John Heald as CD

[Warm Breezes]

Dreamcruiser185,

 

We've only sailed with him one time, but hope we'll get to again. Of all the CDs I've ever had, he's the only one I recall.

 

 

Same with us.

[DGP1111]

I just returned from the February 20-27 sailing on Carnival Dream with John Heald as Cruise Director. I'd sailed with him once earlier on a bloggers cruise, and this was the first time I'd seen him totally in his element as CD.

 

Two things about the cruise:

(1) I'm extremely glad John was the Cruise Director. He was very entertaining, often spontaneous (and, yes, occasionally predictable), quite sincere, concerned about his fellow passengers, a strong ambassador for the CCL product, and obviously a loving husband/wonderful dad. He knows his 'stuff'.

 

(2) I had an enjoyable vacation away from work, but I'm very glad to be off Carnival Dream.

.

[kdinkus1]

I just returned from the February 20-27 sailing on Carnival Dream with John Heald as Cruise Director. I'd sailed with him once earlier on a bloggers cruise, and this was the first time I'd seen him totally in his element as CD.

 

Two things about the cruise:

(1) I'm extremely glad John was the Cruise Director. He was very entertaining, often spontaneous (and, yes, occasionally predictable), quite sincere, concerned about his fellow passengers, a strong ambassador for the CCL product, and obviously a loving husband/wonderful dad. He knows his 'stuff'.

 

(2) I had an enjoyable vacation away from work, but I'm very glad to be off Carnival Dream.

.

 

Why may I ask?

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

I have to agree with the SCHTICK ROUTINE, he was always trying to hard to be funny at all times...

 

All the CDs try to be funny in there own way for the most part. The entertainment/activities are just about the same on any ship so I don't see the attraction to any CD. Some are more accessable than others but their job is to promote/sell CCL products for the most part with annoying PA announcements which get old real quick. I did have the pleasure recently to speak at length with Noonan on the Fantasy on the lido deck but our conversation was focused on the fact that we grew up in towns that were only 20 miles apart. That being said they all basically do the same thing (sell CCL) and I for one do not see any major differences with any of them. IMO they add nothing to my cruise experience, it is the little things by the everyday contact with the room stewards, bartenders, waiters, guest services etc that can make a great difference to me.

[lillian marie]

We found him corny as a CD, but he must be doing his job very well because people ADORE him. He was pleasant and I like the previous poster don't feel the need to relate to the CD on a personal level.

[Laurab23]

Why? I cannot believe anybody found him "funny" all week long. Plus don't me started on the new comedy clubs, what a "joke" that was. I don't know how Jeff "The Fun Guy" keeps his job, he had to be the worst MC I have ever seen.....

 

Jeff the fun guy is horrible.!!!

[richfret]

Judging a Cruise Director is like judging the food served on the ship. We all have our idea of what he/she or it should be.

 

Having said that, my vote definitely goes for approval of John. We have been on 12 cruises and have sailed with John once. I probably laughed the most on that cruise although I did enjoy some of the other directors. There were a few, however, who I can't remember and that tells you some thing.

[avp1234]

Our first cruise I couldn't tell you who the director even was. Last mo. on the Dream we loved John Heald!

[quest2best]

Normally the cruise directors have had no obvious impact on the enjoyment of our cruises.....in fact, I really can't remember any of them other than John. He was our CD on the Freedom for a Mediterranean Cruise. It was only then that we realized how much a good CD could add to the enjoyment of a cruise. He was just as personable when one on one as he was when "performing" for the crowd.

[cathyoo]

A vote for John, we really enjoyed him. My husband was especially a fan. I will admit we were a bit disappointed when we ran into that cruise's "couple" and found out much of it was staged. But that was a tiny disappointment. We will always have good cruises but we do a lot of the shows and games and a good entertainment staff can really add to our cruise experience.

[happy cruzin]

I have to agree with the SCHTICK ROUTINE, he was always trying to hard to be funny at all times...

 

...and it seems that they "stories" are the same - every cruise :o. Which surprises me - since there are a large number of repeat cruisers on any particular ship, many of whom will have had John as the CD.

 

The Dream was our first experience with John as a CD and we enjoyed it. But my DS and DDL had him on the Freedom in July and were VERY disappointed that the exact same "schtick" was used on both cruises :(. Our "guy" was from Canada and our couple got stuck in Nassau :rolleyes:.

[happy cruzin]

Jeff the fun guy is horrible.!!!

Yeah.....we are not a fan of "Jeff - the fun dude" either :rolleyes:! Although I must agree that he does look like Ellen DeGenneres :eek:.

[Jay B]

Anything would be better than listening to "Hellooooooooo, this is Jen with a reminder about our fantastic spa sale...." 100 times a day. (Unless it"s "Hellooooooooooo, this is John.......")

 

j

[Name Of The Game]

John even apologizes for making PA announcements.

[Crusin6]

His pants were probably too tight.:D

[Heirloom]

Somehow, we wonder why SOME cruise critic members are so critical !

 

We're no saints.......but knocking Carnival cruise directors ? Have been on 6 CCL cruises, and never had a bad one . These people are great ! And keeping 2-3,000 people reasonably satisfied on a daily basis....it's a job that very, very few people could ever even TRY.

[dabijoel]

I was on that same cruise (Feb.13-20). I guess it's what you're used to. I have been on RC and the CD was everywhere. I have been on 2 Disney cruises and the same thing, the guy was everywhere (shaved head, but I forget his name).

 

If not for being in the theater, we never would have seen John. I would call him decent, but not nearly the best and yes it's my opinion. The lady that he picked out of the audience, Mary, was a "total set-up". She pretended to be asleep and he picked her to come up. The next thing you know, she was all over him and kind of forced him to the ground and then was sitting on him like she was riding him. Too each his own, but it was definitely a set-up and scripted act. I will say that John was funnier than Jeff "the fun dude", that's for sure. I actually felt sorry for him because he had to be a little embarrassed knowing that he wasn't that funny. Tommy Drake, yes, the fun dude, noooooooo!

 

John, in my opinion, is a little overrated.

[taxiang]

I liked John on our first cruise with him. We knew it was all corny stuff but that was okay. We enjoyed it. And then we cruised with him again, and "Mary" was there. Again. I'm really surprised to read that after 8 years John is still doing the same routine.

 

For us, he was fine as a CD, but it would be really old to hear it all again, again. If we were looking at another cruise and everything else was apples to apples we probably would chose another CD.

[TinyG]

We has John as our CD one of our cruises. I can say after the show where he brings people up on stage. The people that came up were classic. The high point of the skit is when the lady was laying on top of John and broken pair of suspenders. We all thought we would die.

 

I have a video, we watch it now and then to get a good laugh. He was the best one I've seen so far and very nice to talk with after the show.

[LHP]

We has John as our CD one of our cruises. I can say after the show where he brings people up on stage. The people that came up were classic. The high point of the skit is when the lady was laying on top of John and broken pair of suspenders. We all thought we would die.

 

I have a video, we watch it now and then to get a good laugh. He was the best one I've seen so far and very nice to talk with after the show.

 

Yes, the famous Bedtime Story....

 

he selects the people....but the rest is improv.....

 

[Dreamcruiser185]

I was on that same cruise (Feb.13-20). I guess it's what you're used to. I have been on RC and the CD was everywhere. I have been on 2 Disney cruises and the same thing, the guy was everywhere (shaved head, but I forget his name).

 

If not for being in the theater, we never would have seen John. I would call him decent, but not nearly the best and yes it's my opinion. The lady that he picked out of the audience, Mary, was a "total set-up". She pretended to be asleep and he picked her to come up. The next thing you know, she was all over him and kind of forced him to the ground and then was sitting on him like she was riding him. Too each his own, but it was definitely a set-up and scripted act. I will say that John was funnier than Jeff "the fun dude", that's for sure. I actually felt sorry for him because he had to be a little embarrassed knowing that he wasn't that funny. Tommy Drake, yes, the fun dude, noooooooo!

 

John, in my opinion, is a little overrated.

At least someone else feels the same way I do. I also never saw John on the ship other than the Encore theater or doing his morning show on TV. I felt he was just going thru the motions whenever he was performing. He used the same material all week long ex.(bringing the guy from"Indian Head" on stage every single night) I was expecting so much more from him.

[WeBeCruisin']

My first cruise with John Heald was this past October on a Saints and Sinners group cruise. I had previously read many of his blogs and was curious to see what he would be like in person. He agreed to come to our private cocktail party one afternoon to say a few words and wound up wearing a blue wig and "interviewing" me with a microphone "on stage. (I was also wearing a blue wig... it's a long story. :D). This situation was totally impromptu and neither he nor I knew it would happen, but John was a pro, and rolled with the punches and seemed to welcome the spontaneity of it. He was great.

 

It's also necessary to keep in mind that John is British and is dealing with passengers from all over the world.... not just Ameircans (many of whom are very prudish and uptight). His orientation is a lot closer to Benny Hill than it is to Dick Gregory (The Cleanest Comic in America"). Even Benny Hill, though, was reviled by a minority of Americans for being disgusting, corny and "inappropriate".

 

A cruise director has the impossible task of trying to please thousands of passengers. It can't be done, so he has to try to please the most that he can. I'm sure the cruise lines have thoroughly researched what seems to work and what people seem to like.

 

It's impossible to have completely new material every night of the year. Even the top stand-up comedians, like Kathy Griffin (although I think the OP might be more than a little offended by Kathy Griffin :)), Jerry Seinfeld, or even Christian comics (or is that an oxymoron?) use the same routines every night. The audience chooses to attend the shows. If the shows get boring and you no longer find them funny, or if you find them offensive, don't go. It's that simple. The CDs are doing what has been proved to be what the majority of the passengers want and enjoy. If you're not part of that majority, do something else and avoid that which annoys you. Don't just whine about it.:)

 

Think of a bell curve with a huge middle portion representing the majority and then a very small minority at either end. One end of the comedy curve consists of people who either just have no sense of humor (and we all know people like that) or people who are so uptight that just about anything "offends" them and they can't wait to scream about it. The other end of the comedy bell curve is a small minority which is so jaded and bored with about everything in life, that they find very little humor or enjoyment in much of anything. But again, each of these minorities can simply "just say no, and then not go" and avoid subjecting themselves to such affronts and outrages. :rolleyes:

[okgirl]

No I will not FLAME you I AGREE WITH YOU 100%%%%%. We sailed with him on the LIberty for the Grand Med and I also got tired of the SCHTICK ROUTINE and no he is not funny.

 

I actually would consider rebooking a cruise if he was the CD. So you can flame also.

 

I'm going to split the middle..... I've sailed with John on 2 of his bloggers cruises and once as the CD.... Sometimes he's funny and sometimes he's not....

But that's what I think about all of them. I don't think a single CD out there has a piece of original "shctick" it's all just copied stuff..... that's why I almost never go to the shows anymore....

If I ever have to hear:

Guest: "Does the ship have it's own generator's?"

CD: "No we have a very long extension cord!!!!!!"

I may puke!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one glimmer that I've had recently was Todd Wittmer on the Dream this past December. He was very friendly and chatty. At least twice a day I would see him in the Ocean Plaza, always engaging the passengers just a really friendly guy........Never went to his shows, cause like I said I don't do that anymore, but he started to give me hope about CDs not just being cookie cutter imitations of one another.

[Traveling Gram]

I also have been with John on several cruises and happen to enjoy his "British" humor. When it's all said, all the CDs are entertainers and there job is to make such a variety of people happy. Thats tough! On several occasions I have seen him go out of his way when someone was having a personal problem, not really related to the cruise. When it was cruise related, he jumped right in to solve it immediately! The new age of CDs are very different from John and he is among a few who still like some of the old ways of entertaining. Like someone mentioned, a CD is not the most important thing on a cruise.

 

Happy Sails to all

[flashburn]

Somehow, we wonder why SOME cruise critic members are so critical !

 

We're no saints.......but knocking Carnival cruise directors ? Have been on 6 CCL cruises, and never had a bad one . These people are great ! And keeping 2-3,000 people reasonably satisfied on a daily basis....it's a job that very, very few people could ever even TRY.

 

 

Yeah, really. Just got off the Dream 2/27. Couldn't imagine a better CD than John. I can imagine much worse! My gf and I thought John was hilarious. I assumed his foils were planted (how does that work? do they pay them?). Maybe the guy's name really was Dick Little but there had to have been a pre-arrangement.