Yes, I have been grinding a lot today, too. I am level 9 Notoriety, but only 7 cutlass. So, those guys in the cave keep killing me, even with 3 potions!
I would like to see us be able to set up our own lair, where we can hang with mateys. In VMK, you can buy rooms, furnishings, etc. I would love to decorate a pirate cave. It would be nice to have the lair to work up plans of attacks with other mateys!