Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador hits breaking point
Rude cruisers wore down the cruise line’s beloved brand ambassador.
As the voice of Carnival Cruise Line on social media, Brand Ambassador John Heald is used to receiving criticism. It just comes with the territory.
Heald responds to hundreds of cruise passenger questions and concerns every day on his popular Facebook page that’s followed by more than 600,000 people. As you can probably imagine, not all of the comments he receives are kind or respectful.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line rep talks about massive fight
Having thick skin is essential in a position like his, and Heald handles negative interactions like the pro that he is. He always thanks passengers for their comments and responds in a respectful way, even when he’s addressed disrespectfully.
Heald is very transparent in the posts, however, and he doesn’t hide that some of the unkind comments he receives do affect him. Humor is his armor, however, and it seems to help him bounce back from tough interactions and bring some of the fun atmosphere of Carnival cruise ships to his page.
Through jokes woven into posts that share important information Carnival cruisers need, Heald often makes light of some of the rude and entitled comments he receives.
Recently, Heald began sharing more video messages on his page, which many of his followers appreciate. Others, however, have used the videos as an opportunity to aggressively criticize his appearance, jokes, and other personal attributes.
On April 30, the personal attacks pushed him to a breaking point.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Image source: John Heald/Facebook
Carnival brand ambassador worn down by insults, rude cruisers
“Hello everyone, I have to close the page a little early today. I’m not going to pretend that I have something to do, but I’ve answered hundreds of questions and some of them have been extremely aggressive to me and full of name-calling, and I just need to clear my head,” Heald explained to his followers.
Always thinking of Carnival cruisers, Heald made sure to explain to his followers that he wasn’t abandoning them.
“But fear thou not. I shall be back early tomorrow morning to help you all I can, along with my colleague, Jacinta,” he noted.
Related: Carnival cruisers want one big onboard change
Heald also took a moment to assure his followers that fun is always the focus, and that disagreeable people only account for a tiny percentage of those who cruise on Carnival ships.
“Thank you for your company today, and it’s important that I remind everybody that 99.99% of people who cruise with us are having the best of times, loads of fun, and I can’t wait for [it] to be your turn. The crew are ready to make sure they give you a massive dollop of fun,” Heald promised.
Most Carnival cruisers are big fans of the brand ambassador
It’s important to note, too, that the majority of Carnival cruisers love the cruise line’s brand ambassador. That’s why he has such a devoted following.
His followers not only appreciate that he’s always there to answer their questions, collect their feedback, and clear up confusion around the cruise line’s policies, but they also enjoy his jokes.
“I like your videos and laugh at your jokes, so please don't stop because of a single wet blanket,” Suzie Birdsall commented on a video where Heald shared that a cruiser named Linda told him that his videos are immature and insisted that “the only person laughing at your jokes is you.”
More Carnival cruise news:
- Carnival Cruise and Royal Caribbean quietly end cruise traditions
- Carnival Cruise Line responds to cruise port travel warnings
- Carnival Cruise Line pushes back on key drink request
In response to Linda’s comment, other cruisers wanted to make sure Heald knew that they’re laughing at his jokes and understand why he leans on humor.
“Love your videos, John! I’m your target audience and some people just need to find their funny bone,” Eugene Trickett chimed in.
“Too bad Linda doesn't realize that humor is used both to diffuse tense situations and also it's a good way to avoid knocking oneself out by an extreme eyeroll,” Karen Tarantelli Ungaro added.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
