Rum Point-Don't Miss it!

[bickee]

Wow! Talk about a great ongoing thread! I think I'll add to it....

Boatbunny...being the nervous planner that I am...can you give me some advice? Let's say I rent the car from 9 - 3. When should I leave rum point to get to the starfish beach? And then from the starfish beach back to port? Also, is there anything else on the way worth stopping for? Thank you so much...I am a worrywart!

[boatbunny]

[quote name='bickee']Wow! Talk about a great ongoing thread! I think I'll add to it....

Boatbunny...being the nervous planner that I am...can you give me some advice? Let's say I rent the car from 9 - 3. When should I leave rum point to get to the starfish beach? And then from the starfish beach back to port? Also, is there anything else on the way worth stopping for? Thank you so much...I am a worrywart![/QUOTE]

Hi, Starfish Beach is only a 5 min ride from Rum Point, and you'll probably only spend 15 mins or so there. There isn't much to see outside of the starfish, there probably won't be anybody else on the beach (unless those who've read this thread!), so if you wanted some extra time, just plan it in. The water drops off pretty quickly from the beach, I don't know if the snorkeling might be good there. Maybe somebody can comment?

Give yourself extra time on the way back to drop off the car, there tends to be a little bit of traffic in the mid afternoon around the airport.

Have fun and don't worry! It will be the best day of your trip!
Michelle

[Annieeee]

Nope! I refuse to let anyone know how wonderful Rum Point is. I want it remain as peaceful and lovely as it is now! Gorgeous! I was just there last week, have been to Gran Cayman several times, but this was my first time to Rum Point. I certainly plan on going back. But I am not telling everyone how truly great it is, shhhhh!

Annieeee

[wastin' away]

Well Michelle, I just reserved my Jeep w/ Avis... I'm ready to go!! Only 55 more days 'till my little group sails... a couple more 'till I'm sittin' on the beach at Rum Point! I am soooo excited! Thanks again for all the good info here!!
PS... how's business? Figured out how to get some coconut lime macaroons out to Seattle?? Hope things are going well!

[boatbunny]

[QUOTE=wastin' away]Well Michelle, I just reserved my Jeep w/ Avis... I'm ready to go!! Only 55 more days 'till my little group sails... a couple more 'till I'm sittin' on the beach at Rum Point! I am soooo excited! Thanks again for all the good info here!!
PS... how's business? Figured out how to get some coconut lime macaroons out to Seattle?? Hope things are going well![/QUOTE]

Oh you have no idea of how envious I am right now!! Rum Point, oh how I miss it. When I'm having a hard time falling asleep because ten million things are running through my head, I bring myself back to Rum Point and try to feel as relaxed and wonderful as I felt that day!

Email me at my private email, [email]smdbelskis@prodigy.net[/email] and I'll make arrangements to get the coconut lime mac's out to you, oh and we also added orange/white chocolate maccaroons dipped in dark chocolate in case those interest you!

Michelle

[MamaMicki]

Hi Boatbunny,
I have been reading your thread since you started it. I was going to take your advice and I have a car rented and everything and someone on another thread told me that there was a lot of traffic. Actually another person seconded them. I thought you could really give me low down. I am really looking forward to going to Rum Point and renting a car. We have 2 small children and I think it would be the most convenient thing to do. I looked at the Ferry schedule, but to get to the ferry, then ride the ferry, get back on the ferry....All with a 2 and 4 year old. It makes me cringe. :eek: Let me know what you and everybody else out there think. Thanks for your time. How hard is it to drive on the wrong side of the street. I think that bothers my husband a bit. Well, We will be leaving in exactly 1 month on the Carnival Miracle. Thanks again,

[boatbunny]

[quote name='MamaMicki']Hi Boatbunny,
I have been reading your thread since you started it. I was going to take your advice and I have a car rented and everything and someone on another thread told me that there was a lot of traffic. Actually another person seconded them. I thought you could really give me low down. I am really looking forward to going to Rum Point and renting a car. We have 2 small children and I think it would be the most convenient thing to do. I looked at the Ferry schedule, but to get to the ferry, then ride the ferry, get back on the ferry....All with a 2 and 4 year old. It makes me cringe. :eek: Let me know what you and everybody else out there think. Thanks for your time. How hard is it to drive on the wrong side of the street. I think that bothers my husband a bit. Well, We will be leaving in exactly 1 month on the Carnival Miracle. Thanks again,[/QUOTE]

Hi Mama, sorry for the long delay in responding, but as you've probably read, I just opened a new pastry shop and let's just say that I don't have a lot of spare time anymore.

Anyway, traffic??? Would love to see where these people found traffic considering many who live on the island don't have cars! There is more car volume around the airport area with taxis and cars, and maybe I have an unrealistic view of what traffic is given I commuted to Boston every day from NH (a 40 mile drive which on a GOOD day took 2 1/2 hours one way!) But, I would hardly call it traffic. Will you be the only one on the road near the airport? No, but once you are out of the airport area and on your way to Rum Point, which is maybe 10 mins of driving time, you won't be sharing the road with hardly anyone. In the afternoon the airport area does get a little busier, so give yourself a few extra minutes to get back and make sure Avis gives you good directions for getting back to their offices, just because one of the roads you take out of their office to get on the road to Rum Point is a one way. But, again, it is very easy and the directions to get to RP are very easy to follow. Make sure you take the short cut route through the middle of the island.

This is a great place for young children, mine were 5 and 8, the water is very calm, virtually no waves. And shallow, maybe a few feet deep for a couple of hundred yards out. Crystal clear water. The facilities are great, bathrooms are clean and very close to the beach area (we all know about those emergencies!) and there are showers for a quick rinse. The food is very good, they had an extensive menu and plenty for the kids to choose from. There is also a few resident parrots hanging on open cages so the kids can get up close.

We plan on going back for a whole week vacation as soon as we can!

Please feel free to email questions, or write to my personal email and I'll send you pics .

Michelle

[email]smdbelskis@prodigy.net[/email]

[BiggerBob]

Hi, just thought I would add our thoughts and experience. We visited Rum Point on Dec 5th and rented a jeep thru Avis. Avis upgraded our jeep for no extra cost as they did not have any regular ones left to rent. This made my DH happy as he is a Jeep fan. My only tip would be to get the ladies to highlight on the map the route you will follow. It is pretty straight forward going out there, but somehow got slightly turned around on the way back. DH did not have a hard time driving on the left however I was navigating and found it a little tricky as I could not see a lot of street signs. However you do not have to make alot of turns, just pay attention to the round-a-bouts for the return trip home.

Rum Point is absolutely beautiful and is everything Michelle describes. Definatly worth the trip.

Make sure to leave yourself enough time to return. We left at 3:00pm and felt a little nervous on the way back. But it all turned out okay and we had 30 minutes to spare!

[PelicanBill]

We visited Rum Point by rental car in October based on recommendations in this thread. it was Fantastic, a highlight of the trip. We wish we'd
had more time there.

We have driven on many caribbean islands, mostly on the left. Grand Cayman was by far the easiest of all the islands as they have wide paved roads that are in great condition. A little traffic in the afternoon was no big deal. Most of our turns were left turns which are the easy ones.

When driving on the left, have your navigator help by calling out instructions as a double check, like this: Soon we will turn left onto swamp road, from the left lane to the left lane, watch for traffic coming in on the right. Next, we turn right, from the left lane to the left lane across traffic, watch for traffic both ways. Be cautious when approaching intersections no matter how marked for stops or yields. The locals drive quicker and more aggressively just go slow and avoid them. On the open road pull over (to the left!) and let them pass (on the right!)

[tennisobo]

We will be in Grand Cayman on Jan. 11 off the Star Princess. We don't even get to GC until noon and we have to be back onboard by 6:30. Is visiting Rum Point pushing our luck time-wise? I'd really rather not rent a car/jeep if we don't have to and the ferry schedule doesn't work with our timeframe. Are there any other options for transportation? Rum Point sounds heavenly and a nice relaxing day there would be great. What do you people who have been there think about our situation?

Thanks!

[MamaMicki]

I have a few more questions. We have 2 small kids, is it better to have them ride on the shuttle to Avis or should my husband pick us up at the pier? Which is easier? This is one of the other things I am stressing about. Thanks a lot for all the information. If it were you what type of schedule would you do for getting to Rum Point and back on the Ship. We are going to be in Port from 7am-4pm. What time would you get off the ship and head to the car rental place? And What time would you start heading back? They told me that they open at 7am and I can call and they would come pick us up. Thanks again.

[smrtypnts]

If your ship leaves Grand Cayman at 4, the last tender back to the ship will be at 3:30. I don't think you want to cut it so close that you're stressing about getting there on time, so I'd leave Rum Pointe no later than 2:30. That gives you half an hour to get back and half an hour extra in case you run into traffic or have a hard time returning the rental car or any # of other things. You want to have your fair share of time at the beach, and since you should leave by 2:30, I wouldn't want to get there later than 10:30, so you want to be on the road by 10am, so you probably want to be at Avis no later than 9:30, THEREFORE, I'd probably be up and off the ship no later than 9am. Of course, if you want to be on the beach earlier than 10:30, then I'd be off the ship earlier.

Good Luck!
PS Get in line to get your tender ticket early!!

[boatbunny]

[quote name='MamaMicki']I have a few more questions. We have 2 small kids, is it better to have them ride on the shuttle to Avis or should my husband pick us up at the pier? Which is easier? This is one of the other things I am stressing about. Thanks a lot for all the information. If it were you what type of schedule would you do for getting to Rum Point and back on the Ship. We are going to be in Port from 7am-4pm. What time would you get off the ship and head to the car rental place? And What time would you start heading back? They told me that they open at 7am and I can call and they would come pick us up. Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

Have the kids ride in the shuttle, it is a van and there are seatbelts. You will waste too much time trying to have your husband navigate back to the pier area where the reall traffic is, only to turn back around to head back to the direction where he came from.

Don't stress about the time, as the above poster mentioned, just be sure to give yourself a good hour to get back, so if you left around 2:30, you'd have plenty of time.

Also, make sure you contact Avis about an early rental. I don't think their offices open til 9 am, but they do make arrangements for early pickups because they know some ships arrive early.

[cruisegirl29]

Hi All,

I've been reading this thread & have been to GC several times but I've always gone to 7mile/sea grape beach. Which is better? I love 7 mile, so it hard to try anywhere else. I just want a stress free day, and getting into the port, taking a cab to 7mile has always been so easy. What should I do?

Any input would be lovely! Happy Holidays!
Sue

[monicakm]

We'll be in GC on Jan 18th. I've rented our car thru Avis. We're on the Grand Princess. Itinerary says we'll arrive in GC at 12AM and leave at 7PM. I wonder if that 12AM is a typo. I'd also be interested in the Rum Cake Factory. Is it on the way to Rum Point? Thanks to everyone for their raves and tips. It sounds like paradise :)
Monica

[cruzin4our10th]

Boatbunny,

We'll be in the GC on 1/11 on the Triumph. We are there from 7:30 to 4:30. I have already rented a car from Avis - we want to go to Rum Point but thought about driving the long way around the south end to take in the sights on the way. How long is it going this way? Also can you tell me if it is hard to get to the Rum Cake Factory from here? What time to leave to make it back for our ship leaving at 4:30? I know alot of questions - I am a worry wart!:o

[drew sailbum]

Driving the "long way around" will add about a half hour to the drive out to Rum Point. Cutting across the island on Frank Sound Road is the faster route.

The Tortuga Rum Cake factory/warehouse is not too far out of the way, but it is not on the fastest route out of Georgetown.

[cruzin4our10th]

Drew - is there much to see taking the long way around? We've never been there before and just want to see the island. I was thinking about stopping at the rum factory on the way back and shopping in town once we dropped off the car. I don't know for sure but we may only stay at rum point a couple hours - just have lunch and take in some sun! We should be able to be there by 10 am since we get there at 7:30 figure we can be off the boat and get the car by 9 at the latest! Any other thoughts - I'm trying to leave this day open for whatever we might find to do and I'm totally open to any ideas!

[cruzdon]

is there an admission price, this place sounds to good to be true?

going on concquest on april 30, 2005. arrive around 7:00 depart at 4:00. if i leave the beach at 2:00 will this give us enought ime to get back on ship? will the shuttle just drop us off at the pier on return.

i'm very worried about missing the ship on return!!

thanks for the help
don

[momesu]

Just got back from our 5 night Western Caribbean cruise. Had planned a relaxing day at Rum Point based on all the fantastic reviews. :rolleyes: It wasn't meant to be however. Seas were too rough to tender in and didn't show any signs of calming. :( I guess that was okay in that it was a pretty cool overcast day as well and wouldn't have been that much fun at any beach. After about 4 hours the captian decided to leave Grand Cayman and we had a day at sea instead. Or at least half a day. :o Hopefully Avis knows and expects these things happen to cruise passengers as we had no way to let them know we wouldn't be picking up the cars we had reserved.

I guess I will just have to plan another trip to GC, but not in Dec. Last time wewere there it was Dec and weather was nasty also, although we did make it ashore that time.

Suzanne

[RoyalTraveler]

[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue]Drew Sailbum: R U fortunate enuf to actually LIVE in paradise (GC)? Maybe you can answer my ? I've tried 2 days to get an answer:confused: IS THE RUM POINT FERRY RUNNING A REGULAR SCHEDULE NOW FROM 7-MILE TO rUM POINT? If so, what is the fee?[/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#0000ff]Thanks a big bunch:) [/COLOR][/FONT][/B]

[drew sailbum]

[quote name='cruzdon']is there an admission price, this place sounds to good to be true?
don[/quote]

No admission price. The owners of the property ask that you not bring in any outside food or drink. With food and beverage sales and rentals of various watersports toys, the business model is able to keep this as a "no admission price" location.

Generally, beaches in the Cayman Islands are free and public up to the high water mark, though there may be somewhat limited acess from the public roadways down to the beach itself. Public access points are marked by occasional brown and white (information style) icon signs of a swimmer in water.

[drew sailbum]

[quote name='RoyalTraveler'][B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue]Drew Sailbum: R U fortunate enuf to actually LIVE in paradise (GC)?[/quote][/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue]That's simple. Yes.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=blue][FONT=Verdana][quote name='RoyalTraveler'] [/FONT][B]IS THE RUM POINT FERRY RUNNING A REGULAR SCHEDULE NOW FROM 7-MILE TO rUM POINT? If so, what is the fee?[/B][/COLOR][/FONT]
[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#0000ff]Thanks a big bunch:) [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][/quote]

Not currently, and there is no way to know if and when service might resume. I'll be one of the first to know.

Those arriving on the Disney Magic ship (and a couple others on the Celebrity Cruise line, I think) may find an offer of a shore excursion via ferry boat to Rum Point. At the current time these activities are accomodated by special charter of a ferry and operate as a single round trip with schedule set to accomodate the ship's schedule.

The physical infrastructure to operate the ferry is back in place after the BIG hurricane of Sept 2004 (That storm's name is a four-letter-word that we're all sick of thinking about here). Ferry boat, docks, ticket sales points and such are functional. I guess we just need more stay-over guests on the island to support the boat going back into regular service.

[anne-1]

Can you give map directions how to get to Rum point , How long of a drive is it
ANNE

[anne-1]

[quote name='vacationgal']Is there anyother way to get to Rum Point other than renting a car? My husband says he doesn't want to rent and drive "in another country" :confused: Give me some advice and maybe some encouragement to pass on to him. Thanks![/quote]
Encourage him to " JUST DO IT "
anne