Yesterday I wrote about my daughter’s experiences providing medical assistance during a midflight emergency. Just a few days after that incident, she was aboard a cruise ship and was on the receiving end of medical aid. She was felled overnight by symptoms which she believes were brought on by her lobster dinner the evening before. The on call nurse was summoned to check her out. That set in motion a series of events (including filling out paperwork identifying what she had eaten, where and with whom she had been over the past three days) which found Jenny confined to her stateroom with no visitors allowed until she was symptom-free for 24 hours (about 36 hours after her saga began). Most of us have heard those news stories about large numbers of passengers falling victim to the Noro virus on cruise ships, and you can be sure that the cruise lines work hard to avoid repeats of those events. Before boarding our ship, all passengers completed an embarkation health form which asked if anyone in their party had experienced a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the past two days. Any “yes” responses required further questions and, I imagine, follow-up by the ship’s medical personnel. Once aboard, one finds hand sanitizer dispensers placed near the doorways to all dining and drinking venues as well as near the gangways as one leaves or returns to the ship at ports of call. A brief video reviewing proper hand-washing techniques and other tips for maintaining good health and avoiding the exchange of germs runs in a loop on one of the ship’s CCTV channels. And, as Jenny found out the hard way, if you do get sick, you are supervised closely and essentially quarantined until you are well. The first night of her illness, Jenny received an injection in her arm of an anti-nausea medicine which worked really well but led to some complications a few days later. With her arm bruised, swollen and hot at the injection site, she was concerned an infection might be developing and sought a consultation with the ship’s doctor. My girl might be a nurse, but her mom felt it necessary to come along for moral support (if nothing else) for the visit. By the time we saw him, the arm seemed a little less angry, but he agreed she should watch it carefully and come right back if it got worse. Thankfully, it finally calmed down. This incident, like Jenny’s on her international flight, assured me that companies in the business of transporting people, whether for business or pleasure, on the open seas or in the air, work hard to make those travel experiences safe and healthy for their guests. When we travelers do our part by following guidelines and protocols, everyone has a better chance of being safe and well. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor