Some of you have asked what it is like to work on the ship, so I thought I’d highlight one of the things I do in every port of call.My main part of the job on this ship (and last year on the Carnival Liberty) is the Shore Excursions in the morning.

On average, 2,000 guests leave the ship in the morning to go on one of our exiting Shore Excursions. It’s the best way to visit all the great places we go to.

Of course, when so many guests need to leave within as little as one hour, I am sure you understand that it takes quite a bit of organization and planning. I work closely with the Shore Excursion Manager and his team and of course our team of Social Hosts and Dancers, who all work very hard to make it as easy as possible for the guests to disembark the ship and get to their designated tour bus on time.

After the guests receive the tour tickets in their cabin, they come to one of the lounges on the ship where they meet with their groups.  Naples morning is normally the busiest of them all as our guests are still finding their way around the ship. The most important thing on these mornings is for the guests to come to the lounge with their whole group of friends or family members together. We give the guests stickers and every sticker number is also the number of the tour bus, so when half the group comes in 10 minutes before the rest of the group, the guests might end up with different numbers, which then means that they would end up on a different bus. Now, I am sure while you read the above, you think….that sounds like a problem…and you are so right….IT IS!!!

But as many times as we tell the guests before they even enter the lounge…….there are still groups of friends or family members that come in at a totally different time and then it’s up to me to try and find groups of three or four guests who are willing to exchange their stickers. Most of the time we are able to do this though, although it can cause complications for me and the guests. I joke about it when I make my announcements, “the best things to do when you don’t want to spend the day with your husband, you just come in to the lounge 20 minutes after him and you won’t see him until dinner time,” but in most cases the ladies DO want to spend the day with their husbands though….strange.

Sometimes the “silly questions” really do get asked, but that keeps the job interesting. Like a lady asked me two days ago: “Heidi I need an elevator to deck 0.” “OK”, I said, “you may use any of these six elevators here in the lobby, just don’t use the glass ones, as they only go down as far as deck 1.” I then walked back in to the lounge and I felt somebody pulling the sleeve of my polo shirt. It was the same lady, now upset with me: “Heidi, I said that I needed an elevator!!” It took me a minute before I realized that this lady wanted me to press the button for her and ride the elevator with her…..so I did….

So, the guests wait in the lounge, as soon as their group is complete, and the bus and guide are ready on the pier, one of the staff members guides the guest to the pier. It sounds really simple, but believe me, with 2,000 guests each morning, it’s always a challenge, but one we are more than capable of meeting and it is a great feeling to see 2,000 guests disembark the ship in an organized way and knowing that they are about to see some amazing sites.

That is just one of my many jobs, however, one of my biggest responsibilities is looking after John and following up on the things that he forgets to do. He has an incredible memory about things that happened 20 years ago, but things I said to him yesterday, well…..his mind becomes like Swiss cheese (full of holes).

Let me catch up on some comments:

SOUTHERNDREAMS – Thank you for the comments on my 2^nd blog. John is so busy writing that sometimes I feel guilty, when I take over sometimes and he is just dictating, I hardly have time to squeeze some things in there like I did in the beginning, because he is keeping an eye on me now. So, no more photos of him in compromising places (like our bed). Our cabin is comfortable, but by no means big. We have a separate bed room and a bathroom with a bath tub, which is very nice to unwind once in a while.
Then we have a part where the desk is and a sofa, and that’s about it. No balcony, although the Cruise Director cabin on the Spirit-class ships do. But then again, I rather have the extra space in the cabin as most of the time it is too hot to sit on the balcony anyway. When we brought out the Carnival Legend, and sailed in to Amsterdam and all the other wonderful places that we will be visiting again on the Carnival Splendor, the balcony was a plus. Of course, sailing in to your own country is fantastic and sailing through Holland to the port of Amsterdam was an unforgettable experience for me. Cows were staring at me when we sailed toward Amsterdam as the water was so narrow there. I wondered what those cows were thinking when they saw this monster of a cruise ship sailing past them…..
ESSEXMAN – Hello Mr. Essex. Is it still raining there? I think the best thing to do is take a walk down the pier……maybe not. My sister-in-law Suzanne and I walked down the pier one time in the middle of the winter. It was cold, actually, it was so cold, that John dropped us of with the car at the top of the pier and picked us up later. We walked and when we got half way, we had to cover our ears on one side as we felt like they were about to freeze and fall off. Luckily at the end of the pier we were able to find some shelter in one of the cafes and had a Cadbury hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream on top. These days you have to take a flask with you as after the big fire there isn’t much left on the pier.  For all other bloggers, the Southend Pier is the longest wooden pier in the world.  

(Southend Pier is a major landmark in Southend-on-Sea. Extending 2,158 m (a mile and a third) into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Since 1986, a diesel-hydraulic railway has been running the length of the famous pier, replacing the original electric service which opened in 1890. A fire in October 2005 seriously damaged the far end of the pier.)
To get back to your question: Statutory breaks are something we don’t get on board. As and when we have time we take some time for ourselves.
(having some lunch ashore, watching a movie or sunbathing (for me)
I hope the sun is shining in Southend today!!
MARIJ – Jullie zijn nu vast al onderweg, dus nog eventjes en we mogen jullie aan boord begroeten, dus dit lees je denk ik pas als jullie weer thuis zijn.
De koffie staat klaar!!!
CAPT CHUCK - Our cabin is comfortable, but by no means large. A few months a year in the cabin makes you appreciate the space more when you get home.
But, when at home I have to hoover myself and make my own bed, because we too are spoiled by our cabin steward, Nyoman.
He is a lovely man from Indonesia and looks after us very well.
I have to say that each cruise is unique, even though some activities are the same. Something as simple as a trivia quiz is different every time. You ask the same questions, but sometimes a guest has such a funny answer or explanation for their answer that the whole crowd is “in stitches” ….
LINDA HERNACKI – If you sailed on the Carnival Imagination in 1998, I probably worked as an International Rep@Sea, after 2000 I have been working with John as his assistant. You are right about the Valentine’s cruise, my dad passed away on the 15^th of February. We left the ship in Belize. And you are right as well when you say that I have a wonderful man in John. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to share my life with. (picture of our wedding day is on the way)
PAUL F. PIETRANGELO – Hello Sir, I hope your wife didn’t have too many things for you to do….
My job title is Assistant Cruise Director. I take care of the Carnival Capers (your daily program), a lot of paperwork, schedules and of course the more important things as : making sure John’s tie matches his shirt, making sure that he wears two socks of the same color and all those important things…..I enjoy living on the ship with John and working together. Of course there are times when you think, I wish we had a Friday afternoon and a Monday morning, but on the ship all days are “working” days and the word “weekend” doesn’t exist, but like I said before about the space in the cabin, that too makes you appreciate being at home and the first thing I do when getting home is taking off my watch. What a wonderful thing not to have a care in the world what time it is….
BARB DONNEGAN -  Well, time to cruise is almost here for you. I bet you are excited now!
We don’t teach Italian classes on board, but we have great books in the library, you can copy some words/phrases from them if you would like to. Most Italian people speak English, so you don’t have to worry about that when getting around in the places we go to. Don’t worry about the food on a stick…..we worked with somebody from Minnesota and he told us about the fairs where all the food is served on a stick, which made us giggle. Just bring yourselves and make sure you come and say HI~!
HEIDI-BETH – I see that you are counting down till your cruise on the Carnival Glory.
Your Cruise Director will be Ralph Valente AKA Wee Jimmy. He worked with us on the Carnival Triumph and on the Carnival Glory. He is a charmer and I am sure he will have you laughing all week. Send him our love when you get on board. He loves teddy bears!!!
JANFRWA – Janet, next time when you are in Cannes, you should definitely try the crepes. Mmmmm. Covered in banana and chocolate and of course lots of whipped cream.  A real treat, and you can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!! I love frites as well, as long as there is a lot of mayonnaise involved. None of that English vinegar ……not my “cup of tea” at all.
We use the mayonnaise in many different combinations in Holland and my favorite is: a large plate of “friet”, then mayonnaise on top, peanut (sateh) sauce on top of that and then finish it off with lots of onions……You’ve got to try it!!!
LOVETOTEACH – I promised to write one blog a cruise and I will keep my promise. I bet you are super busy, I can only imagine. A job and looking after the children. But, now your cruise is almost here, so make sure you come and say hi!!
ROBERT – Thank you for your sweet words. Who would have thought I would be here on the Carnival Freedom, writing blogs???? 11 years after bringing out the Carnival Destiny. But we are still enjoying ourselves and you and Suzann are still cruising, that’s the main thing.
KATHY KROLL – Wow, a suite with a Jacuzzi….I like your thoughts Kathy……
And about the book, there definitely will be a book, after we retire though, I don’t know where we would find the time now, John is already typing around 6,000 words a day on top of all the “regular” work…
Hi to Paul from both of us.
BIG ED – Thank you for your BRIEF comment, any other tips? (hee hee :) )
I will make sure that I will stay involved in the blog-thingy, don’t worry.
Hi to Mrs. Ed for me please.
SHARONR – Looking forward to meeting you too!! When are you sailing with us??
JUANNEVERLY-PRISCO – Jann and Sal, are you coming to see us on the Carnival Freedom or the Carnival Splendor??

As promised I will close with a photo of John and I on our wedding day.

If you look carefully at John he looks more nervous than he ever is on stage. To the left of me is John’s Dad, next to him is my Dad and next to him is my brother. The second one is of my dad walking me down the isle and giving me away to John…

It was a wonderful day and one I will never forget………….neither will John, especially when he saw the bill!

Until next time I wish you all the best.

Heidi

Good Afternoon from Rome where it’s another sunny day. Today, the Vatican Museum is closed as it is a Holy Friday celebrating Sts. Peter and Paul. The Pope is giving Mass this morning and some 8,000 people are expected in St. Peters square.

I have to talk to you quickly about something a guest said to Stephanie, one of the entertainment staff yesterday. After the travel talk she saw Stephanie and said ” Why was the cruise director talking about the Pope – doesn’t he know he died?”

Today, I want to start by slapping on three more photos from Heidi’s collection.

1. This is a beautiful photo of the “Walk Of Life” at Ephesus with Hadrian’s Grand Library in the back ground

2. The second photo is of Ephesus again. Note the lights and rigging which were being set for a concert which is being played tonight (Friday) by a full 52 piece orchestra from Germany.

3. Finally for today and also from Ephesus is the statue of the Goddess Nike. Look carefully and you can see where the Nike symbol comes from

More photos later.

Today, I have a full staff meeting to discuss various events and procedures and also to say goodbye to various staff members whose contract is completed and tomorrow will be heading off on a well-deserved vacation. I have lots of paperwork and hopefully I will get this done quickly so that I can take Heidi out to dinner ashore tonight, if not it’s a first class, non-stop trip to the Dog House for me.

I think the guests have had a great time this cruise. The only area that has been a concern was the heat in Turkey and Greece but that aside I am very satisfied with the cruise but as always there are always areas we can improve on and we must do so.

Sorry, just stopped blogging for an hour as I see on the news that a car bomb has been discovered in London and defused……………what a world we live in.

OK, back to the blog and now I present a gentlemen called Steve Williams who is Carnival’s director of medical services and responsible for all the nurses and doctors on board our ships. I asked him some questions and here are his answers.

Can you tell us about your medical background and your career with Carnival leading to your current position? I trained as a nurse in the UK at St Mary’s Hospital in London. I have been a nurse for 21 years. I worked in Accident & Emergency before moving to the US. I have worked mainly in trauma and emergency departments. My previous work was as Director of Nursing for Mount Sinai Medical Center, Emergency Department on Miami Beach, where I also worked as Chief Flight Nurse for the Lifeflight Critical Care Transport program, where we flew a Sikorsky S – 76 helicopter. I joined Carnival in October 1999, and now am responsible for coordinating the work of the shipboard physicians and nurses, hiring and scheduling and the logistics involved in managing medical centers on 22 ships. I work with our Medical Director Dr. Art Diskin, and our Senior Fleet Physician Dr. John Bradberry.

How many Doctors and Nurses are currently employed throughout the fleet? Please can you tell us a little about their demographics and qualifications you look for in both positions? We have a total of 24 senior physicians, and 28 ship’s physicians, who rotate through the ships on contracts that range from four- six months. We have approximately 90 registered nurses working for us at any given time. All our physicians and nurses have to had emergency and critical care experience, and are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Most of our physicians and nurses come from the UK, South Africa, Europe or Australia and New Zealand. Our infirmaries exceed the CLIA/ACEP guidelines and are designed to treat and stabilize most emergent medical conditions until we can get the patient to the hospital.

The old image of a ship’s doctor is long gone although it still has a certain “romantic image “about it. Obviously you cannot discuss individual cases but can you tell us something about the diversity of today’s “doctor onboard.” Our medical teams deal with everything from seasickness and colds and flu, to heart attacks and traumatic injuries from falls or accidents, such as moped and Jet Ski accidents. One minute they may be advising a mother on how to treat symptoms of a sore throat in a child, the next running to a call about an unconscious guest, or helping to manage a patient in an emergency situation.

Let’s chat about the nurses who are often the unsung heroes onboard. What is a typical day like for a cruise ship nurse? Our nursing staff typically works long hours, often times many hours more than they are scheduled to work. As well as the very varied clinical cases, there is a lot of paperwork involved, because of US Coastguard and CDC regulations. There is emergency equipment and supplies to check, reports and medical records to copy, endless copying and scanning…..Then some of our staff are also involved in on board and shipboard activities, such as training staff, or working with a shoreside clinic or charity. They really are the core and backbone of our shipboard medical centers, and we are very fortunate to have an amazingly talented, hardworking and compassionate group of nurses.
Now, onto the dreaded word…………………….Norwalk Virus. There seems to be a perception that this can only occur on a cruise ship. Can you give us your perspective on this and what cruise ship guests should do to try and prevent this from happening to them? Now we call it Noro, the citizens of Norwalk, Connecticut got a little ticked off at continually being associated with diarrhea and vomiting! It is the most common cause of gastro-enteritis or “stomach flu” in the world. Probably 30 – 40 million shoreside cases a year in the US alone. If guests frequently wash their hands, especially before eating, smoking (if they really cannot give up), putting on make up or touching their mouths for any reason, we would have far less cases. Folks also need to understand that the alcohol-based hand gels are also pretty ineffective in killing Noro, because they evaporate before they can kill the virus. We are in the process of trialing a new disposable hand wipe, which we believe will be far more effective than the alcohol based gels.

OK, as always we finish with a couple of personal “lighthearted ” questions. What’s your favorite Doctor/Nurse/Medical Joke? A young woman, who has a bit of a lisp, goes to the doctor with a case of bronchitis. During the medical exam he takes his stethoscope out of his coat pocket, and places the listening piece on her back, the other end in his ears, leans forward and says to her… “Big Breaths”…. She blushes, and says,…. “Yesth, and I am only sixthteen”

If you had to treat one of these people for an upper thigh injury, who would you choose

Angelina Jolie
Pamela Andersen
Hale Berry
Tom Cruise
John Heald

I have to say that Angelina Jolie would certainly be a pleasure to look after, although you would always be very good for a laugh…!!!!

My thanks to Steve and we pay tribute to all ships doctors and nurses who have treated and saved so many guests………….THANK YOU ALL.

I hope you are enjoying the guest interviews, many more will follow.

Yesterday’s anagrams were pretty easy but incase you were having trouble, here are the answers.

ZUIDERDAM

CELEBRATION

CARNIVAL CAPERS

Here are today’s

BARSTARDO ESDI

PRESUP BULC

LANA SKINAD SI GLUY

And with much fanfare we herald the arrival of today’s Q & A

LUV 2 CRUISE – What wonderful words when you said “I am still glowing after my cruise.” I think this glow also has something to do with your husband and once again I thank him for all he did to make sure the cruise was a special one for all. I will make sure I add to my talk the fact that clothes do shrink on a cruise and even more so this cruise from the weather being so hot, there has been a lot of “sweating” going on this week. Anyway, Heidi and I send our best to you both and hope you are having a yabba dabba doo time.
STACY – It seems to me that both you and Big Ed have come up with great names for the new Carnival Splendor’s spa. It seems that in the event of a draw the decision will be made by deciding who looks the best for the spa’s promotional photos. This will include.
Stacy and Ed wrapped in a towel by the entrance of the spa
Stacy and Ed covered in oils and creams
Stacy and Ed using all the keep fit equipment
So it is obvious therefore that the winner is…………………………………………….BIG ED.
BIG ED – I’m Spartacus!
LINDA HERNACKI – Of course you will get a signed photo and a book. Please let us know when your grandson arrives and we wish him, his parents and of course his grandparents many happy times ahead. I hope Daniel is as good at changing light bulbs as his granddad. Let us know the news.
IVANA – Thank you so much on behalf of Alan and I for the Prague information which will prove so very useful. I especially enjoyed the food and pub recommendations which I shall pay special attention to. You must be very proud of your hometown and I will be sure to take some photos and put them on the blog. Thanks again, I owe you one so let me know if you need anything.
MTSFPBLFTTNSFCF – I am glad you liked the story about my over friendly Russian friend, who by the way was found fast asleep in one of the public bathrooms last night at 2 am……I say asleep……..more sleep induced by his favorite tipple. He has become famous this cruise and really is harmless. I understand how smoke can bring on asthma for many people and I know your wife is concerned. As far as the ship is concerned there is no smoking in any restraint or theater and if you stay out of the casino, cigar bar and disco you will not come into contact with any smoke. I am at your service as your friend and as cruise director should require any help. My best to you and your wife…Heidi still needs a mask, especially as I am eating some pistachios.
BARB AND HER BEAR – It is always great to hear from you both and your comments are so kind as always. The young kids from Istanbul really enjoyed their time onboard and I hope we can do it again before too long. People do think that I can control the weather, it’s only a few out of 3,000 but they never cease to amaze me. I am sure your grand kids must really appreciate you sending them so many postcards and photos of all the amazing and historic places you have visited. Again, thank you so much for your kind words which mean so much to Heidi and I.
RONANOKE HOO – I remember very well the tour which arrived late from Panama and as you said it was good that it was a Carnival organized tour so we knew where you all were.
You asked about the dress code for the mosques in Turkey for ladies. Ladies must have their shoulders covered when entering the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. If you are wearing shorts they should be on or over your knees please. However, there will be no need to cover your head. Remember that everyone must remove their shoes and therefore we recommend that your wear socks if you do not want to walk around barefooted. Now, apart from the taking your shoes off, the same applies to the Vatican and is one of the many similarities between the two religions.
The Private Vatican Tour is one of the most amazing things I have ever done as you explore the areas of the Vatican that nobody else gets to see……….the Pope’s Cars and Carriages, the Private Chambers and art collections and of course the highlight is being alone ion the Sistine Chapel. There is nothing else like it. See you in a few days and let me know if you need anything else.
MARK CHAMBLISS – I have a feeling that you need to be on stage with me as its time to make you a star. See you in January on the Bloggers Cruise and I look forward to seeing you and your family……………..It will be a brilliant cruise and I cannot wait to spend valuable time with my friends from cruise critic and cruise Mates. Keep reading the blog thingy until then and I am glad you got a call from Vicki, she is one of a kind.
LOVE TO TEACH – The weather was 12 degrees above the normal monthly average in Athens this week. I hope it is a bit cooler but do come prepared with a sun hat and lots of sunscreen with a high SPF factor. Twelve days and counting and we will get to meet each other……..hope you have a safe flight and if you need anything before you travel I remain at your service.
ELVIRA AND ALEXANDER – Congratulations on writing one of the most beautiful postings I have read on the blog so far and in perfect English. I remember you both very well and remember you dancing so beautifully at the talent show and also showing the ship your photos on the morning show. You have written so many wonderful things that I don’t know where to start but I will say thank you to all the crew you mentioned especially Darko, Dino and the dancers who you loved so much. All of us who are going to the Carnival Splendor as crew or as guests are so looking forward to St. Petersburg or Peter as you said it is known and hopefully we can see you there one time so we can meet again. I am sure all the bloggers enjoyed reading your letter and we thank you so much for taking the time to do so. I wish you and Alexander much happiness as does Heidi. Spasiba my friends.
ESSEXMAN – For you, I would happily sign a copy of anything as would Heidi and even Alan will sign an old pair of his Y Fronts.
J – JOHN – hello J -John, its John here John and yes there will be lots of Johns on the Carnival Splendor John. Great to hear your friends have now booked the ship as well and Ken will be here and Heidi some of the time. I have never been to Arizona but if you invite me then indeed I may. Stay cool and write soon.
LISA AND ELAINE – Glad you enjoyed the story about my Russian friend. The T-shirts will be ready within the next few days. Watch this space.
COLEEN O’LEARY. – Just to confirm that I will make supper club reservations as follows:
Table for two on July 14 at 8 pm.
Table for four on July 21 at 8 pm
Heidi is e-mailing the supper club as we speak. Look forward to meeting you all.
SWEETSUNSHINE – Welcome to my blog thingy, I am glad you found the site. I see that you are sailing on the Carnival Splendor and until then please let me know if you have any questions on the ship or ports of call, etc. and I will be happy to help and answer them.

That’s all the time I have for Q&A for today, otherwise I will be in the doghouse for not taking Heidi out for dinner.

Today, we received a care package from NANCI KOPERSKI. It contained a beautiful card, Heidi thinks it has been hand made and delicious sugar-free chocolate, a wonderful CD and vanilla shower gels. Nanci, from Heidi and I a very big thank you. Getting packages like that is such a nice surprise and we really appreciate it!!

I am also very privileged to have had an article written about the blog by our Cruise Critic friends.

Here is the link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=496

I am looking forward to meeting all my Cruise Critic friends very soon. It was a brilliant article and thanks again.

AND NOW BREAKING NEWS FROM PA 007 WHO FOUND A DRAFT OF A PRESS RELEASE WHICH IS DUE OUT ON MONDAY.

THEREFORE, THIS BLOG IS THE FIRST TO PASS ON THE NEWS OF ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CRUISES EVER UNDERTAKEN BY A SHIP FLYING THE CARNIVAL FLAG. HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ON THE SOUTH AMERICAN ITINERARY OF THE CARNIVAL SPLENDOR.

For the first time, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate voyages to South America with 14- to 18-day departures featuring extended visits to magnificent destinations in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile and Peru aboard the new 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor beginning in January 2009.

Representing a new class of “Fun Ship,” the 3,006-passenger SuperLiner will offer a host of innovations including a luxurious 21,000-square-foot health club and the line’s first spa staterooms and suites.

Carnival Splendor will operate three special South America departures in 2009 — a 17-day, six-port cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jan. 31-Feb. 17; a 14-day, six-port voyage from Buenos Aires to Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, Feb. 17-March 3, and an 18-day, six-port South America/Mexican Riviera cruise from Santiago (Valparaiso) to San Francisco March 3-21.

Carnival Splendor will become the first Carnival “Fun Ship” to operate a South American itinerary when it embarks on a 17-day, six-port cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires Jan. 31 – Feb. 17, 2009. The voyage, which will sail across two hemispheres with the crossing of the equator, will feature visits to the tropical islands of Dominica and Barbados as well as day-long calls at four spectacular Brazilian ports — Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, each of which offers a rich history with architecture dating back to mid-16^th century, along with gorgeous beaches, outstanding restaurants and shops, and unique cultural experiences.

Following this voyage, Carnival Splendor will sail on a 14-day, six-port “Cape Horn/Strait of Magellan” cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago (Valparaiso) Feb. 17 – March 3, 2009. The voyage begins with an overnight call in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital, then visits the charming cities of Montevideo, Uruguay; and Puerto Madryn, Argentina, followed by scenic cruising of historic Cape Horn – South America’s southernmost point. The voyage continues with a visit to Ushuaia, Argentina, a charming fishing village in the territory of Tierra del Fuego home to unique sub-Antarctic forests; another day of scenic cruising of Cape Horn/Beagle Island, and a call at Punta Arenas, Chile, which lies at the entrance to the Straits of Magellan and is considered the gateway to Antarctica. Highlighting this voyage is a day-long cruise of Chile’s majestic fjords and a visit to Puerto Montt, Chile, founded by German colonists in 1853 and boasts sparkling lakes and lush mountainous landscape.

Carnival Splendor will then operate an 18-day “Andes, Peru and Mexican Riviera” cruise from Santiago (Valparaiso) to San Francisco March 3-21, 2009. Prior to crossing the equator, Carnival Splendor will visit Arica, Chile, nestled in the Andes Mountains and founded in 1570, with exquisite collections of pre-Columbian artifacts; Lima (Callao), Peru, whose historic city center was declared a Word Heritage Site by UNESCO; Manta (Quito), Ecuador, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1534 and featuring the Monastery and Church of San Francisco, one of the oldest religious structures in the New World. The voyage concludes with visits to the popular destinations of Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Long Beach, Calif., before arriving in San Francisco.

The first in a new series, as well as the largest Carnival Cruise Lines ship ever constructed, Carnival Splendor will feature an innovative new design introducing a host of guest-driven features that will usher in an exciting new era in “Fun Ship” vacations, highlighted by a luxurious 21,000-square-foot spa.

Adjacent to the elegant and modern facility will be 68 spa staterooms and suites, which will be accessible by a private elevator and offer exclusive privileges and amenities for guests. Also featured within the spa will be the line’s first thalassotherapy pool covered by a glass dome and an elaborate thermal suite, with four rooms offering varying degrees of warmth and coolness.

Other features include a 5,500-square-foot children’s play area – the largest in the “Fun Ship” fleet – as well as a water spray park and a mid-ship pool covered by a sliding Sky Dome. The line’s signature amenities such as cell phone and Wi-Fi service, a reservations-only supper club and the Carnival Seaside Theatre – a massive LED screen displaying movies, concerts and other programming – will also be featured.

Prior to its new South America program, Carnival Splendor will launch the line’s first-ever Northern Europe cruise program from London (Dover) July 13, 2008, followed by a series of voyages to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles through October 17, 2008.

Carnival Splendor will then sail on a transatlantic voyage from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Fort Lauderdale, positioning the vessel for a series of seven-day Caribbean cruises from that port beginning November 22, 2008. The ship will then sail on the three South America voyages, then reposition to Long Beach to launch year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises beginning March 29, 2009, continuing the line’s expansion of its West Coast operations.

I HOPE PA 007 DOES NOT GET IN TROUBLE FROM “M” FOR THIS AS THIS IS REALLY HOT NEWS AND REMEMBER, YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST. THANKS PA 007 AND GO BACK TO YOUR CUBICLE AND KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN.

So, it looks like the Carnival Splendor will have one of the most exciting inaugural seasons of any ship in the world as she travels the world.

The only thing missing is you and ……………………………..Angelina Jolie.

However, I just can’t stop thinking about Catherine Zeta Jones.
Goodnight

Your friends,

John and Heidi

Many bloggers have asked me how I got work on ships and how that was for me etc. So, I thought my second blog will be dedicated to my start at Carnival Cruise Lines.

I am sitting here in the entertainment staff office, the computer in our cabin is totally John’s now and I have no music or t.v. to listen to, while I am writing this and still no PA …………everybody aaaaaahhhhhh…..

I started working for Carnival in November of 1996, pfff, that makes me feel old now…but anyway, prior to that, I had met John in March of 1996, finished my exams, passed them all, except for some random subject which was called D-Base……our scores in Holland go from 0 – 10 with 10 of course being the best and 6 meaning you pass, well, I scored a 1. My teacher and I soon came to the conclusion that a re-exam would not really make any difference, so we left it that way. I suppose the only thing correct on my exam sheet was the spelling of my name. I have never been good with numbers (except for anniversaries and birthdays J), languages were always my favorite along with all the theories on marketing and management. (I scored a 9 for my final Dutch and final English exams, an 8 for German and all other subjects were sevens.) So anyway, after John and I met, he went back to the ship he was working on at that time. When we met he told me all about what he did etc. and of course I thought, wow, that sounds great, but at the same time I thought, yeah right, you are a cruise director…a male Julie….

We kept in contact and we saw each other again in May, when he came to visit me again in Holland. We both soon knew that this was “meant to be” as they say and plans were made to see each other again, this time on the ship the Fascination of which he was the cruise director at that time. He told me to bring along a friend so when he would be working, I would have someone to hang out with. So I brought my dad.

We flew to Miami from Amsterdam, then on to Puerto Rico. It was our first time to the U.S.A. so an experience for us both.

I knew that nobody would have expected me to bring my dad along and John definitely didn’t expect that, but soon after those two met, his shock of my changed into a wonderful friendship between these two men. (My dad passed away totally unexpected in 2005.

I am sure you all understand, this is a very sensitive subject, so this is all I will write about that, but it explains my stories about visiting my mum and me not mentioning my dad in the visits to Holland.)

I got to meet all the staff on board the Fascination and I was made feel at home very quickly. Everything was so impressive, nothing that I ever expected it to be. My dad became good friends with Captain Angelo Los and the staff captain, Claudio Cupisti, at the time (who is now a captain as well) and we got to see incredible places like Aruba, wow, the beaches are beautiful, we played tennis, swam in the blue sea. It was like a dream.

After 2 cruises, my dad and I were supposed to go back to Holland, but John persuaded me to stay and my dad went back to my mum and I stayed on board for the next 7 (!) weeks. After a few weeks, I was getting anxious to start doing something as this was probably my first vacation during which I wasn’t working. Every other vacation before I used to work at the Flower Auction and make flower and plant arrangements. I have always said, that one day I will have my own little flower shop. Until I moved to the UK, and the prices for flowers and plants are out of this world and therefore people hardly have any fresh flowers in the house. Well, except for John and Heidi Heald, as I will make flower arrangements from a cheap bunch of flowers and then go into the garden or the woods and “help myself” to some branches and leaves and finish it that way…. But we are moving from the subject….

I started showing interest in helping John out with his paperwork, started looking around the ship to see what job I would like to do etc.

Then in November 1996, I started on the Carnival Destiny, then the biggest ship in the world, as a youth staff member in Camp Carnival.

Not really a choice that I thought I would ever make, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Camp Carnival is such an amazing program for the children, they are never bored as there are activities organized for them from hour to hour. They can have lunch with the staff if you are on tour and even dinner on some evenings. I worked as a youth staff on the Destiny and the Imagination and then moved to a new job, which was called an international rep@sea. With 2 other girls on board the Sensation we translated the Capers (our daily program), the tour descriptions etc.

We would hold a Welcome Aboard meeting for the international guests and escort them on tours. We had a desk where they could come and see us if they had any questions. I took care of the Dutch and German guests. It was hard work, but a lot of fun. Now we have international pursers who take care of out international guests.

After doing that for a few contracts, I started working as a groups host, now called groups coordinator. The groups host position came under the entertainment department, just like the int. rep@sea position, so I was already working “for John” from the beginning. (myself really being the boss, of course). When the groups host position was no longer and I wanted to stay within the entertainment department, I worked as a social host for a while and then moved on to assistant cruise director.

So, it’s been 11 years now in November and I think if you can work and live with your other half in such an enclosed space (no, we don’t have a suite with Jacuzzi) then you are definitely meant to be together.

We have met so many wonderful people from all over the world over the last 11 years that we have been together, we have thousands of photos, lots of letters and uncountable memories. We’ve had the possibility to share cruising with friends and family members and seen so much of the world. It has sometimes been hard not to see the family as much as we would have wanted to, not having a garden, not having a Monday morning and Friday afternoon, but it has all been worth it.

The wonderful thing about bringing out new ships is that you get to see a lot of people that we have worked with on different ships that now work in the office in Miami and then it’s like a big reunion when we all get together in Italy.

I have met many bloggers since John started writing and it is so nice to put faces to the names that we read on the screen.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions for my 3^rd blog, I am happy to include them.

Your friend on the Carnival Freedom.

Heidi

LUV2CRUISE & JOHN FROM MOUNT HOLLY – Leona & John, of course I would come and say goodbye to you both. It’s always strange to leave before the cruise is really over, but it just worked out that way that I flew home from Pisa. Looking forward to seeing you on the Bloggers Cruise!

ROCHELLE – I have decided to write a blog each cruise as I need to be able to rectify John’s mistakes on the numbers concerning our marriage, etc…:)

He is definitely taking good care of me;I can’t wish for a more thoughtful and caring man than he is. I think you should cruise on the Carnival Splendor and before embarking in the UK spend some time in Holland. There are many direct flights to Amsterdam from the U.S. so that won’t be a problem. If you ever decide to visit Holland let me know and I will give you some tips of where to go and where not to go.

WENDY – Mum’s cooking is the best, especially now I can request what to have for dinner. When my brother and I were younger, we would eat what was on the table, she didn’t take requests then, so things change once you leave home. My brother is a good cook, as well, we both learned from my mum and when John and I are at home. Sometimes I will still call her in the middle of preparing dinner to ask her quickly how to do certain things; some things you just can’t learn from a cookbook. Thank you for your comments — it’s nice to hear from a “mom” from California.

HEIDI – BETH – Wow, what a beautiful name! I only have one name, not even a middle name. Always meant to ask my parents why that happened as my brother has three names — some things just aren’t fair…….I am sure you will enjoy your cruise on the Carnival Glory. John and I have very happy memories from that ship. It’s funny how you just remember more from one ship or the other. Let us know what it was like!

PAUL F. PIETRANGELO – Hello Sir. I feel like I have to call you Sir, with a name like that, wow!
There is as much hope of John slowing down as our desk ever being tidy or me not finding any underwear on the bathroom floor, so the answer to your question has to be no…. Ciao for now!

PAM – It seems like your brother has been around the world a bit and now, living in Hong Kong, he could be John’s sister’s neighbor. She moved there for work and her family is joining her in August. Austria is probably my favorite country in the world. I went there with mum, dad and brother from the moment I was born. Skiing and summer holidays, climbing mountains with my dad, me secured by him on a rope.

He was a great mountain climber. We would have backpacks on with our lunches in it, which always included a Milka chocolate bar and an orange drink in a plastic bottle in the shape of an orange. Wonderful memories! Looking forward to seeing you on the Bloggers Cruise and yes, you will get to meet Alan. He really is a sweetheart and takes a lot of abuse from John…..poor thing. The only time he really got his own back on John was at our wedding when he was John’s best man and he had “freedom of speech” in his best man’s speech. That time, John couldn’t get back at him as all the family and friends were present J

DOUGNEWMANATSEA – Hello Doug from Nieuw-Nederland! Thank you making the effort to send me a message in Dutch. It’s perfect, thank you. On the subject of Herring: Last week, the first fishing boat came in to the harbor with the first “Nieuwe Haring” (new herring), which is always a big moment. Celebrities in Holland all come together and then they auction of the first barrel of herring. Especially for you, here are some more facts:

The ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’ (Dutch New) is the first herring that is caught in season, usually in May. As soon as the herring has a minimum of 16% fat, it may hit the market as ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’. But there are other demands. The herring must be gutted, ripened, salted and filleted in the traditional Dutch way. During gutting, the gills, intestines and throat of the herring are removed. The pancreas remains as it helps the herring ripen. Herring is caught nearly all year long, but not all herring can be called ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’ or ‘maatjesharing’ (young herring).

I hope you get the opportunity soon to try this delicacy.

MARIJ VAN DINTER – Kijk er naar uit om jullie aan boord te mogen begroeten. Wel gezellig, zo’n stel Brabanders! Heb jij de Hollandse Nieuwe al geprobeerd? Wat is dat toch lekker zeg….Geen zorgen hoor over je Nederlands, zoek me maar op als jullie iets willen weten over de toers enz. enz. daar ben ik voor.

En ja, hij bedoelde saucijsengbroodjes, heeeeeerlijk! Alvast een goeie reis naar Rome! Haudoe he. (is dat goed??)

SHARONR – Hello Sharon, it’s indeed hard to slow John down, he doesn’t want to let anybody down by not responding to their comments, but I wonder how long he will be able to and still do his job on board and keep the guests on board entertained and informed. There are more and more comments each day…..Looking forward to meeting you on board.

LOOKINGFORWARDTOTHENEEARLYSMOKEFREE-CARNIVALFREEDOM – I am sorry I disappointed you by not reporting on the state of our cabin…I thought that by now all of our blogging friends realized that the state of our cabin will never be neat and tidy. It’s quite amazing how much mess he manages to make in such a small place. Picking up after him is a daily cardio workout for me, so the gym is not really necessaryJ  132 days now I think (I am writing this on June 18)

NUMBER12 - Hello number 12. If your dining sitting is at 6:30 pm, then you will enjoy your daily dinner in the Posh Dining Room, located in the aft of the ship on decks 3 and 4. I highly recommend the melting chocolate cake as a dessert (every night!)

R-D-C-ETTEDEBBIE – Nutella on a pancake/crepe is also very nice! Actually, just sticking your finger in the pot and licking the chocolate of your finger is good, too….

I was happy to share my saying goodbye idea with everybody. It’s the only way to do it when you say goodbye to someone you love. California is also on my list of “places I would still like to visit,” not just for the wine….Hope you enjoyed your camping trip.

KATHY KROLL – Hello Kathy and Paul. We didn’t get to have a cup of coffee together, but on the Carnival Splendor I will definitely make time for that, I promise.

Organizing 1,800 guests leaving the ship in various ports to go on tour is hard work, but always gives you a good feeling when once it’s done.

John is thrilled, but so am I. We might have been together for over 10 years, but we still act like we just met yesterday. I think if you can work and live together in such small surroundings, you are meant for each other. Coffee is on me on the Carnival Splendor!

SONJA BONISCH – Lieve Son, bedankt voor het lezen van onze blog. Zo blijf je tenminste bij van onze belevenissen nu we elkaar zo weinig zien. Dikke kus voor Daan!

Lieve groeten voor jou en Jan.

BLESS1045 – Thank you for the nice comments about my mum. My mum is turning 65 this year and I wish I had the same beautiful skin as her. Unfortunately I don’t…she looks really good for her age and I make sure I tell her every time I see her. I will write a blog once a cruise, so watch out for the next one, thank for reading all the blogs.

LINDA HERNACKI – Hello Linda & Handyman Mike. John and I both love children, so we hope to have a family sometime soon. My brother has three children and John’s sister has two, so we are used to little ones in the family. It seems that your children keep you busy as well, with all the grandchildren. I hope everything goes well with your daughter’s delivery, let me know if it is a boy or a girl and his or her name.

DRIEK & TIL – Ha die oom en tante. Ja, de foto’s waren goed gelukt, alleen jammer dat ik bij ome Taxi en ome Vleeshandel geen foto’s had gemaakt, want die zijn nu jaloers en daar word ik nu dus noooooit meer uitgenodigd…

Nou ja, de bunch en de heerlijke tong met warme vruchtjes heb ik in ieder geval “in de pocket.”  Tot schrijfs maar weer.

DEBBIE IN LOUISIANA – Hello Debbie. Welcome to John’s blog world. As for your question, on non-formal nights, a pair of slacks and a polo shirt is just fine; the first of the two formal nights is the most formal, as it’s the Captains Gala. You will be invited for the Captain’s Cocktail Party, then you go for dinner and after that you will be able to enjoy one of our wonderful shows on board. Make sure you come and say hello to us!

EVA – Your comment came through loud and clear. Maybe I might not be working on the Carnival Splendor, but believe me, I will be sailing a lot! So the chance of meeting each other is rather big. I hope we will meet, until then take care.

BARB & CARL THE BEARS – Hello Bear Friends. Thank you for all the candy we received from you both. I will make sure that Zuzana receives her candy tomorrow. You two are too sweet. Thank you for the nice comment about the photo on the blog heading. I never like the way I look on photos, but this one got my permission, could have been worse, John could have posted on of me in bed…:)

Here I am!

Back on board with my husband and friends. Oh yeah, and back to work….. that’s hard after having your mum waking you up in the morning and you walk down the stairs and smell fresh coffee and see the table full of my favorite things, instead of waking up to the sound of John in the bathroom and finding my least favorite things on the bathroom floor.

You might wonder, what are my favorite things for breakfast?
Well, they are Dutch, so they might not sound too appealing but let me try and excite you.

Brown and white slices of fresh bread, covered in real butter, and then you put on everything you fancy — from sliced cold meats (the butchers and supermarkets in Holland have every kind of meat you can think of and they slice it nice and thin), then put it on our slice of bread — not too thick though, not NY deli style. :) Different kind of cheeses (all sliced, no chunks or cubes.) We use a “kaasschaaf” – a special cheese slicer — for that — a tool John thought was fantastic the first time he saw it.  Doesn’t take much to excite a man who hardly knows his way to the kitchen, let alone what tools are hidden there.

Then we have sweet specialities like chocolate sprinkles (you put them over ice cream), and then sprinkles made of pure colored sugar, simply translated “stamped mice” – Gestampte muisjes — and then of course the regular chocolate spreads like Nutella and peanut butter or jam – all on their own, no mixing of the above.

A cup of fresh coffee, or tea (for the Brits in the family….), a boiled egg (soft and we peel the top and eat it ALL , none of this cutting of the top and leave half the egg on your plate), all this complimented by some juice (any kind you like).

ANYBODY FANCY A DUTCH BREAKFAST???

So, I will miss that, but I am sure I need to get back to cereal and skimmed milk for a while anyway…. we don’t really do cereal in Holland for breakfast, so that’s my excuse for not eating that once I leave the ship for a while.

Of course we had to catch up on all the missed birthdays (cakes) and going around to my Aunties and Uncles for dinners has definitely not toned my stomach in a positive way. I spent time with my brother and his family, saw my friend and her little boy, went shopping with my mum and stopped for coffee and lunches. It’s been great!

I have attached a photo of a one of the wonderful dishes I had last week, one my Auntie Til prepared. It’s my grandmother’s recipe and just delicious!

They are white asparagus, covered with hard-boiled egg and bits of smoked ham. Then you drench the whole dish in butter sauce….mmmmm

We had them with a lovely steak and new potatoes. We had dinner outside with a nice bottle of rose wine together with my Auntie Panasonic, Uncle Sony, one of my cousins Mark and his new wife Giovanna (they were married May 12) – left to right: Auntie, Uncle, Mum, Gio and Heidi – Mark taking the picture

The “Panasonic” and “Sony” references come from John, he started calling them that as soon has he met them both. My Uncle and Aunt own a store where you can buy everything from plasma televisions, espresso machines to fridges – therefore the name.

Well, my first “blog – thingy” is all about food and I fancy dinner as I am writing this. It will be a salad though!

All the “quality time” I had with my mum did us both the world of good and gets us through the next couple of months where we won’t get to see each other.

I drove off at 4:45 am this morning on my way to the airport after saying goodbye, which is always hard, but even harder when you are in the car on your own and one of those soppy love songs is the first things you hear when you turn the radio on. My mum and I now say, “See you in the morning.” No long goodbyes, as that just makes it harder.
It’s only a 30-minute drive to airport, but it feels like forever without John there cheering me up.  Once I turned onto the motorway it’s only five minutes away…I dropped of my rental (certainly not an Aston Martin) …crossed the road and checked in. The flight was a bit bumpy but quick and it’s time to go back to work now.

I would like to thank all bloggers for all the candy you have brought to the ship! I really appreciate it.

Apart from that, John is in the doghouse as he wrote that I am nine years younger, which is actually eight and we got married in 2004, which is actually 2003….what’s in a number, eh?

I am really proud of John doing this blog thingy every night. Sometimes he sits up until two or three in the morning. Hopefully we will have some time off together toward the end of the year and maybe I will rent him an Aston Martin for the day as that is all he ever talks about, apart from, of course, Angelina.

I am going to catch up on the e-mails and get to work.

Unlike John, I do not have a PA…..