Carnival brand ambassador John Heald often spends the day answering questions from the cruise line's customers.
He's playful, takes criticism well, and makes a lot of people happy with his slightly irreverent tone and insider lingo that's easy to learn.
On special occasions, Heald visits Carnival ships, meets with crew members and passengers and posts what he calls “walkies,” videos of himself walking around the ships.
The England-based Carnival cruise line (CCL) The employee recently traveled to Long Beach, California, to sail on his company's newest ship, Carnival Firenze.
Related: Why Carnival and Royal Caribbean aren't offering a key entertainment option
Like her sister ship, the Carnival Venezia, the Firenze used to be part of the company's Costa brand.
“The 5,000-passenger Carnival Fun Italian Style ship sails year-round from the Port of Long Beach,” the company said in a news release. It builds “on the popularity of Carnival cruises by adding significant capacity and joining two Carnival ships that currently sail year-round: the 5,100-passenger Carnival Panorama and the nearly 4,000-passenger Carnival Radiance.”
Firenze has added many traditional Carnival staples, like Guy Fieri's Burger Bar, but it also has some unique features.
“Like her sister Carnival Venezia, the ship features new concepts and experiences that put a touch of Italian flair on Carnival staples for guests to enjoy,” the cruise line said. “Carnival Firenze, however, is the first ship in the fleet to introduce new technology and leverage artificial intelligence that creates guides for optimal, energy-saving routes on every sailing.”
While on board, Heald spoke with Carnival President Christine Duffy, who revealed some surprising and encouraging news.
Image source: Carnival
The carnival has reached a milestone
Heald interviewed Duffy at Carnival Firenze's Heroes Bar on the day of the naming ceremony. He noted at the beginning of the interview that the cruise line had reached a milestone of returning to 27 ships.
“Well, we were at 27 ships and then Covid happened. And as you know, several ships left the fleet,” he said. “It's pretty incredible to think that in 2024 we will have 27 ships again.”
The fleet might now be back to its previous number of ships, but it is actually larger because the ships it added have more capacity than the ones it lost.
“We have many, many more cabins as the ships we have acquired since 2019 are much larger, including our three beautiful Excel class ships and the ship we are on today, Carnival Firenze, as well as her sister Venezia in New York.” Duffy added. “So we've been very, very busy.”
The president of the Carnival shares a personal story
The informal interview took a more personal turn when Heald asked Duffy: “How are you and what is the ongoing motivation you have when you wake up each morning?”
Duffy's response will probably warm your heart and bring you to tears.
“Personally, I am very well because, as you know, my husband Andrés, 43 years old, which is hard to believe, received a double lung transplant at the end of September,” she said. “We've had a tough journey getting there, but he's doing incredibly well.”
The Carnival president also described how she overcame this difficult time in her family life.
“To everyone who may be a driver's license donor, remember that this truly saves lives,” he said. “We've been incredibly blessed, and for me, when people said, 'How did you deal with all that and do your job?' For me, my job has never been boring. And as I said at an event last week, what keeps me going every day is the equipment on board our ships.”
Duffy thanked Carnival workers wholeheartedly.
“The teams that work so hard, that are away from their families for months at a time, that truly deliver the Carnival experience and create memorable vacations that our guests love, especially all of their fans who come back again and again,” Curar said . “For me, every day the decisions we make are about how we support our team.”
Want the latest cruise news and deals? Subscribe to the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
Heald said he loved seeing the guests and crew interact as part of the Carnival “family.”
“I think it's a family-friendly and unique experience,” Duffy added.
