Day 3 - Grand Cayman

Sometimes I think this blog is a bit boring. Reading through it, it tends to focus on what my daily menu was and a round up of trivia and me raving about how wonderful things are. I'm gong to change that up a bit today. Now before I get into today I want to say. I'm having a great time and I firmly believe that the worst day spent on a Cruise is better than a good day during my work-a-day life. However, as this is a diary for me to remember what this vacation I want to be accurate. For those who read this - I little drama and tension may make it more interesting so here it goews.

Today we were at Grand Cayman Island. Grand Cayman is a tender port, which means that there is no dock large enough to handle the ship, so the ship anchors in the harbor and small boats ferry the passengers from the ship to the dock. Tender ports tend to limit flexibility about going out to port and back to the ship and out again because each round trip is a bit of a hassle. That being said the plan today was to have a nice breakfast on the ship and then tender into port around 10:00 as I had an excursion booked for 10:50. In the beginning the plan went great. Since I wouldn’t be back on ship until 2:00 pm I had a nice breakfast. I was up early enough that I was finished eating before 9:30 am. Princess handles tendering very well. Instead of making people stand in line, passengers report to one of the dining rooms where you get a numbered ticket and relax in the dining room while you wait to be called. By the time I got to the dining room at about 9:40 most people had already gotten ashore so my number was called very quickly. I hardly got to open my book. I got on the tender craft with no trouble and it took about 10-15 minutes to get to shore – So far , so good.

When I get to shore I walk around the port area. I look in some jewelry shops. I think I would like a bracelet to match the ring I bought last year. No luck finding anything at this point but no worries. There's not a whole lote to do right around the port so I go and sit in one of the tents out of the sun and wait for my excursion to be called. The excursion is to swim with stingrays on a sandar and then a reef snorkel. While waiting I meet this really nice family from California. WE chat, the daughters are hilarious so the time goes pretty fast. Soon it's 10:50....then 11:00...abiout 11:10 some one announces that our excursion is being delayed. It will take at least another 30 minute before we will be ready to go. Wah wah waaah. The good news is that due to the delay they will give us a 20% discount OR we can cancel and get a full refund. At the same time there is an independent tour company hawking the same itinerary which will leave in the next 5 minutes at a cost of $45 – discounted to $40 because it's getting so late. Hmmmmm choices Do I go on the original tour discounted from $69 now to $55? Do I cancel and go on the independent tour? Or do I cancel and go sit by the pool and read and work on my tan. I feel like Indiana Jones picking the Holy Grail with the Knight Templar beside me saying “Choose Wisely”

Since option three is what I plan on doing tomorrow its out. I choose to go now with the independent firm and save $15 and hope that they get me back to the port before the ship leaves. The bus ride to the boat is uneventful and we get on the boat which is pretty much a platform with benches and a canopy and railings. Everything seems to be going well big smiles all around when about half way to the sand bar one of the engines goes out and we put put the rest of the way there. Now I'm thinking we wont get back to the ship in time and the ghost of the Knight Templar is saying “You chose poorly”

The boat we took to the sandbar

We finally get to the sandbar and jump out of the boat and the stingrays come around – did I say they have buckets of calamari to feed them? They come right up to you and I got to pet several one even swam between my legs – they varied in size from about a dinner plate to about 5 feet across. It was a great time “You chose wisely”

Got back on the boat. Both engines are working – Hooray!! Did a little snorkeling and then back to the bus and the port with a half hour to spare. Back on the ship by 3:00 and famished and thirsty had a late lunch.

Had a great evening of dinner – Surf and Turf with a perfect medium rare filet - yum. Rock and roll trivia 50s and 60s edition. Some dancing at a sock hop and a magician. So the day ends happily ever after. Just goes to show that even when you have a set back or two you can still have a great day.