So, where we were before I had to pop off and do the plaque presentation? Well, I was going to tell you how many kids we had onboard and here is the answer.
| Under 2 Years | 6 |
| 2-5 Years (Camp Carnival) | 29 |
| 6-8 Years (Camp Carnival) | 16 |
| 9-11 Years (Camp Carnival) | 18 |
| 12-14 Years (Circle “C”) | 24 |
| 15-17 Years (Club 02) | 12 |
| 18-20 Years | 79 |
Not too many then and I am sure the kids are having a great time …………..although one parent isn’t so sure. Have a read of this.
Guest: ______ Swartz Ref: 802941779A
Cabin: ——–Added-Changed: 05/18/10 – 05/18/10CAMP CARNIVAL COMPLAINT
Guest came to the GSD to say that she had been told that there was 24 hour baby sitting at Camp Carnival by her TA. Mrs_____has three children and wants them at Camp Carnival until 3:00am and after as they are big casino players and like to go to bed very late. Guest then demanded in cabin babysitting but was informed we do not do this.Guest was very angry and had to be asked not to shout by GSS who came to assist.
Now I am not too sure who her travel agent is ………or maybe I should use the word “was” based on the incorrect information they gave this lady………..but it does bring up an interesting question and one that as a new Dad………..I am not sure what the answer is. The question is “Is it right to leave your kids at Camp Carnival or Circle C for as long as possible during a Carnival cruise”?
I have been umming and ahhing about this since I read this comment and I have two answers ………yes…………and ummmm………no. Would you like to hear my thoughts on this? Well, you are going to anyway so here they are.
Let’s start with the Yes.
I am sure that some parents are driven to Prozac and therapy by the slightly French sounding voice in their head that says “Why have children if you don’t want to spend all day with them you bastards?” And I have seen this on the ships from time to time. I will meet families and ask if their kids have enjoyed Camp Carnival and will be told that they haven’t been there because “They want to spend as much time together ………as a family.” I often think when I see this that it’s the kids that sometimes suffer. While it’s great to be with Mum and Dad, happy, confident children do not need to spend their maximum cruising hours with their parents………..or do they?
From what I have seen during my time onboard is that kids like to hang out with other kids, especially on vacation and especially when they know that they have brilliant facilities like Camp Carnival and Circle C. But sometimes you see these poor children on the Lido Deck, their mothers fussing the living daylights out of them, all in the name of “quality time”…………. a phrase that surely strikes fear into the heart of any Hannah Montana worshipping 12 year old.
When parents are on a Carnival ship, face painting and having a photo with a 6-foot-high funnel-headed mascot out are not top of their agenda. And when kids are on a cruise, lying on a sun bed staring into space all day, breaking off for a facial and watching some fat English bloke tell stupid jokes is not I am sure……..top of theirs. There is a simple and brilliant solution to all of this………. Camp Carnival. There are plenty more reasons why Camp Carnival is the answer to a perfect cruise vacation for all the family including the most important fact………without Camp Carnival most parents would get bugger all rumpy pumpy.
So that’s that then……..case closed. Or is it? Because there is another side to the argument.
Before I had Kye in my life there would not have been a “no” part to this blog thingy but I sat here………in my underpants thinking that there just might be. You see every day I sit here…….still in my underpants……..beating my breasts and moaning about how much I miss Kye. So, if I was to go home on vacation, go on the Queen Victoria British Isles cruise (in July) and yet when I finally get to be with my beautiful daughter I shove her out of sight in a room with strangers, then bugger off to dinner to chomp down on a Todd English short rib followed by a cigar in the Churchill club.
I think this comes from what Heidi used to tell me from when she worked in Camp Carnival. She used to tell me about parents who would drag their kids to camp screaming: “Do this for me and Mom! We need this time together.” Mom and Dad then disappeared ………probably back to Lido for a Slippery Nipple and Cheeseburger.
I know this sounds harsh on the parents who want a rest, or maybe some rumpy-pumpy, so let me qualify it. I’m not saying people who put their children in for a few hours or so to make ice cream sundaes and shoot zombies on the Playxboxstation while they sneak some time at the Cloud Nine Spa. Nope……. I’m talking about those parents who you see waiting impatiently for it to open at 10am to offload their kids and leave them all day, apart from a mandatory hour at lunchtime, when the club closes. And to think that the guest who complained is upset because we don’t offer round the clock babysitting services.
There is one other factor to mention. You see I know the staff at Camp Carnival are fantastic young men and women all of whom have been vetted and have to have very specific qualifications. But I am well aware of the staff and their qualifications……since I work here ……..yet it must be difficult for parents who aren’t familiar with the staff and meeting them for the first time. I am sure if I was a guest and not a Carnival employee, sneaking back to peer through the door and checking on Kye.
But as I said at the top of the blog thingy……..I know that children sometimes crave the company of other kids (though being thrown in with a bunch of kids I didn’t know would have been my idea of hell when I was a child), and I know I am biased but Camp Carnival is the best and safest kids play heaven at sea. So, there is I guess a happy medium where you can find that middle ground providing time at Camp Carnival for the kids……….and time for Mum and Dad to go back to the cabin to make them a brother or a sister.
I had better crack on with today’s questions. Yesterday I said I was bored and got a bollocking from blogger “Tom” for not spending time answering more……….so let’s crack on………..sorry Tom.
Justin Allen Asked:
John: (Please Reply)Long time follower, first time poster
I just wanted to say you do an outstanding job keeping us informed of the daily happenings within Carnival Cruise Lines. You have a wit and knack for words that only few have. My wife and I will be sailing on the Carnival Freedom in September. It will be our 14th cruise with Carnival. Next year we are looking at the Carnival Magic in September for the Mediterranean sailing. I sure do hope you are our CD that cruise
I kinda got on a ramble there so let me get back to why I originally posted…you responded to a question from Jennifer mentioning “Just Jack” and I wanted to tell you who that was. If I’m thinking of the same person, his name is Alan Price. We’ve sailed with him a couple of times as a Social Host and boy is he a hoot. He’s very personable, very likable and most of all, a great example of a Carnival employee.
Ok, hope that’s not too long of a read for you..maybe it’ll help you keep your mind off Megan Fox’s bottom
Thanks for all you do!
Justin Allen
Florence, SCJohn Says:
Hello Justin AllenIt is always great to hear from first time posters and I thank you for the kind words of support for the blog thingy. Congratulations on your 14th cruise that is upcoming on the Carnival Freedom. She is a great ship and I know you will have a brilliant time. I will indeed be the Cruise Director on the Carnival Magic and I would be honoured if you would let me show you our magnificent new ship and the splendours (spelt correctly) of the European ports of call. Yes, Alan Price, I have never worked with him but he has a great reputation and I hope to work with him one day soon. Thanks for clearing that up and maybe I should consider him for the Carnival Magic team and to help celebrate your ten year anniversary.
It would be a real pleasure to see you on the Carnival Magic and thanks for sort of photo of Megan Fox’s bottom……….I have one to show you when you sail with me next year………but don’t tell your wife or mine.
Best wishes to all
JohnDan Clark Asked:
Hey John, I love reading your blog, who doesn’t like a funny Englishman. Me and my girlfriend will be cruising on the Fantasy out of Charleston on 5/30/10. It looks like you will be your CD, can you confirm that. This is my 3rd cruise but my girlfriends first. Can’t wait.
Look forward to a reply.
Thanks.John Says:
Hello Don ClarkYes indeed I will be the Cruise Director with you. It will be my last cruise before vacation and I promise I will do my best to make you laugh out loud. How about leaving me a note at the Guest Services Desk when you arrive so I can send you a little something.
See you soon
Best wishes
JohnVinny from Staten Island Asked:
Dear John (please reply).I haven’t missed a blog since I discovered it about a year ago. Even after my cruises I catch up on the blogs when I get home. Keep up the good work! Reading today’s blog got me thinking, is cruising something celebrities do much of? Have you run into many besides Howie Mandel. And also is Megan Fox aware of your infatuation with her bottom?! Maybe she could take a Carnival cruise someday (just let me know when it’s gonna be!) Hope to cruise with you someday soon. Vinny
John Says:
Hello Vinny from Staten IslandI am pretty certain that you are the first Vinny we have ever had on the blog thingy so let me just start by saying “How you doin’?”
I have met a few celebs in my time although most are from years gone by. Let me see if I can list the ones I have met.
Dame Judy Dench – Godmother of the Carnival Legend
Mia Sorvino – Godmother of the Carnival Liberty
Kathy Ireland – Godmother of the Carnival Freedom
Myleene Klass – Godmother of the Carnival Splendor (famous English TV personality)
Marcia Gay Harden – Godmother of your Carnival Dream
I have also met onboard: Julio Iglesias, Marvin Hamlisch, Kathy Lee and Frank Gifford, Regis Thingy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Black, Magic Johnston, The Olsen Twits …. sorry ………twins, Cindy Lauper, Jeff Goldblum, Howie something from the pop group the New Backstreet Kids On The Block, Pat Riley and Emitt Smith.
As for Megan knowing about my undying love for her bottom……..I doubt she knows but if you see Vinnie please let her know………does she have the finest bottom in the world ………….”forget about it”
Best wishes and hope we meet one day soon
JohnKrhpee Asked:
Well I was reading the blog as I do most evenings so I can keep well informed, I am so surprised that a blogger would comment and encourage us. I am very happy to report that my husband is doing quite well. It was a scary episode but he has good doctors and is doing good.
Please reply
I am happy to report that Carnival has finally reached a decision regarding our canceled cruise. Although I am disappointed that we were offered a discount on a cruise instead of credit, we did get offered something.
I am happy to be a loyal Carnival cruiser and happy to know that they did almost the right thing. I just have to find the right cruise or the right cabin so I can fully take use of the full discount.
John, thanks for the help with this. I do believe that your involvement helped get this resolved, We will be sailing soon as soon as I can find that perfect cruise.– oh yeah– they are ALL perfect,
John Says:
Hello KrhpeeI am so glad that your husband is on the road to recovery and I wish him nothing but health and happiness in the future. I am glad that the CARE Team contacted you and that they were able to give you some assistance and there is no need to thank me. I am just glad that your husband is getting better every day and that I was able to help. Please let me know if I can help further.
Best wishes to you both
JohnMary Smith Asked:
Dear John – Please ReplyWe sailed with you late last June on the Freedom. In November we joined you at the bloggers breakfast in Rockefeller Plaza and appear in a video clip with you entitled “KISS”. You scolded me that day for only wearing a sweater on such a chilly day.
The reason I am writing is to let you know that our parents are (for the third time) taking the entire family (children and grandchildren) 13 in all on yet another cruise. This cruise is to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. It came as a surprise to be given such a generous gift two years in a row. They always allow everyone’s input in the planning. The cruise on the Freedom was planned primarily by the grandchildren. We were all extremely impressed with Carnival. Mom and Dad are frequent cruisers and this was a change from the line they usually sail on (Celebrity). Everyone had a wonderful time and lifelong memories were made. You were a hit with all of us and we still laugh about many things you said and did.
While I know you will not be our CD on our upcoming cruise on the Liberty on 6/26 I was hoping you might be able to send personal congratulations to our parents. It would mean a great deal to them I am sure. As our gift to them we will be planning yet another family cruise for the following year. Please contact me and I will give you any details that you may need. Take care and I hope to hear from you soon.
PS Thank you for the wonderful blog. It is like a daily comic strip for me. My coworkers all enjoy your comments about your gastrointestinal issues as we work in that field.
John Says:
Hello Mary SmithI remember that day In Rockefeller well and I was cold………yet you stood there munching on a bagel in just a thin sweater and no coat. We had fun though didn’t we and thanks so much for coming down to support the event.
It would be my honour (spelt correctly) to send you parents a note of congratulations and will send my great friend and your Cruise Director Butch a note to make this happen. However, please send me a posting marked to the attention of the 344 Stephanies and include their names and cabin please and as soon as I get that I will write to Butch to make it so.
I am so glad that you all enjoy the blog and I hope that you continue to do so.
My best wishes to all
JohnDenise Dick Asked:
Hi John, (please reply)I’m as aggravated as Fred is. As you know, Mike and I are booked on our Carnival Dream on May 8 for our anniversary. When I made the reservation, I booked on an early saver fare with an inside cabin. After much discussion with my husband, Mike, we decided to splurge and upgrade to a cove balcony. As this is our 4th carnival cruise, I was hoping for some leniency on the $50 pp admin fee to upgrade. I was told there were no exceptions so I gave in gracefully even though $100 was hard to come by. We are not rich people.
What really bothered me recently is because I was penalized having an early saver fare, I watched the price of the cove balcony faithfully to make sure it did not drop below the fare we paid. To my great surprise, I found that a resident rate appeared on the Carnival website for $759 pp and we paid $787. So I sent in a claim form to get the difference as an OBC. Admittedly, it is a small amount but anything will help. I received an email from that department that that fare was never published by Carnival. They said that fare was for ocean view and not balcony.
This really upset me as I am absolutely positive the fare was for balcony because I was used to looking at it every day. I wrote back and asked to please double check because this was a special resident fare that I saw. I just received another email from them saying that the fare was NOT published and my claim was denied again.
I have to say I feel very betrayed because I was penalized for upgrading because I booked with an early saver fare and then when I could take advantage of that type of fare, it is denied to me.
I’m very upset not only because of the inability to obtain an OBC for our cruise but also because I do not feel valued by Carnival as a customer any longer.
I realize this is lengthy but I am upset by the poor customer service. I’m sure Carnival will be in much better financial condition since they did not have to give me my $54 OBC.
Thanks for reading.
John Says:
Hello Denise DickI am so sorry that you are upset and I am glad that you have contacted me. I still don’t fully understand the ins and outs of the Early Saver program but I do understand that you are upset. Therefore I will pass this on to someone who does understand this program and make sure they contact you. Thanks so much for letting me know and please write back to me after someone has contacted you and let me know what happened.
Best wishes
JohnCanuck Cruiser Asked:
Hello John, Please reply when time permitsI’m sending you a telepathic message………….the next Bloggers cruise should be on the Carnival MIRACLE on FEB 7th , 2011! Got it? Good. LOL
We’re already booked on this cruise and we would like to with the Blogger family. Hope this works.
Well Donna, my daughter and newest grandson will be on the Imagination next month for a short cruise to Key West and Cozumel. They leave on May 17th. I’m sure they will have a great time as usual. Please let Tory Secoy know that the little guy that is about to melt her heart when he smiles is our grandson and this is his first cruise. Only nine more for him until Platinum.
If Tory could send Nathan a Fun Ship Freddie he promises to not cry once on the whole cruise. I have his word. LOL
Hope all is well with you and say HI to Heidi and Kye.
All the best from MR. CANADA
Brad and Donna from Stratford.John Says:
Hello Canuck CruiserIt was funny but a few weeks ago I got this weird feeling that someone was eating a Tim Horton’s doughnut and trying to tell me something about the Carnival Miracle. It nearly worked……..if only that doughnut had been sugar free. Seriously though, I did consider the Carnival Miracle but in the end the marketing beards decided on the Carnival Glory for BC4. I wish you could join us.
I have sent something to Nathan……I hope he likes it
Have fun and write when you get home.
Best wishes to you all……..”eh”
JohnLeanne Asked:
Please Reply –I just read the comment from Peggy Winge (April 22), whose daughter would like to have a Carnival themed birthday party. First, I think it’s a great idea, and second, I think it’s a shame she can’t get a bunch of Carnival t-shirts to give to her daughter’s friends at the party.
With that said, I wonder why Carnival doesn’t have an on-line shop? It would produce a lot of revenue. You could sell so many things such as t-shirts, baseball hats, Fun Ship Freddy dolls, beach towels, water bottles, picture frames, toys, etc.
Why haven’t the beards thought of this yet? It’s great advertising – people who aren’t on a ship can be out and about with the Carnival logo on various everyday items. Your thoughts?
John Says:
Hello LeanneYou are right. I have no idea why we don’t have an online shop either. I am sure there are contract regulations with the people who provide our onboard shop merchandise but it would be fantastic to have an online shop thing selling T-shirts, etc. Certainly the Carnival themed birthday party is an excellent idea and one that I have already presented to our marketing department and they agreed…….so this may be something that we can get done soon. I will re-address the online shop subject as I know it is something that many of you want.
Best wishes and thanks for taking the time to write.
John
That’s all for today and thanks to everyone who took the time to write. I have noticed these past few weeks that there are some angry people out there who tell me how crap my blog is yet they read it every day and post comments that are so angry. I could ignore them but then I will be accused of only posting the good stuff which I will never do. So, I shall just carry on being nice.
In November of this year the Carnival Fantasy will head for two weeks in dry dock. I know many of you love to see the ship out of the water and follow what happens during this very important time. Well maybe we should follow the example of P&O Cruises Australia who have just placed one of their ships, Pacific Dawn, into her dry dock period. They have decided to share this experience with all their loyal Aussie fans and this video that I am about to show you is getting many hundreds of hits every day. It shows just how passionate the folks down under are about cruising (and shrimp and beer and kangaroos and not wearing long pants) and how fascinating a dry dock can be made if modern media thingies are used. Here is the link………I absolutely know you will enjoy this.
http://pacificdawn.pocruises.com.au/
So yesterday the Carnival Fantasy arrived into Charleston and what a welcome we received. This started at 8 am when a small flotilla of ships escorted us into the Charleston Harbor. Here are some fantastic shots taken from a helicopter by the terrifically talented Mr. Andy Newman.
Brilliant photos Andy and thank you for hanging outside the helicopter again to get these shots.
Back on board I hosted the plaque exchange ceremony between various city dignitaries and port authority VIPs and a very proud Captain Costi. Also joining us were Jim Berra our Chief Marketing Officer who spoke about how proud we were that Carnival could finally call Charleston a “home port” and always he spoke eloquently and with obvious passion for the company which is now very much part of his life.
I tried to make it as fun as I could and hopefully the laughter I heard in the theatre was proof that I made the right choice and rather than host a stuffy, golf clap type of ceremony the decision to make it fun was the right one. Well, rather than me waffle on about this I think Peter the Hair has a video highlight of what happened……and here it is.
My thanks to peter and one of the 344 Stephanies for joining me and it was also great to see our friend Vance from PR. Yep, all in all I think with the great lunch, cocktails and the fun on with the water slide races………..the people of Charleston had a great time and experienced a little taste of what we are all about.
Here are some photos taken by one of the 344 Stephanies……..Stephanie H.
Then there are the folks who are getting a full 5 days and goodness me they are truly excited to be here. When I walked out on stage for the Welcome Aboard Show and asked them if they were excited to have a ship out of South Carolina the room erupted as though I had just asked them “Who would like to see me naked?” OK………maybe that’s not the best simile but their response certainly proved that they were.
What is interesting is that out of nearly 2300 guests only 715 have cruised with Carnival before. That’s about 400 less than last week when we sailed out of Alabama. Now, that maybe because it’s a 5 day cruise to the Bahamas which maybe folks have been to before and they are waiting to the next cruise to go to Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. But I think that this is a prime example of how important it is for us to find new home ports and thus we will find new first time cruisers as we have here this cruise. I wonder …….what the next new home port will be. Our Senior Vice President Terry is reading this blog…….so……..any suggestions?
The welcome aboard show was very busy indeed and as full a lounge as I have seen. To get to the back stage area of the theatre on the Fantasy class from the CD cabin involves walking past the forward Empress deck cabins. There is one thing I always look for when I do this and that’s how many “snoozing” signs are hanging on the doors. Last week on the seven day Alabama cruise there were quite a few……..this week I counted just 2. That was a sure fire way of telling that most people were going to make the very most of these 5 days and that proved correct both with a packed show and very lively entertainment areas.
Here are a few highlights from the welcome aboard show including a cute always smiling man called Mr. Chin……..a man who did a crazy dance for his girlfriend of 19 years ……… and me having a conversation with a honeymooner called Charlene who got married on the ship on Tuesday and is 4 months pregnant………actually in the picture I am having a chat with her baby……….who she will be calling Lizzie.
The passion I feel here in South Carolina reminds me of the passion for cruising the people had in Galveston………and that is a very big compliment indeed.
My flight tickets arrived for my vacation yesterday and I will be flying via Miami to London on British Airways. Normally when I get my ticket I get very excited despite seeing the word “economy” next to my name. It might as well say “loser” or “hey fat bastard, you are in for 9 hours of hell class.” However this time I have other things to be worried about such as whether British Airways will be on strike and of course that sodding volcano and its nasty ash.
The thing keeps farting out huge amounts of ash and each time it does flights into and out of the UK are canceled. Some say that this is crazy and even Sir Richard Branson the owner of Virgin Atlantic said on the news yesterday that it was bollocks…….well he didn’t actually use the word bollocks but you get my drift. Now while I have my own opinions on the high visibility jacket wearing, tofu eating beardies who have ruined the world with their health and safety laws I happen to agree with the people who ground the flights.
“Of course you can fly through that cloud of ash,” says Mr. Branson and other airline executives!……… “This is health and safety gone mad!”
Listen Mr. Virgin. A 747 is enormous and basically shaped like a penis…..not mine obviously but probably George Clooney’s and Bill Clinton’s………and I do not want to be inside a penis, inside a cloud of powered glass thank you very much. This is the same Richard Branson who says that within three years he’ll be in a position to offer seats on a spaceship at something like $250,000 a ticket. Apparently it’ll be no more risky than early commercial jet flight which, if you are flying through a cloud of ash means it’ll be extremely dangerous and very many people will be killed.
But once we’ve buried what’s left of Tom Cruise and Bono, the economies of scale will kick in and soon poor people like me will be able to die in the freezing radioactive wasteland of space too…….obviously while sitting in economy. Anyway……….the best proof that Mr. Branson is talking bollocks about this whole ash thing is that he has a beard. The defense rests.
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.
Hi John,
It isn’t unusual to find a hot tub or three closed for hyperchlorination at night and sometimes even during the day.
I do hope some hot tubs will remain drink free. No telling what spilled drinks and second hand alcohol will do to the water.
I don’t even want to think about Spring Break cruises and underage drinking.
bill
Bill, give me a break “second hand alcohol”. LOL.
BIG Ed
Just a quick note… congratulations to the fine citizens of Charleston. If they and rival our cruisers from Galveston they must be doing something right.
Bravo!
Great video, John!!
Ciao.
Host Mach
Host Mach,
Thanks for that nice congrats! We here in Charleson SC certainly are proud that we have the Carnival Fantasy here with us!
Julie
As in all things in life, the same rule applies to Camp Carnival: ‘All things in moderation”.
Dear John, reply if you like:
In the past, I didn’t understand why people put their kids at Camp Carnival either, until we took our grandson cruising(Last year on Facsination). He loved it, but we couldnt get him out of camp. We are taking him on Inspiration next momth with friends and their 2 sons, also repeat cruisers. When asked what they want to do, its”See my friends at camp”. Kudos to the young people who staff the camp, and I hope that parents who use it see their way to tip, as the counselors are not ncluded in the auto gratuities.
Also, thanks for the Fantasy updates. The news here in SC has been full of reports about her arrival yesterday,we are so excited to have a drive to port and hope Charelston becomes a 2 ship port like Tampa. Why not Savvanah for a replacement for Jax? Its in the area, it would make an exceptional pre/post cruise city,just an idea, Savannah is a great destination.Thanks for your blog,have a great day
John:
Between Josh and DJ, we have experienced every age group of Camp Carnival. Year after year, they exceeded our expectations.
Our “schedule” on Sea Days was that they would do a couple of hours in the morning, a couple of hours after lunch and some play time with us in the water and a couple of hours after dinner.
Every now and then, they would enjoy the after hours babysitting service….which was wonderful. Most of the time, Dad would have them in the cabin and all 3 would be asleep by 10PM.
On Port days, they would spend the day with us and only go to Camp Carnival a couple of hours that night after dinner.
And yes, there were times when both Josh and DJ cried, because they had to leave Camp Carnival.
Of course, neither would admit it…now that they are “grown”. LOL
I have to say that I am a little perplexed by Krhpee comments. I am thrilled that her husband is doing better, but I don’t understand why they just did not file with their travel insurance to get a full refund?
That is what insurance is for. I can only assume they did not purchase insurance, which means they made the choice to self insure.
I know a lot of people do this and that is their right. But then to complain when Carnival won’t absorb the cost of a trip that they should have insured is ridiculous.
I mean, if they wreck their Ford car….are they going to go back to Ford and expect a new one for free?
It is called personal responsibility.
Speaking of which…I have to say that I love David Cameron’s (UK’s new PM) quote…
“Ask not what your entitlements are, ask what your responsibilities are.”
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
You asked for an opinion, (05/19/2010). Here it is. My Daughter’s, (now 8), first of four cruises began when she was 6, on Carnival Conquest, (7 day western). Since then, she always wants to go to camp for at least part of the day on a cruise. Sometimes she is torn between “eating with friends” or coming with us to the Dinning Room. I know on our last cruise, (Carnival Triumph 7 day western out of New Orleans, in April), she enjoyed the morning activities, then had fun on Lido deck for the afternnon. I know she had to be back on board from Belize to enjoy the Towel Folding class. And the last night she wanted to enjoy her new friends, and give a hug to our waiter in the dinning room, luckly, as Camp was scheduled near the Paris Dinning Room so we checked her out to give Fernando a big hug and checked her back in.
We have previously used the “late night parties” after ten, for the minor cost, but picked her up by Midnight. We did not use it in April on Triumph.
I don’t see why someone would want 24 babysitting? We had fun, as a family and both sides had a little break.
One thing, I think my Dughter would of been happier this last time with the older group, (9-11). Wish a parent could overide the age groups, and age restrictions on Carnival Sponsored Shore Activities.
John(please reply)
I am one of those people who are writing to you for something.Not that I don’t love you and I do read your blogs everyday.
My daughter and her husband will be on their honeymoon on the Carnival Spirit 7-6-10.This is my daughters 11th Carnival cruise(she is trying to catch up with me-I have 12 Carnival cruises so far) and this is her husbands first,but not his last if she has her way.They are in cabin 2448,a suite that they decided to splurge on for their honeymoon.If you could do a little something for them,if would mean alot to me and would surprise them bigtime.
My daughter is in Washington DC this week with a bunch of middle school kids .She is a teacher and is one of the chaperones for this school trip.Although she does read your blog I am hoping she will miss this one.
Thank you in advance for whatever you can do to surprise them.
jOHN(PLEASE REPLY) REGARDING MY EARLIER POST i GAVE YOU THE WRONG CABIN NUMBER it is 4228 and their last name is Manza.
Hi John (no need to reply),
Thanks for the great video blog thingy & the bouncy song. I plan on singing that tonight during rumpy pumpy. Just kidding, an adorable song for an adorable baby…you’re a great Dad!
Pictures of the Carnival Fantasy coming into Charleston were awesome. Question, in November’s drydock, will she get the 98 balconies added?
Oh btw, the Cruise Critic natives are restless and on the warpath (you may have already heard from Mach). Some folks are very upset at the new policy of not being able to purchase bottles of spirits from the Bon Voyage Dept & have delivered to your room at the start of the cruise. I’m kind of curious on that one also..even though the price is very much marked up, it was nice to have your own bottle of Crown Royal (for example) to enjoy on your balcony at sea.
Again, thanks & I’m sure you are looking forward to your much deserved vacation on the other side of “the pond”. Take care & best wishes…
Marty & Jeanne
Good evening John. You look like you’re getting excited to get home and see your lovely ladies. I do hope that the volcano will not affect you flying. Good luck and enjoy your vacation with your family. See you.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
If parents are going to dump their kids off for the hardworking camp workers to deal with, WHY bring the kids in the first place. They can save money and leave the little buggers with grandparents, aunt/uncle, or they can crash at friends instead! Why spend the money when they are not going to enjoy the family time together….Now if they want to know what that is rent a RV and go on a camping….you can’t dump the buggers anywhere but they do come in handy cuz they can help cook, clean, do the dishes, and make the beds for the night/in the morning…..That is what my parents made me and my brother do for too many years..
Hi John,
I love your blog and I love sailing with Carnival.
I was reading your post “Too Camp ” today and was suprised at the beak down of the number of children on board. The largest number was 79 for ages 18-20 and that age group is left out of a place to hang out.
I was recently on the Dream with several families with children from 9-20 years old. The kids 17-20 roamed the ship at night looking for a place to hang out and have fun not wanting to go in the disco. Kids that age still love to play video games and listen to music. My 17 year old didn’t go in the teen clubs because he wanted to stay with his friends who are 18 & 19.
I think Carnival should add a small lounge area with video games, music, fun hubs, ping pong table for this
age group to relax and mingle.
Just my observation. Thanks and happy sailing.
Jodi
John,
We will be trying it out for our first time this cruise with are 6 yoa. We too are worried a bit about how he’ll take it. Hopefully once hes in there he will have fun. He is a fish so we know that we can use pool and slide time as a leverage. However why would she think bringing 3 KIDS that she would get her casino time? I might see more with one BUT 3?? Um why did you bring them then?
Big fans as allways,
Frank and Bridie
Hi John!
I vote for Savannah, Ga, as the next home port!!!
Thank you for the pictures of the Carnival Fantasy as she came to Charleston. We’re just 3 1/2 hours away in Charlotte, NC, and Carnival has done a great job marketing here- the billboards in our city make me yearn for the day I get to book our first cruise on the Fantasy, maybe even one of the new itineraries to Bermuda! We’re booked for the Imagination and the Miracle in late fall and are SO excited- we love sailing Carnival and we love your blog thingy, which helps us pass the days until it’s our turn to embark.
I did want to also put in a word on Bon Voyage’s new (non)liquor policy… I so hope the beards reverse their decision, and again choose to sell (and maybe add some single malt scotches to the list, hint hint). The opportunity to have a nightcap (especially for the non-wine drinkers) and not have to worry about pre-ordering from the bar to take back to the room (because who wants to get dressed again just to go order a drink) is part of the experience of cruising that so many have enjoyed. Not to mention, being able to order a bottle of vodka or scotch from BV meant for many cruisers working to make ends meet and make the most of their vacation that they could enjoy drinks during their cruise for a whole week and still afford to take shore excursions… $60 for a bottle of Grey Goose is a good profit for Carnival, and makes alot more than the 8 or 9 Drinks of the Day that a couple could buy (and have to share) for the same price over the entire cruise… and more of a profit for Carnival than if the couple simply can’t afford to drink anything. Maybe the beards could share with us why they chose to stop selling (for instance, if they feel they just weren’t selling enough to make it worthwhile, then maybe they should increase marketing around it rather than just scrap it). While I can appreciate that any corporation, including Carnival, is looking to make the best cost-benefit decisions they can, there is also a point (such as this) where providing the best customer experience is more important.
Anyways, thank you so much for taking the time to write the blog- it makes me laugh and smile, even on the most stressful of days! And thanks to Heidi and Kye for sharing you with the world!
Warm regards,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
I’ve sailed with Carnival 13 times and never heard you could get bottles of liquor from BV. I thought there was only wine on the lists that I ever saw. So if Carnival is stopping it from lack of sales it is sure due to marketing.
BIG Ed
Elizabeth,
The Bon Voyage Department confirmed today that they were sent an erroneous email. They still are selling hard Liquor, beer, champagne, wine ect. I also read a post from Mischelle, internet guru of Funville, that stated exactly what BV dept told me this AM…they are still selling the hard liquors. I could have ordered this AM for my September cruise, but decided to wait til closer to the cruise. BV dept says order up to a week before sailing.
Julie.
John – Please Reply
Why oh why has Carnival done away with liquor sales through Bon Voyage? HELP
Sailing with a large group on Carnival Victory – July 4th out of San Juan.
Shirley
my sons 4 th cruise will be in sep his first time in campcarnival he was 2 and a hald he would not stay in their at all. now he does. he will stay in their for a few hours ata time then we swim or something. he will be 5 in july. last cruise he did the cavenger hunt with me we won a metal he wares it all day long everyday lol saying fun for all all for fun. last cruise we left him on the ship at port for the first time he did ok. but no we keep him in their as long as he wants. but somtimes we are their waiting for it to open only cause he cant wait to go. and maybe 3 times we use after hours babysitting.this time we are leaving him on the ship at 2 ports but will take him someplace when we get done with the tour
sorry for posting again he saw his freddy doll when he woke up yesterday and say i cant wait to see u again freddy. mommy when are we going on carnival. lol. our sailing is sep 4th liberty
Hi John (please reply when you have a chance),
I wanted to address a concern of mine and many others on cruise critic and in general. We are not only concerned about the overuse or use at all of the big screen tvs during the day, but we are also concerned about the deterioration of the poolside calypso bands. The tvs are great to have at night and in the early morning. These bands are something that all cruisers look forward to. They add and make the cruise atmosphere the special one it is. The duos just don’t make up for the full calypso bands that we all used to love. These bands played out favorite songs, set the mood, got cruisers involved, and really made the pool scene the special one it is that we look forward to each and every day. Some people have commented that bringing these bands back could even boost Carnival’s bar sales by the pool by encouraging more people to relax, take in the moment, etc. According to the thread and other cruisers I know, it seems like just about everyone really would love for Carnival to bring back these 4 person calypso bands to play by the pool every afternoon.
The link to the thread is below.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1201098
Thanks so much for your help with this concern of ours and we all appreciate your help with this and with everything.
-John
My son Patrick has been on 7 cruises since he was 2. He is now 10. He has loved Camp Carnival from the beginning. In the years past he would want to be there all the time. As he has gotten older, he decides when he wants to go there and when he wants to hang out with us. He always dines with us, as he has a very adult appetite and taste for food. In all of our cruises we have never left him past 10 p.m. except when they were having their “late night” party which he loves.
Camp Carnival is wonderful for the kids and the workers we have me are always wonderful.
It’s because of Camp Carnival that my Cruising Family is still cruising with Carnival to this day…
My two girls are 20 & 16 and has been on 17 cruises each. My nieces and nephews, ages 12, 15, 17 and 19 are all going to be Platinum on their next cruise and the littlest ones, 7 year old twins now have 5 Carnival cruises each!!!
ALL of them love Camp Carnival, from the infant room up to and including Circle C… I have a very strict rule, and I don’t care how old the child is, I make them attend the very 1st night Meet The Counselors… This is where the little ones get comfortable with the counselors and the older ones meet their “new friends”…
Because of Camp Carnival, if the kids have a great time, the parents have a great time and we all come back for more!!!
We have even at one time or another left the kids (when they were younger) on the ship with the Camp Carnival Staff while we took tours and never ever had to worry and never ever had a problem…
As far as the big one John, I asked my oldest what she would like to see for her age group and the one thing she said is a room designated just for the 18 – 20 year olds…
Hi John,
My family will be cruising with you on May 23 out of Charleston and we can’t wait! My parents are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary, my son is turning 10, and this is the first time cruising for my sister’s family(she’s had some health issues so can’t wait to get on board and relax!!!). Wish I had booked my parents a suite to relax in but we booked at the last minute and I didn’t think about it until the suites were gone-oh well!!!!!!
Really looking forward to a great cruise and a fun celebration! And to meeting you-sounds like it will be a blast!!!
Hi John! I watched the video of the Charleston welcome and was SHOCKED at how thin you seem to have gotten! We cruised the Dream in March and you have certainly lost a good bit of weight – perhaps in your face only, but WOW – you’re looking great! Keep up the good work and ENJOY YOUR VACATION as you deserve it after helping so many thousands of others enjoy theirs!
Nancy & Gary Sterner
On the Camp Carnival subject..I took my son and grandson on their first cruise for Christmas. My grandson (7 yr old at the time), is not a people person normally, so it was a little difficult getting him to Camp (he is not one to go kicking and screaming, just a little sad), but once he got used to it, there was no keeping him away. We wanted to take him with us at a port, but HE elected to stay onboard at camp. He talked about “Friendship Freddy” all the time, so naturally we had to get one. The only time he cried was when returning to home port he did not want to leave, he wanted to return to camp. Three years later he still talks about the cruise and wants to go again, but this time he has planned a 7 day cruise and what he will be doing (Grandma and Dad are not invited, so I guess we will just have to figure something out on our own).
John,
I have an Idea for a new Home Port, How about Boston??? I know for years Carnaval used to bring there new ships to Boston, as there fist port of call, how about bring them back again, not just as a port of call like on the liberty out of NY on the Canada cruises…. I know it is almost 24 hours further north than NY and tough to get to the carib. but you have some ships that can do it in 8 or 9 days. I am not asking for year round service, but, it would be nice to have a couple of trips…..
anotgher question fo rthe bearded ones to ponder, with all the ash probelms, why not birng back fast passanger service from London to NY or Boston, with the Queen Mary or one of the other trans atalntic ships???
maybe a market for them….
take care and enjoy life and do what you love to do.
Capt bill.
p.s, has anyone suggested to you a program called Dragon speaking natrually ? it is a program that types on the computer for you as you speak. just a thought it might help you write the blog in less time and give you more time for something else. just a thought
I work at a gym and we have the same issues with people and their kids. We’ve actually had parents come into the gym and ditch their kids for 2 hours while they went grocery shopping (not on the property or anywhere near the property either). It’s against the rules of course but they always have some sorta excuse.
On another note though I was wondering if there was anything special other than room decor and cakes etc. done for anniversaries on the ships?? We are sailing Miracle June 8th out of NYC and it will be our anniversary June 11th and we’ve done the decorations and cake before I was hoping for something different for my hubby. Does the dining room do anything special anymore??
Hi John,
I just wanted to say that I just got off the May 16 sailing of the Carnival Sensation and our 4 year old son had a blast at Camp Carnival. The staff there was great. He was the one who requested to go. We took him every night after dinner and picked him up at 10 pm with he exception of elegant night, he stayed until 11 pm. I just wanted to give praise to the program. The activities planned were great and my son was able to get away from us and have time with other kids his age. Thank you Carnival for such a great program!
Thank you!
Kelly
Dear John,
To answer your question about activities for 18-20 year-olds, they really are “tweeners”. They’re legally adults and therefore not included in the Camp Carnival activities, but they aren’t 21, so they can’t drink yet, go to the casino, or participate in all the adult activities either, which I’m NOT advocating for, believe me.
As the mother of a 19-year-old, they are just big kids and would like meet-and-greets involving soft drinks, music, video games and maybe dance classes, like a hip hop lesson with one of your dancers.
When my daughters were young (elementary school and preschool age), they liked the camp activities and spent a lot of time there. My younger daughter even wanted to go there during a port day, so I had to pay the babysitting charges, but it was worth it because she was having such a good time and I was able to have some one-on-one time with my other daughter in the pool.
On our last cruise, when they were 13 and 9, they didn’t want to go there at all. They enjoyed family time, time in the video arcade, all the big dance production shows, and they have always liked to eat in the main dining room. It was their choice not to do the youth activities. It was their vacation too, and I wasn’t going to force them to do something that they didn’t want to do.
It will be interesting to see what they choose to do on our upcoming cruise next month. They are 19 and 15 now. The 19-year-old can’t attend the youth activities, and the 15-year-old probably will want to stay with her big sister. But that’s OK too because the whole point of our family vacation is spending time together.
It’s too bad that the teenage group couldn’t include the older teens (18 and up), but I understand that it wouldn’t be appropriate to have 13-year-olds and 18-year-olds involved in the same group activities.
I’m glad that Carnival is looking into doing something for the 18-20 year-olds.
Laurie F.
It sounds to me like Super Mom has a problem with her Travel Agent, not Carnival. The big question is whether she has spent any time at all with her kids on this cruise.
Dear John,
The video today looked like everyone was having a great day full of Carnival Fun! I hope you let Jim Berra know that you would have beaten the socks off of him in the waterslide race. Get It! SOCKS.
I know the folks in Charleston are going to be very happy to be able to drive to the port and not have to fly into Miami International. I know I would.
The Camp Carnival lady should have just left her family at home with a baby sitter. Not wanting to see your kids on a five day cruise. Another Mother of the Year Award candinate. NOT!!!
Have a great time on the Carnival Fantasy.
The Cruzin2some
James & Nancy Enslow
Hello John,
First time writing and a cruise virgin to boot! This August marks the 15th wedding anniversary for my wife and I and we have planned a trip aboard Carnival Freedom with our two children 12 and 10. It has taken me years to convince my wife that this would be a lot of fun for the whole family and we would get plenty of “quality time” with the rugrats. We have gone ahead and booked and after reading your entertaining and informative blog thingy I am even more excited for the fun times ahead. Sadly, we can’t control the “Oscar the Grouch” factor some people seem to have. I think a vacation is only as fun as you make it.
WIth that attiude in mind, any tips for first timers or anything you can tell me about the cruise director on Freedom at the end of August?
BTW – I look forward to being entertained by chubby englishmen!
Cheers!
Dave Caron
Dear John (Please Reply), May 20
This is my third time trying to reach you so I hope the 3rd time is a charm – I sent this email to you on April 29, so I’m trying again.
Thank you so much for giving me a laugh each morning.
My husband & I have returned from our 9th Carnival cruise. This cruise was extra exciting because my poor husband had an accident during an excursion. He is fine but will be wheelchair bound for a few more weeks (the accident happened six weeks ago – both legs were injured). I want to say Thank You to the great staff on aboard the Miracle. From the golf pro (yes, a golfing accident), to the medical staff, guest services, housekeeping (getting all that extra ice), our great server (who seated us in the dining room just before the crowd) to the fellow who escorted us off the ship to the bus transfer. Everyone went out of their way to help us. Having Luggage Express was a great help as well.
Well, believe it or not we are scheduled to return to the Miracle July 2 (out of NYC) with his whole family (yes, this is my effort to convert them to Carnival cruising, his brothers have cruised other lines). This will be our 10th (Yeah – VIP Platinum status here we come!) There will be 13 of us: my husband’s parents & his three brothers w/families (3 children), a total of 13. I know we will be getting our VIP gifts, but any possibility that a small token could be sent to the others? Our cabin is 7299, but their cabin numbers are: 7105/7107/7227/7147/8266.
We are all scheduled for late seating. Do you have any idea how the dining staff will seat us? Are there tables that accommodate 13 or will we be split up? I have told them all about how the wait staff entertain the guests during meals & hope that we are seated where we can “see the action”.
We are planning a night at the Steakhouse but don’t want to go on an Elegant Night, would you be able to tell us which nights are Elegant?
Last, but not least a thank you to our wonderful PVP, “Sam” Welsh who has lots of patience & has helped me many times.
Dear John,
I’m thinking of taking my soon to be 3 year old on her 1st cruise (maybe BC4) and even though I’m pretty sure the folks at Camp Carnival are fabulous I wouldn’t dream of leaving here there for 24 hours if I could. I would take her to Camp Carnival for a few hours so she could get some play time with kids her age but would also look forward to spending some time with her. If those parents wanted 24 hour babysitting so they could go to the casino they should have gone on the cruise without the kids.
I know you’re looking forward to being home with your girls. I do hope the volcano ash doesn’t delay your flight.
Hi John (please reply):
Long time Carnival cruiser, and as a blogger myself I really enjoy keeping up with your blog thingy. Hopefully some day I’ll have the chance to sail with you on a cruise!
As I mentioned, we love cruising on Carnival. I’ll be going on my 12th Carnival cruise this July, with another booked already for May 2011 on the Legend. So what could make us love Carnival even more?
With Carnival’s “close to home” campaign, I thought I’d make a little suggestion to make a home port in the great city of Philadelphia. The birthplace of the US, there’s so much to see and do in Philly. Lots of history and culture here. So why doesn’t Carnival sail out of Philly? I realize that not many ships could fit under the Delaware Memorial Bridge, but if I’m not mistaken (which I very well could be!), a Fantasy-class or Spirit-class ship could just squeeze under it. That’s what the port authority says is holding back all the cruise lines.
We have a cruise terminal, with no ships leaving out of it. It would be quite convenient for those of us in between Baltimore and NYC.
So I guess my question is, does Carnival have any plans to eventually home port a ship in Philadelphia?
Sorry for the long-winded comment.
Keep up the good work with the blog thingy!
Dave
John: (Please Reply)
Thank you so much for answering my post and the comments you wrote. I will definitely be waiting to see that picture of Megan Fox that you have and will make sure my wife and Heidi don’t find out about it
Since writing that question, our 14th cruise has changed. We are now sailing on the Carnival Dream! We are both looking forward to this and cant’ wait to see what she has to offer. I do have a couple questions as the Dream is a different class than we are used to sailing on. The First question is: We’ve been on the Spirit class, Fantasy class and Conquest class so we’ve got a good idea of all the layouts and things that make each class unique. What is it about the Carnival Dream that makes her unique (excluding size and decor)? My second question, which kind of goes along with the first, is: What do you like most about the Dream?
Sorry if I have talked your ear off, I know you have plenty of things to do
Take care and see you soon!!(well, next year in Barcelona)
Justin Allen
Florence, SC
JOHN, PLEASE REPLY:
I’m delighted to see that Charleston is now a homeport for all us Carolina girls! I know Sandra and I wish we were with you again–loved being with you on the Freedom & Splendor. One question–any additional changes or updates for the Carnival Fantasy during its November drydock? I’m getting ready to book for next spring for the Bermuda cruise and just wondering.
Linda
Hi John,
Camp Carnival is the reason Carnival is the perfect family vacation! My kids are in all 3 programs with their ages right now, we do not force them to go…they WANT to go. Our only stipulation is that they eat in the dining room with us each night and they spend time with us in port so we get our “family” time. Other than that it is their vacation as well as ours…the perfect blend for us!
JOHN PLS RESPOND. John, saw your reply to Vinny and thought I’d bring you up to speed on the correct spelling and pronunciation of “forget about it”…If from or in NY, the correct spelling is “Fuhgeddaboudit”….
Hello from Myrtle Beach, SC!!! Just wanted to tell you that your blog is hilarious and thank you for the pics of the Fantasy coming in yesterday! I just read you are going to be our CD on our May 30th cruise out of Charleston!! YAYYYYYY
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Hi John,
(Please reply).
I hope your summer will be cool, calm and full of Carnival creativity.
My mom, Patsy and the boys and I are all set for the Miracle on July 2 out of NY. Mom has not been feeling well so we decided to cheer her up and give her the 7/25 cruise on the Freedom from Ft. Lauderdale.
We will “celebrate my 40th” birthday on the first cruise and the second cruise would have been my parents 46th wedding anniversary and it would have been our 13th wedding anniversary.
Any suggestions for the boys to visit on any of the ports?
Any suggestions on who to see about a private dinner table?
We didn’t really have a lot to ask you but rather give you an update to remind you what a great person you are and to thank you for all that you do. We once again will be cruising because your crew was so personable with our family.
We will miss not having you with us but I thank you again for taking the time to contact us.The boys still talk about you and yes they still want to be like daddy and poppy and be the LAW!!!
Love you to your family!
MaryCatherine
Dear John,
Okay, sure you don’t want to send Kye off to a kids daycare camp when you’re on vacation with her, but your situation is different. You hardly ever seee her, so when you do, it’s precious moments. But let’s take my parents for example. My mom goes to work Monday through Friday every day from 8:30-5:00. And my dada works at home. BUt I see them every day and we spend A LOT of “quality time” together. We go to the movies, eat out at resturaunts and just hang out together. So when we went on a cruise, obviously we wanted a break from each other. But you still see your family frequently. I was with them whenever we went to ports and I ate breakfast and dinner with them. I saw a couple shows with them, but the 3 days we were on the ship, I went to Circle C and had an amazing time. I think that I achieved a perfect balance between spending time with my parents and my sister and meeting new friends away from them. So my opinion is definitely a YES!!!!!
~Alex, you’re 13 year old friend