Head Note: (Because people usually don’t bother to read footnotes.)  Suzi and I are out of isolation and feeling better.  I wrote this yesterday but didn’t want to send it until we were “free as a bird” as our room steward said.   

This is the fifth sea day, the 10^th day altogether.  Most cruises would be over by now.  I was just getting into the rhythm of this long cruise when I was hit with the cruise crud.  Suzi got it two days later.  We are both in isolation.  Volendam was under enhanced sanitary protocols until the fourth day out, when they decided they had the bug under control – but as it turns out, not quite.  According to the medical staff there are just a few cases on board, and they want to keep it that way.  We are among “the few.”  So tonight, we miss Volendam Grand Ball.  I am not normally a “Ball” type of guy, but I do enjoy the sense of occasion and love the decorations.  I generally make a 15-minute appearance and go back to the cabin and read. 

The restrictions at the beginning of the cruise were in place to prevent passing germs from person to person via things we commonly handle.  You could not get things from the buffet because everyone handled the tongs.  Gloved staff served you. There were no salt and pepper shakers on the table, no bread baskets or butter.  Waiters shook the salt and pepper for you.  The shelves in the game room were mostly empty because they do not want disease spread by folks sharing game pieces.

The library shelves were bare for the same reason.  We were also told they were sanitizing the books and games.  I understand how you could sanitize game pieces.  It would be a labor-intensive process, whipping each piece, but how do you sanitize a book?

When the books came back the shelves were swept bare almost immediately by people hungry for books.  I grabbed a picture quickly before they were gone again.  I think we are only supposed to take two books at a time, but some people took armloads.

There were some group activities on the first two sea days.  The Cruise Critic Meet and Greet brought together people who met virtually before the cruise and who now get to meet in person. The virtual group organizes activities from knitting to painting to pickleball.  But again, waiters poured the coffee and tonged the cookies.

The day the restrictions were eased we had a ship wide block party, delayed from the second day.  Everyone is invited to open their doors.  Stewards bring around trays of goodies and bottles of wine to keep our glasses full as we get to meet our neighbors.  The captain and senior officers make the rounds on each deck.  This is a great innovation on long cruises, good to get to know your neighbors for the next four months.

Travelers have a lot of stories.  On one side of us are Elouise and Elaine, two sisters who often cruise with their third sister, Jo.  Jo is currently on the HAL Grand World Cruise.  You can read Jo’s blog “Writer on Deck.” cruiseWe’ve cruised with the trio several times.  And while Jo is the writer, all of them have stories, and stories are what a long cruise is about.

Across the hallway is a gentleman from Aruba, well originally from Holland, but he’s lived in Aruba for 35 years.  Down the hall a Florida couple who have a kid in Fairbanks and who wanted to talk all things Alaska.

That day was also Chinese New Year.

On sea days I go to lectures, play table games with friends, swim, write and sit outside and read.  A sea day in isolation means more time for writing and reading on my balcony (glad we were upsold).  We get the port lectures on cabin TV and have movies on demand.  Last night we watched the Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer satire “A Mighty Wind.”

Tonight, though, I sat on the balcony and watched the sunset reflected in the clouds over South America.