Sea Day & Dinner at Planks

Shark Week - careful as when you get in an elevator you could be in a shark cage!

Our room has not cooled down. We had reported to our cabin steward when we got on and he said he would report it. Later on we had still not noticed it having improved so we mentioned it again to our steward and he said he would report it again.  Currently our cabin is at 85 degrees! 

Later in the evening when we come back after the show the temperature is at 87 degrees!  We don’t open the curtains so not sure why we can not get any air flow.  Very little is blowing out of the ceiling unit. I call the front desk and ask about it and they said they will send someone tomorrow.

A foot note: the next day after we return from port around 2 pm the room is still very hot – only 82!  I call again and they have no record of our putting in a request for someone to check.  They said they would send someone to check on it immediately.  It has now been two hours and no one has come by. 

I have sailed enough to know this is not the norm but someone else who is just trying out Princess would not be as patient. So fingers crossed the issue gets resolved.

Second foot note: It is just before 4 pm and engineering has arrived.  They attach a computer to the thermostat and they can see that the damper is only open to 50% so they adjust it and open it to a 100%.  Wow everything is so technical.  We are happy again.  Also a few hours later the front desk calls to make sure everything is okay with the temperature.  Now this impresses me and it is what we have come to expect.  Good job Caribbean Princess.

Back to the sea day.

We are shocked when we wake and it is almost 9 am!  Wow we really slept in and it appears that many others have done the same thing.  The ship is rather quiet.

Lots happening on board but we head to the international café and enjoy a coffee.  The paper plane contest is happening.  It is so cute and different that what we are use to.  Kelly and Steff and Mica are dressed in ground flight crew.  They are wearing head sets and they have paddles to help guide the planes.  There is recorded sounds of planes flying over head and they really play it up.  It is so fun to watch.

I later find a quiet place in Crooners to relax and read and surf the net.  One thing is with the temporary unlimited wifi program for platinum and elites I am finding I am on line more often.

I have noticed that we can only have one deviced on line at a time.  Even if I am logged in on one and Bernie is logged in on another device we can only be logged in on one device per cabin.  A little frustrating since we both have phones and we both go on line.  A few times I have gone on line with my phone to check something and I then bounce his device off.  Not sure if this is how it is suppose to be but for now I am dealing with it.

The crew have been given a free week of the wifi and then they can sign up for it for $60.  That seems crazy expensive and a few have said they can not justify the costs and will not be getting.  But for this week the crew get it free.  

Although this could be an issue too.  Just today I have seen many crew checking their phones while on duty from many different departments.  I know it is not big deal for me but I know it is a no no with their bosses.  I know at home in Canada workers using their phones is an issue – time will tell how it works out.

I decide to get my butt to the gym and find it is rather quiet – maybe 12 people.  I love the gyms on this class of ship.  It is right at the front of the ship and your view when you are on an elliptical or treadmill is of the front of the ship.  It is actually so beautiful it makes me want to visit the gym more often.

Tonight is a formal night and we dress up and head up to Skywalkers for two rounds of our favorite drink here – the Floradora.  Nena is taking care of us and we get to learn more about her.  Kris is also great and so friendly.

We do head down to the Atrium for the Captain’s Welcome Aboard event.  It is busier than last week and we spend only a few minutes before we decide to find somewhere quieter. 

Bernie made reservations for us at Planks tonight for something different.  The cost of Planks is $12 per person.  Here is the menu.

Normally at home we eat very little meat but somehow when we are on board it is a time for us to indulge.  Tonight is one of those nights.

We are sat at a window table where the sun is setting and the clouds seem to dance around the setting sun.  Very beautiful.

I ordered a strawberry mojito that is served in a mason jar.  It was very good and very deadly, can’t have too many of those.

Bread is brought to the table which includes some rolls and some corn bread.  Somehow the cornbread on board always seems so dry to us and not our favorite.  Two different butters – jalapeno honey and pimento cheese and two chipotle meatballs. 

I had to potato soup and Bernie had the salad.  The salad had way too much dressing on it, but this seems to be the norm and we should of remembered to ask for the dressing on the side.  My soup was delicious and as you can see I even forgot to take a picture until half way done.

For the entre you choose four meats and they are served with a side of beans, slaw, potatoes, bread, and pickles. 

The whole meal is served on a big cookie sheet with different items place around it.  This is our plank and we could only eat half of it.  So there is a lot of food served here.

We could not finish our meal so there was no way we could eat dessert.  But to tell you the truth neither dessert option interested me.  But then again I am not a big dessert fan.

We both really want to attend the Production show Bravo at 9:30. We take seats in the front row as usual.  The place is quite busy.

Now here is an issue we have been finding.  A large family takes seats in the second and third rows behind us and they have about 6 children under the age of 15.  The announcement comes that no children under the age of 18 should be in the first three rows.  No one moves and no one comes to say something to them.  Through the whole show the kids fiddle, talk, and kick the seats.  Not once did a parent say that they should behave.  

At 10 pm, with only 15 minutes left of the show another large family arrives and crosses right in front of us in the first row to get to the empty seats on the left.  Really! Then they proceed to talk and take video!

This has been an ongoing issue on this sailing.  Seems this sailing has a lot more large groups and families and many are not behaving very well. 

One family sat right outside the buffet area by the pool and took up two large tables and played their music loudly (even though a movie was being shown on MUTS) and drank and drank.  Again I did not see Princess security deal with them at all I do believe something should o been said as they were disturbing a lot of people and getting intoxicated.

It is sad to see so many passengers acting poorly and parents letting their children act inappropriately.  It seemed like last sailing it was not as bad and ironically there are fewer kids this voyage.

I am really not sure if this is the norm.  Is this the norm for the summer?  Is this the norm for seven day voyages?  All I know is it is not something I like.

Just check out the pools packed with people.

Bernie tells me to breath and I know I can relax and not let it affect my trip!

We have to put our clocks back an hour so we are on the same time as Grand Cayman tomorrow.

We also received our invitation to the Most Travelled Guest Party which is being held on the Costa Maya night. 

Tomorrow is also the Captain Circle Party.  We are surprised it is so early and not on a formal night.  We think we might attend the CC Party this week.