Washy, washy.

Happy, happy.

Cleanliness, so the old saying goes, is next to Godliness and on cruise ships, well, it's about doggone near a necessity. There's just too many people packed in too small a place.

So there's plenty of germs, germs, germs.

The washy, washy, happy, happy theme was one that was audibly repeated early and often on our recent family vacation. Just about every time one came through the door near the buffet line, some smiling staffer with a spray bottle was there to quash any would-be invisible bugs with a spritz of some disinfecting spray to the hand offering the same song.

And, for that, we are happy, happy.

No one wants to be sicky, sicky.

Now one can get Adrian Monk-like weirded out if they focus on all the potential germs in the world, but even realistically think about all those hands grabbing the same set of plastic tongs of self-service loading up hundreds of plates then heading to the tables and chowing down.

Minus the spritzing, it's enough to make the most sensible guy/gal germaphobic.

And, if that weren't enough to quash all the bugs and satisfy the inner Monk, there was also hand sanitizer dispensers at strategic locations-not just the pull and watch the gooey stuff drop kind, either. They were automatic-just put your hands underneath the dispenser and wait variety. No touchy, touchy.

The workout room had them.
<br />Elevators had them.

In fact, you just felt called to use them. Your hand was drawn to it like metal to a magnet.

There's no telling how much the cruise line invested to kill all the germs onboard, but you rarely heard anyone cough so much as to even clear their throat.

Washy, washy. Happy, happy.

Guess all that effort worked, worked.

Joy, joy.

As for the vacation thing, that, too, worked out pretty well. We waded with dolphins, did some sightseeing, went horseback riding, saw some awesome blue water, ate too much (required by maritime law), and had a good time with family and friends who were all part of what would be my father-in-law's 80th birthday surprise.

Lots of fun, but, as with any life experience, there were also a few lessons too…

When getting in the water with Salvador the dolphin, don't let on just how cold the water feels. The sister-in-law did that and got sprayed in the face from Salvador. It's funny to watch if you're not on the receiving end. Yes, we have pictures.

The rainforest in Puerto Rico is called a rainforest for a reason. Don't believe a sunny, blue sky on the ride up; believe the bus driver taking you to the excursion who assures that you'll get wet.

Jack Sparrow was a real person. Though I'm not sure if the statue we saw or film came first, the two looked remarkably similar. I'm just saying, saying.

Hypnotist shows are hilarious, especially when a member of the extended family gets selected to participate. (No, I wasn't the one.)

They acted silly, silly.

Entertainment can be found in all sorts of places. Just check out folks walking down the hallways when experiencing rough seas. And, yes, if you have the slightest concern you might have motion sickness issues, take appropriate measures before the water gets choppy. No, I didn't have a problem, but there were some onboard who did.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, cure.

I sure would hate to spend any part of a vacation hanging over the ship's rail.

That, would be bad, bad.