1st Timer: Nativeway w/Rum Point; Capt. Marvins w/o Rum point?

[redfish1]

Having a tough time deciding. Read great things about both, but Capt. Marvin's does not go to Rum Point. Somebody said Capt. Marvin can drop you off at 7-mile beach, but that probably isn't a nice/"secluded" as Rum Point, right? Both go see the Stingrams and snorkel at a reef.

Also, the Capt. Marvin trip can include an added trip to Hell and the Turtle Farm.

Given those choices, any suggestions? Part of me is also concerned about being in the sun that long on the Nativeway tour. Can you get out of the sun on the Nativeway boat or at Rum Point?

 

Thanks for any suggestions!:)

[dianfarmer]

I checked all the excursions listed with my cruise and none of them incl Rum Point. It sounds like a great place to go but how would you get there?

[twinkletoes4445]

Well, Rum Point is really nice. There are lots and lots of trees and it is beautiful. They have a nice gift shop, restooms/shower area, restraunt, volleyball, hammocks (although I don't know how many), and Red Sail operates out of there...

 

That said...the place was packed the day we were there. Granted, we drove (it's about 45 minutes each way from George Town) and didn't get there until around one, but there were tons of local plates in the parking lot (they are a different color). There was at least one boat with 30 people there, so there wasn't a chair to be had.

 

I've read where people have gone there and it wasn't crowded. The day we were there, it was a Monday or Tuesday, wasn't a holiday, and there weren't that many ships in port. We did have a nice time, but because we couldn't find a chair, we ended up leaving.

 

Sea Grape looks nice...not as many trees, but they offer food, chair rental, restrooms, and Red Sail also operates out of there also. I'm sure it also gets crowded, but having not been there, I don't know how crowded it can get. We drove past many times, and there were always cabs lined up...which would make it easy to get back to the port area.

 

If you are looking for shade, Rum Point seemed to have a lot of that. I think both places would be nice. Both places have the chance of being crowded, especially since GC is allowing so many ships in port these days.

 

Personally, we've done the Hell and turtle farm thing a couple of times, and I'd pick a beach over both. But that's just my opinion. The only reason we did Hell and the farm the second time was because we were there for a week and had the extra time.

 

Whatever you end up doing...have a great time! :)

[redfish1]

Thanks, Twinkletoes! Good info. Guess we can always lay our towel down on the sand, under a tree, which will work for me! There are 3 ships in port at the time we're going, so maybe it won't be too packed.

 

Wonder what 7 mile Beach is like? I know that Capt. Marvin's will drop you off there too.

 

Dian: You can get to Rum Point by taking the Nativeway tour. They have a website.

[redfish1]

What do they do? Take you out to snorkel?

[twinkletoes4445]

redfish1....

 

We've always used Captain Marvin's (and we're going to use them again next January when we are there), but I have to say, the Nativeway Snorkel and Rum Point trip really looks interesting. We'll have a car, so we'll just drive over that way, but it is really a nice place. It's much more tropical than the 7MB area...at least IMO.

 

Three ships in port is nice...it won't be too crowded on 7MB. The first time we were there we were on a ship, and there was only one other ship in port. It was like we had the place to ourselves. When we were there last Janaury, there were a couple of days that there were nine ships in port. Talk about a zoo!

 

You could always put your towel on the sand, but I would suspect that you'd get to Rum Point much earlier than we did, and most likely get a chair.

 

I think you'll have a good time at either place, but Rum Point it prettier, IMO. We ate at the restaurant there...I think it's call The Reef...and the food was good. They have this white dock that goes out on the water...which is fun. We walked out and looked at the fishies. We liked that side of the island much more than the Geroge Town-7MB beach area. It's much more "islandy" and quiet. But Sea Grape is also a popular spot... :)

[mill231]

We did the Nativeway tour last year. You go swimming with the rays, then snorkel for a little while and then they take you to rum point. ON the way there they give you the choice of about 3 different menu items. The meal was included in the price I believe. We had fish and chips and they were good. When we were there it wasn't very crowded and that was in June. The water was nice and clear and we layed in hammocks there for a while after lunch. We left there like around maybe 2, so it could have gotten more crowded after that.

We enjoyed the swimming with the rays and the snorkeling a lot. There are 2 different choices 1. with rum point and 1 without. We decided that the rum point part was pretty spendy considering you are only there for maybe 1 1/2 hours maybe 2 hours and part of that time you are paying to eat when you can eat on the ship for free. If you are really into the beach thing then you might want to do the rum point part. It was nice and clean there.

[mill231]

I was just looking on Native ways site and it is $35 for the tour to see the sting rays and snorkel which is a 2 1/2 hour tour, or $60 to add the rum point, which is a 5 hour tour. Part of that extra 2 1/2 hours is getting to Rum Point and back and eating lunch there.

They also have one that includes an island tour for $45 that lasts 4 hours.

 

I was just looking bacause we are going to Grand Cayman in May with our teenagers. I don't think we'll pay $100 extra for lunch and a couple of hours on the beach, but it may be worth it to you.

 

One thing I would like to add is the boat that you go in is small so they only take 25 people at once and they really let you interact a lot with the rays. They bring along food and let you feed them a little and they catch them and let you play with them a lot. It's really cool. The big cruise ship excur. looked like a huge mob of people and very few rays. We had way more than our share. We probably had like 5 rays in our group most of the time while those big groups were sharing that many. Because you are a small group you get there while the rays are still hungry and once they came by our boat they stuck around us. Our guides were great.

[cruise.freak]

We did the tour with Nativeway, Rays, Reef and Rum Point and loved it. Rom Point is so worth going to. One of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen. Lots of shade if needed. Nativeway was really great.

[redfish1]

Thanks, everybody! All of you are so nice to respond, even though I'm sure these questions have been asked a million times or more!

I think I would regret not going to Rum Point, especially since I don't plan to do the "beach" thing at Cozumel (but will do some snorkeling there).

[jmo1]

Thanks, Twinkletoes! Good info. Guess we can always lay our towel down on the sand, under a tree, which will work for me! There are 3 ships in port at the time we're going, so maybe it won't be too packed.

 

Wonder what 7 mile Beach is like? I know that Capt. Marvin's will drop you off there too.

 

Dian: You can get to Rum Point by taking the Nativeway tour. They have a website.

Seven Mile Beach is not crowded except at the popular spots that cruise passengers are usually dropped off at, like Sea Grapes (mid-beach across the street from the Holiday Inn), and in front of the large resorts on the east end. You can fit a lot of people on seven miles of beach. There is a very nice secluded beach a little farther west that the locals refer to as Cemetery Beach (you walk beside the cemetery to the beach). Capt Marvin's will likely drop you off at Sea Grapes, at which point you could get a taxi for a few $ to Cemetery Beach and arrange for the taxi driver to pick you up a designated time to go back to the peir.

[twinkletoes4445]

Cemetery Beach is great...but there aren't any services there (food, restrooms, chairs-which may or may not matter to you), but it is certainly another option. I completely forgot about CB... :)

[debshomespun]

We did the Nativeways rays reef and rum point in May/05. It is so worth the trip to Rum Point. When we were back in Grand Cayman in 9/05, we rented a car and drove over to Rum Point beach. It definitely is not to be missed, as it is one of the most gorgeous beaches in the caribbean. Also, the fish & chips is the best! They are a little pricy, but well worth it! It is a very cozy quaint friendly beach