SunStudios

There are 4 ships docking (an estimated 16,000 people) on the day we will be in Grand Cayman so I know that beach clubs like Calico Jacks and Royal Plans are going to be filled up to the brim.

Does anyone have any experiences going to the beaches at the hotels like Marriott, Magaritaville Beach Resort, Westin? We would probably wind up eating at one of the restaurants at the hotel and then heading to the beach, bringing our own towels and beach blankets.

I know that all beaches in Grand Cayman are public so they can't deny us sitting or swimming on the beach, but if you've ever done this before was the staff rude to you, or gave you a hard time? Were you the only non-hotel guests on the beach?

Do you get the spa gift card when you board or on your birthday?

I'm scheduled for the Vista Feb 4th. from Miami and haven't been on a cruise since 2004 when I was a teen and my dad organized and paid for everything. I know ships have changed a lot since then so I have a few questions:

1) For specialty dinning can everyone pay separately or is the person who made the reservation charged for the entire bill?

2) I read that for birthdays you get a $50 gift certificate for the spa. Do you get that on your birthday or on your first day? My birthday is on the last day so it would suck to not have enough time to use it.

3) Did anyone wait until the shore date to buy excursions (Cozumel and Ochos Rios specifically) from the guys selling them on the dock? If so, were they much cheaper than Carnival rates or about the same?