Dear Bloggers,
Let me start off by saying that as someone who sits behind a desk all day eating tofu and searching for pictures of mini dachshunds (this is according to John, of course), I have not experienced many adventures and don’t have nearly as funny or interesting stories as John does; so what I’ve experienced in the last 24 hours has been truly amazing! I don’t really know where to start, so will just get to the heart of the story – the Carnival Magic’s coin ceremony.
Now, I don’t want to say too much and ruin the video and photos you’ll see on Monday on the blog and on www.carnivalmagic.com, but it was a one-of-a-kind experience. We met so many wonderful staff that all cared so deeply for the ship. I think every single person we spoke with mentioned how the Carnival Magic felt like their baby (Italians are very poetic and passionate, which is really inspiring). Today was a very special day as it’s sort of a baptism for the ship. There was a shipyard godmother, who’s worked for Fincantieri for over 30 years. She started working there when she was 15 to help support her family (her father had worked at the shipyard but had passed away). There was a Carnival representative – Mike Julius, managing director of US Sales – on hand to help with some welding (yep, welding…you’ll read more about that in a minute). A priest, the Carnival Magic shipyard project manager and the Fincantieri shipyard director were also all in attendance of this special event.
The ship was blessed for safe travels for all crew and guests that will sail with her; a champagne bottle was broken and the ship was gifted with a very special coin. According to the shipyard staff there is a centuries old tradition that calls for every ship to carry a lucky coin. The coin is welded to the hull of the ship and has to happen before the ship can touch water. The flooding of the dock is also a very special occasion as it’s the first time the ship will be in her “natural habitat” as one staff member put it so nicely.
Now, I know I didn’t describe it very poetically, but I will tell you that I saw many proud smiling faces – and even a tear or two (happy tears, of course) from both the Italian and American crew and staff during today’s events. It was an honor to witness the festivities first hand and I will definitely be looking for all the coins on the other ships (the coin is on deck 11 on the Carnival Magic, but I’m not sure where it is on the other ships. Has anyone seen any of the coins on the other ships? If so let me know what deck it’s on).
Below are a few photos from Friday’s event. Check back on Monday for a video and more photos. In the meantime I also wanted to take a moment to thank Boris from the Carnival shipbuilding team. Without his help we wouldn’t have been able to attend the event and collect the photos and videos we plan on sharing with you. So if you enjoyed learning about the coin ceremony and the ship’s construction process please leave a comment and thank our friend Boris.
Carnival Magic during the dry dock
Mike Julius holding the Carnival Magic coin
Mike preparing for the welding and putting on the safety gloves
Mike welding the coin box shut
Carnival Magic coin welded to the ship
That’s it for now. Hope to see you all on the blogger’s cruise 
Stephanie
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.
Stephanie:
You did a WONDERFUL job describing your adventure.
Thanks for sharing and safe travels back home.
Linda (Mom of DJ)
Stephanie, you’ve got me curious about the ships coins. I’ll be searching all of the ships we sail on from now on. I’ll start with the Carnival Elation the last of Sept. If I find them on the different ships I’ll let you know.
I look forward to sailing on the Carnival Magic when it reaches it’s new home in Texas, even though I don’t look forward to sailing out of Galveston. NOT my favorite port.
It/s great to know you’ll be on the BC4 with us. Look out for more evil from the Evil Crew…….as usual.lol
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
If you find the coin on the Carnival Elation take a picture and share it with us.
Stephanie
Stephanie, thank you for telling us about the Coin Ceremony. Looking forward to the video on Monday. I am getting excited to see the Carnival Magic next September. That seems like such a long time but it will be here before we know it. Getting to sail with John one more time and in Europe, ABSOULTY BRILLIANT :LOL:
John, Please Reply,
John,
I have been reading your blog for a couple years, but this is the first time I’ve actually written. I really enjoy it. You seem to really enjoy people and are a giver…that’s what makes you you.
I’ve never felt the need to ask for any favors from you (since we are always pleased with the accommodations, tables assignments & services which we get from Carnival), but if it relieves someone’s anxiety (and thus makes their trip more pleasurable) to ask you for help and if you don’t mind, then I certainly don’t mind.
My husband & I have been long time Carnival cruisers with my first on the Mardi Gras (Boston to Bermuda) in 1983, then the following year I convinced my hubby (then boyfriend) to go on the Tropical out of LA. Since then, we’ve been hooked. Needless to say, we’re Platnium cruisers and we’ve introduced many friends to Carnival. For the last several years, I’ve gotten 25-40 friends together for a yearly cruise.
A group of us did the Freedom’s TA several years ago and where looking forward to the Magic TA until it was announced that it was going by FL to Galvaston (nothing against Galvaston, but it was more inconvenient). We were checking out the TA of an alternative cruise line and weighing the pros & cons, when I heard that you MIGHT be the CD on Magic’s TA and that tipped the scales. We now have 20 friends joining us on that adventure (all who have been introduced to Carnival by us. We even have a few virgin cruisers in our group who missed out on the fun time on the Freedom TA and didn’t want to miss out again).
Thanks for making our decision easier. We’ve never had you as our CD and are looking forward to meeting you.
Just a sidebar, based on your review of the Emerald Princess, I’ve decided to go outside our comfort zone. I’ve been working extra hard in order to book a cruise on the Emerald Princess in January to celebrate my husband’s 60th B-Day (shhhh….it’s a surprise….he doesn’t know yet). I wanted to do something a little different for his special day.
And on final note…Congrats to “Big Sexy”, we’ve cruised with him and thought he deserved it several years ago. Another CD that we thought did an excellent job was Todd on Freedom’s TA. Actually, every CD we have had has been very good, but those 2 people made an impression on us.
Keep up the great work.
Sue
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you very much for your post to explain the Coin Ceremony. I have been wondering what that was all about. I will certainly look for it on the Magic.
Having never heard of it before, have never seen it or even known to look for it on other ships but will do so from now on. Maybe John knows and will enlighten us all on his blog.
Hope you are enjoying your trip to Italy! Lucky lady
Regards,
Mary
What are the coins suppose to be for? Carnival should have them to collect and the one who gets them all wins a cruise!!!!
It’s a tradition or superstition, a “Good Luck” coin.
Wonderful! Brilliant!
I love that tradition and applaud Carnival and Fincantieri for continuing it.
Special thanks to Boris for his part. Bravo.
Ciao
Host Mach
I can’t wait to see the video! Thanks Boris for making it happen for all of us!!
I am wondering if the coin is the same on all ships, or if the coin is a different coin for each ship.
Thanks Stephanie! I appreciated hearing the details first hand. You are a lucky lady to be there in person!
JOHN PLEASE REPLY
I hope you can share this information with me.
My husband and I will be sailing on Carnival DREAM on 11/27. It will be our 8th Carnival Cruise (pushing towards Platinum by end of next year). My youngest sister and her husband are joining us on their third Carnival Cruise. I wish you were our cruise director as we’ve sailed with you twice before (Liberty 9/06 and Legend 11/09) and absolutely love cruising with you (hopefully on Magic next year)!
I’m trying to find out who will be the entertainer in the Piano Bar during our cruise. We all enjoy hanging out there in the evening and it’s recently been a high point of our cruise experiences. We would love to know that we have a great enterainer to look forward to. Can you tell me who it will be?
Our best to you, Heidi and Kye!
Thank you,
Jean
Thank you Stephanie for your post. John would be proud. Safe travels and to Boris whom made it possible, thanks for enabling Stephanie to be part of this ceremony.
Joseph…..
Thanks Stephanie–that is so cool! Now I wish I’d know that before so I could have looked for them.
It is exciting to anticipate the completion of the Carnival Magic ~ it the meanwhile, we are looking forward to sailing on the Carnival Legend from August 29 to September 5; this will be cruise #16 (sweet 16?) for me; ALL ON CARNIVAL FUNSHIPS !!! Cheers, Tommy
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much for the description of your trip to Fincantieri and the Coin Ceremony on the Carnival Magic…….and, of course, Boris for making your trip possible. Thanks Boris!!
Hoping that Mr. Cahill allowed you to fly back and forth in business class……he did, didn’t he? Thanks Mr. Caill! We always need to take VERY good care of Stephanie, because she does so much for us.
Thanks Stephanie! Looking forward to seeing you on BC4.
Steve O
Sorry, that should have been, “Thanks Mr. Cahill”. I guess the spell checker, in my mind, was momentarily switched off!
Stephanie,
Thanks for the great update. We’ll be on the 6/3/11 Med Cruise and looking for the coin.
Bob
Love the new photo and fireworks on your banner. It looks so happy and fun now, just as Carnival should.
Thanks Stephanie for sharing the details of the coin ceremony.Thanks to Boris for letting us peek in. Ciao. Mary
Stephanie……GREAT blog! I can only imagine what a thrill it must have been to be there in person!
We will be looking for the coins. Are they all in a “case” like the one on Magic? Have a safe trip home.
Hi Lanie,
I believe they are all in cases, but I have to double check.
Stephanie
Thanks for the great blog, Stephanie. You did a nice job standing in for the guv’nor. Have an extra serving of tofu as a reward!
You didn’t make it to the OTHER ceremony, though – where a pair of John’s underpants are sealed (thank goodness!) in a box which is glued shut with Preparation H?
Hello Stephanie:
Please Reply
Are you Stephanie Leavitt?
I have noticed these coin boxes on Carnival ships, and my recollection is that they are on the sky deck, or maybe the sundeck. I didn’t know what they were.
Let’s start a tradition and have a bloggers coin welded in a box on every ship we have a bloggers cruise. What do you think?
Hi Bill,
Yes, this is Stephanie Leavitt. Do you have any pictures of the coins? I love the idea of a blogger’s cruise coin.
Stephanie
We would all like a BC coin just like a BC3 video.
BIG Ed
I will look through some pictures. Nice to hear from you. I hope you will be on BC4. We had a great time on BC2 and decided we had to go on this one. You are a sweetheart for sure.
Thanks for the pics and update! I will be on the Magic on 5/10/11. Its interesting watching the ship progress.
Dawn
Years ago the coins were for Good Luck and were placed under the mainmast of sailing ships. See Mast Stepping in Wikipedia, it is way to long to put on here!!!
John…
Please respond.
I just was reading that some ships no longer have the 11:30 buffet in the Lido restaurant.
Is this true? Is it false? Is it only certain ships?
Are you really taking my midnight dinner away from me having to resort to pizza, calzones, and caesar salad?
JOHN PLEASE REPLY…
Hi, John! On our upcoming Sept. 18 Canada/New England cruise, George Solano is supposed to be our CD (according to the CD schedule). We have never met him before & we were trying to find his “bio” on those past blogs that you posted a few months ago where you interviewed & posted the CD’s bios. By any chance, would you or any of your 400+ Stephanies know have a way to find out on what blog date Solano’s bio appeared? Sorry for the trouble.
Hoping Heidi & Kye’s trip to L.A. is a good one & that the 3 of you be very soon reunited and having lots of fun.
The Santanas of Miami Beach
JOHN, NO NEED TO REPLY….
WE FOUND IT! Never mind, thanks anyway.
Hi, John, we just submitted a comment asking if you or any of the 400+ Stephanies would know the blog date in which CD George Solano’s bio appeared because we’ll be sailing with him on the Glory on Sept. 18. We found it…. it was the 9/9/009 blog.
The Santanas of Miami Beach
dear stephanie,
thanks for the the photos and description. i will look for the coin when i do the carnival magics T/A next year in oct. you did a great job
ann from texas
Great blog! Loved the description of the coin ceremony. Since most of us will never get to attend one, it’s nice to know what those coins are all about.
Your friend in Texas,
Larry Meador
Hello Stephanie: Please Reply
I am trying to book The Steakhouse on Carnival Dream sailing 5th March 2011 but the web site will only accept booking 2008, 2009 or 2010. Do you know when 2011 will be added
Thanks
Thanks to Stephanie and Boris! I’ve never heard of the coin ceremony before today, what a fascinating and special tradition to keep alive.
John, I think Mike is putting those gloves on because he knows you ate curry last night. The rubber ones just will not do, LOL.
BIG Ed
PS, Mike use all that glove John will like it.
Thanks Stephanie,
I really enjoyed learning about the coin tradition. I’ll be sure to start searching for the coin on my next cruise.
Great report.
Mary C
I FOUND THE CARNIVAL LEGEND COINS!!
When I was on the legend last week, I thought about the coins.,,I asked the waiter, he knew nothing about them.
The Captains table was right behind mine, they were hosting ‘employees of the month’ dinner. The Captain was there, and when he left for a moment, I followed him to the lobby and asked him about the coin. He said he knows about the tradition but did not know where they are.
When I got back to the table I asked Ken, the Maitre D, he told me it was welded under the hull. I was happy I found out.
A few minutes later, I was approached my an official looking man who asked for my name and Stateroom number. When I asked why, he said the Captain requested it, as he is sending an officer to take me to see the coins. I was shocked to say the least.
The next day, someone took me to Security, and he said I could not go, as the coin is in the basement of the ship. I told my escort I was disappointed, but life goes on.
A half hour later, I received a phone call, to say I WOULD get to see the coins. I think they have ‘public ones’ and ones everyone can see. An officer led to me the 10th deck, we went up some stairs, and right above the mini golf course, there they were in a welded box. If one wasn’t looking for it, you could never see them. That whole episode made my cruise!!
Melanie