So as you know by now, we have lots of British on board and they have had a jolly time and have been brilliant at the shows and have lent themselves to the atmosphere around the ship and have truly enjoyed the RedFrog Pub. Going down to the pub is as British as it gets along with drinking tea in the morning and having a huge portion of spotted dick for dinner. The other thing that is a British tradition as seen here on the Carnival Magic in abundance this cruise is wearing your favourite football (sacccceer) team’s colors. Yep, whether it’s Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Celtic, Newcastle, Glasgow Rangers, Arsenal or Southend United, you will see grown men wearing their team’s shirts, morning, noon and night. Why do they do this? That is the question. It’s obviously not to attract women, because when they pull a garment designed for a super fit 20-something athlete over huge beer bellies they look about as attractive and sexy as a baboon’s bottom.
So it must be to impress other guests, an attempt to bond and make new friends by hoping someone will approach them in the Ocean Plaza and say, “I see you’re wearing a United shirt – look, so am I. Great game last week.” Now that is really sweet… if you are a boy of eleven. Otherwise, you look like an idiot. My friend Alan used to wear annoying T-shirts. He thought it looked cool to wear an “I Shot JR” shirt and he wondered why every girl on the planet would ignore him. But it’s not just the Brits is it because I see Americans and Canadians wearing their LeBron Wade shirts and their Tony Romas shirt.
Replica sports shirts are basically kids’ costumes. Personally, I think that if you are old enough to have hair on other parts of your body besides your head, don’t wear them. A bloke my age and that looks like me in a Liverpool Football Club kit looks no less preposterous than if they were sporting the Batman outfit given them for their seventh birthday. It’s like women buying themselves a giant Cinderella dress from the Disney store.
And yet all around the ship here on the Carnival Magic, British men are wearing their football ensembles, some in their local club colours, some with names ironed on the back. Bloody hell, it’s like Jennifer, aged 45 from accounting, wearing sweat pants with “I Love Justin Beiber” written across her arse.
But I have to say the Brits love the ship. They really do and I have been very proud to show the ship and the Carnival product.
Time for today’s Q and A……..let’s crack on.
Jessie Barnstaple asked:
John,We were with you on the inaugural cruise of the Carnival Magic and had the most wonderful time. One of the highlights was meeting Ken the maitre d’ who sang to us every night at dinner. I wondered if he ever did shows in the big theatre or did I miss it. He is so talented and my husband and I are huge Sinatra fans so it made dinner even more special. Thank you again for such a wonderful time.
John says:
Hello Jessie Barnstaple,Thanks so much for writing and no, you didn’t miss Ken’s main lounge performance as he never sings there. I’ve tried to get him to perform in the main lounge but he just won’t leave his comfort zone which is the Southern Lights dining room. I will make sure he sees this and I know he will be thrilled to know he made a difference to your cruise. I am glad you had so much fun.
Best wishes.
John
Helen asked:
John,I will be traveling on the trans-Atlantic cruise with you and will be bringing my service dog with me. I have severe sleep apnea and that’s why the dog is coming with me. My sister wrote to you before about the dining room to make sure that we have a table where my dog Bonnie can be as well but she didn’t receive an answer from you. I need to make sure that Bonnie can come into the dining room as I now understand that you don’t have professional dog walkers as they have provided me with on Cunard voyages. I suggest we have a table for my sister and I without anyone else there as Bonnie sits under my chair on my lap. We are in cabin 6424.
Thank you
John says:
Hello Helen,Thanks for writing and I am sure that I replied to your sister’s post as I remember thinking how extraordinary that a dog can protect you from the dangers of sleep apnea. Bonnie must be quite a remarkable dog. Please don’t worry. I will make sure that the maitre d’ has you listed for a table for three. I have also asked our special needs team to contact you so that we can make sure you have everything you need and that all the paper work is correct for Bonnie to sail in Europe and return to the States. I am sure you will all have a wonderful voyage.
Best wishes.
John
radius101 asked:
JOHN, PLEASE PLEASE REPLYI read the blog about The Chefs Table as experienced by Tom and Cheryl and I agree wholeheartedly with what they said. If the experience they paid for was ruined by the drunken behavior of other passengers and Carnival did nothing to stop them or refused them service, then I think they should have been offered a refund or to attend the table again on other nights. There is no doubt that this is another shining example of how Carnival is attracting a lower class of passenger and that is evident in so many different ways. I am on the Carnival Miracle in August and I have a feeling this 8th Carnival trip will be my last.
John says:
Hello Radius101,I remember the blog where this was mentioned and I agree that it probably was somewhat disruptive for those guests at the table if there were some guests who were under the influence of alcohol. But they were there and I was not and respectfully neither were you so I think it’s wrong to say for certain if their behavior warranted intervention. The kind of person Carnival is trying and in fact does attract is simple. It’s someone who appreciates brilliant value for money and getting a huge return in fun for the money they have spent to cruise. If that describes the “lower class” then, yes, indeed……that’s who Carnival is hoping will board our ships. I hope you have a brilliant cruise on the Carnival Miracle and I guess that as this is your 8th Carnival cruise …….. we must have been doing something right. I hope you have fun and that we will see you for number 9 soon.
Best wishes.
John
Jo Trautmann asked:
Re those who want to see US TV while abroad, you might try to see if they can get it via the internet. I know that I can watch some TV shows that I’ve missed this way. It does boggle the mind that people travel to the Med and still want to eat at McDonald’s! Enjoy your blog…a seven-time cruiser on Carnival out of Galveston.
John says:
Hello Jo Trautman,You know, we actually average one of these comments every cruise while we are in Europe. I guess a few people’s understanding of what TV is available country to country is confusing. Mostly, they seem to get upset when they find out we will not have certain sports events and when I explain to them the NFL is not shown live on Italian TV they look at me as though I am stark raving mad. Thanks for the kind words about the blog thingy and for your loyalty. I hope to sail with you very soon. Best wishes.
John
Bethany Hanel asked:
John,We’ll be on our honeymoon on the Carnival Valor starting Dec. 11. I went on this same exact cruise last September and loved it (which is why we decided I should bring him with me this time) except for one thing…it seemed impossible to find anyone who could tell me what was gluten-free during lunch! Who on board the ship would be able to provide this information so I can safely eat something other than a plain cheeseburger this time around?
John says:
Hello Bethany Hanel,
I am so glad that you contacted me so I can say not to worry as we have many gluten-free options at all meal times. I have asked our special needs team to contact you so that they can discuss this in more detail and then alert the ship as to your needs. How wonderful that you will be sharing the start of your married lives with us and we are truly grateful and wish you many happy years of health and happiness. Best wishes and have a brilliant cruise.
John
Vanita asked:
This will be my first ever Carnival experience and I wanted to make sure that you have Red Bull available on the ship please. My best friend and I would also like to know if we should take the swimming with dolphins trip in Cozumel. It is very expensive but something we have both always wanted to do. Thank you for the very funny blogs. We are from South Africa and are very excited to be going on the Carnival Dream.
John says:
Hello Vanita,We do indeed have Red Bull available at all the bars and yes the dolphin swim is worth every single dollar, I promise. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who has done this who has not said that it was the most incredible experience, my wife included. So I would highly recommend this and I wish you and your friends a safe flight and the very best cruise vacation ever. Best wishes to you both.
John
Alex asked:
John,Carnival currently publishes the cruise director schedule for a certain number of months at a time. I was wondering if you could also publish the Club O2 director schedule. I’ve had some incredible Club O2 directors (Megan Boehner is one [Yes, that's her real last name]) and some downright horrendous O2 directors. And I would love to know who the director will be for my next sailing
John says:
Hello Alex,That is an excellent suggestion and I will certainly ask the lady in charge of the program if we can do this. Please keep an eye on the blog and I hope to have this here for you soon. It’s great to read that people like Megan made such a difference to your cruise. Thanks again, Alex. Best wishes.
John
Jon asked:
John,I consider myself a good person. I don’t stick gum under tables, I’ll help a little old lady across the street and I try not to kick someone while they’re down. However, I’m having a moral dilemma about what to do during at sea days when I cruise with you on the Carnival Magic 9/4. Do I sneak down before breakfast and throw some towels on a couple deck chairs to make sure we have a place to relax under the sun, or do I do the “good person” thing and head down in the afternoon in my shorts and sandals, roaming around in search for a non-existent open chair? From what I’ve read regarding the often mentioned “chair hogging” topic (chairmageddon?), the best solution is to give in to the situation and “hog.” It seems that nice guys really do finish last in this case, so I thought I’d let you decide what I should do. Play dirty or play nice?
John says:
Hello Jon,Well, that’s a good question. Let me say that we have the situation well under control on the adults-only Serenity deck. This area is easy to police and there we have a strict no more than 30 minutes seat saving time. No excuses, it works and is adhered to. Then there is the rest of the ship. I make announcements and I ask for the guests’ cooperation and many do indeed listen. But many do not. And I will say this again. We don’t have the staff to patrol the vastness of the open decks trying to enforce the deck chair rules. Now that may not be right and some may say that it’s not good enough but it is what it is and I am just being honest with you. I asked on my Facebook page for people to give suggestions on what they think we should do and I sent those to the beards so let’s see what happens. Now the good news. With the demographic of the 9/4 cruise being older and the kids back at school and the guest count down to 3,800 or so, I don’t think you will have any problems of getting the chair you want. So there really isn’t much of a question to answer after all so all you need to worry about is what factor sun cream to slap on. Best wishes and see you soon.
John
Robert Glassman asked:
John,Will Carnival ever be able to put any influence on the parking situation in Miami? How can they charge the prices they do and how does Carnival not say enough is enough. $140 plus tax for my Carnival Valor cruise!!!
John says:
Hello Robert Glassman,I guess I am out of touch with the parking fees because I always remember the Port of Miami charged $7 per day but I guess I am way behind the times. I know that the port owns the parking garage and that they set the price but I will certainly pass this onto someone at Carnival in the hope that they will speak to someone at the port. I hope you had a great cruise on the Carnival Valor. Best wishes.
John
Stuart Zaikov asked:
John please replyWe are platinum cruisers on Carnival and for the past few years have greatly enjoyed our two to three cruises per year on Carnival with two more booked. You have published quite a few reviews from me in which I single out crew members for making our vacations special and have thanked me more than once for a brilliant review. I enjoy reading your blog regularly for news and info but have never asked you to do anything for us and do not think we ever will as we are more than happy with our cruises. When something negative happens, I would never ever write to you or Carnival on behalf of CC and demand you do something. Having said this, I do have a bone to pick with you. Some months ago someone took something I wrote on CC out of context and forwarded it to you and you called me a troll on FB. When I explained what happened, you apologized. A few months later, you did it again and same result. After the second time, you said you would stop publishing stupid posts from CC members that would show the organization in a very bad light. This lasted a few weeks and then you started up again and now you have the stupid post of the day from CC. Not my words by the way. Then a thread started on CC as to why you kept showing CC in a bad light despite constantly saying what a fine organization CC was.
My comment is you are a very bright, caring and hard working fellow and as brand ambassador determined to show what a fine organization Carnival is. Therefore, you will counter negative posts on CC by publishing letters from idiots saying they are from CC. It does appear that many of these people are now part of a FB page saying CC _____ (Not going to put in the entire name and give them free publicity). In today’s blog you publish a letter from a fine fellow named Howard about our upcoming 9/11 Miracle cruise and in the middle of your comment you take a dig at me by putting me in the middle of Ugogolfgator. Totally unnecessary and incorrect as in most things I am a Carnival cheerleader. I agree that Carnival is a fine organization and great cruises keep us coming back. However, do you really need to lower yourself and your blog by publishing these letters on a daily basis and then adding things on FB so the folks from CC ________ can pile on calling the people from CC idiots? I hope this letter will give you something to think about.
Your friend.
Stu
John says:
Hello Stuart Zaikov,Thank you for writing and I know you only posted this a few days ago but I saw it on the blog comments and wanted to reply as soon as I could. I take it from what you said that I am talking to “GolfDad” or something like that and if that’s the case (and forgive me if I am wrong), it is nice that you have posted your real name here on the blog rather than your Cruise Critic name. I remember that a few months ago, you started a post on Cruise Critic that was sent to me by the beards. In it you suggested that I post messages from Cruise Critic members in order to make them look bad or portray them in a negative light. In fact, I think I am correct in saying that there was a suggestion that some were fabricated. This really annoyed me because I read the remarks that followed and there were a few of you who seemed to pour scorn on me and the blog. So I am very grateful to you for writing and allowing me time to reply to this new post.
Let me say straight away that I never have and never will support the Web site that you are talking about and I have never visited or will I visit the site in question. I receive 10 questions each day from the beards to answer and amongst those questions are ones that involve postings from Cruise Critic and those that have false statements from Cruise Critic and it is my job to answer them all as best I can. I have learned over the past few months that there are three types of people who post on Cruise Critic.
1. The vast majority of posters are those who want to learn from experienced cruisers like yourself and those who wish to pass on their experiences, good or bad. You and they are the lifeblood of Cruise Critic and you are why the site remains the most important in the industry. I don’t expect it to be a place that is all about let’s talk about how great Carnival is but a place where if our guests feel that we can improve, that they can talk about it with others. The 11,400,000 views here on the blog are based on the same principle.
2. Those who for some reason dislike me and what I do. To those who have met me and don’t like me, then I accept that. Such is life. But to those who dislike me and have never met me then I hope one day that they will sail with me and give me a chance to prove to them that I mean well and just want everyone to have the best cruise possible.
3. There are those who have no intention of ever cruising Carnival again and whose sole purpose is to pour hatred upon us and stop people from cruising Carnival. And there are some who are just plain rude and nasty. I had some on my FB page and they have been told to bugger off.
So to sum up, Stuart. I answer the questions I get and I am not going to pander and protect those who post ludicrous comments. If I see them and what they have said is bollocks then I will protect the company I love. This week alone we have had comments regarding wet bathing suits in the dining room and a rumour about cancellation of the alternative dining venues. It’s not “free publicity” as they have already posted their opinions on Cruise Critic so should I not have the right to reply? I don’t need to discredit Cruise Critic because thanks to a small number of your fellow members, they are doing this without any help from me.
But here is the most important thing, Stuart, and I say this with most sincerity. I am here for two reasons and they are to provide some fun and information to experienced cruisers and new cruisers alike and to help everyone as best I can to have the most brilliant vacation they can. So I will answer every question here as best I can and that includes helping arrange the many meet and greets that I do each month and where necessary correct wrong information that has been posted on Cruise Critic.
Now I know that your name is Stuart and that you will be on the Carnival Miracle for 9/11′s special cruise, I hope that we can both use this as a turning point and by me apologising for anything that I may have said to offend you in the past….. That we can move on, disagree at times and still though enjoy the passion we both have for cruising. Best wishes and thank you so much for your loyalty. Hope I get to shake your hand one day.
John
That’s all for now and I will be back with more tomorrow
Take a look at this:
Guest: Mr. —–Ref: 901010671A
Cabin: ____ Booking#: ______ Added-Changed: 8/24/11 – 8/24/11PUSHED BY ANOTHER GUEST
Guest came to the GSD to say that during the bracelet sale in the gift shop that another guest had pushed her out of the way to get to the bracelets before her. Mrs____says that she was pushed and her foot was trodden on…
Now, let’s set the scene here. These were four tables set up outside of the shops where upon the gift shop manager had placed these bracelets. Now they are “Pandora’ style bracelets called Bella Perina. They are beautiful and obviously the price of $24.95 sent people into a frenzy. But come on, it’s a bloody bracelet!
As you know I hate shopping and if I see the word “sale” I run away, very quickly. What is it that makes nice people magically shed their civilised skins and change into rude grabbing bastards who’d gladly head butt a grandmother if it meant getting the item before anyone else? Honestly, this morning, guests were using SWAT-team tactics as ferocious women linked arms with their battle axe friends to barge through crowds while other guests used their children’s strollers to create a cordon around the table like a lion over a freshly killed deer. There is no doubt that our on-board shops are truly providing our guests with bargains but I think we have to find a better way to sell them, don’t you?
Yesterday I started my time line thingy on what I did on the first sea day after leaving Venice. We reached 9 am so it’s time to take you from 9 am – noon.
9:00 am So Calvyn and I go through the mail for the morning show and head to the studio. Well, when I say studio I mean Club O2 because for some strange reason this is the place that has the live feed on the Carnival Magic to the big screen and every TV on board is at Club O2. Anyway, we do the show and as always Calvyn is a joy to work with.
10:00 am: I am back in my cabin now having walked back along Deck 5 to say hello to guests. Once here I meet with Mel and she and I decide if any of the letter writers from the morning show need to be sent a gift and if so what. I like to send champagne to honeymooners and anniversary couples and the kids who have written in all get solid gold plastic trophies. I then go through the emails with Mel and ACD Kevin and discuss what needs to be done that morning. I try and delegate as much as I can because of what comes next.
10:30am: I make my morning announcement on the PA system. I am aware that some guests find this annoying but I still think it’s an important way to get the message out there and of course it helps to promote the various happenings on board, as well. But I try not to make it too long and to include some fun, some well wishes and relevant weather information. Today, I did all that and spoke about the slot tournament in the casino, charm bracelets special in the gift shop and teeth whitening at the spa, as well as the rest of the morning’s activities. I asked Mel to time it and it was 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Not bad, I guess.
10:30am: The most important part of the morning…..I call Heidi and Kye and say good morning to the two reasons I do what I do.
10:45am: And so I take off my CD hat, slip into my underpants and become brand ambassador and start the blog thingy. I try when I can to get a head start on this by working from 6 am – 9 am on the blog. I did this for the first couple of months here on the Carnival Magic but after five months with only seven days off……..I don’t mind admitting I am tired. And so my alarm now goes off at 7 am and that extra hour is priceless to me. So between 10:35 am and noon, I write the blog. During this time, my phone rang 14 times and I had to page for a seven-year-old child who had lost his parents and was waiting for them at the guest services desk. Mel brought me another cup of coffee and I am aware that I am probably drinking too much of that but needs must.
Noon: I stop writing. This is something I force myself to do otherwise I will forget what being a CD is all about. I have to tell you that juggling the job and the blog was difficult but with 17, 500 mates on Facebook now it’s really hard to get it all in. But as I said, I have to force myself to get away from Mr. Dell. At noon I have written the opening to the blog and just about finished the Q&A section. But now it’s off to host Great British Pub Trivia contest in the Ocean Plaza and I will write more about this in a forthcoming blog.
1:00 pm: I am back in the cabin and back at the computer continuing the blog. The great thing about being in Europe is the time difference to the states from where the beards post the blog. I am not sure anymore if I could do this in the Caribbean. I guess we shall see in November when we get to Galveston. As I continue to write, there is a knock at the door and my lunch has arrived. I know it’s cheeky of me to have it delivered to the cabin but it’s one of the privileges my position brings and honestly I don’t have time to sit at lunch and gossip the minutes away. So here I sit eating a tuna and cheddar cheese sandwich on wheat bread (no chips) and a Caesar salad while still cracking on with the blog. I have only an hour left to get it done as I have a busy afternoon on stage and goodness knows how many Facebook questions to answer.
1:15pm: I have a poo.
I will be back with the next few hours when I write again. It really is like an episode of 24, isn’t it?
“Dammit, Chloe — we’re running out of time. Someone from Cruise Critic is trying to smuggle a rum runner on board the Carnival Magic but we don’t know who. It’s time to torture someone ………quick, get the photos of the Norwegian Epic and if that doesn’t make them talk, get Calvyn in here and we’ll do some naked wrestling. That will make the bastard talk.”
“OK, he talked and the smugglers are heading for a meet and greet in the RedFrog Pub. Chloe, can you download the schematics to my Raspberry and tell Ketut to set up a perimeter?”
Yep, I am like Jack Bauer without the multiple gunshot wounds and having my testicles electrocuted by the Chinese. However, I wished yesterday I could have been him, just for a few minutes. I would have loved to have locked the parents of the kids who threw golf putters off the side of the ship and the soccer balls too and ripped the basketball net in a small room. They had laughed when we told them what they had done and then started to shout and me and the guest services manager in their own language! Yep, that would have been the perfect time to lock them in a small room on Deck B and gone to work on them with a cattle prod.
Goodnight.
Your friend,
John Bauer
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 should have ejected those parents and their filthy poor mannered children from the ship. You were far too nice, and without parental cooperation those teens are bound to do more damage.
Those parents are perfect examples of why their children are the way they are….
I suggest obedience training for the kids, a stinging nettle high colonic for the parents, and muzzles for all. Then make them pay for damages and ban them from sailing CCL forever.
Thanks for another great blog!
I would like to address “Helen” and the dog issue. Tell me why AGAIN, she needs the dog in the DINING ROOM? If she falls asleep, why can’t her sister wake her up? Also, I’m sure lots of us would volunteer to walk her dog….right off a short pier! :X
I would like to request that she’s NOT in the Southern Lights Dining Room with me!
I would use the damn dog as a flag!
Dog hater, are you, Tammy? My, my, you cast aspersions on someone and her affliction and then pass judgment on her service animal without knowing any of the details of her apnea or other services her dog may provide. I’m glad you aren’t in the same dining as I am when I cruise. You’d probably bitch about anything and everything within your line of sight.
Let’s hope that you never have a disability or disease that needs the assistance of a service dog. I’m sure her small dog is not going to be a disturbance to anyone so why would you be so negative and harsh in your response to this?
Is it not possible to get the dog to retrieve the golf clubs?
AMEN
AMEN to Marsha.
Hi John –
I would agree that something needs to be done about the “big” sale days in the shops. A couple of cruise ago, I thought I would check out the watch sale. People were lined up well before the sale started and once inside, it was a free for all. Guests were hoarding watches. Discarded ones were dumped everywhere and anywhere. At the very least, I think entrances need to be staggered.
Counting down to the Blogger’s Cruise…
Colleen
John, just read this article over at Cruise Critic – http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4584
-Where it states how Carnival treated the passengers who missed the early departure on the Victory. It also tells of how another cruise line did very little, and basically nothing to inform or alert their passengers of the departure change. This is just another reason why I have been sold on Carnival for two years now and do not plan on vacationing any other way for many years to come. There are many sights in this world that I want to see but they wont soon be seen by me most likely if a CCL ship can’t take me there.
I have been sold on Carnival’s value since my first cruise on the Pride, and have been sold on Carnival’s brand since I stumbled upon your blog during the events of the Splendor fire. It is nearly every week that I read one of your facebook updates or an article on CC about how CCL has once again stepped up to the plate for their customers even when it costs them money.
I was on the Pride on the June 5 cruise, and you were so kind to ask the Maitre’d to help us with a table by the window, and we received a table at the rear of the ship, center window. It was the best seat in the entire dining room and made our cruise. We looked forward to that table every night. It will be hard to top that, but for what Carnival does for it’s customer’s, and for all the extra miles you personally take for us, I expect that a CCL ship will be our vacation destination every year, and some years hopefully more than one trip.
I work with the public on a daily basis, and with being so close to Baltimore I talk about cruises with my customers very often, and I do everything I can to make sure they all know what Carnival has done for us, and to make sure they know in what ways I’ve seen or read about “other” lines in the area fall short of Carnival’s value and customer care.Keep up the good work, and I would love a personal recommendation from you on what ship to cruise next. We are considering the Miracle because we love Grand Turk, and we want the 2 days down and 2 days back. Between that and Florida based ships, what is a favorite? We like bright decor, and a good mixture of sea days and port days. Would you have a recommendation for us for next summer?
Dear John,
I tip my hat to you folks at Carnival for delivering an exceptionally good vacation value.
Yours in travel,
Bob
Thanks so much for your response John.
I think we can agree to disagree on the letters you publish but I still have a world of respect for what you do and hope to cruise with you in the near future.
John, in regards to chair saving we had an incident on the Freedom recently….We had breakfast outside on Lido and saw that six chairs near the pool were adorned with towels. We also were able to get a chair so no problem there – but these reserved chairs were not graced by a body in them for well over two hours. We asked at the towel hut about the chair saving as some other people we met on the cruise wanted a chair. The lady at the towel hut said there was nothing she could do. Instead she pulled an additional chair into the already crowded area. Then a few days later my daughter wanted to relax on the Serenity Deck and read while the kiddos were at CCarnival. There were almost no chairs there that didn’t either have a book or a towel in them. She did find a spot and said that during the 90 min she was there that no persons ever sat in those reserved chairs. Now did either of these instances ‘ruin’ our cruise? Absolutely not. Not sure what the answer is but the policing definitely needs to be there since people obviously don’t care to follow the rules. Another positive note – the housekeeper moping up by the
adult pool was spot on keeping the kids out and keeping the adults from drinking beverages while in the pool. Kudos to him! We had an excellent time and have BC5 to look forward to next.
Ok, I am confused. That first poster wants special accommodations for EATING in the Dining Room because they have SLEEP Apnea and a service dog is needed for this? WTH???
This lady going to sleep in the dining room, something smells. Sometimes you go alittle overboard with what some people want. The dog can stay in the cabin, there is no need to be taken to the MDR
.
I am also confused – as I understand it Sleep Apnea is when you stop breathing in your sleep – why would she be worried about sleeping in the dining room. Sounds like she just can’t be without her friend and wants Carnival to help her be Paris Hilton.
I also don’t understand why the dog needs to be in the dining room with her if the dog is for severe sleep apnea.
While I have certainly never heard of a service dog for sleep apnea….there is more to this disorder than not breathing when you sleep.
Hubby has had it for 15 years and before he was properly diagnosed, he would fall asleep in the car (not while driving) while going across town.
However, IF the sleep apnea machine is working properly, then this should not happen.
I guess I question why she would need someone to care for her dog while she is off on shore excursions. IF someone truly needs a service dog…then how can they go for an entire day without it?
Linda
PS: For those who may not have read the original request….she demanded that someone be available to babysit her dog while she is in port on shore excursions…
Linda
My husband has COPD as well as sleep apnea so is it permissible for us to bring our cat to the main dining room? She is ill and must has fluids every day so can we bring her along and have the medical team attend to her?
Also, I would also like to complin at the parking charges in the ports. We always have to budget $100 plus for every trip. This is ridiculous!!!!
Long Beach charges $15 a day! Someone is getting rich off of us cruisers.
Manhattan charges $30 per day. Count your blessings you’re only paying half that!
They all are at least $15 per day…RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!
This is why I ride the train and stay over at the beautiful Queen Mary Hotel.
Your schedule is grueling! I don’t know how you do it. You are amazing!
John:
Sadly I am not surprised to hear that the parents “laughed” and shouted at you.
When you have teenagers that old that do not know how to behave…..it comes from the parents (or lack thereof).
Proof once again that just because can reproduce does not mean they should.
That reaction alone would have garnered them the 6AM knock at the next port.
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
I guess it’s all a matter of prospective, but I’d love to pay $140 in parking instead of several hundred PP in airfare.
John, I would like to know why the chair hogging problem couldn’t be handled by simple timers borrowed by guests just like the towels are. If a guest wants to leave their towels on the chairs & walk away for whatever reason they could also leave a timer there counting down 30 minutes. If there is no timer or an expired timer on an empty chair, their stuff is fair game to be moved. If there is still time left on their counter, then the chair is safe. 30 minute timers are cheap & it will alert every passenger to the 30 minute chair hogging rule. Chair hoggers actual affect others vacations & reflect negatively on the experiences of your customers & a simple egg timer along side the towels could help with that.
Sorry to say Chair Hogs alive, well and breeding in the Serenity area on the Magic 12 day 7/24 twelve day cruise. On the second sea day all beds gone by 6.30am…..I jest ye not. I was told by supervisor that staff were unwilling to remove towels as some Hogs had claimed belongings had gone missing. Glad you have now got it under control.
Please respond. You have high tact skills, and I applaude you. I am a fairly new cruiser, one on PCL, and the other 5 on Carnival. I too am confused on why the dog is needed in the dining room for sleep apnia, although I have heard of some people having it severely enough they fall asleep during the day.
Chair saving.. should be able to ask staff to remove towels after 45 minutes and them say no problem. Swimsuit in dining room.. never ever seen, in buffet dining room with no cover up.. yes I have. Some of the port charges are ridiculous, but I never thought about calling you to complain… after all that is the port.. not Carnival.
Do have a question and just curious… I cut myself on a table on the lido deck.. nice little cut, like a knife slice, but not deep, light bleeding, stopped easily. But went to report it, and she was completely disinterested in what table I cut myself on, and let me know I could go downstairs and get medical attention but would have to pay for it. Now I was in no manner cut bad enough for medical attention, but did not want someone to cut themselves too… but also did not realzie if I cut myself on a damaged table, I would be responsible for the medical bills????? I was on the Fantasy, Feb. 27 I believe.
JOHN! colors? spelt incorrectly!!!!
Another great blog!
He is English and writes as does the Queen.
Do you realise that colours (correct spelling) is written this way all over the world except the US and their territories……as are words like doughnut (donut in the US) cheque (check in US). Example: American Express Traveller’s Cheques that are sold here in the US spell it this way too…….do you know why? Because if they spell it the way that you would like, then no one in the world would cash it. Words have, in time, been sltered to accommodate the people in this country.
To avoid confusion – I too am a Brit – the first time John used the word he spelt it incorrectly as “colors”
Third sentence in :- “….this cruise is wearing your favourite football (sacccceer) team’s colors”
I had been a member of Cruise Critic for 6 years. When I first found out about the site, it was a great resourse for information and cruisers helping cruisers. Last week I started a thread stating that in the past 6 to 8 months, the Carnival thread had become very negative. I also stated the if I was a first time cruiser and read what was on Cruise Critic, I would reconsider taking a cruise altoghter. You have the Carnival Cheerleaders that think that Carnival can do no wrong, you have the Carnival haters that think that Carnival can do no right and then there are the trolls that spread ruomors and tell lies. Within 3 hours of starting this thread, it was pulled without reason. I guess you can slam the cruiselines, be rude to other members and spread lies without fear of having you comment pulled. The second you question the site and the effect it has on cruisers well that is not allowed. I can no longer go to that site as it is so nasty and negative. Life is to short to waste time on such negativity.
John I appreciate that you do not just post the cheerleading posts and that you take the time to answer all questions, be it negative or positive. Given what you have to endure during a cruise, on your blog and facebook, it is great to see that you have a positive attitude. Keep up the great work and I look forward to reading your blog for many years to come.
Safe travels.
Cruise Critic has gone down the tubes ever since the old Host on the NCL boards moved up to an ADMIN.
Until she is removed, and there are more talented moderaters that moderate as opposed to engage in the conversation, it’s not going to change.
I agree. …I stopped looking at CC because of all of the negative stuff. It made me question whether or not to cruise again!
Duane, I was right there with you the other night when your thread got pulled – they make me so mad! All my threads get pulled and most of my post get deleted. It a game now. Its like a train wreck overthere now what with all the passport stuff that recenly happened. all the arguing……
Thanks for the support N. It is really too bad as it once was a very good resource. I wish that the Carnival website board was a little easier to navigate. Oh well onwards and upwards.
Duane
Why would carnival think its OK to switch a 53 year old woman to anytime dining and eat by herself for a week? This happened to my sister-in-law who was in a cabin by herself and traveling with my wife and I on the Carnival Legend in July. The matre’d was a rude and confrontational man. I booked the cruise 11 months early. I wrote to complain after returning and got a well we can’t guaratee dining preferences reply. After cruising on 10 total cruises 4 on carnival, I can tell you threy will never again get a chance to treat me like a second class citizen.
You obviously did not LINK the two cabins.
IF you had, this would not have happened.
Unfortunately during high season when the ships are above capacity, sometimes changes can not be made.
I would not imagine it happens often, but again…it could have been avoided if YOU had linked the cabins when you booked them 11 months prior.
While I don’t understand why you have all this time to comment on others problems with carnival maybe it has to do with the class of people carnival attracts now. No Linda these cabins WERE linked by the travel agent 11 months earlier and the documents and the travel agents documents proved that all was sent on to carnival in my formal complaint. All three people were supposed to sit together at a table of 6 or 8 at early seating dining. It is their answer that infuriates me even more that …oh well sorry. No I’ll never sail with carnival or their affiliates again. But YOU probably won’t stop being a schill for this cruise line that believes that it’s OK for a 53 year old woman to eat alone for a week. Like them you don’t know right from wrong. Go back to baking.
John
1st of all THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO. We appreciate this blog. I have been on 12 cruises and not I have a REAL COMPLAINT THAT I PRAY you will help with. 1st of all everyone I have dealed with at Carnival was so nice and helpful until yesterday. My Friend Jerry Mitchell that goes on cruises with us, has been on abut 8 rev. on 10/10 this year is 576GQ2. He had his sister call Carnival because he won something last year on the cruise party for prev. guests.We thought he has won a credit. They talked to a LADY NAME CASANDRA IN GUEST RELATIONS AND I WANT HER REPORTED TO CARNIVAL. SHE WAS RUDE and told her why couldn’t you have called why did you need you sister to do this for you. Mr. Mitchell LOST HIS WIFE OF 40 YEARS last month and his sister was trying to help him here.SHE WAS SO RUDE AND MEAN TO HIM AND WOULD NOT TRANSFER HIM TO A SUPERVISOR!!! please report her to Carnival , they should not have a person working for them like that.They called back and got a new person that was helpful however . Please John let Carnival know about this bad review with this person. Again he is Jerry Mitchell 576GQ2 on 10/10/11 Jacksonville FL. Thanks so much John for what you do. Gail Daves
Hello John:
I am kind of slow this morning. It just dawned on me that the transatlantic voyage the sleep dog woman is on is the Carnival Magic TA. Grrrrr, hope my black lab doesn’t find out, he will be furious when we get home. I told him Carnival didn’t allow dogs that weren’t seeing eye dogs. I will bring some pupparoni for the little fellow, to distract it when it comes to steal my steak.
Your Friend
Bill Heck
I have to say that the idea of someone “needing” their sleep apnea service dog in the dining room with them may seem ridiculous to many of you.
It is NONE of your business or anyone else’s. All service dogs are allowed by law to be with their owner at all times. The medical condition does not dictate when or where the animal is allowed.
There is a unique bond between a service dog and their owner and it must be maintained in the usual manner.
Sorry to disagree….but IF ( note that I said IF) this is someone who is abusing the privilege (and this is a PET and not a service dog…which happens A LOT)..then it is INDEED our business.
We have a special needs son whose doctor has recommended this very kind of service animal and IF we ever decide to go that route….we do not want his REAL need to be an issue because OTHERS have abused it.
Linda
Thank you for your input. There are MANY reasons for having a service dog and, as you said, they and their person have a special bond. Generally, they’re together 24/7.
I know someone who has a seizure disorder and has a small poodle service dog. It IS pretty funny looking, but the poodle “alerts” when necessary, giving the person time to get to a safe place and take precautions.
I don’t understand how a service dog resting under his person’s chair would bother anyone.
This dog is a pet.
How does one “get to a safe place and take precautions”? Does the dog lead them. Give us all a break. Talk to a doctor (outside the USA) who will tell you this is treated with a machine and mask during the night to deal with a person who stops breathing when asleep.
If someone suddenly falls “asleep”or blacks out during the day the they are more likely to be having a seizure. They should not be on a ship.
Is it wrong that I think you should have tossed the kids & their parens in the Med along w/the putters & the foot/soccer balls.
With parental examples like that no wonder they’re hoodilums.
To radius 101: If Carnival attracts a lower class of people, and this is your 8th Carnival cruise, what does that make you? Just wondering!
Go Pam! Very good point! What I want to know is: Where is the class in calling other people ‘low class’? Seems like so many people feel the need to make comments about people they have never met.
John, take a big breath, in… then out… in… then out….
You are doing a job that requires super-human powers, and although I am in total awe of your abilities, I understand that, like me, you are a mere human. The “guests” (yes, I use that term loosely, as I would never expect a guest to behave as poorly as some I have had the misfortune of encountering first-hand) have some misguided expectation of their position in the grand scheme of life as most of us understand and readily accept. My family and I have been pampered and looked after in a most agreeable and courteous manner throughout this entire “Magical” voyage, and I can offer nothing more than praise to all of the staff (Pisit, Ritchie, Alex, Danielle & Alexander… and so many more whose names I did not retain… my BAD) of the Carnival Magic crew members. Job well done. Exceptionally well done!
Dear John, Please Reply
While planning our next cruise with Carnival for next year we noticed that our profile didn’t show the last cruise we booked. I know you remember what happened when we decided not to get on the Carnival Glory last September 2010 due to the upcoming hurricane to hit the Nova Scotia area. I was sorry not to have the chance to accept your gift. My wife and I felt it better to skip the cruise but we paid for it in full. When I spoke to a rep at Carnival I was told we had to have gotten on then off the ship to get credit. We didn’t want any money back, it was our decision. We are striving towards Platinum status. We have 5 cruises and that would have been 6. We feel we should have gotten credit for this, what do you think?? You know I never ask you for anything and feel strange doing it now. I don’t know if I should put my profile number here or not.
Thank you,
Tim….
TO HELEN
Get yourself a C – P A P machine
I have sleep apnea and i take mine on cruises
On the gift shops…for those who are non-initiates such as I, think of (as in the U.S.A.) the day following Thanksgiving. Yup. It’s that insane. If you are out for the thrill of the bargain, then these events are for “YOU”. If you prefer the calm, relaxed shopping experience, avoid these AT ALL COST!!! I overheard a couple ladies complaining while still shopping. This concept was totally lost on me. Why stay in the midst of the frenzy if you aren’t enjoying it?!?! Perhaps they just enjoy hearing themselves complaining?!? I prefer to smile and observe the complexities of human behavior. Life is much too short to spend a single moment being cross about something that is completely beyond my control! Carpe diem!!!
)
Dear Jack,
Don’t forget to take some time for you. A few minutes each day to keep from turning the cattle prod loose on the passengers at the next watch sale in the ships store. The people go nuts at these events. The free booze samples as well.
I heard this on the radio so it must be true! Take a minute and rub your ears from top to the lobe. Massaging the ears helps to stimulate the blood flow and wakes you up and give you energy with the aide of a Red Bull Monster drink!
The Cruzin2some
Calvyn is a riot. My kids get him and we all enjoy his act. You two have similar chemistry to Jay Leno and “Ross the Intern”. Good stuff.
Forgot to mention that I bought the Pandora look alike bracelet for my 13-year old daughter on our Magic cruise a couple of weeks ago. She already has Pandora and still wanted the gift shop knock off.
Oh, Cruise Critic is a great site. You just need a BS filter out for the cheerleaders and troublemakers.
We agree … Calvyn is a hoot.
Kevin (ACD) is great as well….
Linda
Oh my John, you do need a vacation. As much as I will miss you on my September 25th Carnival Magic cruise, I will be happy knowing you are getting some rest and being with your girls.
I will not even bother to say anything about the service dog in the dining room as we do not know anything about her situatation.
I do not think anything can be done about the people that can not be courteous when the word SALE is mentioned anywhere. There will never be enough room and there will never be enough purses or whatever is on sale that will please everyone.
Keep smiling John; you truly are one of the good guys.
My best to Heidi and Kye.
BRILLIANT!!!! It just goes to show that just once I would like to hear Chloe say something like: Dammit all to Hell Jack, I’m on a break here! I haven’t a vacation in 7 years and I’m sick of saving your A**! You blow the bastards up on your own time!
I love 24 and Keifer Sutherland, but sometimes I don’t think Chloe gets enough credit. Sounds like you indeed need to put on your best CTU hat for this day. I hope you were able to get through to those parents regarding thier little darlings behavior.
Have a good day tommorrow!
your friend,
Jodi
John- (please reply)
Let me start off by saying I love the new menus! What a nice change – and while I do love shrimp, I like the variety the new menus offer, and quite honestly, I don’t cruise just for the shrimp.
That being said, I may have missed it, but there is a dish I didn’t see on the menus that I’m wondering about. A few months back, you debuted two basa dishes – one is still there, but the one I LOVED – the one on the spa carnival menu – is missing. I’m wondering if maybe it just wasn’t very popular and that’s why it’s gone? The reason I loved it was that it was one of the few “light” dishes you had that had not only low calories, but also fantastic flavor – enough that the lack of all the stuff that normally makes food good (you know, the fat, calories, cheese, etc.) wasn’t even missed – of course, I haven’t memorized the menus, so it’s entirely possible that I missed it somehow, but here’s a vote to bring it back (at some point anyway – even if it’s only in the steakhouse – yes, it’s that good – I’d gladly pay for it!).
My other question is this – I have my 10th Carnival cruise booked for early January – I know the platinum program is due for an overhaul. If you were me, would you move heaven and earth to book another cruise in 2010 before the program changes, or will cruising in the first half of January get me “across home plate”. I would hate to have 9 cruises under my belt and have the platinum designation slip just out of reach because I have a mixture of 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 day cruises rather than all 7 days long. I know you can’t give me details, but what would you do? (I live in the midwest, so it’s a bit more complicated than driving 10 minutes to the port to grab a ship – maybe someday I’ll be lucky enough to live in a port city, but unless Carnival starts cruising on the great lakes, I’m s.o.l. for awhile)
Thanks again for all you do and I look forward to sailing with you one day!
I see another entertainment opportunity here when it comes to gift shop ‘sales’. Setup a viewing area near the respective shop where fans of shoppers can cheer. Install small TV cameras in and around the shop that feed into the TV network. Calvin can call the play by play. The casino manager can take bets, giving odds. While taking DOD orders, the waitstaff can take your bets just like Keno girls in Vegas. Survivor who buys the most watches gets a solid gold plastic trophy and her/his first $50 free from Medical for wound care (battle?). And if the audience cheers loud enough, the winner gets to toss the arrogant teenager off the back (they probably had to prove themselves tough enough to get the job done).
Ken M.
LMAO!!!! Love the senerio I can picture it! I’d place a bet.
John, I have been on two Carnival Crusies, one on the Splendor with my husband in 2009 and one on the Valor with my whole family in 2011, both were wonderful trips. We are now in the planning stages for a trip in 2014, I am hoping to sail on the Breeze, how soon until we will be able to book?
I found your blog thingy on Cruise Critic and I love checking in with you every few days. I will be on the Magic in October and am sorry I will not have the chance to meet you. I appreciate your honest efforts to entertain and provide information.I am a huge fan of Cruise Critic, but not because of the regular boards, but because of the Roll Call. The chance to meet the others who will be cruising with us in a few weeks has been above and beyond my expectations. It is an active board and the folks on there are full of great information and are very supportive. We have tons of things planned together and I am so looking forward to meeting them in person. I feeel as if I know a few already, even if we haven’t really met. I scan the boards every now and then. I add information if I have it and get some good ideas from the replys of others. Yes, there are some hateful people out there. Very easy to hide behind a screen name. I think if we remember that the site is to serve the purpose of getting and giving good information and opinions you can ignore those who treat it as a soap box or a way of being “published”.
I question why you do this. I can only imagine how you feel about it. All I can say is so many really do appreciate you and what you do! THANK YOU.
Hi John
one of your replies mentioned the 4th Sept sailing as older in it’s demographic with less kids; there will be some kids on board i hope as I am bringing two with me (and a wife) and we are hoping to get some time on our own. You also said the guest numbers are going to be down to 3800, what have the guest numbers been till now then? (I read the max was 3600)
Greg
First and most importantly – I cannot believe some comments about the service dog below! Karma will get you in time. How is the dog on their lap affecting you? WOW!
Secondly – the lady who responded about the chef’s table and drunk people. The “lower class” you talk of could have been “rich drunks” as easily as “poor drunks” as by lower class it is assumed you are talking about the working (poor) class —- I have seen just as many “classy” people get intoxicated and ruin events as I have “white trash” type people. You were NOT at the dinner and have no right to speak of who did what.