Carnival Cruise Line: Then and Now
COMEDIAN BOB GOSS, A FORMER CARNIVAL CRUISE DIRECTOR, LOOKS BACK.
Comedian Bob Goss, a former Carnival cruise director, looks back.
My phone rings and on the other end of the line is Bill Panoff, editor-in-chief of this magazine and former magician with Carnival Cruise Line way back in the day. Panoff (or Pandini as I call him) and I have been friends for over 40 years.
I came to Carnival in 1996 as an entertainer to replace a comedian who was going on vacation for six weeks. I wound up staying 14 years and became a cruise director for most of that time. Pandini thought it would be a good idea to have a feature story for this magazine focusing on what it was like to cruise in the ’80s compared to today. I agreed and arrangements were made for me to sail out of Baltimore on Carnival Pride.
Now when I started with the company, there were only three ships: Mardi Gras, Carnivale, and Festivale. Mardi Gras was my favorite with about 800 passengers. Today’s Pride carries three times that. It’s so big that by the time you walk from one end to the other, you’ve done your exercise for the day. Today, Carnival has 25 ships and I think there are four more in the works. Talk about success! Carnival was, and is, focused on middle-American cruisers. Family, singles, professionals, students, old, young — they’re all onboard.
All Aboard!
My cruise started out with a really nice surprise. As I was checking in at the terminal, a man came rushing over, shaking my hand, overjoyed to see me. It took a minute for me to remember he was
Captain Alessandro Galotto who has been with Carnival for over 40 years. I’ve been gone 28 years and he remembered me. What a nice compliment to start off my trip!
We found our cabin, and it had a balcony. When I worked for the company, none of the ships had balconies. After a busy day at sea or in port, it was wonderful to sit on the balcony for a while and enjoy the quiet time and watch the sea roll by. Time to exhale.
The cruise directors, in my day, were a small tightknit group. We were all entertainers and our staff consisted of six to eight entertainers who also doubled as cruise staff. Not only did we do the shows, we also did all the activities along with our staff: Bingo, horseracing, dance classes, deck exercises, newlywed games, knobby knees contests (men only), and the list goes on. Every entertainer did a short bit on the first night as an introduction. If you were a singer, you did one song. If you were a magician, you did one trick. It was just a teaser for the passengers. Then, each entertainer did a main show, usually with another act or two on the bill. Finally, you did a midnight special by yourself.
Today it’s totally different. There is the cruise staff, and they do all the activities. Then there are the entertainers, and they only do the shows. Carnival Pride had a comedy club where, usually, two comedians performed. They did one early show that was G-rated and a late show of a more adult nature — if you know what I mean.
For the main shows, there was a cast of seven singers and dancers, and they were sensational. In addition to a welcome aboard introduction show, they did five completely different revue productions during the cruise. I’ve seen shows on Broadway and in Vegas — believe me when I tell you the talent was good. No doubt about it. Also impressive was the lighting and special effects — fantastic!
The cruise director’s name was Leigh Xuereb. Let me tell you, my friends, he was as good as it gets. Personality, talent, and a positive attitude — he had it all. And to make it even better, it was real. He was a pro.
Pandini thought it would be a good idea to have a feature story for this magazine focusing on what it was like to cruise in the ’80s compared to today’s experience. I agreed, and arrangements were made for me to sail out of Baltimore on Carnival Pride.
Carnival Feasts
Food during my days on the ships consisted of your main meals in the main dining room, then you waited for the midnight buffet either in the dining room or on deck … and that was it. Today it’s non-stop eating and choices. We ate our dinners in the main dining room and the staff was energetic and very eager to make sure our meal was a positive experience. It never failed. We also had dinner one night in their special steakhouse called David’s. You had to pay extra, but the service, the food, and the ambiance was well worth it.
All over the ship, there were too many choices. There’s pizza, 24 hours a day, custom-made just for you. There’s Guy’s Burger Joint serving up the best burgers at sea. How about Sweet Spot that just does desserts? Not to mention the breakfast choices, the 24-hour ice cream machine, the always-good eats at the Lido Buffet … are you full yet? Thirsty? Not to fear! They have ‘round the clock coffee and juices. All of this, and more, included in the price of your ticket. The casinos on Mardi Gras, Festivale, and Car
nivale had a half- dozen slots and maybe a couple of table games. The casino on Pride is like mini-Vegas. Dozens of slots, two roulette tables, six poker tables, and a bar. Need a cold beer or cocktail? You’ve got 12 choices of bars and lounges where you can wet your whistle.
In my day, there was a masseuse if you were tense and needed some relaxation in the spa. Today, Carnival is like going to a special relaxation retreat! How about a seaweed wrap, a body massage, or time in the whirlpool?
There are so many differences between cruising in my day and cruising today. Ships are much, much bigger, food is much, much more available, and shows are much, much more spectacular. But through it all, two things remain the same: you can be as active as you want, and you can relax as much as you want. You can customize your cruise any way you want, especially on today’s Carnival ships.
The cruise director, Leigh, asked me if I missed the ships.
To tell you the truth, I do.