Does anyone like Funship Freddie? The colors game?

[hammsz]

The red, white, and blue teams thing is annoying. Funship Freddie always gets in my way when i am trying to boogie down.

[celticd1]

Yes, I like the Colors Game and Funship Freddy has never caused me to "lose my groove" so I hold him no animosity. :p

[Leighpast]

Don't personally know about Funship Freddy, but the colors games keeps me entertained, even if I don't participate!

[mprucha]

I've actually never seen funship freddie except once during a lido party but I and my family really like the colors game. It's a fun way to be competitive with the little games.

[irishgirl]

I only seen Funship Freddie on embarkation. As for the Red, White & Blue game, I think it's stupid.

[hammsz]

The colors game is a waste of time. Thanks for saying you dont like it.

[happy cruzin]

I don't mind Freddy - but I wish they would stop the colors game :cool:

[Chigirlcruzin]

I don't mind Funship Freddy. He hasn't gotten in my way:). I think the colors game is lame...I never remember my team:confused:

[kidless]

As for the Red, White & Blue game, I think it's stupid.

 

Ditto

[LHP]

Personally, I think the "colors game" (I think they have it down to red and blue now) cheapens the experience of the formal dining room. If Carnival wants to have this kind of "game"....make it even or odd cabin numbers and post the running totals in the Capers and announce it before the shows are something. But leave the dining room out of it.

 

Secondly, we don't care for Funship Freddie because we have a child with autism. Mascots (and about 5 other things) cause severe panic attacks. We have actually used cruising as a way to teach him to "compensate" (as he will have to learn to do in real life) . He is learning to remove himself safely from the situation. It has literally taken years, but we are making progress.

 

You never realize how much mascots are a part of your lives, until you have a child that panics around one. Everyone has a mascot these days. From the Maggie Moo cow to the highschool football teams to car dealerships.

 

If I never see the Chik Fila cow around our town again...it will be tooo soon!!!

[*Mach*]

The red, white, and blue teams thing is annoying. Funship Freddie always gets in my way when i am trying to boogie down.

 

 

Does anyone say 'boogie down' any more? Not trying to be flippant but I haven't heard that since disco died...

 

I like the color thing. It bring a large group of people together in a setting that they would otherwise not encounter. It gives you a chance to act like a kid in the midst of hundreds of other adults turned child.

 

As for Freddy, I like him. Kinda like the Spurs Coyote on steroids...

[Chigirlcruzin]

Personally, I think the "colors game" (I think they have it down to red and blue now) cheapens the experience of the formal dining room. If Carnival wants to have this kind of "game"....make it even or odd cabin numbers and post the running totals in the Capers and announce it before the shows are something. But leave the dining room out of it.

 

Secondly, we don't care for Funship Freddie because we have a child with autism. Mascots (and about 5 other things) cause severe panic attacks. We have actually used cruising as a way to teach him to "compensate" (as he will have to learn to do in real life) . He is learning to remove himself safely from the situation. It has literally taken years, but we are making progress.

 

You never realize how much mascots are a part of your lives, until you have a child that panics around one. Everyone has a mascot these days. From the Maggie Moo cow to the highschool football teams to car dealerships.

 

If I never see the Chik Fila cow around our town again...it will be tooo soon!!!

 

Agree with you 100% on the colors game and cheapening the dining room experience. As for red, white, and blue, I think it just depends on the ship. We had just red and blue on the Imagination in May, and we had all three colors on the Valor last month. One thing I found hilarious on the Valor was the plaque listing which color had one on the previous cruises. It's like the plaque in your high school listing the previous years' valedictorians or the salesman of the year plaques in offices. Who cares that the red team won on the 12/3/06 cruise (just a guess...if that actually happened it's purely coincidence:) ).

 

Have you commented/spoke to somebody about Funship Freddy and the effect it could have on a child with autism? I hear more and more about children having autism, so it's a valid concern. Without you posting this, I would have had no idea that something as seemingly innocent as Funship Freddy or a Chick Fil-A Cow could be so disturbing for a child with autism.

[grneyedmustang]

I also like the colors game. It's juvenile, but cute. :D

[budser]

I wish they would get rid of the colors game as well.

[mprucha]

Does anyone say 'boogie down' any more? Not trying to be flippant but I haven't heard that since disco died...

 

I like the color thing. It bring a large group of people together in a setting that they would otherwise not encounter. It gives you a chance to act like a kid in the midst of hundreds of other adults turned child.

 

As for Freddy, I like him. Kinda like the Spurs Coyote on steroids...

 

 

I'm glad to see you like the colors game too and you're not afraid to say it. You're right, it gives you a chance to act like child for a few minutes, do silly things. We spend all year acting like an adult. What amazes me is that so many people don't like it and come off as boring and a stick in the mud. Let others enjoy what they want!

[happy cruzin]

Personally, I think the "colors game" (I think they have it down to red and blue now) cheapens the experience of the formal dining room. If Carnival wants to have this kind of "game"....make it even or odd cabin numbers and post the running totals in the Capers and announce it before the shows are something. But leave the dining room out of it.

 

I tend to agree. I guess I do not really dislike the game or the competition aspect of it. But I do not like that they interrupt dinner to announce the standings. They could cetainly announce them elsewhere and leave the dining room out of it!

[LHP]

 

Have you commented/spoke to somebody about Funship Freddy and the effect it could have on a child with autism? I hear more and more about children having autism, so it's a valid concern. Without you posting this, I would have had no idea that something as seemingly innocent as Funship Freddy or a Chick Fil-A Cow could be so disturbing for a child with autism.

 

Yes, the Entertainment staff do a FABULOUS job with this. It is really very simple. They email me Freddie's schedule before our cruise, so that we know where "not to be". And we simply avoid him. They also have a picture of our son, so that the "host" that guides Freddie can be on the look out.

 

On occasions like the Past Guest Party, we let them know where we are sitting so that Freddie stays on the other side. Some Cruise Directors have had Freddie just stay at the door (as opposed to just wandering around the theater or lounge)...so that guests can get their picture with him, but we don't have to worry about him "popping up".

 

I really can't say enough wonderful things about Carnival and the way they have exceeded our expectations where the health and safety of our child is concerned. All we ever asked for was the schedule, so that we could stay out of Freddie's way. They have done all the rest without our having to ask.

And their Club O2 directors are nothing short of heros in our book. Any time you find someone who will work as hard as they do to help a "special needs child" just be a "normal kid" for a week....receives high praise (and a big tip) from me.

 

Fortunately, not all children with autism have this reaction. The disorder manifests itself in different way with different children and to varying degrees. This is why this disorder has been so hard to get a handle on. It is as individual as the child.

 

Of course, even Carnival is limited with what they can do where special needs children are concerned. They can not offer one on one care. We have always kept our expectations realistic and Carnival has never failed us.

[KimtheCruiser]

Re: the Colors game: If you don't like it, don't participate.

 

The first cruise we went on actually had the Warner Brothers characters - I have some precious pictures of my sons with Speedy Gonzales. Bugs Bunny, Pepe LePew, and Tweety were all over the ship. As for Funship Freddy......

[Chigirlcruzin]

LHP, that's wonderful! I love to hear things like that.

[LHP]

And just to show you how odd the mind works....guess what our son sleeps with at night???

 

A Funship Freddie doll!!!! :confused:

 

The only thing that gets a worse reaction than mascots...is fake sharks and marlins. (like some restaurants have or that every gift shop in Florida has in front of their store)

 

He loves Marine biology. He will study it on the Internet for hours on end.

But don't get him anywhere near a fake one. And believe me, he can tell you every restaurant and airport that has one. The dolphins at the Tampa airport were ok. But he has already advised me that we have to on "red alert" when we fly into Miami in January...because guess what they have somewhere in the airport.

[Alcouple]

I'm glad to see you like the colors game too and you're not afraid to say it. You're right, it gives you a chance to act like child for a few minutes, do silly things. We spend all year acting like an adult. What amazes me is that so many people don't like it and come off as boring and a stick in the mud. Let others enjoy what they want!

 

I agree. Even though I don't do much in the color game it does give a chance to act silly. Its a vacation (play time). Lets be adults elsewhere.:D

[Chigirlcruzin]

Re: the Colors game: If you don't like it, don't participate.

 

How can you avoid it?

[NeptunesGoddess]

LHP,

 

You have enlightened me today. I had no idea that something like a mascot can be such a big issue for an autistic child. I can't imagine the impromptu situations you have had to deal with over the years to avoid such meetings. It is nice to hear that Carnival does their best in accommodating families that have this challenge.

 

As for the colors? It doesn't really affect me either way. I could take them or leave them.

[irishgirl]

How can you avoid it?

 

I've never been asked what color I am. To tell you the truth, on the last cruise, I asked my tablemate what color we were because I didn't know. I don't think anyone in our group ever pays attention or plays along with it.

 

It's ok for first time cruisers, it gives them something to participate in and have fun. But, after 4 or 5 cruises, it gets old.

[happy cruzin]

Re: the Colors game: If you don't like it, don't participate.

 

 

It is not really that simple :rolleyes: . If you eat in the dining room - which we do every night - you are forced to "participate" because that is where the announce the results for the day's activities.

 

I do not mind the game - I just wish the would announce the standings some other place.