Aloha Everyone,
Safety of passengers and crew are of paramount importance. A Category 1 hurricane was the reason given by Captain Ravera of Sapphire Princess to cancel our port of call at Puerto Vallarta and instead head for San Diego, California. This announcement came while we were seated for lunch in the International Dining Room. His usual upbeat voice was replaced by somber no nonsense tone.J.J. and I purchased 24 hours access to use the ship’s WiFi. Cost of $15 for 4 devices is reasonable. Unfortunately, due to the weather, the weak signal limited our access to text messages, phone calls, emails and news but not all of the time.
At the Captain’s Circle Cocktail Party, Captain Ravera related the story of Sapphire Princess and her crews’ challenges during the past 2 1/2 years while the vessel was mothballed. He admitted that current crews are still new to this ship and continuing to improve their technique and services. On this voyage we have less than 2,800 passengers while the ship has a 4,000 capacity.
Shared a table with a couple from Guyana. This was another chance to learn about a new destination. Guyana, as a former British colony, recognizes English as their official language. This means Guyana is the only country in South America where English speaking visitors would have no language barrier.
Aloha -- Cathi