"I would like to share my gratitude to Mike Pack who announced his retirement yesterday," shared Brand Ambassador John Heald on his Facebook page.
"Mike was a brilliant Cruise Director and as Fleet Cruise Director he was a mentor to many who are sitting in the Cruise Director chair now. The call of home and family has been strong and so Mike will return to England to be with Emma and their beautiful daughter," he added.
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Heald sent Pack off with style.
"Mike, you leave an everlasting legacy of dedication and Fun and I wish you and the Pack family happy days together," he wrote.
Pack's announcement, made at a Carnival Cruise Live Entertainment event, was met with a standing ovation.
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Carnival Fleet Director retires
Pack shared a post on Facebook that detailed why he chose now as the time to step away from Carnival.
Yesterday was an emotional day for me as we celebrated our Q4 for Carnival Cruise Line Entertainment. It was a truly special occasion for many reasons.
During the director presentations, the leadership team announced that I will be retiring from Carnival Cruise Line, marking the end of an incredible chapter in my life.
This included a moment I’ll never forget — a surprise video played from my wife, Emma, and our little girl back in England. Seeing them thank me for all I’ve done to support them whilst sharing their excitement about my return home was deeply moving. Our three-year-old, ever the entertainer, had the entire room laughing (and left me trying to keep it together, especially with the lovely reaction from the team!)
It was a moment that truly encapsulated what this journey has been about: family, both at home and at sea.
From the team members and friends I’ve worked alongside, to the guests who’ve made my time with Carnival so rewarding, it’s the memories and experiences we’ve created together that mean the most to me. Whether it was sharing a laugh at an event, being on stage with a microphone, or simply connecting with so many wonderful people, it’s been an honour to share these experiences with you, and of course meeting my incredible wife, Emma.
As I prepare to return to England for the next chapter of my life with my family, I’d love your help in remembering some of those special moments. If you have any photos or videos of us together, I’d be incredibly grateful if you could share them here; I’d love to have them to look back on in the years to come.
Thank you so much to all of you, Emma and I have many stories to share with Immy when she’s older!
Over 110 people commented on Heald's post in the first two hours it was up.
"Congratulations to Mike and his family! He’s one of the great CDs and definitely will be missed by us Carnival Cruisers," shared Janice Blackwell VanWagoneer.
Elaine Warner shared some special praise.
"Cruise Directors seldom impress me, but Mike Pack was the best in my memory. I felt he was engaged and engaging. Good luck to you, Mike," she wrote.
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Robbie Richards saluted both Pack and his wife.
"Mike and Emma were both such awesome cruise directors. When Emma left to start their family, and Mike was promoted to Fleet Cruise Director, I thought we had lost 2 of the best. However, we had the chance to sail with Mike 3 times afterward, and he was just as awesome then. Best of wishes to the Pack family. May it all be 'Easy peasy lemon squeeze,'" he posted.
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