And so it continues…

Due to the extended number of sea days, we decided to upgrade to an unlimited internet package. With all of the craziness surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it is good to able to stay connected with family and friends, in addition to keeping up on the news.

Big changes have been taking place around the ship. The library (such as it is) has been stripped of books and games, as well as the daily crosswords, sudokus, and trivia quizzes. In the buffet, guests are not allowed to touch anything. Plates, silverware, and napkins are handed to us. All food is dished out onto our plates. We can’t even get our own beverages. Condiments have been removed from the tables as well. If you want salt, pepper, ketchup or mustard, you have to have it served to you. In the specialty restaurants, the tables have been stripped bare. After removing linens, candles, and tabletop décor, they resemble a nice Denny’s restaurant rather than an upscale steakhouse. But, the food tastes the same; it is just the atmosphere that is lacking.

We have been at sea now for 8 days. We were supposed to dock at Port Louis, Mauritius tomorrow. Notice the past tense? We were all given medical and travel history forms to fill out for the local authorities, just like for the visit to the Seychelles that did not happen. Unlike the Seychelles, even before the forms were collected, it was announced that we would not be docking in Mauritius tomorrow. This is where it gets weird. We cannot dock there on March 14th, but will be allowed to dock on March 16th. Huh? So, tomorrow is another sea day and we will visit Reunion Island on the 15th (I am not holding my breath as that is the island where rocks were thrown at cruise ship passengers a week or so ago). Then, we will backtrack to Mauritius, spend a day there and then head to South Africa. Since we will be arriving in South Africa at least a day late, we will most likely miss at least the first port or two. Sadly, the first two ports were where we were scheduled to go on game drives. Yes, this was my sole purpose for taking this cruise. I am deeply bummed😢.

I will post again in a few days to let you know what the latest itinerary changes are.

With all of that being said, I fully realize that we are very lucky to be on a cruise when so many around the world are sick and suffering. My prayers are with those that are affected by the coronavirus. Thankfully, no one on the ship has it, or things would be much, much worse.