20220501 At Sea: Today is an “at sea” day where we are moving south from Tuscany to Malta tomorrow. Got up at 7:30 just because that’s when I woke up. Now, I want to talk about protocols.
Before we left the US, we had to fill out online a health form for Spain, get a QR code, and show it at the airport upon arrival. We did and did. Also had to fill out online an EU locator form that Italy and Malta needed for us to show when going there. Finally, a day before departure, another online form specifically for Malta for another QR code. Before we got to an Italian port, we were told that the locator form was no longer needed. Yesterday, as we headed toward Malta, we were told that the Malta form was no longer needed. In Spain, mask requirements were relaxed so only needed for transportation and museums, churches and such.
The ship has a mask policy that is often ignored onshore. On the ship, we are required to wear masks at all times except in our out suites or eating/drinking. Masks are to be worn on buses that take us on excursions and, except for when outdoors, elsewhere in the cities we visit. There are many folks when we are onshore that ignore the protocol. On the bus, some don’t wear masks. Some people wear masks at half-mast with their nose sticking out. Jeff and I are particular in our mask wearing even putting on new masks every couple of days. Onshore, if we are outside in a place with lots of people, we keep our masks on. While a guard at a site onshore (e.g., entering a church) requires a mask, the guides from the ship do not enforce masks. I guess they don’t want confrontations when then are there to show us around.
And we are supposed to carry around picture identification such as our passport and our vaccination card. No one so far has asked for either. At a takeout place in San Gimignano yesterday, there was a sign out front that you had to show your vaccination card. No one asked. And in Spain at the hotel where we stayed, a requirement for our restaurant reservation was that we had to show our vaccination card. Nope. Never asked.
Today was “caviar breakfast.” We went down to Compass Rose about 9:00 and enjoyed. Bigger selection than breakfast in our room, so we indulged. Got our camera gear and went from Deck 12 down to Deck 3 spending time shooting aspects of the ship. Back to the room for a rest. At 1:00 we went to the buffet at La Veranda and gorged.
Stairs. Let me talk about stairs. Our suite is on Deck 9. The restaurants are on Decks 4 and 5 and one on Deck 11. We use the stairs and not the elevator 99% of the time. We do use the elevator after a day’s excursion and walking 5 miles when we go from Deck 3 up to Deck 9. Gotta burn off just a tad of all the calories we consume.
After lunch and doing some tasks, I fell asleep on deck and Jeff on his bed. We were awakened by Anbu with the afternoon canapes of spring rolls. About 7:30 we went to Compass Rose for supper returning at about 9:30. Hope to get to bed as a somewhat reasonable hour.
Tomorrow is Malta in the morning, a massage in the afternoon, and the steak restaurant onboard in the evening. And the adventure continues.
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