Fred and I booked B2B on the PG beginning 5/21. We were PIPsters the first week. Had a fabulous time. (Will post a review later.) On Saturday afternoon, 5/28, we stood on our balcony and sadly watched all the PIPsters but David and Wendy board the bus. But we also congratulated ourselves on booking B2B. Second best cruise decision we've made. (The first was signing up with Ngaire.) And we still believe that to be true. We had a wonderful leisurely day looking forward to our second exciting luxurious sailaway dinner on PG. We planned to dine with David and Wendy.

Early in the day we learned that a group of 166 would board the ship. When we saw the Saturday schedule, we noted that L'Etoile was posted closed. Dinner was to be in La Veranda. We assumed that L'Etoile was reserved for the group of 166 and that was, indeed, the case.

We entered La Veranda in high spirits and went directly to the table where David and Wendy were seated. And that's when the shoe fell. David leaned in my direction and said "Pat, it's a buffet." The PIPsters would have recognized it well. It was essentially the same lunch buffet we had eaten seven hours earlier in the day. RSSC had created two classes of passengers for the remainder of the cruise. Those in first class were the group of 166 who were dining in L'Etoile in the grand style they had anticipated and paid for. They had the standard sailaway menu, snappy service, and were dining on what the PG calls "the finest food ever served in the South Seas." The rest of us, numbering 130, were seated in coach eating a very ordinary weakly presented buffet lunch. We were denied the dinner we had anticipated and paid for.

I was livid. So much so that I spoiled any chance David and Wendy would have at enjoying their second lunch of the day and to them I apologize. I made my feelings known to the Maitre D and sulked off. Fred was angry but more calm. After "lunch" he headed directly to the Internet Cafe to punch out a massage of protest to Mark Conroy.

What a way to start a cruise! That evening was, of course, ruined for us. And the experience colored the remainder of the trip.

As you would expect, word of this outrage spread quickly among the 130 who had been, to use a gentle word, slighted. It seemed to skew their response to the inevitable inconveniences posed by a large group on a small cruise ship. The group was programmed and therefore out-of-the-way a lot of the time. But when they were free they congregated at the small pool on deck 8 rendering the entire deck off limits to the rest of the passengers. There was no "off limits" sign posted of course, but if you weren't part of the group trying to swim there or read a book lounging in the sun was like attending the wrong wedding.

There was an ugly incident involving the group on one of our days in Moorea. It was mid-day. It was hot. About a dozen passengers were waiting for the tender to take them back to the ship. The tender was late because it was bringing a full load of groupies to shore to participate in some kind of organized event. When the tender finally landed and offloaded the groupies, the crew informed the waiting passengers they would be picked up on the next round trip because the tender had to rush back to the ship to fetch the remaining groupies. A mini-mutiny insued. The waiting passengers defied the crew and boarded the tender anyway. They weren't happy campers.

You should know that there were no additional major outrages after Saturday night. The next morning, the Hotel Director sought me out on deck, addressed me by name, and said "I know you are upset and I am very sorry about that. I want you to know that the decision to do this was made at corporate headquarters, not by the crew of this ship." When I got back to the cabin, a note of apology awaited me. And the Hotel Director had upgraded our cognac order to XO. From Sunday morning on, both David and Wendy and Fred and I noticed an increase in the quality of service. It had been great before, but now it literally shined. No doubt the "damage control" order had been given. My coffee cup was never empty at breakfast. I ordered a breakfast steak and the serving they brought was almost as large as the plate. Monday on the motu I order gin and tonic for the two of us. I collected our drinks and when I looked back a minute later I noticed the bartender had lined up three more drinks for each of us. While we appreciated the extra attention from this already excellent crew, we felt they were as much the victims of Saturday's outrage as we were. They work so hard and so well they just don't deserve the added burden of damage control.

But for six of us, the ordeal wasn't quite over yet. We were booked on the 8:20 a.m. Air France flight back to LA. We had purchased our direct transfer from RSSC at a cost that exceeded that of the short cab ride from the ship to the airport. We were scheduled to leave the ship at 5:40 a.m. We noticed a large number of the groupies were scheduled to leave at 6:00 a.m. to catch the same flight. We were pleased to see that for once we'd be in line at the airport AHEAD of the groupies. But that was not to be. The "direct transfer" we had purchased from RSSC was not a direct transfer at all. The bus we boarded at 5:40 a.m. then stopped at three other hotels loading passengers and luggage. When we arrived at the crowded airport the groupies were already standing in line.

What a way to begin and end a cruise!

Only questions remain. Why did this happen? No one at RSSC has offered an explanation. Was it an isolated incident or does this happen frequently on the PG? Did Grand Circle have a role in this? The lady coordinating the groupies was stationed at the Grand Circle table in the Reception area. Does this incident presage bad things to come for the PG? Given the fact that the eyes of the luxury cruise world and on the PG, how in heaven's name could Radisson let this happen? Finally, do I recommend the PG to friends? I've done so in the past. But I would never never do it if I suspected there was a good chance their sailaway night would be like ours on 5/28.

Pat

Pat, sorry your trip home was blighted by the unfortunate transfer. Hope the rest of the trip was uneventful. Talk to you all soon.

Pat, wow, how depressing..one would have thought that RSSC would have chartered the ship with a group that large...very sorry for your "to back" week...hope RSSC makes amends soonest..r/wes

Pat,

I would have been as livid as you if the incident of that Sat night happened to me! It was a very good move for you and Fred to complain right then and there . No good to sulk and stew in private as it doesn't accomplish anything.

Was L' Etoile "off limits" any other evenings?

With respect to the transfer to the airport, maybe Radisson uses the term "direct" as the airlines, you don't have to change transport but that doesn't mean no stopovers :mad: ! If it was clear to you that the only stop should have been the airport , I would ask for a refund.
I try to stay away from the bus transfers as they always seem like a cattle call and are usually more expensive than a cab.

I'm sorry that your second week had those clear "non-luxury" elements to it. It certainly seems like some changes are going on.

And the last day luncheon buffet was not particularly good at that!!!! The turkey picatta literally was leftover turkey with scrambled egg plastered to it. No Capers and no wine/picatta sauce. Yuck! The Leg of Lamb was good - and few sides.

I'd have been outraged too. Glad there was a Mutiny on the Tender! I think Phillipe was hotel director, yes?

This is really shocking and disheartening. Passengers should not have to advocate for a decent dinner for themselves. I am really glad you rattled everyone's cage.

Knowing what kind of hotel director Phillipe is I can really believe this was not his idea.

Island Cruiser:

This is the worst event I have ever heard reported by a PG cruiser! It is inexcusable! For starters, a ship should NEVER acept a group of a size of 1/2 its guest capacity. Even if evrything else goes right, this disrupts the social dynamic. But in the case of your second week, to deny and non-group guest use of the main dining room and tender service in favor of "the group" is just criminal.

Yes, as you say "the eyes of the luxury cruise world are on the PG" at this time, because of the unfortunate involvment with GCT.

I'd be VERY interested to find out more about the identity of this "group", and whether GCT was involved in it (which they apparently were). Also, is there a way to find our if such a fiasco is in the works for any future PG cruises --- so we can avoid them like the plague?

Thanks,
Richard :(

Let me respond to the three questions raised so far.

cruseluv, L'Etoile was open for the rest of the trip.

ChatKat, yes, Phillipe was hotel director.

dolebluger, I didn't state the name of the group because doing so is prohibited by LCT. Actually, the group itself did nothing wrong. They behaved just like any group would. They were young, spirited type A professionals being rewarded for exceeding goals. Like you, I wonder if Grand Circle leaned on Radisson and insisted that their group be given priority treatment. But I know none of the facts that prompted this situation and unless Radisson makes some kind of a statement I suspect we never will.

Pat -

What a horrible experience. When the staff said the decision was made at "Corporate", do you think they meant RSSC or GCT?

At RSSC prices, to be served a buffet while a charter group gets full service, is absolutely inexcusable. I've never even heard of the "mass market" lines doing that. And good for all the passengers who stormed the tender on the way back. How absurd to even suggest taking a tender back empty in an effort to hurry to accomodate a specific group.

If you and Fred don't receive an acceptable response, it might be worth asking Ngaire to contact them on your behalf. Although you and Fred have been great RSSC passengers, Brown and Keene means a LOT of dollars to RSSC. I'm sure they would not ignore a correspondence from Ngaire.


Kathy

Island Cruiser:

I didn't really want to know the "name" of the group or the names of anybody in it. Rather, what I was trying to ask is if anybody knows whether the group was booked through RSSC or GCT.

And I did understand from your initial post that the "group" did nothing wrong --- but Rather RSSC's (or GCT's) handling of the group was the problem.

Sorry,
Richard :(

Actually, Kathy, Holland America did this to us and told us they were doing it when we could not get late seating on a cruise in 2003. We were to be restricted to early seating and the entertainment would be changed because the group had their own. And we were paying full price and not in "steerage" either. Needless to say, they are off our list of cruiselines.

When I had a problem with ground transfers last year, RSSC went out of their way to make things right for us. i am sure they will do that for those who voice displeasure.

Right on, Kathy. I haven't written my email to Mark Conroy yet, but I intend to. David write a note on an auxiliary comment form that appeared in our stateroom during week two, outlining some of the problems.

But all in all, it was still a wonderful week. The food in L'Etoile was really nice, we got to eat in Apicius twice, our dinner at the Grill pretty good (not perfect). And the staff just fell all over us all week.

Pat,

How disappointing. This is not at all the sort of thing one expects from Radisson. It must have been quite a shock. I hope Radisson makes it up to you and Fred.

Mary Ellen

Island Cruiser,

Did your husband every get a reply to the email he sent the first night to Mark Conroy?

Peggy

Yes, Peggy. He responded as soon as he returned from his Memorial Day break. He said:

"Groups are an important aspect of our business and a reality of life in the cruise industry but they should not diminish from their fellow guests overall enjoyment of the cruise.

By copy of this email to Philip and to Christian Sauleau I am asking them to address your concerns immediately.

I do hope you will enjoy the balance of your voyage."

P.S. My first name is really Patrick. Fred is my partner of thirty-one years.

Pat - what you posted is really bad. Especially with the way the L'Etoille is set up, you could easily set it up so that the "non-group" cruisers have an area that is pretty much separate from the main area - eg the area where we had dinner with Ngaire during PIP and where we had the gift exchange. Granted, that area is nowhere near big enough for 130 people but it would at least be something.

"Forcing" the buffet dinner on you is really bad especially given the poor quality of the buffet lunches. Having the "non-group" people dine in Apicius (proper) might have been acceptable.

Radisson wants guests who have problems to write in directly. I have given Pat and Fred the name and address and also emailed that to Wendy.

The first night should never have happened that way. No excuse.

I dont know but my guess is that the land transfer people Radisson uses took it upon themselves to pick up other passengers. I have never heard of such a thing on a transfer from the ship. I doubt either the ship or RSSC knew that this was done and they should be informed.

I did ask Fred not to put the name of the company on the LCT boards. It is not the groups fault these things happen and it is best not to go into names of companys in issues like this.

Dear Fred, Pat, Wendy and David - Welcome back! I am so sorry the size of the group made for the two-class system on the second week of the cruise.

I've had two Radisson cruises with large groups on board: one on the Diamond and one on the Voyager. My observation is they are a lot tougher to deal with on the smaller ships than on the larger ships. Cruiseluv, m'ellen and Ngaire were all on the Baltics itinerary that had a group of approximately 360 folks from one company. On that trip, I remember minor inconvenience (a closed bar for a private party on deck that was more of a reserved section of deck space for the last night's sail=away). The Diamond cruise was a wholly different matter and much as you describe on the PG - no ability to get into Don Vito's outside of the first night because the group had booked it; no seating in the main section of the Diamond's dining room as it was reserved for the group THE ENTIRE CRUISE, etc. It was our second cruise and only one on the Diamond; but it was such a letdown from the Mariner that I consciously decided to not sail the Diamond again. It just can't accommodate a big group and non-affiliated passengers, too, without affecting what's available for all to enjoy. Anyway, that was my experience of it. I am happy to report the Diamond cruise was a one-off and all of our other cruises have been great. I do try to remember to ask, though, about group bookings so I go forewarned. The best are when I'm part of the group (a/k/a PIP!!) Even so, if I book far enough ahead, there's no way of knowing if a group books after-the-fact. The trade-off is sometimes a great deal on a cruise we will enjoy vs. the lack of bookings leading to space for a larger group. Cheers, Anne

I wonder if there is a board somewhere that is talking about the preferential treatment that LCT members get.

John

Ngaire:

If one of my posts above appears to ask for the name of the group, that was a mistake on my part as I have no desire to know. What I REALLY wanted to know (and still do) is if the "group" was booked by RSSC or by GCT, and whether the decisions concerning the mishandling of the non-group guests were made by RSSC or GCT. I suspect (and want to believe) that it was GCT. Do you have any info on this?

Thanks,
Richard

Patrick:

I think you and Fred were easier on the crew than I ever would have been that first night. I would have gone storming into L'Etoille and demanded to be served. Either that, or serve from Apicius menu. I would not have sat for the poor food nor the humiliation of being treated like second class citizens.

Of course, think of how the other's felt when we walked down the stairs into Apicius during PiP. :D

As for the transfers, we had the same deal. There was four of us at 0540 and the group (I won't mention the group's name but will say squirrel head was there) scheduled for 0600. At first, they said our transportation didn't show and that we would travel at 0600. First, I didn't like losing 20 minutes of sleep and second I was concerned about the lines. Luckily, the cab showed up and took the four of us to airport without a stop. We were well ahead of the group.

I would strongly complain regarding your transfers. Radisson needs to know when one of their companies they hire has screwed up. This has happened to us twice on shore excursions and Radisson has made us whole.

You know, Anne, that brings a good point up when We are A group! And even groups within our group even affect our own group!

People are paying thousands of dollars to take a cruise. While we are a group, we also are not a group. The dynamic is that we need to be mindful and considerate that we can also off-put those who may be on board and yet aren't LCT and let's face it, we can be rowdy.

While PIP was smaller, MUSH will be much bigger. I think from the people I met and the people I know will actually end up being a few groups of fun but with different interests. If we are 100 or even more of 700 on the Mariner, how will we affect the others? How did it affect the others on MINT? I wasn't part of that bigger group cruise.

I've been on two RSSC cruises where the big groups did impact the cruise. On the Panama Canal there was a cooking expert who had some private affairs on the ship but her people were like us, they were not part of a company, just radio fans of her cooking show (she's in Los Angeles)and she takes a group once or twice a year. They mixed and mingled with the rest of us.
On the Bermuda cruise there was a close knit group of Texans who all belonged to a food Charity through a well know magazine and they also cruised regularly and socialized all the time. They tended to exclude the regular passengers and did take over some areas of the ship, like Kareoke. If you weren't part of their group, you wre not going to be a part of the Kareoke. And there was no room on Navigator to dance because they had the area cornered and no room for anyone else! We danced on the carpet on the other side of the bar.

None of that every bothered us because we were not affected by those groups, generally. But, I'd love to hear the viewpoint of the others.

Wow...

This needs to be addressed at Corporate...otherwise, they will not know how the transition with Grand Circle is going. Grand circle will continue to have this happen until RSSC, armed with customer experiences that are less than RSSC standard, leans in on them.

BTW Patrick...great thread title ;)

I think we might be pinning something on GCT that is not their fault.

Ngaire, I may be wrong but isn't it with Ft Lauderdale that you negotiate venues for groups in advance? Also, once on the ship, isn't it the Hotel Director and/or the Cruise Director that makes decisions on assigning rooms for group functions?

We have all known that RSSC really tries to go after groups, either whole ship charters or partial. Many of us have reported sailings cancelled that were chartered. This happened long before GCT was around and on other ships beyond PG. As Anne noted, it is just more noticeable on a small ship.

It just sounded so out of pace with RSSC and the fact that this happened after the GCT transisiton...my gut feel tells me this is GCT related? that and what I picked up in Patrick's thread, that the group coordinator was seated at the GCT table...coincidence?

Of course, I may be wrong. In any case, I think we all agree that RSSC executive management needs to know.

Ana Luisa, if the Hotel Director wanted to, he could have had the normal L'Etoille or Apicius menu in La Verandah that first night. Just because the group negotiated for the entire L'Etoille, was no excuse not to serve the rest of the passengers a quality meal.

I'm sorry but I put the blame totally on Phillipe (who I found to be a very gracious host while we were onboard PiP). He, when responding to a point blank question, said that GCT had not cut budgets. If that is the case, he had no excuse for that first night fiasco. If that is not the case and he couldn't afford to feed the rest of the passengers a quality meal, then he needs to be more truthful in his responses.

Ah!...that is a good point then, thanks Marc.

In any case, I think we all agree RSSC needs to formally written to.

Whether this group was booked directly with RSSC or GCT it should make no difference here at all. The exact same thing could have happened if GCT was not involved at all.

Groups like to do things together and they want this handled and it can affect other passengers.

We took the whole grill one night on PIP I am sure others wanted to eat there that night but the "group" had it. On DDD we dominated the CLUB on MINT we were very noticeable in STARS and the VOF - Voyager lounge Kareoke night --- well!!!

However other than the grill other passengers were joining in with us and I do think there is a difference in a "company" group as opposed to a group of people like LCT.

I was on the Diamond once. ONLY 20 passengers not AMX. Well the 20 found each other and we became the "other" group. We still had a good time.

All cruise lines take groups. They are a lot of profit and no cruise line will turn them down or limit the number in a group. This is reality.

It sounds like that the only real problem was the first night and I think that there is no doubt that this was a lack of judgement on RSSC part - either corporate or the Hotel Directors.

Marc is right here. How this group was booked through GCT or direct with RSSC should have no bearing on the treatment of the other passengers aboard.

I'm really sorry to hear that all this happened, and I too wonder about how to find out if a cruise I'm considering on PG is going to be marred by a similar group situation. Is it even possible to learn this in advance?

I think the point here is not so much that there was a group on board but how it was handled. I think most of the cruises that we've been on, there has been some sort of group on board. Several times, it was some sort of car dealer group. Naturally, the group tends to interact amongst themselves.

But the problem here, was that there was a very large (1/2 ship) group on and the "ship" catered to their "needs" while not making appropriate accomodations for the other passengers. Shuttling off "other" passengers to La Verandah for a buffet dinner is totally inappropriate. Besides, this goes totally against their policy of "open seating" at dinner - at least in the main dining room.

As was telling people waiting for the tender back to the ship that they weren't taking anyone back because they had to get the group off the ship.

Yes, we PIPsters took the grill one night. But it is a small reservation only venue. And we were a small group. Everyone on the ship had two other high quality dining options. And they had a crack at the grill on six other nights. The groupies closed Apicius two nights on the trip. No problem for me. Those nights were their reservations. We had other quality options. The 5/28 situation was quite different. 130 passengers--honeymooners, splurging special anniversary travelers, etc., were offered no options. We were all fed lunch when we had paid to dine in luxury. And while I am curious to know if GCT had a role in this, it really doesn't matter. I paid Radisson for the trip. Radisson promised me fine dining on seven nights of a seven night trip weather permitting. And Radisson didn't deliver. And the issue to me isn't what I ate or didn't eat. It is can Radisson be relied upon to deliver what they promise? If they have to fight GCT to maintain standards, I expect them to do so to the last man dying. I want Radisson to win. I want to be a Radisson partisan. I LOVED our first three Radisson cruises. I hope to have the option to enjoy dozens more.

Patrick

Ngaire:

The question of "who booked the group" is closely alligned with the question of "who caused the fiasco involving the group" which is closely alligned with the question of "who is running this ship??" The latter is the BIG question many now have about the PG. It is true that the problem was not that the group was there, but how the matter was handled. So back to the question "who is running the ship?"

To our experience, this was a very uncharacteristic move on Radisson's part --- if it WAS on Radisson's part! We've been on cruises with "groups" before, as well. Never experienced anything like this. You know more than I do, but to my experience the Radisson I know just does not do things like this. So the REAL question, again, is the one nobody is able to address, being "just how much control does GCT have over the onboard operations on the PG?"

Patrick and I, it seems, would both like to know.

Thanks,
Richard

I completely agree with Peter....this just shouldn't happen. Of course a cruise line will accept group bookings (gladly I'm sure, the larger the better, ) but not at the expense of the other cruisers who deserve top notch quality and service. After spending almost 4 months on Voyager with everything top shelf....I'm disappointed in Radisson. We all expect better.

Radisson, please don't take your loyal customers for granted! You need us....and we WANT you!

Whoever was responsible for these decisions made monumental errors in judgement. What business sense does it make to give preferential treatment to one group and shortchange the other? Each and every guest should be treated in the same manor.

New and repeat guests of Radisson expect very high levels of overall cruising experience. After reading this post, I was quite surprised that anything of this nature could occur on as fine a line as Radisson.

All:

Just let me add what I have said about this on CC. Whoever in managment (of RSSC OR GCT?) that was responsible for the treatment of the non-group guests should be fired. period. When I was in managment before I retired I knew this: if I had created this fiasco, I would have EXPECTED it!.

Thanks,
Richard

I agree with you, Richard, and the rest of you who feel that RSSC really screwed up here. I'd be curious to know if this really was all due to "corporate" directives, or if it could have been substantially mitigated by better management by those onboard. E.g. did "corporate" really demand that the main dining room be completely closed off to all but that group, or could the Hotel Director have handled it in a more equitable way? And I really hope this is not indicative of any actual degradation in RSSC's service or standards -- it could just have been some really poor decisions on this one cruise. However, I still would prefer NOT to be on the PG when there is such a large group!

I'm currently in evaluation mode -- my mother and sister want to do Alaska next year, but more and more I'm getting my heart set on doing the PG. Partly because of all the great stuff everyone has been writing about PIP! I've been enjoying reading all that so much...and of course viewing the pictures. Also, my friends Kim and Paul (with whom I spent so much time on my Med cruise) have been telling me I absolutely HAVE to do the PG. Alaska is seeming less and less attractive to me at this point.

But if I'm going to do the PG, like Richard I want to be sure that it's going to be everything that everyone has told me about it. The best news would be that RSSC recognizes the huge errors here and proclaims that it was an anamoly that will NEVER happen again! :)

Well Richard you may like to know who has control over all the aspects of the PG but no one ever knows but those at the very top and they dont share this information. I have absolutely no idea how much CGT is involved in the day to day workings of the ship.

Sometimes people just use bad judgement. Things happen and things go wrong. I can remember a situation where something unusual happened on the Diamond and was posted on CC and LCT. Then people wanted to cancel their cruises. An isolated incident. Nothing like that happened again. Whether it was corporate or the ship I am pretty sure that this mistake will not be made again.

Dont let this one incidence change your mind about the PG Leeanne. It is a wonderful cruise, great crew and the odds of anything like this happening to you on the cruise you select is very very unlikely. Remember all the positive reviews this is just one situation.

One thing Richard pointed out to me regarding groups on board -- he mentioned that you normally only see groups on cruises of 7 days or less...so the obvious solution is to book a cruise of longer duration. Which works for me -- built-in, iron-clad excuse to tell my husband that we absolutely HAVE to take the 10-dayer! :D

John - Perhaps there is a board somewhere where people are indeed complaining about the preferential treatment the LCTers received. If so, then what can I say, but "Tough luck, suckers!! If you had any sense, you'd be LCTers, too!!"

The dynamics of "groups" on a ship certainly are capable of causing misunderstandings. One day on our PIP week, a lady stopped me in the corridor and asked whether I was one of those people with the cute signs on their doors. I responded that I was and that it was just a small group who shared a common interest in a marvelous cruise-oriented message board. She sniffed and stated that it didn't seem fair to allow some people to put signs on their doors and further observed that she didn't really understand "you people in the entertainment industry". Now, where that last comment came from is still a mystery to me. Was it a reference perhaps to my dashing matinee-idol good looks (or my more than passing resemblance to the profile of Alfred Hitchcock)? Or was she perhaps referring to having witnessed Suzette's antics in La Palette, in which case she was likely referring to the "adult" entertainment industry. I was waiting for her to comment on how horrified she was to learn that a certain balding hunk cop was traveling in the same cabin as a raven-haired starlet. In any event, the bizarre interaction reminds us that anyone who is not part of a group might feel excluded.

Despite that fact, the group problem on the PG last week was not that they were a group but rather that management (whether that was RSSC, GCT, or both) gave the group in some instances preferential treatment to that offered the other passengers. In fact, most of the time, the group was mercifully distant from the rest of us, including one evening when they all dined on the island, leaving all of the ship's restaurants
delightfully half-empty and quiet. And it worked out better that they had their two nights of blocking Apicius and Le Grill, since they thereafter did not compete for either (although, all things considered, they were pretty much welcome to Le Grill if they wanted it - not so with Apicius, however, where we had two excellent dinners each week - that wild mushroom risotto makes an excellent starter, second course, main dish, or all three!!).

We do not in any manner blame the group for the idiotic decisions made by management. (Although I cannot help but believe that their super-peppy activities coordinator is the lame-brain who talked the tender-master into that preposterous attempt to leave us at the dock in Moorea while he took an empty tender back to the ship to pick up the two dozen groupers who had not fit on the first tender and might therefore be late for their silly road rally game. Fortunately, the little Mutiny on the Tender occurred and we boarded the tender rather than wait another thirty minutes in the intense heat. Seeing the groupers pout impatiently when we got off the tender at the ship was just an added bonus!!) Good grief, my parenthetical comments are longer than my principal ones - seems like a good subject for a therapy session, if I can find a therapist who knows about cruising, single malt scotch, and can manage a nice turn or two on the dance floor at midnight.

And we certainly do not blame the groupers for that fiasco of a transfer on Saturday morning. We were just annoyed that we had to leave the ship 30 minutes (a significant period of time in those pre-dawn hours) earlier than they did and then watch them all get in line before us. Note to self: never again take a bus or van transfer to or from the ship - use a taxi. Whenever we have done the former, we have regretted it; while whenever we have done the latter, we have congratulated ourselves on our good use of time and money, not to mention gaining extra drinking time at each end of the transfer. I always say that time not spent in a bus can be spent at a bar.

Enough of this stream of consciousness for now. I must save some of my writing energy for my letter of reasoned and righteous outrage to the top management of RSSC. I must be careful not to come across as a crackpot (I may have to drop the reference to Alfred Hitchcock) but must still make my point forcefully. Frankly, we are not looking for anything from RSSC other than a genuine (to the extent the word can apply to a corporation) apology and a clear assurance that they will make great efforts (or reasonable ones, or at least a bit of an effort, or at least pretend for ten minutes to feign concern) to insure that all passengers are treated equally. Of course, if they want to throw in a free candle snuffer, who could refuse such a gift??

Cheers, Fred