Q. My partner’s work involves him seeing and talking to people all day, every day. I booked us on to a slightly naff though luxurious 12-night cruise in the Med, thinking this would be the perfect antidote since most of the other passengers will be elderly Americans and we would be bound to know no one else on board. I now hear that most people on cruises want to make friends and we are bound to be invited to join others for dinner. To answer truthfully I would say: ‘I’m afraid my partner is suffering from People Poisoning and doesn’t want to meet anyone new.’ But of course we couldn’t possibly say that. Any suggestions, Mary?
— P.B., London SW1
A. If invited to join others, sigh heavily and explain that you need to eat at an antisocial hour so that after/before it you can take Zoom meetings with clients in another time zone before they finish for the day.
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