First off that last post was from me not from BlueEyes- I used my wife's computer to post that last- I didn't realize that she was logged in. Mea culpa.

Anyway, I would like to point out that had you gone with a private cruise perhaps you wouldn't have been running late in the first place? My point is that Carnival gets very good deals with these tour groups because of expected volume. The tour guides get the promise of a steady stream of customers, and Carnival gets a lot of profit. Who suffers is the cruiser who gets less service for more money.