Payment has now been made, over the phone to the Oxford office, using my new debit card. Charming woman called Katy, asked if I would like a written receipt! Of course. I also suggrested she looked at the form of the promissory note.

They could have insisted on cash all they wanted. I'm not sure what I would have done if they had. Possibly stood up in the dining room and asked if there was a lawyer in the house who could explain if they had a right to leave me without funds to get home. Though that could have left me in the position I did not want to be in of having people give me money. I have had a loan from my co-traveller, who is family, and swapped some pounds with another British passenger at the going exchange rate.

Howard's point about my being made to sign the note before incurring any further expense is reasonable. I was surprised that a) they didn't do it, and b) that when I asked for more internet time the computer allowed me to have it. However, the form of the note was such that it included the amount, and therefore could not be done before the end of the trip.

I still feel that the existence of a few criminals should not lead to the treatment of all as potentially dishonest. Gresham's Law applied to people.

As for returning the passport and risking the person walking off without paying, if someone did that, they would still have to get off the ship. Detaining someone whose behaviour has announced their intention of not paying would be a different case from withholding the passport of someone who has done the opposite. Mind you, they wanted everyone off asap, and involving the police would have been a delay.

Penny