BamaVol

Dinesh at the Wheelhouse has been my go-to. But no bananas in an edible state. Good for making drinks.

They were on hand today at the Good Spirits bar but looked pretty rough. I was looking for a banana at the International Cafe. Lots on hand the first 5-6 days. Replaced with unripe peaches for the remainder of the cruise. Day 10 tomorrow and I don’t expect to find one.

The bananas disappeared sometime after day 5. The lady seated next to me in the Wheelhouse bar last night said they don’t keep. I expect they were turned into banana bread after that. I just found it ironic that we sailed out of Costa Rica the following day, where we had taken an excursion to a banana plantation.

It is still the Patter on the TV screen in my cabin.

it also pays for drinks. And without anyone touching it, like a keycard. Less chance for sharing germs. I had my share of difficulties pre cruise. But once on board, it has worked flawlessly.

Mrs BV ordered the strip loin last night. She finished it but it was tough as shoe leather. My specially prepared rockfish was excellent.

People complain about the Medallion app, not the medallion device. The device works fine. They are two separate things. You can avoid using the app. You can also ask for a keycard instead of the medallion, or so I’m told. But I’m surprised you haven’t asked for a brass key for your cabin door.

Docked in Cartagena thus morning. A bit slow but usable.

Speed Test Master.

I’m puzzled. The medallion works like a key card. But has a little additional functionality. What about it bothers you?

It’s been loads of fun. DW did yoga, line dancing and Zumba in one day, made a few friends. The gym hasn’t been crowded. Food has been well beyond expectations. Two Tommy’s have provided great music. One is a Scottish piano player, the other is an Irish folk singer. One or the other fills Crooners lounge to beyond capacity every night. We missed the first show because dinner took over two hours. That has been the only disappointment. Haven’t cone close to the 15 drink Plus limit. But it’s still early - 7 days to go.

They delayed boarding of our 3/2 sailing on the Caribbean due to noro on the previous cruise. I have seen no evidence of it yet. Nor do I wish to.

It matches our Day 3 (last night) menu on the Caribbean.

I’m on my first Princess cruise so can’t compare. I have been pleased but all my dinners are prepared especially for me. I will say the portions are quite modest and I applaud Princess for reducing food waste. I’ve always been offered more after cleaning my plate. They appear genuinely disappointed that I don’t order dessert.

I haven’t seen the desserts but there were 5 employees behind the counter at Coffee and Cones when I walked by and a very short line.

Embarkation port and timing. I finished a massive project 2/28 and needed to get out of Dodge quickly thereafter. Ft Lauderdale is a 250 mile drive and the Caribbean was sailing on 3/2.

Day 4 on the Caribbean and we’ve had no issues. Mostly email, text and Google. The speed doesn’t show as much, but everything works. Just a little slower than home. The lag on phone calls is annoying though.

Wish I could have taken a picture from the table next to me on day 2. The lady had multiple food sensitivities, so she told us, and it was made special. I bet that slice of lasagna weighed a couple pounds. It appeared to be loaded with cheese but lightly sauced.

Day 4 on the Caribbean. We have been eating in the Palm each night. Our times have varied. There has been a line until last night even with reservations but it moves swiftly. We ask for a two top and get one by the window. Tables are close but not uncomfortably so. I tend to engage with strangers. But once the food arrives, it gets my full attention. At no time have we seen the MDR completely full. That might be due to selecting the “hidden” MDR.