Even the most popular social media stars aren’t immune from cruel backlash on social media – including Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald.
While Heald’s public Facebook page is supposed to be a place of positivity where he celebrates cruising and answers questions for his followers, a recent post regarding his dinner onboard Carnival Magic got cooked in the comments section.
The post in question included a photo of barbecue spare ribs and chips (or french fries), which Heald said was “one of the most popular dishes tonight.”
The point of the post was to encourage engagement by asking his followers if they would order the same thing.
Apparently the answer was a resounding “no,” as one cruiser noticed the post was soon taken down – allegedly due to the negativity it received.
The cruiser said: “The comments started rolling in, and let’s just say they weren’t exactly flattering. People were roasting the dish left and right, with comments like ‘What’s that supposed to be?’, ‘Looks like something I’d find in a school cafeteria’, and ‘Is that a fossilized chicken nugget?’”
“Needless to say, John Heald didn’t take too kindly to the criticism. In a move that can only be described as ‘social media panic’, he deleted the post altogether,” they continued.
Ultimately, the cruise fan thought the social media faux pas was hilarious, and even admitted that almost everyone has been in situations where the only solution was to hit the delete button.
But when you reach influencer or celebrity status like Heald, there might not be enough time to remove the post before the fans notice.
“Anyway, I just thought this was a funny story that highlights the perils of social media. Even the big guys can have an off day (or an off meal, in this case),” they said.
“I should add that I’m not trying to bash John Heald or Carnival Cruise Line here. We’ve all had our share of social media mishaps, and this one just happened to be particularly entertaining,” they added later for clarity.
Heald has not directly addressed this situation, but did recently post a reminder on his Facebook page that “foul language and rude comments will not be tolerated.”
Where in the World is John Heald?
While Heald frequently answers questions and engages with his followers from the comfort of his home in the UK, he is currently onboard the 3,690-guest Carnival Magic for the seventh annual “For Fun’s Sake” cruise.
While the cruise personality usually sails several times per year, he hosts these specific voyages annually to connect with his fans.
The 6-night Eastern Caribbean voyage embarked from Miami, Florida, on February 16, 2025, and features calls on RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, which is Carnival’s private island destination in the Bahamas; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.
Along the way, Heald has been keeping his followers at home updated on the sailing. As part of this, he has been sharing the daily menus in the main dining rooms – and seemed to have received a mostly positive reception until this recent post.
Read Also: How to Truly Enjoy Your Dining on 3 Major Cruise Lines
While the photo was admittedly not the most appetizing, with some saying the spare ribs looked more like a “brownie” or a “Kid Cuisine” microwave meal, it’s possible that it tasted better than it looked.
“I just saw the same post in my feed and thought ‘dang that looks terrible, what are the comments saying’ and when I tried to open them it showed that the post had been removed. I’m sure as a Brit, he probably thought this qualified as good looking barbecue,” another one of Heald’s followers said on Reddit.
From my own (admittedly limited) experience sailing with Carnival Cruise Line, I can attest that the meals I had in the main dining room were often hit or miss.
That said, I did have plenty of meals I enjoyed – especially from other eateries onboard like Guy’s Burger Joint and while partaking in specialty dining at the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.
