I have written some about this cruise while still on cruise, but now I am home and consider this to be an official trip report.
I am going to do it my way. There are some things that I prefer to write about first rather than in order of cruise.
So let us begin
NOROVIRUS
My ship was struck with the Norovirus the journey ahead of ours. Norwegian tried to keep it from us but finally had to confess.
I noticed that some things seemed strange right from the get go, as we were boarding the ship. Walking up the gangplank, a crew member wanted to spray my hands and I said "no, that is ok". He said in a. very serious manner, "you have to" so I said 'ok"
Everyone looked very serious.
Once on the ship, I headed to the buffet like always. But we were not allowed near the food. Poles and tape had been set up to separate passengers from even getting close to the the food. And there were crew members serving us everything, .
There was a crew member at plates and silver. We had to ask.
At drinks, we had to tell the crew member what we wanted while still standing outside of the tape and poles. even water. And so it went
There was the food on the buffet line. Then there was a crew member outside of the food, on the floor. Then there was tape and poles and then there was us passengers telling the crew member what we wanted. We were not even allowed to get close to the food or accessories. Often I could not read the signs of what the food was and the crew member had to tell me.
Everyone looked very serious. I can not remember if crew were wearing masks but during the cruise many if not all of crew did wear masks.
I remember being very aware that this was different than it was originally done and I wondered if it was Norwegian cutting back. I thought that we were being served every little thing because passengers often take too much food and then leave it to be thrown away.
So I ate and then walked to the atrium to hang out until the cabins were ready as I always do. I still had my luggage with me as I do not check it with the ship.
And we kept sitting and sitting. We got messages that the cabins would soon be open but the cabins never opened. And we. continued to get messages that the cabins would soon be open.
Passengers were tired and antsy. By now, we had been sailing over an hour and still no cabins. Passengers were going to their cabins and leaving their luggage. Some were reporting to others that the beds were not yet made up but the cabin was open and they were allowed to leave the luggage in their cabin.
I found my cabin and my bed was made. I just walked in which you never do until it is announced that the cabins are open. My cabin person was running around trying to get me toilet paper and tissues.
It must have been about 6 pm. Other passengers were still not allowed in their cabins at all.
It was obvious that there was some kind of problem.
Between 6 and 7 pm, the captain came over the intercom and told us that because of a gastrointestinal outbreak on the previous cruise, the crew had to do a deep cleaning for our safety and that is why it was taking so long for us to get in our cabins,
Norovirus was never used.
I got in my cabin maybe about 6 pm but some passengers would have to wait until about 9 pm to get in their cabins. And we would be in Cannes early morning with most of us having excursions booked beginning. early.
And so it went. Staff and crew were required to do double duty. They looked tired and almost certainly were.
Continuing
I can not remember if all the crew were wearing masks at the beginning but many did. This would relax as the cruise got midpoint although some crew members wore masks all the time. The crew members who were at the desks checking us out and in when we left the ship and later returned always worse masks.
Throughout the cruise, crew members carried around red buck
