drew sailbum

No fee to use the beach or lounge chairs at Rum Point. They make their money selling you food and beverages.

 

One way taxi fare to Rum Point should be about US$72. Same for the return, so about US$144 for the round trip Taxis do not hang out at Rum Point waiting for fares so you would need to arrange the return in advance.

 

It is generally much more economical to visit Rum Point via rental car or as a part of a snorkel trip that stops there for lunch.

There will be plenty of offerings but getting pushy or in-your-face is not the Cayman way. Not in the port. Not on the beaches.

 

You will see tour operators with tables set up and workers with signs, but no one will grab you or tug on you to get you into a store. A simple "no" is more than enough... and you likely will not be pushed that far.

 

There is a small chance (<5%) that your ship might tender you ashore at a different site if the wind direction changes. If so, just grab a bus into town. There will be lots of buses lined up to provide transportation.

 

And, unfortunately, sometimes the weather simply does not cooperate and ships must skip the port call at Cayman.

Downtown George Town, with a lot of shopping, is right across the street from the piers where the tenders drop you off. Lots of jewelry, perfumes, t-shirts, rum cakes, and unique Caymanian rums to be found there.

 

A short walk brings you to a few snorkeling sites such as Eden Rock or the Wreck of the Cali.

 

Departure point for Atlantis Submarines or the Nautilus semi-submersible boat tours are within easy walking distance.

 

The Cayman food tours offers a walking tour of George Town featuring some samples of local cuisine from a variety of shops.

 

A new room lock-in puzzle experience is opening soon on Fort Street, just down the block from an ice bar.

 

Spend a few minutes to check out the Cayman National Museum or the Heroes Wall and monuments, both right downtown.

 

Guy Harvey is a well know marine artist with a gallery and restaurant close to the port.

 

And if you really must get away from town there are rental cars and scooters from Cayman Auto Rentals within walking distance. Other operators are happy to pick you up from the port area and take you to the airport to complete a rental transaction.

 

I'm sure I've left some things out. Others can fill in a few of their favorites for a Cayman port call.

Not official. Yet.

 

The relevant bill is expected to be voted upon in the Legislative Assembly soon. Island time soon.

Looks brand new. This seems to be their website.

 

Location is on Fort St, within easy walking distance from the cruise ship tender piers.

 

I guess we wait for someone to book and report back to Cruise Critic to get a bit of feedback.

Actually, Cayman will be doing Daylight Savings Time starting in 2016

 

http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/cayman-islands-introduce-dst.html

 

 

It is not yet a done deal.

 

The Premier did make an announcement last fall that DST will be introduced. The enabling legislation has been published and comments are being accepted. It should be voted on soon.

 

Island time soon?

 

The bill states daylight saving time in the Cayman will go into effect from 2:00am the second Sunday in March to 2:00am the first Sunday in November. At that time in November the country will revert to its standard time.

There has been a bit of opposition to the change. And (for mostly unrelated reasons) the majority in Parliament has shrunk in recent weeks as a couple MLAs have chosen to leave the governing party. It is unclear if they will side with Independent MLAs who opposed the DST change.

Be advised there are not sidewalks for the entire way. You may have to walk out into the roadway a bit to get around parked cars and the like.

 

Be mindful we drive on the left. Assuming you are walking along the sea side of the road this means you are walking with the traffic that is approaching from behind you.

Historically hotel offerings of day passes seem to vary inversely with occupancy levels. In slow times with few hotel guests booking rooms the hotels are more open to selling a few day passes to cruise visitors. In peak times with high occupancy they are less likely to sell day passes, preferring to reserve their amenities for stay over guests.

 

While it is true that the beaches are public, even in front of hotels, this is only so from the edge of the water to the "mean high water mark" which is only the level the high tide reaches on an average day. Tides do not vary much in Cayman so there is only a VERY narrow strip of beach that is truly public under this law.

 

In short you can walk along the beach, and yes put down a towel, in the area where the water has packed the sand hard right along the edge of the water. Higher up the beach where your towel will stay dry and you are likely on private property.

 

Use of lounge chairs and other amenities of a hotel or other private property is, of course, subject to the private property owners' rules.

Looks like a new excursion. There may not be much feedback available yet.

 

The description on Royal Caribbean's webpage include apparently contradictory information saying the tour includes a "scenic ride that passes through the island's original capital." It then goes on to talk about "Afterwards, the property is yours to explore. You can stroll along Seven Mile Beach..."

 

The original capital of the Cayman Islands was Bodden Town. There is a mansion, of sorts, near the police station that has recently been refurbished and is hosting special events. I presume this is the location of the tour.

 

But it is not on Seven Mile Beach. Not even close. You would not pass through Bodden Town on the way from the port to Seven Mile Beach unless you were very lost.

Main entrance to what? Seven Mile Beach? There is no "main entrance" to Seven Mile Beach.

 

There are many, many access points to Seven Mile Beach. Because the beach is so long it is easier to speak about which access point you want to be dropped at. Taxis will either drop you off curbside or in the parking lot, as applicable, at your chosen site. Buses will only drop you curbside. The difference in distance to walk is negligible.

 

Buses will drop you curbside pretty much anywhere along their route. I've even seen one stop in the middle of a traffic-light controlled intersection to discharge a passenger. You are not required to board or disembark a bus only at designated bus stops.

Citizens of India require a visa to enter the Cayman Islands as a tourist unless they are exempted by one of several factors. One of those exemptions is if:

 

you are resident in the United States of America; and you arrive directly from that country; and you produce on arrival a valid United States Alien Registration Card; and you produce on arrival a return or round trip ticket to the United States.

 

I don't think the exemption applies to your friend as H1b visa holders would not have an Alien Registration Card (aka green card).

 

I would highly recommend your friend confirm this with an inquiry to the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration.

Even if you don't normally book an excursion through the ship, Christmas Day would be a good day to do so.

Even so ... the ship's excursions may be a bit limited on Christmas Day ... but any offered will go. :)

 

Cannot over-emphasize this!

 

Typically Cayman's port was closed for Christmas so there is not a long history for the merchants to make their decisions. I would expect much fewer taxis on the road and few (if any) buses.

 

But if it is a ship's excursion it will go.

In the video at this Cayman27 news report, at the 1:33 mark, an official of the Department of Environment shows a map showing the ship within its zone.

 

What is not readily apparent is that Don Foster's Dive is so far south of there that it is not even on the map shown.

 

There is a green dot on the map on shore showing the southern boundary of the anchorage zone. That dot is just below the letter "S" in South Church Street. That dot is between the Harbour Place and Queensgate House buildings, directly across the street from Abanks Watersports/Paradise Restaurant.

 

The southernmost reddish/pink labelled building on that map is directly across the street from Eden Rock. Eden Rock is outside the designated anchorage zone. Don Fosters is several buildings south of Eden Rock.

 

So if that anchor really was "out front from Don Fosters and Eden Rock" as described by the videographer then it was WELL outside the anchorage zone.

First, clarifying a few details.

 

The Port Authority of the Cayman Islands assigns ships to one of four anchorage zones (or assigns them to maintain position on engine power further out). The Port Authority does not tell the ships where in the zone to drop the anchor.

 

Many ships contract with a harbour pilot to guide them in anchoring. The harbour pilots do not work for the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, they work for a company, Bodden Shipping, which also provides tender service to many of the ships.

 

The Marine Law of the Cayman Islands clearly states that damaging coral by anchor, chain, or any other means ANYWHERE in Cayman waters is an offence. There are no exceptions.

 

The same Marine Law regulates regions in which smaller boats may (or may not) drop anchor. It sets up large zones with varying protections. In all cases damaging reef by anchoring is an offence.

 

While the Department of Environment has been quick to specify that the ship was within the designated anchorage zone, they have not clarified if the anchor was in the zone. Ships drop anchor and then drift back, sometimes substantial distances, until the anchor holds. It is entirely conceivable that a ship could be in its zone but its anchor be outside the zone. If that is the case then the ship committed an offence.

 

If the ship's anchor was inside its designated zone then the question arises as to why the boundaries of that zone include live reef. In such an instance it is incumbent on the authorities to re-draw the boundaries of the zone.

 

Finally, the diver was not committing any offence thus he was not subject to arrest. The anchor was atop a reef in front of his dive shop.

A few comments

...

I could be wrong but I believe the port authority has no 'control' over Stingray city operations ... this is not at the port.

 

The Port Authority can close the sandbar and/or original Stingray City site upon advice from the police Marine Unit or Department of Environment Enforcement officers.

 

 

IME when port authority HAS closed the port or suspended tender operations, my diving operators have shifted to locations NEAR stingray city. The port sits on the west bank, and winds out of the west are typically what messes up port operations. When this happens, stingray city being on the NORTH side and inside the barrier reef is typically CALM! Note the port authority does not 'suspend' dive boats from going out, but the conditions on the west side are bad in this situation as well. So, if possible the larger dive operations move to the north wall ... this requires more logistics but is a great thing about Cayman for a dive trip .... short of a hurricane there is always decent diving SOMEPLACE!

 

YMMV. Northwest winds are the most common reason the normal port operations are suspended. Those winds also typically blow out the Stingray sites as well as North Wall scuba diving.

No proper beaches within walking distance of the brewery.

 

Roads are VERY busy in that area. Quite easy bus access though with many buses passing on a regular basis.

Not even a three second ride from the top of Mt Trashmore? ;)

 

 

As bookbabe noted, Grand Cayman is pretty flat. I lived near the highest (natural) point of the island for four years and never realized I was living next to The Mountain.

While not strictly a law, it is highly recommended. There are nearby coral reefs that are affected by certain chemicals in sunscreen and there are LOTS of human visitors to the Sandbar each getting a bit of sunscreen washed off by the waves and the stingray noogies.

 

The chemical oxybenzone is a common ingredient in sunscreens that causes such problems for coral. See this Time magazine article on the topic:

How Sunscreen May Be Destroying Coral Reefs

 

 

 

If you search Amazon.com for "biodegradable sunscreen" you will find several options that are safer for our reefs. Buy 'em online or in your favorite store once you know which brands to look out for.

There are plenty of shops right in George Town where the tender boats drop you at the pier. Lots of t-shirts shops, jewelry stores, and perfume shops within the walking area.

 

A couple blocks to the south of the tender pier is a small craft market at the corner of South Church St and Boilers Rd.

A favorite Cayman waterfront restaurant, Breezes by the Bay is set to reopen in time for Pirate's Week after having closed back in April as mentioned here on Cruise Critic.

 

It's at the same location, but the owner promises some menu changes will come after opening with a limited menu.

 

See today's article in the Cayman Compass.

'

 

 

*** As per usual, I have no personal or financial interest in this, or any other, Cayman business... except I have enjoyed a few meals there!

Burger King has started using a pass code system. With your purchase you can ask for a one time use slip good for 30 minutes of internet connection. Occasionally the whole system doesn't work.

 

I know they use this setup at their other locations, but I do not often eat at the Seven Mile Beach location. Maybe the signal is still open there?

However some restaurants, particularity at hotels, will offer a Thanksgiving menu. Chicken! Chicken! does a very brisk business serving up Turkey! Turkey! that day. The hot food bar at the deli section of Fosters Supermarket will be replete with roast turkey, ham, and all the trimmings too.

 

Cayman has actually begun to adopt Cayman Thanksgiving, placing its own particular spin on the holiday as a week long celebration. It is not, however, an official holiday... yet.

It is not particularly physically demanding, but generally requires the ability to climb a few steps on a short ladder to gets back in the boat.

 

Anecdotally, stingrays seem to pay a bit more attention to pregnant women. :eek:

I was wondering the same thing, and also what it means to some of the local vendors near the tender docks (like the recently relocated Seymour's BBQ). Reclaimed land can mean a lot of things.

 

Drew Sailbum, what are the locals saying about this and what's being reported in the local media?

 

There was a much smaller land reclamation when the Royal Watler Terminal was built several years ago. There was relatively little impact on existing merchants while the construction was underway.

 

But once the Royal Watler was complete there was suddenly more retail space that was guaranteed to be a point of first impression for cruise arrivals. Existing merchants were worried about the added competition and the perceived loss of value of their existing locations.

 

Some of the same arguments are being replayed this time around. Some of the possible mechanisms of financing would include new retail on the reclaimed land putting more pressure on existing merchants.

So probably not done by April, eh? ;)

...?

 

Standard reply is, sure it will be ready by April. The question is, April of what year? :rolleyes: