Carnival Connections

Fred and Ginger….And Butch

John Heald's Blog — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:40:58 GMT

Achtung! Guest: Mr————Ref: 002803189A Cabin: ____ Booking#: ________ Added-Changed: 08/20/08 - 08/20/08 ____ - WANTS MORE HISTORY ON PORTS Mr————– called the Pursers Office from his cabin to say that he had just attended the Cruise Director’s talk about Berlin. Guest said he was disappointed that the Cruise Director did not talk more about America’s history with Germany as [...]...(read more)

A Learning Experience

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:56:52 GMT

This summer, 10 students from the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism – an innovative program offered at six Miami-Dade County public high schools – gained first-hand experience in the travel industry while working as interns at Carnival Cruise Lines. During their intensive month-long internships, the students had the opportunity to shadow executives from the Miami-based [...]...(read more)

Press Conferences in Mobile and New Orleans Met With Outstanding Response

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:36:06 GMT

Earlier this week, Carnival Cruise Lines held press conferences in Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans to announce the deployment of newer, larger ships to those markets. The press conferences were met with outstanding response, attracting a variety of local print and broadcast outlets, along with dignitaries, travel agents, port and government officials, and community leaders. [...]...(read more)

Looking on the Bright Side

John Heald's Blog — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:06:39 GMT

Normal Service has been resumed. Guest: M_________ Ref: 002803183A Owner: (SLSHEXMGR) Cabin: _____ Booking#: _____ Added-Changed: 08/19/08 - 08/19/08 ____- WANTS CHOPSTICKS IN THE DINING ROOM Mr__________ who is the group leader of a group from Hong Kong came to the desk very upset because he asked for chopsticks instead of silve rwear to be placed at dinner for [...]...(read more)

Carnival Elation to Shift to Three- and Four-Day Cruises From San Diego Beginning in February 2009

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:37:16 GMT

Carnival Cruise Lines will deploy the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation on a new three- and four-day cruise schedule from San Diego beginning Feb. 12, 2009. The ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises from San Diego and will continue that program through the departure of Feb. 7, 2009. On its new route, Carnival Elation [...]...(read more)

Feeling Old…………….And an Interview with Carl with a K

John Heald's Blog — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:39:15 GMT

If I were to see someone indulging in antisocial behavior, such as talking loudly in a library or urinating in a someone’s front yard, I would roll my eyes and quietly sigh. If it were something more serious, such as putting super glue on cans of prunes in a supermarket or holding a baby over [...]...(read more)

A Triumph For The Big Easy

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:46:09 GMT

During a press conference held at the Port of New Orleans, Carnival Cruise Lines- which offers the only year-round service from New Orleans- announced the deployment of the Carnival Triumph to the Big Easy in early November 2009. Carnival Triumph will replace the Carnival Fantasy and will introduce new seven-day eastern and exotic western [...]...(read more)

Carnival Cruise Lines to Expand Capacity in New Orleans by 34 Percent With Deployment of Carnival Triumph in Nov. 2009

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:43:53 GMT

Carnival Cruise Lines – which operates the only year-round cruise program from New Orleans – will increase capacity by 34 percent when the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph replaces the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy from the Big Easy in November 2009. In addition to providing an exciting new “Fun Ship” cruise option from New Orleans, Carnival [...]...(read more)

Claudia, Casino Host aboard the Carnival Splendor

carnival_tom — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:10:00 GMT

Claudia is a Casino Host aboard the Carnival Splendor, and she makes sure that your casino experience is a memorable one. Check out this video interview as she tells us a little about her life in the casino, as well as some of the perks that cruisers can enjoy through the Ocean Players Club.

Download the video

Video……The Right One

John Heald's Blog — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:05 GMT

Hello everyone You may have seen that I sent the video of the welcome aboard talk from last cruise by mistake………..silly bugger. So, with apologies for the delay here is the correct one from yesterday including the smallest husband in the world. My blog will be slapped on later tonight Cheers John ShareThis...(read more)

Never Can Say Goodbye

John Heald's Blog — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:55:11 GMT

So, picture this. Heidi and I were having lunch today and having a good old discussion about what’s better in Holland than in the UK……..we had gone through clogs, windmills and marijuana when Heidi said……….”Well, what’s really British then? What are the English good at?” Now I’ve been ready for some time for her to [...]...(read more)

Some Princess and a Mrs….Not a Mr…Darcy…Oh, and a Bloggers Guide to France

John Heald's Blog — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:12:17 GMT

So, it was with much sadness that I said goodbye to Mrs.S.Nob this morning and she obviously felt the same way as she told me one last time how disappointed she was with me and how the guests onboard had been “beneath” her. There was nothing left for me to say so I just wished [...]...(read more)

Carnival Cruise Lines to Increase Capacity in Mobile by 42 Percent With Deployment of Carnival Fantasy in Fall 2009

Carnival Cruise Lines News — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:39:17 GMT

Carnival Cruise Lines – which operates Mobile’s only year-round cruise program – will increase capacity at the port by 42 percent when the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy replaces the 1,452-passenger Holiday on year-round four- and five-day cruises beginning in November 2009. With the Carnival Fantasy’s departures from Mobile, the company expects to carry approximately 170,000 [...]...(read more)

Mosquitos and Mobile

John Heald's Blog — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:53:25 GMT

I just sat down to write today’s blog and on the news was the story of little Yang Peiyi, aged seven, who sang at the Olympic opening ceremony so beautifully, but was not allowed to be seen because the government considered her “too ugly,” and so the more cosmetically agreeable Lin Miako mimed in [...]...(read more)

Adopting an Interview with Cruise Director of the Carnival Valor….Ryan Fitzgerald

John Heald's Blog — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:33:16 GMT

Well, she has complained about the service, the entertainment, my jokes, the guests, the guests having too much fun and laughing and finally this morning she complained because unlike other lines we were not going to pack her suitcases for her. And so, finally she ordered a meeting with Ken and myself and the wonderful Mrs. [...]...(read more)

The First of the Cruise Director Interviews….Chris “Bubba” Roberts and a Blog with No Ending

John Heald's Blog — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:32:25 GMT

Why is it that women think that going for a walk …………..is romantic. We are in Copenhagen today and just because the sun is shining Heidi has this romance novel idea that we should hold hands and “go for a walk.” Of course, you can walk somewhere when your car breaks down, or if you’re too [...]...(read more)

Part Two – Ports of Call by Deb Jennings

Stephanie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:49:00 GMT

The day after we set sail on the Freedom we embarked on our first port of call: Naples, Italy. My husband and I, along with our friends, had signed up for an invigorating hike up Mt. Vesuvius and then a tour of the ancient city of Pompeii. For me it was a dream come true; the stories of a place completely covered in volcanic ash had haunted me since I was a child. As it turns out, Pompeii was as ethereal as I had imagined it would be, and much more beautiful. It was also much larger than I expected, which just added to the mystery that such a place could be lost without a trace for centuries.

Pompeii was a treasure, but certainly not the last we treat we were in for on this cruise. Over the next week and a half, we visited the impressive ruins of Ephesus near Izmir, Turkey; the esteemed Acropolis in Athens, Greece; and Ancient Olympia, the original site of the Olympic games. Of all these, I was most surprised by Olympia, near the charismatic town of Katakolon, Greece. Although there’s not much left of the physical temples, training areas, or even the stadium, the historical presence is palpable. And the flowering springtime trees made a spectacular contribution to the site’s venerable beauty.

Other ports of call included Rhodes, Greece, where we had no trouble indulging our proclivity for wandering the narrow, cobble stoned streets. We also spent an adventurous day in Istanbul, Turkey where we greatly enjoyed a boat ride on the Bosphorus, the straight that divides Istabul between two continents (Europe and Asia). The tour also featured a delicious and hearty lunch of traditional Turkish food, a trip to a private antiquities museum, and a Turkish rug demonstration before wrapping up with shopping in the bazaar.

Our final shore excursion took us to the scenic and peaceful towns of Livorno and Portovenere in Italy, where we enjoyed a short boat ride on the dark blue waters, and had lunch on top of a castle. (Our friends had opted for a more ambitious tour of Pisa and Florence.) As we sat in a tiny square in Livorno, eating gelato and watching the world go by, we realized that we could have our cake and eat it too – we could immerse ourselves, if only for a day, in the culture of a place, enjoy the local cuisine, explore the side streets, and have a fantastic time – even on a cruise.

Having a Good Whine

John Heald's Blog — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:26:27 GMT

Is there such a word as unpatting?………..The reason I ask is that yesterday I mentioned that I had patted myself on the back for working hard to get the passenger formerly known as Mrs. S.Nob to say the word thank you and to start enjoying her cruise. Well, it seems that I now need to [...]...(read more)

Heidi Says Hello

John Heald's Blog — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:46:43 GMT

This morning as I wandered with Heidi to host the morning show we passed a herd of deck hands washing and cleaning and polishing the lifeboats. This seemed strange to me……..we hopefully never have to use them and if we do I am sure nobody is going to refuse to get in one if its [...]...(read more)

A Safe and Simple Blog

John Heald's Blog — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:04:57 GMT

In the last few years you may have noticed the odd sign around the public areas on cruise vessels. These signs mind you to “watch your step” and” mind your head” and while you are watching your head you miss your step. Well, we live in an age of health and safety and this of course [...]...(read more)

St. Petersburg and the Right to Reply

John Heald's Blog — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:30:12 GMT

Good Morning and just before I forget I wanted to start by demanding a new Olympic event……….its the 4×4 100m relay: A real chance of medals here for the British and Americans in the event in which braying women in Range Rovers, Lexus’s, Acura’s, Hummers, Lincoln’s and Cadillac’s compete to drive their children the shortest [...]...(read more)

The Return of Bubba

John Heald's Blog — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:11:58 GMT

Patience………lots and lots of patience……………that’s what you need here in Russia this morning as the authorities check every passport and tour ticket. I disembarked the guests on private tours first this morning because last week it took the average guest 30 minutes to get through Russian Immigration. This morning, it’s the same. You see, the [...]...(read more)

An Interview with Captain Karlo Buer of The Seabourn Legend…..And a Gift Shop Inventory

John Heald's Blog — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:26:27 GMT

The first thing I had to take care of this morning was to put people’s minds at ease. Good afternoon from Tallinn, Estonia where it’s cool but dry and guests are already ashore. However, this morning it became apparent that passports, photo copies and most other concerns seemed to have been put on the backburner [...]...(read more)

Hannibal, Bond and a Blog that Needs a Box of Tissues

John Heald's Blog — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:48:05 GMT

Finally……….some sun. Good Afternoon from a now sunny Baltic and the sight of the sun has had meant that the sun cream has been applied and the Speedos are on, the roof is open and the sun worshippers are laying before the golden ball in the sky. The Lido deck is being entertained by Steve [...]...(read more)

New Orleans Charity…Great News

John Heald's Blog — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:27:49 GMT

Hi Everyone, It’s Stephanie again. We just got off the phone with the New Orleans charity and are beyond excited to announce that we’ll be working with Beacon of Hope Resource Center. You can find out more about them by visiting their website: www.lakewoodbeacon.org. Because our project is still months away we don’t have an exact description [...]...(read more)