Cruise Chronicles – Days 10 & 11 – My Unfortunate Incarceration

Day 10 was a welcome day at sea. We were sailing west toward Warnemünde, the German coastal town that would be our gateway to a long guided tour in Berlin.

Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

A full day at sea was just what I needed. After five consecutive days off the boat touring on sore feet, it was fine to just sit more, read, write and chill. The gray day got progressively worse and by dinner time, it was raining and foggy. Before going to a terrific show of Broadway song and dance routines, we did the buffet. It was one of the formal nights where folks dressed up for special meals so the buffet deck was sparsely populated. We had one of the primo window tables and enjoyed a leisurely meal.

Decades ago, I not only taught invertebrate biology but ever since, have demonstrated how to eat them at every opportunity. The night’s buffet selections included shrimp and mussels…the first time they were available. I joked to Beck, Frank & Suzanne that this was maybe the second time since “The Great Mussel Disaster of 2010” that I have finally returned to this tasty bivalve. I’ll spare you the details but in 2010, I experienced a truly Gothic reaction to bad mussels.

You know where this is going…

Not long after we settled in, it was déjà vu all over again. Like last time, it was violent but brief and when it was over, it was over. Once the demons left my body, I slept comfortably and woke up with no lingering effects. That’s the good thing about food poisoning…it’s wicked until your body expels it all but once you’re empty, you feel pretty good…comparatively.

The Crowded Docks of Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

Under the category of ‘No Good Deed Goes Unpunished’, the following morning, as soon as the ship’s medical center was open, I reported the poisoning. Instead of thanking me, they said my gastrointestinal upsets were symptoms of norovirus and per the protocol the cruise line signed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, I must be quarantined in my cabin for 24 hours. 

You’re welcome. 

Norovirus has many other symptoms, none of which I had but ‘Rules is Rules’ and I was confined until the following morning. Our Berlin tour was cancelled.

Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

Some of you are old enough to remember the fun TV series ‘Designing Women’ (1986-93), about an interior design business in Atlanta. The staff consisted of interesting, progressive, funny women who were assisted by Anthony. He was the only African-American in the business and he referred to a gap in his resume as his “unfortunate incarceration” …hence the title of today’s post. While Beck enjoyed her stroll around town, all my images were taken from our cabin balcony. That’s your Day 11 story.

Upon our return, I wrote to Princess corporate offices (with a copy to the CDC). I suggested that on such a big new boat, they should have the resources to test me and confirm the infection. I resented that they defaulted so readily to the CDC protocols and that was it. A rep from the company called later to sympathize with my plight and said my suggestions would be “passed along”. In other words, ‘Rules is Rules’ and “We’re sorry you had a bad day.”

Good thing this happened in Warnemünde. It was no big deal to cancel the Berlin excursion. Beck has already been and I was OK missing it. If this were St. Petersburg, I might have rappelled down the side of the ship rather than miss the Hermitage museum.

Ostsee Bowling, Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

The final insult of my unfortunate incarceration…right across from my balcony was a bowling alley…the only one I’d seen in all of Europe. It would have been fun to visit.

So near yet so far.