Latest news with #JohnHeald
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line answers key tipping question
Carnival Cruise Line answers key tipping question originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald is used to putting out fires on his popular Facebook page that's followed by more than 600,000 cruisers. Often this means extinguishing rampant cruise rumors spread by other popular Facebook pages dedicated to cruising. Related: Carnival Cruise Line warns against another bad cruise behavior Recent rumors Heald has snuffed out include false claims that the cruise line is retiring a beloved cruise ship and removing fan-favorite dining venue Guy's Burger Joint fleetwide, along with a number of other untrue assertions. Now, the brand ambassador is tackling a blaze that heated up around onboard tipping. Cruisers basically have two choices for how to handle tipping on a cruise. Carnival and other cruise lines will automatically add the suggested daily gratuity amounts to your onboard account, so you can accept that or choose to remove the automatic gratuities in favor of tipping in cash. Some passengers choose to prepay gratuities at the suggested daily rate and provide additional tips in cash, too. Although tipping the wonderful crew members who work hard to make your vacation special is something the majority of cruise passengers are happy to do, the proper way to tip and how much to tip is a matter that's often debated. And while tipping is already a complicated cruise topic, false rumors occasionally add fuel to the fire. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. The latest tipping controversy Heald battled involved an alleged negative consequence of removing automatic cruise gratuities to instead pay the same amount or more in cash during your cruise. According to a widely circulated social media post, if you do remove automatic gratuities, crew members will find out that you did this by the middle of your cruise and will reduce the level of service they provide to you as a result. In a recent video update for his followers, Heald stressed that this rumor is completely false, and backed it up by providing details on when crew members receive their crew payment guidelines for each sailing. Related: Carnival Cruise Line rep sounds alarm on growing YouTube problem 'This happens after the cruise,' Heald explained. 'So, you finish your cruise, whether it's a three- or an eight- or a 10-day cruise, and the gratuities from that cruise are always paid to the crew the following cruise.' As Heald emphasized, the claim 'that you're going to get diminished service is absolutely nonsense.' He hoped that providing clarification on this would help passengers avoid worrying. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Although how you choose to tip on a cruise is a matter of personal preference and either way is acceptable, removing automatic gratuities and not tipping at all is discouraged. Heald made a point to address cruisers who choose not to tip in his video, too, even though the cruise line reports that a very small percentage of cruisers actually do this. 'For those who remove their gratuities and give nothing, well, that's your personal choice, but I think most people that do that…have never been in a service-oriented [position],' Heald added. 'They've never been a waiter or a cabin attendant or in housekeeping or a waitress or anything like that.' More Carnival cruise news: Carnival Cruise Line ship pivots to avoid Hurricane Barbara Carnival Cruise Line bans more passengers after another brawl Carnival Cruise Line shares new warning for parents Heald also stressed that the tips that passengers give to Carnival crew members are sincerely appreciated, but regardless of the way you choose to tip, the crew will provide the same high level of service. 'Thank you for all your gratuities that you give the crew,' he said. 'We appreciate it, they appreciate it, their families at home appreciate it, and they will, regardless [of how you tip], give you the best service because they are, as Tina Turner once said, 'simply the best ooh better than all the rest ooh better than anyone, better than I've ever met.'' (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. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line ship pivots to avoid Hurricane Barbara
Carnival Cruise Line ship pivots to avoid Hurricane Barbara originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. The 2025 hurricane season is getting off to a busy start, but not where you'd probably expect. Although the National Hurricane Center is not yet reporting any tropical disturbances in the Atlantic, the eastern Pacific is already on its third named Pacific hurricane season starts slightly earlier than the Atlantic one, but the first named storm usually doesn't come until around June 10. This year, three storms formed prior to that date, including the season's first hurricane. Hurricane Barbara became the first hurricane of the 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season on June 9, with Tropical Storm Cosme following right behind it and expected to intensify. Most Pacific storms track away from land and move westward out to sea, but so far this season, storms seem to be sticking a little closer to land than usual. Because of this, Carnival Cruise Line, which sails regular Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, Calif., is making some proactive passengers often hear most often about weather-related itinerary changes for Caribbean cruises, Carnival's Fleet Operations Center and its captains are always on top of the weather in any region where the cruise line's ships are sailing. 'We give due care and attention and we'll always keep everybody safe whether you're sailing from Miami, Port Canaveral, or indeed Long Beach, or anywhere else that we cruise from,' Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared in a video he posted on his Facebook provide an example of how Carnival prioritizes both passenger safety and satisfaction, Heald explained to his followers how the cruise line and Carnival Panorama's Captain Carlo made proactive changes to the ship's June 7-15 Mexican Riviera cruise itinerary. In his video, Heald read a message that Captain Carlo provided to Carnival Panorama passengers on June 8. 'In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center in Miami, we are actively monitoring Tropical Storm Barbara and other tropical systems which have developed in the Pacific. Given the current track of both storms we must modify our itinerary to remain a safe distance away,' Captain Carlo explained to modified itineraries can often mean missed ports of call and passenger disappointment, this shouldn't be the case for this sailing. The captain planned to reverse the order of the four ports on the cruise itinerary to avoid poor weather while also taking passengers to all the ports they hoped to visit. 'I am happy, however, to let you know that at this time we are planning to visit all of the original ports with Cabo on Monday, La Paz on Tuesday, Mazatlan Wednesday, and Puerto Vallarta Thursday, and we will continue to monitor weather forecasts and provide updates,' Captain Carlo told passengers. More Carnival cruise news:John Heald explained to his followers that this was a best-case scenario when it comes to a hurricane season itinerary change. 'In this case, the captain with the Fleet Operations Center was enabled to juggle the ports around and do a reverse itinerary giving everybody the itinerary they wanted, but most importantly, keeping everybody safe. And that will ultimately be what we try and do. Not always going to be possible to give the same ports, but we will certainly always try,' Heald explained. (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 Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. It's amazing how a seemingly small improvement to the design of a basic item can sometimes dramatically increase its value for users. In a cruise ship cabin where space is very limited, thoughtful design that equips a room with multipurpose features and devices makes the small room so much more manageable for cruise lines introduce new innovations to ship design, tiny staterooms get more comfortable with each new ship class. But it's not just new ships that get these enhancements. Older ships can often be updated with innovative new features that elevate the passenger experience. Carnival Cruise Line's latest upgrades to some of its 20-year-old ships prove that. The cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, recently showed off one new cabin enhancement on his popular Facebook page that stirred excitement among thousands of the cruise line's loyal brand ambassador posted a photo of a new bedside lamp that the cruise line recently added to staterooms on Carnival Valor, as well as other cruise ships in its fleet that were recently updated during routine dry dock maintenance. 'We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks. They have USB and the smaller one [USB-C] and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps,' Heald said. As he often does with ship features and enhancements, Heald asked his followers for feedback on the new lamps and their charging ports to determine if the majority of passengers would find them than 12,500 Carnival cruisers weighed in through comments on the post, and the results were overwhelming in favor of putting the lamps on as many ships as possible. 'I've been waiting for this moment my whole life,' Julie Jebaily commented. 'And I'll only use it for my cell phone charger because the USB outlets never charge my devices.' 'Best change made to cabins in 20 years,' Keith Bruce agreed. Many Carnival passengers insist that there are never enough power outlets in cabins, especially on older post about the new lamps was especially popular with cruisers who use CPAP machines when they sleep. These passengers typically have to pack extension cords for their cruises to meet their CPAP power needs. 'As a CPAP user it will make things much easier because I won't have to have an extension cord stretched across my cabin floor at night. That makes midnight potty runs really dangerous,' Mick Kyte explained. 'I love the functionality. I can charge my phone and plug in my CPAP all in one lamp — and I don't have to bring an extension cord with me,' Jeremy Rynca added. 'That will help give me (my wife) more room to overpack clothes.' More Carnival cruise news:Some passengers noted though that it would be more helpful if the lamp was not bolted down in the middle of the table as they're currently positioned on the ships that recently received them. 'They should be towards the front or the back so you actually have room for the CPAP or whatever you are plugging into the outlet,' Avril Lawshé suggested. Hopefully, after reviewing the helpful passenger feedback gathered by its brand ambassador, Carnival will make an adjustment to improve the lamp placement as they're added on more ships. (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 Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line faces major backlash over planned changes
Carnival Cruise Line faces major backlash over planned changes originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Carnival Cruise Line passengers are fuming in the wake of the cruise line's announcement about its new loyalty program, Carnival Rewards, set to roll out in June 2026. Although many loyal Carnival cruisers knew a loyalty program revamp was in the works, they didn't think the new program would be so radically different than the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) a completely different model than the VIFP program, Carnival's new approach to loyalty emulates airline loyalty programs. The new points-based system is based on spending instead of the number of nights sailed. But that's not the only big change. In a move that shocked and angered many cruisers, Carnival decided to eliminate lifetime status after the VIFP program became top-heavy over the last few years. Instead of keeping benefits for life, passengers will earn their status over a two-year period and retain it for the following two years under Carnival Rewards. For many Carnival cruisers who have been building their VIFP status for many years to reach the highest program tiers, Platinum and Diamond, this change feels like a slap in the face. Doug Parker shared more details on the cruiser criticism for the new Carnival Rewards loyalty program on the June 20th edition of Cruise News This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning, here's your cruise news for Friday, June 20th. Carnival Cruise Line is now facing major backlash over its VIFP changes to the loyalty program. Speaking of the change on Facebook, Carnival's brand ambassador, John Heald, posted a video saying nothing is finalized yet. John Heald, Carnival Brand Ambassador: We have a year to look at it, possibly, maybe, fine-tune it and change some things around. Brand Ambassador John Heald there. The revamped system ditches lifetime status in favor of a spend-based model requiring you to re-qualify every two years for status. Now, a longtime cruiser told Cruise News Today that the move erases years of his loyalty and feels like betrayal. Scott Lara, Platinum VIFP: As a platinum Carnival VIFP member, I'm very upset that every two years I'm going to have to re-qualify for my platinum status. Perks like welcome gifts, VIFP parties, and loyalty pins are also being eliminated or restricted. Critics call it less of a rewards program and more of a rebate scheme with added incentives for using Carnival's branded credit card. The line has until next June to finalize the new Carnival Rewards federal prosecutors in Alaska have charged a man with impersonating an American citizen aboard a ship. Enrico Ronquillo, a Philippine national living in the U.S., allegedly used fake documents including a counterfeit California license and an IRS form to pose as someone else during a cruise last month. He now faces four federal charges including aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and mandatory two-year sentences for each Disney Cruise Line is cutting the upfront cost of booking a cruise. Starting this week, new reservations now require just a 10% deposit down from the previous 20% for a cruise. The move is geared at easing the financial burden of booking a Disney cruise. Guests can still hold a reservation for three days without a deposit. Cancellation fees will also match the new 10% deposit the photo of the week comes from Charlie, of Royal Princess in Ketchikan. Great photo here. Send yours in: photos@ All photos are subject to broadcast. And the market was closed on Thursday. It reopens this morning. If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@ Have yourself a great Friday and weekend. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. (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 Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Carnival Cruise Line rep threatened over loyalty program changes
Getting upset is a natural reaction to news you don't like, but no matter how angry you are, please don't shoot the messenger. If you're one of the many loyal Carnival Cruise Line passengers who are unhappy about the overhaul of the cruise line's loyalty program, you're certainly welcome and encouraged to share constructive feedback with the cruise line. Related: Carnival Cruise Line unveils controversial new loyalty program But please don't make the mistake of thinking your anger gives you any right or reason to threaten and insult the cruise line's brand ambassador, president, or other employees. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald, who diligently responds to hundreds of passenger questions and complaints every day on his popular Facebook page, doesn't deserve the onslaught of nasty comments coming his way in the aftermath of the loyalty program announcement. Sure, he's a voice for Carnival Cruise Line, but more importantly, he's a voice for its passengers. Besides communicating important cruise line information to Carnival passengers on Facebook, Heald represents Carnival cruisers and their interests. He doesn't just respond to passenger comments, he meticulously addresses them and constantly gathers feedback to share with decision-making Carnival executives. He handles passenger comments with remarkable patience and compassion, even though disgruntled cruisers often write to him in a rude way. Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Heald truly listens to and cares about Carnival passengers, and he works hard to ensure that their concerns and requests are taken seriously as the cruise line evolves its loyalty program, ships, and offerings. Even though he deals with rude comments from inevitable unsatisfied passengers every day, Heald continues to put cruisers and their interests first. After sharing details of the new Carnival Rewards loyalty program at the end of his day on June 18, he immediately went to work the next day to gather passenger feedback about the loyalty program changes. Related: Carnival Cruise Line takes on a new passenger problem As the brand ambassador began to answer questions and respond to concerns about the program with intentions to share constructive criticism with his colleagues, he was shocked by an unfortunate pattern of rude, and even threatening, comments. While many loyal passengers shared their frustration and plans to "jump ship" to sail with another cruise line, some went too far and took their anger out inappropriately. Heald didn't just ignore those comments though, he addressed them head on. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. "To the few who threatened me and threatened my family and made terrible vile remarks against the people I work with at the mothership in Miami, well, I hope you never cruise with us again," Heald wrote in a comment he posted on the June 19 edition of his daily three-minute video update for his followers. He even expressed wishes for those people to be banned from sailing on any cruise line. "Your promise to cruise with another cruise line after writing those disgusting comments is something I wish I could forward to other cruise lines to suggest that they stop you from cruising there, but sadly, I can't," Heald continued. "Thank goodness they are a very small minority." More Carnival cruise news: Carnival Cruise Line's Project ACE vs. Royal Caribbean's Discovery ClassCarnival Cruise Line raises red flag over new cruise 'hack'Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point The brand ambassador also stressed that he understands passengers' frustrations over the new loyalty program and will "fight the good fight" on their behalf. "I know people are frustrated and I promise, I absolutely promise, that I will do everything I can to represent you and to be your voice," Heald insisted. "And those who truly know me know that I am very sincere in that. Thank you so much, and I hope we see you all having fun with us again very soon." (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
