Most Carnival Cruise Line passengers know that Brand Ambassador John Heald is the go-to guy when they have questions or even complaints.

But that reputation has been a bit sullied by a fake John Heald who has managed to scam over 15,000 people.

Is ‘John Heald’ Scamming You?

The jovial Heald has a Facebook page which is followed by over 650,000 people. He dedicates many hours each day to answering questions posted by past, present and future cruisers.

He’s also the person from whom many of the line’s guests get their news. Good, bad or indifferent, it is Heald’s job to pass along dispatches from “the Beards,” as he calls executives.

There is, however, another John Heald. This one is followed by around 15,000 people who wrongly assume the person they are interacting with is the real deal. They are, however, being scammed.

How to Spot the Scammer

If there is one thing that separates Heald from most corporate representatitives, it is his extremely blunt nature.

So it should surprise no one that in exposing the fraudster, he began by saying there “truly are some people who have no more right to live on God’s green earth than a dung beetle. And whoever is running this [fake] page is one of them.”

Were this just another person with delusions of adequacy looking to pull a harmless prank, Heald might not be motivated to address the matter. There are, after all, many fake accounts out there. The person in question, however, took things much farther.

“This is not me,” Heald declared, “and please be warned that whoever is running this page has just managed to scam a lady and had her [send] money. I can’t go into details legally, but she thought she was paying for a specific excursion.”

‘I Hope You Get Seasick and Lockjaw’

Of course, Heald immediately reporter the imposter. But he then went on to directly address followers of the fake John Heald: “This is not affiliated [with] me and has nothing to do with Carnival Cruise Line in any way, shape or form.”

And his personal message to the perpetrator of the fraud? “I sincerely hope you get seasick and lockjaw at the same time.”

The warning immediately prompted many to check and make sure they were not somehow following the imposter as well as the original.

As several noted, the fake John Heald’s page can easily be spotted thanks to the lack of a cruise-related cover photo and the low — compared to Heald’s real account — follower count.

On the plus side, those who accidentally wind up on the imposters page may find themselves pointed in the right direction.

Why? Because fans of the real deal have made it something of a mission to monitor the faux account and leave responses to those who believe themselves interacting with the fraudster.

Ever take a look at Norwegian Cruise Line Holding’s stock and wonder why it sells for so much less than that of rival Royal Caribbean Group?

So do the people who now own a 10 percent stake in Norwegian. In fact, they are demanding major changes at Norwegian… or else!

A Bold New Direction?

For those who don’t follow cruise stocks, it’s worth noting that there is a $300 gap between the selling price of NCLH and that of RCL (as they are listed on the ticker).

This week, having scooped up a 10 percent share in Norwegian, activist investor group Elliott Investment Management sent a letter to the cruise line’s board of directors. In it, they outlined what they believe is ailing the company and how to fix it.

Step one: Get a new board of directors.

That’s right, Elliott sent a letter to the board suggesting, in essence, they fire themselves.

In an extensive document outlining both NCLH’s failings and ways to right the proverbial ship, Elliott wrote “We believe Norwegian represents one of the most compelling turnaround opportunities in the public markets today.” 

In fact, the investment firm believed that, with proper guidance, NCLH’s stock could surge by as much as 159 percent.

What They Think Went Wrong

Having already put their literal money where their proverbial mouth is, Elliott backed up their claims of mismanagement. Among the issues they brought to light:

• Failing to capitalize on Great Stirrup Cay’s potential, despite being the first cruise line ever to create a private island destination.

• Moving ships out of the Caribbean and into the European market, only to realize the mistake and bring them back.

• Leadership, including newly-appointed CEO John W. Chidsey, with little (or no) practical experience.

• A failure on behalf of the board to take accountability for missteps.

• Excessive CEO compensation, particularly with regard to former exec Frank Del Rio. (Including the $10 million “consulting fee” he is currently being paid as part of a multi-year deal.)

• Out-of-control spending, including millions on artwork to be placed aboard Norwegian Prima and her sister ships.

In one particularly glaring example of excessive spending, Elliott’s document takes an in-depth look at the launch of Norwegian Prima.

The company staged what they called “the biggest event in Iceland’s history.” Among the associated expenses were flying over 2,600 people to the city of Reykjavik and performances by both the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and the ship’s godmother, Katy Perry.

Their Plan For the Future

So what are the solutions to the problems currently plaguing Norwegian Cruise Line?

First and foremost, Elliott believes a complete change of leadership is needed. But they also believe the company has “significant revenue growth potential” as well as “bountiful low-hanging fruit for cost reduction.” 

Among other things, they believe are extremely valuable to the company are its “engaged and proud front-line employees” (aka the crew) and the vast untapped market of folks who are just waiting to be introduced to cruising.

To this end, Elliott also believes future marketing opportunities need to be looked at through a more critical eye where their potential return on investment is concerned.

So how does this impact current and future cruisers? That may depend entirely on how the board reacts to Elliott’s demands and what, if anything, the investment firm does if ignored. Potentially, however, the changes could be huge.

For example, based on their future-looking insights, it seems likely that the development of Great Stirrup Cay would be fast-tracked.

Elliott would also like to see future ships increase overall capacity, rather than the current plan to build some smaller ships.

Of course, perhaps the biggest way in which this could impact cruise lovers is if, as predicted, the stock price truly does soar. Already, owners of Norwegian Cruise Lines Holding stock (of which we, in full transparency, are) receive a decent perk in the form of on-board credit for those holding 100 shares or more.

Only time will tell how things play out. There is, however, a ticking clock involved. Why? Because the Elliott Investment Management letter ended with a not-so-subtle warning.

“We are ready to meet with the Board to discuss these issues in greater detail and align on a path forward,” it read. “While our preference is to reach a constructive resolution, we are prepared to take our case directly to shareholders at the upcoming annual meeting.” 

While the date for this year’s meeting has not yet been set, it has, in recent years, been held in early summer.

What started as a special mother/daughter cruise took an unbelievably nightmarish turn for Paris Singleton-Ajaero.

Now, after suffering an unimaginable loss, she and her loved ones are relying on the kindness of strangers, including those in the cruise community, for help.

What Went Wrong?

Singleton-Ajaeroand and her mother boarded the Norwegian Jewel for the first annual Rise and Rhythm Cruise. What was supposed to be several days of gospel music and inspirational speakers turned tragic when the mom-to-be, who was carrying twins, went into premature labor.

Taken to the ship’s medical center, she gave birth to son John Jr., named after his father, John Ajaero. She was then taken to a hospital in Cancun where not only did her newborn son pass away, but so too did his sister, Journey Rose.

While still in the hospital dealing with the shocking loss, Singleton-Ajaero made a heartbreaking video call to her husband so that he could see the children they would never have the chance to raise.

Making an awful situation even worse? She and her mother had to return home without the children she’d lost.

“The emotional toll has been immense,” wrote family friend Rhonda Wall on a GoFundMe page which hopes to help the grieving parents, who are “facing overwhelming medical bills. The hospital has requested an initial payment for the emergency transportation and care Paris received.”

An Outpouring of Support

As word has spread regarding the family’s situation, donations have flooded in. As of the time of publication, over $18,000 has been donated by people from around the country and, indeed, the world.

The situation has hit home for many cruisers, especially upon reading that the woman who would have been a first-time mom “spent over a year saving up” so she and her mom could enjoy the cruise.

“At 21-weeks pregnant,” wrote Walls, “Paris was eagerly looking forward to this special trip, hoping to create lasting memories with her mom before welcoming her babies.” 

Speaking to a local news outlet, Singleton-Ajaero addressed the difficulty of the situation. “It’s hard to feel like we’re at peace, because we don’t have them home,” she admitted. “We don’t know how to plan a funeral. It’s not something we ever even talked [about] for ourselves yet.”

It should be noted that this guest was permitted to sail, as most cruise lines only restrict travel once a pregnancy reaches 24 weeks.

The policy exists because shipboard medical centers are not equipped with neonatal intensive care units or the advanced life-support systems needed to treat very premature newborns.

Among the more unusual cruise-related news stories this week? The revelation of a link between the newly-released Epstein files and a high-end cruise line.

Even more surprising was the fact that the bridge between the two was none other than a member of Britain’s royal family.

What’s the Epstein Files Cruise Connection?

According to a story first reported in The Daily Mail, former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson hoped to land an endorsement deal with Cunard Line.

The cash-strapped royal’s apparent goal? To have the cruise company fork over $1 million in exchange for her doing four sailings over the course of the year. (It’s worth noting this was back in 2009, well before many cruise lines leaned heavily into courting influencers.)

Records make clear that Ferguson almost routinely turned to Epstein for both financial assistance and advice.

It appears that in the case of Cunard, the topic of Ferguson’s attempt to land an endorsement was discussed between Epstein and a third party, David Stern, described by the outlet as a “royal insider” who served as an intermediary.

Cunard Had “No Specific Opportunities”

The emails in question indicate that while Ferguson seemed to believe a deal would soon be inked with Cunard, no such offer was even considered.

In fact, according to an exchange reported by the BBC, when the intermediary in question approached Cunard’s then-president, Peter Shanks, he reported back that while the exec “enjoyed meeting” the Duchess, there were “no specific opportunities” available for her.

Shanks added that “the challenge is that our modus operandi is that we provide the stateroom and any travel arrangements [for our Insight Speakers], however we do not provide any form of fee.” 

He went on to say that he’d informed Ferguson that one option might be to find a third party who “could provide the necessary funding.”

Clearly, it was hoped that Epstein might fill that role. In the end, however, no such deal was brokered. Contacted by the Daily Mail, a rep for Cunard Line affirmed that Shanks “accurately reflected Cunard’s position in 2009.” 

They added that “No commercial opportunities for Sarah Ferguson were ever made, then or since.” 

For the second time in less than a year, the Celebrity Infinity has experienced technical issues, resulting in a sailing ending prematurely.

Ironically, this latest issue comes only a few weeks after the 25-year-old ship’s latest drydock.

What Happened On Celebrity Infinity?

According to passengers on board, a small fire caused the power loss.

Redditor vtgiraffe, writing from aboard the stricken vessel, said that Infinity lost power around 3 a.m. as it was approaching the coast of Piraeus. They went on to say that as a result, the ship had “no lights, no running water, no flushing toilets.” Air conditioning and elevators were also non-functional.

“Heard ‘bravo, bravo, bravo,’ over the announcements,” the redditor shared. As the situation unfolded, they continued to add updates to their initial post, indicating that several tugs had been dispatched to haul Infinity to the port.

Guests Asked to Disembark

Given that guests were encouraged to disembark a day earlier than originally planned, Celebrity offered hotel and flight-change compensation. Cruisers were also given a $100 credit for incidental expenses per guest and a prorated refund for the day of lost usage on Wi-Fi and beverage packages.

At the time of the incident, Celebrity Infinity was on the final leg of a one-way sailing from Barcelona to Athens, where it was slated to begin its Mediterranean season. There was no word at the time of publication as to how future sailings might be impacted.

About Celebrity Infinity

The Millennium-class ship joined the Celebrity fleet in 2000, following in the footsteps of sister ship Celebrity Millennium.

From the ship’s launch, there were issues, specifically regarding propulsion-related issues.

Between 2001 and 2006, Infinity underwent six separate dry docks, ultimately leading Celebrity to file a $300 million lawsuit to recover costs associated with faulty pods on Millennium-class ships.

In July 2025, the ship experienced a similar fire and power outage while docked in Turkey.

That incident resulted in the ship being out of service for several days and having to skip the remaining port calls on its scheduled “Best of Greece” itinerary. More recently, the ship completed a 9-day drydock before resuming service on January 11 of this year.