Carnival Spirit has nearly finished her repositioning sailing from Miami, Florida to Seattle, Washington to kick off the Alaska sailing season, and guests onboard just received a special treat for their generosity.
Following through on his commitment to wax his chest in public on the ship’s last sea day if $10,000 or more was raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, cruise director Alex Siegler underwent the torturous treatment on Sunday, April 13.
What is even more amazing and generous, however, is that the fundraising goal wasn’t quite reached. Nevertheless, Siegler didn’t let his fans down.
“As you can probably guess, we did not quite make our goal of $10,000,” Siegler announced Sunday in the ship’s theater. “We are just over $8,000 for St. Jude, however, we are going go ahead and go through with the waxing anyway!”
Cheers met his announcement, and Siegler quickly got set up for the excruciating event.
“I am not ready at all,” he admitted before removing his shirt to another chorus of cheers.
One of the ship’s spa personnel prepared the wax as Siegler answered a few questions from the crowd and kept his hilarious commentary going with some bracing deep breaths.
He narrated much of the event, from the initial cleansing to the wax application.
“Who’s had their chest waxed before? This doesn’t hurt, right?” Siegler asked before the first wax was slathered on his not-that-hairy chest.
A bunch of guests in the theater lied to him, loudly responding “No!” while other guests smirked and laughed at the craziness of the event.
Siegler appeared surprised at how warm the wax was, but he kept up his good natured comments as the first guest – Sue – approached for her “prize” of removing the first wax strip thanks to her generous donations.
“Remember, it’s for the kids!” Sue said just before firmly pulling off the very first wax strip.
Siegler’s immediate response to his first chest waxing experience? A surprisingly high pitched, lengthy yelp and a word I’m not allowed to publish.
Yet he kept up the smiles and jokes throughout the experience as more of his chest hair was removed, never letting his happy attitude slip and thanking the guests for their participation. The entire experience, after all, was for a great cause and one Siegler has supported in other fun ways.
In January 2025, he agreed to shave off his beard if guests raised $5,000 for St. Jude. Despite falling a few hundred dollars short of that goal, Siegler still dramatically trimmed – though did not completely shave – his beard.
“I may not be 100% clean shaven, but I could not tell you the last time I saw this much of my face,” he joked about that fundraiser.
While he didn’t share the last time he saw as much of his chest as he has with this latest fundraiser, let’s all hope he doesn’t pick a different body part to de-hair on another Carnival Journeys sailing.
Sailing With Alex Seigler
Seigler will remain aboard Carnival Spirit to lead the ship’s Fun Squad into the Alaska season through May 27. The ship’s first 7-night Alaska sailing departs Seattle on Monday, April 14, with visits planned for Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria.
Seigler will also be Carnival Spirit’s cruise director for much of the end of the Alaska season when he returns to the ship for another contract beginning on July 15, 2025 and lasting through September 9, 2025 – just two departures short of the end of the season.
Read Also: What Is the Best Time of Year to Cruise Alaska?
The popular Carnival cruise director does not yet have a confirmed ship assignment after September, but it is not uncommon for assignments not to be confirmed so far in advance.
After the Alaska season, Carnival Spirit will offer a special 15-night Hawaii sailing roundtrip from Seattle before then departing the Pacific Northwest and returning to Mobile for the winter.
From Alabama, the ship will be sailing a variety of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries before she returns to the Last Frontier in April 2026.
