Never Have I Ever on a Cruise Ship...

I've done several things on this cruise that I've never done on a ship before. For example:

1. I sent clothes out to be laundered. I've used the self-serve laundromat on cruise ships before, but the Westerdam doesn't have one. Hence, the need to let someone else fold my undies.
2. I sang karioke.  Yes, I have a music degree and all, but I've never stood up in front of a bunch of strangers with a microphone and tried to sing to a taped accompaniment without at least one practice run through. Until this trip.
3. I found out first hand where the infirmary is.  

Yep, I made a trip to the shipboard doc yesterday. But it wasn't for me. My DH developed a bad cough and when his eyes started looking red and infected, I insisted that he visit the infirmary. The doc fixed him up with antibiotic eye drops and a stronger decongestant than we'd brought with us. He's resting well and feeling better now.

And the fourth thing I've never done on a cruise ship:

        4. I decided not to go ashore to protect the natives. 

When Captain Cook first visited the Hawaiian Islands in the 18th century, he estimated there were almost a million inhabitants. Within 70 years, there were only 88,000. The English brought new diseases for which the islanders had no immunity whatsoever.  

Before the captain cancelled our call to the remote island of Tabuaeran, the DH and I had already decided we'd remain on board ship. If we're bearing viruses, we want to keep them to ourselves.

That goes for our fellow passengers too. A ship is sort of a floating petri dish. We've been keeping to our cabin while this cold virus works its way out of our systems. When we do venture out, we take pains not to touch anything and make frequent use of the hand sanitizers. 

Of course, I do that anyway since my immune system is suppressed by the meds I take. But now I'm doing it to protect others instead of feeling precious about myself. 

That's actually a nice change.