Need Help Planning a Day

[just4steven]

Hello,

 

First time cruiser and this will be our first time on Grand Cayman. We are looking for a "land and sea" tour. We are on Carnival and looking through their excursions it looks like they are either all sea based or all land based, um, if there was one that combined the two we really did not have an interest in the activities.

 

I just found something on shoretrips.com that is just about 100% absolutely perfect of what we would want to do. It hits stingray city and that is the only sea based thing, then it sounds like you get a quick tour of hell, the turtle farm, 7 mile beach with some time left over to check out George Town if you want.

 

Again, that is pretty much 100% perfect for us, so I guess my question is, is there any other way or a better way to do this other than using shoretrips? I don't have a problem at all using them, it is just I did some searching and could not find anything else that included this variety and was wondering if anyone knew of other companies that did this, or does it seem like something a first time cruiser should attempt to put together themselves using multiple operations/transportation? We are in port from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. if that helps.

 

THANKS!

[Capt_BJ]

I'd watch out for trying to do too much ... I suspect your visits to hell, the turtle farm, 7 mile beach are going to be little more than drivebys . . . esp t'farm which has it's own admission fee.

 

I'd say do the stingray thing then roll lunch on your own to either Paradise Grill or Guy Harvey's downtown followed by some shopping. All this is in the area of the tender landings.

[cb at sea]

The beach is easy to do on your own...and shopping is just across from the tender port....you don't need an excursion to do those things!

 

I'd try to book something early for either the T. farm and/or Hell, if those are "must dos' for you....then head to the beach on your own!

 

A guidebook from your library on your ports will be most helpful to you! You'll find that you really don't need to pay someone to do the things you want to do!

[OCruisers]

Agree with "Don't try to book too much" ....

 

By booking too much ... you can feel rushed and never enjoy anything fully. :o

 

LuLu

~~~~~

[just4steven]

Thank you everyone, so other than the jet ski tours (my other half can't do that), does anyone know of anything "quick" to just hit the stingray sandbar and then we are done and can do our own thing? I saw the jet ski tour was quick and done in about 2 hours, but my other half can't handle that, lol.

[micmacmissy]

This looks wonderful:

 

http://www.stingraysailing.com

[Lindancer]

Haven't been in years but will be going soon too, only because it is one of our cruise stops. Last time I was there I was totally unimpressed. Way Way Expensive, even just for a beer downtown. Someone I know just came back from a week there and he will never go again. Course he is a drinker but $35 for a 12-pack of beer kind of ruined his attitude. Whatever cruise you're on, I think the other stops will be more interesting. Unless you have money to put into one of their "off-shore" accounts..............The sting rays have all they have going for them, and once you've done that, well, you've been there. I do hear the scuba is good there, though.

[Capt_BJ]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I would not say you are wrong

 

On the other hand, I do not have to agree and having visited a large number of the islands during my years of service in the Carib', my opinion is:

 

Cayman is the one island I have returned to over and over again on my $$. First visit was in the early 80's and most recent visit was just this past March. I've taken many week long trips (Sunset House always) for diving. Ready to go back right now!

 

Are prices high - you betcha for food and drink ... but you can dive and get a room at competitive prices. This place enjoys a very high standard of living ... we pay a price for that - just like you would in NYC.

 

On the other hand I have never seen a pan-handler or someone asking for spare change, or a dirty child, or some one peddling on the street, or been approached to buy drugs, or been afraid to walk the streets at night, or afraid to drink the water . . . . Not something I can say about most other Carib' islands I've visited.

 

BTW buried in the paper today was a small article that the Caymans have agreed to turn over banking information to the US / IRS. I'll be watching for changes on the island . . . .

Edited November 30, 2013 by Capt_BJ

[Capt_BJ]

too late to edit my post ....

 

here's what the paper says:

 

"The US Department of Treasury said in a statement Friday that the Cayman Islands will share tax information about US account holders with the US IRS."

 

here's the full deal

http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2226.aspx

 

U.S. Signs Historic Agreements With Cayman Islands, Costa Rica To Fight Offshore Tax Evasion

 

11/29/2013 Page Content

Bilateral Pacts Represent First FATCA Agreements in the Caribbean and Central America

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the United States has signed intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the Cayman Islands and Costa Rica this week to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). FATCA is rapidly becoming the global model for combating offshore tax evasion and promoting transparency.

 

"Today's announcement marks a milestone in the effort to promote global tax transparency," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs Robert B. Stack. "These agreements underscore growing international cooperation in the effort to end tax evasion everywhere."

 

FATCA, enacted in 2010, seeks to obtain information on accounts held by U.S. taxpayers in other countries. It requires U.S. financial institutions to withhold a portion of payments made to foreign financial institutions (FFIs) that do not agree to identify and report information on U.S. account holders. FFIs have the option of entering into agreements directly with the IRS, or through one of two alternative Model IGAs signed by their home country.

 

Signed this morning, the Cayman Islands IGA is a Model 1B agreement, meaning that FFIs in the Cayman Islands will be required to report tax information about U.S. account holders directly to the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority, which is the sole channel in the Cayman Islands for the provision of tax-related information to other governments. The Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority will in turn relay that information to the IRS. Additionally, the United States and the Cayman Islands also signed a new Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA), to take the place of the original TIEA signed in 2001.