help! Grand Cayman - need advice about getting off ship to catch captain marvin bus

[cocococo]

These forums are great, Ive got so many wonderful tips, thank you everyone. I have a quick question about getting off the ship (Enchantment of the Seas) and finding our way to Captain Marvin's meeting point for the swimming with Stingray trip. I'm booked on the 10am boat trip (on Monday yipee!) but didnt realise this would mean having to be at the meeting point at 9.15am. I am travelling with seniors and children who need lots of organising and cajoling and am wondering what time I will need to get everyone into breakfast and when we should be leaving the ship in order to get to the meeting point for 9.15am.

i thought we'd be having a leisurely morning but am now seeing us having to get up extra early to make sure we dont get lost and get there in time. Is it easy to find? How long does it take to disembark? Hope anyone who has been there before can help with an answer!

Thanks so much!

[Ren1216]

Oh boy, you have your work cut out for you!

 

What time you get up and have breakfast is going to depend on what time you are due to anchor in GC. This is a tender port and tendering takes a while. The ship will let people holding RCCL tour tickets off first (priority, their way of urging passengers to book tours with the cruise line). Lets say you anchor at 8am, if everything goes smoothly you can probably make it ashore by 8:45 or 9:00 when not part of a ships tour. That does not leave you much time, but I think enough to get you to Capt Marvs office which is about 2 blocks LEFT of the tender area (yellow building, right side of the road opposite the water).

 

My suggestion would be to get at least one other adult to help (depending on the total number of people you have) lead a group. One of you take the kids and walk it. The other take the seniors, who I am assuming you will need transportation, and hire taxi's. You'll have to pay a few dollars for that, but I figure it will be faster than the public transportation (bus). I know there ARE buses, but I have never used them so I don't know how often they run and how efficiently. You wont have a lot of time to wait around on them.

 

As for breakfast, have everyone dressed and ready 1 hour prior to the time you plan to get on a tender. An hour should be sufficient for breakfast in the buffet, though it will certainly be busy there. If you are due in later than 8am, I fear you will be late to your tour. You MAY be able to obtain some "priority" tender tickets that will let you off first thing with the tours going ashore... sometimes they are generous with those, other times they aren't. If you're worried about time, contact Ruth at Capt Marvins and let her know. She might be able to suggest something else (a later tour time?). At least they will know you are coming and doing your best to get there on time.

 

Good luck and enjoy your day!