Grand Cayman: Margaritaville or Skip It?

First time in Grand Cayman, so help the newbie :p:

1. Shopping or skip it?

2. Margaritaville or grab something at 7 Mile (Calico Jack's/Tiki Beach)?

I like Margaritavilles, I really do. But to me, if you've been in one, the rest are the same for the most part. If it were real busy and I couldn't get seated pretty much right away, I'd skip it. There are plenty of other things to do in Cayman, which happens to be about my favourite island in the Carribean. But that's just me.

I'd skip the cookie-cutter, tourist trap, chain restaurants and bars, but that's just me.

I wouldn't waste a day in Grand Cayman at a restaurant that I can visit at several US locations.

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We found many better places to go. Going there is like going to McDonalds on vacation.

Skip it! Why would you travel thousands of miles to go to some overpriced, cookie cutter, chain restaurant with overpriced, mediocre, pre-frozen food and crappy drinks??? Venture off the beaten path and find a restaurant that is popular with the locals for cheap, amazing food - note that these are usually hole-in-the-wall type of places.

Granted, Grand Cayman isn't exactly a budget port, but you can do better and cheaper at pretty much any other place on the island.

I would skip the Margaritaville also. There are quite a few better places to get some food and drink.

It depends on what you're most interested in. Margaritaville is very "touristy" with all of the souvenir shops, etc. We opted to rent a golf cart from Nathan's Golf Cart Rentals and go explore the island. For us, it was a very enjoyable day. Explored the island, stopped at Jack's Shack for lunch, browsed through a couple of shops at Margaritaville, then headed back to the ship. I can't wait to go back again (hopefully on our next cruise).

It has a free pool you can access without going through the restaurant. And it has a swim up bar.

It depends on what you're most interested in. Margaritaville is very "touristy" with all of the souvenir shops, etc. We opted to rent a golf cart from Nathan's Golf Cart Rentals and go explore the island. For us, it was a very enjoyable day. Explored the island, stopped at Jack's Shack for lunch, browsed through a couple of shops at Margaritaville, then headed back to the ship. I can't wait to go back again (hopefully on our next cruise).

You're in Grand Turk, not Grand Cayman.:eek::o

But Jimmy B's Retirement Fund is plenty full so Buffetburg is easily skipped.

It has a free pool you can access without going through the restaurant. And it has a swim up bar.

Ah swim up bars. Where people drink beer after beer and never leave their seat. :eek:

Definitely skip it 7 mile beach is gorgeous go there they have everything!!!!

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If you want to get jacked on prices to sit at the same place you have in your hometown (or Fridays, Applebees, Chili's, any chain restaurant really) go for it. Otherwise wouldn't set foot in one anywhere.

You're in Grand Turk, not Grand Cayman.:eek::o

 

But Jimmy B's Retirement Fund is plenty full so Buffetburg is easily skipped.

Oops! You're right! Can I plead temporary insanity?:o

I say go, but just for 1/2- hour. I like to pick up Margaritaville souvenirs and go down the water slide, but never spend a whole day there or anything. We hit it on the way back to the ship after spending the day at 7 mile beach.

First time in Grand Cayman, so help the newbie :p:

1. Shopping or skip it?

2. Margaritaville or grab something at 7 Mile (Calico Jack's/Tiki Beach)?

I love the GC Margaritaville! It's always fun and lively and always our last stop after a day on the island. If you sit upstairs, you can sip your drink and watch the line of people getting back on to the ship and you can go down when the line gets short.

DW and I hit Margarittaville in GC last year. The service sucked and food over priced. If you've never been to one and really want to see it go for it but not worth the money in my opinion.

Last time we were in GC we went to 7 Mile Beach. When we got back to town there was a very long line for the tenders so we went to Margaritaville for one margarita because we had heard that if you bought a drink there they would give you a wristband for a free Margarita in Ocho Rios which was our port the next day. It was true and since we had no real plans for Ocho Rios the next day we just went shopping there at Island Village for a bit then went to Margaritaville for our free drink. We had lunch too and yes it was over priced and just OK but we didn't have any other plans that day anyway.

I was never really a fan, although I have patronized a few, but when they opened up the one here in AC, I prefer it more to local places and others down on the beach. It'll be my hangout this spring/summer.

Skip it and do something else you can't do every day. Go to 7 mile beach, stingrays, turtle farm, etc.

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First time in Grand Cayman, so help the newbie :p:

1. Shopping or skip it?

2. Margaritaville or grab something at 7 Mile (Calico Jack's/Tiki Beach)?

If you like rum the Tortuga rum store is a must stop.

On our last cruise to Grand Cayman, we went to Margaritaville and went upstairs to have a drink, sat down at the bar, looked at the prices on the menu and walked out, there is no way I'm spending that kind of money for a drink. The pool at this location is very tiny and was quickly taken over by a group of screaming, cannonballing children.

We took a shared taxi ($4/person) to Calico Jacks, rented loungers ($5), swam in the beautiful water, and had a great fish sandwich and fries.

My suggestion would be to avoid this Margaritaville and go to gorgeous 7 Mile Beach.

I'm not a shopper so that does not appeal to me at all. I don't shop at any port of call. I'd rather explore and see the country.

Definitely skip it 7 mile beach is gorgeous go there they have everything!!!!

 

 

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I agree 100%. 7-mile is awesome. You can find a public beach that has change/bathroom facilities near a no-name burger bar shack and have the best day of your cruise for less than $20 per person, including the cab.

Thanks everybody!! Great advice...:cool:

Skip it! Check out the Royal Palms on 7 Mile Beach. Powder sand, beach bar, pool, music, beach chairs, crystal clear water. Or, check out Stingray City. Tortuga Rum...and rum cakes. I spent a week on a Grand Cayman...there's a lot to do. Have a great vacay!

Skip it! Check out the Royal Palms on 7 Mile Beach. Powder sand, beach bar, pool, music, beach chairs, crystal clear water. Or, check out Stingray City. Tortuga Rum...and rum cakes. I spent a week on a Grand Cayman...there's a lot to do. Have a great vacay!

Is Royal Palms better than Calico Jack's/Tiki Beach??