Cruise Critic Blogs Live from Bloggers' Cruise!

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Two quick replies:

 

Bacon29, Day 3 and 4 are in reverse order on page one of this thread. Day 3 is Cozumel and Day 4 is John's birthday party.

 

Matt690, I asked the purser today and Roberto Dejesus is not waiting tables on the Carnival Freedom at present.

[alinehu]

Erica:

I have been reading everywhere during this cruise.As part of the evil crew I wanted to get all the info I could get. You are the only one that gave the info and pictures that I wanted.Personal! Thanks!

[*Mach*]

Bravo, Erica and thanks so much for the detailed documentation of this fantastic occasion.

 

There are some on the Cruise Critic boards who question why someone would book a cruise to sail with a specific cruise director. All they need do for an answer is read your blog of this wonderful adventure.

 

Cruise directors often become more than staff... they become friends and part of the family. Truly, this is the case with my friend John.

 

Again, my thanks.

 

Mach

[nycruises]

Erica,

Wow you really did a great job at capturing the feelings we bloggers have been having for a little more than a year now. And yes Even those of us Nanette myself and a few others who could not make this sailing really felt a part of it thanks to people like you and of course our friends on the ship who god only knows how high their cell phone bills will be next month, keeping us involved in this. I thank you. And I hope to see you on the 2009 bloggers cruise where i'm sure The Evil Crew will outdo this cruise for sure and we have 2 less days on that one.

 

Kevin

[Erica@cruisecritic]

I've spent this past week not only enjoying a Caribbean cruise but experiencing a unique phenomenon. The effects of John Heald's blog have gone beyond entertaining readers and informing the world about Carnival cruises. It's actually had a profound effect on people's lives.

 

The first thing I noticed was the camaraderie among the bloggers. Big Ed, a frequent commenter on John's site, not only was the first person to suggest a bloggers cruise, but organized the Evil Crew to plan a surprise birthday party for John. He and his gang exchanged 600 to 800 emails a day prior to setting sail on the Carnival Freedom. By the time they met face to face, Ed said he felt so close to everyone it was like being on a family reunion.

 

That sentiment was echoed by many bloggers throughout the cruise. Laura (aka Dive Trash) said the other bloggers felt like old friends the first time they met. Even though she came solo on the cruise, she sat at a dinner table with blogger friends and was never really alone. Blogger Vance summed up everyone's feelings when he said, "We started out as friends and ended up as family."

 

I also heard again and again how the blogger community supported each other. When blogger Southern Dreams and John's friend Alan became ill, the readers responded with outpourings of well wishes, prayers, and support. In one week, the Evil Crew raised $1,300 to give to the Crone's Disease and Colitis Foundation in honor of bloggers touched by these illnesses.

 

Even John acknowledges how his life has changed since the blog began. He's learned to express himself in writing as well as he presents himself on a stage. He claims that his first posts weren't funny at all, but then he figured out how to just be himself and write about what's on his mind. He says the blog has changed his wife Heidi, too. At first, she was shy and didn't want people to know about her life. Now she's up onstage with John during the blogger events and taking photos with cruisers wearing "Heidi's Fan Club" T-shirts.

 

Though the blog gets raves all around, the first-ever bloggers cruise is getting mixed reviews. The number one complaint I've heard is that the bloggers wanted more one-on-one time with John. One of the Evil Crew's Princesses put it eloquently: "I feel close to John because I'm with him every day. I start my morning with his blog. So I want him to hang out with us like a regular guy." The bloggers acknowledged that John was stretched thin with his duties as cruise director and wished someone else could take over those responsibilities so he could spend more time with his fans. John's blog touches on the simple aspects of life--celebrity crushes, intestinal discomfort, married life--so his fans don't want him on stage being a persona. They want him in the real world, among his people, chatting about Aston Martins and junk food.

 

However, for the most part, the bloggers have enjoyed the ship and their cruise experience. The highlight for many has been simply meeting each other. Dozens have already signed up for the second Bloggers Cruise in February 2009. Until then, they'll have John's daily posts to keep them going when they get off the ship tomorrow and head back to their real lives.

 

And thanks to everyone who posted that they enjoyed reading my blog. I had a great time being an honorary blogger for the week.

[alinehu]

Erica: You really did get it! Exactly! Thats they we way we feel.Yes we are a family they have helped me get through very difficult months,Yes we want more of John, we want to have time to sit down and talk about many things.It happened to me when I was onboard the Freedom, he is to busy but we cant complain we are a little guilty of that. I hope I get the chance to do that soon next time he is in San Juan. I will be lucky!

Great picture of my friends the Princess Elaine, Susan and Laura.

Nanette( Nanni) Proud member of Big Ed evil crew

[CruisinGloria]

Erica, You did a fantastic job of describing the activites and get togethers this week...I felt like I was there and you obviously DO understand how we feel about John and his blog. I hope that you will be going next year as well, as January travel is impossible for us and we won't be able to attend, but I LOVED your reports. You obviously are one of John's Blogger community now! Thanks again! Gloria

[*Mach*]

Erica,

 

What an excellent summation of your adventure on board the Freedom.

 

Thanks so much for being the eyes and ears of those of us who could not sail.

 

Regards,

 

Mach

[boatsmate]

Erica,

 

Thanks for sharing your time with those of us who where unable top attend the Bloggers cruise. Having sailed with John many times Myself, I can not stop laughing at his jokes, his bed time stories, and his other antics..... he is truely a gifted man that brings sunshine into everyones life. However keeping that in mind, John Bolged a while ago about his duties for the blog cruise, he at first was going to do just what you reported that people wanted more of, he was going to let the other CD (Tood) handle the day to day stuff of the cruise director and spend lots of time with the bloggers, how ever John being the statesman that he is, he decided that he did not want to not be infront of everyone at every chance given, so he decieded to take on the role of CD for this cruise.

 

KNowing John, he will read all the messages and emails from the cruise and will make the next bloggers cruise more fan friendly ( I hope) also I thnk being on a smaller ship will allow all those invloved to have a John Hearld fun ship cruise.

 

Agin thanks for the blog and I hope you will do a wrap up blog commenting on all the ups and downs ov er the past week

 

Capt Bill << Presently working on the dock getting ready to head back to sea.

[LHP]

Erica:

 

Thanks so much for sharing this with those of us who could not be there.

 

I think all John is going to do on our Imagination cruise next week is SLEEP~~~!! :D

[AlnzWife]

Erica,

Thanks for taking the time this week to write about your experiences on the cruise. You really did capture what is the heart of John's blog and all of us who visit it each day...sometimes multiple times a day! The pictures were great. It was a fun week reading what you had to say each day. Thanks again!

KarenR

[rpsinnj]

erica great meeting you and all the bloggers, what a hoot this cruise was, I dont think i party and laugh so much in years, the week did go by so fast....more once i regroup

[rpsinnj]

OK.... I have a serious question....

 

Is John Heald the only CD to ever do the Bedtime Story OR did Peter Gibbs (for those of you who remember him) do it as well?????

 

john, corey schmidt only a few times, greg kneale did it every cruise and peter gibbs

[Aske]

Erica,

 

Amazing job at giving an overview of the entire week. I was lucky that I was able to sail and be part of most of the activites. It is a cruise I won't forget and I can't wait until 2009. Great job!

[vizzle]

Why can't there be a link to this John's blog here. It starts off and tells you about it, and for someone it made sense not to leave a link to it right in the front page.

[*Mach*]

Hi, folks... Mach here...

 

I'm going to be leading a Cruise Critic group cruise on the Fantasy for John's next Blogger's Cruise in Feb of 09.

 

I have to transfer my booking before we can allow everyone else to book but if you're interested you can drop me a note!

[Uncle Doug]

Hi, folks... Mach here...

 

I'm going to be leading a Cruise Critic group cruise on the Fantasy for John's next Blogger's Cruise in Feb of 09.

 

I have to transfer my booking before we can allow everyone else to book but if you're interested you can drop me a note!

 

We are interested, it is one of our favorite ports and within driving distance. Great parking too.

[*Mach*]

We are interested, it is one of our favorite ports and within driving distance. Great parking too.

 

Drop me a note!

 

We're good to go on the Group Cruise with some great pricing!

 

I'll have the thread up tomorrow AM!!

 

Looking forward to hearing from you!!

 

Mach