and crocheters and needlepointers, embroiders and the rest of those who do crafts are nice people.

They sit, they chat, they help each other out.

I wish I could say the same for everyone else.

Overhead conversation -” I usually take Cunard and book a suite. It lets me have a separate deck and dinner with only those also in the suites, but it serves the purpose of providing isolation from the other 2000 passengers on the ship with whom I would rather not have to see.” (My apologies to my British friends – but all of this was definitely said in an upper crust English accent.

I was trying very hard not to walk over to where this “gentleman” was sitting and pontificating with the thought of inviting him to go ahead and swim back to Cunard – I would buy the round of farewell drinks….

Compared to him, a couple I spoke with seemed mild. This is their first cruise on RCI; normally they cruise on NCL. It is their 50th Anniversary with arrangements made through their travel agent. Now, I agree that a 50th anniversary is pretty impressive. Not sure that I would leave everything up to my agent (and he is good). So whatever they were expecting from the cruise line didn’t happen. No special greeting, no welcome bottle of bubbly, no red carpet. They also didn’t check when they arrived on board to see what, if anything would be provided.

So they are standing near the menu on Deck 5 irritated because there is a Gold Card Suite dining area to which they can’t have entrance. They inform me that they don’t like having “status shoved in their faces.” They “spent a lot of money on this cruise” and everyone should be treated the same. After all, they are treated that way on NCL, where they have cruised over a dozen times.

Does anyone besides me see the contradiction?

All cruise lines, airlines, hotel chains have programs for their repeat customers. I don’t expect Alaskan Airlines (which I have not flown for years) to accord me the same perks as Lufthansa (on which I have 80k+ miles so far this year). Ah – they are called Loyalty Programs….

Anyway – we chatted a while and they went on their merry way. Once they were out of sight, I proceeded into the Gold Card Dining area for lunch…….