Why do you have to tender to Grand Cayman?

[mcgore83]

Just wondering why there isn't a pier, considering the number of ships docking each week. Can anyone shed light on this subject?

[jleq]

Sandbars/coral reefs encircle the harbor. There is a pier....but the large cruise ships can't navigate the aforementioned items without damaging them

[yst347]

There is no harbor adjacent to Georgetown. It is open water. The swells can be quite large even on clear days.

[joepeka]

On the Conquest last month (because GC was cancelled due to high seas and wind), we asked our dining room waiter (a 25 year Carnival vet) why they didn't build a pier that was adequate for the cruise ships. He told us the same thing: it would cause reef destruction. He also mentioned that the GC government, due to the relative wealth of the island from off shore banking, probably doesn't feel the need to encourage the cruise industry. Of course, that was just the opinion of a cruise ship employee.... ;)

[yst347]

On the Conquest last month (because GC was cancelled due to high seas and wind), we asked our dining room waiter (a 25 year Carnival vet) why they didn't build a pier that was adequate for the cruise ships. He told us the same thing: it would cause reef destruction. He also mentioned that the GC government, due to the relative wealth of the island from off shore banking, probably doesn't feel the need to encourage the cruise industry. Of course, that was just the opinion of a cruise ship employee.... ;)

 

I agree with this view up to a point. The geography of the anchorage off Georgetown isn't conducive to a pier. The high seas and treacherous currents would require the construction of a large breakwater for a pier to be safe. This would have large ramifications for the town and for seven mile beach.

 

A pier could probably be constructed along the south shore where freighter stevedores are now but this would be worse for cruisers as it would make town out of reach by foot. Plus a pier would probably only hold 2 ships making tenders still necessary for other ships.

 

In the end the benefit isn't enough to warrant the expense.

[flynrph]

There is another problem. The sea floor drops off very rapidly. Kinda tough to build a pier in deep water. As people who have done diving there and they will tell you it can drop off into the abyss not very far from shore.:(

[salty dingo]

What more reason would you need?

[zydecocruiser]

A cruise ship pier could be built at Grand Cayman and every once in a while they talk about doing so. All talk was shelved when Ivan destroyed the island. It will probably start again at some point in the future.

 

One of the issues was if a pier was constructed, GC wanted a cruise ship home ported there. I think the east end was where they were talking about for a location.

[RWolver672]

1. It's a shallow water port

2. Think of the impact it would have on the unemployment of the tender companies if they put in a pier.

[L2J]

Because most people can't swim that far!

 

 

Most being the operative word LOL. There was a review posted here a couple years ago where the OP claimed that a woman dove off the tender in GC and swam to shore.

[I Luv Crusin]

1. It's a shallow water port

2. Think of the impact it would have on the unemployment of the tender companies if they put in a pier.

 

Some ships use their own tenders.

 

I too had heard that there was a plan to build a pier at some point but it wouldn't be on the cityside because it would destroy 7 mile beach and the reefs.

[tkportersat]

Our tour guide on the Hell/Turtle/Stingray tour said that Most of the people in Grand Cayman don't really want the Cruise ships coming there anymore.......I guess they don't really need our money.

[bruce-r]

Our tour guide on the Hell/Turtle/Stingray tour said that Most of the people in Grand Cayman don't really want the Cruise ships coming there anymore.......I guess they don't really need our money.

That is more true than you can guess. It isn't all about the money as cruisers typically leave much less on an island visit than do land based visitors. It is more about the terrible traffic and crowds in and around Georgetown when there are a large number of mega-ships in port. If the Cayman government would limit the number of ships that could visit each day, that would make the Grand Cayman experience more enjoyable for everyone, but the cruise lines wouldn't like a limit, so they have successfully lobbied the government to remove the limit. Plus the government, the multinational corporations, and the few powerful individuals that actually do make money from the cruise lines don't really want a limit.

[britishiles]

Some ships use their own tenders.

 

This is true. On Rhapsody of the Seas in GC they lowered a couple of life boats and used those as tenders.