I don't know what to do in grand cayman

I will be in grand cayman on my next cruise and not sure what todo....

Stingrays are out, my son kinda freaks out with stuff like that.

It will be me,31, DH, 33, and our son who will be 9 when we sail.....

Any good family ideas not involving stingrays????

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I have only been once, but I am going again next week! Yea!!

Last summer, my husband and I just got off the ship with our 3 kids. Right in the port, there are van drivers looking for passengers. He said that it was $5 a head to go to a public beach where it is free to enter. We got in his van and added a few more passengers and took off a few minutes later. He dropped us off at a bar/restaurant (probably Calico Jack's) and we laid our towels out. Someone told us the snorkeling was better a little farther down, so we just walked over there. This was called Tiki Beach. Everyone had a good time snorkeling. Only one other family was there. Calico Jack's had more people hanging out. The water was beautiful. There are bathrooms and a restaurant where you can order drinks and food.

We like going to Calico Jack's on 7 Mile Beach. All of you could have FUN there!

No stingrays! :D

LuLu

~~~~

Has anyone been to Hell? Is it worth the trip out there? I'd like to send some post cards.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Has anyone been to Hell? Is it worth the trip out there? I'd like to send some post cards.

Hell is fine if you're in the area, but it's good for a 5 minute stop at best (in my opinion). We were told to avoid it by cruisers that had been before, and we did. Until we stayed on the island for 12 days and decided to make a stop. Glad I didn't waste precious port time going while I was cruising. JMO.

Any good family ideas not involving stingrays????

I'm with your son ... NO stingrays for me! I get in, do it and get out and watch from the boat. :)

People seem to flock to the Turtle Farm with families. There are also 2 different dolphin encounter places. Seven Mile Beach is good for the day and you can hop on a tour bus right at the port (as previously mentioned) or take the bus. Depending on where you stop you'll likely have facilities and restaurants close by. We enjoy Smith Cove, but there are few restaurants within walking distance. Grand Old House is there, it's upscale but you can eat on the patio for lunch OR you can walk to My Bar at Sunset House.

Yeah, I'm still not sure what we will do.

I've been to grand cayman before, and we just walked and shopped...

I was with my girlfriends @ that time....

My boys now won't be I to that...

I am looking for a nice beach to rent jet skis......

Any ideas????!!

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Sailing 3/23/14 on the Carnival Legend

This is my least favorite port. So commercialized. Not sure what I am going to do their myself when I go next year.

Seven Mile Beach, one of the best beaches anywhere, is a short taxi ride from the port, and has multiple free/cheap named sections with beach clubs and/or facilities for cruise visitors. Most sections have jet ski and other watersports rentals. See the various beach threads for more info

I ma sailing in January 2014. All i want to do in Cayman is jet ski and banana boat. i believe seven mile beach offers all that.

Yeah, I'm still not sure what we will do.

I've been to grand cayman before, and we just walked and shopped...

I was with my girlfriends @ that time....

My boys now won't be I to that...

 

 

I am looking for a nice beach to rent jet skis......

Any ideas????!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Sailing 3/23/14 on the Carnival Legend

This is my least favorite port. So commercialized. Not sure what I am going to do their myself when I go next year.

I stay on the ship since I've been there so many times. Too bad they don't have GC Bar Hop!

This is my least favorite port. So commercialized. Not sure what I am going to do their myself when I go next year.

Is Georgetown 'commercialized'?

com·mer·cial·ize (k-mûrsh-lz)

tr.v. com·mer·cial·ized, com·mer·cial·iz·ing, com·mer·cial·iz·es 1. To apply methods of business to for profit.

2. a. To do, exploit, or make chiefly for financial gain.

b. To sacrifice the quality of for profit.

Cayman has one of, if not THE highest standard of living in the Carib'. Have they applied methods of business for profit - you bet'cha, and very successfully. Altho most of their money comes from their banking laws, much to the chagrin of the US.

Do they exploit for profit - IMO, no - you get quality in Cayman, but you will pay the going price - THEIR going price. The fact that the US dollar is only worth 80 cents Cayman only speaks to the strength of their economy IMO.

Have they sacrificed quality for profit? Again, IMO, NO. This is one island where I have NO hesitation to walk a mile down an unlit road at night, from my hotel to town for dinner, with wife and daughter. Most other islands I'd take a taxi AND keep my fingers crossed (and BTW, I worked the Carib Islands for 20 years.) Do the jewelry stores sell junk - not IME, but again expect to pay, no cheap silver that turns your arm green here. Get sick from the food or water? Not in the 25 years I've been going. If you book a dive trip - I have NEVER heard of a poor operation. They self police and ensure all the operators are up to a minimum standard. Some better than others? Yep, and competition is healthy: apply methods of business to for profit.

Just my opinion, and you are also entitled to yours ... but I was just there for another week long stay in March

My Bar ... oh yes .. My Bar

It is UNTHINKABLE that someone would go on a cruise that stops in Grand Cayman and chooses to stay on the ship?! Are you kidding me?!

It is UNTHINKABLE that someone would go on a cruise that stops in Grand Cayman and chooses to stay on the ship?! Are you kidding me?!

Agreed, one of my favourite locations. To each their own I guess. :(

This is my least favorite port. So commercialized. Not sure what I am going to do their myself when I go next year.

We like GC - parts of it are beautiful!

The kids might enjoy Hell, but it's just a look-see, take some pictures.

We really enjoyed the Turtle Farm the first couple of times we were there -- lots to see and learn.

OP, if your son skateboards, Grand Cayman is home to (as far as they say) the largest outdoor skate park in the Western Hemisphere...

http://www.blackpearl.ky/

OP, if your son skateboards, Grand Cayman is home to (as far as they say) the largest outdoor skate park in the Western Hemisphere...

http://www.blackpearl.ky/

Unfortunately the Skate park is currently closed with no re-opening date available.

It is UNTHINKABLE that someone would go on a cruise that stops in Grand Cayman and chooses to stay on the ship?! Are you kidding me?!

Agreed, one of my favourite locations. To each their own I guess. :(

I grew up on the water, have relatives in GC, been there many, many times, and live near one of the best beaches in the world--Clearwater. We had a great time on the ship in Serenity area with lots of hot tub time, saw schools of dolphins playing around the ship and watched some boat races. The pirate ship "attacked" too. There were more people than you'd think on board. And we weren't bored!

crusinpsychRN - I like your GC bar hop idea! I might have to retire early to start one of those. :)

I stay on the ship since I've been there so many times. Too bad they don't have GC Bar Hop!

Rumor had it there was one, but I never read anything about it after the people were supposed to go! Sounds like a great business venture to me!

I will be in grand cayman on my next cruise and not sure what todo....

 

Stingrays are out, my son kinda freaks out with stuff like that.

 

It will be me,31, DH, 33, and our son who will be 9 when we sail.....

 

Any good family ideas not involving stingrays????

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Just got back from our RC Western Caribbean cruise 2 days ago. Our opinion is that Grand Cayman is one of the best places to go on shore excursions. We actually weren't sure what to do in Jamaica and, in the end, wish we would have skipped it altogether but that's a different story. We weren't into stingrays either and I was quite nervous about swimming in the ocean but I went with my two sons on an RC excursion called the "Dreamer Catamaran Sail and Snorkel" and the rest of the family went to Calico Jacks on 7 Mile Beach.

The snorkeling excursion was about an hour late but was very good once we got going. I don't know why RC lists this excursion as being "strenuous activity" because it's very moderate and anyone can do it - one family had their 80 year old mother on board. The snorkeling can be as low key as basically just floating in the water and looking down at the incredible reefs and fish - and a sunken US ship on the one we went on. It was a lot of fun and very easy. I got comfortable in the ocean very quickly and discovered that one great benefit of the super salty water is that you don't need a life jacket at all - it's quite difficult to sink at all and super easy to float. The only thing I would change is that next time I'd hire a private excursion for the same thing as some people said other services serve food and have an open bar for the sail back to the port and it wasn't nearly as expensive. When you first get off at the port, all the cruise line excursions are inside the port area and the private groups aren't allowed in to that area to compete but you can walk out toward the exit and talk to any one of the many guys holding up signs and arrange a private excursion - might be better to check these boards and TripAdvisor though to try to get the best price and quality of trip.

My wife said that Calico Jacks was great with tables and umbrellas, a great beach and lots of activities up and down the beach. There is probably some very light shore snorkeling available too but there may not be any reefs to enjoy.

Hope you have a great time!

Been to GC twice and will likely do it one more time someday. Not a favorite port, but plenty to do.

First time we wandered inland and hiked, geocached and ate and ate at Seymours and Tony;'s Jerk Shacks for chicken, mannish water etc..

Last time we had our daughter who was 8 and did the turtle farm, could have spent all day there, Hiking trail, aviary, swam in the pool with the waterfalls and slide, then swam with the turtles, then checked out and held all the turtles, then ate some turtle etc.. On the way back we stopped at a street venbder for some stewed cowsfoot which was awesome.

I still need to tour the Caybrew Brewery and visit historic Pedro St. James some day. Then my GC plans are done.

We went and took the $20 tour with Michael Wright Tours. Michael was our tour guide and he rely showed us a good time. We went to the rum outlet and tasted all the goodies, we went to the dolphin sw to watch people swim with the dolphins. We checked out the turtles. He took us on a tour of the old town there and saw the governors house. I don't remember much else except getting a bottle of rum at the liquor store and drinking it down at the beach by the governor's house. Then the ice cream truck came by and we ate rum raisin ice cream. That was super tasty. Oh, and the bonus was that Michael our tour guide looked like Denzel Washington.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

We're also looking for ideas but we have only grown kids and older folks, no young children. Been to GC before and shopped, snorkeled, swam (shopping is top notch!) Had booked an island tour that was canceled. Any suggestions? DH is a FL guy and says GC water too cold :eek:

I was looking for Michael Wright Tours in Grand Cayman. Nothing came up. Do you have any contact information for them? Thanks.