Now and then, I get comments that include the words “nickel and dime” and go on to tell me how everything on a Carnival ship should be free and we shouldn’t charge for anything on board. Obviously, we do have some areas where we charge extra and yet you can still take a Carnival cruise and eat, drink and be entertained without spending anything extra short of the recommended gratuities you kindly leave the staff. One thing we definitely do not do is try and get you to buy something other than what you have ordered. I think the correct street term for this is up-selling.
It seems everywhere these days that someone is offering the opportunity for an “up sell.” Take my recent flight from Gatwick to Pisa Airport to join the Carnival Breeze. I had handed my suitcase in to the 17-year-old at the check-in desk secure in the knowledge that my underpants and my hemorrhoid cream would be on the plane with me. What a stupid sodding thought that turned out to be. Anyway, I went to security, took out my laptop, got felt up by the security chap, passed through the scanner and heard giggling from the booth, obviously, because the chap looking at my naked image had finally found someone with a smaller gentleman’s sausage than his…….and headed for a well-deserved cup of coffee. So at Gatwick Airport’s Starbucks, I ordered a simple crapafrapacino. The coffee girl … sorry…..barista, then started her hustle:
Barista: “Any sandwiches or pastries with that for you today?
John: “No, thanks.”
Barista: “We have a fantastic blueberry and cinnamon muffin on special today only.”
John: “No, thanks, I’m diabetic.”
Barista: “Oh, you’re diabetic are you? How about a sandwich then, the egg mayonnaise is today’s special.”
I had had enough by then and I just gave her a look that said either serve me my coffee or I will shove one of those steam pipes you use to make the frothy cappuccino right up your arse….. And turn it on. If we ever start up-selling on board the ships, let me know because it drives me bloody crazy………………..as do comments like this:
From: BREEZE GUEST SERVICES
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 1:03 PM
To: BREEZE CRUISE DIRECTOR
Cc: BREEZE GUEST SERVICES; BREEZE GUEST SERVICES SUPERVISOR; BREEZE GUEST SERVICES MANAGER
Subject: Good Afternoon JohnMrs———–asked to speak to you John. Her 12-year-old daughter spent $48 in Cherry On Top on candy and guest feels that we should have not allowed her to do this and should have called the parents. I know this is not your responsibility but she insists on talking to you.
Thank you and best regards,
Guest Services Associate, Carnival Breeze
Carnival Cruise Lines
I will tell you what…….let me start by asking you to fill in the blank here when I say ________!
How is the poor lady who runs Cherry on Top supposed to know how much candy each kid is allowed, although I guess $48 is rather a lot? I spoke with Mrs. Sugar and she is indeed upset and wants a refund even though her daughter has eaten some of it already. Mrs. Sugar demanded a refund but as the candy was pick and mix and in a big, a very big bag, all mushed together, I told her we could not do this but we would note the cabin number and make sure if her daughter attempted to buy any more candy, we would call the parents first.
I will leave you all to summarise this comment but I do want to say this. As a diabetic, finding me in Cherry On Top is as rare as finding a lap dancer in a nunnery. I do though miss candy or sweets, as us Brits call them. When I was a kid, my parents would give us a sweet allowance and I would head to the local sweet shop with joy in my heart. There was a private joy to eating the sweets I bought on those Saturdays, a silent moment in the week when my senses were so overwhelmed with fizz and sugar that we I didn’t talk, play or ride my bike.
Instead, I would immerse myself in a world of toffee and my favourite, a Sherbet Dip Dab. I loved the suck of the lemon and then the fizz in your mouth of the sherbet. I also miss the Moon Rocks, or, Pop Rocks as they are called in North America, and the sensation of it exploding in my mouth was sensational. I would always buy two bags. One for me and one to sprinkle in my sister’s cat’s litter tray…………watching her cat take a pee and have the litter box explode under him gave me nearly as much pleasure as eating the candy myself. There are times when I hate myself for letting myself go and consequently getting type 2 diabetes and walking around Cherry On Top is definitely…………one of those times.
Time for today’s Q and A……..here we go.
Chasen Woodie asked:
Hello, John,I hope all is well with you. John I love reading your blog you make me laugh so hard. On June the 19, my wife was six months pregnant and we found out our daughter had passed away. On June 20, my wife was induced into labor. The next day in the hospital, my wife said she wanted to get out of town on our daughters due date on Oct 6. So I surprised her with our fourth Carnival cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy on Oct 4-8 and we can’t wait to go. I just wanted to let you know how much Carnival means to us. I also saw the Carnival Ecstasy is going in to dry dock in Oct. When in October will this be? Thanks so much and keep up the good work.
John says:
Hello Chasen WoodieI am so sorry for your loss and I cannot imagine the pain and heartache that you both must have felt and indeed still be feeling. Cruising means different things to different people and for you, I hope it helps ease the pain somewhat. Please if you can, relax on the cruise, try and have fun and please also send me your cabin number the day before you sail on my Facebook page, if possible. Thinking of you both and my best wishes for nothing but happiness in your future together.
Best wishes,
JohnAntoinette asked:
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple weeks, very entertaining! We will be taking our 12th Carnival cruise on the Carnival Breeze this winter. Just wondering if you remember a lady named Dottie? We were on one of our first cruises in the 90′s and I’ll always remember you two rolling around on the stage floor!! How funny!!! We always have a great time on Carnival and look forward to the Carnival Breeze. Our best to you!John says:
Hello AntoinetteYes indeed, how can I ever forget Dottie or Liza Minnelli on steroids as she became known? Dottie was one of those guests you never ever forget and, wow, what a voice she had. We lost touch over the years, which makes me sad and I think of her often. Have a wonderful cruise here on this brilliant ship and if you need anything, please let me know.
Best wishes.
JohnTravis asked:
Just got off the Carnival Pride. This was my first cruise. I hated it. The cruise director and her assistant, Gumbie, are the most annoying people on the planet. Gumbie was rude and obnoxious to passengers when they did not do what he wanted them to. Case in point, when he tried to get them to sit down in the Taj Mahal Lounge so we could depart for Half Moon Cay, his tone was condescending and rude. I also hated the fact that someone was in your face every second trying to sell you a drink. They were annoying. No matter where you went, there was someone at the ready to harass you. The food in the buffet area really sucked. The Normandy had much better food. At least it was edible. The activities that they had planned were so lame. Not only that, most times they charged you to participate. They charged $25 or $30 to play bingo. THEY ONLY PLAYED ONE GAME! This was not about providing you with a fun filled vacation; it was more about seeing how much money they could suck out of your wallet. I am a member of Cruise Critic and have downloaded my full review!!!! http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=106313I won’t be back and I hope my review will stop others from spending their money going on this ship from hell.
John says:
Hello TravisIt is thought by a few of my more skeptical blog readers that I never post comments like this here on my blog thingy but I think it is important that I do. First of all, and most importantly, I apologise that you did not have a fun cruise and I have forwarded your comments to the ship. I do want to say a few things, though, if I may and I will start with the fact that it is always fascinating how opinions can differ. You see, I have read up until now so many great things about the Carnival Pride and indeed based on the review cards that some of our guests are sent and complete on line the Carnival Pride is currently the number one ship in the entire fleet. I also do not normally hear negative comments about the CD, Jaime D, and her assistant, Gumbie, and I am sorry that you found them to be “annoying.” I did check with Jaime and we only charge $10 or $20 for bingo and never $25 or $30, so I apologise if this was not made clear. I also wanted to reply to you regarding your comments that ….“most times they charged you to participate.” I checked again with the ship as this had me confused because all the shows, indoor and outdoor activities and shows had no charges at all, with the exception of bingo and laser tag so I wonder if you could tell me what activities you were charged for so I can address this with Jaime and her staff. Thanks for taking the time to post this here and any other information you can give me would be most useful. I have not had time yet to read your full review on Cruise Critic but will try to do so soon and meanwhile I hope you will write back with more details on what you experienced.
Best wishes.
JohnGregory Simon asked:
Hi, we are going on our third cruise in 12 months in September. This time we are going on the Carnival Legend out of Tampa. In reviewing the ship, I noticed that it doesn’t have all the amenities of the Carnival Liberty. Does that mean it’s not as up to date? We love Carnival but want to stay with the modern ships. Thanks.Greg
John says:
Hello Gregory SimonThanks for taking the time to write and, for many, Carnival Legend is their favourite ship. She does not have the same 2.0 upgrades that the Carnival Liberty has but modern and beautiful she certainly is and I have no doubt you will have a brilliant time. Please let me know if you have any other questions and have a brilliant cruise.
Best wishes.
JohnBonnie Edwards asked:
Hi John-I really enjoy reading your blogs. I had the pleasure of cruising with you on the Splendor in 2010 (before I knew you were “famous”) and have just booked my 14th Carnival cruise (technically, my 15th as one was on the Tropicale before Carnival began keeping track.) I am taking my sister on her very first Carnival cruise in October. My question is regarding room service. First I would like to comment that it would be nice if there was a better selection of choices and a hot breakfast included. However, my question is regarding tipping for room service. Carnival does not offer a suggested amount and I would like to know what the average tip is as I am afraid I may not be giving enough. Thank you for making me laugh and keep up the good work!
Hello Bonnie Edwards asked:
Thanks for making me smile with the “before you were famous” line and I am glad to see that you are sailing with us again and I thank you for your wonderful loyalty. I wish we could offer a hot selection for breakfast but from a manning point of view, I think that would be very hard to do with so many people wanting to order and mostly order at the same time, especially on port days. Thanks for asking about the tipping and we do suggest that tipping for room service be done when they deliver your food and the suggested amount is $1 – $2. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and I hope one day we sail together again.Best wishes
JohnKevin Cox asked:
Hi John,Just a quick suggestion. When my wife and I cruise one of the things we enjoy is meeting new people. We often travel with another couple so we asked our travel agent to request a table for eight. He told us that Carnival does not take table requests. While I can understand that because of the large number of people on board those requests could not always be accommodated. I feel an attempt could be made. Thanks for listening. Also my next cruise will be Oct 6 on the Carnival Freedom. Do you know who the cruise director will be?
John says:
Hello Kevin CoxMaking reservations for 3,000 or more guests is a terribly complicated affair and the Maître D’s have such a huge job juggling everyone around between early and late sitting and, of course, now we have Your Time Dining, as well. We try and seat people together with guests of similar age or demographic (single, family, older, younger, etc.) and so adding 3,000 people requesting tables of 2, 4, 8, etc., would be a challenge, to say the least. However, I am able to request certain tables for guests by contacting the maître d myself and, while it is never a definite thing, most times it works out. So, with that in mind, please feel free to contact me when you wish and I will do my best for you. Your CD on the Carnival Freedom will be the wonderful Brad Calabresse. I wish you a brilliant time and again, let me know if I can help you.
Best wishes.
JohnJohn Christian asked:
John, what cruise ship do you believe you may sail on for the 2013 season? This will be when we plan our next cruise after I complete my 46th year working for the Federal gov’t. We have sailed on the Carnival Freedom and Splendor; both were during their first year in the fleet with you and your beautiful wife Heidi.John says:
Hello John ChristianThanks so much, John, for those wonderful words and many congratulations on your service and your hard work these past 46 years. I have two definite schedules. The Bloggers Cruise here on the Carnival Breeze on January 16 and then I will be on the Carnival Legend sailing in the Baltic and the other exciting European destinations. I hope we get to sail together very soon and if there is anything I can do for you please let me know.
Best wishes.
JohnHal Hoffman asked:
Carnival Breeze is another “Dream” class ship, and is not for us!! We have sailed on the “Dream” twice. We swore after the first time we would never sail on her again, but our Pastor (also a Platinum cruiser) requested it for his last cruise (and now says he should have listened to us). So we sailed again, and encountered the same crowded conditions we did the first time. One should not be surprised. Basically, all they did was increase the overall size of the “Conquest” class by 20,000 tons, and crammed 1,600 more people on to it!!! That is like trying to put 30 pounds of tomatoes into a 23-pound bag!!! I happen to use a mobility scooter, and getting to and from the early dinner seating was like a scene out of “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.” No elevator etiquette whatsoever!! And the crew did not help at all, unlike HAL, which always holds the door (and elevator) for me! We chose to sail on the Carnival Liberty Nov. 10, and they have a great itinerary — Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Nassau!!! Much better than that same old tired “Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten” the Carnival Dream does, and the Carnival Glory did for years! I have a lift for my scooter attached to my van. FYI, if you have special H/C equipment on your vehicle, you park free at all Florida ports!John says:
Hello Hal HoffmanI have to say that, respectfully, I have to disagree with you about the Carnival Breeze, which to me is our best ship yet. Thanks for your feedback on the guests on mobility scooters and wheelchairs when it comes to elevators and we will pass along the information to the beards. Please accept my apologies and if there is anything I can do for you before you sail again, please let me know.
Best wishes.
JohnAndrew Baroni asked:
Can you tell me what ship Ron Pass is playing on? I have asked your customer service people but they are oblivious to who he is and are, quite frankly, a waste of time talking to. I am not a regular reader of your blog because I find your toilet humor both disgusting and unnecessary. I am looking to cruise with Ron Pass in January 2013 so where will he be?John says:
Hello Andrew BaroniPlease do not blame the guest service people in Miami. They work very hard and yet they don’t have access to musicians’ schedules, I am afraid. Ron is indeed at the top of his profession and will be joining me on our Bloggers Cruise on January 19 here on the Carnival Breeze. I don’t have the rest of his 2013 schedule yet, maybe Ron who reads this blog from time to time can shed some more light on what he is doing or you can check with me in November and I should have more information. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Best wishes.
JohnKelvin Brownlow asked:
We are excited for our cruise to start and we will, like our last cruise, be spending lots of time at the comedy club. Can you tell me who the comedians will be for our 9/17 cruise on Carnival Elation?John says:
Hello Kelvin BrownlowYour comedians will be Percy Cruise and Lance Montalto, both of whom I know well and both of whom will make you laugh out loud. Have a brilliant cruise. Best wishes.
John
And that’s all for today.
Is it too early to talk about Christmas? It probably is but let’s face it, it will not be too long before the shopping malls are playing that awful Christmas music by people like Bob Dylan and that Christmas in New York one by the Pogues. The stores will be covered in tinsel and seven-year- old kids will be telling their parents to sod off, they don’t want a GI Joe for Christmas, they want an Eyepad 3 with Bluetooth keyboard. But I guess I have to mention Christmas because, absurdly, the beards have sent me this year’s schedule that shows when the ships will be professionally decorated by a group of ummmmm………ummmm………Christmas decorating professionals. Anyway, here it is:
| 2012 – INSTALLATION SCHEDULE – HOLIDAY DECORATIONS |
|
|
|
DATE: |
SHIP: |
PORT: |
|
SAT, NOV. 17, 2012 |
DREAM |
PT. CANAVERAL, FL |
|
SUN, NOV. 18, 2012 |
SENSATION |
PT. CANAVERAL, FL |
|
MON, NOV. 19, 2012 |
ECSTASY |
PT. CANAVERAL, FL |
|
SAT, NOV. 17, 2012 |
ELATION |
NEW ORLEANS, LA |
|
SUN, NOV. 18, 2012 |
CONQUEST |
NEW ORLEANS, LA |
|
SAT, NOV. 24, 2012 |
LIBERTY |
MIAMI, FL |
|
SUN, NOV. 25, 2012 |
VALOR |
MIAMI, FL |
|
SUN, NOV. 25, 2012 |
GLORY |
MIAMI, FL |
|
MON, NOV. 26, 2012 |
DESTINY |
MIAMI, FL |
|
SAT, DEC. 1, 2012 |
FREEDOM |
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL |
|
SUN, DEC. 2, 2012 |
VICTORY |
SAN JUAN, PR |
|
SUN, DEC. 2, 2012 |
BREEZE |
MIAMI, FL |
|
MON, DEC. 3, 2012 |
IMAGINATION |
MIAMI, FL |
|
SUN, DEC. 2, 2012 |
SPLENDOR |
LONG BEACH, CA |
|
MON, DEC. 3, 2012 |
INSPIRATION |
LONG BEACH, CA |
|
THUR, DEC. 6, 2012 |
FANTASY |
FREEPORT, BAHAMAS (POC) |
|
SAT, DEC. 8, 2012 |
FASCINATION |
JACKSONVILLE, FL |
|
SAT, DEC. 8, 2012 |
MAGIC |
GALVESTON, TX |
|
SUN, DEC. 9, 2012 |
TRIUMPH |
GALVESTON, TX |
|
SUN, DEC. 9, 2012 |
LEGEND |
TAMPA, FL |
|
MON, DEC. 10, 2012 |
PARADISE |
TAMPA, FL |
|
TUE, DEC. 11, 2012 |
MIRACLE |
PT. CANAVERAL, FL (POC) |
|
WED, DEC. 12, 2012 |
PRIDE |
PT. CANAVERAL, FL (POC) |
| ** SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: | ||
|
TUE, NOV. 27, 2012 OR THUR, DEC. 6, 2012 |
SPIRIT |
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA |
There are indeed challenges at Christmas-time and when you celebrate Christmas on board the ships, there are certainly challenges, as well. Ask any crew member which are the most challenging cruises and it doesn’t matter which ship, the crew will most often cite a holiday cruise. Along with trans-Atlantic voyages, where despite our best intentions some guests can get ……..ummmm…….shall we say a bit grumpy. Christmas is a difficult time and even with 26 years at sea under my belt, I have bugger all understanding of why. Don’t get me wrong, most of the guests will have a great time and the atmosphere on board is fantastic but there has been and will be again this year a select number of guests on every ship on every cruise line who if you allow me to be candid ……….. are simply miserable people. Yep, Christmas seems to bring out bad moods in some folks whether they’re on land or at sea and our incident reports that log complaints on board always seem to take an upswing at Christmas-time. But regardless the crew will all make sure that they do their best to provide every guest with some Christmas cheer and some Carnival fun.
I have to admit that for me working during Christmas was always challenging and certainly not just for the reason above. As I think many of you will realise family is more important to me than anything and I always feel for the crew who are away from theirs for the holiday season. I also had another fear at Christmas-time. It’s a fear that is far worse than any guest complaining that the Christmas decorations offend her or that the turkey was as dry as a camel’s scrotum. And that’s the dreaded Christmas kiss, a show of affection which some guests, crew and, bizarrely, all Italian men think is mandatory at this time of year. As a fat bloke from Essex who never quite mastered the “Mwah, mwah” of the social greeting despite having worked among so many different nationalities and who believes that you should kiss only a) your children and b) the person you are having or want to have rumpy pumpy with, I always dreaded the sheer bloody awkwardness that comes before the kiss. Christmas morning and New Year’s Eve, guests would come up to me and the whole ritual would start. The clashing heads, should I or shouldn’t I go for the other cheek too, the whiff of halitosis caused by a Guy Fieri burger with extra onions and a distant relationship with the toothbrush.
On another note, I know many of you are waiting for news on what we are doing this Halloween and I will have that news for you at the end of this week.
Craig Dale asked:
John, I know you are a cigar smoker as I have read here many times and it’s a point you seem to love reminding us about. I hope one day you are forced to put up with something you hate as much as I hate cigar smokers. Me and my partner Christian were on the 7/21 sailing of Carnival Triumph and each night we were forced off our balcony by the rudest man next to us who chain smoked stinky cigars. All we wanted was some romantic time together but thanks to this selfish passenger we had NONE! We asked him not to but he ignored us and we complained to the front desk and wrote to the captain of the ship but were told nothing could be done. Our cruise was ruined by this man and he reminded me of you, John, as you could have been that man who ruined me and my partner’s cruise. Cigar smokers are bullies and bores yet their brand ambassador supports them as does the cruise line he works for.John says:
Hello Craig DaleObviously, I want to start with an apology to you that this happened. I know that smoking remains a hot topic despite the restrictions we adopted recently. Yes, it’s no secret that I love cigars and would I have certainly stopped smoking one if someone had asked me to. As a cruise director, the guest always comes first. Regardless of whether someone was complaining or not, I always make an attempt to position the cigar so the smoke blows away from the balcony but, again, if someone complained, I would certainly be respectful of their wishes. I do hope you enjoyed your cruise and I am truly sorry that this happened. Best wishes to you both.
John
This post had me thinking a bit, should I even mention that I love cigars, is that the wrong thing to do as Carnival’s Brand Ambassador? Cigars are not a problem for me this cruise as my supply was stolen by baggage people in either London or Italy. You know it’s not just the cigars I am drawn to but it’s also the people who smoke them. I find cigar smokers interesting, more generous of spirit, more willing to talk to strangers and offer that stranger a drink or yes, one of their cigars even. I find cigar smokers have opinions that are worth listening too and many seem to have a brilliant sense of humour too. You can’t imagine a cigar smoker placing their hand over their glass of good cognac and saying: “No more for me, thanks. I have to be up early for my Pilates class.”
There is another reason as well. I am fat and I am ugly and that’s why I feel comfortable around other cigar smokers. I am not saying they are all fat and ugly but they are definitely not vain. How can you be vain when you have brown teeth and after smoking a cigar the night before ……. morning breath that smells like a yak’s arse. And you can’t ask for more than that in a mate.
I miss the cigar bars, you know I do, yet I think it was the right decision that we don’t force people to sprint through the lounge with their faces covered just to get to the internet cafe. But smoking outside, well that is something that if done respectfully and in designated smoking areas is the last bastion us cigar smokers can enjoy. But the world is a different place and nothing sums that up more to me than an interview I read about the new Bond movie Skyfall.
There was apparently a scene in which Daniel “Six Pack” Craig smokes a Cuban cigar. This was cut because of the terrible influence it would have on children. I am sorry but this is bollocks, utter bollocks. It’s OK to have Bond blow someone’s face off with his Walther PPK but he can’t light a Cohiba cigar.” The movie will be PG-13 which is fine then it seems for kids to be shown to be shown Bond throwing someone off a building or having rumpy pumpy with Pussy Galore, but you can’t let them see Bond having a cigar. It’s a mad, mad world……….. it really is.
Goodnight.
Your friend,
John
P.S. For John’s memories of 9/11, please see his post on Facebook.
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.
I’m confused. Isn’t there a setting that allows a parent to choose whether or not a child has charging privileged on their Sign & Sail card? If Mrs. Sugar didn’t want her child to charge $48 in candy, she probably should have enacted that setting. Her ignorance does not entitle her to a refund.
First off, I’m not the same Travis who complained about the Pride, but I have a comment to make about the person who complained about smoking.
I am a non-smoker, but I find it hard to believe that after the smokers have been pushed to either the balconies or a small section on one of the outer decks, that people just aren’t satisfied by this.
It seems that they (non-smokers)will not be satisfied until the smokers are banned from the ships entirely. I understand not being able to enjoy a balcony, but where else are they supposed to go? They bought a balcony as it is one of very few places for them to enjoy a cigar.
It surely wouldn’t be too difficult to designate either one side or the rear of the ship as smoking balconies? Why mix non and smoking guests?
As a non smoker I would never book a balcony cabin because we might be sandwiched between smokers!
That would likely be a logistics nightmare considering that you will inevitably mix non-smokers with smokers in that side of ths ship. You will either have not enough smokers to fill one entire side or too many smokers and will have to put them in the non-smoking side anyway. It is not a win-win situation. I agree with Travis (the one who posted the comment, not the complainer) and as a non-smoker would like to see a 100% smoke-free ship but I have to be fair also. They DO have the right to have a smoke in the same way I claim my right to not have a smoker next to me. Where are they supposed to go then? Will Carnival have to build a special place for them and have them all confined to that place? They can’t even smoke inside the staterooms (which I am glad they can’t by the way).
Richard, sorry to hear of your attitude. We have always gotten a balcony each time we cruise with Carnival since 2007. That was the first time we got a Balcony and we love it. That’s 7 cruises and have NEVER had any problems with a smoker next door. Not the first time. So get one and enjoy it.
This would be the perfect remedy. Smoking only on aft or starboard balconies, not both. We have been sandwiched between smokers and it seems that where balconies are concerned the smokers have all of the rights. They get to enjoy what they paid for, and the non-smokers do not.
The only thing wrong with have one side for smoking and the other for nonsmokers is…….Carnival can’t let a ship go out with say 25 cabins-balcony’s full and the other say 75 on the side empty. Carnival would run out of money very fast. Not all smokers can afford a balcony either. I just don’t think there are that many smokers to fill a Dream class ships port side.
If they run out of non-smoking balconies, the non-smokers would have to be on the smoking side of the ship. If they run out of smoking balconies, the smokers would be smoking on the Lido deck. I know it will never happen and there are good reason to argue against it. It is just so unfair to pay for a balcony and not get to enjoy it, but the smoking neighbors can pollute the air all they want.
I do believe the balconies on the spa deck are smoke free…feel free to book one of them if you feel the need. Or, one of the Premium vista balconies. I am sure there is no way you would have smoke wafting on the entire balcony as it is HUGE!!!
Then book a spa cabin- no smoking on balconies there.
John, as ‘Pop Rocks’ have only 9½ grams of carbohydrates per pack you need not fear enjoying them from time to time. That is less carbs than a slice wheat bread!
Yes they do up sell Mr. John. After a nice massage, all I want to do is maybe go for a swim or a nap but first you sit for quite a while as they try to tell you how important all the creams and oils are and try to sell it to you. So much for being relaxed…..
True, the Spa tries HARD to upsell, BUT…. the Spa is not part of Carnival, they basically rent space on the ships like the artwork guys do.
Andrew Baroni : Excuse me? You ask John for help, a favour, and instead of using the words “please and thank you”, you decide to be unbelievably rude and insult him? You may not like his humour, but you certainly could learn a lot about manners, courtesy, and social graces just by reading his polite reply to your less-than-polite question. I have no idea why he even bothered to answer you at all … I wouldn’t have.
John, It doesn’t sound like Mrs. Sugar was as sweet as you make her out to be. I did enjoy the fact that she expected the ship’s staff to randomly decide how much candy her tot should procure but did not think to control the means she used to purchase the sack of candy. A sad testament of the times. I was happy to hear that it isn’t policy to ask the child if she would like a bag of chocolate turtles with that as today’s special.
You gotta have a bit of sympathy for Mrs. Sugar. After $48 dollars worth of candy the kid probably didn’t blink the whole cruise, and probably spent the first two nights running in place in the cabin while the parents tried to sleep. Seriously though, you CAN stipulate a child’s card to not have charge privileges. That way, if they want something they have to pester momma for it. Worked for us! “No” is such a wonderful word.
Thanks for another good blog, always a pleasure.
John:
There is a simple solution to the parents of the 12 year old that bought the $48 in candy….
it is called personal responsibility on the part of the parents.
The parents are the one who gave a 12 year old charging privileges on her Sail and Sign Card.
All they had to do was mark NO, when they filled out their Fun Pass.
Both of our boys always understood what they were and were not allowed to do on the ship. As their parents, we knew WHEN they were mature enough for that responsibility.
These parents are the ones who should be ashamed of themselves for not being responsible enough to parent their own child.
As for Travis….I have one word…
STARFISH !!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
I wonder when people will take responsibilty for their actions..Yay for not refunding the little anklebiter’s sugar high, over buy!
John
Reasons again to keep the Q and A here on the Blog. Maddening and entertaining and we learn something from each of them. This time the rants by Travis and Hal Hoffman are so far from our experience as to be from another planet. We just finished our 43rd CCL cruise and in every case the crew has been helpful and guests were respectful of people who needed help with elevator access, etc. OBTW Jaime D. is a Superior CD!! The meals and entertainment are top of the line as is the overall experience!!
Regards
Roger T
Roger I’m with you from the time you get to the home port of the ship you are going on. It’s welcome back! And in fact just last week I was ordering a birthday cake for a family member who will be with us on Carnival Glory 9/29/12. And at the end of my phine call to Carnival getting the cake ordered I was ask if I had sailed with Carnival before. I said this is #16 and he said welcome back. It’s always like come home when you are boarding the ship.
In reguards to the 12 year old alone in the candy shop. Maybe mom should have kept better tract of her daughter. I would not let my son at 12 wander around alone on one of the ships. 2nd maybe mom should have blocked her from being able to purchase anything on her SS card. When our son was given charging privilages on his SS card he was told the only thing he can buy is the iced coffee and only one a day. We purchased him a drink pkg and he is allowed as many as he wants a day. We told him if he found something he wanted he had to come get us and we would discuss the item. Seems to me mom needed to be more responsible in guiding her daughter in what is allowed and what is not.
I have to agree with Craig Dale to a certain exten, not so much about cigar smokers specifically, but balcony smokers do make it impossible to enjoy the balcony. And I have yet to meet one that was nice about not smoking if asked (I come from a family of smokers, so I’m not anti-smoker, per se). So we just never buy balcony cabins anymore.
I do disagree though about the comments on the Pride. It wasn’t my favorite ship ever, but we had a nice cruise on it last year. It was his first cruise – it may be that cruising is just not for him…
John, as far as your cigar smoking goes it it brings you pleasure do it. I think most of us like hearing your personal stories. Your likes and dislikes. And of course the occasional story of your daughter.
I also love cigars, and do miss your cigar bars. The wind did blow my smoke either left or right and not “out to sea” on the Breeze in July. Fortunate my “neighbors” didn’t complain. Think we smokers have given up enough of our rights!
Hi John:
Since the bloggers cruise is a week or so after our cruise (January 5, 2013), on the Breeze – Will you be with us on the January 5th cruise? Also will the fabulous Ken Byrne still be on for that cruise? I will wait until ummm – November to request large tables main dining room and if Ken is there , whereever he is!
Keep up the good work. PS – Your 9/11 recollection was very very moving. Thanks!
I was excited to see that the Dream will be decked out for Christmas when I set sail on November 24. Is this earlier than usual? – this will be the 2nd time I’ve sailed the week following Thanksgiving (earliler on the Sensation), and there were nary a decoration to be found the first time.
Carole
May I say – This Travis dude (if that is his name) is awfully rude. I dont have to take up for John, he handles himself well. I just want to say that even if a person is dissatisfied, he or she does not have to be so hateful. John you are a good one to even post that crap. Shame on you Travis!!! Shame shame shame!!!
The opinions of self-proclaimed Cruise Critics like Travis do not necessarily reflect those of either the site or MOST of it’s members. Those who do nothing but slam Carnival ships make it a point to share their narrow minded and non-constructive personal opinions thinking that they are lending importance to THEIR own opinion. Those of us who are members of CC and fans of your site’s and the lines rarely say so. I read his entire review and there was only 1 person who “liked” it. I suppose it was himself. He vows it will be his last cruise. Bye Bye Travis, glad you won’t be on my next cruise, many of us CC members are going to have a whole lot of fun on our next Funship cruises without you.
Re: Mr Hoffman. I had an aunt who was in so much pain that she was miserable. Therefore she made everyone else miserable. I get the sense that you are that way. You reap what you sow (ask your pastor about that one). Try being positive and I think your life and your cruises will be better.
One other thing for Mr. Hoffman and his scotter is that I have found that a lot of people that use them aren’t really thinking of anyone but themselves and are always pushing through crowds in a get out of my way. they croud at the doors to the elveators don’t back up to let some off, don’t think of other people you are on the elevator you want to get off. I’ve had one run over a toe and say sow way. It goes both ways. There are just sme people that you can’t please not matter what you do or don’t do. I just try to enjoy myself and the people I’m with.
To the lady with the sweet tooth kid…who in their right mind gives charging priveleges to a 12 year old?
John,
I love reading your blog. I do find it interesting that there’s always someone who is miserable, likes to complain, and always wants something. It almost sounded to me like Travis was working for Cruise Critic! I don’t think he would have been happy no matter what. Such a shame. Please let Gregory know that we have been on the Legend, and it’s a great ship! The Legend was the 3rd ship that we’ve been on, and we liked it the best. Have a great day, and keep up the great blogging! We sure do appreciate you and all of your hard work!
John Heald, you have always been an Entertainer. I cruised with you in 1996. We met you after a show. You gave my daughter an Imagination Trophy for guessing which of your hands held the Ball. I’m a Grandma now and hope to take my Grandson on a Cruise.
Craig Dale – wondering if you understand the word intolerance? I wonder if you realize the type of person you portray by judging the a group of people by the actions of one. If anyone ruined your cruise it was you. If you sat around and complained about it and stewed over it, it is your fault. The person smoking the cigar, though chain smoking was within his right to do. If you were this hostile to the person on the other balcony, no wonder he did not want to comply. You owe John a big apology.
Oh, FFS. FFS Travis seems to want to compete with FFS Stu. No sniveling, trolls!
We agree. Johns blog and CC are the best. The others are just amateur hour.
arent you the guy who said the Sunshine would be the flagship?
Will you be on the Breeze when it sails out of Miami on 11/24…read your blogs every day and would love to just be able to tell you in person what a great individual I think you are.
Love all your blogs and the fun facts you impart…..looking forward to our cruise on the Legand 9/23 celebrating 26 years with my wonderful hubby and his mom’s 89th birthday Had to comment on the candy fiasco….if I had a 12yo on a cruise first they would not have any charging privileges on their card, and second they would not be roaming around the ship by themselves call me old fashioned!!!! Keep up all the fun info and Q&As
I guess the parent didn’t realize they could have “no charging” on their child’s card. That is the first thing I do when we check in.
Again, another parent who wants someone else to raise their child.
John,
The 2012 CD List shown you on our Carnival Breeze in December, but doesn’t list when you will be leaving her. Since we will be B2B on the 12/16 and 12/22 sailing, we are wondering if we would have the pleasure of finally sailing with you on at least the 12/16 sialing.
Thanks ever so much,
Lorna & Jessica Tilson
Southern California
For a company that charges $60+ for a $12 bottle of rum, it wouldn’t surprise me that three candy bars might cost $48. That goes beyond up-sell to rip off. You are right that no one has to buy anything though…and I have mastered that art! I make it a point not to buy a d… thing, particularly from the irritating bar staff, who see my large insulated mug everywhere I go, giving at least the impression that I do not need anything from them. I eat, sleep, relax, with nigh a sales talk or art auction or stupid bingo game in sight! So there!
Well Mr. Carnival Fan – perhaps you should buy yourself some reading glasses as it states that the little girl purchased a large “bag of mixed candy”, not 3 candy bars.
Thank you Marsha, well said
My child would never be allowed to spend even more than a couple dollars on candy and if that was actually the case I would be blaming myself not the cruise line or store owner, its called taking responsibility for the actions of your child.
John,
I belive she, like other consumers, forget that Carnival is a business. Give everything away and you go out of business or have to raise the cruise fare. However, a great idea is what I recently read about in USA Today Travel. I recently read about the “My Awesome Bar Program” package being offered on a couple of the ships as a testbed. Any chance this will become a permenant part of the carnival cruise experience, like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean? I’m recently retired from the Army after 28 years of service and my wife and I want to start doing some traveling, now that we can be together more often. In addition, January is our 30th Anniversary. While on vacation, we like to relax while beach or poolside with a few drinks. I’d rather do a simple package as your program while we are on the Liberty this coming January.
John,
We are very excited to be going on our 5th Carnival Cruise October 21st on the Carnival Magic. For my daughter it will be her 2nd cruise. I am a frequenter of Cruise Critic and still don’t seem to understand the love/hate relationship that exists between the members of Cruise Critic and Carnival (and you for that matter). Personally, I enjoy your sense of humor (sorry only one u) and do find you to be honest and forthcoming about the highs, and lows, of your company.
Just wanted to wish you well and glad to hear you are on the mend and back at work!
If I could impose upon you, or the CD during our cruise, to send my daughter a personal note I know she would love it. Her name is Rachel and she is 7. I understand if this is not possible, but appreciate your time.
Be well!
Bernie “bernman” Newman
I’m the lady you pushed in the wheelchair to the bus at Play Mia on the Bloggers 5 cruise.I take a diabetic med that states not to get to hot. I guess I did. Just wanted to say hello to you and Calvin.Thank you both so very much. Ron Pass was GREAT.What was the name of the comedian that was on that cruise? He played on Mike and Molly season one. Wish I was going with my Crazies friends on Bloggers 6. I’m sure you will show them a wonderful time.
Linda, the name of the comedian is Al Ernst.
Isn’t it funny how they’ll allow some pretty graphic sex scenes and not worry about the morality around that, but yet they cut out James Bond smoking a cigar? Really now, cut out the graphic sex and violence instead because the kids are exposed to more harmful matter with the sex and violence in TV and movies..
Oh and the song by The Pogues is “Fairy Tale of New York” and it features the vocals of the late Kirsty McColl……
John, why do you always say that you are ugly? It is simply not true! You have a very nice smile!
A recent guest on the Breeze
Hello John:
There are several people who wrote to you that need a little personal treatment with the expresso machine, if you follow my lead. They appear to already have a stick up there.
Hi John
My friend and I will be cruising 2/23/13 on The Dream. Going to nassau,St Thomas and St marteen. Do you have any advice for us. this is our 1st 7day cruise. Also I have notice a few people not happy with the DREAM Ship. saying it was over over crowded. How can I have a good time if its overcrowded. And I love reading your blog.
thanks
Ken, I sailed on the Dream a couple of years ago. She is a beautiful ship. And while she is a larger ship with more passengers we all still had a great time. A cruise is all in what you make of it. It doesn’t matter whether you sail on a larger or smaller ship when you go to the breakfast and lunch buffets at the opening times you can expect there to be a small wait in line just the same as if you go to a restaurant at 6 in the evening when a lot of other people go to there is a wait to be seated or a long line at the buffet. I’ve cruised 5 times (all different ships) with Carnival and have never had a bad cruise yet. The staff has all been very friendly. We always like to get to know as many of the crew as we can. The crew is at sea for months at a time away from their families. If you sit back and watch the crew you will find how hard they do work trying to please 2,000 – 4,000 plus guests. They are always working and work long hours each day. Don’t take it personal if someone may be having a off day. You will love your stops. Have done the same run twice. Being first time to these ports we always enjoy doing a tour of the islands. A lot of the scenery is beautiful. In Nassau we got off the ship this past stop there and there is always people there offering excursions. We did the island tour (I think it was $20 pp). Our driver was Mary D. and she was GREAT! We got to see a lot of the island. She did stop along the way to see some of the sites and for photo ops. With our final stop at the Atlantis where you can take a tour of the inside and outback the royal tower. In St. Thomas Magen’s Bay beach is beautiful as well. It’s rated one of the top ten beaches in the world. You can get off the ship and take a taxi there for about $20-$25 pp/roundtrip. You can stay there as long as you would like and return to ship when you want. There is always taxis at beach to take you back to the ship when you’re ready. There is a restaurant/bar there. Kind of pricy on the food so you may want to make sure you eat at the ship before you go to the beach. The downtown shopping market (you have to get off ship and take taxi to get downtown) is great and from there you can do the 99 stairs (actually more than that but it’s worth it!). At top of stairs is Amber museum and Blackbeard’s Castle. The is also tons of shopping at the pier where the ship docks. St. Maarten we did the glass bottom boat. You have to go to the french side of island for that. You stop for photo ops along the way and another stop at a shopping plaza. This we booked through the ship. Well worth it! Also you can take the ferry (they charge for this maybe $5-6 roundtrip) by the pier to go over for shopping around the town. There is a beach there by that dock. The 2 times I have been to St. Maarten we have eaten at a restaurant there called Barefoot Restaurant. It is right by where the ferry take you. It is great! I have a album posted to my fb page under larra barnes. It is the Dream ship with your same itinerary. Which the Dream is getting 2.0 upgrades right now so it may look a little different than my pics. Feel free to look at it. Hope you have a great cruise. Bon Voyage!!
Enjoy your blog and facebook post. You and other Carnival guest have helped educate us just a
Iittle more on cruising. Our Next cruise is December 8, 2012 on the Breeze. We loved our TA Magic cruise her first year ( saw you in Freeport for repairs on Magic)and we made sure we would sail on the Breeze her first year as well. December the 11th will be our 30th Anniversary and on the Breeze, we can’t wait. Today my sisters, mom and myself booked a cruise out of Galveston on the Triumph for May 6, 2013, to celebrate moms 76 birthday, shhhh, she doesn’t know yet…it’s a surprise. After being on the Magic and then the Breeze, I’m a little worried what to expect on the Triumph. Could your give me some insight on this ship? By the way…pop rocks on cat litter…..I was laughing so hard, just about wet my pants. Thank for making me laugh. Keep up the great work. Love your baby girl with all your heart. and hope to meet you one day.
Hal Hoffman: I have been on all 3 of the Dream Class ships; I have to tell you that out of the three the Breeze doesn’t have the “feel” of overcrowding that you are insisting that it has. Maybe you should give that one a try…you never know until you try it out!
The Dream Class is so big. How big is it? The entire Promanade Deck of the old Holiday Class would fit inside the Lido Restaurant (at lease that is what it seemed like).
I have a question….
How can you deal with so much stuff?!? (complaints, suggestions, reviews, compliments, your actual managing job…)
I d go crazy!
HATS OFF! KUNDOS TO YOU!! CHAPEAU!!! HUT AB!!!!
My daughter & I took our annual vacation on the Victory the end of August. We liked the ship’s decor. It was well done & not overly flashy. We have cruised with you,Todd, Butch and Weeee Jimmy in the past. Hennie was an OK CD but not up to to the quality of our previous CDs. Our cabin was on deck 6. We have a wonderful CCL representative who has made our reservations since we started cruising CCL. Our table mates were a mother & daughter who travel a lot together. Our servers in the dining room didn’t seem to have their act together with the exception of an efficient young woman from Croatia. Our room steward, Johnny, and his team were efficient, friendly and eager to please. We are not hard to take care of BTW. The excursions were nice and walking around the ports was fun. I did have the “pleasure” of making a visit to medical where I was treated with care and courtesy. This ruined my daughter’s excursion in St. Lucia. She wasn’t about to leave me alone. Getting off the ship was very disorganized. We were on the tour of San Juan and Bicardi. It is too bad we didn’t have more time to enjoy Old San Juan. Our flights home ended on schedule with nice memories of another mother & daughter vacation.
Chasen Woodie,
My prayers go out to you and your wife. I am a Labor and Delivery nurse and know first hand how painful and heart breaking having a loss like that can be. I too will be cruising that week (on a different ship) and will keep you both in my thoughts. I hope that this time the two of you spend together will help you begin to heal.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a response from Travis. I’d be a drink of the day that he doesn’t actually care what you think nor will all of his story check-out. He probably belongs on a trans-Atlantic or Christmas cruise!
I too have been smoked off of my balcony way too many times by both cigar and cigarette smokers. My solution is that I no longer book a balcony . . . I spend a LOT of time on the open decks on the non-smoking or serenity areas. That’s my compromise and Carnival ends up with me booking a lesser category room than I used to. Just finished my 25th Carnival cruise and I will adapt to the smoking policies rather than Carnival adapting to my personal preferences. Cruising is still the best vacation ever!!!
While I don’t smoke and am somewhat sensitive to cigaret smoke… I have to admit that I LOVE the smell of cigars and pipes. Does anything smell more homely than cigar smoke?
Now, rude people, who chain smoke (no matter what) and don’t even stop when asked nicely (as I hope it was done), I don’t think are homely. What happened to respectfulness (I know, it just isn’t taught at schools any more). Rude people are rude. Bullies are bullies. I just don’t get. A 12 year old with charging privileges spending $48 on candy? Now THAT I understand. That could have been me
OH JOHN! you are TOO FUNNY! I was laughing so hard & long over the pop rocks in the kitty litter box and watching it explode under the cat I had to leave my office…and I’m still snickering over it…
I just LOVE your humour!
I was wondering if there is a way Carnival could offer a “pre-pay” system for us to use. You know, paying into an account for a cruise yet to be booked. Or would it be a nightmare for the book keepers to handle? Just a thought I wanted to ask about. Thank you for your consideration.
It’s called a savings account… Or maybe you should buy yourself a piggie-bank!
I had a wonderful cruise on the Carnival Fascination. It was my first cruise and I had an amazing time. This was a chartered cruise by Templeton Tour Inc. Feb13-18 2012
Our CD Trevor was great. Our maitred was “Super Charged” Joseph he was quite entertaining.
We had cabin # R298 I am in a wheelchair and the cabin was very fitting to my needs. Our steward Victor took wonderful care of us.
One thing I might would change on the ship. More handicap equipped restrooms in the public areas.
Thanks for a wonderful week that I will never forget!!!!
Odie
I did check with Jaime and we only charge $10 or $20 for bingo and never $25 or $30, so I apologise if this was not made clear.
Actually, John, I was just on the Pride on the August 26th sailing and the “reviewer” is correct, the bingo was either $25 or $30, depending on which package you bought. And, most of the time it was for only one game, though there were a few that had more. Other than that, I disagree totally with his review. The Pride was our 3rd with Carnival and the best yet. She’s a beautiful ship, the staff was fantastic, the entertainment was good to excellent. I will say, the Pride singers and dancers,though, mostly looked bored, they could use a little switching around, maybe. That is the biggest “complaint” I had. The food was good to excellent, the service was great. Really, it was pretty awesome. Can’t wait to go back.
Wish I was there,
Suzanne
John, love ya bunches! Thanks for doing all you can to keep what little cigar freedom we have left. Have you ever mastered smoking a great cigar on deck in the wind…quite the challenge! I must say, the ONLY reason we get a balcony cabin each time is so I can enjoy my afternoon cigar. If they ever steal your cigars again, come by my cabin, I would love to share any I have, with you.
What a lot of people don’t seem to realize is that the cruise fare is as low as it is because Carnival is providing only those services that all cruisers need – a hotel room, meals, port taxes, their share of the fuel, etc. Things like alcohol, spa treatments, nightly dining in the steakhouse, unlimited sodas, and so on, if included for “free” would actually result in a higher overall cruise fare for everyone, including people who would never use many (if any) of those “freebies.”
Am I a little off-put by some of the things that have been taken away and changes in policy that have the net effect of reducing what I am getting for my money? Well, yes, but I also realize that to keep them means that fares would have to rise as well, probably to the point of pricing many of Carnival’s core customers out of the market.
That said, I do vote with my wallet. I’d still rather pay for those extras I want than have to subsidize everyone else for things that aren’t used that much.
~ MattInSoCal
John,
I see that the FCCs have now been cut out. Unfortunately, you once again only mentioned it on your facebook page. How about giving your blog readers a chance to weigh in here? Otherwise we will be forced to take up the discussion on Cruise Critic, where a thread has already been started.
JoyceG
I read this post about 5 hours ago, and I have had this song in my head since!
John, I to love cigars and enjor them over a good drink. My wife Linda and I will be on our 11th Carnival cruise on the TA on the Breeze in November. If you are on the cruise I would be proud for you to join me for a cigar and a drink. Regards, Mike Patrick
Hi, John. I just finished my 9th cruise with Carnival a few weeks ago on the Inspiration, and was on another a few months before on the Splendor (I live on the west coast). Up-selling is, indeed, alive and well on Carnival Cruise ships. The first day out on the Splendor I purchased the men’s shave and haircut special. During my time with the barber I was subjected to a fairly hard sell on cosmetic products. More common, on both ships, was when ordering drinks. *Every* time I ordered a small screwdriver, the server would ask me if I wanted to double it, then ask again (“Are you sure? It’s only $2 more!”) when I declined. The bar service was much more in line with your Starbuicks visit. However, as it was asked almost every time without fail, it seemed to be, if not fleet policy, bar staff policy to try to up-sell drinks. Please note, however, the bar staff was always polite and smiling whilst ups-selling.
First off, greetings John. I really enjoy reading you blog and have been doing so for over a year now. I just wanted to comment on the “review” that you included in the blog of 11 Sept. While I am fairly new to cruising having been on two cruises and will be going on my third on December 2nd. All of my cruises have been on the Pride as I live only 45 minutes from the Port of Baltimore. On both of my previous cruises the crew provided outstanding service. I know that in December the service will be the same as on my previous cruises.
That being said, I wish that people who comment on their experiences (and it seems to only be people who somehow seem to have bad experiences) would get their information correct. Do they think that you will not check and verify their claims to prices of “the extras” on board or that you do not know the prices. As far as I know, one on board forces guests to partake in any of the activities that cost extra.
As far as for the conduct of the CD and ACD, on my cruises none of them were rude or obnoxious. My CD on my first cruise (Feb 2011) was Kirk Benning and the ACD was Jamie. Not sure if it is the same Jamie who Travis is talking about. I had the opportunity to talk with the both of them and they were very cordial. I was happy to see that Kirk will be the CD on my December 2012 cruise. On my December 2011 cruise the CD was Brent and the ACD was Eric. Again both were awesome. While I did not get the opportunity to speak personally with Brent, I did get to talk with Eric a couple of nights in Punchliners. Maybe Travis had a bad day. Don’t know how being on a cruise.
Thanks to the experiences I have had cruising with Carnival and The Pride, cruising is now my vacation of choice.
I just take all of those negative reviews with a BIG grain of salt because someplace else you will read someone’s review from the same cruise with nothing but praise for the condition of the ship and outstanding service from the crew.
Cheers for now!
Terry
I took my family on our first ever and long over do vacation on Carnival Dream. We all had the best time, my husband was nervous but soon loving it! We have talked several of our family members into doing a cruise with us just as soon as I can afford it again. It’s been a year this month so we are hoping next year. We either want to do do Dream ship again or try Breeze. We loved our cruise director Butch, he was awesome. Our room attended was also wonderful! Do you know if Butch is still on Dream?? Also for that mother with the child who spent $$ on candy, you as a parent can set limits on the card they carry around & why was a child alone at the candy store? If their not old enough to know better is probably not old enough to be walking around without a parent.? Idk, just a thought.
No more future cruise certificates on Carnival. Another cheap shot to loyal customers. C’mon Carnival, get a clue.
What’s your take on this John?
My wife and I will be celebrating her birthday on our October 2, 2012 cruise on the Fantasy out of Charleston. She absolutely LOVES reading your blogs and talks about them all of the time. I was wondering if you could send a note or something to our cabin. Thanks in advance!
Carnival Fantasy
Booking 28JJT5
Cabin E150
John, I totally agree with you about the smoking nonsense – and I’m a nonsmoker! My issue with smoking on balconies that some smokers just don’t think about whether they’re affecting someone else. I’ve asked people not to blow smoke my way, and they seem truly surprised that they were – and apologetic. My only fear (as the wife of a firefighter) with balcony smoking is the fire danger, because those same folks careless about who they are affecting with their smoke are not likely to be thinking too much about the disposal of their cigarettes either.
I know cigar smokers, like my husband & son, and the cigar club members they hang around with. None are the way the melodramatic writer above described them. So sad he didn’t enjoy his balcony, but also that he’s so bitter about it.
Thanks for a great blog, John. As usual, I learned something new (why no hot breakfast food on the room service menu), and had a lot of laughs. See you in 123 days on the Bloggers’ Cruise!!