Dhe line of cruise vacationers winds seemingly endlessly through the Naples port terminal, people upon people patiently waiting to get on the MSC World Europa. There is space for almost seven thousand passengers on the youngest and largest ship from the Italian shipping company MSC Cruises, and it feels as if everyone wanted to get on board at once. That’s no wonder, because the weather isn’t in the holiday mood; in fact, it feels like crying. And so after three hours in Pompeii and Naples we are soaking wet. It’s not exactly warm either, we notice with every minute that passes until we’re back in the cabin under the hot shower.

Our salvation is a ship’s employee in a tailcoat who takes on the role of butler. He holds a round sign above his head that says “MSC Yacht Club.” The butler is our access to the fast lane, because on this trip we are staying exclusively in the cruise ship’s suites, in the Yacht Club. One of the privileges is to wait in line as little or as little as possible. When as many people as live in a small town are spread out on a floating skyscraper that is three hundred meters long and 46 meters wide, you appreciate every shortcut. We feel a little uncomfortable when the butler removes a barrier tape from its holder and guides us to the front position in front of the security gate. But we reassure our conscience by saying that we are completely soaked, while others at least endure it in dry clothes.