Leonard was waiting for me as I stepped on board. "Your cabin is this way," he said. We went down a level, passing the galley and crew's mess to enter a long hallway with doors on both sides. "Women's bathrooms and shower are here," he said as he passed the door. "Navy showers only; you get yourself wet, do the scrubbing with the water off, then rinse at the end," he said. "No more than thirty seconds of water use total."

"I understand," I said as he stopped in front of a door with my name on it. The cabin was the size of a small closet. It had a...