Latest news with #Heald
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Carnival Cruise Line shares advice for cruisers looking for love
"The Love Boat" gave people the wrong idea about cruising. Yes, there are some newlyweds on their honeymoons, but most cruises are not full of single good looking people ready to find the love of their life. That's especially true on Carnival Cruise Line, a company geared toward families. Related: Carnival Cruise Line cancels more cruises, adds adults-only cruises There are, of course, single people, especially younger ones traveling with their families. Love connections are made, and the fact that everyone has a smartphone makes geographic barriers less important. If two 23-year-olds met each on a cruise in 1985, keeping in touch would involve expensive phone calls and perhaps writing letters, Now, the couple, can text message, Facetime, and communicate endlessly for free. Cruise ships are not love boats in the classic sense because most passengers are already spoken for. There are, however, divorced parents, singles traveling alone, widowed older folks, and other passengers looking for love. Carnival also holds single events (although they are usually just a time and place for singles to meet) and there are other ways to meet the love of your life. That's something Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald wrote about in response to a touching message on Facebook page. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Carnival does not offer any sort of official matching service for single passengers. It does, however, want to help people find love when possible. Heald received this touching email on his Facebook page on June 2. "I am almost 72 and have been a widower for the past 18 months. My husband of 32 years Ray loved to cruise. We did 11 cruises together 10 with Carnival. Since Ray's passing, I have cruised just once. I still enjoyed it but it was different. John my question is that I would love to meet someone romantically on my next cruise," wrote the unnamed female widow. She noted that she has tried to find love on land, but has not been successful. "I have very little social life. I live in Bellefonte, a very small town in Pennsylvania. Meeting new people is not possible. Before people judge me, Ray told me before he left for heaven to find someone to spend the last years of my life with. Am I of such an age that to have these desires is probably just daydreaming? How and where do I go on the ship to meet new people and to perhaps find a new soulmate," she added. Heald was sympathetic and kind in his response. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to find a relationship again after losing your husband. I am not even close to being an expert but I imagine there are many, many people who are unsuccessful. In fact there is a whole industry built on that fact with all those apps such as Plenty Of Yaks in the Field. Love is the most valuable commodity in the world and sometimes it can be hard to find," he wrote. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. While it may not be easy to find love on land or at sea, Heald offered a solution that would at least increase the odds. "I want to give you a wee dollop of practical advice and this is the reason I am sharing this post so that perhaps others in your situation are reading. Before you cruise again please send me your cabin number and ship and a request that says that you wish to dine with other solo cruisers," he wrote. Heald, of course, is not a matchmaker, but he hopes the original poster finds love. "Now, I cannot promise that you will meet someone who will fill the void that has been with you these past 18 months but perhaps, just perhaps you will meet someone who can. I send you all my hopes that you will find it," he added. Many passengers shared their own advice as well. "I hope she finds genuine love. Maybe join a Facebook group for solo single Cruisers?That being said, beware the scammer. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people that could try and take advantage of her situation for their own gain," wrote Carol Millitch Leonard. Shawn Caccia was encouraging as well. "It is much easier to meet people on a cruise than anywhere on land, especially if you've been married for so long and well 'out of practice' shall we say. There are social events for singles, mixers, but in my honest opinion, if you can manage the smell, the smoking area is always the most social place on the ship. About half the people there don't even smoke but rather enjoy the conversations. I say start there and who knows," he posted. Donna P. Hayhoe shared her own story of finding love on a cruise. "I have never lost a spouse, but divorced and I met someone in my FB cruise group and we became friends and our situations were different at the time. As time passed, we were fortunate to do a cruise together 1 year and 2 months later on same ship and now we are going on our second cruise together on the same ship 2 years later same month we met," she shared. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Adults-only cruises have been a big hit for the hip Virgin Voyages cruise brand. These kid-free cruise vacations have become so popular that many cruisers have begun to wonder whether other cruise lines would break with classic cruise tradition to test out the new style of sailing, Carnival Cruise Line fans often write to the cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, on his popular Facebook page with questions and requests about adults-only cruises. Few people expected that the family cruise line would actually add adult-exclusive sailings, though. On his page, Heald even told passengers he didn't think that would ever happen. But then it did. Why the sudden shift? Is Carnival Cruise Line moving toward becoming an adults-only cruise line? Those were some of the questions swirling around the internet after Carnival recently announced a series of casino-exclusive sailings and SEA cruises — sailings exclusively for adults. Sailing from Miami on select dates this summer and fall aboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, these specialty itineraries are casino-focused cruises featuring expanded casino access and other perks for Carnival Players Club casino loyalty program the release of these specialty sailings led to rumors that Carnival is moving to become an adults-only cruise line, John Heald was quick to set the record straight. 'Please ignore that; we are a proud family cruise line, we have been and I'm sure we always will be,' Heald insisted in a video message posted on his Facebook page. Heald assured his followers that the only reason Carnival is offering adults-only casino cruises is because of schedule changes for Carnival cruise ship dry docks — maintenance and refurbishment that cruise ships undergo every few years.'This all is because we moved Carnival Magic's dry dock and the casino have taken a couple of cruises and made them adults only. They're making special casino offers to people,' Heald explained. Since both Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest won't be out of service as originally planned for a few weeks later this year, the cruise line decided to offer some special invitation-only casino cruises to fill the reason these sailings are adults only is simply because they're casino cruises. 'Now, because they are casino offers, we cannot make those casino offers to children, which is why these cruises are for adults only because they are casino-based offered cruises and they are very popular,' Heald pointed out. These new offerings have made the brand ambassador more open to entertaining the possibility of future adults-only Carnival cruises, however. 'I understand why people are saying, 'Oh, we need an adults' cruise,'' Heald noted. 'So listen, I don't know what the future is going to hold, but let me just tell you we are not moving to an adults-only cruise line now.' More Carnival cruise news:Those who want to continue to enjoy Carnival cruises with kids shouldn't fret. 'This is not something that you should be concerned about because for every one person who says, 'I would love an adults-only cruise,' there are many who have written and said, 'What do I do with my children, my grandchildren?'' Heald explained. 'No, we are a proud family cruise line,' the brand ambassador reiterated. 'These were cruise-specific situations, so please ignore what some people have been highlighting.' (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Carnival Cruise Line makes clear call on Costco, dining change
Carnival Cruise Line has an impressive array of free food options including some restaurants from big-name celebrities. You can get chicken from Shaq's Big Chicken on many ships. And, while the basketball great does not have a major reputation in the culinary world, his fried chicken chain has been positively reviewed. Related: Cruises to popular port may cost more as city hikes docking fees Guy Fieri, on the other hand, is one of the most famous chefs in the world. His. Guy's Burgers are literally on every carnival cruise ship. The "Mayor of Flavortown" actually has a pretty spotty record when it comes to land based restaurants, but cruisers seem to love his onboard burgers. But no matter how many free offerings a cruise line has, some people always want more. Most carnival ships also offer free Mexican as well as free pizza until midnight. After midnight, the cruise line offers a sort of buffet that changes nightly. Passengers have been very mixed on the quality of that buffet and many do not appreciate the sheet pizza that's offered instead of the traditional handmade pizza. The cruise line used to serve until 2 a.m. Now, the Cruz light has been asked about adding another culinary delight from a brand that that's already a partner. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald gets a lot of crazy requests. In many cases, people like to make really broad statements that may or may not be true. "Every American eats biscuits and gravy for breakfast every morning" has been a popular sentiment shared with him often. In many cases, people like to be more dismissive. "You may not know this because you're British, but all Americans brush their teeth with Tabasco sauce and it should be provided in every room." Requests like that usually get shouted down by Heald's audience, but sometimes he responds when he gets a more rational question (even if it's overstated). "John was thinking of the Street Eats you have on the Jubilee. What's missing is Costco Rotisserie chicken. Have you tried this John? It is the most popular chicken in America, The entirety of the meat is moist-both the light and the dark. I know this would be an awesome collab to have for Carnival. It would bring new cruisers to Carnival," wrote an unnamed poster on Heald's Facebook page. The "most popular chicken in America" line can be heavily debated, but Costco does sell a lot of chicken. Heald was blunt in his answer. "I am sure that this chicken is excellent but is it really going to bring in new cruisers? Who needs rollercoasters, water parks, brilliant friendly crew if you have a rotating chicken," he wrote before making a joke. "By the way, I bought a chicken earlier to make some sandwiches.. biggest waste of time! Just runs round the kitchen clucking and crapping on the floor." Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Most of the over 200 comments on Heald's page seem to be supportive of the idea that Costco chicken may be great, but it's not needed on a Carnival cruise. "Yes nothing will bring customers to a cruise line like offering Costco chicken," wrote Mandy Forbes. Leslie Lasage Babineaux agreed with that sentiment. "OMG YES. Costco chicken is exactly what is missing from Carnival Cruise Line. Genius marketing strategy! (Slaps forehead)," she posted. LK Gardiner was even more dismissive. "Good Morning John. Please don't bother with the Costco, Walmart. Sam's Club or any other grocery chain rotisserie chicken. I can get them every day of the week," they shared. Paul Kitchens-Fredeen had more fun with the idea. "And while you're at it, add one of those rollers that the gas station has to let us grab taquitos," he added. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy
Adults-only cruises have been a big hit for the hip Virgin Voyages cruise brand. These kid-free cruise vacations have become so popular that many cruisers have begun to wonder whether other cruise lines would break with classic cruise tradition to test out the new style of sailing, too. Related: Carnival Cruise Line gives passengers Titanic-like warning Loyal Carnival Cruise Line fans often write to the cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, on his popular Facebook page with questions and requests about adults-only cruises. Few people expected that the family cruise line would actually add adult-exclusive sailings, though. On his page, Heald even told passengers he didn't think that would ever happen. But then it did. Why the sudden shift? Is Carnival Cruise Line moving toward becoming an adults-only cruise line? Those were some of the questions swirling around the internet after Carnival recently announced a series of casino-exclusive sailings and SEA cruises - sailings exclusively for adults. Sailing from Miami on select dates this summer and fall aboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, these specialty itineraries are casino-focused cruises featuring expanded casino access and other perks for Carnival Players Club casino loyalty program members. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. After the release of these specialty sailings led to rumors that Carnival is moving to become an adults-only cruise line, John Heald was quick to set the record straight. "Please ignore that; we are a proud family cruise line, we have been and I'm sure we always will be," Heald insisted in a video message posted on his Facebook page. Heald assured his followers that the only reason Carnival is offering adults-only casino cruises is because of schedule changes for Carnival cruise ship dry docks - maintenance and refurbishment that cruise ships undergo every few years. Related: Carnival Cruise Line answers controversial tipping question "This all is because we moved Carnival Magic's dry dock and the casino have taken a couple of cruises and made them adults only. They're making special casino offers to people," Heald explained. Since both Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest won't be out of service as originally planned for a few weeks later this year, the cruise line decided to offer some special invitation-only casino cruises to fill the void. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. The reason these sailings are adults only is simply because they're casino cruises. "Now, because they are casino offers, we cannot make those casino offers to children, which is why these cruises are for adults only because they are casino-based offered cruises and they are very popular," Heald pointed out. These new offerings have made the brand ambassador more open to entertaining the possibility of future adults-only Carnival cruises, however. "I understand why people are saying, 'Oh, we need an adults' cruise,'" Heald noted. "So listen, I don't know what the future is going to hold, but let me just tell you we are not moving to an adults-only cruise line now." More Carnival cruise news: Sailors recount their life-saving rescue by Carnival cruise shipCarnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra chargeCarnival cruisers eat way more of one food than Guy Fieri burgers Those who want to continue to enjoy Carnival cruises with kids shouldn't fret. "This is not something that you should be concerned about because for every one person who says, 'I would love an adults-only cruise,' there are many who have written and said, 'What do I do with my children, my grandchildren?'" Heald explained. "No, we are a proud family cruise line," the brand ambassador reiterated. "These were cruise-specific situations, so please ignore what some people have been highlighting." (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra charge
No matter which cruise line you sail, there's no shortage of food included in your fare. Passenger meals are unlimited in most onboard dining venues and cruisers can typically find food available at all hours. Related: CDC says throw this food out after salmonella sickens cruisers When it comes to snacking, cruisers can hit up the onboard buffet as often as they like, and enjoy unlimited soft-serve ice cream cones poolside, too. Not every food served on board is included, however. Certain meals, snacks, and desserts are available for an extra charge on a cruise, but most of those are upgrades like specialty dining experiences and gourmet treats. With so much food included in a standard cruise fare, many cruisers are surprised to find out that one popular snack that costs very little to make will cost you extra on some cruise lines' ships. The seemingly unnecessary charge for this snack leaves a bad taste in the mouths of some cruisers, often leading to accusations of cruise line nickel-and-diming. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Although popcorn was once offered at no additional cost during Carnival Cruise Line's Dive-In Movies under the stars, passengers now have to pay $4 to enjoy popcorn with their poolside movie. Similarly, on Royal Caribbean cruises, popcorn that's offered for shows and events on board costs around $3.50. Even on Disney Cruise Line, which doesn't even charge extra for sodas like other lines do, popcorn isn't included. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key change to answer Disney's challenge On Disney Cruise Line ships, popcorn is available for purchase at a snack bar located outside of the main theater as well as the onboard movie theater. A regular cup of popcorn costs around $4. Disney Cruise Line also offers souvenir popcorn buckets, which usually range in price from $8 to $25, depending on their design. Popcorn bucket refills cost around $1.50. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald regularly receives questions and complaints about the cruise line's popcorn charge on his popular Facebook page, where he responds to hundreds of questions and concerns from passengers every day. "I remember the good old days on Carnival when there wasn't an up-charge for every little thing," Penny Kinder Strate recently wrote to the brand ambassador. "I actually got the 2 cups of popcorn in the little bags while watching the outdoor movie for free. Now it is a ridiculous $4.00." Although Heald could choose to ignore comments like this, he and his colleague Jacinta endeavor to respond to every cruiser who comments on a dedicated Facebook post that the brand ambassador opens for questions and requests each day. "Thank you, well hopefully you won't base your cruise experience on popcorn, and I mean that with the greatest respect," Heald replied. "You don't have to buy it and there is so much complimentary food, especially [in the Lido] deck area." More Carnival cruise news: Carnival Cruise Line cruisers debate controversial elevator issueCarnival Cruise Line warns passengers about sleazy onboard scamCarnival cruisers overwhelmingly want this booking process change Heald also explained why the cruise line began charging for popcorn some time ago. "And the reason we charge is when it was free, it became a mess with people grabbing so much and wasting most of it," Heald noted. Whether on the Lido deck or in a theater, popcorn can easily create big messes, especially when it's served to kids. Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line haven't publicly explained why they charge for popcorn like Carnival has, but some passengers speculate that it's for a similar reason. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
