Looks Like they are still trying to fool us

[LMaxwell]

Congratulations! Your joke made it into a so-called question on John Heald's fb page. The funniest part is all the fans ranting about how terrible cruise critic members are for starting such a rumor and how gullible people are for believing everything they read on cruise critic. :D

 

Good, a chance for JH to fabricate something else to bash a CC member.

[Pops, Esq.]

Congratulations! Your joke made it into a so-called question on John Heald's fb page. The funniest part is all the fans ranting about how terrible cruise critic members are for starting such a rumor and how gullible people are for believing everything they read on cruise critic. :D

 

Sarcasm is completely wasted on the gullible.

[loxley]

Good, a chance for JH to fabricate something else to bash a CC member.

I am beginning to wonder if John has a split personality or something. I do think he makes up most of that garbage he puts on his page and I am even beginning to wonder if he is responsible for some of the troll post here.

 

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[KatieCharlotte]

I am beginning to wonder if John has a split personality or something. I do think he makes up most of that garbage he puts on his page and I am even beginning to wonder if he is responsible for some of the troll post here.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

All publicity is good publicity. Anything to increase fb comments. Unless Carnival isn't giving him much to do, I expect he has a behind-the-scenes assistant who makes up his more creative posts, especially the outraged guest posts, and possibly stirs the pot here. I admit it's entertaining.

[LMaxwell]

I am beginning to wonder if John has a split personality or something. I do think he makes up most of that garbage he puts on his page and I am even beginning to wonder if he is responsible for some of the troll post here.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

He takes little bits and pieces and builds a whole story around them. Look at how he posts the 'questions'. Always in insulting and accusatory ways. Isn't it amazing that he never just gets a "simple" question?

 

Then watch the comments that follow. Very angry, many obscenities. Very, very rarely do people try to help constructively. They just bash the 'question asker'.

 

I don't know WHY he feels the need to do this. I am astounded a multi-national corporation allows it to happen.

 

I too think it is done by staffers; no matter what ship or location he is in all the posts originate from Miami.

Edited February 29, 2016 by LMaxwell

[loxley]

He takes little bits and pieces and builds a whole story around them. Look at how he posts the 'questions'. Always in insulting and accusatory ways. Isn't it amazing that he never just gets a "simple" question?

 

Then watch the comments that follow. Very angry, many obscenities. Very, very rarely do people try to help constructively. They just bash the 'question asker'.

 

I don't know WHY he feels the need to do this. I am astounded a multi-national corporation allows it to happen.

 

I too think it is done by staffers; no matter what ship or location he is in all the posts originate from Miami.

Have you noticed how all the really biting post have almost the exact same cadence? They are almost all the exact same length and sentence structure.

 

I am telling you, there is something not on the up and up with dear john.But dear God do his followers eat it up.

 

Always saying cc likes stirring ****. I now have a good idea who is stirring **** and it is not cc.

 

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[tkportersat]

Very well put.

 

I actually have a friend who is a room steward for Carnival. She recently told me that she now has to service 35 cabins. If she services her cabins twice a day taking 15 minutes each time, she's looking at 17 hours a day of running nonstop.

I think if someone wants to show their displeasure with Carnival, they should do it by not booking future cruises with them. But to think you're somehow affecting change by punishing individual employees by removing tips is nonsense. These may not seem like decent jobs to a lot of people, but to workers supporting their families they are. The quickest way for them to lose their job is not to follow the policies they have no control over.

[Pesh]

He takes little bits and pieces and builds a whole story around them. Look at how he posts the 'questions'. Always in insulting and accusatory ways. Isn't it amazing that he never just gets a "simple" question?

 

Then watch the comments that follow. Very angry, many obscenities. Very, very rarely do people try to help constructively. They just bash the 'question asker'.

 

I don't know WHY he feels the need to do this. I am astounded a multi-national corporation allows it to happen.

 

I too think it is done by staffers; no matter what ship or location he is in all the posts originate from Miami.

 

I work in social media so I have some insight here. A key social media metric to determine success is engagement rate (likes/comments/shares/etc). JH posts things that are reactionary and get people fired up, so he gets a lot of comments, and therefore, lots of engagement. Then he can show Carnival how valuable he is, how successful his social accounts are at engaging with the consumer, etc. based on that. Customers responding to his leading questions think he truly cares about what they have to say, but he's just baiting them.

 

If he were actually interested in customer input, he'd use FB's built-in poll feature which allows followers to simply click on the option of their choice. Responses are automatically tabulated and key metrics based on profile info can also be obtained (ex: 50% of people who answered "yes" are women, etc.)

 

Here's an example of how corporations who actually want to gain customer insight utilize the poll feature:

Edited March 1, 2016 by Pesh

[Podna's]

Customers responding to his leading questions think he truly cares about what they have to say, but he's just baiting them.

 

 

]

 

 

That's your opinion but I totally disagree. I've met John a couple times and love reading his post. I know he very much cares about what we have to say.

[lcookie]

On my Breeze cruise we got twice a day service. I never even saw a card to check off. We actually had 3 stewards. One main and two assistants.

[jimbo5544]

I work in social media so I have some insight here. A key social media metric to determine success is engagement rate (likes/comments/shares/etc). JH posts things that are reactionary and get people fired up, so he gets a lot of comments, and therefore, lots of engagement. Then he can show Carnival how valuable he is, how successful his social accounts are at engaging with the consumer, etc. based on that. Customers responding to his leading questions think he truly cares about what they have to say, but he's just baiting them.

 

If he were actually interested in customer input, he'd use FB's built-in poll feature which allows followers to simply click on the option of their choice. Responses are automatically tabulated and key metrics based on profile info can also be obtained (ex: 50% of people who answered "yes" are women, etc.)

 

Here's an example of how corporations who actually want to gain customer insight utilize the poll feature:

[ATTACH]378499[/ATTACH]

 

 

Maybe he use that when he sells cars..... For the record, is this about collecting data or service provided? His job has never been data collection, so I guess he is fine.

[KatieCharlotte]

I expect at some point I'll see my words twisted out of context in a message JH supposedly received about the terrible cruise critic, but I think it's hilarious that he can get nearly 700 people to post outraged comments to a ridiculous insulting message he claims he received, with maybe one person asking if it's real. :D

 

I'm sure he's extremely friendly and personable, like any good cruise director. And part of his shtick is to offer help and little gifts, which I'm sure are very appreciated. That doesn't mean he's not also stirring the pot and posting fake or edited-for-maximum-outrage messages just to increase traffic on his page. That's part of his job, as is communicating specific things for "the beards" (as the cool kids call them).

[Pesh]

Maybe he use that when he sells cars..... For the record, is this about collecting data or service provided? His job has never been data collection, so I guess he is fine.

 

 

Almost all of his Facebook posts seem to be data collection. He posts questions everyday where he asks his followers to answer A, B or C. If he's actually polling people why would he not use a poll feature that automatically captures and analyzes the data? Because a poll doesn't yield comments.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Pesh

[jimbo5544]

Almost all of his Facebook posts seem to be data collection. He posts questions everyday where he asks his followers to answer A, B or C. If he's actually polling people why would he not use a poll feature that automatically captures and analyzes the data? Because a poll doesn't yield comments.

 

 

Part of his posts, are trying to fill voids (as in things to say), he does not need me to answer for him, he can do that just fine. He gives us insight into the types of things he gets and comments. My point in bringing it up, was it is more of his insight into things and questions posed, as opposed to structured questionnaires.

[Jana60]

There's a glaringly obvious solution to any feelings of being "fooled" by Carnival.

 

The people creating the ruckus just can't see it.

 

Yes there is an obvious solution!!!

 

So I'm trying a cruise on Norwegian Jade in less than two weeks. I just got off two weeks on Carnival. My room Stewart and his assistant didn't admirable job taking care of me and I have no complaints in that department but they have decreased the staff in the bars to the point that you must go to the bar in order to even get a coke and then it takes at least 15 minutes to get one. There was one waiter in the entire lounge in the comedy club. When you order room service it took over an hour or did not arrive at all unless you were putting the little card on the door for continental breakfast in the morning in which case they did a good job of getting it there. But I don't like to have to set an alarm clock to wake up for breakfast! I like to be able to wake up and order coffee and drink it while I get ready for my day. Its just little things but they added up to decreasing the quality of the vacation. The thing that was the most aggravating was being unable to get something to drink without missing shows and other events because it was impossible to get a drink in the theaters and the bars were so slow that you would miss the show if you stand there waiting for them to fill your order.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Jana60

[TerReuv]

I actually have a friend who is a room steward for Carnival. She recently told me that she now has to service 35 cabins. If she services her cabins twice a day taking 15 minutes each time, she's looking at 17 hours a day of running nonstop.

I think if someone wants to show their displeasure with Carnival, they should do it by not booking future cruises with them. But to think you're somehow affecting change by punishing individual employees by removing tips is nonsense. These may not seem like decent jobs to a lot of people, but to workers supporting their families they are. The quickest way for them to lose their job is not to follow the policies they have no control over.

 

Except that there are differing opinions and interpretations of that "policy", which is not a policy at all. The cards are supposed to be a test, not a policy. Every time the question comes up, we have been told that you can select AM and PM on the sheet. So, who is exactly wrong here?

 

To me that is the biggest problem. Somewhere, somehow this is getting confused by some. Many people have had no issue with checking both boxes and getting both services. Several have stated their steward told them to pick one. A few have even had a steward argue with them regarding this.

 

While I do not usually agree with cutting back on the tips, if I have been told repeatedly by the Brand Ambassador that I can chose both and the steward argues with me or refuses to do both, then I certainly will cut back on my tips. Because this is not a policy - no where on Carnival's site does it say you have to chose one or the other. Never has John Heald said you had to chose one or the other. If there is a communication breakdown or if the steward is just using this to his/her advantage that is not my problem, nor should it be.

 

If it becomes a policy that you can only chose one, then that is what I will do. However, until then I will go by the information that is out there for me and will challenge a steward telling me anything different.

 

As for your friend, don't forget that she also has an assistant. As all stewards do.

[Pesh]

Part of his posts, are trying to fill voids (as in things to say), he does not need me to answer for him, he can do that just fine. He gives us insight into the types of things he gets and comments. My point in bringing it up, was it is more of his insight into things and questions posed, as opposed to structured questionnaires.

 

Well then I guess we're in agreement actually. JH makes it seem like he's gathering consumer insight when, as you say, he's trying to "fill voids" in content. While you realize that that what's he's doing, I don't think most of his followers do.

 

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, either. Keeping your followers engaged is key. Just pointing out, like you are, that it's not as if he's seriously trying to gain insight from his posts in a meaningful or analytic way, he's just keeping the fires burning.

[TerReuv]

That's like saying Cruise Critic should just fold up and go away. The word "critic" means just that, criticize what you do not like what a certain cruise line is doing. I think the best thing for anyone to do who doesn't like reading nothing negative is simply don't read it and don't comment on it. Seems reasonable enough to me.

 

Incorrect! Critic (as in Cruise Critic or movie critic) is not Criticize - it is critique. Totally different meaning.

[Pesh]

On my Breeze cruise we got twice a day service. I never even saw a card to check off. We actually had 3 stewards. One main and two assistants.

 

This new program hasn't gone into effect on the Breeze yet

[jimbo5544]

Well then I guess we're in agreement actually. JH makes it seem like he's gathering consumer insight when, as you say, he's trying to "fill voids" in content. While you realize that that what's he's doing, I don't think most of his followers do.

 

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, either. Keeping your followers engaged is key. Just pointing out, like you are, that it's not as if he's seriously trying to gain insight from his posts in a meaningful or analytic way, he's just keeping the fires burning.

 

While I might say it differently than you did, I think we are on the same page.

[stephkd]

At the risk of sticking a toe into this boiling pot of discussion, I want to mention that this change might NOT be all just about money. I got 'the card' on my b2b Dream cruise this January, and I got to experience these changes for 21 days.

 

It all went okay. We requested morning service, got our towel animal and a clean room to come back to. To be entirely candid, I didn't think our cabin was cleaned all that well some days, but that might have been a function of our individual steward, not the new system.

 

I believe that Any Time Dining plays a role in this change. Back in the good old days when nearly all pax went to either early or late dining, a cabin steward could schedule evening cleaning by the dining time per cabin, which he would know. This would give him a window of time to get about half of his block of rooms done early and then proceed to do the late diners' room.

 

Now, with ATD, pax can be in their rooms till very late before going to the MDR and vacating their cabins, making it very difficult for the steward to finish his work in time.

 

Therefore, and in conclusion :)) I don't blame it all on Carnival going full el cheapo on us and I wouldn't want to blame the steward and stiff him with no gratuity either. It could be us pax own fault for preferring ATD.

 

I really don't care how often the room is cleaned or beds are made. What I do care about is the towel animals. We haven't cruised before, and I know my son would get a thrill out of finding a new animal each day. I would prefer morning, but I would have chosen night just for the towel animals. ;) I have just sifted through all of the responses on this thread looking for someone to confirm if the towel animals still happen for morning service, so I am glad that you posted this. We will be on the Dream in April, and it appears to be the only ship doing this maybe?? From all that I read in this thread I saw several other ships mentioned that still have twice daily service, but multiple people confirmed the Dream was doing it; I saw no other confirmed ships. But I quit reading after I found your post anyway.

[Je Souhaite]

I work in social media so I have some insight here. A key social media metric to determine success is engagement rate (likes/comments/shares/etc). JH posts things that are reactionary and get people fired up, so he gets a lot of comments, and therefore, lots of engagement. Then he can show Carnival how valuable he is, how successful his social accounts are at engaging with the consumer, etc. based on that. Customers responding to his leading questions think he truly cares about what they have to say, but he's just baiting them.

 

If he were actually interested in customer input, he'd use FB's built-in poll feature which allows followers to simply click on the option of their choice. Responses are automatically tabulated and key metrics based on profile info can also be obtained (ex: 50% of people who answered "yes" are women, etc.)

 

Here's an example of how corporations who actually want to gain customer insight utilize the poll feature:

[ATTACH]378499[/ATTACH]

 

Then you should know his page is not a personal, nor even a group page.

 

Its a public company page, and they don't allow for polls.

[Indytraveler83]

I really don't care how often the room is cleaned or beds are made. What I do care about is the towel animals. We haven't cruised before, and I know my son would get a thrill out of finding a new animal each day. I would prefer morning, but I would have chosen night just for the towel animals. ;) I have just sifted through all of the responses on this thread looking for someone to confirm if the towel animals still happen for morning service, so I am glad that you posted this. We will be on the Dream in April, and it appears to be the only ship doing this maybe?? From all that I read in this thread I saw several other ships mentioned that still have twice daily service, but multiple people confirmed the Dream was doing it; I saw no other confirmed ships. But I quit reading after I found your post anyway.

 

I chose once daily service when on the Dream last month (twice was available to me, but I chose once). The steward assured me I would receive towel animals, and I did every day. He just made them in the mornings.

[Pesh]

Then you should know his page is not a personal, nor even a group page.

 

 

 

Its a public company page, and they don't allow for polls.

 

 

Incorrect. Public Companies do use polls, as shown in the example I used.

[Je Souhaite]

 

If he were actually interested in customer input, he'd use FB's built-in poll feature which allows followers to simply click on the option of their choice. Responses are automatically tabulated and key metrics based on profile info can also be obtained (ex: 50% of people who answered "yes" are women, etc.)

 

Incorrect. Public Companies do use polls, as shown in the example I used.

 

But that's not what you stated. You specifically mentioned "FB's built-in poll feature". It does NOT exist on a FB Public page.