Hyatt, Sea Grape or Royal

[Dorn590]

I'm arriving in Grand Cayman on July 10th on the Enchantment of The Seas. Hello to all that will be on the ship with me. My family includes a 6 and 3 yr old. Which is the best for the family. Hyatt, Sea Grape or Royal Palms. Thanks in advance.

[twinkletoes4445]

I think the Hyatt charges $25 (cash) per person for the use of their facilities. I believe it's $15 or so for children.

 

Sea Grape has food, chairs (you rent them, I believe), water toy rental, and restrooms.

 

Royal Palms is like Sea Grape, but I believe you can just grab a chair for no charge.

 

I think the Hyatt would be the nicest...but the most expensive.

 

Whatever you end up doing, have a good time! Grand Cayman is our favorite island. :)

[Dorn590]

Let me ask you a question. If you had to choose between Royal and Sea Grape. Which one would it be?

[twinkletoes4445]

Let me ask you a question. If you had to choose between Royal and Sea Grape. Which one would it be?

 

Well, I've not been to either (we stay at a condo on 7MB)...but I would probably choose Royal Palms just because it's closer (We always seem to get stuck in traffic near the Ritz, and Sea Grape is just beyond that) and will give you more time on the beach. And if the chairs are free, that's nice.

 

I know I've read that one of the beaches has more rocks than the other, but I don't remember which one it was.

 

I checked the Cayman Port Authority, and there are only going to be three ships in port that day...you are really lucky! This will make your stay in GC so much more enjoyable. The last time we were there, there were two days when there were nine or ten ships. The place was a ZOO.

 

Hopefully, someone who has gone to both will come along and tell you which they liked best, but I've read a lot of good about both. Negative things tend to deal with the crowds, but since you're going to be there when there are only 3 ships in port, you probably won't have any issues with this.

 

I do think it's a toss up...I think you'll have a good time at both places.

 

Here's the Royal Palms website....

 

http://www.reefgrill.com/pages/cruiseinformation.html

[twinkletoes4445]

One other thing...If you eat at the restaurant, check your bill. Most times they will add on the tip prior to giving you the bill. All of the bills at all the restaurants (and shops) were in CD (as are the menu prices), but if you ask, they'll tell you what it is in USD (or write it on the ticket). They will take USD or credit cards (we mostly used credit cards while on the island). If you give them US money, they will most likely give you your change in CD (so if you want US change, tell them this. If they have it, they will do this for you).

[kyleminski]

Twinkletoes-

 

We are thinking of going to gc on our next vacation and staying on the island, how do you deal with the cruise crowds all week? Also do you know of a good resort that is family friendly?

[twinkletoes4445]

Twinkletoes-

 

We are thinking of going to gc on our next vacation and staying on the island, how do you deal with the cruise crowds all week? Also do you know of a good resort that is family friendly?

 

We stay at the Regal Beach Club. It's right on 7MB and close to everything. The condos are owned, so you have to wait until the owners decide what weeks they are going to rent out (I think we rented ours about 8 months in advance). Some of the units are not rented out at all, but a lot are.

 

http://www.regalbeach.com/home.html

 

When we've been at the Regal, there are usually a lot of families. There are other places, but we liked the central location of the Regal Beach. It's also right next door to the Marriott Beach Resort. We rented waverunners from Red Sail there...and the Marriott has a beach bar right on the property line.

 

We like renting a condo. We usually make a grocery run at the beginning of the week, and we usually eat at least one meal a day in the condo.

 

As for the crowds, we made our plans around the number of ships that were in port. We usually fly in and out on whatever day has the most ships...that way it's a travel day and we really won't be doing that much on the island. I think the last times we visited, it was Thursday that was the worst day, so we arrived and left on Thursday.

 

Timing is important when doing things when the port is loaded with ships...

 

We went to the turtle farm around mid-day, because most of the tour buses have a morning and afternoon tour. We tried to time our visit during the time that the tour buses would be back in the port picking up the afternoon excursions.

 

Our kids generally spent the morning lounging at the beach (the Regal Beach Club has a guard and they don't allow anyone who is not staying at the condos to use the loungers, which is nice, since we are the ones paying for them), and then we'd take off around noon to do things. On days that were busy, we'd head over to the other side of the island. Very few cruisers ever see anything beyond George Town, Hell and the turtle farms, and there are no crowds once you're out of the cruise ship zone.

 

We did make the mistake of getting to Rum Point around 1:00 and by then, it was packed. We should have gone earlier.

 

But by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, most of the cruise passengers are back in town getting in line for their tender rides. We spent several evening eating at Breezes (on the balcony) watching the last of the cruise ship passengers leave.

 

We really love Grand Cayman. We love the fact that we can rent a car and drive all over the island. If you plan your day, you can work around the crowds since they mostly are around George Town. We always do a stingray tour on the days when there aren't ships in port. One time, we were the only boat at Stingray Sandbar...it was an amazing experience.

 

You could do a google search of the following and see what you find...these are the hotels/condos that are listed on a map that I have (I am not sure if all these places offer weekly rentals).

 

Anchorage Condos

Aqua Bay Club

Avalon Condos

Beachcomber Condos

Beach Club Colony (I'd stay away from here-they sell lots and lots of day passes, and if you are condo guest, I wouldn't be happy)

Brittania Vilas

Caribbean Club Villas

Casa Caribe

The Cayman Inn and Resort

Cayman Reef Resort

Cayman Villas

Christopher Columbus

Colonial Club

Comfort Suites & Resort

Coral Sands Resort

Crescent Point Resort

Discovery Point

Eldemere's Guesthouse

George Town Villas

Grand Cayman Marriott

Grand View Condos

Harbour Heights

Heritage Club

Hyatt

Indies Suites (this may be closed)

Lacovia Condos

The Meridian

Morritt's Tortuga (this is over on the East End)

Plantana Condos

Plantation Village (I have a friend who has a timeshare here, and loves it)

Regal Beach

Ritz

Seagull Condos

Seven Mile Beach Resort

Silver Sands Condos

Sunshine Suites

Tamarind Bay (we thought about this place)

Treasure Island Condos

Treasure Island Resort

Turtle Beach Villas

Westin Casuarina Resort

Beach Club

[bookbabe]

You could do a google search of the following and see what you find...these are the hotels/condos that are listed on a map that I have (I am not sure if all these places offer weekly rentals).

 

Cayman Villas

 

We've regularly rented from Cayman Villas in the past. They rent out privately owned houses and condos on behalf of the owners, so it's not at all like staying at a hotel...it's more like staying at a friend's place while they're away. :) They've got some great properties available, and their on-island staff is fabulous to deal with.

 

Their website is here - http://www.caymanvillas.com - if you want to see pictures and floor plans of the available properties.

[twinkletoes4445]

bookbabe...

 

Thanks for the info! We do like having a condo...expecially when we have our kids with us. I'll file this info away for the next time we plan on visiting GC. :)

[cruiser2202]

We just got back from our cruise to Grand Cayman. We went to the Royal Palms after our ship excursion. It's only about 10 minutes from the port (by taxi). I was not that impressed with Royal Palms - the bar staff was not friendly and they added $5.00 to our bill because we did not order bar drinks (we ordered food and bottled water). The grouper sandwich was delicious - the best fish sandwich I have ever had. We are going back next month on another cruise and will go to Sea Grape Beach. You do have to pay for the chairs ($5) and umbrellas ($10) at Royal Palms. They let us use them for free because we got there so late in the day and the chair rental place was closing soon. Royal Palms does have all watersport rentals at their beach.

[kyleminski]

We stay at the Regal Beach Club. It's right on 7MB and close to everything. The condos are owned, so you have to wait until the owners decide what weeks they are going to rent out (I think we rented ours about 8 months in advance). Some of the units are not rented out at all, but a lot are.

 

http://www.regalbeach.com/home.html

 

When we've been at the Regal, there are usually a lot of families. There are other places, but we liked the central location of the Regal Beach. It's also right next door to the Marriott Beach Resort. We rented waverunners from Red Sail there...and the Marriott has a beach bar right on the property line.

 

We like renting a condo. We usually make a grocery run at the beginning of the week, and we usually eat at least one meal a day in the condo.

 

As for the crowds, we made our plans around the number of ships that were in port. We usually fly in and out on whatever day has the most ships...that way it's a travel day and we really won't be doing that much on the island. I think the last times we visited, it was Thursday that was the worst day, so we arrived and left on Thursday.

 

Timing is important when doing things when the port is loaded with ships...

 

We went to the turtle farm around mid-day, because most of the tour buses have a morning and afternoon tour. We tried to time our visit during the time that the tour buses would be back in the port picking up the afternoon excursions.

 

Our kids generally spent the morning lounging at the beach (the Regal Beach Club has a guard and they don't allow anyone who is not staying at the condos to use the loungers, which is nice, since we are the ones paying for them), and then we'd take off around noon to do things. On days that were busy, we'd head over to the other side of the island. Very few cruisers ever see anything beyond George Town, Hell and the turtle farms, and there are no crowds once you're out of the cruise ship zone.

 

We did make the mistake of getting to Rum Point around 1:00 and by then, it was packed. We should have gone earlier.

 

But by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, most of the cruise passengers are back in town getting in line for their tender rides. We spent several evening eating at Breezes (on the balcony) watching the last of the cruise ship passengers leave.

 

We really love Grand Cayman. We love the fact that we can rent a car and drive all over the island. If you plan your day, you can work around the crowds since they mostly are around George Town. We always do a stingray tour on the days when there aren't ships in port. One time, we were the only boat at Stingray Sandbar...it was an amazing experience.

 

You could do a google search of the following and see what you find...these are the hotels/condos that are listed on a map that I have (I am not sure if all these places offer weekly rentals).

 

Anchorage Condos

Aqua Bay Club

Avalon Condos

Beachcomber Condos

Beach Club Colony (I'd stay away from here-they sell lots and lots of day passes, and if you are condo guest, I wouldn't be happy)

Brittania Vilas

Caribbean Club Villas

Casa Caribe

The Cayman Inn and Resort

Cayman Reef Resort

Cayman Villas

Christopher Columbus

Colonial Club

Comfort Suites & Resort

Coral Sands Resort

Crescent Point Resort

Discovery Point

Eldemere's Guesthouse

George Town Villas

Grand Cayman Marriott

Grand View Condos

Harbour Heights

Heritage Club

Hyatt

Indies Suites (this may be closed)

Lacovia Condos

The Meridian

Morritt's Tortuga (this is over on the East End)

Plantana Condos

Plantation Village (I have a friend who has a timeshare here, and loves it)

Regal Beach

Ritz

Seagull Condos

Seven Mile Beach Resort

Silver Sands Condos

Sunshine Suites

Tamarind Bay (we thought about this place)

Treasure Island Condos

Treasure Island Resort

Turtle Beach Villas

Westin Casuarina Resort

Beach Club

 

Thank you so much for all the great info! We are really looking forward to a nice land vacation, our last cruise was not all that fun with a 4 year old (he was great at the beach). I have heard from alot of people to try GC, and it looks beautiful.

[twinkletoes4445]

Thank you so much for all the great info! We are really looking forward to a nice land vacation, our last cruise was not all that fun with a 4 year old (he was great at the beach). I have heard from alot of people to try GC, and it looks beautiful.

 

Grand Cayman is beautiful...and it's safe (just use the same precautions you would use whenever you are out and about). We especially love the East End. It's real "islandy" and not many tourists make it over that way.

 

We rented our car from Andys at the airport. http://www.andys.ky/ It's the closest location to where you'll exit the front doors at the airport, although there are others that are just around the corner.

 

One thing about the Regal Beach, is they have screened porches. We spent a lot of time out on the porch in the mornings and evenings. We've been staying in unit 122, which is really close to the water. Although all units have a view of the water since the building is "V" shaped. We also decided to get a second floor unit so we would have a good view of the water. We wanted to get a three bedroom unit, but I think they only have a couple that they rent out and we've not been lucky enough to snag one.

 

Our kids really didn't care for cruising, although they are older. They prefer to spend their days on the beach...which is where we left them when we went out to explore the island. It is nice to have a condo, expecially since you have a little one. We spent more time at the condo than I thought we would.

 

Have a great time! We drove all over the island. It was so much fun just stopping and doing a little exploring. :)

[kyleminski]

Thank you again! We are looking forward to trying an island we have never been to, but it is a little scary when you are not familiar. I love these boards where you can talk to people like yourself who have knowledge of the island. I am going to start my planning now. I was thinking about going in February is this a good month?

[twinkletoes4445]

Thank you again! We are looking forward to trying an island we have never been to, but it is a little scary when you are not familiar. I love these boards where you can talk to people like yourself who have knowledge of the island. I am going to start my planning now. I was thinking about going in February is this a good month?

 

We always go in January or February. It's a bit crowded, and more expensive than the summers, but the weather is just so nice. It's warm...but not real humid. I remember watching the news one night and they were all in a dither because it was getting down to 70 that night! lol It was great.

 

One time we were there just after Christmas, and they still had all their holiday decortaions up...it was really cool looking at palm trees with Xmas lights. We're from the midwest, and when we are in GC, it's usually cold, snowy or icy at home.

 

One reason we like to cruise is so we can visit different islands for the day..and we can usually see enough in that day to know if we'd like to come back. And Grand Cayman is our favorite. It's not too far away. The crime rate is low. And the people are so nice. We don't really like aggressive vendors, and you won't see that there. Grand Cayman reminds me of the Beverly Hills of the Caribbean.

 

There are other islands that I think are much more lush and tropical, but for us, being able to rent a car and explore the island and being able to leave our kids on the beach, while we do this was our top priority. And that's why we keep coming back to GC.

 

Another thing we like is that everything is real casual. Even at the fancy restaurants, hubby wore his Dockers and polo shirts. Most every other place is shorts and shirts.

 

My hubby was worried about driving, but it turned out to be a snap. The cars do not move that quickly there. There's no highway...so everyone just toddles along. And if the traffic is stopped...someone will always let you in. As a thanks...they will toot their horn, and sometimes wave...but mostly they just toot and scoot along.

 

They have several roundabouts, but you just yield to the ones already in it. There is a bypass along the 7MB stretch. We used it a lot to get to the back side of town (when we were heading over to the other side).

 

It doesn't take long to learn the roads...there aren't that many.

 

If you are looking for souvenirs, you have to stop at Pure Art. It's about a mile out of town (the opposite direction from 7MB). It's a little white house that's been converted into a shop. They carry all sorts of local artists work...from Xmas ornaments...to paintings. We loved this place.

 

http://www.pureart.ky/

 

I love the boards here. I've learned so much and was able to do some planning prior to going on our cruise/vacations. :)

[kyleminski]

Twinkletoes-

 

I am so glad to hear how much you enjoy this island. I was a little nervous because it will be the first time we are going directly to an island, we are always on the ship and if we hate the island we can leave. I have not heard one bad thing about GC and can not wait to get there, even though like you said it will be winter here in NJ.

[twinkletoes4445]

Twinkletoes-

 

I am so glad to hear how much you enjoy this island. I was a little nervous because it will be the first time we are going directly to an island, we are always on the ship and if we hate the island we can leave. I have not heard one bad thing about GC and can not wait to get there, even though like you said it will be winter here in NJ.

 

I can't think of one bad thing about the island. I do know what you mean about going directly to an island without having just visited for a day. You do get a good idea about what you want.

 

As a mother, for me, safety is my first concern. Beyond that, I want to be near blue water and white sandy beaches. Grand Cayman fit the bill. So many of the islands you can't get out on your own...safely. But you can do this on GC.

 

We loved the aiport. You get off the plane via a ladder. It's like in the old days when they roll it up to the plane and you get off. The airport only has one conveyor belt for luggage. The airport is really small and easy to navigate. One thing we did see a lot of was private jets. They come and go a lot down there. One week we were there, Katie Couric was there. I think she was doing her morning show from the island...we never did see her, but we heard she was there.

 

Here's a website that offers info on Cayman restaurants. They're not all listed, but there are quite a few. If you find the restaurant you want, just scroll down and look for "sample menu" on the left of the page. We ate several times at Coconut Joe's. It's across the street and up from the Regal Beach.

 

http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/restaurants_results_list.asp?restaurantID=0&locationID=0&cuisineID=0

 

 

 

You will have a great time there with your little one. You'll have to let us know how it goes. :)

[kyleminski]

I can't think of one bad thing about the island. I do know what you mean about going directly to an island without having just visited for a day. You do get a good idea about what you want.

 

As a mother, for me, safety is my first concern. Beyond that, I want to be near blue water and white sandy beaches. Grand Cayman fit the bill. So many of the islands you can't get out on your own...safely. But you can do this on GC.

 

We loved the aiport. You get off the plane via a ladder. It's like in the old days when they roll it up to the plane and you get off. The airport only has one conveyor belt for luggage. The airport is really small and easy to navigate. One thing we did see a lot of was private jets. They come and go a lot down there. One week we were there, Katie Couric was there. I think she was doing her morning show from the island...we never did see her, but we heard she was there.

 

Here's a website that offers info on Cayman restaurants. They're not all listed, but there are quite a few. If you find the restaurant you want, just scroll down and look for "sample menu" on the left of the page. We ate several times at Coconut Joe's. It's across the street and up from the Regal Beach.

 

http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/restaurants_results_list.asp?restaurantID=0&locationID=0&cuisineID=0

 

 

 

You will have a great time there with your little one. You'll have to let us know how it goes. :)

 

I agree 100% with the safety, and the beach has to be calm. I like to put the vest on my son and watch him float around the ocean ( with us of course) it makes it easier to spend the day in the water. Next to that eating is my next favorite thing , thats why I love cruises. I have always wanted to walk down the steps of an airplane, my son will love that!

[twinkletoes4445]

I agree 100% with the safety, and the beach has to be calm. I like to put the vest on my son and watch him float around the ocean ( with us of course) it makes it easier to spend the day in the water. Next to that eating is my next favorite thing , thats why I love cruises. I have always wanted to walk down the steps of an airplane, my son will love that!

 

The water was very calm, except for one day when there had been a storm that evening before. It didn't rain in GC, but the waves were amazing. We ate at Breezes that day, and the waves were so high, the water was in the street. The rest of the time, it was very calm. I floated around on a mat most of the time.

 

We also love cruises for the food. I tend to try different foods on a cruise that I normally wouldn't. But we also enjoy sitting next to the ocean enjoying the view. We ate at Rackum's a couple of times. The food was pretty good...but the view was wonderful. It's near the port and we had a good view of all the ships.

 

When we arrived at the airport, they had a Caribbean band next to the entrance to the building. It really got me in the mood for our week in paradise.

 

Speaking of paradise...One time while we were there, we picked up a book called Paradise Interrupted. It contains a collection of pictures that were taken right after hurricane Ivan went through. We were on the island the following spring, and I found it amazing how quickly they cleaned things up.

 

Enjoy your vacation with your son. How much fun is it that he gets to have these great experiences when he's little. These are places that he'll remember visiting for the rest of his life. :)

 

My kids are all older...the last about to graduate college. We're hoping for grandkids one of these days. But it really does seem just like yesterday that they were the age of your son. Time really does go by quickly.

[kyleminski]

I look forward to telling you how much we enjoyed our trip to GC, I just don't want to wait that long!

[twinkletoes4445]

I look forward to telling you how much we enjoyed our trip to GC, I just don't want to wait that long!

 

It will be here before you know it! Have fun. :)

[Dorn590]

Is the Hyatt far from the Port

[twinkletoes4445]

Is the Hyatt far from the Port

 

It is quite a ways down the beach area. You'd need to take a cab. I'd say it's 3 or so miles away from the port area.

[Dorn590]

I'm ready to go. I think I will take the family to Hyatt. July 7th is around the corner and keeping her birthday cruise a secret over the past year from my wife has been very hard. I usually can't hold water. :) I will give a complete update when we get back. Everyone take care and thanks for all your help.

[twinkletoes4445]

I'm ready to go. I think I will take the family to Hyatt. July 7th is around the corner and keeping her birthday cruise a secret over the past year from my wife has been very hard. I usually can't hold water. :) I will give a complete update when we get back. Everyone take care and thanks for all your help.

 

Have a wonderful time...and do come back and let us know how your trip went. :)