Grand Cayman beginning of Dec

[Earl E Retyre]

Hi all,
I am thinking of booking 5 nights in Grand Cayman Islands starting Dec 7. I am thinking of staying at the Westin on 7 mile beach. Any advice?

I picked Dec 7 since hurricane season ends Dec 1. I selected Westin over Marriot since reviews say the beach is wider/nicer and they should be done with a nice renovation. I considered a condo but I like the pool, do not plan to cook and cost-wise it is actually cheaper for 7 mile beach.

Some items to potentially comment on:
- Will beach water be warm beginning of Dec? Is that a good time to go?
- Seems like relatively low cost - is now the time to book for Dec?
- Looks like I can rent a car for only $9/day. Seems like the way to go since a taxi to/from the airport alone will almost pay for itself
- Looks like Stingray City is a must do - anything else? Is Turtle Center, Botanic Park or Dolphin Discovery worthwhile?
- Any other comments?

TIA.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

We were in Georgetown, GC during a cruise a few years ago just before Christmas. Did the Stingray thing and it was fun; must do. Water temp was nice. We just randomly chose a local tour. It was fine but we were packed somewhat tight in the transfer to the boat. Think the missus might have gotten sick from the water (not bottled) they provided to guests.

Loved walking 7 mile beach but it was really hot during mid day. I don't recall there being a lot of easily accessible shady areas along the beach so be prepared for that if you want to walk the length of it.

Hell in Grand Cayman is quite the tourist trap but if you have time to kill, might as well send a post card home from Hell.

We just found a place to eat along the side of the road to grab food but I can't recall the name of it. Places we found during our research but didn't make to were:
Vivine's Kitchen
Welly's Cool spot Restaurant and Bar
Chicken! Chicken!

We took the city bus for a bit of transport which we found to be a decent option but a $9/day car rental sounds like a better option.

 

[erkevin]

Grand Cayman is beautiful; with the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. I was amazed at the beautifully manicured lawns, shrubs.
Have been there for the incredible diving but stayed on the East End during spring-summer (cant comment on December weather). It is a very expensive place for food and alcohol.

 

[AlbaCrush]

I went to Grand Cayman in February as part of a cruise. I did the Stingray City and snorkeling on the barrier reef. I highly recommend Moby Dick Tours. For $49, you get to do both the Stingrays and snorkeling.

https://www.mobydicktours.com/

 

[2017ish]

Water temp is always nice in the Caymans. If not a diver and want close encounters with biggish marine animals, stingray city is probably a must see.

Second erkevin: the Caymans are very expensive, but quite nice.

 

[45th Birthday]

We have gone to Grand Cayman every year for more than 20 years, except in 2004 after it was devastated by Ivan. We used to go right after the first of the year but now go beginning right after Christmas.

The Westin is a good choice for hotels. The water will definitely be warm enough for swimming, it really always is. You are going at a good time, the weather should be fine, and the hordes haven't shown up yet.

If you are comfortable with the cost, book now. If you can really rent a car for $9 a day, go for it. You will find it much more convenient. Gas is really expensive, but you won't use much. On that note, everything on Grand Cayman is very expensive, so plan accordingly. Alcohol has a high tax, so duty free is the way to go if you want to have a drink in your room/balcony and watch the sunset.

Stingray City is very touristy but definitely a must-do. Our kids are adults now and still love going there. Snorkel trips elsewhere are also great, there are even good snorkel spots off Seven Mile Beach. If you are in good shape and interested, a resort dive course would be fantastic.

The turtle farm is OK, but we haven't been in ages since the kids were little. They have since totally renovated and expanded. Dolphin Discovery you can do anywhere. The botanic park is worth a visit. You could go to Hell while you are there, not too far from you and amusing for five minutes.

A fishing charter can be fun. There is a farmers/craft market in George Town that is worth a trip. Use the google to find out when it is open. George Town shops are also worth passing through, just don't go on a day when there are many cruise ships in port. Check the schedule here https://www.caymanport.com/ship-schedules/ A trip to rum point on the ferry is also fun when there aren't many ships in port.

Camana Bay is also a must, some nice shops and restaurants and impressive to consider what they are building there from nothing. The new Kimpton Seafire Resort is also worth a visit for a drink and a stroll. Not a long walk from the Westin. They have a beach bar (used to be very very casual but they fancied it up) that is the perfect spot to watch the sunset-get there early for a good spot.

Favorite restaurants are Edoardos (wonderful owner, staff, excellent food, easy on the wallet, an easy walk from the Westin), the Brasserie in George Town, Ragazzi, Calypso Grill, Cracked Conch/Macabuca (both in the same place in West Bay, the latter being the totally outside beach bar/grill. Go after dark and watch the night divers come and go right through the dining area-we do a night dive on the reef there every year and it is magical), Rackham's in George Town-they feed the Tarpon every night, it is right on the water, and a cheap eats bar/grill.

BTW, the locals call it simply "Cayman"-a reference to the largest island Grand Cayman, and also to the group of three islands. They cringe when it is called "The Caymans".

 

[meierlde]

Of course if you are a diver and want to get away from it all, there are Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman (the other two islands). Not much in the way of shops but great if you are in the 3 dives a day mode.

 

[Scuba]

Early December will be very nice. If you want a great fine dining experience, we loved Calypso restaurant. For burgers, Sunshine Grill is great. Enjoy!! We stayed in a condo but I'm sure Westin will be nice if you like large resort properties. Car is advisable to have freedom to explore the island. Diving is great if you're into that.

 

[Richard4444]

To the OP: I have stayed at the Westin on 7 mile beach many times (as a diver I have dove with Red Sail Sports there) and enjoyed it thoroughly. It has the best Spa I have been to in the Caribbean and is across from Eats, a great Sports Bar / Restaurant, and has a great beach area as well (isn't that why you go !). But, IMHO, 7 mile beach is over crowded now, and in Grand Cayman I prefer the East End which is much more relaxed with great dining over the breaking east ocean. We were in Little Cayman 2 weeks ago (best for diving: Bloody Bay Wall was one of Jacques Cousteau's world favorites) and is called Little Cayman as it is only 10 miles long by 1 mile wide. And we dove Cayman Brac in February with its majestic walls as well.
But to stay on the OP's topic, the Westin is a great choice, make sure to use the spa and enjoy the beach ! Yes - Sting Ray city is a must do and an experience to remember.
Enjoy !

Rich

 

[timemoveson]

Cay-MAN

As a many time visitor and property owner, note that where you are going is simply and correctly called "Cay-MAN" with the emphasis exactly as shown. Have fun!

 

[Richard4444]

Yes: Grand Cayman is "Cay-MAN" Little Cayman is "Little" and Cayman Brac is "The Brac" On Little and Brac, Grand Cayman is just referred to as "Grand" as in "I'm going to Grand today and will be back tomorrow"

Reminds me when I was in Tokyo with a camera, all of the elementary school kids at the same museum I was at were giggling and pointing to me, the American tourist with the camera. That's when cameras had film and it was dangling around my neck

Rich

 

[Nemo2]

Reminds me when I was in Tokyo with a camera, all of the elementary school kids at the same museum I was at were giggling and pointing to me, the American tourist with the camera. That's when cameras had film and it was dangling around my neck

Funny how things go in cycles.....heading eastbound in Europe in 1963, driving a 1939 four cylinder right hand drive Ford that we'd purchased in England, we had Japanese tourists, (ALL of whom carried cameras, often numerous cameras at that time), take movie shots of the vehicle while it was sitting curbside.

 

[Earl E Retyre]

Thanks, everyone for your extremely helpful replies. I appreciate all the details. Who needs a travel agent when you have the FIRE website? Looking forward to going to Cayman and having a grand time.

 

[Senator]

Stingray city is pretty cool.

An old HS friend and I went on a cruise with our significant others. The kid on the StingRay City shuttle boat showed us the stingrays by jumping in and catching one for us to touch. It took him all of about a minute to do it.
The kid, maybe 16 years old, made it look easy.

We spent the rest of the time trying to catch one, without success. We could almost bring it out of the water, with the head facing our chest, but it would slip off before it got it's back out of the water.

A couple of months or so after we got back, Steve Irwin was killed by a Stingray... Maybe we would not have been so aggressive with those rays if we would have known. But it all worked out.

Be sure to try and catch one.

 

[Scuba]

Stingray city is pretty cool.

An old HS friend and I went on a cruise with our significant others. The kid on the StingRay City shuttle boat showed us the stingrays by jumping in and catching one for us to touch. It took him all of about a minute to do it.
The kid, maybe 16 years old, made it look easy.

We spent the rest of the time trying to catch one, without success. We could almost bring it out of the water, with the head facing our chest, but it would slip off before it got it's back out of the water.

A couple of months or so after we got back, Steve Irwin was killed by a Stingray... Maybe we would not have been so aggressive with those rays if we would have known. But it all worked out.

Be sure to try and catch one.

Senator, I hope you are joking about trying to catch a sting ray. Sting Ray City is a cool attraction, but I cannot imaging any reputable operation encouraging tourists to try to catch sting rays. That would be terrifying for the animal and it would quite rightly retaliate defensively. They will eat out of your hand if you treat them with respect.

 

[timemoveson]

Senator, I hope you are joking about trying to catch a sting ray. Sting Ray City is a cool attraction, but I cannot imaging any reputable operation encouraging tourists to try to catch sting rays. That would be terrifying for the animal and it would quite rightly retaliate defensively. They will eat out of your hand if you treat them with respect.

+1000

 

[garyt]

Is Cayman dollar still worth more than the US dollar? I remember it was $1.20 to our $1 back when I was there.
To the OP, I thought the turtle center was worth a visit.

 

[Richard4444]

Is Cayman dollar still worth more than the US dollar? I remember it was $1.20 to our $1 back when I was there.

$1.00 Cayman = $1.20 USD

Rich

 

[Earl E Retyre]

OK, so I purchased my nonrefundable trip for Dec! Long time away. I guess I have plenty of time now to plan.

I was thinking of getting a CapitalOne quick silver credit card as I get closer to Dec in order to make purchases with no foreign transaction fees.

Any other ideas for the trip, please let me know.

 

[Bir48die]

Another note about GC. We took a cab to our VRBO rental at the top of 7 mile beach. We were told the bus system is very good. So we tested it out and loved it. There are 8-10 person vans that drive the roads frequently. All you have to do is stand at the side of the road in the direction you want to go. They will stop and pick you up. You tell them your destination and they'll let you know if they go all the way there. If not they'll drop you off near the end of their run and you pick another van that goes to that part of the island. I think it's $2 per person and you get to meet and talk to the locals as they use this all the time. We thought it was a blast.

 

[Earl E Retyre]

Another note about GC. We took a cab to our VRBO rental at the top of 7 mile beach. We were told the bus system is very good. So we tested it out and loved it. There are 8-10 person vans that drive the roads frequently. All you have to do is stand at the side of the road in the direction you want to go. They will stop and pick you up. You tell them your destination and they'll let you know if they go all the way there. If not they'll drop you off near the end of their run and you pick another van that goes to that part of the island. I think it's $2 per person and you get to meet and talk to the locals as they use this all the time. We thought it was a blast.

Sounds like a great system and lots of fun. For now, I reserved a rental car (which I could always cancel) - total cost is $95 with taxes and fees for the 5 days. I would also need to pay $20 for local drivers license. So, $115 total. I am thinking the cab to/from hotel will run me $70. So, for $45 more I have a car to drive all around the island. The bus idea also sounds appealing though.

 

[45th Birthday]

OK, so I purchased my nonrefundable trip for Dec! Long time away. I guess I have plenty of time now to plan.

I was thinking of getting a CapitalOne quick silver credit card as I get closer to Dec in order to make purchases with no foreign transaction fees.

Any other ideas for the trip, please let me know.

Have fun on your trip!

Before getting another credit card, check with your preferred card to see if they charge foreign transaction fees. Most now don't.

Also, the vast majority of places will convert your CI$ purchase into US$ and charge your credit card in US$.

Side note on the foreign transaction fee issue. There actually was a time when Citibank charged a fee on transactions where it was processed in US$ simply because it was done off-shore. So we refused to use it there and also put it third on the list elsewhere for awhile.

Final note on money. There is no need to exchange for CI$. Every place I've ever been there will accept both currencies interchangeable at the official fixed rate. The easy way to think about it is when you hand them a $20 US bill, they are taking it as $16 CI. You will probably get change back in CI.

 

[Scuba]

Sounds like a great system and lots of fun. For now, I reserved a rental car (which I could always cancel) - total cost is $95 with taxes and fees for the 5 days. I would also need to pay $20 for local drivers license. So, $115 total. I am thinking the cab to/from hotel will run me $70. So, for $45 more I have a car to drive all around the island. The bus idea also sounds appealing though.

I would rent a car so you can explore on your own schedule. The island is beautiful and there are many good restaurants. Calypso is well worth the drive. Enjoy!!

 

[Topflex]

Never posted before but have been going to Cayman for 25 years and stay at Plantation Village on Seven Mile Beach. While the official exchange rate is US$1.20 to CI$1.00 no one on the island uses it. Normal rate is US$1.25 to CI$1.00. ATM might give you a better rate, but last time years ago got CI$82 for US$100. I almost exclusively use a credit card now. All restaurants, car rental, grocery stores, etc. will charge your credit card in US$. You will not have a choice. Conversation rate will be 1.25 to 1.00. All location will accept US$ at this rate and give change in CI$ except tourist locations in Georgetown that will give change in US$. Most tourist locations price will be in US$, but all restaurants menus will be in CI$. When in doubt ask. I always rent a car. In June two week rental including license was US$272 for small SUV. Gasoline is in imperial gallons which is 25% more than US gallon. So the gas price you see in CI$ is the same as US$ per gallon., was over US$5 per gallon. I agree sting ray city (actually a sand bar waist deep) is a must. I recommend Dexter Ebanks. Have been going with him for years. Takes out about 20 people in his catamaran, motors out to sandbar, then snorkeling and sails back. Nice trip. I think the restaurants mentioned are good, but everyone has there own opinion. Liquor on the island is expensive and can only be purchased in liquor stores such as Big Daddy's, Blackbeards, Tortuga, etc. I.e. Beer over US12 a six pack for the cheapest going to about Us15. Suggest if you like to imbibe bring in some duty free. Grocery stores the tourist use are mainly Foster's (near the Ritz) and Kirk's near the start of Seven Mile Beach. Both are ok, but I prefer Foster's. Expect to pay more than in US, some items a lot more. Be glad to answer specific questions if you ask.

 

[Earl E Retyre]

Never posted before but have been going to Cayman for 25 years and stay at Plantation Village on Seven Mile Beach. While the official exchange rate is US$1.20 to CI$1.00 no one on the island uses it. Normal rate is US$1.25 to CI$1.00. ATM might give you a better rate, but last time years ago got CI$82 for US$100. I almost exclusively use a credit card now. All restaurants, car rental, grocery stores, etc. will charge your credit card in US$. You will not have a choice. Conversation rate will be 1.25 to 1.00. All location will accept US$ at this rate and give change in CI$ except tourist locations in Georgetown that will give change in US$. Most tourist locations price will be in US$, but all restaurants menus will be in CI$. When in doubt ask. I always rent a car. In June two week rental including license was US$272 for small SUV. Gasoline is in imperial gallons which is 25% more than US gallon. So the gas price you see in CI$ is the same as US$ per gallon., was over US$5 per gallon. I agree sting ray city (actually a sand bar waist deep) is a must. I recommend Dexter Ebanks. Have been going with him for years. Takes out about 20 people in his catamaran, motors out to sandbar, then snorkeling and sails back. Nice trip. I think the restaurants mentioned are good, but everyone has there own opinion. Liquor on the island is expensive and can only be purchased in liquor stores such as Big Daddy's, Blackbeards, Tortuga, etc. I.e. Beer over US12 a six pack for the cheapest going to about Us15. Suggest if you like to imbibe bring in some duty free. Grocery stores the tourist use are mainly Foster's (near the Ritz) and Kirk's near the start of Seven Mile Beach. Both are ok, but I prefer Foster's. Expect to pay more than in US, some items a lot more. Be glad to answer specific questions if you ask.

Wow, you have been a member for 7 years and this was your first post? I feel honored. Thanks for all the detailed information and offer to answer questions.

I googled Dexter Ebanks Grand Cayman and found dexters-fantaseatours.com/. I assume that is the one you are referring to. Question for you ... how far in advance do you recommend I book tours? I believe we will plan Sting Ray City for our 1st full day there. But it is over 4 months from now in December. Not sure if these book up and when it is makes sense to reserve. Same with the dolphin tour. Also, since I will have a car, should I have them pick me up at the hotel or just drive there myself?

That is odd that the official exchange rate is 1.2 and the businesses do 1.25. Sounds like there may be no point in getting a no foreign transaction fee credit card. Also, good info about the imperial gallon gasoline being 25% more than US gallon. Makes it easy.

Dress code question: I assume nice shorts are the norm for most restaurants since it is a beach town?

One last question: when one takes a boat out to Stingray City and snorkeling ... is there a chance of sea sickness and therefore take Dramamine just in case or is it all near the shore and calm water? [I am perfectly fine in the bay but not deep sea fishing.]

Thanks again all. Will let you know if I think of any other questions.