Grand Cayman

[bellaprincess]

Hi Ladies,
I live on the island of Grand Cayman now in the Seven Mile Beach area.

It is prime cruise season here and I see so many tourists daily walking to the beach from the port or paying entrance fees to go to beaches when it is not necessary.

If you have questions about taxis, where to go the beach, or to eat, etc.. please let me know I will do my best to give you my opinion and advice.

[jennylou]

I wish you'd have posted this in early February! :) Our first stop on our cruise was Grand Cayman. We ended up walking around and shopping, then we popped into a restaurant (though, I'd have loved to done local and not a chain!).

[HeatherFL]

bellaprincess, I never knew you lived there! Grand Cayman is so pretty. I haven't been there in years, but I look forward to going back! I enjoyed the touristy stuff-Turtle Farm, Hell, Stingray City-but would love to go back to just enjoy the beaches and local things the island has to offer!

Thanks for starting this thread. :)

~H.

[bellaprincess]

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for the positive feedback.
I used to live in Orlando, but I moved here in January.

One random tip I will give..... do not under any circumstance waste your time or money going to "Hell." It is a tourist trap, it is a waste of money, and not worth anyone's time. All it is a a very small formation of rocks with a post office basically located in a backyard.

[HeatherFL]

You are right! But I have to admit, it was kind of neat to see. :o

[AHammer]

First off, thanks for the offer to give advice! I'll be stopping there on a cruise in July --

we were thinking about doing the atlantis submarine deal, which is pretty short (1.5 hrs) and then maybe spending a few hours at a beach or shopping somewhere. Since you mentioned people get trapped into paying to go to the beach, what's your recommendation for avoiding that? (oh, and if you've heard any stories about whether the submarine trip is worth it, i'd love to know!)

[bellaprincess]

AHammer: I did the Atlantis Sub with my parents when we came here on a cruise in 2000. I felt it was a huge disappointment, but maybe we just went on a bad day because we saw very few fish.

If you want to see fish or marine life, I would suggest a snorkeling excursion or even bringing your own gear and walking from the port to Paradise Cafe at Eden Rock ( almost across the street from the Hard Rock Cafe or a little further down). The snorkeling there is fabulous, free, and you literally just walk down the stone steps into the water. If you want to leave your stuff at table at Paradise Cafe, you will have to buy a drink or some food from them.

I personally think the best beach on Seven Mile is the public beach across from the Marriott Courtyards and next to Calico Jack's ( CJ's). There are public buses in Grand Cayman that are nothing more than minivans with a circular number sticker in some color indicating they are a bus and they will honk at you to see if you need to be picked up. It costs $2.50 USD / $2.00 CI to ride the bus one way and just tell the driver to leave you at the public beach next to Calico Jack's. Always make sure to ask the rate before you get in. You can easily catch the bus to go back the same way.

I don't lay out and don't use beach chairs or chaise loungers, so I am not much help there. I leave my things under a little hut or on a towel on the beach if all the huts are taken. You can rent chairs at CJ's, but I am not sure of the cost. If you have your mind set on using hotel facilities, then walk on the beach towards the left and the Westin Hotel is right there. They have chairs rentals also, but again I don't know the cost.

Hope that helps!

[AHammer]

bella, thank you for the information!! we'll skip the sub tour, glad we didn't book it already. we'll look into doing a snorkeling tour instead! :)

[cjones15]

I just booked a cruice for Oct 7. Grand Caymen is our last port. What is the weather like then? I am dying to go parasailing. Could you recommend a good place? We are booking all of our excursions on our own to save money. Also, are there any local places you suggest to eat? Thanks for all your help!

[Chimichanga]

My mom, sister, two aunts and I will be going to Grand Caymen the last week in August. Girls week away! :D

We're going for more of a relaxing vacation, but my mom and I love to snorkel. We'll definitely try the beach you recommended. but any other activities/places to snorkel would be great!

We're for sure doing Stingray City (I missed it the last time we were in the Caymans). My sister would possibly like to snuba (snorkel/scuba combo) - are there any places to do that? She had gotten her scuba 2 week certification the last time we were down there, but let it lapse.

TIA!! :D

[bellaprincess]

CJones15: I just moved here in January, so I am not sure how the weather is in October. Sorry!

I haven't gone parasailing or done any kind of watersport since I have been here, but the company that has been recommended to me is Red Sail Sports.
I believe they have several locations around the island, including one at the Hyatt on Seven Mile Beach. Here is their website:
http://www.redsailcayman.com/gc_index.html

As for restaurants...is there anything specific you are looking for? I personally love Senor Frogs in Georgetown and find myself craving their chicken enchiladas, salsa and chips and BBC ( a frozen alcoholic drink with Bailey's and banana in it) when I haven't gone in a few weeks. It is almost across the street from the port also.

The island is very cosmopolitan, so although I have heard there are places you can get the traditional jerk chicken and local fare, I have never been to any of them and the ones I have been told about are not close to Seven Mile. If you like gyro/kebab/schwarma, there is a place in the Marquee Plaza in Seven Mile Beach that has beef wraps to die for , but they only accept cash.

There is also a place called Hammerheads, as well as another called Racums that are in Georgetown and are right on the water that serve burgers, sandwiches, and fresh fish with great views of the port and cruise ships.

If you are thinking of venturing out to Rum Point ( absolutely gorgeous and so worth it!), then the cafe there has very good burgers and sandwiches and rum punch.

[bellaprincess]

Chimichanga: You are going to have a great vacation here!

I have never heard of snuba and don't remember seeing any advertisments anywhere for it here. It sounds like fun thought! You should probably contact Red Sail Sports and ask them if they do it or if they can recommend someone reputable who does.

http://www.redsailcayman.com/gc_index.html

[Chimichanga]

bellaprincess - we just got our confirmation for Grand Cayman! Yay!!

Are there any spas that you would recommend? We're looking for a relaxing vacation (just us girls!). We're also checking out Red Sail (thanks!!) as we do plan to do a lot of snorkeling, but just some relaxing too.

[rosa727]

Are there any really cool hotels or resorts you could recommend? We are trying to pick a tropical locale for a trip in the fall, and the Cayman Islands are one spot we were considering.

Also, I know it would be hurricane season, but we usually just chance it and go to the Caribbean then anyway. But is the weather OK in October/November?

TIA!

[Chimichanga]

rosa - not Bellaprincess, but my family vacationed on Cayman Brac in November one year. The weather was warm, but the first week was overcast. The second week was sunny. There was a hurricane hitting somewhere the first week, which caused the less than picturesque weather. But, it cleared up quickly.

[rosa727]

Chimichanga: Thanks for the info!

[bellaprincess]

Chimichanga Yay for getting confirmation!
I lived next to a spa this past semester called Bodyworks and many of my female classmates visited and only had good things to say about their services.
Here is their website:
http://www.bodyworkscayman.com/

Of course, their is the spa at the Ritz but I don't know anyone who went since it is super pricey. :)

Rosa: I answered your question in your journal, but in case you didn't see it I will answer here also. Unfortunately, I don't know about the weather in Grand Cayman in the fall since I have only been living there since January of this year and prior to that in Florida for many years.

The coolest resort on the island is the Ritz Carlton Seven Mile Beach. It is beautiful and of course, the beach is lovely and the Caymans have the finest diving and snorkeling in the world.

[bellaprincess]

I hope the weather here improves for those of you planning a trip here in the next month or so.

When I moved in January up until I went back home in April, it was beautiful and rained less than 5 days total. Of course, Jan-April is the "high"season and more expensive then usual here.

Ever since I got back the 2nd week in May, it has been raining everyday ( all day) with unbearable humidity( and I am a native Floridian) and constant gray skies. I would suggest bringing umbrellas and a rain type jacket and looking for alternative activites to the beach, such as the Turtle Farm, in the event you get rained out at the beach.

[diam124]

Bumping this up -DH and I are considering a trip to Grand Cayman in the Spring. I visited once before on a cruise stop and thought it was gorgeous. Bellaprincess - is the Marriott Courtyard nice and in a nice area? We're thinking about using points there or at the Marriott resort. We'd have to pay for 1 night at the Marriott resort - do you think it's worth it?

[bellaprincess]

Hi Diam,
Yay for Grand Cayman in the spring! Anytime from now until April is the best time to go weather-wise.

I live almost right next door to the Marriott resort on Seven Mile Beach and I would recommend staying there. It is in the heart of Seven Mile and there are lots of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs within walking distance. Plus, the resort is directly on the beach.

The Marriott Courtyards is ok. My parents stayed there last January when they came down to help me get settled in. It is at the very end of Seven Mile Beach and practically in an area called West Bay. The hotel itself has a restaurant in the lobby and there is a beach bar/cafe across the street at the public beach, but otherwise it there isn't anything else within walking distance. The hotel is across the street from the beach and the public beach is a few feet down from the Courtyards beach. That area of the beach has very few rocks when you go down to get into the water and that is pretty much the only plus I would give it.

I think you may be better off at the Marriott resort and just bringing some water shoes for when you step into the ocean or picking some up on the island at the supermarket.
Let me know if you go and I can give you lots of tips on where to eat and go out at night, and maybe meet up with for a drink or to say hello!

[kmfroggi]

i am so excited i found this thread! we are doing a cruise in april and grand caymen is one of our stops. we are super excited cause Kaymen is our daughters name too!

no i jsut read that someone said grand caymen has the best snorkeling, i heard cuzumel, Mexico does. we were gonna leave the baby on the boat at the one port where we were gonna go snorkeling, now i dont know where we should go?

[BeachBum]

We are stopping in GC for our cruise at the end of the month. We are traveling with our 2 yr old.
I was wondering if the turtle farm is something we can do on our own, and decide about once we get there? Or do I need to plan/ reserve now?

Also, bellaprincess if you are still reading....
Any lunch spot recommendations?

[diam124]

I just saw this was bumped up - thanks for your response BellaPrincess! Our plans are on hold at the moment, but I looked around online and I think the resort is definitely our best bet. I'll stop back if we do end up going.

[bellaprincess]

kmfroggi: I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise! The snorkeling is world famous in Grand Cayman, but I have never snorkeled in Cozumel.

I very highly recommend the Xcaret excursion when you go to Cozumel.
I am pretty certain most of the major cruise lines offer that tour for Cozumel. I loved Xcaret and just really enjoyed my day there.
Here is the website : http://www.xcaret.com/

Beachbum: The weather is fantastic now and it hasn't rained at all or been cloudy since I got back to the island almost 2 weeks ago.

I was not impressed with the turtle farm. My brother came to visit me in October and being a "local" with my own car, we went and walked around the turtle farm area. We just bought the special resident's rate ticket for the turtle farm since we weren't interested in swimming in their man made lagoon. We were in and out of there in 45 minutes.
http://www.boatswainsbeach.ky/

Have you considered renting a car for the day? You get used to driving on the opposite side very quickly and it is so much more natural to have the wheel on the right. Just tell yourself " stay left " lol.

I went to dinner last night at Guy Harvey's Island Grill in Georgetown. It was wonderful and right in the port area overlooking the water. It is just past the Hard Rock Cafe, next to the Harley Davidson store. I would recommend getting a table on the terrace because the view is great. I had the lobster bisque and main course portion of crab cakes and they were great. My friends had the mahi-mahi with mango salsa and raved about that as well. Here is the website : http://www.harveysgrill.com/

The other place I would recommend is Breezes by the Bay. It is also right in the port area and just past Margaritaville, but before the Hard Rock Cafe. They have views of the water as well. Here is a link to a site with their menu :
http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/restaurants_menu.asp?restaurantID=12&menu_headingID=85

Diam: Thanks for bumping the thread! If you do decide to visit, just let me know if you need any more info.

[daener]

diam124 -- we stayed at the Marriott resort during our trip to GC a year ago and it was wonderful! I highly recommend it. The rooms were gorgeous, the resort is on the beach and the concierge can help you make any tourist arrangements you desire (I recommend swimming with the stingrays!). We plan to return and stay at the Marriott resort again later this year.

[Chimichanga]

kmfroggi - an idea for something fun might be Stingray City. The snorkeling around there isn't fantastic (nice but nothing spectacular) but the opportunity to swim with sting rays is pretty amazing! We did this during our August trip and had a blast!

Some people leave from Rum Point (quite a distance from where the ships dock though) but we left from the side of the island where the ships are. We went through a local company for $25 CI (others were $40-50 CI). We stopped at a sandbar for some snorkeling and it was okay. but, we did go in August in the middle of a hot/rainy day.

After that we went to the sand bar where the sting rays congregate. We were the only boat there that day, so that was really nice. I've got some pictures in my journal; I'm having trouble accessing photobucket today.

[diam124]

Bumping this up because we are (again) considering a short trip to Grand Cayman in early April. There are 2 things that concern me about the Marriott resort - I read that there is construction next door and sometimes the beach is almost nonexistant. Bellaprincess - are there larger parts of the beach within easy walking distance of the Marriott? We prefer the beach to the pool when we're on vacation.

[Chimichanga]

We ate lunch on the beach by the Marriott... and there was very little beach. I'd say maybe 15 feet... I didn't see any more beach further down, but we really didn't look.

Late reply, but here are some pictures from Stingray City:
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/jenmathe/Grand%20Cayman%202007/P8290039.jpg
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/jenmathe/Grand%20Cayman%202007/P8290022.jpg

[bellaprincess]

Cute pics Chimichanga! I still haven't made it out to Stingray City yet... I don't know if I will be able to get out of the boat once I am there. We'll see this weekend as I have family coming to visit and they may want to go there.

Hi Diam,
I am not sure about the construction at the Marriott b/c sadly I live on 7 Mile Beach, but don't go to the beach too often. 7 Mile Beach extends for miles and even if the beach is narrow at the Marriott, you would just have to walk down the beach 5 minutes to the right to the Reef Grill (I live in one of the condo complexes very very close to Reef Grill) and the beach is wide and beautiful.

My parents were going to stay at the Marriott Resort this week, but will now be staying at the Marriott Courtyards for half the amount of points they would have used at the resort. They are renting a car because I won't be available some days and you really need a car if you are staying out at the Courtyards.

These pictures are from September. If you look at the picture with the yellow building to the left, that is looking towards the Marriott.

http://aycu29.webshots.com/image/44148/2000630247204807696_rs.jpg

If you look towards the beach chairs to the right, that is the Reef Grill and my backyard lol.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/47930/2000617798952685943_rs.jpg


More restaurant recs:
BED at Treasure Island on 7 Mile Beach is fabulous. I am having my bday dinner there b/c I love it so much. It is pricey though ( like everything in Cayman) and dinner for 1 person will easily set you back about 30-40 CI without an alcoholic drink.

Prime Brazilian Steakhouse at Governor's Square across from the Westin is also highly recommended. It is rodizio style and they have a buffet with side items and bring around skewers of meat to the table. That is $45 CI per person for dinner and includes the buffet and meat, but not a drink.

If you want to eat something fast, delicious and cheap, then stop at the gas station next to the Burger King on Seven Mile Beach and grab 2 hot freshly baked Jamaican patties ( $3 CI for 2 ) from their store. I highly recommend the chicken ( curried) ones, they are the ones with the orange/reddish stamp on the patty. The beef ones are pretty good too, but I prefer the chicken ones more.

[KMarie]

Hi everyone,

The Cayman Islands look so gorgeous ... my husband and I are considering going for our anniversary in late September. Does anyone know if that's a good time of year to go? I'm concerned because I know it's hurricane season. Is it rainy then? Is it humid that time of year? Thanks for your thoughts!

[Chimichanga]

You are on an island, so it's fairly humid pretty much all year. :) There's always a chance of rain during hurricane season. When we went in November when I was in HS, the first week was cloudy and rainy. Still warm and we still did swim, but not sunny. Then the second week was just beautiful; exactly what you'd expect.

[bellaprincess]

Hi Kmarie,
I have lived here on Grand Cayman the last 14 ( almost 15!) months.

There is certainly a difference in weather during the year. It is warm to boiling hot year round, but there are major differences in humidity and rainy days depending on the time of year you plan on visiting.

We are currently at the end of the dry ( high tourist) season here on the island. January through April is absolutely the best time to visit as there is very low humidity and almost no rainy days. The evening can be nice and breezy during this time. It is totally paradise here during this dry season and the weather is so lovely and pleasant. It is also the most expensive and most crowded time of the year to visit. Cayman is expensive compared to American prices, but it is more so during the high tourist season.

The weather in September is very humid. It is also very hot in September and the rainy and overcast days increase compared to right now. It is still beautiful though and unless there is a hurricane headed this way, I say come and visit Cayman!

Please PM me if you have anymore questions.

[KMarie]

Thanks, Bellaprincess and Chimichanga. We live on the West Coast, so we usually go to Hawaii since it's closer, but I've been wanting to try something new. With all the rain we get here, though, I think I might want to save the Caymans for the dry season.