Popular Carnival Cruise Director Offers Challenge for Charity
One of Carnival Cruise Line’s most popular cruise directors, Alex Siegler, is diving once again into fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a challenge to guests onboard Carnival Spirit.
The ship is now sailing a 15-night, one-way repositioning cruise from Miami to Seattle in preparation for the Alaska sailing season. Carnival Spirit left Florida on Sunday, March 30 and has visits scheduled to Colombia, Costa Rica, and Cabo San Lucas before she will arrive in Washington on Monday, April 14.
Of course, the bucket-list sailing includes a full transit through the Panama Canal, a very coveted experience for many cruisers.
Passing through the Panama Canal may not be the most memorable moment aboard this Carnival Journeys cruise, however, thanks to the challenge the ship’s cruise director has issued.
Frequent Carnival cruisers know that the very best CDs go above and beyond to be engaging, enthusiastic, and energetic – and Siegler is all three.
Most importantly, he is passionate about fundraising for St. Jude, and once again has accepted an unexpected challenge for a top tier fundraising goal.
“Just after the sailaway party on Sunday I was approached by a gentleman with a challenge. He asked what it would take for me to wax my chest like the great Joey Boyes had done on the Firenze,” Siegler explained. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided on a number.”
I’m not entirely sure there’s a number that would convince me to wax any body part in front of a crowd of cruise passengers, no matter how high the fundraising might reach, but Siegler set a lofty – albeit not impossible – goal.
“If we can raise $10,000 by the end of Groove for St Jude on this Journeys cruise, I’m going to have it done live on stage in the Pharaoh’s Palace Theater during my Q&A on the last day of the cruise,” he confirmed. “So the gauntlet has been laid down! $10,000 for St Jude this cruise, and I’m getting waxed!”
The Pharaoh’s Palace Theater is Carnival Spirit‘s 3-story main show lounge, located forward on Decks 2, 3, and 4. This ensures that quite a crowd can gather to celebrate the fundraising goal!
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While the Groove for St. Jude lido dance party will be the biggest opportunity for guests to donate to the cause, Siegler notes that there is no need for anyone to wait until the last day to help reach the $10,000 goal. Donations can be accepted at the Cherry on Top sweet shop, midship on Deck 3 (Atlantic Deck), at any time.
Strange Fundraisers Are the Most Popular!
This is not the first time Siegler has challenged guests to extraordinary fundraising goals to support Carnival Cruise Line’s long-time charitable partner.
On a January 2024 12-night Carnival Journeys southern Caribbean itinerary, he challenged everyone aboard to raise $5,000. It that goal was met, he pledged to go completely clean-shaven for the first time in more than a decade.
The fundraiser fell slightly short at $4,700, but Siegler did still trim his beard quite close – if not clean-shaven.
“We may have been just a hair short (pun fully intended) of our goal, but this is still no small feat and we did so much good for the kids today!” he said of the fundraiser. “I may not be 100% clean shaven, but I could not tell you the last time I saw this much of my face.”
Carnival Cruise Line has set the lofty goal to raise $50 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by 2030, and Siegler’s hairy sacrifices are sure to help them toward that generous total.
Siegler will remain as cruise director aboard Carnival Spirit at least through early September as the ship sails the Last Frontier with 7-night Inside Passage itineraries.
After her time in Alaska, the ship will offer a 15-night Hawaii cruise roundtrip from Seattle before repositioning to Mobile, Alabama to offer 6- and 8-night Bahamas cruises through the winter. Carnival Spirit will return to Alaska for the 2026 season as well.
Popular Carnival Cruise Director Offers Challenge for Charity