1st time cruiser...question

[txflood3]

Hello fellow cruisers....I found this site last night and must say, this is some great info if you have never been on a cruise before.

My fiancee and I will be leaving for our honeymoon on Halloween on Carnival's Conquest. I was all ready to book shore excursions through Carnival until I read these boards.

So, here is my question........the sea turtle farm is a must in GC...so says my fiancee....are there any of the local tour companies that offer a trip to the sea turtle farm?

Thanks in advance

[AmyinGA]

We went to the turtle farm on our second trip to GC. I don't think that I would go again--it was a bit upsetting to see all of these turtles in the tanks. Some turtles are released for conservation purposes and the others are sold for meat. The farm tries to take are of the meat supply so the turtles won't be caught at sea. It seemed like an odd mix for a conservationist. If this is your fisrt time in GC, I wold go to Sintgray City and book a tour that also does a reef snorkel. The tour we took went to the turtle farm, Hell and the Rum Cake factory. The tour was less than 3 hours. We booked through our ship, but there were pleny of tour vans waiting at the pier to offer the same tour. I don't have the names of the provider there.

[NinaCO]

I've never heard anyone give a WOW to the turtle farm. The [color=red]must do in Grand Cayman is Stingray City![/color] I recommend booking the earliest tour you can. The sandbar gets more crowded as the day goes on, and with an early tour you won't have to worry about getting back in time for the tender.

There are probably tours that combine Stingray City with a trip to Hell & the turtle farm. I'd rather hit the beach or do some shopping than visit either place. :D

[npeters]

I booked through Captain Marvins a 3 hour 3-stop stingray/snorkel tour with a land tour immediately afterwards which includes stops at the turtle farm and Hell. I don't know if it stops at the rum factory though. CM also has shorter tours - see website: [url]www.captainmarvins.com[/url]

Native Way also has water and land tours: [url]www.nativewaywatersports.com[/url]

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=red]Stingray City is a must tour - which you can book once you are off the ship.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#ff0000][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]The turtle farm and Hell are all right. We enjoyed them. Got to actually hold a turtle at the farm. [/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Hell is a sulphur rock area - smells - but a lot of people like to send postcards from there just to let everyone know that they have been to "HEll". It does have it's own post office.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]This is the place to rum cakes if you like them - all kinds of flavors.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
:)

[npeters]

[quote name='Krazy Kruizers']:)

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=red]Stingray City is a must tour - which you can book once you are off the ship.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#ff0000][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]The turtle farm and Hell are all right. We enjoyed them. Got to actually hold a turtle at the farm. [/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Hell is a sulphur rock area - smells - but a lot of people like to send postcards from there just to let everyone know that they have been to "HEll". It does have it's own post office.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]This is the place to rum cakes if you like them - all kinds of flavors.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
:)[/QUOTE]

So, Hell sells those rum cakes I've been reading about? I hope so. I don't think my tour stops at the rum factory.

[NinaCO]

[quote name='npeters']So, Hell sells those rum cakes I've been reading about? I hope so. I don't think my tour stops at the rum factory.[/QUOTE]
Don't worry about missing the rum cakes! The liquor stores sell them, and you can sample freshly baked ones there too. (IMHO tastier than the ones I've brought home.) If you don't find rum cakes in Grand Cayman, it will only be because you didn't look. :)

[Guest cruzr44]

If you don't have time to pick them up on the island they sell them on the ship. At least Carnival and RC do...

[jstducky]

the rum cake factory is right next door to the turtle farm

i just did a stingray city snorkel that included the reef wall and coral gardens and then finished with a land tour with stops at hell and the turtle farm through Nativeway! they were great! my first ever non ship sponsored shore excursion! visit Nativeway's website at [url="http://www.nativewaywatersports.com"]www.nativewaywatersports.com[/url]

the tour only cost $40 and was the highlight of our most recent cruise...

[bruce-r]

While stingrays are found throughout the Caribbean, Stingray city is unique to Grand Cayman so I would have to say it would be a "must see". I feel different about the turtle Farm. First of all, it is a farm, not a zoo. The primary purpose of it is to grow turtles for 2 uses; turtle conservation and turtle consumption. The turtles are raised as food. I'd recommend spending the time in or better yet, under the water where the real beauty of Grand Cayman is located.[IMG]http://brobertson.org/GCM-underwater/images/P1010084.jpg[/IMG]

[TheWog]

great pic Bruce.