Porthole....

BLOGGERS REJOICE

John Heald sets sail on his Second Annual Bloggers Cruise

Carnival Cruise Lines' cruise director John Heald seems almost larger than life to his loyal blog following (with four million visitors and counting). It was certainly obvious on the Second Annual Bloggers Cruise aboard Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans in February.

Following on the heals of the First Annual Bloggers Cruise in 2008 from Miami, which drew about 700 blogger groupies, Carnival limited the number of participants on the second cruise in order to provide more interaction with Heald , who also didn’t serve double-duty as cruise director on this cruise, providing even more access. So when the second bloggers' cruise sailed away, nearly 400 participants who have fallen for John and his blog were on board.

A Helping Hand

For about one-quarter of the Bloggers Cruise participants, the trip with Heald started before they even set sail. Carnival arranged an obviously popular Community Service Day in New Orleans, offering a pre-cruise package that included a one- or two-night hotel stay, a reception with Heald, and--most importantly--a hands-on volunteer effort hosted by Heald and the city’s Beacon of Hope Resource Center.

A bus took the volunteers up to the flood-ravaged Lake Pontchartrain shore, where hardworking participants used paint brushes, rakes, and more to beautify a local park. The volunteer effort had a rousing ending, with Carnival Cruise Lines donating $5,000 to Beacon of Hope, which was founded after Hurricane Katrina and continues to work to improve the city (www.lakewoodbeacon.org).

Bloggers Onboard

Once onboard, the 5-night cruise was packed with special events for Heald’s loyal legions. Highlights included welcome aboard and farewell parties; a Q&A session with Heald, where he provided lots of Carnival updates; special tea times with Heald (he’s British); private shows (comedians Al Ernst and Lewis Nixon were huge hits); a Bloggers Talent Show; a “Meet the Press” with blogging journalists on board (including USA Today’s cruise blogger Gene Sloan); and much more.

Carnival Fantasy received rave reviews from the various participants, some of who had cruised with Carnival more than 50 times. In fact, an incredible 90 percent had been on the first Bloggers Cruise. At the time, the ship was the latest to undergo the line’s Evolutions of Fun refurbishment program. There’s a new Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, the adults-only Serenity space, a much-improved mid-ship pool area, and extensive renovations to public spaces and staterooms.

We Have a Winner

One of the lucky Bloggers Cruise participants was Matt Meisenhelder of Wilson, North Carolina, who won the Porthole-sponsored contest that asked entrants what they would do if they were John Heald for a day (in 100 words or less).

Admitted computer- and blogger-geek Meisenhelder’s creative winning entry envisioned a futuristic sci-fi day on board with Heald, including ship staff dressing as robots, passengers dressed as they think people will in 2120, and techie prizes.

The Porthole prize was the cruise for two, so Meisenhelder set sail with his girlfriend, Faye Oliver (whose British accent immediately drew Heald to her side). It was the first cruise for both of them, with the couple saying they’d definitely cruise again.

Upcoming Cruises

Two more Bloggers Cruises are scheduled for later this year: an 8-day Bahamas cruise out of New York November 15-23, and a 9-day Eastern Caribbean sailing out of Port Canaveral December 3-12. Both will be aboard Carnival's newest and largest ship, Carnival Dream.

For more information, visit www.johnhealdsblog.com; www.carnival.com; or www.bestblogsatsea.com.