A colleague of Laura's is a close friend of the Princess Cruises' President, Mr. Peter Ratcliffe, so before we sailed, the colleague made a call to Mr. Ratcliffe, who in turn notified the ship to "take care" of us (we didn't learn about the phone call until after we returned home). During the voyage we had a number of special courtesies extended to us; the most memorable was a dinner we spent with the captain, Commodore Mike Moulin, and his wife. Laura and I were both a little nervous beforehand, not knowing what to expect, but as it turned out, both the Commodore and his wife were lovely people, and we had a wonderful time dining together, just the four of us.

The evening we had dinner together was the same evening that we left St. Maarten on our way to Eleuthra, in the Bahamas. Apparently one passenger missed the last tender back to the ship because she lost track of time. The captain was aware of this, because, as he explained to us, every passenger is checked on and off the ship via computer, but since 2,600 passengers and another 2,300 or so crew needed to get going, the ship began to leave. Some 15 minutes or so into the process of leaving St. Maarten, a call was placed from the dock to the ship, stating that the missing passenger had finally arrived. The captain told us that every month or so a passenger does miss the ship, and when it happens the passenger will have to fly to the next destination and meet the ship. Commodore Moulin told us that he was in a good mood that day, however, and he decided to turn the ship around. Now turning a 106,000 ton ship around isn't exactly like making a three point turn in your car. It is difficult, and it also uses a lot of fuel, which makes it very expensive. Commodore Moulin joked around with us at dinner that he wasn't going to bill the passenger for the expense, but that he intended to contact the passenger the following day and "suggest" that she make a contribution to the captain's favorite charity, or something similar.

After dinner, as the four of us left the dining room, a group of four or five passengers approached us. The captain extended his hand, and the passengers asked him if he had anything to do with the operation of the ship (they apparently didn't realize who he was). He said that he did, and introduced himself. Then began what I must say left me dumbfounded.

One of the passengers in this group told the captain that his sister was the passenger that had been left behind. Instead of apologizing profusely for the carelessness of his sister, he began raising his voice louder and louder, yelling at the captain, saying that the ship should have waited, and that he was going to take legal action against the cruiseline. The captain listened carefully, and asked the man if he knew what was involved in turning the ship around, the cost involved, etc., and that usually a late passenger has to make his/her way to the next port, but the man continued to shout at the captain, and appeared to make a fist, as if to physically threaten the captain.

Laura, the captain's wife, and I are standing nearby, and I must say that I was very scared and upset at what I was witnessing. We waited until the man calmed down (thankfully) and walked away. I told the captain that on behalf of the other passengers on the ship, I apologized for the rudeness of this fellow passenger. He thanked me, and told me that he would handle it. We said our goodbyes, and moved on.

When I reflect on this sad incident, I think how much of a reflection of our society this irate passenger is. Today there are so many people who never want to apologize, and who refuse to take responsibility for their actions. There is no question whatsoever that the the passenger in question was late, but her family members wouldn't take that responsibility, but instead tried to blame the captain and the cruiseline.

Our Jewish tradition is a very practical one. Others are not responsibile for our actions. Demons or spirits are not responsible for our behavior. Each individual is responsible for his/her behavior. On the one hand this is an incredible gift from God, yet on the other hand it is a tremendous responsibility. I prefer to view it as a gift to be treated with utmost care and respect. No one else but I can chart my course of behavior. No one else but I can determine how prepared I am for a particular activity. I will either reap the reward, or pay the price, but it is always up to me.