John Heald
Encyclopedia
John Heald is the senior cruise director
of Carnival Cruise Lines
and a blog
ger for the cruise line. He first became a Carnival cruise director in 1990. In 2004, he was named the senior cruise director of Carnival.
Heald blogs about the daily occurrences in his career as a cruise director. His blog receives about 50 comments every day.
in March 2007. He was asked by Carnival's management to write a blog. The blog was initially planned to be several months long, but Heald's "engaging personality" and "candid commentary" were so well-received by his readers that he continued blogging. Heald plans to blog "as long as it stays fresh and people keep tuning in".
Every day, Heald answers about 60 questions about cruising
. The blog has received more than 9 million hits by March 2011—up from 4.5 million in February 2008—and many of Heald's daily posts receive from 50 to 60 comments. Heald's blogs are about his passengers and the events that occur to him while he is cruise director. His blog has a disclaimer
, saying that the "views and opinions represent my own". He has been nicknamed "Bill Bryson
at sea".
Gene Sloan of USA Today
wrote that Heald is "famously irreverent" and "known for his candid, funny and sometimes outrageously inappropriate daily missives about life at sea".
er for Lloyd's of London
in England
. In 1989, he began working for Carnival Cruises as a wine steward
and a bar waiter. He is the first Carnival Cruise director who did not begin working in the entertainment
aspect of cruising.
s, telling his passengers about the cheapest excursions.
John Heald has a contract
with Carnival, in which he works for six consecutive months followed by two months off. He oversees the entertainment
aspect of the ship, including the dancers and the orchestra
.
In September 2007, Carnival gave Heald the "Sea Going Employee of the Year" award.
session with him, and several meetings where he answered questions. During one of these cruises, he and 100 of his passengers on Carnival Fantasy helped paint a school that was struck by Hurricane Katrina
. On "Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day", Heald and his companions helped plant trees and clean up waste in New Orleans.
"Big Ed" is the moniker of Ed Konefe, who was the first poster on Heald's blog and who is "arguably the most notorious participant". During the bloggers cruise, Konefe said, "We started as bloggers, went from there to being friends, and now we're family."
, England on 22 January 1965. In 1995, John Heald met his wife, Heidi, when he was eating at a restaurant in Amsterdam
. He sent her and her comrades wine
, and Heidi and her friends paid the bill for Heald's and his friends' meal. Heald characterized it as "love at first sight". In May 2009, John and Heidi had a daughter, Kye. Kye's name means "beautiful ocean".
Cruise director
A cruise director is a high ranking officer of a cruise ship, usually reporting to the Executive Purser. The cruise director has responsibility for all onboard hospitality, entertainment and social events and usually has a deputy or assistant cruise director, supported by a team of entertainment...
of Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
and a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger for the cruise line. He first became a Carnival cruise director in 1990. In 2004, he was named the senior cruise director of Carnival.
Heald blogs about the daily occurrences in his career as a cruise director. His blog receives about 50 comments every day.
Blog
John Heald introduced his blog during the first sailing of the Carnival FreedomCarnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom is a Conquest-class cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Lines, and is the last vessel to be built in the Conquest-class platform. One of her main features is the Carnival Seaside Theatre – a 12-foot by 22-foot LED screen located by the pool on the Lido deck, which is used to show...
in March 2007. He was asked by Carnival's management to write a blog. The blog was initially planned to be several months long, but Heald's "engaging personality" and "candid commentary" were so well-received by his readers that he continued blogging. Heald plans to blog "as long as it stays fresh and people keep tuning in".
Every day, Heald answers about 60 questions about cruising
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
. The blog has received more than 9 million hits by March 2011—up from 4.5 million in February 2008—and many of Heald's daily posts receive from 50 to 60 comments. Heald's blogs are about his passengers and the events that occur to him while he is cruise director. His blog has a disclaimer
Disclaimer
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship...
, saying that the "views and opinions represent my own". He has been nicknamed "Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
at sea".
Gene Sloan of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
wrote that Heald is "famously irreverent" and "known for his candid, funny and sometimes outrageously inappropriate daily missives about life at sea".
Cruise career
John Heald was a commodity bankBank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
er for Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1989, he began working for Carnival Cruises as a wine steward
Sommelier
A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...
and a bar waiter. He is the first Carnival Cruise director who did not begin working in the entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
aspect of cruising.
Cruise ship director
John Heald became the cruise ship director at Carnival in 1990. By 2004, he was promoted to the position of senior cruise director. As the senior director at Carnival, John Heald is appointed the director of most new Carnival ships during their first sailings. Before each new voyage, he creates videoVideo
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
s, telling his passengers about the cheapest excursions.
John Heald has a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with Carnival, in which he works for six consecutive months followed by two months off. He oversees the entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
aspect of the ship, including the dancers and the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
.
In September 2007, Carnival gave Heald the "Sea Going Employee of the Year" award.
Bloggers cruise
In January 2008, Heald led his first "bloggers cruise", called John Heald Bloggers Cruise, which was a week-long cruise attended by 700 of his "hard-core fans". He entertained the attendees with a "welcome aboard reception", a teaTea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
session with him, and several meetings where he answered questions. During one of these cruises, he and 100 of his passengers on Carnival Fantasy helped paint a school that was struck by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. On "Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day", Heald and his companions helped plant trees and clean up waste in New Orleans.
"Big Ed" is the moniker of Ed Konefe, who was the first poster on Heald's blog and who is "arguably the most notorious participant". During the bloggers cruise, Konefe said, "We started as bloggers, went from there to being friends, and now we're family."
Personal life
John Heald was born in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England on 22 January 1965. In 1995, John Heald met his wife, Heidi, when he was eating at a restaurant in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He sent her and her comrades wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and Heidi and her friends paid the bill for Heald's and his friends' meal. Heald characterized it as "love at first sight". In May 2009, John and Heidi had a daughter, Kye. Kye's name means "beautiful ocean".