Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald often does his best to make sure passengers sailing under difficult circumstances get the support they need.
This can often mean connecting widows or widowers on their first sailing back after their partners had passed with other passengers who had lost their spouses.
Sometimes, Heald might arrange special treatment for a passenger who just beat cancer, or he'd introduce a newly divorced member of the cruise line's family to others sailing under the same circumstances.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line change angers classic cruisers
In other cases, Heald doesn't have to do anything other than share a message sent to him by a Carnival passenger.
Ona Hopke had been a frequent Carnival cruiser, and she's well-known to many on the cruise line. Hopke has a bold social-media presence, and she's what used to be known as "a character."
To celebrate her return to Carnival after she went through some major life events, Hopke sent a video to Heald.
He simply posted it with the following:
"What does Carnival and our crew mean to people? Take a look."
(That was followed by a cruise ship and a heart emoji.)
A video of the message has since been removed from Facebook or made private.
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Longtime Carnival passenger thanks the crew
Transcript:
Good morning, Carnival Cruises. I just need you to take a moment on Christmas Day and try not to cry when I say thank you. And I really need you to get to the Glory crew and I need you to do something special for them.
They understood the assignment when I told them that this is my first cruise back. That I've been through hell. That I nearly lost my life.
And not from the virus. No, from everything that collapsed around me. You brought me home.
I didn't think I could come home. They say you can't go home. Thank you.
I've been so scared and so nervous. And not one of this crew has allowed me to go one minute without smiling. Thank you for letting me come home.
I'm sorry I'm not the notorious Ona that you're used to. I'm sorry I'm not the wild woman that you have come to know, love and hate. Covid changed us.
But I'm back. And you helped me come back. There's a lot of sh** that's said about Carnival.
They don't know. They don't know. People don't understand who you are.
I understand who you are. You've been my family since 2016. Thank you.
Thank you, Carnival. Very much. I will be back.
I don't know if the service dog is coming yet. I'm doing pretty good this cruise. We're gonna see what happens.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas. Please, please do something nice for the Glory crew. The whole crew.
The dining rooms. The Chef's Table. Everything.
Please do something nice for the crew of the Glory. They let me come home.
Carnival passengers share their thoughts
Many of Heald's followers shared their thoughts on Carnival crew members.
"I have made so many friends with the crew members. They are all very important to me. Not a day goes by that I don't hear from someone," shared Yvette Commisso.
Miriam Daribba Warren had kind words as well.
"When you are in a ship like Carnival, that means that you are spoiled by them from the moment you are in; when you eat, sleep, and have fun, not a moment goes by without someone asking you if you need anything; what else can you ask?" she wrote.
Roberta Hotard reiterated the idea that Carnival is one big family.
"When you have crew that really care, friendly, make you laugh, there to listen No greater feeling of happiness than to be on a ship. They’re my Carnival family," she posted.
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Others shared similar sentiments to Hopke's video.
"We chanced a cruise hoping to forget for just one week all our health issues and you guys are true caretakers of the soul," shared Sue Irmiter Huenke. "We again are taking that chance to receive the laughter, joy, and caretaking Carnival brings to us. No words will ever explain what the Carnival family does for us. Love you all so much."
Added Jessica Barfoot Blackwell: "This and so much more that I could never put into words. It is the only place that I can truly enjoy myself, watch others having fun, meet people, and so much more. Thank you Carnival Cruise Line for the memories."
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