. Here is a photo of me singing to her.
And as I sang……..for the very first time in 22 years at sea…………..I cried tears……. on stage.
What a big girl’s blouse I truly am.
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.
You’re not a big girl’s blouse, John. You’re just a dad who misses his little girl.
Hi John:
I wanted to pass on our thanks for the nice gift you had sent to our cabin on Splendor (April 11 sailing). Our vow renewal went well and the fruit basket was a special touch. Ok, the vow renewal had a couple of hickups since I forgot to pack my boys’ dress pants….
Thanks again – wish we could have been on Splendor together. Oh well, sailing Legend in a couple of months!
Thanks again.
Dave W.
John (Please Reply):
My family and I just returned home from our second voyage on the Carnival Fantasy, and are already planning to cruise her again once she moves to Charleston! We have truly fallen in love with that ship!
I hope that you have the pleasure of working with Henny, the Assistant Cruise Director we sailed with last week. He was the funniest person we’ve encountered in all of our Carnival cruises, and could make a wonderful Cruise Director for Carnival! My wife and I both agreed that we would choose a ship just because he was on it!
I also wanted to say that we had the two best dining staff, Marito and Ivanka, in the Celebration Dining Room. We never thought our previous cruise’s staff could be topped, but the entire family (all 7 of us) hated to leave them behind because they were so friendly and outgoing! We ran into them several times around the ship, and they always remembered us by name and seemed genuinely interested in how our days were going.
I only had one disappointment, though, in that we couldn’t find the ship pins in the gift shops. The shops were quite busy each time we stopped in, so I didn’t ask a staff member, but they were at the very least not easy to find!
I can’t wait to read your blogs from the Carnival Fantasy over the next few weeks! If you happen to meet Marito or Ivanka, please tell them hello!
It was great to see you again yesterday, John. It was equally wonderful to see our friend Chris. He really is looking well despite a few continuing problems.
Colin and Adrianne… you didn’t stand a chance. They may as well have brought a puppy on stage. You, my friend, were outnumbered!!!
Regarding the Dixie Chicks thing… it’s the Brits fault. You see, the Chicks were performing in London and they roundly bashed President Bush on stage. That’s a no no especially to Texans. Those folks certainly went overboard and I’m sure that at least some of the anger was powered by Budweiser.
All the best, my friend!!
Ciao
Host Mach
Hi John: Denn and I never give each other birthday/Christmas or anniversary gift. We just bank that money and go on our Carnival Cruise!! It’s the best gift we can think of to give each other!!! It’s a perfect fit, right colour, and we get to do it together!! I also let my family know ahead of time of things that I’d like for my birthday so they don’t give me clothes that don’t fit (or they’re just ugly….) or things I can’t use. Works like a charm. Same with our now adult kids. I tell them to let us know what they want and then give them money anyway…a nice card,(from the dollar store),and a special dinner out finishes it off. Good luck for choosing the “right” gift for Heidi
Blessings, Angela 
Hi John,
My family and I will be sailing on the Destiny on 11/25/10.
Could you please tell me who the cruise director will be. Keep up the good work, you make my job easier. Thanks and please reply!
Please reply John: I’m thinking of going on vacation by myself next Feb. but when I checked to see how much an OV is for just myself and then compare it for two people, the price was actually less for two than it was for a solo cruiser. Was just wondering why? Thanks so much, Angela Guptill
By the way, I haven’t left my hubby, I just want to go by myself and we are booked for our Alaska cruise in August /11
John You are a sweet man and father who truly misses his lovely daughter and sweet wife. You are an angel how much you go on about them! John you cant win when in comes to politics. Either way your wrong, we try to stay away from it. I’m sure alcohol played into both sides
Big Fans As Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Dear John,
You are not a big baby you are just a loving dad. I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic cruise. You are one of the funniest men I know. My husband and I were with my inlaws and I have not seen my mother-in-law laugh that much in years. The entire cruise was a blast and you truly know how to make people feel comfortable and be willing to get to know one another. Thanks for the memories!
John,
The Dixie Chicks while being from Texas are not well liked by many due to the comments they made a few years back while overseas about not being proud of President Bush and ashamed he was from Texas. That is why the people booed. Not the proper thing to do but emotions run deep in Texas.
We will be sailing with you on the Splendor on Sept 26th. This will be our 9th cruise on Carnival. Have been waiting for the opportunity to sail with you. Did not want to sail on Conquest due to the ports. Been there done that. We loved sailing the Splendor last year and look forward to sailing it and with you again.
john i am going on a cruise and my last waiter was not an entertainer, all he did was bring my food. yes it was good but since i was disappointed with him i am now demanding a table for two by the window with the best waiter in the fleet. bring him on the ship if you must. oh, and i sail in august. the end.
what a load of crap!!! no thank you, no nice words, just demanding stuff. i also am a member of cc and sometimes i get so ashamed of the people from there. disgusting. and you were so kind i wanted to tell craig to punch you one! ha ha ha
seriously, can’t you just lose those obnoxious posts? make them go *poof* or something?
have a great day my friend. oh, and jewelry is always nice!
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
John- you are just being a parent- and you will continue do love and miss your little girl-that makes you a great dad. We just drove to Miami from Orlando on friday to meet our little girl and take her to her cruise on the Liberty- ( she is now 26)- I did try to convince her to let me stow away in her suitcase but no go….. Maybe the next bloggers cruise… Deby
Dear John,
The reason the group took offence to the Dixie Chicks song was that the Dixie Chicks are also from Texas and one girl in the group said that she was ashamed to be from Texas because George W was from Texas. I think it was more that she had said she was ashamed to be from Texas that got the Texan’s upset. After all everybody now makes fun of GW.
The Left Coast is waiting for you with great spring weather. Loads of sunshine and the Carnival Splendor being on the West Coast may of had more to do with the Mariner of the Seas leaving. Who wants to book on an old ship when you can get that new ship smell. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
John,
That feeling never changes. My daughter is 20 and is currently studying in London for the semester. She has been gone since January, and I miss her terribly. Remember to savor the moments now…they grow up way too fast.
Never be embarrassed to be a father!
Mike
In the days before we invaded Iraq, Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines (a Texas native) said, at a concert: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.”
This happened EIGHT YEARS AGO.
While I’m certain that the guests in question are idiots, I cannot figure out if they’re the idiots who think that criticizing a president (unless he’s Obama) should be forbidden, or the type of idiots who get incredibly upset whenever someone criticizes Texas. Either way, they need to build a bridge and get over it.
Some people only agree with freedom of speech when it’s speech they agree with, I guess.
John, you are not a big baby, you are a very caring, loving person who misses their wife & little girl. There is NOTHING wrong with that.
Maybe for Heidi’s birthday you can give her a gift certificate to her favourite (correct spelling) store, be it a lingerie shop or a grocery store. If you can figure out what a woman wants, you are a bigger man than I.
Your friend,
ERNIE
Been there done that John. Had to do it for 20 someting odd years while in the USAF.. U doin good Dont stop
John et al,
There are still some folks around who do dislike Dixie Chicks for what they said about GW.
Re Royal runnin skeered..It seems they heard you were doing gangbusters here in Galveston that they are sending another ship here..”•In November 2011, Mariner OTS will debut in Galveston to offer Texas vacationers two roundtrip 7 night W Caribbean itins through April 2012″
Can’t wait to sail with you again on Carnival Splendor end of August with the Snoozemans group from CruiseMates!!
Phil & Liz
Aw! John, it must be very tough being away from your family so long. You’re much stronger than I, because I would be a blubbering, sobbing mess 24/7.
Maybe someday soon, Apple will come out with an iTransporter thingy a la Star Trek, so you can just pop in and visit with your girls for lunch, then pop back over to the ship.
Anyway, idea for Heidi’s b-day – you can’t go wrong with jewelry! Seriously, one of my favorite gifts that hubby gave me was a pretty cameo necklace. My little girl was less than 1 year old at the time, and it was great! ALSO (and this is VERY important), go out to Hallmark.com and have a card sent to Heidi from Kye.
Good luck, and happy shopping!
Laura
John, it’s truely adorable to see your dedication to your Kye, as is evident in your reaction to this little girl! Soon enough, you and your Ladies will be together again, and you’ll be a ble to hold and kiss her all you want.
You’re doing a great service to her, with your constant chatter and dedication to your family. Even if it has to be from afar. One day, she’ll be old enough to read, and she’ll be able to look back on all these thoughts and memories you have of her, and she’ll know just how much you love her.
In fact, I’m sure she already does know.
Sincerely,
Kim, AKA Zabnee
John, (Please reply)
My husband and I will be sailing on the Carnival Dream July 17th. This is our 20th Anniversary gift to each other!! A little late, as our actual anniversary is June 23rd, but we will be at a baseball tournament with our son Kyle. (You’ll soon learn how everything is scheduled around the kid’s sports, dance performances, school trips, etc!) It just so happens that during the week we do sail, it will be my daughter’s 13th birthday! I was told I can order her a cake to be delivered in the Dining Room – which I plan on doing. I was wondering if Circle C will recognize her birthday in any way? Do I need to inform the youth director, or will she/he know by her registration papers?
I can’t think of a better vacation for a family than a cruise – my 2 kids LOVED the Holiday and the Carnival Triumph, so I can only imagine what they will think of the Carnival Dream!!
Thank you in advance.
Kristine
Carnival Dream
July 17th – Rm 7345
What a great big sweetheart you are!!
Hugs,
Bobbi
John,
You such a sweet loving man. Time to go home to the girls again.
Just keep looking forward to the day when you’ll be on
the Canival Magic hopefully with both your girls full time, or at least closer to home.
Chin up..
John – PLEASE REPLY
You discuss “household items:” – what about extension cords. The reason I ask is that I use a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea and the only outlet in the room is on the opposite side of the room from the head of the bed.
I have been on two cruises since going on the CPAP and both times we have brought the extension cord (and duck tape to secure it to the rug) – it is the only way I can sleep without actually sleeping on the floor, as without the CPAP machine, I stand a pretty good chance of getting a lousy night’s sleep.
JustJon
John:
To completely understand the “Ditsy Chicks” situation, again you would have to be from America. (much like we don’t understand your hatred of the French and Gordon Brown).
I can assure you it was not just because they said something negative about President Bush. Their comments (while overseas on tour) were seen by very patriotic Americans as tantamount to treason (while on foreign soil) by demeaning our nation (and our troops) during a time of war. Since “cowboys” tend to be patriotic, even though the DC sing country music…it did not go over well.
It truly has nothing to do with just Texas. Country music fans all over our nation were repulsed.
Also, the DC seem to be rather hypocritical. They screamed nasty comments at Toby Keith for having the phrase “boot up your arse” in his song. They belittled him and said his song was “too violent”.
Unfortunately, they looked idiotic making these statements, since the week prior, the DC had released the song “Earl has to DIE”. An entire song about killing a man and mutilating his body to get rid of the evidence.
Larry the Cable Guy said it best when he said “they can sing pretty good, but that little fat one (Natalie) just needs to keep her mouth shut.”
As far as the “freedom of speech” issue, yes these women have the right to sing that song….but those who don’t like it have the same “freedom of speech” to boo it…without having to worry about their husbands beating someone up. True freedom of speech goes both ways!
The American freedom that made us great and that our men and women have spent generations dying to protect is not an easy thing.
GOOD NEWS…DJ is now the official owner of a redneck 4×4 pick up truck. While he will never be able to drive, David and I will chauffeur him around in his 2001 GMC Sierra SLT Z71 Off Road. They are adding something called a Flowmaster (that is suppose to add noise when you crank it) tomorrow and getting new mudgrip tires. The other thing DJ wants to add is a ship/train horn complete with compressed air ! (Yes, they actually sell these kinds of things.)
Also, Paul Motter (Cruisemates) contacted David and I this morning and we spent the day filling out a questionaire for an upcoming article about Carnival.
It has been a busy day.
Linda (Mom of your friend~now the official owner of a redneck truck~DJ)
John – Please Reply
Just my two cents on the PINS. How about if repeat cruisers are given a ‘coupon’ that would be redeemable in the gift shop for a pin???? That way, those who truly want them can (easily) get them and those who don’t can just toss the coupon……
I read your blog thingy sporadically, anytime I need a laugh. Saw you briefly on the Dream on the TA and hope to do a whole cruise with you sometime.
Hey John…how precious with you and that little one. Don’t ever being ashamed of being a dad that misses his little girl. I understand and empathise with you on every business trip.
Regarding the electrical devices / household items. I really hope carnival will re-think this unfriendly policy. we have been traveling with our devices and fan for the last 7 cruises without question.
I love carnival…and have invested heavily in the company and the quest for platinum status. I’m not saying I’d run to another cruiseline etc. If the restriction continue to pile up, we’ll revisit our vacation plans and look for the best suited vacation.
Please pass this along to the beards. A power strip and a fan have been found in a large percentage of cabins for the last few years. So if my kids need a night light (or have these too been classified as contraban), we can’t charge our cell phone? Again, I understand if there are reasonable restrictions (fans under 12″ – as I’ve seen people carry on box fans), but I think this was a poorly thought out, customer unfriendly plan.
Hope to see more pictures of Heidi and Kye in the blog!
Helen Plus 1,
I see another one of those who read something on CC boards and on the very first time they come running here asking for something. No PLEASE or THANK YOU just a “I WOULD LIKE a table for 2 to be CONFIRMED. Can you and WILL you do this”.
BIG ED
Dear John [PLEASE REPLY]:
I want your honest opinion following your recent cruise with Kye. We are thinking of taking our then-10 month old daughter on the 5-day cruise to the Bahamas leaving Charleston on the Fantasy on September 6th.
Are we insane?
My husband and I are avid cruisers. We took the Grand Med cruise with you on the Liberty in 2006 for our honeymoon. We took a short jaunt on the Holiday in 2007 to the Caribbean, and then joined you on the Splendor for the Baltic cruise in 2008. Our most recent cruise was in 2009 on the Spirit to Alaska — our “babymoon” — and we thought it would be our last for awhile.
But our daughter seems to have an easy disposition, and we’re thinking of “testing the waters” (so to speak) with a 5-day cruise. We live on the East Coast and so could drive to Charleston — no air travel required.
So are we crazy?
Thanks in advance for your reply — but mostly for all the great entertainment you’ve provided us in the past.
Regards to the entire Heald family — so happy there are three of you now.
Cynthia & Michael (and Michaela)
John, my husband, myself and 4 other friends were on the Conquest last week. No words can describe the fun that we had on that cruise. You gave my Goddaughter a bear, and she sleeps with it each night now. My husband John was the villian in your skit from talent night, and i still laugh thinking about that night. This was our second cruise, and we do plan on taking more. John you helped make our cruise fantastic, and we were so pleased. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have one question, you told that you posted a pic of you and my husband, could you email me and tell me where its at. I am fairly new to blogging. thanks so much John and Tracy
John, I warned you 2 weeks ago it was time to send something to Heidi for her birthday. Something that you hand picked, boxed up and sent to her with your own 2 hands. So what do you do but wait till the last minute to send some impersonal item you found on the internet. You would have been better off just sending a card YOU hand picked out and in it tell her of things you were going to do to her once you got home. But no you take the direct route to the doghouse. John John you just don’t listen.
BIG ED
Hey John,
That brought tears to my eyes as well. I can’t imagine being away from Heidi & Kye without the tears now and then. Good luck on the gift. I understand, as I have a hard time finding the perfect thing.
Jan
John if you don’t mind, We would like to send our thoughts and prayers to all of the ones who lost their loved ones, and their homes in the tornados that swept across the southeastern states. Our prayers especially go up for the parents that lost their baby and children.
There was some damage close to where we live, but nothing like the people in Mississippi had.
Carolyn and Don
Dear John,
My fiance and I are looking forward to our first ever cruise, and are glad to be experiencing it on Carnival. We haven’t had much quality time together, as he works away in Iraq for most of the year. He is from the UK, and I’m for the US. We met on my deployment to Iraq and its been heaven ever since. We so need quality alone time, and thats what this cruise is for us, quality time together. I was wondering if you could help us with reserving a table for two for dinner? We are sailing the Conquest on June 13. Any help you could give us would be so very appreciated.
Thanks
Erica
Hi John,
Just a suggestion, Every woman loves flowers delivered to her door on special occasions. If not, jewelry always works!! LOL. Good luck on your choice, I’m sure Heidi will love whatever it is you decide to send. Please pass on my happy birthday wishes to her.
Have a great last week!!
Theresa
Dear Julio…I believe the best gift for you baby is a hand written card from your heart. Tell her how much you thank God for her but the distance makes you CRYYYY
when she’s older, those letters will mean more than a tiny rattle… And btw I SAID I WOULD MARRY YOU!!! lol and your right we ARE amigos.. I miss you and your crazy jokes…luv, POOKIE (Carol)
Dear John (please reply),
Sorry to bother you with another “please reply” comment so soon after my last, but you asked that I let you know when we’d be taking our next Fun For All cruise. Well, we’ll be sailing on the beautiful Carnival Dream on May 29th, spa stateroom 11203, and we can barely contain our excitement!
You might recall that my 4-year-old, Alyssa, has a speech impairment that we have been working on (mostly with speech therapy) for over two years now. I wanted to mention again, though, that Carnival has also played a part in her slow but steady progress.
I’ve already praised the wonderful Camp Carnival staff for their patience and quality care that helped Alyssa improve in her clarity during her last two Carnival cruises. But Alyssa has so much fun even outside of Camp Carnival activities, that it’s now easier to get Alyssa to work on her speech at home when I prompt her with Fun Ship topics and words like “Waterworks” and “Fun Ship Freddy.”
John, you should see how excited Alyssa gets when I pull up photos and virtual tours of the Carnival Dream, and show her all the fun things she’ll get to do on board! Admittedly, I’m just as excited as she is, but that’s beside the point.
What’s important is that Alyssa asks to see the pictures again and again, and in our discussions about the ship, she has no idea she’s actually doing her “work.” (Shh! Don’t tell!)
Anyway, thanks again for letting me share Alyssa’s story on your blog. I hope that some day we can sail on a ship with you as our CD so that Alyssa and I can both say thank you in person.
Hugs to Heidi and Kye,
Laura
Dear John,
You aren’t a girl you just miss your beautiful Kye. When I first started reading that section of your blog I knew that little Adrianne would get to your soft side. You crying is just a natural reaction and is beautiful as it shows your love for your little girl.
John,
Please relpy, not in a hurry
Can we still bring an extension cord from home? My son has medical equipment that he has to have at night and usually need the extension cord because the wall plug is usually on the wrong side of the room or is to far away from the bed. I usually bring a small fan for him since he sweats so bad at night and get very upset when he does, do I have to leave it at home now. We never leave the stuff plugged in when we leave the room, it is always unplug and placed out of the way until night when it is needed. I hope we can still be able to bring these things for his comfort.
Thanks for keeping us updated on all the changes, it nice to know ahead of what we can bring and not bring.
John,
A suggestion for what to get Heidi, Just call the local flower shop and have them send a large bunch of Flowers to her with a sappy card. I am sure she knows you are doing what you truely love to do, and she will understand.
PLease keep up the good work, and keep Al’s updates comming… Oh by the way how is Jammie making out?? we haven’t had a dear john letter form her lately…..
Please wish Heidi a Happy Birthday from my Family
Capt Bill
Dear John,
You wanted to know what the controversy was about the Dixie Chicks…. here it is in a nutshell taken from the ‘Wiikipedia’ (the free encyclopedia) on the internet.
“During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines said, “we don’t want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas” (the Dixie Chicks’ home state). The statement offended people who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to accusations of the three women being “un-American”, as well as hate mail, a death threat, and the public destruction of their albums in protest.”
Hey John,
A few years into his presidency the Dixie Chicks made a disparaging remark about President Bush while on stage. So they’ve (the Dixie Chicks) have taken quite a large amount of heat over it, and there are some (obviously) who still feel that way.
I for one personally don’t like them for it. While I agree it’s our right to say what we want and to voice our opinions when we want, and while I may disagree with their words, I would fight for their right to say them. I think there should be a level of respect given to the office, and that insulting the person it in is disrespecting it. So therefore I’m not a fan of the Dixie Chicks, however to boo a group of people singing their music on a ship is taking it too far.
Dear John,
I don’t think I can help you with the selection of Heidi’s birthday present. That is a tough decision that could have “mixed” results. Good luck, I know you’ll eventually find the right gift. Sorry about the nail biting…….and especially concerned to hear that “slightly handsome” Craig has NEW duties that are not the most “pleasant”!
A quick reminder that May 9th is Mother’s Day in the U.S.A. This could be a second chance to do something for your Mum and Kye’s Mum. Tell them you’ve been in here so long that you’ve become confused with the exact date, etc. They won’t believe you BUT it could be fun to do?
The photos of you with little Adrianne are, as they say, priceless! The story is another reason why you are so loved by your fans, you are a kind and gentle man with a very big heart. Kye’s a very lucky little girl to have you for her Dad.
Have a great week on Carnival Conquest. Be seeing you on May 8th!
Your old buddy,
Steve O
Steve,
You will be sailing with other Evil Crew. Lance and Ilda and Don and Carolyn will be there with you. Need a Evil Crew meeting picture.
BIG ED
Ed I think Lance and ilda are going on a different cruise than we are. Linda, David and DJ will be on the cruise with Steve O
CC
John (Please reply at your convenience),
I am so sorry that I did not get a chance to sail with you during your time on my Conquest, she is my favorite ship and I’ve sail on her 5 times.
I look forward to the news of BC4. My sister and I were on BC2 & 3 and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. But this brings me to my 1st question.
I am trying to plan our 2011 cruises and I’ve heard that BC4 is going to be a 2011 cruise (I hope so because I can’t squeeze more than 3 in this year). I’m hoping that it will be early in the year because we would like to sail on the Magic while she is in Europe.
We sailed with you on the inaugural voyage of the Freedom from Venice in 2007 and just can’t wait to go back…..but I’m rambling.
Question, There hasn’t been anything announced about the Magic’s Trans Atlantic cruise and this is what we are most interested in. You mentioned in a blog a couple of weeks ago that you once sailed a TA that was crew only. I hope this isn’t the case with the Magic, but do you have any idea when the schedule and pricing will be out?
Second question… We just returned from our 20th Carnival cruise on the Ecstasy and noticed a couple of changes that I wanted to comment on.
Your Time Dining!!!! The best thing since sliced bread. We loved having the flexability to wander into the DR whenever we were ready. We never had to wait and though it was a strech to call a “private table” such when you’re seated at a table which is only 8″ away from the next table for 2. We certainly enjoyed the extra elbow room. Is YTD becoming more popular and are the beards planning on expanding this option?
Last question. I noticed that none of the bars serve snacks anymore. I assume this is a cost savings issue, but it would seem that the more salty snacks that are served the greater the demand for a refreshment to quench your thirst, which should more than offset the expense of the snack. Any chance snacks will come back but maybe in smaller bowls so there isn’t so much waste?
Looking forward to sailing with you on BC4 and Thank You for such entertaining daily blogs. I can’t get my workday started without them.
John please reply
My wife, my son ( 16 ), and I sailed the Dream 17 Apr. We were loyal to a cruise line that sails malls. We decided to give Carbival a try. We had a great cruise, and will sail Carnival again. My son said ” club O2 was wicked pissah ” Massachusetts Slang for very good. My favorite was the comedy club, Jeff ‘ the fun dude’ Shaw made the club great. My wife loved the shows, and movies under the stars. We had a Dream vacation. My only question is why did they have to serve the bacon, and not let us take our own at the buffet? My son, and I went on the behind the fun tour, it was a great tour. seeing some of the stuff that goes on behind the secenes make you appreciate everything on the cruise even more. Hope to sail with you as CD sometime.
At a London concert in 2003, around the start of the Iraq war, the Dixie Chicks said that they were against the war and they were ashamed that President Bush was from their state, Texas.
If your guests were from Texas, and if they were pro-military and/or pro-war, they probably were offended on multiple levels. So, the booing was for the Dixie Chicks, not for the karaoke singers.
The music triggered their anger, and your music triggered your tears. Music is that powerful.
Next thing you’ll be writing us from home, telling us you watched “You’ve Got Mail” with Heidi, and couldn’t stop crying at the end!
You’re a dad. It opens up a whole new perspective on life.
Laurie F.
Dear John……don’t worry about crying…..we all know you miss your girls!
About the poor girls from karoake….here is an excerpt from their wikipedia page that will explain what happened…..
……”During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines said, “we don’t want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas” (the Dixie Chicks’ home state).[2] The statement offended people who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to accusations of the three women being “un-American”, as well as hate mail, a death threat, and the public destruction of their albums in protest.[3]“……
While folks all over the country have those feelings, it’s more pronounced here in Texas as alot of folks feel like it was a case of Texans bashing their own.
What I don’t understand is why the extremely rude guests interrupted them during their singing of a song. Just because folks have bad feelings towards the famous artists doesn’t give them the right to be mean and rude to those girls who were just having fun and chose a song that they thought they could sing.
BELC
Maribeth Kring
Awwww! Hugs to you John. I don’t know how you do it. I wouldn’t be able to be away from my family for so long.
Dearest John – What a blessing it is to come here on a daily basis (a must), and feel through your words the love you have for your wife and daughter. We sailed with you on the Carnival Dream on 2/27/10 when Heidi and Kye were with you and it was evident how much you adore your girls. May you be home with them soon, but also may they know how much you truly care in their hearts!
Godspeed my friend,
Sharon Haner
ah, you’ve got me crying, too.
Hi John,
How sweet you are! Anyway, as far as Heidi’s gift is concerned, I have a couple of suggestions. First, jewelry is always a great gift and no, it does not have to be expensive. Maybe a necklace or bracelet with her and Kye’s birthstones. Second, if you arranged a spa day or a massage or manicure or something like that and arranged for someone to watch Kye while she was out, Heidi might think that was very thoughtful.
Good luck!
John Please reply,
John I am sure you know we are leaving on the dream here in just a few weeks on the 29th. We did book the dream again for next year on the eastern route and I had a question for you. We have figured our shore tours for Nassau and St Thomas, However in St. Maarten we wanted to do an island tour seeing we did the awesome Americas Cup regatta last time. Carnival.com list two island shore tours for St. Marteen. One called ‘Dutch & French Island Experience” for $26 and Also a “St. Maarteen Island Tour” for $35. Can you tell me or find out what the difference is in these? When you read the descriptions they are pretty much the same thing. The onyl difference I can find is the cost. ???????
Many Thanks,
Big Fans as Allways,
Frank and Bridie
Dear John (PLEASE REPLY)
This is my third time in trying to get my questions answered. I won’t take the time in asking them again, but would love it if someone could tell me how you ask a question on this thing???
Ugh.
Jo
John (please respond if you have a chance),
We’re going to be taking our 4th Carnival cruise on July 18th on the Carnival Miracle. I remember that on our first two cruises, our honeymoon on 6/7/92 on the Carnival Ecstasy and 8/22/99 on the Carnival Triumph you were the CD. I also remember an older gentleman, I believe named Sebastian, who performed piano at the guest talent show and you presented him with a key to all of the fleet-wide pianos. Do you happen to know what his background was and if he’s still with us? Also, do you know who our CD will be on the Miracle?
The Riley Family
JOHN PLEASE REPLY
Hi John..
Love the blog and look forward to my laugh everyday! I wanted to thank you for forwarding my Dream aft wrap balcony issue to the right department and all was resolved. In fact we booked the Miracle leaving May 7th from New York with ten of our family members. We wish you were sailing with us but I am sure we will have a fabulous time.
Thanks again..you work wonders!!
Mel and her gang!! lol
i am professional visual artist, maybe you like to show some of my images? i think it would be neat and fit on your page
totally admire your blog! send me a e-mail please in case you want to colaborate