Contacting Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador Now Trickier

Not only is Carnival Cruise Line one of the largest and most popular cruise lines in the world, but also one of the easiest to contact with a wide variety of questions, comments, and requests thanks to its very visible and personable “brand ambassador” John Heald.

Now, however, changes in social media are making it more challenging to contact Heald about all things Carnival.

As one of the most popular figures in the cruising industry, thanks to his amiable (and occasionally quirky) character, extensive cruise experience, and personal interactions with guests, John Heald has a strong social media presence, including on his popular Facebook page.

To date, more than 466,000 people “follow” Heald’s Facebook page, which he uses on nearly a daily basis to interact with past guests, future cruisers, and everyone in between.

A change in Facebook’s operations, however, have now made that interaction more difficult, and “community posts” are no longer permitted directly on Heald’s page. This means other Facebook users cannot make a direct post on the page, to which Heald or his assistant, Jacinta, would generally respond.

Heald, however, has quickly instituted a workaround for communicating with guests by pinning a daily featured “Questions, Reviews, Comments” post to the top of his page. As other users can still comment on his posts, that will provide a single, designated location for such questions.

“One of the reasons this page is so popular is not because of me, but because of all of you and your ability to share your thoughts, your reviews, your price for the cruise, your request for future cruises, and any comments that you have and I will not let that foundation be disturbed,” Heald explained.

Fast Popularity

Within just one hour after posting the first daily featured question spot, more than 450 comments have already been made, showing exactly the broad range of issues Heald helps cruisers with, including:

• Glowing recommendations and thanks to crew members on recent cruises.
• Requests to help arrange group meeting places onboard for specific sailings.
• Feedback on new casino policies or other onboard procedures.
• Questions about the types of soda beverages available onboard.
• Concerns about the accessibility of gangways at different ports of call.
• Requests for dining room arrangements for groups or specific tables.
• Questions about future homeport options or upcoming booking windows.
• Comments on dining room menus and other onboard food and beverage options.
• Questions about onboard theme parties and other activities.
• Safety concerns at different ports of call around the world.

Together, Heald and Jacinta work to answer as many questions as they can, though it is always impossible to respond to every single comment, question, or request.

This may also become more difficult as Facebook’s automated algorithms filter comments and rearrange their order, making it more challenging to notice new comments or to note when a question has been thoroughly answered.

Other users can also respond to comments, making the community conversation even more chaotic as new comments are added, edited, or deleted.

In addition to answering questions and comments, Heald also posts Carnival news, announcements, and photos on his page, making it a valuable resource for all cruisers, with unique insights and behind-the-scenes looks into the cruise line.

Other Contact Options

While Heald interacts with guests via social media, it is important to note that because of his immense popularity, he is not always able to personally respond to every question or request.

If travelers have urgent questions about an upcoming cruise, it is best to contact the cruise line directly via customer service, or else to reach out to an experienced travel agent for updated information.

Guests onboard a Carnival ship can also reach out to the Guest Services team or speak with crew members onboard about questions.

For example – need a fan to help keep the stateroom cooler, or extra hangers for your closet? Ask your stateroom attendant. Have a special occasion to celebrate onboard? Speak with the dining room wait staff about a celebratory song or special dessert. Want to dance to that one special song? Request it from your favorite onboard musician.

Of course, you can also join the Cruise Hive boards for interactions with other cruisers as well!