bookbabe

Look into WhatsApp. Works on Wi-Fi or data so we use it in combination with an Airalo data plan on shore and ship internet while onboard. You set up the account with your own cell phone number so family and friends don’t have to learn a new number. Other WhatsApp users can call or text you for free, plus it allows video and audio messages to be sent back and forth in addition to regular phone calls and texts. Easy enough that both our elderly moms have figured it out. The only negative is that you can only contact other WhatsApp users, it doesn’t work for calling landlines, etc. But for calling family back home, it can’t be beat.

The beach itself was great all through Silver Cove, the water was pretty shallow and calm in the lagoon area, less so in the section closer to the main non-SC area. DH liked the swimming in the non-lagoon area better. The lagoon area would be better for kids or weaker swimmers.

If it works the same way as it did when we had a villa a couple years ago… - one person books the villa - onboard, you’re asked for numbers, and I think names if you are not in the same cabin - there’s a way to pay extra for additional guests above the standard inclusion, I think it was $50 a person or something crazy like that, we didn’t need to so no idea how many extra they’d let you add - you receive excursion tickets for the villa, can’t remember whether it was one ticket or one each - we were in the haven, so no idea how tendering would work if you aren’t, sorry, but I’m assuming the number of guests specified could all get priority tendering - when you get to the island you go to Silver Cover Villa checkin to sign in, and they give everyone on your guest list a wristband - that’s the important part - no wristband, no silver cove access - golf carts will take you to and from the tender area to check in and from checkin to the villa and vice versa

We have the Airalo global+ or whatever it’s called, the one with the data and calling that’s good for a year. They assign you a phone number, ours is Austrian, I think. It’s a European-style number, so it’s tricky for elderly Canadian relatives calling us, but it worked fine for me calling Canada while in the covered countries, plus calling local numbers like taxis or restaurants. It doesn’t cover all countries, so look at the full countries list on their website or app to make sure it works in all the countries you’re stopping in. I highly recommend Airalo. Good product and good customer service, as far as we’ve encountered so far. We have been working to transition our parents to WhatsApp, which lets people call or text or send video/audio messages using data or whatever internet is available. Most individuals here in Cayman use it to avoid pricey phone company charges for regular calls and texts (data is generally unlimited on plans, texts and calls are not) so we’ve gotten used to using it on a daily basis. It’s pretty easy to use, and you set up your account using your regular cell number, so people wanting to WhatsApp you just use your same number no matter where in the world you are.

Technically, yes, I guess it's possible.. Routes run around both ends of the island as well as in town. It would be pricey, at $2.50pp a leg. There's no day passes or anything like that as buses are independently run. Practically, I personally wouldn't try it when visiting by cruise ship. Especially in the further reaches, buses can be infrequent and sometimes skip areas if they are full or don't have anyone to drop off at a certain stop. Not really supposed to, but they do. Your better bet is to rent a car and DIY an island tour that way, so you have control of your route and return timing.

It's not really near Rum Point either. You can't get there from shore without an excursion or your own watercraft. Yes, by water it's technically a bit closer to Rum Point, but since it's a 45 min drive to Rum Point and there's only one tour operator there, you're better off booking something that leaves from town. Coming in on a cruise ship and wanting to visit Stingray City as well as visit a beach, your best bet is to book an early excursion (through the ship or privately) and have them drop you at the beach afterwards, then taxi/bus back to the port. Or book one of the excursions that also stops someplace like Starfish Point and have a bit of beach time that way.

What Cruisematic said. And it's not on the Seven Mile Beach side of the island, so you won't find an operator at the beach there making runs out to Stingray City.

Bigger and better beach, IMO, and Public has facilities whereas Governors doesn't. Sometimes Governors has a portapotty, but there are no chair rentals, vendors, etc. Public also has a playground if you are traveling with kids. https://www.explorecayman.com/grand-cayman/things-to-do/beaches

Maybe they didn't actually cancel it? Ours could have booked immediately if we wanted a different cabin or different dates, but to keep the same cabin for the same date as the hold we had to wait for it to expire before he could book it.

As per my experience, even a rep at Viking cannot cancel the hold. Mine had to wait for it to expire before he could book that cabin for us.

I don't know if there's a way to cancel a hold (unpaid deposit) without just waiting the 72 hours for it to expire. Even my rep at Viking had to do that to get credit for the booking when I put in a hold on his days off and then wanted to pay the deposit with him when he was back at work. However, I really haven't noticed any sales in the last few years that would be worth the hassle of juggling bookings like that. Most of the sales are pretty similar, and often apply to a few undersold cruises in the near future. Check out the Promo Codes thread to see some of the recent sales. You'll likely get a better deal finding a good travel agent that offers onboard credit.

I'd try them all maybe, only takes two seconds as you're walking by to glance in. They'll either have a big display of the bottles or they won't. Tortuga and Jacques Scott at the airport had it, so at the very least I'd try those chains near the port. JS was the pics i posted, it was right in the doorway so very obvious. Besides, think of the fun you can have at each store, asking "Got any Big Black Dick?" 😉

You should look. I am sitting in the airport right now, and both duty free stores carry an assortment of BBD. I can’t see how the duty free stores at the port, which are run by the same companies, would not have it. I’ve also seen it in other stores around the island. It’s definitely still available.

In town? Turtles, dolphins, museum, art gallery, kittiwake snorkel Outside of town? Botanical gardens, scenic caves, parrot sanctuary, blow holes, Pedro St James historic site https://www.explorecayman.com/grand-cayman/things-to-do/attractions

Regular “calm” rain, probably not, but that’s a question better asked of your tour operator as to what their policy is. Cancellations would usually be for weather conditions that create safety issues, like high winds or a storm that causes rough waves.

My guess is that, if anything it’s likely going to be one or more of the excursions regularly offered there. It’s a pretty common cruise port, so lots of options there. Are there any current roll calls for your itinerary? Maybe a current cruiser could check with destination services onboard?

On our upcoming cruise, Athens and Barcelona are three day ports, but Rome is only a single day. There was another recent thread that posted the excursion list for Rome, so it’s definitely something that happens. What port are you looking for a list for?

Considering Regent is double the cost of Viking for a world cruise, and the inclusions aren’t that much different, at least not enough to justify double the cost, the Viking world cruise is a pretty good bargain. But you already have to be planning to spend a serious chunk of cash to be considering a world cruise anyway, so I guess YMMV.

Our upcoming cruise has empty days in Athens, Rome and Barcelona, since it’s a B2B of Iconic Med Treasures and Trade Routes. I will happily post the excursion lists for those days when we get them onboard, but that won’t be until March and April.

Viking is downright economical in comparison…

That’s weird. When I checked yesterday it was completely sold out. Maybe lots of cabins on an initial hold that people decided not to book? Either way, think we are sticking with the Regent one. While I don’t like the onboard experience as much, the itinerary is a bit better, and DH really likes the round-trip Miami part, that’s one of his must-dos, beginning and ending at the same port. Thanks for pointing it out, though, I feel better about my rep now.

That’s annoying. So much for my rep at Viking letting me know when it dropped, now the ES are all sold out. I guess we are sticking with our Regent WC for 2026. Ah, well, I think the Regent itinerary is a bit better anyway, even if I don’t like the onboard experience as much. DH likes the fact that our current choice is round-trip Miami, he’s not a fan of the way the Viking WC seems to always end in England instead of going completely around the world back to its starting point.

Don’t hold your breath. 😉 Few, if any, hotels offer day passes, so you are unlikely to get any reviews. Editing to add: Okay, a quick google shows the potential to buy passes through a couple of the usual day pass resellers, at the Holiday Inn and the Grand Caymanian, neither of which is on Seven Mile Beach. So I would look on the hotel review sites for recent reviews of those two hotels.

Public Beach is the commonly known name of the beach, technically I guess it’s Seven Mile Beach Public Beach, but no one calls it that. If you are coming in on a cruise ship and ask a shuttle driver to take you to Public Beach (not a public beach) that’s where you should end up. It’s by the Kimpton Seafire hotel if you are looking for it on google maps. https://www.explorecayman.com/things-to-do/best-beaches#seven-mile-beach-public-beach The only other place a shuttle might possibly try to take you if you say “a beach” is Coral Beach, which is next to where Royal Palms used to be, and is the only remaining beach club catering to cruisers. But if you confirm with the driver that you want to go to Public Beach by the Kimpton, you’ll get to the right place. Is it really confusing? Yes, but navigating here is kind of like that. No one tends to use street addresses, it’s all navigating by landmarks and place or plaza names, including ones that no longer exist. It takes some serious getting used to.

Yes, if there’s a cruise ship in port, there will be taxis and shuttles to take people to the beach. Prices vary. Private taxi will be more expensive, shared ride vans are usually about $4-6pp each way.