Berta and Jim had warned us that it is best to be careful in the ship because of the concentration of people and ability for bugs and viruses to spread quickly. Don’t touch the handrails if you can avoid them; wash your hands frequently; use the hand sanitizers that are positioned throughout the ship. This reminded me of warnings I had received once when in Beijing: Touch nothing, never touch your own face and eyes. Disease everywhere!
Among the documents we find in our room is a full page that explains that on the last cruise for this ship, there was an outbreak of something gastrointestinal, perhaps norovirus. The ship has been scrubbed and disinfected top to bottom. But be careful. As we start to explore the ship, we find crew members at the entrances to the food venues, holding sanitizer dispensers, offering every passerby a squirt of cleanliness, and a cheery greeting.
After a couple of days, I can climb multiple flights of stairs, and float independent of the handrails.
