drew sailbum
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Posts posted by drew sailbum
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Boy after checking, it may be better just to grab a taxi to 7 Mile. Add on this add on that fee, can add up...no wonder the citizens pay no taxes, they make all their money on fees!
We don't pay taxes. We pay duties, fees, charges, licensing... a rose by any other name.
The one thing we do get out of is the temporary driver's license fees collected at the rental car counter.
Someone mentioned the cost of gas. Self service price at the pump is currently right about CI$4 per imperial gallon. That is about US$4.30 per US gallon. Use that when evaluating the refueling charge quoted at the rental counter. Last time I rented (when my car was in the shop) the quoted refuel price was not significantly more than retail pump prices.
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There will NOT be taxis waiting at the caves unless you specifically arrange with your driver to wait for you.
The Crystal Caves are located in the district of North Side, between the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park and Rum Point. One way taxi fares would typically be in excess of $50.
The public bus routes do travel past the entrance to the Crystal Caves. Bus frequency is not reliable to this part of the island. Bus fare would be CI$4 (US$5) per person, each way, so US$40 total for your group of four for the round trip. It doesn't cost that much more to rent a car and then you know you would not be standing by the side of the road waiting for a bus to take you back that might not come in time to get you back before your ship departs.
Overall for reliability of transportation you are best off renting a car or taking the ship's excursion. If you are comfortable making your own arrangements then renting a car (and driving on the left side of the road!) would be cheaper.
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with the brand new rule change you'll probably find some nice Cuban cigars ..... if you are into that sort of thing.
We've had real Cuban cigars all along. The difference is that now apparently you will be able to freely and openly bring your Cohibas back into the United States.
And a general note... there is relatively little haggling in Cayman. If you are buying a car or house, sure... but not for every t-shirt, rum cake, and tourist trinket.
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Yes. Pay in cash, US or Cayman dollars, as you get off the bus. Very likely that the bus driver cannot make change in US currency.
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In October Cayman air temps are mid to upper 80's with overnight lows around 80. Water temps are also mid 80s. October brings some of the warmest water of the year.
Water takes a long time to heat up and a long time to give off that heat. So water temperatures trail peak air temp by a couple months.
http://www.holiday-weather.com/grand_cayman/averages/
October is probably the rainiest month, though that is mostly from the occasional tropical wave rather than daily rains.
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Several of the bus routes serve points east and pass the Cayman Islands Brewery (located at 366 Shamrock Rd).
Routes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 should pass the location. To be certain ask the dispatcher at the bus depot (located on Edward St next to the library).
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As you have determined, both Christmas and Boxing Day are public holidays in the Cayman Islands. If either falls on a weekend then the observed date is shifted to a weekday.
Traditionally the groceries are completely closed only on three public holidays, New Years Day, Good Friday and Christmas Day. Other holidays the groceries are open on reduced hours.
As December 25 is a Sunday this year, the Christmas holiday will be observed on Monday December 26. I would expect that all groceries with thus be closed for the day.
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February and March bring the coldest water of the year, dipping to about 78F is not uncommon.
Shallow spots may see a bit warmer water, depending upon how much the wind has been mixing the water lately.
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Not in Grand Cayman. Various such sites are in a few cities in Europe. It has become a bit of a problem in some instances.
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Dive shops in Cayman are quite rigorous in following certifying guidelines from certifying agencies. One limitation is accepted supervision ratios of 4:1, students to instructor, for Discover Scuba Diving.
Certified divers count against that supervision ration when accompanying a student in a Discover Scuba Diving course. Thus many dive shops will not accept certified divers to tag along with a course, particularly if it means refusing a potential student.
Further DSD students are limited to a maximum depth of 40 feet. This limit is strictly followed in Cayman which does limit dive site selection for boat dives. Thus many DSD programs are run from shore.
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The lunch special at Guy Harvey's Caribbean Grill is a great option, though if the special isn't to your liking other menu items can be costly.
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They're at it again. Long time cruisers have hoped for a dock to be built in Grand Cayman to let at least some of the visiting ships avoiding the whole tendering process.
Previous governments have started down this path before only to have plans changed. Thread about previous efforts on the cruise dock project (with links to even earlier efforts!) here.
In the latest effort a contract has been awarded for an engineering firm to produce a design and costing estimates based upon latest criteria developed in accordance with specifications and in line with public feedback.
Speaking with The Cayman Reporter on Thursday (21 July) Deputy Premier Kirkconnell said the civil engineering report is expected to be completed in late third quarter of this year.“So before the end of the year it will be completed,” Mr Kirkconnell said.
However, he declined to state if there will be shovels in the ground for the project before the 24 May, 2017 election.
This is not yet a contract to actually build a dock, but it is a step in the right direction.
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Photo with one or more of our iconic statues downtown:
- Stingray statue in foundtain near Bayshore Mall
- Iguana - many multicolored painted iguana statues scattered around the island
Seaman or Women's Advancement statues - Heroes Square near courthouse
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The Official & Most Excellent 2016 Map of the Cayman Islands (an official government produced tourist map) has started showing up in distribution points around Grand Cayman. And perhaps the most interesting change is to the bus route system.
According to the map:
Some route numbers have changed and service is being expanded to the Rum Point area.
Route 1 - to West Bay via Shedden Road, Eastern Ave, & West Bay Rd
Route 2 - to West Bay via North Church St & West Bay Rd
Route 3 - to West Bay via Elgin Ave & Esterley Tibbetts Hwy
Route 4 - to Hospital Rd via Walkers Rd & Fairbanks Rd
Route 5 - to Owen Roberts Dr via Elgin Ave & Smith Rd
Route 6 - to North Side (Rum Point) via South Sound & EW Arterial
Route 7 - to North Side (Frank Sound) via Crewe Rd & East End
Route 8 - to North Side (Rum Point) via Crewe Rd & Frank Sound
Route 9 - to East End via Crewe Rd & Frank Sound
Route 10- to East End via South Sound, EW Arterial, & Queens Hwy
Route 11- to Frank Sound via South Sound, EE, & Queens Hwy
For some popular tourist destinations:
Turtle Farm, Dolphin Discovery, - Route 1, 2, or 3
Hell - Route 2 or 3
Royal Palms, Marriott Beach Resort - Route 1 or 2
Airport - Route 5
Governor's Beach, Seven Mile Public Beach, Route 1, 2, or 3
SeaGrape, Tiki Beach - Route 1, 2, or 3
Rum Point - Route 6 or 8
In my past experience not every route has been run fully or consistently on every day. As always, ASK the Public Transport officer at the bus depot to be sure you are not waiting for a bus that isn't running that day!
Service tends to be very frequent on routes to West Bay. Less frequent on routes to East End or North Side.
Be cautious if you take a bus to Rum Point. ASK the driver about frequency of service for return transport before you leave the bus depot in George Town. There might not be many buses that go out there!
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Great info. Just wondering what do you think will be more enjoyable for a 7 and 9 yr old kid?
Royal Palms does not permit children of this age to use the pool. The beach and sea are right there but some kids might be upset at not being able to use the pool as well.
If you kids are like that then Seven Mile Beach Public Beach would be a better stop. There is some playground equipment there that they might enjoy. Taxis could drop you off steps away from the beach, though firm footing might not be easy to find.
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Public buses are US$2.50 (CI$2) per person for a one way travel from George Town to Seven Mile Beach or West Bay (Turtle Farm). Payment is in cash, either US or CI currency is fine. Generally US coins are not accepted as widely as US paper currency. Pay when you get off.
Taxis similarly accept US or CI currency.
You can catch a public bus from the depot on Edward Street next to the library, just a few blocks walk from the tender piers. You can catch a taxi directly from the taxi rank at the waterfront near the tender pier, but costs a bit more.
Generally taxis and public buses are large passenger vans and would have sufficient seating for your entire group if you find an empty one.
Usually there are several taxis waiting at the Public beach near Calico Jacks in the afternoon waiting to pick up fares to go back to the port. You can probably find an empty taxi if your entire group is ready to return at the same time.
Or you can waive down a passing public bus returning to town. There might not be enough seats empty to fit your entire group.
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The Cayman Turtle Farm has an aviary in the back part of the park as well as a small nature trail area. She might enjoy seeing a variety of tropical birds including our national bird, the Cayman Parrot.
The pathways in the park are paved so navigating by wheelchair would be possible. The aviary is at the far end of the park from the entrance so using a walker might depend a bit on her stamina.
Note: Entrance to the back part of the park is not included in many tour packages which focus on the turtle tanks at the front of the park. You would need to buy a full park pass (available as the Turtle Adventure Tour on the Cayman Turtle Farm website or at the park itself).
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To add a twist to our trip. I injured my foot (possibly a stress fracture) and it seems possible that I will be traveling in a boot since it currently hurts to even put weight on my foot. If nothing else I will be trying to walk less than I would typically on vacation, and be on stable ground as much as possible. Which beach club would you chose for someone with some walking issues?
Royal Palms has a paved parking lot and most of the premises is a firm concrete surface. Should be relatively stable for persons in a walking cast or boot.
Royal Palms has a pool for use by adults only. There is a proper pool deck so you could easily get poolside before removing a boot and sliding into the water to cool off.
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There is an alternate tendering site on the south shore of the island at Spotts. That site can only handle up to three ships, so some ships might have to pass by even though some can use the alternate site. And it is possible for both the normal location and the alternate to be blown out on the same day.
There are no alternate islands nearby to divert to. If the Cayman stop is cancelled due to weather then you will have an extra day at sea.
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Not one shovel of dirt or bag of cement has been moved in furtherance of building a dock as of yet.
The initial proposal raised considerable concerns about the amount of damage to the marine environment that would result. Government is now evaluating other design options.
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It's not just winds....tides can affect tendering, too...and the direction of the wind.
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Wind direction, yes. ENE 10-20 is a pretty normal day and should present no problem tendering to George Town. Spin that wind direction to WNW and keep it at 10-20 and George Town would be blown out. All the ships would have to move to Spotts.
Tides...:confused: uh... no. Tidal variation in Cayman is minimal and not a factor for tendering. Maximum tidal variation from highest high to lowest low is maybe 2ft over the course of a year.
As to rain... we are coming out of the dry season. Daily rain, heavy at times, is not particularly unusual this time of year. All day rains are more rare and more typical of later in the year.
If you happen to end up in Cayman on one of those all day rains then the National Museum is good for a short while, but best is probably to go with the flow and visit the stingrays. Gonna get wet anyway.
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Drew Sailburn,
How was your experience with Cayman Auto Rentals?
I live here, so my experience is not as a visitor off a cruise ship. However I have rented from Cayman Auto Rentals when my car was in the shop.
Vehicle was clean, comfortable, and everything worked. It was a bit older, IIRC, maybe a 5 year old vehicle at the time? Not really a worry as it got me reliably where I needed to go.
Incidentally Cayman Auto Rentals is located across the street from Cayman Auto Repair. Both are owned by the same guy. I trust him to fix my car and keep it in good running order. Seems he does the same for his rental cars.
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Whoa.
Grocery stores in Cayman are not licensed to sell alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, or liquor. No alcohol at Kirk's, Fosters' or Hurley's supermarkets. Blackbeard's is a liquor store chain and is licensed to sell.
Most gas stations are in a similar situation and do not sell alcohol. A notable exception is the gas station by by Kirk Supermarket which does sell beer.
Many of the liquor stores near the port are duty free shops and not really setup for cash and carry of beer. Notable exception previously referenced by Nic6318 is the Tortuga Liquors store in the Jack and Jill building on Fort Street in George Town.
Yes, you can legally bring a cooler to public areas of the beach and you can have an open container of alcohol there.
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I haven't been to the turtle farm in years, so maybe someone could offer their help there :)
Seagrapes Public Beach is a great family beach. There is a nice playground at that area of the beach, as well as bathrooms, changing rooms and food/ drinks at Calico Jack's, plus vendors like Seymour's Jerk Chicken selling food right on that area of the beach.
That would be Seven Mile Beach Public Beach, not Seagrape.
Taxi to Rum Point?
in Cayman Islands
Posted