I love learning new words and I picked up two this week at Seatrade, the annual cruise shipping convention in Miami Beach. The first, used by Gerald Cahill, CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, was "componentization."

This, he said, was what Carnival's been doing by designating parts of its ships as "family areas" and by setting aside a number of cabins for people partaking in special spa programs.

Cahill's coinage was a softer variation on Adam Goldstein's "disegalitarianism."

The CEO of Royal Caribbean used this term to describe the growing trend in cruising toward select restaurants and activities for people willing and able to pay extra for them.

On cruises past, he said, once passengers left their cabins they "were all created equal. In the 21st century, guests who pay top dollar expect special treatment outside the stateroom."

It's interesting that, as the QE2 sails off into the sunset (no offence, Dubai), its old class system seems to be returning. Though it does reflect the growing divide, back on land, between rich and poor.

I also discovered, by watching the people sitting around me during the State of the Industry debate, the beauty of BlackBerrys: they allow you to amuse yourself, fairly unobtrusively, during boring presentations.