Boarding the Royal Princess

Today is the day! I've done everything I can think to prepare us all for the next week. Food has been stocked up, cat and dog food as well, medicines ready, list of chores and daily schedule, and coverage for both drop off and pick up at school, dinner ideas and even frozen meals ready to heat. We have two babysitters, a mother-daughter dream team to look after the kids. I'm ready!

Rich and I board the Royal Princess just after noon and get to go directly to our stateroom. Now, I'm a slight germaphobe, so I take my antibacterial wipes out and hand one to my husband. We wipe every possible surface we could think of, we aren't letting a case of Norovirus ruin our vacation! Now, we could settle in. We unpack and flop down on the fluffy white queen-sized bed. We are on vacation!

We were called to Muster very soon after we unpacked. Muster is when you must gather in your assigned group in an emergency. Our muster group was held in the Casino just two flights of stairs down from our cabin, the crew was very strict. No phones out! Listen and pay attention! Some rules they wished to establish:

• Use Hand Sanitizer at every opportunity. It is available as you walk thoroughfares and anywhere near food.
• Use your stateroom toilets and try not to use the public bathrooms as much as possible

Oh my, they take this Norovirus stuff seriously! I'm glad I brought wipes and sanitizer - my phobia has been vindicated!