Before I tell you about Lisbon, our last port of call on that cruise, I must tell you about an incident that happened on the ship the day we were back in Southampton.
It transpired that I was the only passenger remaining on the ship. There was a couple also doing a back-to-back cruise, but they decided to spend a couple or so hours in Southampton. So the arrangement the guest services staff made with me was to meet them at an appointed time and place with my about-to-be-cancelled Seapass card (which serves as your room key, your identity card for signing off and on the ship and your credit card on board, all rolled in one ) and my replacement card for the next cruise, which was delivered to me the night before. We then walked out and I was scanned as leaving the ship, and then turned right around and walked back in and had the new card scanned, thus being recorded as having boarded for the next cruise. Sounds like a bit of a brouhaha, but this satisfied the ship’s security protocols and saved heaps of time in long queues down in the terminal centre.
That done, feeling a bit odd about being the only passenger on board whilst all the crew were running around like mad things cleaning everywhere in preparation for the new lot of passengers who were due to start arriving at midday, I went up to an upper deck to make a couple of phone calls.
That was all very fine. But when I was in the middle of talking to my son and grandson #2, up swept a security guard who insisted I stop the call and come with him. Of course I asked why, and he said I should not be on the ship. I showed him my new Seapass card, and my letter about the arrangements that had been made for me by guest services, but he was not interested.
He made a call to the head of security then insisted I come with him, because I might be a stowaway. Now all of you know that I hardly look like a stowaway! And at my age too! And would I be sitting in full view and making a phone call if I was?
So down I went with this guard to where I had been scanned in. I was in a state of complete astonishment, I must admit. They scanned my Seapass card and voila, my photo came up on their screens and it was very clear I was who I said I was. Some apologies were mumbled. I then said to them that is all very well but what about my newly 6-year old grandson who was excitedly telling me about his birthday party that was happening the next day and heard his grandmother being forced to hang up? Mumble, mumble . . . more apologies.
Of course when I was ‘released’, I went back up and phoned again. Naturally, that all cost extra on what was already an expensive call England-to- Australia. But the greater cost was how it may have affected my lovely little grandson.
I had just been elevated to the level of a ‘Diamond’ passenger that day, so I told the special crew member in charge of their loyalty program what happened to me. (Diamond passengers receive a lot of extra privileges, including liaising with guest services on our behalf.) I said I would hate it to happen to anyone else. I will be interested to see if anything further happens about this incident. I will keep you posted!
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