Grand Cayman : Compiled info : beaches, transport, snorkling, interesting facts, etc

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

Thanks WarmWaters and everyone else who contributed all the time and effort for our benefit.

 

Because we're all cruise critters and we're all here for the same reason, it's our pleasure to help newbies and others who are looking for advice and tips. Hopefully you'll pass them along and we will have more educated folks in our community.

 

Our next cruise is to Belize and we'd love to get info on either tubing or snorkling. Anyone have any tips for us?

[lauriden]

Anybody have some advice on Dolphin Discovery... how to get there from a Carnival ship, without purchasing an excursion?

[ntallwhowndrRlst]

Hi! weebles (I believe your name is Vicki) said to check out that native way website and I did.. and it seems great! Now my only question is: Stingray, Coral Gardens, and Starfish....or the rays, reef, and rum point? Basically, I would LOOOOOVE to see starfish and I'm really asking if you think this tour will be just as good (professional, efficient, etc) as the other. It's run by the same company so I was hoping it would be, but I thought I'd ask in case you have been on it and have some insider knowledge about a vast difference. It is a bit shorter and doesn't include lunch, but I'm okay with that... just want to see some starfish in person! Any info would be great, thanks!

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

Hi! weebles (I believe your name is Vicki) said to check out that native way website and I did.. and it seems great! Now my only question is: Stingray, Coral Gardens, and Starfish....or the rays, reef, and rum point? Basically, I would LOOOOOVE to see starfish and I'm really asking if you think this tour will be just as good (professional, efficient, etc) as the other. It's run by the same company so I was hoping it would be, but I thought I'd ask in case you have been on it and have some insider knowledge about a vast difference. It is a bit shorter and doesn't include lunch, but I'm okay with that... just want to see some starfish in person! Any info would be great, thanks!

 

I'm so very glad my fellow cruise critters are reading these reviews...they're SO helpful. As far as if both tours will be professional and well worth the money, my answer is "Yes", "Yes," and "Yes." The folks at Native Way are absolutely awesome. If I were to decide, though, I would have to recommend the Rays, Reef and Rum Point. There's a good chance that if you let the guys know what you're looking for, they've got eyes like eagles and may be able to find one to bring to the surface for you. Truthfully, though they're very pretty, the stingrays are pretty boring (in my own opinion...someone else might feel differently). They are hard and you can very seldom see them move. Run Point includes the lunch and a wonderful place to snorkel, swim, or just stare at the paradise surrounding you. If seeing starfish is the one thing you would always remember, go for the other tour.

 

What you might want to do is send Sharon at Native Way an email (being sure to say "hi" from Vicki) and just ask her if she thinks her guys can help you spot a starfish or two on the Rays, Reef and Rum Point tour. It's really a decision you have to make but there's no way you can make a mistake.

 

We're going back to GC at the end of May and can't wait to take the trip to Rum Point with them again!

 

Let me know if I can answer any other questions. If you're using Native Way, there ISN'T a wrong choice. :D

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

TO: ntallwhowndrRlst

 

I sent a quickie email to Sharon at Native Way and here's her response:

 

"Hi Vicki,

 

If a customer asks the crew, or ask Eldon at the pier, the crew will make a very brief star fish stop.

 

OMG, it will be great to see you and Steve. You will have to visit us for a drink.

 

Best Regards,

 

Sharon"

 

Didn't I tell you they were great? My husband and I will be in GC the last week in May to stay at our timeshare.

 

You'll have a blast with Native Way!

[wrcjr98]

Hi Vickie (weebles) -

I'm always reluctant to do an independent tour when the ship is anchored and we have to tender in.

But, you speak so highly of Native Way Tours, I just want to confirm that you have never felt like you would "miss the ship" or anything? You weren't stressed about getting back on time?

Thank you!

Cindy

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

Hi Vickie (weebles) -

I'm always reluctant to do an independent tour when the ship is anchored and we have to tender in.

But, you speak so highly of Native Way Tours, I just want to confirm that you have never felt like you would "miss the ship" or anything? You weren't stressed about getting back on time?

Thank you!

Cindy

 

Never once. When you make your reservation, be sure to let them know that Vicki is referring you and that you are on a cruise. They monitor the ships times really closely and you will have the time of your life.

 

I promise. :D The last week of May we go back to GC, this time to our time share though and will go on the Rays, reef and Rum Point trip again. It really is the best around. Every time we've gone on a cruise we've posted the info on CC and get more people to join us. NativeWay is VERY concerned about their reputation, so they do everything by the book. Tll Sharon I said HI!

 

I've been on about 50 cruises and have only gone on a few ships excursions. In all of those cruises the only people I've seen miss the boat are those who stayed to long at Carlos and Charlies. :-)

Edited April 23, 2013 by weebles

[SamboniMan]

TO: ntallwhowndrRlst

 

I sent a quickie email to Sharon at Native Way and here's her response:

 

"Hi Vicki,

 

If a customer asks the crew, or ask Eldon at the pier, the crew will make a very brief star fish stop.

 

OMG, it will be great to see you and Steve. You will have to visit us for a drink.

 

Best Regards,

 

Sharon"

 

Didn't I tell you they were great? My husband and I will be in GC the last week in May to stay at our timeshare.

 

You'll have a blast with Native Way!

 

We just returned from our cruise and used Native Way and Sharon and Eldon are the best! I can't recommend them more highly. They made sure our day was fantastic. We went to Hell, Tortuga Rum Cake, Turtle Farm, and had fun with the stingrays.

[miss_rach]

Great info! This is our first cruise and first time to the Caymans and there's tons of great info on this thread! I do have a question that I think you all can answer:

 

I have all my own snorkel gear for me and the rest of the family but was thinking that it might be much easier if I carry just the mask/snorkel and rent fins. We plan to take a cab/bus to one of the beaches where we can snorkel but looking for the beach/area that has a dive/snorkel shop that rents gear? (thinking about just renting fins so I do'nt have to carry them all day) Does the dive/snorkel shop rent just fins? If so, do I have to worry about them being "all rented out" by the time we get there? Just trying to figure out if I want to lug around the fins or just the mask/snorkel.

 

Cheers!

[PICKLEBALL WIDOW]

We just returned from our cruise and used Native Way and Sharon and Eldon are the best! I can't recommend them more highly. They made sure our day was fantastic. We went to Hell, Tortuga Rum Cake, Turtle Farm, and had fun with the stingrays.

 

So glad you agreed about NativeWay. They ARE they best!

 

Great info! This is our first cruise and first time to the Caymans and there's tons of great info on this thread! I do have a question that I think you all can answer:

 

I have all my own snorkel gear for me and the rest of the family but was thinking that it might be much easier if I carry just the mask/snorkel and rent fins. We plan to take a cab/bus to one of the beaches where we can snorkel but looking for the beach/area that has a dive/snorkel shop that rents gear? (thinking about just renting fins so I do'nt have to carry them all day) Does the dive/snorkel shop rent just fins? If so, do I have to worry about them being "all rented out" by the time we get there? Just trying to figure out if I want to lug around the fins or just the mask/snorkel.

 

Cheers!

 

A lot of us have discovered NativeWay tours, not only because of their fantastic service and tour, but because they include the rental of all equipment for snorkeling. You get to go to THREE snorkel places too.

[miss_rach]

We really don't want to go on a snorkeling tour. We have all the gear and plan to take a cab to one of the beaches. Just trying to find out if there is a place at one of the beaches that rents gear. I'd rather carry just the masks/snorkels and rent fins but want to make sure there's a place that does that before we head out.

 

Cheers!

[miss_rach]

I think we have our snorkeling plan set now...get off ship and take bus/taxi to Cemetary Beach and spend a few hours there.

 

Next question: From there I assume we want to take a bus/taxi back towards the port. Where's a good place to get some good fresh conch/jerked chicken and drinks?

[MKESail]

Hi, everyone.

 

We are going on a New Years cruise and will be in Grand Cayman New Years Eve. We do not do snorkeling, scuba diving, or anything like that. We pretty much only care to get to the beach and be able to swim. DD who is 9 will be with us, and she just love to swim in the ocean :) I tried reading up in this and other threads and couldn't really find an up to date info. Here is my list of questions:

 

- How safe is it to take a cab from the port to any area of 7 mile beach? If anyone went there recently, did you ever NOT feel safe? Sorry, this may sound silly, but that will be my first time in Grand Cayman.

 

- Which area in the 7 mile beach is the best for just swimming with kids? We are just looking for a nice beach, that is not rocky, but sandy. Some shade would be nice. Public Beach? Royal Palms (I am aware that it is not free)? Tiki? Sea Grape? I am seeing mixed reviews for those and some of those are several years old so I am looking for some more recent info.

 

- I checked and there are 4 ships in port that day, how crowded are those beaches going to be? Would Royal Palms get less crowded since it is not free, as opposed to, say, Public Beach?

 

- For all those beaches - how big a deal is it getting back to port? Are there cabs right there waiting to take us back to port? Did anyone ever have problems finding a cab to return to port in time for tenders? Did you ever think "OMG! We're not going to make it!" :-O ;-) (again, see above, there will be 4 ships in port that day)

[Harborfamily]

We went to Grand Cayman this past April and there were four ships in port that day as well. I am a very nervous traveler and was very concerned about getting to and from 7 Mile Beach beach. We decided on Royal Palms, and had our son and his friend with us. It was absolutely perfect. Yes, there were other people, but there was plenty of room for all of us. I was very wary about taking public transportation because I need to be able to plan and not have a nebulous picture of what things might look like. It really was as easy as it sounded. We got right off the ship, boarded the bus (public transportation) to Royal Palms and returned the same way. The bus stops directly across the street from the entrance to Royal Palms. It truly was as easy as folks made it sound. We are returning to Grand Cayman this upcoming February and will do exactly the same thing!

 

 

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[SonOfSailor]

We were there last September on the Conquest. There were two big ships in port. We got off the boat, found the taxi stand and asked to go to the beach. We got in a taxi van and they dropped us off somewhere on 7 mile beach. There was a bar and store/shop there and some beach rentals. We got an umbrella and a lilo float. We then swam and floated. Sandy beach not rocky. Yet I was able to see several colorful fish with my mask on while swimming.

 

We have five kids and I would not have had a problem bringing any of them there (they are all good swimmers). But, too bad for my kids since cruise time is mom and dad time and I don't bring them. We never felt UN safe. We had a wonderful time.

 

I think we spent less than $30 for cab and umbrella and float rental.

 

When we were ready to go the cabs were lined up. We actually had a cabbie walk the beach and find fares to fill his van.

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the clear water on Grand Cayman. We are heading back on the Paradise at the end of this month. I can't wait.

 

-Randy

[momonthego17]

This is from my review of our cruise last Thanksgiving:

caught a ride in a van to Royal Palms, a resort/restaurant on Seven Mile Beach. The van ride was $6 per person, the beach chairs $10 per person and an umbrella was $10. My party of five shared three chairs, one umbrella and a bucket of beers (my DDs drank water, which was free).

Our ship wasn't able to port at Georgetown and instead ported at Sport Bay. We had a great time but we were disappointed that we couldn't do the Stingray City tour again. Oh well, next time!

Don't be nervous, G. Cayman is very user friendly and one of the most comfortable islands I have ported at.

 

Have a great cruise!

[MKESail]

Thank you so much, guys :) This really does help.

[SonOfSailor]

We are boarding the paradise tomorrow, and if all goes well we will be back in grand Cayman on Wednesday. I think we were down near calico jacks on seven mile beach last trip. We will try the bus this time.

 

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[TMW67]

AWESOME REVIEW!! Thanks so much, this so helpful! :)

[SonOfSailor]

Well, TS Karen rained on my Grand Cayman beach day. We stayed on the boat. I was really looking forward to getting back into the water there. Oh well, I guess I have to wait until next time.

 

-Randy

[wealth42morrow]

Hello:

 

What a great post!!! A lots of information and I have 21 days to find great opportunities to explore the Cayman Islands.

 

I am going on my first solo cruise which ironically departs on my born day March 2, 2014. I am turning 40. While I in know way ever expected to spend my 40th alone, I totally was not going to bring in my 40's with a bang.

 

I am a single female and wanted to get any ideas on how I should maneuver around the island to see some sites and to have easy access to shopping and some vittles here and there.

 

I cannot swim (taking lessons this summer), but get in the water every chance I can get, I really would like to see marine life underground if I can do it safely.

 

Is there a way I can start a one destination and work my way back with looking at some history, shopping, local attractions? Please forgive me if my response to this thread is not accurate.

 

Tina

[GomezAddams]

A bit of a warning about public buses on Grand Cayman.

 

We just returned from our cruise, and Grand Cayman was one of the places we stopped. While the buses are cheap ($2.50 US), the bus drivers will NOT necessarily get you where you want to go quickly. They will drive around and around trying to maximize their fares instead of heading on a fixed route.

 

It took 30 minutes for the bus driver to get us from the tenders to Cemetery beach, and a different bus driver at least that long to get us back.

[princesstori]

We have friends that experienced a very similar occurance on our last cruise. The bus driver would not leave 7 mile beach until all seats were full. She loaded a few passengers on, then left the bus to go find more people to ride, leaving them to sit for a good 30mins or more. I can understand wanting to maximize income, but to leave people waiting for that long isn't right.

[Lisaanne]

We have friends that experienced a very similar occurance on our last cruise. The bus driver would not leave 7 mile beach until all seats were full. She loaded a few passengers on, then left the bus to go find more people to ride, leaving them to sit for a good 30mins or more. I can understand wanting to maximize income, but to leave people waiting for that long isn't right.

 

What you are talking about are PRIVATE buses. The public buses stop at the bus stops if someone is waiting and then continue on. We have experiences both forms of transportation.

The public bus will stop at the public beach which is very nice.

[GomezAddams]

What you are talking about are PRIVATE buses. The public buses stop at the bus stops if someone is waiting and then continue on. We have experiences both forms of transportation.

The public bus will stop at the public beach which is very nice.

 

I'm not so sure. In both cases (out and back), the driver went through some sort of "compound" where there were a bunch of buses, and he had to check in with someone at a gate.